'Return of the Bat'

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Shaggy said:
Ravenguy,
Again, I think PKI learned their lesson with SOB and will not be ressurecting the Bat in any form.  Oh, and other than SOB, PKI has sought to "soften" the names of their coasters/attractions.  Gone are the days when new rides at PKI have "Demon", "Snake", "Monster", etc in their titles.
Shaggy

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Yes that's true, but now PKI is leaning towards names like "Top Gun", "Face/Off", "Drop Zone", "Congo", and "Tomb Raider".  All are named after Paramount movies.  What next?  "Mission: Impossible"? :)

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Bill Yost a.k.a. THE BEASTmaster
http://216.71.92.174//coastershots/index.htm

What exact year did KI's old rides disappeared?

Flying Dutchman: 1973 - ?

Bayern Kurve: 1973 - ?

Rotor: 1972 - ?

Den Spinnen Keggers: 1972 - ?

The Flying Carpet: 1972 - ?

Cuddle Up: 1972 - ?

Tumble Bug: 1972 - ?

Electric Rainbow: 1973 - ?

Wheel of Fortune: 1972 - ?

Shawnee Landing: 1972 - ?

Gulliver's Rub-A-Rub: 1972 - ?

Marathon Turnpike: 1972 - ?

Winsome Witch's Caldron: 1972 - ?

Derek, who is a huge Kings Island fan, McBride

BEASTMASTER said:
Yes that's true, but now PKI is leaning towards names like "Top Gun", "Face/Off", "Drop Zone", "Congo", and "Tomb Raider". All are named after Paramount movies. What next? "Mission: Impossible"?

Wasn't "Mission: Impossible" supposed to be the original name of Stealth at PGA??? I heard that it changed because of some copyright thing with DorkBoy (a.k.a. Tom Cruise).

BTW, I'd love to see a long invert at PKI done in homage to the Bat. But instead of referring to it directly, just honor it in theme and color. Maybe call it the Vampire or something...

Shaggy, I'll back you 100% that Vortex is THE best Arrow multi-looper

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"Just remember, wherever you go, there you are." - Buckaroo Banzai

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EchoVictor said:
BEASTMASTER said:
Yes that's true, but now PKI is leaning towards names like "Top Gun", "Face/Off", "Drop Zone", "Congo", and "Tomb Raider". All are named after Paramount movies. What next? "Mission: Impossible"?
BTW, I'd love to see a long invert at PKI done in homage to the Bat. But instead of referring to it directly, just honor it in theme and color. Maybe call it the Vampire or something...

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Maybe if Anne Rice puts out another book that turns into a Paramount movie...

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

Flying Dutchman: 1973 - ? Bayern Kurve: 1973 - ?

Both of these rides were removed following the 1983 season.

Rotor: 1972 - ?

The rotor was removed after 1982 for Festhaus

Den Spinnen Keggers: 1972 - ?

Around 1989.  It operated for at least one season after the

Viking Ship was added.

The Flying Carpet: 1972 - ?

Flying carpet?

Cuddle Up: 1972 - ? Tumble Bug: 1972 - ?

After 1985 if memory serves me well.  They were removed when Coney Mall was re-vamped.

Electric Rainbow: 1973 - ?

It was removed after 1981, I believe.  It operated for at least smoe time next to the Bat.

Wheel of Fortune: 1972 - ?

1985.  The slide from old Coney expansion was cut down and relocated here.  It was renamed "Scrappy's Slide" and also took part of the space of the also removed Rub A Dub Tubs.

Shawnee Landing: 1972 - ?

1977 was the last year.  In 1978 construction of the Beast had started.  The nature trail next to it remained for a few seasons though.

Gulliver's Rub-A-Rub: 1972 - ?

1985 was the last year, to make room for the slide.

Marathon Turnpike: 1972 - ?

1993 was the last year.  Nick Splat City took it's place.

Winsome Witch's Caldron: 1972 - ?

1991 was the last year I believe.  It was removed when Phantom Theatre, (then) Scooby's Ghoster Coaster (now Taxi Jam) was added and replaced by the Pixie and Dixie swingset.
Shaggy

*** This post was edited by Shaggy on 11/8/2001. ***

Here's a few.

