Parks and Coronavirus- Too Soon or Not Soon Enough?

Coronavirus is on the rise for the Summer 2020 season. 

Many of us have been waiting, with a mix of concern, fear and hope, that the summer 2020 season would somehow happen. Hoping for life to get back to normal now that we all understood how to protect ourselves against COVID19 which devastated the world the first half of 2020.

Along with this, many of the things we enjoy have closed or been delayed in reopening. From shopping, to restaurants.. the world ground to a screeching, smoking halt. We've waited, followed the rules and kept ourselves safe in hopes that we could return to our favorite past-times. For us, it was one goal: amusement and theme parks.

Which drives the major question: Is it safe to reopen?

Honestly, we are of two minds here.

On one hand, it doesn't seem like it's yet safe to reopen the amusement parks and theme parks we all love. Not while people are still fighting about wearing masks and washing their hands. With the rise in cases, it's obvious many give no care for the welfare of others and in such a public area? It's going to be even more difficult to be safe with the blatant disregard of some.

On the other hand, we want our parks. We want to enjoy the summer season, explore beloved areas and ride all the new additions. We've gone stir-crazy and want out just as much as the next person in line. The parks themselves have worked out ways to try and keep things as safe as possible. From limited attendance, mobile applications for lines and heavy sanitizing routines. They are trying to reopen for us.

In the end, it boils down to one thing... we don't know.

We can't tell you it's going to be fine and that you'll be fine. 

We can't tell you it's safe, because we don't know. 

None here can speak if the parks are reopening too soon or not soon enough. We'd like to believe they mean well and want guests safe. Because without guests, they have no business. That said, I'd like to urge people to take their own initiative to be safe. Worry about yourself and take precautions. Don't simply throw yourself into the merriment and forget everything we've had to re-learn the hard way!

Follow the rules. Wash your hands. Wear your mask. Sanitize often.

Yes, it's inconvenient.  Yes, it's annoying.
But it's still far better to be inconvenienced and annoyed now than it is to possibly die, alone, in a hospital bed from something you could have prevented.

So Please, Stay Safe.

Carowinds Announces Season Passholder Event for Fury 325!

Thought we were done with the news out of Carowind's newest, and record breaking, coaster, Fury 325? Well, think again!

Earlier today, Carowinds announced the details for the Season Passholder exclusive Fury 325 preview event. This one is definitely not to be missed as they've got a ton planned for Friday, March 27th. So, if you're looking to be amongst the first to ride the monster that is Fury 325, this is your chance to get in on things before most people get the chance. If you're looking to be one of the very first, check out the info about the First Rider Auction that we reported on just the other day too!

So, just what's all included in this special event? We got ya covered with the details.

Starting at 5pm and lasting until 10pm, on March 27th, this exclusive event will feature live DJs, prize giveaways and more throughout the evening. If that wasn't enough, the entire park will be open for everyone's enjoyment, including the all new 300ft tall Slingshot tower.

All in all, it sounds like a great event and I know that we here at ISI can't wait to get down to Carowinds to check out Fury 325 and the rest of the park in just a few weeks. To get all the details, or to pick up a season pass so you can get in on the action, head on over to the official Carowinds website for all that and more!

Be sure to follow us on Twitter, Google+, Tumblr and Facebook for all the latest out of Carowinds and their newest, world record breaking coaster, Fury 325!

FuryWatch: First Rider Auction, Construction Update and More for Carowinds' Fury 325!

It wasn't long ago that Carowinds finished off the track for their world record breaking coaster, Fury 325. Now it's all in the details as the opening day speeds towards us and I gotta say that it's going to be one helluva thing to behold once everything is finished. We've got all kinds of things for your this time around too; from what the ride entrance will look like, some amazing night shots of the ride, and most importantly, how you can get yourself onto the very first train of riders. So, sit back and let's get this show moving!

First up, Carowinds, in partnership with the Cam Newton Foundation, is auctioning off seats on the first three trains to leave the station. That's 96 seats that are up for grabs and really can't think of a better way to about this either. Not only do you get to have one of the first trips over that massive 325ft drop, but also get to help out a good cause while doing it.

Of course, the prizes for the highest bids aren't just seats on the ride, oh no. Here's the breakdown of the full list of prizes that winning bidders will receive:

• Invitation to the private media opening for Fury 325 for one (1) person on Wednesday, March 25, 2015* to ride in the seat you bid on.
• Two (2) Regular Single Day admission tickets valid any public operating day of the 2015 season.
• One (1) Large Fury 325 First Rider Charity Auction T-shirt.
• One (1) Fury 325 First Rider Auction Hat.

That's a lot of stuff there folks, so if you're feeling generous and just can't wait to ride, head on over to the official Carowinds site to read up on all the details and to make your bid!

Now, let's get down to the details of what's been going. We've compiled a ton that's come out from the park over the last week or so regarding the construction and take a sneak peek at the designs for some of the off ride elements like the entrance, sign and more. Let's start with the end of that and work our way back some, shall we?

Twisted Colossus at Six Flags Magic Mountain Contruction Update

Well, Rocky Mountain Construction sure is keeping itself busy. Not only with the redesign of Wicked Cyclone out at Six Flags New England, but also with the monster project of converting what was once Colossus at Six Flags Magic Mountain into Twisted Colossus.

Despite a couple of small issues earlier on during their construction, things seem to be taking shape pretty well. Also, thanks to the awesome folks at RMC, we've got quite a few pictures to share with you too. Some of these shots are from some really insane angles that show off just how steep the new first drop will be. You can probably also see where the rails have been removed from other sections in advance as well.

One of the more interesting things that we've learned here at ISI is that some of the old Colossus structure will remain intact. The reason for this is that they're needed to support the structure, so taking them down is not an option to be had. Definitely going to make for some interesting looking sections to say the least.

Anyway, enough of me going on and on, let's get down to the latest pictures!

Twisted Colossus Trains Unveiled and Construction Update!

The folks over at Rocky Mountain Construction have been doing quite a bit of work the past few months on Six Flags Magic Mountain's revamp of Colossus. Despite the challenge of dealing with the fire that occurred a couple of months ago on the lift hill, it seems that things are going quite well for the crew out in Southern California.

