Does Paramount have some kind of beef with B&M?

I know that Paramount has built two B&M's both in Carowinds and Great America, but why not the other three. They built B&M's in 1991, '92, and '93. Then there was a 6 year period where they didn't build anything by B&M. Then in 1999, they built Top Gun.

What I want to know is why was there a 6 year period of no B&M's and why haven't they built any B&M's at their other parks...at least at Kings Dominion or Kings Island. These are possibly their most popular parks, but they haven't built any coasters by the most popular company.

It just doesn't make sense to me...can somebody help me out?

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Mayday - Memorial Day Weekend - Nonpoint, Nickelback, Oleander, Staind
Ozzfest - June 8 - Drowning Pool, Papa Roach, Linkin Park, Disturbed, Black Sabbath
Awake Tour- June 15 - Darwin's Waiting Room, Puddle of Mudd, Deftones, Godsmack

Well, there is not much to tell. I think all relations are good between Paramount Parks and B&M. I just don't think there is much interest there.

Paramount tends to be the seasonal park leaders in adding ground-breaking, unusual and never seen before coasters. They want to be first to add a brand new type of coaster and shake up the industry.

My perception is, B&M just hasn't offered anything that Paramount has been all that interested in. They did add some of their coasters to two of their parks that historically have not been home to many prototypes and that require more tried and true additions.

B&M is terrific with taking a concept and improving/perfecting it. But Paramount parks are more interested in coming up with the concept. The new ideas that B&M has dreamed up, have all been done at other parks. Typically Paramount does not copy other chains coaster ideas. It means they cannot market it the way they like: "World's Only", "First" etc etc etc.

Not to say that we will not see a B&M at another major Paramount Park in the future.....

Shaggy

I would think Paramounts Kings Island would get a B&M sometime in the future but not sure what type they would get.
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18 Parks in 2001 Season.

Shaggy, I seriously hope you're hinting at PKI... that is, if you are hinting. I know people say that we can't say and don't know what a park needs, but I've gotta say, PKI needs a B&M. The capacity and ride aspects i believe would do wonders for them in several ways. I would prefer them to get B&M's first giga... :)

Or maybe PKI or PKD will get the first B&M flyer or vertical drop coaster in the States.

First of all CPgenious, I'm pretty sure Top Gun@ PGA was built in 1994, correct me if I'm wrong.

I think B&M should really come up with something new, though it is very difficult to find something that hasn't been done with steel already. Maybe an inverted stand-up coaster, though this maybe cause a little bit of discomfort.

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Drive to theme parks for the food, stay for the coasters!! Knott's Fried Chicken

First of all CPgenious, I'm pretty sure Top Gun@ PGA was built in 1994, correct me if I'm wrong.

I think B&M should really come up with something new, though it is very difficult to find something that hasn't been done with steel already. Maybe an inverted stand-up coaster, though this maybe cause a little bit of discomfort. Anyone

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Drive to theme parks for the food, stay for the coasters!! Knott's Fried Chicken

First of all CPgenious, I'm pretty sure Top Gun@ PGA was built in 1994, correct me if I'm wrong.

I think B&M should really come up with something new, though it is very difficult to find something that hasn't been done with steel already. Maybe an inverted stand-up coaster, though this maybe cause a little bit of discomfort. Anyone else have an idea for what else can be made with a steel coaster?

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Drive to theme parks for the food, stay for the coasters!! Knott's Fried Chicken

He's talking about Top Gun at Carowinds, which was built in 1999.

PGA's Top Gun was built in 1993.

You were incorrect all 3 times! Top Gun was built in 93, i am preety shure.

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SFMM line cutters are the braviest in the world.

I think there was a big demand for B&Ms Floorless back in the mid 90's so they got jammed up with those orders and waited till 1999-'98 to build another one for Paramount. Top Gun was built in 1999 for Carowinds and 1993 for PGA, I looked it up on rcdb. Plus Paramount is not one of B&M's favorite companies to do contracts with. Paramount and B&M have been having contract disputes in the past and B&M has been dealing with parks that more favorable to them.
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I may be from IL, but i sure can't get enough of the FORCE. MF!!!

I love all of this make believe drama. Folks, the way a park builds a ride is very simple. Lets say a park wanted an inverted coaster. First they'd figure out want a high capacity ride, then they'd look at demogarphics and marketing aspects (I.E. what kind of ride would we get the most bang for our buck on.) From there they figure that a coaster is what the park wants to go with and then they survey their park to see what could go where. From here they start thinking what type of coaster they want. (Coming out and saying gee whiz I want a B&M would be a bad business decision this would be like going to a cadillac dealer and saying I really want a caddy. You lose your ability to haggle.) After they figured out they want an intense coaster they do ride research. (They ride rides at different parks as well as listen to sale pitches at IAPAA) from here they measure a few things (cost, what kind of experience this ride manufacturer has, space, time it takes to construct, and advertising ideas.)

This is why new coaster companies often have a heck of a time getting started. Its kind of hard for a company to show up at IAPAA and say see here's a really cool model we haven't done anything in the past but trust us it'll be really cool.

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Just wait till next year!

