PKIs Flyers to Carowinds?

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Sean Flaharty said:
fuseuser,

Perhaps the real reason for the removal isn't something corporate would like to boast about? I don't know of too many instances where I have heard corporate parks blabbing about the joy or removing one loved ride from one park, and putting it in another. Parks are usually pretty "hush-hush" when it comes to adding a used ride to a park. There are exceptions to the rule but for the most part parks are usually silent when it comes to removals and relocations.

-Sean

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Well, I know it's not exactly the same thing, and this might sound a little absurd, but removing the Flying Eagles is kinda like removing the Tyler Davidson Fountain off of Fountain Square, and relocating it across the river to Covington - or some other city in the country. It's part of Cincinnati's history, and removing it would be preposterous without a valid reason. If the city just decided to do away with it, to make room for a different statue or fountain, the citizens would be enraged and demand to know why. Imagine their reaction if the city couldn't give them a reason, other than to say "it's a done deal, and there's nothing we can do about it."

I just don't get it. PKI is totally gutting the antique cars and supposedly they are going to rebuild them in another part of the park because this is such an important ride. Are you kidding me? How hard would it be to put the flyers into a vacant spot with its small footprint. Nope, sorry we have to build a new antique car track somewhere instead.

Please, correct me if I'm wrong (I'm sure you will) but that is what I remember reading. *** Edited 10/16/2004 3:43:47 PM UTC by S&SFAN***

Dude, are you even playing along? It's not about PKI. It's not about the difficulty of relocating the ride. It's about a company redistributing its assets the way they see fit. It's that simple. No more, no less.

I've been a Flyer Fan since i was 7 yrs old. Euclid Beach had great flyers. too bad the park shut down when in 1969... Then i rode the Flyers at Geauga lake. i can't remember when they chucked 'em. Then i rode the Flyers at CLP. in fact, next to the Blue Streak, it's the
only ride we go on... We drive the 90 mins from cleveland, tent at the camp grounds across the street and ride B-Streak and Flying Scooters all day, then head back. i guess it's
just evolution...

Jeff,

I understand that corperate is supposedly in control of this but it just doesn't seem to make any sense. Why would a company redistribute such a historic asset when it has plenty of money to buy a brand new Flying Eagles ride for every one of its parks.

It is also troubling that someone on Kings Island staff doesn't have enough pull to tell corporate that this isn't a good move. That just doesn't sound right. What if corporate said, "We are taking out the Beast and moving it to one of our other parks so other people can enjoy the experience and you have no say in it." No way would Kings Island let corporate get away with something like that. I know that would never happen and it is all hypothetical but it just doesn't make sense to me that someone on staff wouldn't be able to have control inputs into the corporate decision.

I am starting to believe that it is all coming down to the snapping and the only way to stop it is to ship it off to a place where they can enforce it from the get go.

This is probably the worst move the Paramount heads could have made. Don't you just love corporate America? PKI doesn't have enough flats as it is, without removing what's arguably the best one in the park.

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S&SFAN said:
...but it just doesn't seem to make any sense. Why would a company redistribute such a historic asset when it has plenty of money to buy a brand new Flying Eagles ride for every one of its parks.

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So now you're privy to the company's finances and capital budgets?

I wish they were staying too, but just because I like the ride doesn't mean it doesn't make sense. It makes perfect sense.

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So now you're privy to the company's finances and capital budgets?

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No, and I wasn't trying to imply that, but when a company can purchase huge rides like Tomb Raider and Italian Job then I would think a couple of Flying Eagle rides for their parks could fit into the budget somewhere. *** Edited 10/17/2004 12:54:06 AM UTC by S&SFAN***

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What Paramount is doing is sad. I do not believe as Jeff would like everyone to believe that this is a sound business investment. Now, maybe they have decided to go to a no snapping policy. If this was the case, could you imagine how many pieces of hate mail PKI would have got for that. What if PKI didn't want to move an older ride to a prime spot as the blank pad where Flight Commander once stood. Lets say their plan is to bring in a new set of Flyers to theme there. This way Paramount can bring back some magic and promote a new ride at two parks. This would be a sound business move. Two "new" rides for the price of 1.

Chris

PKI has been getting hit very very hard with complaints but it was the corps in North Carolina that make this sad move.

I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that riders beating up on the ride have nothing to do with the decision.

I'm also going to say, as I have said before, that this is a boneheaded decision. Perhaps a better example than the Fountain Square decision would be if Holiday World were to remove their Train. Or if Six Flags Great America were to yank out the giant double-deck carousel.