For more info about the ride, including the animated POV and other goodies, check out our coverage of the announcement back in August.

Not only that, but during this year's IAAPA event in Orlando, they unveiled the trains for Twisted Colossus as well! So, first up, here's a look at the brand new trains that will take riders through this all new steel and wood wonderland.

Now, for the construction pics!

Colossus ERT for Honda Owners This Friday!

With the close of Colossus coming up fast on August 26th, that's in less than two months, the folks from SoCal Honda have teamed up with Six Flags Magic Mountain to get some ERT in starting at 9:30am this Friday, June 27th. Apparently this is part of the much wider "Helpful Fridays" campaign that they've been doing at the park as well.

In addition to the ERT on Colossus, Scream will also be open earlier as well for Honda owners. Yeah, that's right, have to own a Honda to get on the deal. So if ya do, or you know a friend that does, might wanna look into it. Not to mention the first 50 Honda owners get free parking and lockers for the day too. Really can't go wrong with that one there.

They will also be in the park with helpfulness for all thrill-seekers with helpful essentials like misters to help beat the heat, Bugs Bunny Bucks to help guests save money in the park, and more. Who doesn't like saving money, right? 

Need help finding the restrooms or directions on how to get to Colossus, taking a family photo, or have a dead cell phone that needs a charge from one of the Helpful Honda charging stations?  The Guys in Blue have you covered; just look out for the blue shirts!  Six Flags guests will be able to enjoy helpfulness from the SoCal Honda Dealers every Friday all summer until August 29th, for both Honda drivers and all thrill-seekers.

Reminds me a little of the stuff that Six Flags has done with Discover Card, letting folks into the park early and the like as well, but on a much grander scale. Definitely a fun thing and pretty cool if you or someone you know happens to own a Honda.

Either way, if you're so inclined, you can find out more at Six Flags or by following @HelpfulHonda on Twitter and via their Facebook page as well.

Waves of Honor- Seaworld and Busch Gardens Salute our Military

 Seaworld Parks and Entertainment once again say a big "Thank You" with offering their "Waves of Honor" program.

 This program is open to Active Military, Activated or Drilling Reservists and National Guardsman. You can receive one free admission to any of the Seaworld/Busch Gardens Parks, this offer is also open to the dependent families of those fine people so long as they have proper ID.

 To save time, you can register online for the tickets. Please visit their website for full details and information on collecting your 'Waves of Honor' tickets.

Direct Link: Waves of Honor

Always Love it when the Parks give something back to the amazing and brave folks who keep us free!

Kings Island Announcement Coming Soon- World Record Breaker? UPDATED (We got Blueprints!)

UPDATE 8/8/13: 
IT IS BANSHEE! Check out our coverage!
Kings Island Announces Banshee for 2014


Wow, News is finally coming out of Mason, Ohio!

 Kings Island will be announcing what their new attraction is on August 8th, 2013 at 10pm directly after the fireworks. This is the new "record-breaking" attraction which will set on the former site of the 'Son of Beast' roller coaster. We reported on this earlier in the season when King's Island still had the teaser announcement posted around the current construction site. This area has been in limbo since 'Son of Beast' closed for good in 2009.

To read our earlier post and view the pictures about "Son of Beast" and the construction, please visit: Son of Beast- The Great Construction Mystery

 Well rumors have gone wild over what may be taking over the space. However, all that is known at the moment is that whatever this will be Kings Island is touting it as "World Record Breaking". That's a pretty steep order to offer up considering some of the rides that are on the record list!

UPDATE 8/2/13:
Well, we found out through listening to the rumors whatever it may be, the new ride will likely be called "Banshee" as the rumor-mill has stated that name has been trademarked by Kings Island.

 Today on Facebook this nice little picture showed up! The teaser caption is "Part of the Haunt or Part of the New Record Breaking Ride? Find out Soon". Well considering banshees are a heavily Irish myth and those are obviously Celtic crosses, I'm going to go with part of the new attraction! 

Looks like we may be getting an "Irish" type theme for this ride? Who know but we're going to keep on this like an obnoxious bloodhound!

UPDATE 8/4/13: 

Image from Kings Island Facebook Page

 It looks like "Banshee" is going to be the official name of the new ride going into Kings Island after yesterday newest "teaser picture". It shows a silver comb with a "save the date" card for the announcement date.

 "Why a comb" you ask? In mythology Banshees are said to always wear white or gray and have very pale hair which they "Comb" with either a "silver or gold" comb.  To take the comb away from them would banish the banshee but if you spot one laying on the ground you should never pick it up as that is the Banshee's way of capturing humans.

  So this newest hint fits it perfect with the running rumor of the attractions new name. However, there is still no word on exactly what kind of record breaking ride this is going to be. Everyone is sticking with the idea of a roller coaster but what kind has been wildly spun. Everything from another new Wing Coaster (like the disappointing Gatekeeper) to a new Inverted (like Raptor or Montu) or even possibly a new wooden coaster to replace Son of Beast. Fact is, we just don't know yet!

UPDATE 8/6/13:

Image from Coaster Buzz

 Well it's been interesting, Seems like Kings Island played a little joke on the masses. Have to give them credit for style at least but upon seeing this, something clicked in my head.

 Let me put the pieces together for you the way they snapped into place for me.  The original "Bat" was a suspended swinging coaster much like "Iron Dragon" at Cedar Point or "Vortex" at Canada's Wonderland. Now these coasters aren' t popular anymore and are very expensive to maintain so I highly doubt they would build that style.

 Next, everything for this "Bat is Back" splash page was in Latin. Celtic Crosses, Working project name/ride name of Banshee? Yup, Latin makes sense and it isn't going to be the return of "The Bat".

 Now, everyone is crowing about this new ride being a "Wing Coaster" like Gatekeeper at Cedar Point. As much as I hate to hit the brakes a little early but let me poke a few dozen holes in this idea. Cedar Fair is not likely to build another wing coaster, especially in the same state and announce it during Gatekeepers opening year. That is shooting themselves in the foot with an elephant gun and admitting that Gatekeeper is crap (which is it) and if you know anything about Cedar Point and Cedar Fair, they just aren't going to ever admit a mistake nor allow another park to take the limelight off their "showcase park".

