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I used to have a pretty bad opinion of what paramount did with the park. I never liked the movie theming and thought of it as sort of cheap and a gimmick. I could never get over the fact that any of the rides really had nothing to do with whatever name they slapped on the ride. Plus all is well and good at first when a ride is new and the movie is new and they want to promote both but what about when people stop careing about the movie. Or realize its a crappy movie. For example drop zone. Horrible movie, has nothing to do with the ride at the park so whats the point? Why have this ride named after some mediocre movie that people are just going to forget about. I have to admit by itself drop zone isent a bad name for the attraction but just using that as an example for any of the other movie named rides. Why not just think of a real name for the attractions insted of ripping it off some movie? Theres no question why really though, paramount was just trying to promote its movies. Movie names seamed to take away from a rides real character. So really my main problem with what paramount ever did with the park was name rides after movies. I will always think of that as just idiotic, and cheesy. So when Cedar Fair bought up paramount parks I thought it was going to be great. Although I wasn't around (at least not old enough) pre-paramount I was hoping the look (theming) and feel of things would go back to how they where before paramount. The cutting of all the ties to stupid movies and give rides there own real name. Now though I'm kind of torn. I feel like now something is just missing. Its hard to explain. The atmosphere and energy just doesn't seam the same. Paramount seamed to be much more enthusiastic about its park, like the company really loved its park, and it seamed and appeared as a funner place. So in my case its kind of complicated. Theres pros and cons to each. Would I take paramount over Cedar Fair thease days? I don't know really its a hard question to answer. We will never know what paramount might have done if they still owned the park. You also cant forget economic changes as a factor to what any owner would do with the park vs say the 90's. Cedar Fair has defiantly done much good to the park but I fear it will always be second to Cedar Point. Where as with paramount parks, Kings Island was pretty much there flagship park. All in all I think Kings Island is doing alright. I feel like the park is still in a transitioning period where it really has to find itself and its character again. I just hope the park gets the attention it deserves from all the higher ups. Sorry if this is kind of hard to read or understand. Its 4am and I can't sleep so its not the best. EDIT: Oh and I will never forgive paramount for taking out antique cars for that gaudy thing there now. I might be a little bias though as its pretty much the oldest thing I can remember ridding at Kings Island. EDIT2: I know a lot of people love the paramount movie theming. I would agree initially the movie theming helped with the excitement about a new ride. But just think of how those movie themes will age. If paramount still owned the park and the movie theming was all still in place I feel like they would have had to start retiring some of the movie names and theming because they would start feeling dated. Or younger kids would have no idea what the movie was, never seen it etc. It wouldn't matter as much if the movie the ride was themed after was a timeless classic but I don't really have that opinion about any of the movies used for theming in the paramount days.

Yesterday we were at the park and while waiting in The Beast queue we were line jumped by 3 twenty somethings. This turned into an incident but before I go there, I would like to get the groups feeling on what we as park guest should do when we are line jumped. BTW, just to make it clear, I am talking about line jumping in the regular queue and not Fast Lane or paid line jumping.

All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good people to do nothing. If they want to line jump, they should pay for it like everyone else!!!

I think it's a given you will be working after school! Not with people I dislike

I have a different view on the snoopy topic. I have a 3 year old. We typically go to the park on weekday nights, about once a week after work. He went during the day 1x early in the year w/ my wife when her neice was in town for the week, and we went as a family w/ other members of the family who went for a full day late in the season. As far as I know, the only times he's seen the snoopy characters were his two "full" day visits as they're not out in the heat of the afternoon. The 1 time I was with him, he was very excited to see snoopy and have a picture with him. He went and danced with linus in front of the Eiffel Tower mid afternoon shortly before leaving. anyhoo, if we drive around town and see a random picture of mickey mouse, he automatically says "look dad, mickey mouse clubhouse". Obviously Cedar Fair can't use Mickey, but on a recent drive past a small airstrip, the metlife blimp was parked on the grounds there, presumably on its way to whatever event it was covering. When my son saw snoopy on the blimp, it wasn't "look dad, peanuts" it was "look dad, King's Island" We were a good half hour away from King's Island, so he's obviously tying snoopy with King's Island. Snoopy is instantly recognizable and you see it far more often than you think. However, with it not being on TV on a regular basis, my son ties in seeing snoopy with his trips to King's Island. We don't let him watch sponge bob, though he knows the character having caught glimpses of it in the past. My guess, if he saw a picture of sponge bob, he would think of the TV show before he thought of any tie to King's Island (if it still existed). I think there is value in such a connection. There's little contrevesy with the peanuts gang, they're beloved from generation to generation; they're iconic. You know Snoopy is still going to be recognizable in 50 years. Sponge Bob? we shall see. The Peanuts have stood the test of time that few survive. Additionally, Nick has a tie in w/ universal theme parks. It may not even be an option for Cedar Fair to use Nick characters as part of their themeing due to contractual ties with other parks/companies. However, I am wondering if there was a way to tie in Thomas the Train into their railroad. I doubt they're going to go back to the old railroad show I remember as a kid, so other than a means of transportation b/w the park and the water park, I mostly see families with young kids who enjoy a train ride who would be excited by the Thomas theming.

