jzarley

I had the original set as as a child as well (but had completely forgot about them until seeing this post). I'm thinking mine dated to the mid-to-late 1970s, and I'm pretty sure they were bought at one of the Int'l Street gift shops. The View Master was a cool toy...I had view reels from lots of places I had never been, but the images made you almost feel like you had visited. Granted, you can now just Google images to see anything/anyplace you want, but the experience was different with a View Master...

My favorite story about Marge Schott...apparently she was at some big GOP fund raising dinner and was seated at a table with former President Gerald Ford. According to the story, Ford was turned talking to someone else at the table when Marge hit him on the arm and said "watch my purse, would ya honey?" Granted, it's more entertaining if you imagine it with the heavy smoker's voice :-)

Universal & Disney allow you to "park hop" based on the ticket option purchased. I'm not sure how Disney is handling the tech for this now, but Universal uses a biometric (fingerprint) scan. I see no reason by KI couldn't employ a similar system. Also, if the rumors are to be believed, Universal is working on a new Harry Potter attraction at USF (in the old Jaws area) that will be attached via train attraction to the Potterland in IOA. It could be a similar scenario with Soak City nd the main park...there's lots of things that can be done.

Has anyone heard an opening date for "Hollywood Drive-In Golf" (the new putt-putt course) at CityWalk? Most of the stuff I've found online says an opening date of "February"...just wondering if it might be open (at least a soft opening anyway) for my trip 02/15-17.

^ yeah...and it's not like I haven't ridden Spidey a bunch of times (still, it's one of my favs though...) On the upside, I have heard that Dudley Do-Right should be open then...it's been closed on my last few trips to Universal.

FYI..."Spiderman" is scheduled to go down for its rehab on February 8th until sometime in early March. I emailed Universal to confirm (after reading it on Screamscape) and they confirmed that its scheduled to be down during my visit (02/15-17) :-(

I found the investor presentation to be very interesting...I can see why those in attendance were impressed with the detail presented. The revenue by park doesn't present any major surprises...my assumption is that the CP numbers also include all "resort" revenue (hotels, the marina, etc.) not just park-generated revenue. It makes sense that KBF would be #2 (considering its huge So. Cal. market, and the fact that it has nearly year-round operation), and it makes sense that KI and CW would be tied for 3rd. It is interesting to note that the Paramount Parks acquisition gave CF 50% of their four highest grossing properties...so, maybe it was ultimately worth the money Kinzel paid for it. One other thing I thought was interesting was the mention of the "Accesso" e-commerce system for dynamic pricing...the concept reminds me a lot of the "yield management" practices the airlines and many hotels have done for years. Back when I was working in the hotel industry, I was very involved with a yield management implementation at a chain...our mantra was "the right room, at the right time, to the right guest, at the right price" which seems very similar to the mention in the presentation of the "right price to the consumer." It will be interesting to see how they implement this...in a hotel or an airline you're using the service for a specific date. Historically, theme park tickets have always been available for purchase for any date you wish to use them...so, it will be interesting to see how this concept of "yield management" is presented here.

Great trip report! I haven't been to BGT in a few (maybe 4?) years, so it was cool to see the changes since I've been there. Did you ride Phoenix? I still find that one of the most terrifying rides I've ever been on (there's a similar one...or, at least used to be, at Carowinds)! There's something about hanging there upside down that really freaks me out I have to say, though, you did make one comment in your PTR that really perplexes me: Florida is usually perceived as a relatively small state I can honestly say, I've never heard anyone say they perceived FL as a small state

I don't believe it's a direct theming to Indiana Jones (as there would probably be licensing issues with that...Lucas is a pretty good protector of his properties), but I think its safe to say that the music is "inspired by", "based on", and "intended to invoke" the music/sound from the Indiana Jones films

Yeah, I think the debt load issue has to be addressed before CF goes on a buying spree...especially in the current debt market. That being said, however, I've always thought that Great Wolf would make an attractive acquisition target for Cedar Fair. It would get them deeper into the lodging industry (which Ouimet knows very well from his days heading up Starwood), provide better year-round revenue, and increase their geographic distribution. Plus, GWL is in a pretty big financing hole (I've read they owe more than the value on a few properties) and only have a market cap of slightly north of $100M right now...they might be able to be picked up for a pretty good discount. If CF *would* acquire GWL, I'd also throw out another idea...rebranding the properties as "Knotts Berry Farm Resorts." The Knotts brand is very well known (growing up, I was always aware of the Knotts brand and I was far from being an "enthusiast" back then) and I think could add some real value as a hotel/indoor waterpark brand. (Plus, GWL already has the well executed "Northwest" theme...rebranding to Knotts wouldn't be that big of a thematic leap...)

An excellent decision by the CF board, and an outstanding hire! I'm pleasantly surprised...I fully expected them to promote someone from within Kinzel's core team, or even worse--recruit some attorney, bank president, or car dealer from the greater Sandusky area (since they've exhibited a similarly narrow world view in the past with other executive team rescruits...) However, I'm extremely pleased to have been wrong! Not only does Ouimet have the park financial/operations experience from Disney, but he also has the F&B/lodging experience from Starwood. (And, his time of running Starwood coincided with a lot of their growth...similar to his time at DL.) Sorry to gush, but I think this is fantastic news!

Although, I don't think DCA always got a fair shake. I was there the first time before the park actually opened to the public for an Anaheim hospitality industry preview, then again just last October. And, while I think it's significantly better now than the first time, I never thought it was as bad as some people reviewed. Now, if DCA were a stand-alone park I might feel differently, but I think it makes a good companion park to DL. I spent 3 full days at the DL resort in October, and never felt challenged in filling that time there.