 Okay let's rewind a moment after processing all the stuff I've thrown at you so far. "The Bat" was a clue, I'm sure of it. Add in the announcement of "World Record Breaker" and I think I've got this nailed. So I'm going to take a running leap in the dark here folks and try to call this one: World's Longest (and possibly most inversions) Inverted Coaster!

 Now I have an addendum I'd like to add onto this because I've had a completely crazy idea. What if B&M and Cedar Fair had a crazy idea and meshed up a "Wing Coaster Train" and an "Inverted Coaster Track"?  Because I'm going to tell you right now, it's completely insane and I love the idea as soon as it dawned on me. Probably not possible but I'm covering my bases as it still fits into the "Inverted" call!

 Why do I think that? Keep Reading because I'm about to give you folks Christmas in August!

Blueprints have been leaked and we've found them!  

What I know so far: It IS a Coaster and it is MASSIVE

 Honestly, I have no idea why more people haven't picked up on this little video hidden away on YouTube. I admit, some girlish squealing happened when I got a glimpse of these plans. I'm no expert in reading blueprints but it's pretty obvious that this ride is going to be a monster.

Image from the Video: Video By Patrick Michael

 We took a few stills from the video and patched them together to try and give readers a sense of scale and the elements involved but we (roughly) count at least 8 inversions and possibly more!

  Now, don't quote us on any of these elements because we here at ISI Central are going off what we know from our own coaster riding experience. Some of them are pretty obvious and others are just unknown.

 Now, go make squeaky joy sounds. Even if we don't know WHAT it is, we know what it's going to look like!

InSanity lurks Inside will update as more information becomes available, Keep Watching!

Park Review- Knoebels Amusement Resort

Park Review of Knoebels Amusement Resort

Day: Wednesday

Date: July 24th, 2013

Weather: Perfect (Mid 70's and Partly Cloudy)

Overall Rating: Good

Ride Rating: Okay 

Opinion: Worth it within a 3-4 hour drive.

Staff: Carrie and Kitsune

Overview:  Knoebels is a small, family owned amusement park set in the mountains of Central Pennsylvania. It's not the most widely known park and tends to be frequented by folks from the area or those who know about this hidden little gem. While not known for building their own rides, Knobels has a rich history of taking other folks 'unwanted/old' rides and moving them into the park, giving them a new life for folks to enjoy. The park boasts three relocated roller coasters, a classic 'pretzel car' haunted house and carousel that still has it's brass ring. The parks biggest claim to fame (and also their current embarrassment) is that they are attempting to build a wooden bobsled coaster, which hasn't been done since the 1920's. They've won the Golden Ticket award in 2012 for 'Best Carousel' and in 2011 for 'Best Food' and 'Best Carousel'.

Favorite Imaginary Theme Park? The Results!

Imaginary Theme Parks: Movies

 Last week I was asked a rather random question, what was my favorite imaginary theme park from the movies? While I was personally tied between two choices, it got me thinking. What movie created theme park would people most enjoy visiting? So I posted up a poll to find out what would win! While this was no means official nor could I remember every single imagined amusement park from the movies, I think I offered up a nice selection!

So here are the candidates!

2013 Opening Day/New Attractions Bucket List

The 2013 Bucket List

Well, it's that time again folks! Time for the grand daddy of all lists, the only list that really matters to us theme park and amusement park geeks. It's the 2013 Bucket List of Opening Day's and New Attractions! It's been a vastly annoying winter and I'm sure we're all ready for our favorite parks to open up and more importantly we want to know what's new. So here we go!

NorthEast: 

Six Flags Great Adventure: Spring Break Opening 3/23. Open Weekends until full summer operations on 5/22.  

New Attractions: Safari Adventure, SkyScreamer. 

Moreys Piers: Limited Operation of Mariners Landing on 3/30. Weekends Mariner's and Surfside Open 5/11. Full Operations on 5/8.  

New Attractions: None.

Dorney Park: Open 5/3 for Weekends. Full opening is 5/24. 

New Attractions: None. 

Six Flags America: Spring Break Opening 3/23. Open Weekends until full operations on 5/24.

New Attractions: Bonzai Pipelines (Waterpark)

Hershey Park: Spring Break/Springtime in the Park Weekends 5/29-4/14. Full Operations on 5/3. New Attractions: None.

Knoebels:  Opening Day 4/17. 

New Attractions: Flying Turns (again).

Six Flags New England: Spring Break Opening 4/13-4/21. Weekends from 4/26 until full operations on 5/24.  

New: Bonzai Pipelines (Waterpark).

Lake Compounce: Open Weekends 5/11. Full operations on 6/12.

New Attractions: Bayou Bay Wave Pool. 

Rye Playland:  Opening Day 5/11. 

New Attractions: None. 

Six Flags Great Escape: Open Weekends 5/18. Full operations on 5/18. 

New Attractions: Screamin' Eagles.

Darin Lake: Open Weekends 5/11. Full operations on 6/18. 

New Attractions: Blast Off. 

Kennywood Park:  Weekends on 5/14. Full operations on 5/15. 

New Attractions: None.

Lakemont Park: Weekend on 5/25. Full operations on 6/1. 

New Attractions: None. 

Idlewild Park:  Open Weekends on 5/23. Full operations on 6/7.

New Attraction: FloatAway Bay (Waterpark).

Conneaut Lake: Dates Unknown. Check Website. 

MidWest:

Kings Island: Weekends from 4/27. Full operations on 5/10. 

New Attractions: None.

Cedar Point:  Open 5/11. 

New Attractions: Gatekeeper.

Six Flags Great America: Open 5/4. Full operations on 5/15.

New Attractions: None.

HolidayWorld: Open 5/4. Full operations on 5/10. 

New Attractions: None.

SouthEast:

Kings Dominion: Spring Break opening 3/29-4/7. Weekends until full operations on 5/14.

New Attractions: None.

Dollywood: Open 3/23 for Festival of Nations. Full Operations on 5/22. 

New Attractions: River Rush (Waterpark).

