February 5, 200718 yr Let's just say, around 300ish (if not more). That includes defunct and such. (In a secret life, ColDayMan was/is a huge coaster junkie, and was once an ACE Member...until college). "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
February 6, 200718 yr Anyway...back to topic... Hopefully, they do some themeing with the FireHawk. It's going behind Flight of Fear, so maybe it'll have a space theme!??! I'm really hoping that they improve access to that area of the park. Right now it is out of the way, and you can not simply stroll on past those attractions back there. Hopefully they open it up a little to make it more inviting...and not just put up some huge sign 'Flight of Fear, FireHawk -->'
February 6, 200718 yr ^ Nerd. I've seen your MySpace page. 'Nuff said. Anyway...back to topic... Hopefully, they do some themeing with the FireHawk. It's going behind Flight of Fear, so maybe it'll have a space theme!??! I'm really hoping that they improve access to that area of the park. Right now it is out of the way, and you can not simply stroll on past those attractions back there. Hopefully they open it up a little to make it more inviting...and not just put up some huge sign 'Flight of Fear, FireHawk -->' Agreed. The last thing they need is a Top Gun outparcel. "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
February 6, 200718 yr Coaster won't reopen on time Work continues on Son of Beast BY JESSICA BROWN | February 6, 2007 Although Kings Island has set a Memorial Day weekend opening date for its new roller coaster Firehawk, there is still no word on when the ride's neighbor, the troubled Son of Beast, will reopen. Parts of the Son of Beast - touted as the world's tallest, fastest wooden roller coaster - are under construction and won't be ready by the April 21 opening day, park officials said. The Son of Beast has been closed since a July 9 accident sent 27 people to the hospital. The Ohio Department of Agriculture, which oversees amusement park ride safety, required the park to make some structural modifications to the ride. The park decided to remove the coaster's signature loop so lighter trains can be used, making for a more comfortable ride. Read full article here: http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070206/NEWS01/702060414
February 6, 200718 yr Let's just say, around 300ish (if not more). That includes defunct and such. (In a secret life, ColDayMan was/is a huge coaster junkie, and was once an ACE Member...until college). Since Wimwar didn't reply, I would say ColDayMan has the greater experience with coasters and determining which ones are better. That is a lot of coasters, I am only up to about 125 different coasters.
February 6, 200718 yr Well, 125 coasters ain't bad either! "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
February 8, 200718 yr New owner making changes at Kings Island DENISE G. CALLAHAN | February 7, 2007 Visitors to Kings Island will notice the new owner making changes at the 35-year-old amusement park. There's a new name, new ticket prices and admissions policies, a used roller coaster trucked in from another park and more shows added to the entertainment. Paramount's is gone from the name, after Cedar Fair LP purchased Kings Island along with CBS's amusement park division last summer for $1.24 billion. The Sandusky company also owns Kings Island's long-time rival Cedar Point. Both parks competed for attention and customers by building bigger and faster roller coasters. Read full article here: http://www.journal-news.com/n/content/oh/story/news/local/2007/02/07/pjm020807kiride.html
February 8, 200718 yr "This is very disappointing. I now live in Columbus but I grew up in Trenton and have been to KI many times. My wife has family near Cleveland and we have been to Geauga Lake several times as well," reader Michael Hansford wrote on the Web site. "Now that Cedar Point owns both KI and Geauga Lake, instead of investing in new rides, they are going to scavenge from one park and 'invest' in the others. This does nothing but hurt those that enjoy the lower cost of Geauga Lake, forcing them to pay higher prices and travel further for the better rides." Yup. "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
February 9, 200718 yr "This is very disappointing. I now live in Columbus but I grew up in Trenton and have been to KI many times. My wife has family near Cleveland and we have been to Geauga Lake several times as well," reader Michael Hansford wrote on the Web site. "Now that Cedar Point owns both KI and Geauga Lake, instead of investing in new rides, they are going to scavenge from one park and 'invest' in the others. This does nothing but hurt those that enjoy the lower cost of Geauga Lake, forcing them to pay higher prices and travel further for the better rides." Yup. Monopoly's sure suck!!!!
