Fear Fest '07

[ICPcreeper]

I have heard a lot of different stuff about fear fest next year, and i was wondering if anyone could fill me on what is actually happening. Just curious, was a creeper, wanna stay a creeper, some say they are getting rid o creepers and some say they are keeping them

[beastfan11]

I dont really know, but I highly doubt they'll cut creepers, if something Id like to see more.

[WooferBearATL]

I have heard a lot of different stuff about fear fest next year, and i was wondering if anyone could fill me on what is actually happening. Just curious, was a creeper, wanna stay a creeper, some say they are getting rid o creepers and some say they are keeping them

I'd venture to say that nothing has nearly been decided about that.

CF has a lot on their plate and it probably will not be figured until the budgets are determined.

[Captain Nemo]

Well it can only get better. This year's was the best of them all. Cedar Fair will bring back the popular ones. I can expect The Undertaker coming back, he was a hit. All the less popular ones will most likly get replaced with something new.

[PKIDelirium]

Headless Hollow needs to die.

Great concept, horrible execution.

[The Interpreter]

Earlier today, there was an article posted from the Charlotte Observer that said, among other things, that Scarowinds was going to get even scarier.

Just something to think about. As goes Carowinds......

[WooferBearATL]

Earlier today, there was an article posted from the Charlotte Observer that said, among other things, that Scarowinds was going to get even scarier.

Just something to think about. As goes Carowinds......

Exactly.

I wonder why so much info is coming out of Carowinds?

[Avatar]

As reported in another artical.

Another thing that hasn’t changed is Kinzel’s humble and generous manage­ment styleâ€â€generous in that he trusts in the judgments of his managers and allows them to run their own parks, rea­sonably free from corporate interven­tion. “For a company our size, we have a very, very small corporate staff,†Kinzel notes. “The park managers know their parks the best and I don’t want to inter­fere with them. I like to think we are here for support if they need it.â€Â

[WooferBearATL]

As reported in another artical.

Another thing that hasn’t changed is Kinzel’s humble and generous manage­ment styleâ€â€generous in that he trusts in the judgments of his managers and allows them to run their own parks, rea­sonably free from corporate interven­tion. “For a company our size, we have a very, very small corporate staff,†Kinzel notes. “The park managers know their parks the best and I don’t want to inter­fere with them. I like to think we are here for support if they need it.â€Â

Oh my gosh. Ya'll wait until Interpreter reads this post.

Ya'll are in for a tiraid like you've never seen before. <G>

[The Interpreter]

Nope. Kinzel knows what to say and he says it well.

And Cedar Fair gives its managers way more latitude than does, say, Six Flags under Messrs Shapiro and Snyder. There's a reason why Six Flags Great Adventure had general manager after general manager during 2006.

That all being said, I wouldn't want to be the park general manager who disappointed Dick Kinzel. Not at all.

[Shman]

“For a company our size, we have a very, very small corporate staff,†Kinzel notes. “The park managers know their parks the best and I don’t want to inter­fere with them. I like to think we are here for support if they need it.â€Â

The statement of the park managers knowing their parks best is complete BULL at best. #1 In that article the Carowinds manager even states that he had no clue where the bathrooms were in his park!!!

#2 Come back to PKI and we find another manager transported from a CF park who, coming into the park knew little about how the park operated, he was very use to the smaller park atmosphere and did not know how to handle a lot of the stuff dealing with a larger park.....let alone the fact that CF gave the axe to most of the managers who actually knew what they were doing, while holding onto managers who should have been let go....that still makes NO sense.

#3 They arent necessarily always there to support their park managers either....not going into any details, but I know of one major decison that PKI's General Manager wanted to make one operating day in October that Corporate CF would not allow....something that would have saved the park a lot of money in the end.

[CoastersRZ]

Gee, I think I was at the park that day, when there was literally no one in the park like at 4pm, but yet they stayed open until the regularly scheduled closing time. I was shocked they didn`t close early as it was apparant that they were loosing money left and right.

Yes, Cedar Fair did instill some new general managers at the Paramount Parks, like Greg Scheid, Kings Island`s general manager. As with any new position, there is a learning curve that comes with it. The general managers will not immediately know the ins and outs of their respective park. This is no different than when Paramount Parks would instill a new general manager at one of their parks.

[Guest kwindshawne]

Headless Hollow needs to die.

Great concept, horrible execution.

I agree

[Discodude3737]

Headless Hollow is a good haunt if you hit it at the right time. If you are one of the first off the train and proceed straight to the entrance with few in front of you, you will probably have an excellent experience. It gets disappointing when the line backs up and the actors aren't able to scare people anymore.

[RingMaster]

I believe what they should've done is have the "break-down" occur at the Boomerang Bay station, because the Pumpkin Patch appears too early along the train route; especially when the train goes slower than normal and there are less cars. Either that, or make the train a massive show ride, like Red Moon Massacre or Cavern of Lost Souls at the Haunt.