Carowinds: Spring Break opening 3/29-4/7. Weekeneds until full operations on 5/24.

New Attractions: None. 

Six Flags over Georgia: Open weekends 3/16. Spring Break Open 3/29-4/14. Full operations on 5/24.

New Attractions: SkyScreamer.

Wild Adventures: Open 3/26 on limited schedule. 

New Attractions: TailSpin, Wacky Wheels.

____________________________

Well Folks,

We hope this helps you plan your Spring and Summer. Now get out there, get planning and don't forget to ride a few for me!

Halloween Haunt Review: Halloween Haunt at Kings Dominion

Image from KingsDominion.com

 WARNING: PICTURE INTENSIVE

Haunt: Kings Dominion
Location: Doswell, VA
Event: Halloween Haunt
When: September 28, 2012
Rating: Good
Recommendation: Good (If Nearby)

Additional Reviews:  Kitsuneverse


Having never been to Kings Dominion, this was something of a new experience for me. A park I'd never been to and haunted houses at the same time. I'm fairly familiar with the various "Kings" parks but never had a chance to visit before, so I had a clean slate of no previous expectations to work with.  I have to admit, I was rather pleasantly surprised by what I found!
Unlike some other Theme Park Haunts we've been to this year, we had a very limited time at Kings Dominion (only five hours) and a bucket list of things we wanted to accomplish including the haunts.  We didn't accomplish everything but managed to see most of the haunts offered up with the help of a maps and some canned libations.

Maps are Helpful!

Unlike some of the other theme park haunts out there, Kings Island is a little crazy. Rather then a few big haunts, they have both big and small totaling the shocking number of 10 total haunts. Their prices are also easily affordable, ranging between $32 (on Fridays) and $40 (on Saturday). We managed to go on opening night, which resulted in a single ticket costing only $20 (college ID). This same night also happened to be "Dress like a Zombie" night which made the who environment of the park even more enjoyable.  It's very rare you find any haunt that will have a theme night and allow folks also in costume to attend!
Thankfully, this Friday wasn't super busy so we managed to do some decent damage. Making it to 7 of the 10 haunts and 4 of their themed scarezones.




Let's begin with the overall themeing which I admit was well thought out and well placed.  The various areas had set themes which worked well and tended to match the attractions in the area, this was a pleasant surprise since it's not nearly as common as one might think! The actors costumes also correlated nicely with the various areas threw out the park. Lot's of attention was placed in the opening courtyard which was nicely themed out with a "Masquerade" feeling which extended threw to the actors and the staple of any one time Paramount Park, the Eiffel Tower which spotted a menacing pair of eyes.

Spooky Skull and Glare-y Eyes!

On to better and scarier things! We quickly acquired an adult type libation and plopped down to make our game plan. What was the plan? Haunted Houses and Roller Coasters naturally, We're simple folk here.  After our quick break and planning session, we used our plot to head to the closest house and work our way around the park in a quick manner and peppering the haunts in with various rides. This sent us in the general direction of our first haunt, Medieval  Macabre.

The name explains a lot really. A Medieval Dungeon inspired haunt. The line was busy but quick moving, allowing you enough time to enjoy the scenery but fast enough that you didn't get bored.  The set was decent but not anything to really write home about spotting your typical haunt fare: Ghosts, Ghouls, Vampires and Dead type folks. One thing we did notice is that this house seemed rather short and rushed. Overall a decent haunt but lacking real inspiration.

Next we wondered threw the "Cleaver Brothers Carnival" which was nicely done to your now generic Carnival/Circus theme. The actors where good and seemed to be having an excellent time using quick startle scares on unsuspecting patrons, electing quite a few screams (to which we giggled).

We landed at "The Slaughter House" up as our next haunt.  This looked promising and we quickly jumped into another good paced line that was moving quickly. This haunt was nice and juicy, full of the lovely gory stuff we so love around here.  Themed like a true slaughter house it had your typical (if generic) props: Bloody Tables, Meat Slabs and Crazed Butchers. The actors here really where having fun, we think they where in the Halloween candy a little bit early because these folks where bouncing off the walls with energy giving the place a good feel. Again though we found this house to be short and slightly rushed but overall the actors made the house work well.

At this point we're enjoying ourselves but haven't seen anything really wonderful to write home about, hoping things would improve haunt wise we took a minor coaster break and enjoyed another fast moving line on Rebel Yell then indulged in a Pepsi followed by a map checking break.

Moving On...

 Up next we had "Toxic Plague" as our next house.
At this point the weather decided to be rather annoying and try to dump some unwelcome rain upon us. Being as it wasn't to heavy and we didn't much care, we kept waiting. The line for this one was decently themed, sporting a large 'chemical' truck spill and your ever lovely toxic waste barrels out front. Some randomly flashing lights and fog really gave us some higher hopes for the speed and themeing inside of this haunt. Inside we found some crazy mutated folks, a few monsters and more run-of-the-mill sets leaving us rather disappointed that more wasn't done.  Now don't get me wrong, it was done well and had decent actors who managed some good scares on our group but it wasn't really impressive. Again keeping with the same theme we found this house to be short and left you with a "hustled" feeling after exiting.

Turning the corner we found ourselves staring at the first decently long line we've seen all night which lead to one of their big 'featured' haunts, "Club Blood".  This haunt being one of their big premier advertising pieces we quickly jumped in line.  The line moved quickly which was a pleasant surprise for it's length, they also had some nice props outside (Coffins, Grave Stones and Blood) peppered all over the area giving you some nice eye candy but they easily could have put some more effort into it rather then just the two areas which props where found.
Inside we found ourselves inside a gothic themed warehouse style nightclub obviously run (or overrun) with vampires.

Now here is when I complain a bit, they where blasting Top 40's music which really wasn't fitting for the slightly ragged/punk look of the inside. For me I'd have expected industrial or something more screechy, having this blasting threw I found to be a huge distraction simply because it didn't fit the theme.  This house was inside and rather warm, we found well dressed actors who did well with startle scares and being up close and in your face.. but little else. Being as this was opening night this was really to be expected, people getting used to the new role and finding their groove. The themeing however was wonderfully done, very much what you would expect from a Gothic club then moving into a darker side of vampires.  However this house too was short and left us with an unfinished feeling upon exiting.