They're back and shorter than ever.

Just like Avatar...I can find good things & bad things with each of the park's owners. I could easily list 5 things that CF has done that I don't like...but the same goes for Paramount.

It's the end of the world as we know it...AZ and I finally agree on something! (And I feel fine.)

No.

While I do agree with many of these points, I thought of something interesting with the Peanuts debate. Also remember what the original theme was of ride now called Boo Blasters on Boo Hill? Scooby Doo, which debuted in the early 70's I believe. While there are still reruns of Scooby on television today, so too can you see the Peanuts specials every major holiday (Thanksgiving, Christmas, Halloween, Easter, Valentines Day). My point being, that both Paramount and Cedar Fair have used cartoons that debuted many years ago. But I have seen children of all ages who love Scooby, Snoopy, any one in one of the larger than life characters. Everything has its pluses and minuses, just be glad that we do have an amazing place like Kings Island, and that it is still around after all these years and management.

Personally all the kids in our family like dogs better than swiss cheese with eyeballs, but everyone's different I suppose

^ Seems a bit early for them to be decking the halls, but then again, people get ready for the holidays earlier and earlier I suppose...

Um no.. the Crypt is an excellent attraction... or is was before Cedar Point.. err Cedar Fair started messing with it. Just like taking the water out of BLSC for no apparent reason. No apparent reason? This is what I was talking about in my lengthy post above. You say "the Crypt [was] an excellent attraction ... before Cedar Fair started messing with it." I remind you that, even before Cedar Fair purchased the Paramount Parks, and even when that particular ride was still called TOMB RAIDER: The Ride, it was in a state of disrepair. Even under the Paramount flag, even when the movie tie-in still existed, the ride was on its last leg. Mechanically, as we've noticed, it seemed to be in a state of turmoil. It was closed far, far more than it was open, even closing in late summer of one season and not re-opening until the next summer. Under its last years as TOMB RAIDER, it had absolutely no music (the ride taking place in complete silence, which really put a damper on the experience) and the once-great theatrical lighting was reduced to about what you see on The Crypt today. But humans, on average, like to average things. And they also tend to like very clear, precise groupings. As such, we (incorrectly) tend to associate Paramount with Tomb Raider with great lighting, water, music, lasers, effects, and fog. Then, we associate Cedar Fair with no music, minimal lighting, no fog, no water, a ride that's always broken... In my experience, The Crypt of 2011 operates with more lighting and music than the Tomb Raider of 2005... And the key word in that sentence is operates. The ride is usually open, which is far more than anyone could say of TOMB RAIDER: The Ride. Was TOMB RAIDER a better experience? In my opinion, yes. Did it have grand ambition and an initial grandeur unmatched by other seasonal park rides? Again, I'd say yes. And I was young when I rode it - impressed by the immersion and size, and far too naive to actually consider the operating cost to the park, or the mechanical wear-and-tear on the ride itself. It was an incredible ride, of course. But it didn't stay that way. Like most of Paramount's special-effects-driven rides, it experienced a very steady, very noticeable decline. It was not that Cedar Fair ripped out everything worthwhile the second they signed the dotted line to buy the parks. Rather, it seems that they did what they could with the experience they had and the material and limitations they were given. Also, I encourage you to spend more time around these parts, qscott86. I have learned many a fact from many wise people here, and just a short search will yield plenty of results on why water (also in fog form) was removed from rides like The Crypt, Backlot Stunt Coaster, Adventure Express, and Flight Deck. It was not for "no apparent reason." For a long time, I thought that the special effect lighting on Cedar Point's Maverick was removed for "no apparent reason." I recently learned differently, and now I don't vilify that park quite as much in that regard.