No, I think there is one of two things going on here. Either...

a) They are planning to replace the Flying Eagles with something they believe will be a similar, but higher-capacity and "better" ride. This seems possible because Paramount Parks' actions seem to indicate that they believe the Flying Scooter is a good ride to have in all their parks.

or..

b) Paramount Parks are being run by a bunch of mindless jerks who will be the first against the wall when the revolution comes. [Footnote 1]

Personally, I'm hoping for (a), but fearing (b). And if (a), I hope they're right, as every Flying Scooter knockoff I have ridden is not as good a ride as the original.

--Dave Althoff, Jr.

Footnote 1: That's a literary allusion. Anybody recognize it?

I'm absolutely astounded by the lack of common business sense here. I really am.

Carowinds gets a "new" ride that they can market for the price of shipping it. PKI loses one that a microscopic minority of enthusiasts like and gets a heavily themed new Orlando-style coaster that will get insane amounts of press and drive the gate. Sounds like a good business plan to me.

I'll miss the ride, but for God's sake, let it go. If it really ruins the park for you, stop going. It's a done deal.

Jeff, I don't think anybody is saying they want the flyers to stay and Italian Job not to come. Even a park representative was quoted in the Cincy Enquirer as not knowing why the ride couldn't just be moved elsewhere in the park.

I, like everybody else, is happy to see Italian Job coming... but when somebody *from the park* tells the public that they don't understnd why the ride isn't staying I think we have reason to wonder ourselves, don't you?

While I understand both sides of this argument, the one I don't understand is some of you saying that the Flying Eagles were the only redeeming thing at the park.

Come on!! This park has 13 coasters, a waterpark included with admission, a kickass kids area, and some recent thrilling flat rides along with the traditional ones. Not to mention some rides with theming thrown into the mix.

I like historical rides as well as the next guy, but lets not make this one removal out to be the nail in the coffin.

It's *a* nail in the coffin, but not the final one.

That will come with the removal of Top Gun. ;)

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Michael Darling said:
I don't think anybody is saying they want the flyers to stay and Italian Job not to come.

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Oh really? So then you didn't say this in the News Thread?:

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John sez: I'd gladly miss Italian Job and keep the flyers.

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Sounds like what you said to me...but what do I know.

I don't think that this was Paramount's wisest decision. Not necissarily a bad move, but not the wisest course. They could have bought a set of flyers for PCar, but this was what they're going to do, and that is that.

It would, however, make less sense to replace the flyers in a couple of seasons with a newer set, but that remains to be seen.

I, for one, will have alot of fun next year when I hit up PKI, riding coasters and flats. And, like this year, I'll walk by the area where the Flyers used to be and not worry. Not because I'll have probably already have ridden them by that point @ PCar (if I choose to), but because it was just an amusment park ride, and there are plenty more there. I didn't ride the Flyers this year, and not necissarily because I just forgot. I just never got around to it. I, like Antuan, don't see the big whoopey.

You can say its because I don't know how to snap, but, in reality, I just don't see the appeal of spinning round like that.

Okay, you got me, Tekno.

Let me know where to ship your cookie.

*** Edited 10/17/2004 7:00:29 AM UTC by Michael Darling***

Ok Ok I've read it enough times on here but still don't know wht it means. Can somebody tell my ignorant A$$ what snapping is.

Like I said earlier if it makes this ride more intense then it won't be allowed at Carowinds because it's going in the kiddie area.

Snapping is the process of changing the altitude of your bird and at the top or bottom turn it so that the wing causes it to essentially stall. This causes a bit of slack in the cables, but the ride keeps turning so eventually your bird gets yanked back along (i.e., "snapped").

Snapping is THE singular greatest experience in thrill ride history...until it *happened* to me, I had no idea what all the fuss was about...now I KNOW. When the slack comes OUT of the front cable the first time (and it happens FAST), you WILL see God...I promise...:)

The important thing for parks to remember is that by allowing snapping, you allow the guest to *create their own experience*....how many rides at parks allow THAT? Maybe the bungee trampolines? Seriously, it DOES increase maintenance time and costs to allow snapping....but at what BENEFIT....

My take...the benefits of the increased maintenance FAR outweigh the costs....it's not like you're taking a Bayern Kurve and making it into a Deja Vu, for crying out loud!

You all may read my stuff and cry "Conspiracy"...I dunno, to me it's just good business...which is what I'd expect from Paramount, they've been doing it the right way for a LONG time...