PKI major announcement soon.

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Brian Noble said:Then again, I thought IJ:ST was a fun little ride, and thought it was rather well done. I guess I just don't have sufficiently high standards to be part of the cognoscenti.

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I probably didn't phrase my opinion well...I like the ride, more than most it seems. The location of the ride, however, within the respective parks, gives PCW the nod. NONE of the beauty or charm of the park was sacrified...quite the contrary, they made it a really nice little addition to the park. PKI placed the ride poorly...IMO.

edit: At LEAST they didn't "pull a PKD" and chop all of Beast's trees down to put the ride in....so... ;)

*** Edited 1/13/2007 2:12:06 AM UTC by rollergator***

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Charles Nungester said:
The woods of Grizzly were destroyed for Hypersonic.

That was one distinct rememberances I have of Grizzly was going through the woods off that second drop and saying WHOA! Due to the surprise of that tunnel and drop being hidden in 97

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Was it? I thought the Hurler was the reason Grizzly woods were removed.

I agree with you. I rode Grizzly in 1982 when it first opened. My first wooden coaster.

Well Hurler was there when I went but the woods were still around the tunnel area of Grizzly.

Chuck

Paramount made it even worse this year by tearing down even more trees around Grizzly for the go carts (that was before the buyout, so you can't blame that one on CF :) ). The only nice part about it was that they reworked the queue so the entrance/exit are next to each other. But it took a *LOT* out of the ride experience from 05 to 06, IMO.

As for IJ, I loved the ride and thought it was done extraordinarily well with the major plot points in the movie (with KI's being slightly better than KD's). Of course, I enjoyed the movie quite well too, so that might influence my enjoyment of the ride. I can see how it would be ugly/boring for people who haven't seen the movie, though.

As always, YMMV :)

I actually thought when I went to PKD around 1998 I think, that Grizzly was not really that covered in trees. I was sort of expecting the ride to completely be hidden in the woods like the Beast but only the queue and parts of the ride really were due to the Hurler being built. So I really can't imagine what it is like now after Hypersonic was put in. At least Paramount Never did that to the Beast at kings island and build rides all around that area. Grizzly was a rather good ride when I went on it, and yes that tunnel section was rather cool. PKD though to me, was just kings islands ugly sister when it came to the overal beauty of the park. However canada's wonderland is probably the park that looks the best out of the old Paramount Park chain, with kings island being second.

Paramount did some really nice things, but overall seemed to lack a direction on what they really wanted to be. They did keep the park clean and the rides running at reasonable efficiently and open most of the time. The additions sometimes were confusing. I personally think the best year they had was in 2003, when they added delirium to the action zone and scooby doo to HB. It made sense to add a quality ride to both thrill seakers and kids.

The hollywood direction they had the last 2 years before they sold to cedar fair did seem like a way of offering a more regional version of universal studios. However, it did not really make alot of sense to go that direction when you had parks with 10 coasters and were orginally designed to have different themed sections that had nothing to do with movies. It was ok to have one section with movie rides, but they seemed to add the movie themed rides any spot there was room in the park, regardless if it fit in with the theme.

Italian job actually is a decent coaster. A really nice intermediate family coaster, with some thrills and theming. However its location never made sense. Well if kings island does put X-Flight by flight of fear, could they have not fit Italian job there a few years earlier? I really think that would have been a better location. Instead they removed to classic family rides, one which was the 2nd oldest ride in the park and from coney island. I don't think its really an eyesore, yet it does not fit the area as well as the cars.

The Flying Eagles removal was the most confusing, since having worked as a ride opeartor on that ride for 3 years, I can tell you it was a popular ride for families and not just coaster enthusiasts. It was a ride that parents could take their kids on, more so than an enthusiast social ride. I did know how to snap, but it was not just enthusiasts who knew how, most thrill seakers or older people seemed to figure it out. But some people just liked the flying around without the snapping. Its capacity was not great, but than again its a flat ride in a park with 10 coasters and other major rides and a water park. Its line was constantly 15 minutes or so, and it pushed 200pph. Compared to the other flat ride I worked, Shake Rattle and Roll (Troika), Flying Eagles was definately more popular.

