King Island announces... well, you know

Yeah, Thanks. I could have linked the image to my Photobucket account, but...I didn't. :P

I kind of wanted people to see the area between Racers turn around and Vortex's exit. I don't see anything going in there. There is just no room.

Jason Hammond said:

Post of the year. I'm still laughing.

+1

The funny thing was, I couldn't remember the Herrington part or what he called them, so remembering that it was also a line in the Blue Harvest special, I typed in "Darth's Emporium" in Google and found it on the first page.

My Google-Fu is ridic.

Did they say Valleyfair is getting one?

No.

Ok, so instead of buying one, and making sure it works well before buying a boat load, CF jumps in and buys a truckload.

I realize this isn't a first of, but Mondial is kind of a tier 2 supplier, and I would expect there to be problems with an early version of any ride. So now they get to have problems *4.

Could be a case of "Deja Vu" then.

In picture #7 of the Wind Seeker Photo Gallery on the KI site, the blue Racer is backwards :) haha.

Why weren't these all Intamins?

Tekwardo said:
WindSeekers for EVERYBODY!

*snip*

Just beautiful. I salute you! *bows*

IntaminHater said:
Why weren't these all Intamins?

I guess because they knew you'd "HATE" them if they were...

A nice high ride in the spirit of the Zodiac that originally sat there. This thing should have OTSR like a Chance Aviator though. The lap bars may be secure, but at 300 ft in the air they aren't going to feel secure.

And as it turns out no, the location of the ride is not where FC used to be. I was at the park last night and went around the back of Vortex looking for any sign (maybe a sign) and here came a couple of security officers. I asked them where it was supposed to go and they said "right where we're standing." which basically was in front of the Action Theater. They indicated that the entrance for the theatre would be re-worked. Somehow it didnt seem right so I went to guest relations on the way out and asked them. They also said the end of Coney Mall between Racer's turnaround and Vortex.

I looked at the unoccupied space over the fence between Vortex's lift and the turnaround and it's hard to see - nothing there right now but trees and scrub. But apparently the link to the map is correct and the video is wrong. And I guess I was too.

Well, I guess it can fit in there. Here's a map shot.

On the right you can clearly see FC's old spot, as well as that domed tan building which used to be laser tag like 10 years ago. I'm not sure what's there now. The building next to the tan one is a restroom.

The ride will probably go in front of the access road that goes from Vortex around the back of the Action Theater.

The laser tag domes are gone and there's nothing there now - the smokers can sit along that little stretch. So in addition to a good place for the ride theres space for a queue or a store right along side. I wonder if in that spot the Windseeker in full swing doesn't come too close to, or even hang over, the Racer because that would never do. From the map shot, it seems that if the old platform was removed down to ground level then Windseeker's pad could come right out to the street and be fine.

The guys seemed to think that the current plaza at Action Theater's entrance was where it would be as they'd seen guys with blueprints around there.The gals at guest relations seemed to indicate that the location was an expansion of sorts, and placed it over the fence. I told them it looked like a dead end to me, and they responded with the line about the many, many undeveloped acres at Kings Island suitable for expansion.

Well, it is what it is. Not to think about it too much, I guess... I just wanted to let you all know what I found out.

I would not put it past them to stick it right in the middle of the midway, in the way that Kings Island never would have before.

There is a new sheriff in town and he's not from the old Randy Duell school of doing things, where you tuck the ride out of sight behind a lovely themed building. The Cedar Fair way of doing things is to flaunt what you've got and let the ride show itself off. Just compare the way Diamondback dominates the midway with the way all the other coasters are kind of tucked into their little holes and hollows.

Consider also that right now, Coney Mall is a huge dead-end, with a strong emphasis on the "dead" part. I mean, from the intersection where the Vortex queue fence starts, what is there? A game joint, the old Flight Commander platform, the rotting remains of a disused food joint, a rest room, the Vortex exit, and an ugly facade the serves to block any kind of a view of the South Racer turnaround. It's a forgotten little corner of the park, and I think Mr. Decker and his partners at Kings Island are going to work a little magic and bring that area back to life.

Look what just a little minor reconfiguration did for the Beast plaza, even before they put Diamondback's helix overhead. For another example, look at what they did with maXair at Cedar Point.

--Dave Althoff, Jr.

Those are good points. It really makes me wonder about the future of the Action Theater. Seems like it has been going downhill for a long, long time. I know that they only use one side for the movies, and they use if for Fearfest, but how long will it be there?

What do you do with a building that is so far back there that no one cares anymore? Seems the Action Theaters of the world are quickly becoming like IMAX.

IMAX stock has been going up since the end of 2008, and their revenue was up something like 60 or 70% last year. I think the issue with these various theater "things" and simulators and what not is the lack of good content. Disney or Universal can go for years with something like the Muppets or Shrek, but the content in regional parks has been generally lame and not recognizable.

...Of course there are two points in the favor of IMAX. One is the development of feature films into refactored blow-ups for their screens, which has led to segments of feature films actually being shot in IMAX; the other is the IMAX digital projection system that has made it into the multiplexes. None of this is any good at all for providing quality content to amusement park theaters with the old 15/70 projectors and an attention span that is basically limited to about 20 minutes. The Iwerks system is even worse, in that not only is the content limited both in scope and in quality, you have to watch it from a bouncing seat that is making a heck of a lot of mechanical noise.

From the park's perspective, the IMAX system presents difficulty because the license is expensive to maintain and the quality of content is so limited. The Iwerks system is even worse because each pair of seats is a complete motion base that is about as complicated as a traditional flat ride.

Getting back to Kings Island for a moment, consider also that the theater was put in during the days when Paramount was doing the "mega queue" entrances (see also Whitewater Canyon and the ride formerly known as Top Gun) with a really long hike from midway to entrance and no switchback sections (or short-cuts). The entrance and exit paths meander over a pretty large area and could easily be collapsed down even if the theater is going to stay for a while.

--Dave Althoff, Jr.

Jeff said:
IMAX stock has been going up since the end of 2008, and their revenue was up something like 60 or 70% last year.

I could be wrong, but doesn't this increase have a lot to do with them tossing the "IMAX" brand at screens that are not at all what IMAX used to be? Sure, their stock is rising right now, but what happens when they dilute their brand beyond repair?

I dunno... I wasn't aware that they were doing that. Near me at least, the only IMAX installations I know of are those with Big Ass Screens(TM). My point was more that IMAX does not appear to be going anywhere, so it's kind of a poor comparison.

As soon as you said, "Iwerks," Dave, about the noise, I totally remember my last time in the theater at KI. What an awful attraction. I seem to recall at the time that they had some kind of Marvel license though, didn't they? I think I met Stan Lee at IAAPA in 2000 or something (was that guy ever young?).