The flying Dutchman was removed in 1992. 

The Witch's Cauldron's were removed in 1993.

the Marathon/sunshine turnpike was removed in 1994. 

Shawnee landing was removed in 1979 (For the Beast)

The Tumblebuig was removed in 1986

Den Spinnen Keggar was removed in 1993.

The other's I really don't know.

That is one of PKI's greatest problems.  Removing rides and then not replacing them or replacing them with rides that you have to pay to get on.

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Top 5 coasters:
1. The Beast 2. Millenium Force 3. The Incredible Hulk 4. Superman: ROS (SFNE) 5. Alpengeist

Excuse me, I was incorrect in my dating of the Flying Dutchman removal.  The Bayern Curve was indeed removed for the 1984 season, but the Flying Dutchman stayed until 1990.  It was removed for the Adventure Express addition if memory serves me.

Shaggy

Flying Carpet was the giant slide on Coney Mall, but it was moved to Hanna-Barbera Land and renamed it Scrappy's Slide. Thanks Shaggy for giving me those answers.

Derek

Let's not forget PKI's removal of Flight Commander (which I enjoyed immensely), the Skylab and the Zodiac Intamin double wheel.  I thought the park also had a standard Eli Wheel as well.  It is amazing how many rides PKI has lost over the years.  Between them and SFWoA, you could build a huge flat ride park just with the rides that were taken out! 

ProgRay

(who never got to ride The Bat... it was standing idle on my first visit there in 1984)

Why did PKI get rid of Skylab? It was my favorite flat ride that they had...for a couple of years, they had a couple of cars on display in the area where it used to stand, but now they have a rock climbing wall that you have to pay to climb....why PKI...why?

There's a story behind each one, that's the best part...
Zodiac - No one rode it, so they took it out to add...
Flight Commander - No one rode it after the umm... accident.  They took it out then planned to add a drop tower for 1997 in it's spot.  The Tower was nixed for a waterpark expansion.
The Skylab - Well, this thing had it's share of probs too.  Can you say lawsuit waiting to happen?  I personally was present when it "failed" the last time it operated.  "Bang" was the sound I heard I believe.
Shaggy

*** This post was edited by Shaggy on 11/8/2001. ***

Shaggy,  I find it odd that PKI had problems with Skylab as PCW still operates (to my knowledge) their Huss Super Enterprise, Sol Loco.  I am assuming from your description that the lift collapsed..... which would definitely be a scary experience! 

ProgRay (who did ride the Zodiac back in 1984 and Flight Commander in 1992)

I am so glad PKI waited on the "Tower" idea until later, so that they could have Drop Zone, however, I do recall the cool line that you had to wait in for Flight Commander, how you had to go under the ride to wait in line.

Shaggy: Feel free to "ramble on" about PKI, I would love to hear everything....maybe you should open your own site and have only cool PKI facts on it!

I find it odd no one rode these rides.....on a trip to Hershey this summer, similar rides that Kings Island removed were operating full......a model identical to Zodiac, the trabant, the enterprise....a trip to Kentucky Kingdom also saw the Flying Dutchman (which is most likely the one from kings island) full.  Is it the type of customer PKI is now attracting?  I think with Paramount its just a matter of the cost of maintenance....its looks better on their bottom line in the short run, but removal of sooooo many rides really takes away from the park quality and return visits..
This park is still pretty, but has lost a lot of that magic also.....Oktoberfest used to have a wonderful feeling of a german carnival.....now it feels like a bunch of misplace stuffed jammed around a little pond.  Rivertown is headed the same way with the future addtion of a middle eastern tomb and the moving of the log flume into a cheesy TV section......the safari area became a pretty tacky "movie" area, with lots of asphalt, little trees and another mix of rides that are not that well themed together.  It seems like they are trying to be a wanna be Universal studios park, plopping rides with movie/tv themes here and there with little regard to the theming that exists.  Space is not an issue at KI, they have TONS of unused space, but the keep destroying to install new instead of adding to the park.
The theming at Carowinds has taken a similar beating......the theming there at one time was as good as anywhere....8 sections all themed to the Carolinas.  But most every addition at Carowinds just like Kings Island has had little regard for the theming, and wonderful themed sections like Pirate Island and now Frontier Outpost have been removed...
Wow, and Great America.   Compare the Six Flags managed park to the Paramount managed park.....they were once identical!  Six Flags has some theming issues, but they have did about 500% better job at ride additions and theming than Paramount.....does PGA have any theming left?
Sorry to be so negative, but its sort of sad to see parks that had so much thought and beauty to them be so sloppily renovated.