Here's my idea for a show ride involving the train (crappy but an idea):

First off, I would use tractors instead of trains due to their off-roading capabilites. Anyway, on to the idea. Guests waiting in line for the train are, instead, met with an old-school tractor pull. You know, big tractor with wagon full of hay being pulled. Victims-er, I mean-park guests hop on board cautiously as the "conductor" tells them all of their trains have been stolen....weird....

So the tractor starts up and 20-30 (random estimate) guests are pulled forward into the dark depths of the forest. At times, patrons believe to catch glimpses of shadows speeding past in the distance and moaning and screams from out of nowhere. Their first obstacle-a rickety bridge, with severed heads on stakes. It's a tight fit, but the tractor manages to squeeze through and carefully trek the bridge. Meanwhile, folks get an uneasy feeling that they're being watched, as the heads stare-and then follow-the vehicle make its way across. Suddenly, the bridge begins to rock back and forth unnaturally, and tips to one side in the blink of an eye. A redish glow materializes in the ravine below them, unearthing another tractor and its passengers dead or being eaten by zombies. Miraculously, the bridge evens itself out and the tractor escapes.

Just as they leave the bridge area, they notice that their path is blocked by a wall of fog. The vehicle slows to a crawl at this point, as visibilty is rendered useless. What can be seen, however, are sets of body bags and hung victims strung upon the tree limbs. The bad news? They're hung at sitting point-meaning you almost have to move around if you don't want anything rubbing up against you. However, a few bodies are still "alive" in some cases, and attempt to grab attention (sucessfully) by shaking violently. The good news? One managed to get himself down from the tree...although he can't seem to find his way back home as his head remains caught in the rope above him. Being dumbfounded as most headless zombies are, he thinks it fell into your hay carriage, and tries to jump in (how he thinks that when its perspective is completely shot is beyond me).

And that's all that I can think of. Other than that they find two of the stolen trains. One has derailed and overturned into a thicket of trees, and a pack of werewolves are busy feasting on the unfortunate passengers caught on board. That is, until they see the tractor pull up in the corner of their eyes and figure fresh meat tastes better and attack. The other train has also derailed, but, to a surprise, is still able to run even when on bare earth. It's also right in the middle of the tractor's path, and wants to play a game of Chicken. The bad news? It's another tight path and there's really no way to stop, lest you get run over. The good news? You live to see another day, as the train passes right through you and disappears (a feat even I'm still trying to figure out).

[Karen]

Hey everyone here knows my feelings about the creepers. From what I learned about the other CF parks they really are into the creepers but kind of turn them into a lot of warewolves in some of their other parks.

I love the creepers at Kings Island. Some of them are my friends now and we have an awesome time together - ICPcreeper is one of my best buddies so I know where he is coming from here.

The guys that were creepers this year really do enjoy scaring people and it showed all season in their talent at doing so. I not only got frightened by them but had a blast watching them go after others. The guys they had this year were better than any other year! Every year they have had a few good ones but this year they had a full team!! Every single creeper did a fantastic job! Yes ICPcreeper was one of the best ones at Coney Maul and at the front of the park toward closing time. I am one that never thought any of them got the credit they deserved because when you watch them for hours chasing people and seeing entire groups running for a long time BEFORE looking back that should tell CF that this is a GOOD thing here.

I think some are using me for target practice over the offseason times - ok with me - lot of fun - but honestly if CF is smart they will increase the amount of those creeping around the park and put them in other places - not just Coney Maul. Action Zone needs an attraction with a few creepers wondering around that area - there are several pathways that I could see awesome places to put creepers - the ones over hung with trees and hidden areas. The area by the train station is another place full of hiding places for the creepers and in bad need of some. Why should creepers only be around the entrance and coney maul?

CF had the park for Fear Fest this year and if anyone really noticed it did improve on this event. Cornstalkers went from a small pathway for a different variety of walking creepers to an attraction. The Workzone was near Action Zone and was lame at best. It was revamped and moved to the area by Coney Maul and improved somewhat. They needed more improvement but it did get a bit better than that lame excuse they had by Action Zone.

The Undertaker was awesome this year - I agree but let's not forget either that often he had help. The chainsaw guy was working with him as were other creepers to increase his scare value. He was not always alone! Trust me in this as I spent many hours watching them in their process and endured some of that teaming up action many many times myself.

Headless Hallow was good this year if you went at the right time. I went through it when the group was done well and it was great! Another time the lines were running into each other and naturally the scare value decreased plus the actors were either tired or just not into it and not a lot of action was seen - kind of thought maybe too many called in sick that night.

The one I would kill is that joke Holiday area. But that is my opinion.