Another jump on a Coaster, This time Grizzly and off to another haunt!

Camp Killauee was looming ahead and so far we where impressed right until we tried to get in line. There where no signs to show folks where to go so we ended up walking up the exit then being sent back. After another minute or two of confusion, someone finally pointed out we where suppose to queue up at the Log Ride. Apparently they never thought to put out signs!

 
Inside we found your typical horror movie type plot, kids in the camp turned to monster and want to eat you. It's the 80's all over again minus a nutcase in flannel and a hockey mask! In fact, I wish they had the nutcase in a hockey mask we found exactly where they got cheap. Actors in cheap rubber masks, zero extra make-up and simple red and white 'camp uniforms' all shiny and clean (which really, if you where murdered or turned into a monster.. you'd at least get a little dirty)!  This outside house was nicely themed in the proper camp style, we wondered what boyscout troop they divested of tents, the actors appeared slightly awkward and were vastly spread out in the first decent sized haunt we'd come across. The costumes where nothing short appallingly cheap and kept bugging me during our entire tour. One bright point was a lady who followed our group about singing quietly, this was the bright spot and added a minorly creepy factor to an otherwise sad haunt.

The Lair ScareZone

Moving along, it was still drizzling lightly so the crowds where quickly disappearing. We jumped over threw "The Lair" scarezone and into line for our next haunt "No Vacancy" which we found located in next to their Dinosaurs Alive theater (the dinosaurs are another complaint for another post).












This haunt was pretty up front and simple, Haunted Hotel. Another inside haunt, this was easily the best show we've gotten so far tonight. It had everything going well, the actors where excellent in their roles and made had already made them their own. The themeing inside was wonderfully done so far as to even include a false stairway and moving pictures. We're damn near impossible to scare but our group was obviously having fun from the various screams coming from around us. This is the one house so far that we didn't find to be short or leaving us with a hanging feeling, it had an ending! They can do it! Without giving to much away it was a security room, just check the monitors while your passing through..


With time running out, we hauled ass over to another haunt and where happily greeted with something right out of the great book of "What-The-Fuck".. The Doll Factory was next!

Wow, this has "Creepy Shit" written all over it and we loved it! Themed up like an abandoned factory this building and the outside of it had the weird factor turned up to 10. This is also pretty straight forward, an abandoned doll factory taken over and re-opened for a much more twisted purpose.

This house should have been their prime haunt because it was all around amazing. It really had the trifecta of a good haunt: Actors, Themeing, Costuming. They even had actors that would go through the haunt with the groups, heckling them and setting up great scares for the actors located in the different scenes. It was an orgy of broken and headless Barbie dolls and mutilated toys located everyplace! Hanging from the ceiling, the walls, random conveyer belts.. it was so much visual candy to take in even I had some trouble spotting the actors until the screams started. This was easily the best haunt and the actors really had their "A+" game on even for opening night, their costumes where a nice shade of twisted (in pastel no less) and the make-up was eerie. Even people as jaded as my husband and I where happily surprised and very pleased with this house, there was something new around every bend and curve in this maze-like haunt. This was the haunt that really boosted Kings Dominion above a "Meh, Okay" rating and right into the "Good" zone.

With time quickly disappearing we jumped threw yet another ScareZone on our way to the two final stops of the night: Volcano and Avalanche.   This was "PrimEvil" and it was also a step above the other scarezones which after our run threw Doll Factory really boosted our moods into the pleased area.  Cannibals and Corpses impaled on stakes, what more can a girl ask for?! They merged this area into working with two joining pathways and part of a queue line for a Top Spin ride (we call them Flip'N'Fuck's around here).



This place was directly across from Volcano and it fit so perfectly we easily could have lingered here all night if the park wasn't trying to hustle us out at closing time.

Overall I can't say I was really "impressed" with Kings Dominion, I was pleasantly surprised but still left wanting more in the end. It isn't that it was a bad haunt, it just wasn't enough but it easily could have been much more without leaving folks with the feeling of "that was is?!" at the end. While I freely admit to being massively jaded when it comes to haunts and damn near impossible to scare, I found it to be fun even if not impressive or very exciting. I suppose to other folks who do get scared by haunted houses, you'd probably enjoy the creepy job they do very well.

In all honestly, I can't tell you to drop everything and see this haunt. However if your nearby or passing threw the area of Doswell, Virginia on I-95 it's easily worth this low admission and worth the time of stopping for the night.

Halloween Haunt Review: Kennywood Phantom Fight Nights

Picture from Kennywood.com

Haunt: Kennywood Park
Event: Phantom Fight Nights
When: Oct 13, 2012
Rating: Disappointing
Recommendation: Avoid



Now, I love Halloween. It's like my Christmas and Thanksgiving all wrapped up into one lovely holiday where I'm allowed to be my normal, scary and surly self.  So my husband and I often travel all over (as money permits) and visit various haunts. Kennywood has always been a fun experience even if their not on the budget or level of someone like Universal Studios. However this year I was sorely disappointed in not only the haunt event but the park as a whole.

To understand this, please realize something important. I hold Kennywood Park to high standards. Kennywood for years was a small, local park which had high standards of customer service and they always did excellent. However since Parques Reunidos and Palace Entertainment took over full ownership and operations in 2011, things have gone downhill at a shocking speed.

Let me explain.