May 23, 200718 yr Kings Island may drop buses BY JANE PRENDERGAST | [email protected] Metro buses that last summer took more than 22,000 riders to Kings Island - almost all of them workers - might not run this year. The amusement park has paid for the service since 2000, with eight express trips from Government Square downtown to Mason seven days a week. Times are coordinated with Kings Island's shift changes, from 9:25 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. "The buses were always full," Metro spokeswoman Sallie Hilvers said. The cost, she said: $70,000 to $90,000. But Kings Island officials canceled the service - unless they can find money to help pay for it. "It's an annual issue that we do evaluate," said Maureen Kaiser, a spokeswoman for the park, which opens Saturday. "We don't have the funds available to do it." Read full article here: http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/AB/20070418/NEWS01/704180434/ County offers bus help BY JESSICA BROWN | [email protected] Hamilton County Commissioners this morning promised to be a funding "backstop" to ensure the bus service that took more than 22,000 riders -- most of them seasonal workers – from Cincinnati to Kings Island last summer is not cut. The county authorized up to $75,000 to underwrite bus transportation for summer youth employment this summer. The Mason amusement park, which is under new ownership, has said it will cancel the service, unless it can find money to pay for it. Negotiations are continuing between Cincinnati officials and Kings Island. By just underwriting the service, county commissioners stopped short of actually allocating the money. They said they hope the city is able to work out the funding issues with the park before turning to the county. But at the same time, they wanted to put at ease the minds of parents and the youths who had been planning to take summer jobs there. Read full article here: http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/AB/20070418/NEWS01/304180046/
May 23, 200718 yr Kings Island ready to roll Theme park about to begin 35th season BY JIM KNIPPENBERG | [email protected] One of Cincinnati's favorite rites of spring begins Saturday and Sunday. Kings Island will start its 35th annual season, its first full summer under ownership of Cedar Fair Entertainment Co., parent company of Sandusky's Cedar Point and 11 other theme parks. That ownership change is the first thing visitors will notice - the park has dropped "Paramount's" from its name and is now Kings Island, just as it was in 1972 when the park opened. But overall, visitors won't notice any over-the-top changes. Instead, changes in the immediate future will happen gradually. Read full article here: http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070420/LIFE/704200341/1079/ Where's the Son of Beast? BY JIM KNIPPENBERG | [email protected] It's still uncertain when the prodigal Son of Beast will return. Closed since a July 9 accident sent 27 people to the hospital and resulted in at least two lawsuits, the fearsome roller coaster right now looks toothless. The 118-foot high loop, the only one in the world on a wooden coaster, is gone, the gap partly covered by tarps. Tracks lead up to where the loop once stood and then end abruptly - as if someone sawed them off. Someone did. A construction crew of both in-house and imported workers has been working for months removing the loop and reinforcing sections of track. Nevertheless, park officials have no idea when the job will be finished or how much it will cost in the end. Read full article here: http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070420/LIFE/704200339/1079/
May 23, 200718 yr Repairs, lawsuits slow Son of Beast's return By Denise G. Callahan Wednesday, May 09, 2007 Kings Island's Son of Beast has been a problem child since day one — and still is. The amusement park opened the 2007 season without the popular roller coaster as repairs to correct a problem that sent 27 riders to the hospital last summer are not done. Kings Island and its owner, Sandusky-based Cedar Fair, are dealing with five lawsuits filed in the Warren County Court of Common Pleas by 11 riders who were hurt in 2006. Kings Island and its former owner Paramount also sued in federal court last year seeking to collect a $20.8 million court judgment from Roller Coaster Company of Ohio, the now defunct contractor hired to build The Beast's son. Craig Ross, vice president of marketing for Kings Island, said he still does not have a firm date for the reopening of the wooden coaster but they "would be very disappointed if it weren't open sometime in June." The signature steel loop was removed and lighter cars will make for a smoother ride, Ross said. Read full article here: http://www.pulsejournal.com/n/content/oh/story/news/local/2007/05/09/pjm051007kisuitA1.html
September 22, 200717 yr I am not happy with the new ownership. Maybe we just got spoiled with Paramount. Now that King's Island has been owned by Cedar Fair for a full year, I can now say that I wish they never bought the Park. 2008 Season Passes are "finally" on-sale and they don't include admission to the Halloween Haunt but guess what? You get a free jacket... WooHoo... How many people care about a ugly VIP jacket? http://www3.cedarfair.com/kingsisland/shop/shopping_corporate_partners.cfm?corp_id=2008pass
September 23, 200717 yr At least yours is still open. Geauga Lake is becoming a water park-only. F*ck Cedar Fair. "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
September 23, 200717 yr I am not happy with the new ownership. Maybe we just got spoiled with Paramount. Now that King's Island has been owned by Cedar Fair for a full year, I can now say that I wish they never bought the Park. King's Island was best when it was owned by Lindner before Paramount bought it out.