[ICPcreeper]

Yea, holiday horror did suck pretty hardcore. I heard just about all the fearzones did (worksite, cornstalkers, and i think there is another one..). I mean hell if you are gonna put the effort out and hire the people for something like that, why not just make a completely new house? Unfortunately i was working every freaking night so i didnt really get to go in any of the houses, but i love what they do wit the asylum every year and there was some stuff in psychopath i thought was pretty unique.

[faeriewench]

"Hey everyone here knows my feelings about the creepers. From what I learned about the other CF parks they really are into the creepers but kind of turn them into a lot of warewolves in some of their other parks."

CF do love their werewolves I know and its quite obvious at both CP and Knott's but keep in mind, specially at Knott's, they have a wide variety of well themed areas throughtout the park and their slider/creepers are sometimes made out to looks not just all wolf-ish but alot are ghastly ghouls also. I see a bright future ahead for FF.

"and i think there is another one"

That was Scream Street

[Karen]

Actually Cornstalkers was pretty good - just one of the times I went through there was not much but the other time I had a blast so again with everything else I guess it was pretty much when you went to it.

[Karen]

uhhh yea if you look at my banner and my profile pic that IS ICPcreeper. Figured someone would ask eventually ha ha

[2oo64ever]

"Hey everyone here knows my feelings about the creepers. From what I learned about the other CF parks they really are into the creepers but kind of turn them into a lot of warewolves in some of their other parks."

CF do love their werewolves I know and its quite obvious at both CP and Knott's but keep in mind, specially at Knott's, they have a wide variety of well themed areas throughtout the park and their slider/creepers are sometimes made out to looks not just all wolf-ish but alot are ghastly ghouls also. I see a bright future ahead for FF.

"and i think there is another one"

That was Scream Street

i thought that the cornstalkers were pretty scary i went there twice in one night and there were about 5 of them around me at ones and it was pretty scary and they cept me in there for about 15 mins...it was awsome.

[KIBeast]

I enjoyed the Cornstalkers as well. They scared me pretty good. The Undertaker must stay. I will protest if they don't use him next year. And, it wasn't even because he scared me good. It was just his great evil laugh. I give him a lot of credit for a great evil laugh. I have heard many people try and just don't pull it off. Heck, I've tried and failed at it myself.

[2oo64ever]

oh yes hes laugh was really good they ahve to take him back next year!

if not then they are stupied.

[Skywriter]

oh yes hes laugh was really good they ahve to take him back next year!

if not then they are stupied.

Yeah is laugh was very cool and i could never make that laugh.Good Job Undertaker.

[Shman]

My guess would be that you will not see the undertaker back next year, but that you will see an all new character in that place.

The undertaker seemed to me to be the attempt at the main host character similar to how Universal does it.....and patterned after the way they do it i would expect a new character each year.

[Guest kwindshawne]

Undertaker made fearfest-it would be a dire mistake for them not to bring him back

[Shman]

Well I'm sure that they would bring him back.....as in the performer, as he was a truly great performer. But I just have that feeling that PKI is trying to have the same "icon" character idea for Fearfest that Universal does every year, and every year it is a new character. Don't be closed off to the possibilities, they made a good character this year.....they might even make a better one next year.

[hauntguy]

I've always thought it would be cool to have this old rusty ice cream truck stroll in... with the music playing but slow and a little "out of tune". The truck would pull in front of the fountains... wait just a second... and the side service window slides open and their stands this;

Old... Crusty... Warm hearted but slightly demented old man. He politely ask guest what flavor they want, but they find out that the menu has been a little "modeadfied"...haahaa....

So the guest just says "vanilla's fine"... The man would laugh. He would dissapear for only moment and come back with what looks like a popsicle (spelling?).

The guest holds the stick and peels off the wrapper only to find that it's a disgusting finger/toe shoved onto the stick.

---------------------------------------------------

The old man would then go to the takers spot on the platform and another character would watch over the truck. Of course KI would have to make these 'deadly treats' nightly... or make enough to last the whole season. I would just give out 2-3 a night.

I think this character would freak out alot of the teens and adults! The character should wear black/dark blue pants (dusted and weathered down to look old), a button up shirt that is dusted the same way as the pants... but different colors. He should also wear a white apron that has blood/ice cream on it and is also tattered and old looking. His face should look like this:

http://www.havocstunts.com/images/winter_gal.jpg

The creepy truck music should play the entire night. I have perfect music on my PC of what should play... Some from Midnight Syndicate, some from an actual truck!

I do think this would work... be eery as hell! I would expect some people to have nightmares like crazy if this was done right. I don't know what the park is going to do but I do think it will be better than this year! -Hauntguy

[KIBeast]

Sounds pretty good to me, Hauntguy!

[TOPGUN1993]

That idea rocks!