1. The Employees.
Now normally I rarely complain about service in an amusement park, especially on an exceptionally busy night.  People get frazzled, I know this better then most folks but what I saw was more what I'd expect from a carnival or county fair.. Not an amusement park of any quality!
-They had employees in the bathrooms, hustling folks threw. Not only were these people rude, half of them where having personal conversations on cell phones during this point. One spot right next to First Aid spotted an underage women heaving her guts into a trashcan right beside the entrance.  Rather then getting this poor soul to first aid, she was ignored then later asked said persons friend "She Okay?" then again ignored. I was appalled.
-The folks who are running their line groupings have ZERO clue how to pulse or even queue a line.  I saw groups as tiny as 4 going threw while the line was easily an hour long. Now anyone who as been in a haunted house in their life should know bigger groups are easier to handle and better to not only 1) Keep your line moving at good pace but 2) Give better scares to all folks within that group.  Sending in tiny groups accomplishes nothing but killing the actors "scare buzz" and aggravating the people waiting in line behind these tiny groups.
-Guest Services should at least have half a clue about what is in their park. Well, let me tell you the two people I asked simple questions of had zero clue. When asking about an ATM machine, I was directed once to a gift shop which isn't even open for the event. Upon the second time asking, I was directed to one which may or may not have been located on a pathway that was closed for the event. The third time asking, this time inside of a gift shop I was simply directed to guest services. In the end I stopped one of the Kennywood Park Officers (always nice folks) and finally got correct information.  This just proves it, if you don't know where you going.. ask someone with a badge!

The only folks who gave any form of correct information, such as bathroom and haunt locations, where the folks in food services and Kennywood's Finest. They obviously had knowledge of their park and knew where things where located, they gave excellent directions and knew exactly what was going on.

2. The Actors/Haunted Houses.
The houses as always where beautifully themed. They really do go all out for some of their haunt settings, this year I was most impressed with "Voodoo Bayou" which ran threw their (now drained) Raging Rapid ride.  They really went all out on the setting for this crazy walk-thru, the sets where well done and nicely laid out.  Dark Shadows was their "Pitch Black" house this year, very nice maze set up and just enough light to mess with your night vision.  The Kennywood Cemetery was saidly disappointing, let me explain my biggest issue.
-Lack of Actors! I don't know if everyone called in sick this particular night or if Kennywood simply didn't bother to hire enough actors for their Fright Nights. They had next to NO actors, in the Voodoo Bayou, a very long haunt I counted a total of 7 actors.  The Cemetery had a total of 4 then most being found in Dark Shadows and they appeared to be the only ones enjoying their job also. The complete lack of street actors was appalling outside of the only two set "zones" within the park, I counted exactly 5 total all night (although the Chainsaw guy was really enjoying himself, he made me grin every time he passed by). 
-Zero Professionalism!  Inside the Cemetery, we clearly saw the 3 of the 4 actors standing around having a chat in clear view of guests. They also ignored guests completely to continue their conversation, barely giving a half-hearted "hiss" as our group passed by.  At the Bayou, we spotted people outside the end of the haunt who where clearly actors having conversations with guests. The guy queuing the entrance was amazing however as was the "I'm eatin' this corpse" man in the middle of the haunt.

3. Time Problems!
Kennywood clearing states on their website "Open till 1am" well I'm here to tell you, this is false advertisement. They shut down every single line, even the short ones, in the park at Midnight. MIDNIGHT! Now I fully understand you have to cycle your lines, this is not a problem but it becomes one when nothing is posted anyplace and you simply shut things down I have an issue with this. Not only where the decent lines (20+ minutes) shut down but so where the lines to houses with little or no line at Midnight.  I've worked in haunts for a good 10 years over my time and I've never once seen anyplace stop their lines over an hour before closing time. When I asked about this I was told "We have to have everyone out by 1am" and if that's the case, simply SAY your closed at Midnight but don't lead people on!
This was even more shocking to us later when we stopped in at Park Services and ask why they state "Open till 1am" and shut down everything at Midnight. They very nice folks working this night where shocked, they simply had no idea what was happening and where honestly stuck when the complaints began. After speaking to them for several minutes they even admitted they had no idea why this was happening and on such a busy night, this had never happened before. Obviously someone made a decision this night which was never relayed to the front of the park, leaving these poor folks on the bad end of the stick.  Obviously break-down of communications and very bad judgement by someone in management this night.


Frankly, I've never been more disappointed in Kennywood in my many years of attending both their normal season but also their special events. I'm sorry to say this and I truly wish I could tell you different but avoid Phantom Fight Nights until they can improve their shoddy performance.  Your better off to support one of the smaller, non-amusement park haunted houses in the Pittsburgh Area then waste your money on a half-assed and unprofessional show.

To read another version of this same trip, please visit Kitsuneverse for another take on this disappointing haunt.

Theme Parks and Super Heroes- The Messy Side

Well folks, this topic has been going hog wild online the last few weeks so I suppose I may as well address the monster head on. Mostly because I'm tired of incorrect, nearsighted people who are completely convinced they know it all.

Now as I'm a female with only mild interest in the "Super Hero" franchises outside of what park owns what rights and how cool the ride/attraction is based on said hero. I'm going to happily stick a plunger to my husband and pick his brain on this matter.  Let's face it, I'm an 80's child so I have a rather well rounded education on all things "cartoon" growing up but I freely admit outside of knowing "Super Hero Name" and "Main Arch-Villain" is I'm fairly clueless. My Super Hero education comes entirely from playing war with the neighborhood boys growing up and what the movies tell me, this is where my husband comes in!
Some of you may know him, he writes Kitsuneverse which is all things Amine, Cosplay, Conventions and More. However for matters of this article, he's Mr. Know-It-All (do NOT tell him I said that, I'll never hear the end of it)! 


Okay, let's dive into this at the most logical start point I can think of.  That would be what theme parks own/operate the rights to what super heroes and/or franchises. Get comfortable, this is going to get rather convoluted rather quickly. Because let me tell you, we had a HELL of a time tracking all of this shit down and figuring out the crazy twisted path things take. We'll attempt to explain it to you all as best as possible and hopefully the dots will all connect in the end? Well, lets hope so cause we're onto something here!

The Players

Universal Resort:
Universal is undoubtedly the ten ton neon yellow gorilla in the corner. You know it's there but you tiptoe around it hopefully not attracting it's attention because it's probably a man-eater and most likely is hungry.
Universal Orlando Resort owns the rights to operate Marvel, or more exactly Marvel Superhero Island. Now to understand this you have to go back into the History of the park and when the concepts began. Originally Marvel Superhero Island was concepted to DC Superhero Island in 1991 but shortly after this someone else bought the rights to DC Comics in a theme park setting which knocked DC off the table (See Six Flags). During this same time, it's safe to say Marvel Comics was a company in very deep shit. As in they where nearly broke and very close to going out of business entirely, now here comes a giant resort with gobs of money who want to build attractions with your characters names slapped onto them. Your going to say "YES" and in 1995 when construction began on Islands of Adventure that's exactly what happened with their contact lasting until 2050.
Now things begin to get murky, in 2009 Walt Disney Company bought out Marvel Comics but I'll get to that under the Disney Section.