Yes, my dates are right...I didn'y just throw some dates up there to make it look like I knew what I was talking about, I looked them up in the database here at Coasterbuzz.

IL_MForce_Junkie, don't you mean inverted, not floorless.

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Mayday - Memorial Day Weekend - Nonpoint, Nickelback, Oleander, Staind
Ozzfest - June 8 - Drowning Pool, Papa Roach, Linkin Park, Disturbed, Black Sabbath
Awake Tour- June 15 - Darwin's Waiting Room, Puddle of Mudd, Deftones, Godsmack

IL_MForce_Junkie said:
Plus Paramount is not one of B&M's favorite companies to do contracts with. Paramount and B&M have been having contract disputes in the past and B&M has been dealing with parks that more favorable to them.
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I may be from IL, but i sure can't get enough of the FORCE. MF!!!

How do you know?

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Fighting for peace is like screwing for virginity.

CPgenius said:
"What I want to know is why was there a 6 year period of no B&M's and why haven't they built any B&M's at their other parks...at least at Kings Dominion or Kings Island. These are possibly their most popular parks, but they haven't built any coasters by the most popular company."

Who says B&M is the most popular company? If you go by polls, you'll see a fair share of other coaster manufacturers as well, including the top spot held by either Intamin (S:ROS or Millie) or Arrow (Maggie). Come to think of it, besides Kumba, has any non-inverted B&M ever made one of the popular 'Top Ten' lists?
jeremy
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A Nigerian Muslim sharia court sentences a pregnant woman found guilty of adultery to be stoned to death, but only after she has finished weaning her baby.
This is known in some parts of the Muslim world as compassionate conservatism

2Hostyl - I don't know about what the "top ten lists" say, but IMO, RR and Ga Scorcher are fantastic rides for stand-ups, and don't be too surprised if Nitro makes the top ten this year. That being said, I'd still take S:RoS over any product, Intamin (sorry MF), B&M, Arrow, anything...in fact, since Friday IS casual day, I'm wearing my S:RoS shirt today. All that, and I've only ridden the "lame" one at SFA...when I get to SFNE or SFDL, it's ALL over. But, B&M makes multiple-inversion coasters that the GP will ride over and over, and THAT is why every major park needs AT LEAST one...

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the buzzer formerly known as gatorwoodie
Son of Drop Zone - PKI CoasterCamp I Champions!!!

IL_MForce_Junkie said:
I think there was a big demand for B&Ms Floorless back in the mid 90's so they got jammed up with those orders and waited till 1999-'98 to build another one for Paramount. Top Gun was built in 1999 for Carowinds and 1993 for PGA, I looked it up on rcdb. Plus Paramount is not one of B&M's favorite companies to do contracts with. Paramount and B&M have been having contract disputes in the past and B&M has been dealing with parks that more favorable to them.
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Wasn't the first B&M Floorless not built until like 1998 or 99? It wasn't mid 90's as far as I can recall.
I think the B&M/Paramount disputes rumors are all hogwash. If there were disputes we would all know about them. Ala Paramount and RCCA, ala SF with Vekoma, etc etc.
I guarantee you that if Paramount wanted a B&M, then B&M would design and build one for them. If the $ and interest is there, then no problem.
Shaggy

*** This post was edited by Shaggy on 11/9/2001. ***

rollergator said:
"2Hostyl - I don't know about what the "top ten lists" say, but IMO, RR and Ga Scorcher are fantastic rides for stand-ups, and don't be too surprised if Nitro makes the top ten this year.
(SNIPPAGE)
But, B&M makes multiple-inversion coasters that the GP will ride over and over, and THAT is why every major park needs AT LEAST one..."

I'm sure they are fine rides in their own merit, but my comment was directly aimed at the allegation that B&M is "the most popular company". And it would be a shame if NITRO makes the top ten list in my eyes as both Raging Bull and Apollo are more enyjoyable rides.

And let's be honest, the GP will ride just about ANY coaster over and over. The only reason that the Arrow coasters of the 80's have relatively short lines is because they been around since the 80's and there are now newer things to try. Now, some were nastily painful (Drachen Fire, Steel Phantom). But the other ones *still* experience lots of riders. Maybe the queue isnt always full, but if the trains are full, what's the difference?

Now, I personally LOVE B&M (3 of my top 5 steels are by them including RB at the top spot), but I just thought that was a rather arbitrary claim to be making.
jeremy
--who is wearing his Viper @ SFGADv t-shirt to work today

Ahh, but how great it is to have the no-nosense posts of Ravenguy98 back again! ;)
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What is hateful to you, do not to your fellowman. That is the entire law; all the rest is commentary. -The Talmud

yes, "the most popular company" sounds rather arbitrary, I agree. But you REALLY liked AC better than Nitro? I guess AC didn't get me the way that it did for everyone else...and I do mean EVERYONE else. I thought Nitro was WAY better, but opinions vary (widely) - otherwise we wouldn't bother discussing it in the first place...LOL. RB, from what I've heard, is one I'll HAVE to get to sometime!

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the buzzer formerly known as gatorwoodie
Son of Drop Zone - PKI CoasterCamp I Champions!!!