September 23, 200717 yr I am not happy with the new ownership. Maybe we just got spoiled with Paramount. Now that King's Island has been owned by Cedar Fair for a full year, I can now say that I wish they never bought the Park. King's Island was best when it was owned by Lindner before Paramount bought it out. Agreed. Innovative rides. "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
September 23, 200717 yr I am not happy with the new ownership. Maybe we just got spoiled with Paramount. Now that King's Island has been owned by Cedar Fair for a full year, I can now say that I wish they never bought the Park. King's Island was best when it was owned by Lindner before Paramount bought it out. Maybe so but that was before my time so I can't comment on how things were back then but that doesn't surprise me.
September 24, 200717 yr I am not happy with the new ownership. Maybe we just got spoiled with Paramount. Now that King's Island has been owned by Cedar Fair for a full year, I can now say that I wish they never bought the Park. King's Island was best when it was owned by Lindner before Paramount bought it out. Maybe so but that was before my time so I can't comment on how things were back then but that doesn't surprise me. The park seemed cleaner, and I think there were more food and drink options. Beer was also sold throughout the whole park, so you could be drinking a beer while waiting in line for The Beast. I never got to do this personally because I was too young to drink during this time.
September 24, 200717 yr I also miss the Smurf themes they had in the kiddie land. Definitely! The Smurf ride rocked!
September 24, 200717 yr I am not happy with the new ownership. Maybe we just got spoiled with Paramount. Now that King's Island has been owned by Cedar Fair for a full year, I can now say that I wish they never bought the Park. King's Island was best when it was owned by Lindner before Paramount bought it out. Maybe so but that was before my time so I can't comment on how things were back then but that doesn't surprise me. The park seemed cleaner, and I think there were more food and drink options. Beer was also sold throughout the whole park, so you could be drinking a beer while waiting in line for The Beast. I never got to do this personally because I was too young to drink during this time. Well, guess what? You can drink throughout the park again. That may be the only positive thing. The older I get the more alcohol I need to just ride some of the rides anymore. They beat the crap out of you. And I will never ride Son of Beast again. If they think that it is smoother since the reopened it they are brain dead. I used to smuggle in a small bottle of Bacardi 151 rum so I could drink in line. Then Bin Laden came and they checked everything. I have been suffering ever since. The bad thing now is canned beer is $7.01!!
September 24, 200717 yr I also miss the Smurf themes they had in the kiddie land. Randy, could you please release me from my vow to stop picking on you for just this one post? Please? :wink2:
September 24, 200717 yr I also miss the Smurf themes they had in the kiddie land. Randy, could you please release me from my vow to stop picking on you for just this one post? Please? :wink2: If you claim not to LOVE those smurf rides then you are lying. :-D
September 24, 200717 yr I was at Kings Island on Friday and when I parked, I parked in like "Firehawk - Row 2". I miss the days of "Boo Boo Bear - Row 2". It just sounds better :) And I remember when the Smurf ride was "The Enchanted Voyage" and "It's A Small World After All" would play as you rode around and you'd be singing it all day and not that darn theme from the Smurfs.