The Amazing Adventures of Spiderman at Universal Orlando

Six Flags Amusement Parks:
Before Six Flags got huge in the 90's they where mostly small regional parks, numbering only six parks scattered all over the United States. In 1984 Warner Brothers signed a licensing deal with Six Flags, Now at this point not a single one of us is thinking "Super Heroes" or even "Comics". No we're thinking Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck, Looney Toons which is what that initial deal was entirely about.  It was a fluke side effect the Warner Brothers also happens to own DC Comics and has since 1969, so naturally in 1991 when Warner Brothers/Time Warner bought a 50% share of all Six Flags Amusement Parks the rights to use the DC Comic characters came completely into play.
This successfully knocked Universal Studios out of the running for the DC Comic Characters (see Universal Orlando Resort)

Batman the Ride at Six Flags Magic Mountian

Paramount Parks:
Now while Paramount owns no rights to theme parks super heroes, they also come into play in this crazy mess. In 1993 Paramount Pictures when on a completely buying spree, acquiring 6 theme parks of their own.  Paramount is the parent company of Dreamworks/SKG which is licensed out to Universal Studios. Now in 2006 Paramount sold off their theme park franchise was the same time they purchased Dreamworks/SKG, not to be confused with Dreamworks Animation which is a seperate company but is distributed by Paramount.  Again at the same time owned all the distribution rights for Marvel until the Disney Company buyout of Marvel comics. This deal is to end in 2012 with Disney Company buying out the rest of their contacted rights to the movies.

Walt Disney Company:
Disney is the other ten ton neon pink gorilla in the corner and we know it's an established man-eater!
Now Disney has NOTHING to do with Super Heroes at all, they had no interested in them as they had a proven money-maker in the form of movies and princesses and theme parks long before anyone else thought to jump into the park game.
Now in 2009 Disney Company purchased Marvel Comics: Lock, Stock and Barrel. Many aren't entirely sure why exactly they went after and purchased Marvel, it's said the Iger is a fan and wanted to work the brand into Disney's vast library. Others say Marvel was just a logical fit for Disney who has been trying to expand their brand into more "boy" related things lately and Marvel and Super Heroes are the logical way to do this.. either way no one knows the true reasons behind the purchase.  So Disney now owns Marvel. Universal has rights to Marvel Characters and Paramount has rights to distribute Marvel movies.

This shit is messy. So let's break it down further, please keep in mind a LOT of this is pure speculation on our parts just based on knowing how these parks think and operate.

When Disney purchased Marvel, Universal found themselves in a unique bind. With their rival park and company now owning one of their key pieces, the contact came into play that they signed with Marvel. While Universal is allowed to keep the current rides they have and anything that was "On the Drawing Board at time of purchase" they are now stuck as they can't build or add onto the are Marvel Superhero Island.

Now onto the Speculation.

Universal now has a useless contact which they can't build upon without giving a rival a large sum of money if that would even work. Disney wants these characters but can't use them right now due to said existing contract.

 MASSIVE IMPASSE

 No one is happy, No one can build and the knifes are on the table. 

SHIT! Not again!

 _________________________________________________________

Here, have a pony!

Connecting the Dots.. 

Now, What does Universal Orlando have that Warner Brothers owns all distribution rights to? What is Universal Orlando's biggest draw right now.. that Warner Brothers owns all distribution rights to as well as the first four books? I'll give you a clue, it's MAGIC.

Universal Orlando struck gold with the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, their printing money in the basement and can't spend it fast enough. Now Warner Brothers and Universal already have a good working relationship due to Harry Potter and J.K. Rowling.  It's become much the matter of rumor these days that Universal and Warner Brothers are going to do something very sneaky, many of us suspect that they may make a deal to knock Disney right off their collective ass and stop making them money on the Marvel name.
Many believe that Universal is going to get their hands on DC Comics by making a deal with Warner Brothers, Allowing them to transfer Marvel Superhero Island into DC Superhero Island was originally planned. Now not a single person has any idea what this will mean for Six Flags who is no longer owned by Time Warner but who currently keep the rights for the characters owned by them.

Universal could make the deal with DC and easily change two parts of Islands of Adventure.
Marvel Superhero Island could easily transfer to DC Superhero Island, allowing new characters with no restrictions like Disney has upon them now. They could easily build and expand without having to worry about paying off the rival park and company.
Also they could easily add in another piece of Warner Brothers history into a park of Islands of Adventure which is drastically lacking:  Cartoon Lagoon.  They could add in the Looney Toon characters to their own, giving them a much bigger drawing power then the now antique characters their spotting today. Let's face it, most kids today haven't a clue who Duddly Do-Right and Woody Woodpecker are.. but they do know Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck.

At least, those are my own ideas and adding up of the current Gordian knot of tangles these relationships are between companies and parks and who-owns-rights-to-what.

Super Heroes.. Sometimes a problem

Let's face it, Super Heroes are big money at the moment and whoever holds the most popular of those characters is sitting on top of the world.. for now.

The problem with Super Heroes and the franchises around them in general is they are VERY easily lost. A few bad movies and your in trouble. Movie Studios will stop making these movies the moment they fail to make money, we've got a few examples of these that I can easily think of off the top of my head. 
Batman: We love Batman, he's damn cool. He doesn't need superpowers to kick your ass, he's got a million and one cool toys and all the money in the world to buy more! However we've had some bad turns over the years. We all remember "Batman Forever" or as I enjoy calling it: Batman and the Attack of the Neon Nightmare of 1995. It was horrible, it was a flop. They attempted to make it better with "Batman and Robin" in 1997 which really was even more horrible then the Neon Nightmare! This successfully killed the Batman franchise for years until 2005 when "Batman Begins" finally fixed the problem.
Spiderman: In 2002 Spiderman made a HUGE success of its-self, and Spiderman 2 was an even bigger hit. However the entire thing went down in a flaming pile of wreckage in 2007 with Spiderman 3.  It took another 4 years until Spiderman was made into something halfway decent again but even that wasn't the massive success of the  2002 version.