*** This post was edited by super7 on 11/8/2001. ***

ProgRay,

Yes, the hydraulic arm failed numerous times.  PKI had just become fed up with the ride.  The larger "giant" enterprises (There have only been three as far as I know) are very problematic.  The hydraulic arm is prone to failing and consistantly has to be replaced.  The cost to replace the arm is rumored to be more than some flat rides themselves.

PKI's version sat dormant for a season and a half before it was finally removed.

PCW's is the last operating to my understanding.  But unfortunately a birdie told me that that can no longer be said.  Word has it, that Sol Loco is no longer.

PCW's sat dormant for a time period too.  Seems like it was down for nearly a season or so just a few years back.

To my understanding, Huss does not offer the rides any longer and parts are expensive and rare.

It is pretty obvious that KI did not like flat rides and the upkeep they require.  I attribute that to cost, and non interest.  PKI has not seen the need to replace small rides once they wore out with similar small non-marketable attractions.  But let me clarify that "Paramount's" Kings Island is not to blame.  The removeal of about 90% of the flat rides occurred under Carl Linder's ownership of the park when it was still just Kings Island.

Mr Linder took controlling interest once KECO faltered.  Under his "ownership" some good rides were installed (Vortex, Adventure Express, Top Gun, Phantom Theatre) however the park wask declining terribly.  Rides were dissapearing left and right, the overall upkeep of the park began to decline, the employees lost moralle, and the park was loosing money.

Paramount stepped in and took controlling interest.  In the subsequent years, only 5 rides that I recollect have been removed.  Each was replaced by new attractions.  The Safari Monerail, Sunshine Turnpike, Kings Mill Log Flume, Flight Commander and Skylab.

Shaggy

super7, I must disagree with your opinion of the theming done by Paramount vs. that of SF.  SFGAdv, for example, thought it wise to put a floorless coaster into a "Wild West" section, and theme the ride under the moniker "Medusa Mining Company".  That, IMO, is the single WORST job of theming I have EVER seen.  It's so laughable, we now use the term "Medusa" to refer to non-sequitors of all kinds...it's almost an oxymoron.  Once a park decides to set me upon the task of theming, the whole "landscape" of the amusement industry will change forever.....the question is: who out there is smart enough to hire me before the other chains get the chance......
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the buzzer formerly known as gatorwoodie
Son of Drop Zone - PKI CoasterCamp I Champions!!!

You nailed it with the Carowinds, super7! I like some pirates! Maybe Carowinds should build something big and call it Blackbeard's Revenge!

Yeah, i meant that the beast has positive connations, and the bat has negative ones. 

And yes, vortex is still the best arrow mega looper, hands down. 

super7 said:
Sorry to be so negative, but its sort of sad to see parks that had so much thought and beauty to them be so sloppily renovated.

I totally agree with that.  I think success at any park requires looking to the future, trying new things, and pushing boundries.  But with it, a park must be willing to remember and embrace the past and stay true to it's roots and original concepts.

Shaggy

Shaggy, speak all you'd like! Everything you've said has been extremely interesting to me and the many here at Coasterbuzz who visit and enjoy PKI. I agree with your list way above of the coolest things the park has done and how the removal of flat rides weren't Paramount's fault. I only wish they would have kept the rainbow, elephant, and covered walkway in HB land, although they must have felt they were outdated which I understand. I do think a couple extreme giant Huss flat rides would be cool in Action Zone and maybe some trees and landscaping there for some shade. One of the Vekoma Mad Houses would be cool to bring some way to get out of the heat as well. I wonder if all of these into attractions mean longer operating seasons to come, and maybe Winterfest...
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Danny, who thinks Adventure Express is the best mine ride, but still needed...something at the end! Maybe one of those bright flashes of light they do on the horrible Imagination! at Epcot, the only slightly redeeming quality for the ride.

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