December 5, 200717 yr New B&M hypercoaster slated for 2009? I have been following this for a while now. I usually don't follow rumors too much, but sources are starting to gain strength and it looks to be a sure bet for 2009 that a B&M hypercaster will be going up between Italian Job and the Beast over the lake. It also looks like the Racers and the Beast will be getting the trains from the Raging Wolf Bobs and Villian at Geauga Lake. Apparently the trains are already there and have been for some time. I have long thought the Premiere trains on the Beast sucked. Hopefully these will track better. U can read more at... http://www.screamscape.com/html/kings_island.htm
December 5, 200717 yr Old news ;) "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
December 5, 200717 yr I also miss the Smurf themes they had in the kiddie land. Randy, could you please release me from my vow to stop picking on you for just this one post? Please? :wink2: If you claim not to LOVE those smurf rides then you are lying. :-D the smurf ride was the greatest animatronic ride ever
December 5, 200717 yr u..h.... "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
December 5, 200717 yr Old news ;) Maybe old news as a rumor, but nothing is set in stone until I see a press release, I had my sneaky suspicions when I saw a B&M rep walking around that area with park management back in June. But rumor back at that time was KI might be getting Dominator from GL. This pretty much confirms a new B&M will be coming, not the Dominator as was previously thought...which is cool. Firehawk is alright, but I don't want KI getting just leftovers and hand-me-downs. :bang:
December 5, 200717 yr Dominator you mean ;). Remember, coaster freaks are just as anal as city freaks. "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
December 5, 200717 yr Dominator you mean ;). Remember, coaster freaks are just as anal as city freaks. Ah yes, sorry. I was messing that up with King's Dominion which is where it's actually going. My mind is in winter phase now. Thanks for the correction. Corrected.
January 23, 200817 yr Missed this by a week, but here it is... Kings Island installs new sign, plans to rename rides By Charles Infosino Monday, January 14, 2008 There is a sign of the times at Kings Island — literally. The 364-acre theme park has changed its sign to reflecta name change (the elimination of "Paramount's") that occurred when Cedar Fair, L.P. (Cedar Fair Entertainment Corp.) purchased Paramount's Kings Island and the other four former Paramount Parks from CBS Corporation in 2006. Kings Island's old sign with the Paramount name and logo was removed last November. The new sign was installed at the beginning of January. "When you think of Kings Island, you think of world-class, thrill-inducing roller coasters, action-packed attractions, 15-acre water park, seven-time award-winning kids' area, high-energy entertainment and great times with family and friends," said Don Helbig, Public Relations Area Manager. "We believe our new sign captures the essence of what Kings Island is." Read full article here: http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&um=1&q=%22kings+island%22+new+coaster+2008&sa=N&tab=nw
January 23, 200817 yr It's going to be interesting to see how they change over the Italian Job: Stunt Track ride...considering the ride was pretty much designed specifically with that movie in mind. The same can be said with Tomb Raider...there is going to have to be a lot more than simply slapping a new sign out in front of the ride in order to make it a seamless change.
January 23, 200817 yr I hope that with Cedar Fair they up the thrill rides. I was at a Floraland (Disney rip off) on the westside of Chengdu (China) and they have this ride kind of like delirium but in addition to the main unit spinning each row of seats separately spins (really frigging fast). Scary, intimidating, fun.
January 23, 200817 yr The names have now changed on KI's website: Italian Job Stunt Track = Backlot Stunt Coaster Days of Thunder = Thunder Alley Drop Zone Stunt Tower = Drop Zone Face/Off = Invertigo Tomb Raider: The Ride = The Crypt Top Gun = Flight Deck Link
January 23, 200817 yr I hate, hate, hate Backlot Stunt Coaster. Here's hoping they paint Face / Off Blue.
January 23, 200817 yr The names make no sense. Italian Job's new name sucks. It should have been something like the Heist or bank robbing themed. Drop Zone is still a Paramount movie, so dropping "Stunt Tower" makes no sense. If they could keep Drop Zone, then they should have kept Face Off. That's a good name for that coaster. Flight Deck? Lame, and I can tell you almost everyone will continue to call it Top Gun for at least the next 5 years. I think Cedar Fair could have done better than these names,
January 23, 200817 yr The names make no sense. Italian Job's new name sucks. It should have been something like the Heist or bank robbing themed. Drop Zone is still a Paramount movie, so dropping "Stunt Tower" makes no sense. If they could keep Drop Zone, then they should have kept Face Off. That's a good name for that coaster. Flight Deck? Lame, and I can tell you almost everyone will continue to call it Top Gun for at least the next 5 years. Spot on with every observation... I think Cedar Fair could have done better than these names, I have yet to be impressed by one single thing from Cedar Fair...and that seems to be a growing sentiment around the industry.