Great PTR...looking forward to part #2 You're a really good photographer...I thought your shots of Hulk were professional quality! Universal Orlando is by far my favorite park complex, and IOA is my favorite individual park. Four of my top 5 fav rides are located at Universal Orlando!

I really have to wonder what transpired to cause Falfas to leave the way he did (either by termination or resignation). It's not unusual to hear of #1s & #2s who have stormy relationships, but for Kinzel to completely throw out the organization's entire succession planning strategy (especially at a time when the future of the company was in so much turmoil) in one 90 second phone call, it really challenges the imagination about exactly *what* could have led to that...

Granted they're written primarily for the "sound bite" and press release potential, but does anyone else think Q's letters to CF seem strangely non-business like? (I've been reading...and receiving...business correspondence for quite a few years and I can honestly say I've never seen the phrase "shame on you!" used ) The findings of the arbitration panel are quite interesting! I have a feeling things might be a little awkward in the break room on Jack Falfas' first day back on the job!

I can't believe I had missed this topic until now...these are my favorite types of discussions on KIC I'll again throw out the idea I've floated in a few different threads on this topic...instead of selling/buying the parks to some other entity, what if Blackstone & Universal would combine their portfolio of theme park properties and spin it off as a separate entity in an IPO? If you would combine the Merlin Entertainment properties with the Sea World Parks & Entertainment and Universal Theme Parks that would be quite the global collection! (I don't believe the planned Merlin IPO ever went thru...but even if you take Merlin out of the mix, just the Sea World & NBCU parks make up a pretty impressive chain...) Then, Blackstone & NBCU/GE/Comcast could split the proceeds of the public offering based on the value of the assets each was contributing. Those companies are now free & clear of the parks on their balance sheet, yet current management could be retained in the new spin-off so that park operations could remain consistent. (Blackstone/Comcast/GE could even keep a token interest in retained stock if they desired...) I thought the comment about the value of Spielberg's consulting contract (from the article Interpreter posted) was really interesting...I'd love to see the math on how they calculate that value

Back in the early days of Paramount Studios ownership of KI, I was hoping for a "Hollywood Blvd" type area. I thought the area to the north of The Racer would have been perfect for that (pretty much where the dino walk is going now...) I even built it once in RCT

I think it's actually more like "we want someone else to pay to build and operate parks, then just pay us for licensing"

I was lost driving near Murcia, Spain one time heading down to La Costa del Sol from Barcelona. At that time (late '90s) it didn't seem like that much of a touristy area (more industrial). It was also in Murcia that I discovered the joys of Spanish Pizza Hut

I Completely agree with you. They would not just let a $20M structure sit there and rot. Of course, it cost $20M 11 years ago...what's the capital depreciation schedule on a coaster?

^ and, if you're a golfer that could add another afternoon to your Zoo trip

While still far from a sure thing, it sounds like the planning for a themed hotel at the Columbus Zoo is gaining some traction: http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2011/02/18/hotel-could-be-a-boon-at-the-zoo.html

I had fully intended to write an actual trip report, but somehow the time always seems to get away from me... (Plus, any TR I'd write would pale in comparison to those done by Avatar, CoastersRZ, PREMiERdrum, and others ) First, everyone who told me not to worry about crowds in early February were exactly right. The longest wait I encountered in the entire resort over 2.5 days was about 25 min for Hollywood Rockit on Friday evening. (Which, BTW, I rode in the front seat this time and found it to be a much better ride experience...almost like the difference in the front seat of Maverick versus other seats...) The Harry Potter ride was really amazing...in my opinion, it lived up to the hype. I rode it a total of 5 times on Sat & Sun and enjoyed it more each time I rode (I think because I picked up on additional details each time that I had missed earlier.) The longest wait was about 20 min on Sunday afternoon, which was actually a good thing--all my other rides had been such walk-ons that I felt I was missing a lot of the backstory in the queue. Potterland opened for resort guests at 8:00a (we were staying at Royal Pacific) so that also helped in crowd control. That being said, "Harry Potter & the Forbidden Journey" did not replace Spiderman as my favorite attraction. I think Spiderman is still the more immersive story telling experience. (But, HP is now a close second...) Also, I realized on this trip that 4 of my top 5 favorite theme park attractions are at Universal Orlando! (1. Spiderman, 2. HP, 3. The Mummy, 4. MF, & 5. Dragon Challenge)

Of course, what this reporter fails to mention (or more likely--didn't even know) is that Blackstone now has a strong theme park portfolio that goes way beyond Universal Orlando. The combination of the former BEC, Merlin, & Universal parks would make quite the collection of parks. So, I suggested this in another thread, and I still think it makes a lot of sense... Blackstone has mentioned a potential IPO of Merlin, and Comcast had indicated that would have been their plan for the Disney parks if that acquisition would have succeeded. With the market heating up and IPOs expected to make a resurgence this year, why not create a partnership between Comcast & Blackstone to spin off all of their theme park holdings into an independent company? Granted, the park business has suffered over the past few years, but its cyclical...and all indications are the the cycle should start rising again.

I'm feeling pretty good about the crowd potential at IOA for next weekend...talking to some friends who were in the park this morning, and by 10:30a they had done the Harry Potter ride, Dragons, Spiderman, & Hulk. (Although, he said there was still quite a line for wand buying...) BTW...I finally watched the first HP movie last night so I can have some educated understanding of the themeing (I have movies #2 & #3 up next in the Netflix queue, but I'll probably only get to #2 by the time I leave...) I'm hoping for good weather & low crowds at Universal next weekend