You miss Paramount - I miss KI of the 1980's and complained about Paramount the way you complain about Cedar Fair. For example, it annoyed me to no end that they changed the logo and had the audacity to add Paramount's in front of the Kings Island name. In some way, what each of us grew up with is what we remember as the "best times for KI". But as I've grown older, and experienced KI through my young boys - I've started to realize that to them, KI still has a magic that is bigger than who owns it at the time. Each owner, I believe, is doing what they think is best for them as owners, the park as a whole, and guests in total - do I agree with it all, no and will comment on what I think are issues, but don't think a Paramount was better and CF is awful assessment is valid either.

How is it possible that Camp Snoopy is flooded with young children hugging and running and laughing and dancing with the Peanuts' characters every day? The thing is, Snoopy and Charlie Brown are timeless. Spongebob is already old news.

well They could have eventually changed it to just a Nick Jr area. Nick jr is more for kids, i think Nickelodeon is more for older kids. I would have loved to see some Yo Gabba Gabba characters running around. My kids love that show.

When I get back from Halloweekends opening weeked im going to be going in one last time for the chance of getting hired the week before. Sometimes the park wont hire enough and will hire so fingers crossed.

Here's a list of things you should be doing if you decide to become a monster. If you: aren't sore or aching in pain by the end of the night haven't made someone cry from scaring them that bad haven't had someone throw a beverage on you haven't made someone think you are having convulsions/seizures haven't sweated off your makeup halfway through the night haven't dry heaved from pushing yourself past your limits ...then YOU AREN'T DOING YOUR JOB RIGHT. Being a monster in a haunted house requires inhuman levels of blood, sweat, and tears that you won't see in a lot of other jobs at the park. It's as close to being an actor in an Oscar-winning drama as you can get, meaning you have to make your audience believe you are a force to be reckoned with. It's not simply popping out of a closet and going BOO, but becoming something people will genuinely fear and be afraid of. Also, do not, I repeat, DO NOT be afraid to act crazy. Sanity is all but forbidden at the Haunt. The crazier the better. Don't be shy or timid (unless a role specifically calls for that or you know how to make shy and timid scary); be loud and aggressive. Get up close and personal with them. You can get up to an inch away from their face and, without touching them, scare them silly as their personal bubble pops. They've entered your territory, and that means it's time to defend it. One last thing, this is a team effort. It is a lot harder if a single person tries to scare a large group, although in some cases, you may be all by yourself and have to go rogue. But if the opportunity comes or you have other monsters to work with, by all means, WORK WITH THEM. Tag-teaming is a killer way to get people into the fetal position when they realize they are surrounded. Also, ping-ponging works fantastically with other monsters; scare a person and lead them to the next monster, they scare them and lead them to the next one and so on. You (should) have the ability to work with veteran monsters, some of them are back for Round 2, others are almost living legends they've been here so long. Don't be afraid to talk to them to get tips, they are a gold mine of information and they will go out of their way to help become one of the greats. After all, the Haunt crew is like family. One big dysfunctional family. Hope this works out for ya, - The RingMaster.

I can see the advertising now... "New for Halloween Haunt 2012: Holiday World! Brace yourself for a trail unlike any other... where a friendly Hoosier family hands you pop at no additional costs around every turn! And beware the coasters, where you may not find yourself slowing halfway through the course... Only at Kings Island's Halloween Haunt! Heh heh heh heh..."

Having worked 3 seasons at Cedar Point now, I have countless stories I could tell that make me shake my head. The best probably came from this summer at Millennium Force, we had stopped a train on the lift (on purpose), and were down for a short period of time. I was working at the entrance during this particular incident, when this guy split off from his group (rudely) demanding to know why I wasn't letting them in. After trying to really explain the situation to him to no avail, I gave up and politely informed him that the ride had run out of gas. He said "Oh," and then went back to his group and repeated it to them, so they decided to walk across to Mantis, which was, and had been for awhile, down as well...When they came back wanting to know why Mantis was down, I told him we shared fuel tanks, and they were having the same issue as we were...He again bought it, and they walked away...