January 23, 200817 yr The names make no sense. Italian Job's new name sucks. It should have been something like the Heist or bank robbing themed. Drop Zone is still a Paramount movie, so dropping "Stunt Tower" makes no sense. If they could keep Drop Zone, then they should have kept Face Off. That's a good name for that coaster. Flight Deck? Lame, and I can tell you almost everyone will continue to call it Top Gun for at least the next 5 years. I think Cedar Fair could have done better than these names, This is what I think and I could be wrong. Cedar fair owns the parks 100% correct? Since these rides are named after paramount productions (movies, characters, etc.), Cedar Fair probably didn't buy or have license agreements. Therefore, Viacom didn't allow CF to keep the names on the rides since they (Viacom) no longer have any (controlling) interest in the parks. I bet the new names were given so they didn’t infringe on Viacom’s licenses. When we sold majority interest in six flag we still own the rights to the names of the rides and everything else is licensed to operate in said parks. Its all legal mumbojumbo!
January 23, 200817 yr It's not a damn Trolley!! HAHAHA! That's to damn funny! :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
January 23, 200817 yr The names make no sense. Italian Job's new name sucks. It should have been something like the Heist or bank robbing themed. Drop Zone is still a Paramount movie, so dropping "Stunt Tower" makes no sense. If they could keep Drop Zone, then they should have kept Face Off. That's a good name for that coaster. Flight Deck? Lame, and I can tell you almost everyone will continue to call it Top Gun for at least the next 5 years. I think Cedar Fair could have done better than these names, I would believe all that except for 1 flaw. They are leaving it Drop Zone Stunt Tower as Drop Zone, which still would be named after the Paramount movie staring Wesley Snipes. I just don't get that part. This is what I think and I could be wrong. Cedar fair owns the parks 100% correct? Since these rides are named after paramount productions (movies, characters, etc.), Cedar Fair probably didn't buy or have license agreements. Therefore, Viacom didn't allow CF to keep the names on the rides since they (Viacom) no longer have any (controlling) interest in the parks. I bet the new names were given so they didn’t infringe on Viacom’s licenses. When we sold majority interest in six flag we still own the rights to the names of the rides and everything else is licensed to operate in said parks. Its all legal mumbojumbo! Well, I already know all that...and I would believe all that except for one thing. They are leaving Drop Zone Stunt Tower as just Drop Zone, which still would be named after the Paramount movie staring Wesley Snipes. I just don't get that part. Rando, I do agree with one thing and that is Cedar Fair is trying to make KI just another CP. I think that's what Paramount's flaw was in that it was trying to make it's park's another Universal. But I do think they are doing a better job at what they are doing than what Paramount did. Paramount totally ripped out 90% of Octoberfest which was a big favorite of the general public and it damn near killed Rivertown. I really hope CF can restore these two areas.
January 24, 200817 yr Cedar Fair keeps the zingers commin'... "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
January 24, 200817 yr Rando, I do agree with one thing and that is Cedar Fair is trying to make KI just another CP. I think that's what Paramount's flaw was in that it was trying to make it's park's another Universal. But I do think they are doing a better job at what they are doing than what Paramount did. Paramount totally ripped out 90% of Octoberfest which was a big favorite of the general public and it damn near killed Rivertown. I really hope CF can restore these two areas. I completely agree, but unfortunately I don't think we'll ever see Oktoberfest and Rivertown returned to their former glory. One thing that it seems these multiple-park operators seem to not understand or completely ignore is that Kings Island has been a successful product long before these big guys came in. The park doesn't need to be completely re-molded and branded...it already has a huge/loyal customer base.
January 25, 200817 yr Invertigo is not too bad, but overall a pretty poor effort in the naming. "Hey do you want to ride Flight Deck or Backlot Stunt Coaster. No let's ride Traditional Out and Back Wooden Coaster then Linear Induction Launching Pad." Terrible.
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