Proof that one or two bad movies can kill your franchise. People get paid millions and millions of dollars for trying to guess what "The Next Big Thing" will be, right now we're stuck on Super Heroes. What will happen next is anyone's guess and the Super Hero thing will fade for 10-15 years until it comes back for it's next reiteration.

Now I don't expect this to happen for at least about 5-10 years given the current trend and popularity but the fact we can't forget is it will end and this is something that these parks think about. They don't just look at what is popular today, they are looking 20-50 years into the future. Many of us call it "The Long Game" and that is what will dictate a LOT of what will happen between all of these theme parks and their huge deals counting into the billions of dollars.

So, what does it all mean?

In the end, until something is announced or a massive leak happens we're simply not going to know what these parks have on their drawing boards. We can speculate all we want, dream and hope our own personal favorite character will make an appearance at our favorite theme park in the form of an epic and groundbreaking ride. In the end Theme Parks and Super Heroes are a well twisted up puzzle.

Geauga Lake- The Mystery of Raging Wolf Bobs

The Mystery of Raging Wolf Bobs..?

Picture from RCDB

Many of you may not remember a small amusement park located in Aurora Ohio called Geauga Lake.  It was founded in 1887 and thrived for a while until the evil empire of Six Flags got their grubby paws on it, after that it was a downhill slide that not even money could fix. 

Now you may well know I've got a hate/hate/tolerate relationship with Six Flags. I don't like them, I don't like their theories or their practices.. and I surely don't like how they think they can just take over any-damn-thing they want! However I will admit Great Adventure is in fact a wonderful park, but it's the only one other then Magic Mountain that doesn't suck.

Anyway.. I'm ranting again. Let's get back to the point!

Raging Wolf Bobs is a wooden roller coaster, built off a classic desgin called "The Bobs" which was located in Riverview Park, Chicago, Illinois. 'The Bobs' is referred as the ultimate wooden coaster by many, it also suffered a horrible fate. Either way, Raging Wolf Bobs is based of this attraction and was built in 1988 making it an instant classic. 

Surviving the hand of both Six Flags and Cedar Point, the ride still stands defunct today... or does it?

Raging Wolf Bobs and the sister woodie at Geauga Lake "Big Dipper" where sold at auction after the park closed under the Cedar Point flag. The buyer is "Unnamed" and needless to say people have had their panties in a knot about it since. Recently rumor has gone completely batshit wild about the demolition of Raging Wolf Bobs but I've noticed something funny while playing with Google Maps. 

Look closely.

That doesn't look like any form of demolition I've ever seen! 

If your demolishing something, you don't save track pieces. You don't save parts.. you run a wrecking ball threw the hold damn thing. Even if your scraping the metal, you do that after the ride has come down. 

Don't believe me? 

That. That right there is what pure coaster destruction looks like, it hurts to look at doesn't it?
This was the fate of the classic coasters of Idora park, your looking at the bones of the Wildcat.

What's going on at Geauga Lake isn't destruction. I've never seen a coaster come down in pieces like that when it wasn't either being saved or moved. So long as they have the exact blueprints and the track, the lift hill and supports can easily be re-created and re-built.  So frankly, I don't believe we're seeing the end of Raging Wolf Bobs. We're seeing a transition, at least it looks to me like that.

A closer look. I'll have to get out there and inspect this myself!

People swear they know who the mystery owner is, they also swear he's an ass. Frankly, no one knows who it is. The name hasn't been disclosed and the information isn't public. This is the internet, anyone can claim to be anyone on here... even the owner of Raging Wolf Bobs. Until the information and bill of sale are made public or the coaster is reconstructed someplace, we're not going to know.  So rather being being pessimists about it, lets just hope these pictures mean a real move and we'll get to keep at least one or two classic coasters away from the bulldozer.

All the little things..

All those little things...

It happens to everyone, you stumble upon those smaller articles that while really fun and interesting, just don't dictate an entire blog post. Now it you followed me over on Google+ you'd see a lot of these little random pieces of news that I find, but since I know for a fact most of you DON'T someone pointed out I should do somekind of "Round-Up" type piece.  So "All those little things.." is going to be it! Depending on how busy the month is, I'm going to post up many of the little articles I find and post to places like Google+ and Twitter back here on the blog.

So, we'll begin with July/August! 

Virtual Tours of Kennedy Space Center:

NASA and GoogleMaps have teamed up and brought out a fun little thing for folks, if you can't travel to Kennedy Space Center but have always wanted to see or experience a NASA tour.. then this is the link for you!

Kennedy Space Center, NASA Tour

Fan builds full WALL-E Replica: 

One fan, who has built amazing robots in the past (such as a working R2D2) spent 3,800 hours and completed a fully working and WALL-E Robot!

Fan builds WALL-E Robot

Muppets Take Broadway:

Stitch Kingdom brings us an interesting piece. The Muppets may yet take Manhattan, only this time they may take the Broadway stage in their very own show!

Muppets may Take Broadway

Cutbacks may hurt Country Bears:

Well I can't say I'm pleased with stumbling across this piece. Rumor is having it that with the new Fantasyland we may see cuts to a classic Disney World Show, The Country Bears. They show may suffer cut-backs and the removal of an entire classic scene. 

Cutbacks at Magic Kingdom 

Dine with Shamu Returns:

Seaworld has finally managed to complete some of their massive rehab project in attempt the make not only their animals and trainers safer. This has allowed them to finally re-open their "Dine with Shamu" area and the dinner/show. 

Dine with Shamu Finally Returns 

Before Disney, History Time:

Before Disneyland or Disney World showed up. We had smaller amusement parks spread all across America. Most of them haven't survived the invent of modern theme parks but this little history piece takes a look at one small Kiddieland!

KiddieLand Chicago

Magic Kingdom now offers Wifi:

As if amusement parks where not chaotic enough! Magic Kingdom is now offering free WiFi to their daily guests.

WiFi comes to Magic Kingdom