I remember the response when one of our ride managers decided during a limited operation day to shut down eagles instead of Shake Rattle and Roll due to staffing. The general public was so upset that the eagles were down, that we never did that again. We always would try and open the eagles if we could over shake rattle and roll if staffing for Beast TS was low and it was a limited operation day. It was just the more popular ride. The sad thing is, is that I felt the park was not honest for the reason they removed the ride. I did enjoy the ride myself and knew how to snap etc, and have personal ties to the ride since I was a ride op on it for 3 seasons, so I do have strong personal feelings for the ride.

But putting those behind, the room was there to keep it, I think anyone could see that. And saving some couple hundred thousand if you really wanted a flyings scooters at carrowinds seems like poor judgement. For a park chain at the time that had capital expenditures around 60 million or so depending on the year, they were too cheap to buy a new model. If they did that, they would have had one at each park anyway.

Well enough of the rant, Paramount made some really good additions and did a decent job of running the park. Flight of Fear was probably the best coaster they added, especially now with lapbars. The trying out the lapbars on it was really a good move on the park, and one that would lead to other park chains doing the same to their premier coaster rides. Delirium and drop zone have proven to be popular rides. Overall the action zone is my least favorite section of the park and lacks the charm and atmosphere of the rest of the park.

Cedar Fair hopefully will do a good job. X-Flight if we do get it and an improved Son of Beast should make for a good year. But really the next year should be followed by some more family rides or flat rides. Maybe an S&S swing and some family Zamperla Flats (like that one kangeroo ride at the IAAPA show).

I still get upset and sick to my stomach every time I see the location where the Eagles were. Not only was it a great and popular ride, but it had such historic significance, being one of the few remaining rides from the old Coney Island. I know the complaining about their removal is old news and one does need to move on. But it was just so wrong!

Anyway I do go to Carowinds to ride them still. Between them and Top Gun:The Jet Coaster, it makes for a nice visit!

I would like to hope that Cedar Fair will add some flats to the park, but then again that does not seem to be something they do. I know many flats have terrible capacity, but flat rides are more like spices that flavor the "stew" that is the park. They are not the main attractions like coasters, but they are nice diversion when you want to do something else. I have seen days at Cedar Point where Top Thrill Dragster or the other popular coasters will have 2 hour lines, but many of the flats will be under 20 minutes. They just give you another option and add really nice atmosphere while you are walking around the park. I wish Kings Island had more. Their addition of Delirium was a step in the right direction!

In any case, I look forward to hearing all the news about the new season!

I doubt the new attraction for 2007 will be anything to exciting. Kings Island doesnt seem to impress me to much with new attractions

http://www3.paramountparks.com/kingsisland/news/

why in the left hand corner is there a picture of BTR

That's Great America's Top Gun.

(Wow, a setence that's legitimately all capitalized!)

Does KI's 13 million include GWL?

What is GWL?

^Great Wolf Lodge.

Dan, I wouldn't be surprised if it was not included in that.

Track has arrived at Kings Island
http://photos.pkicentral.com/thumbnails.php?album=180

Not that anyone really expected anything diffeent, but at least this settles it.

Based on the pictures I took Saturday at Geauga Lake, it'll probably be a while before the lower supports start showing up. It looks as though they are busting up the concrete footers so they can cut the bolts from below. Only reason I can think of why is if the nuts were welded on top.

Beat you to it by about 30 seconds.... ;)

http://www.coasterbuzz.com/forum.aspx?mode=thread&TopicID=46410

Ahh no fair I had to look for this forum :)

Thats ok, My thread got deleted anyways.

So PKI is getting X-FLIGHT, i bet their also get a new midway with food, games, bathrooms, and a few small flats for the 10M. *** Edited 1/23/2007 2:44:28 AM UTC by Coasterkid200***

i beat you arf rigt

Was that suposed to be coherant crazy horse?