pilotank

The new floral clock and upgrade to the fountain has a pretty hefty price tag of over 30K. Doesn't sound like a go . pilotank

In 1984, Steve Hill researched the history of Coney and wrote a script. WCET produced and aired a historic documentary called Relive the Magic. I have struck out trying to get a copy. If anyone knows of this film, maybe they could put it on youtube.com so everyone can enjoy it like the other Coney films. It is an excellent documentary. This may have been on another thread, but I was unable to locate it. pilotank

The Spook was added in 1960 according to CCI, along with four other rides. It was designed by Arrow Development Company which manufactured many of Disneylands attractions. Another tie-in to Walt Disney! http://www.mv-voice....history726.html They made their name with roller coasters. Here are some of their milestones according to Wikipedia: 1959: The world's first tubular steel track coaster, Matterhorn Bobsleds, at Disneyland. [1] 1966: The world's first mine train roller coaster, featuring the world's first underwater tunnel, the Runaway Mine Train at Six Flags Over Texas.[2] 1975: The world's first modern inverting coaster, Corkscrew, at Knott's Berry Farm. [3] 1976: The world's first coaster with 3 inversions, Corkscrew at Cedar Point. 1977: The world's first coaster with consecutive vertical loops, Double Loop, at Geauga Lake. [4] 1978: The world's first interlocking loops, Loch Ness Monster at Busch Gardens Williamsburg. 1980: The world's first coaster with 4 inversions, Carolina Cyclone at Carowinds. 1981: The world's first modern suspended coaster, The Bat, at Kings Island. [5] 1982: The world's first coaster with 5 inversions, Viper at Darien Lake. 1984: The world's first successful suspended coaster, XLR-8 at Six Flags Astroworld and Big Bad Wolf at Busch Gardens Williamsburg 1987: The world's first coaster with 6 inversions, The Vortex at Kings Island. 1988: The world's first coaster with 7 inversions, Shockwave at Six Flags Great America. 1989: The world's first Hypercoaster, Magnum XL-200, at Cedar Point. [6]. 1994: The world's tallest, steepest and fastest coaster, Pepsi Max Big One at Blackpool Pleasure Beach in Great Britain. 2002: The world's first 4th dimension coaster, X, at Six Flags Magic Mountain. [7] According to CCI, riders were rapidly transported in four-seater cars that replicated old time automobiles through a series of scary and comical stunts before ending in daylight. pilotank

I agree, you cannot put your arms up on that first drop. You definitely have to hang on to the car with a good grip. One more complaint is the ride jolts severely when the brakes are applied. pilotank

I know of one during the grad night days of the mid 70's, one person climbed the Eiffel Tower only to fall to his death landing on top of the elevator while Brownsville Station was playing Smoking in the Boys Room! I documented several deaths at Coney Island in Paranormal Activity at CI. http://www.KICentral.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=12947 pilotank

On 8/10/11 at about 1:00 PM, me and five other guests became stuck on the Python for about fifteen minutes. Apparently the cars ahead of us became stuck at the drop-off point so our cars were stopped mid-ride. The ride operators did a good job getting help to fix the problem. However, we were left in limbo why we were stuck and when we could expect to get down. The only communication was from one of the ride operators was "Hey, your gonna be there a while!" We didn't even see who said it! So we waited, and waited and waited some more. Finally,we started screaming down at the operators. Then finally, the mechanics were able to get us down. Two of the guests were young children and were becoming more scared with each passing moment. The ride operators definitely need to stay in direct communication with the patrons during the entire episode. For this, they get a "F." pilotank

Rob, I almost thought you were about to say "given the size and the popularity," that Coney could return to it's past glory! pilotank

After working 14 hours at Balloon glow, I heard some interesting rumors. The first one was that they are going to upgrade the fountain, located by the Moonlite Pavillion close to the Administrative Building. Apparently this is the original fountain left over from pre-1971 days before the park closed. If this is true, I hope they return it as Tivoli Gardens with the tubular fountains: Second big rumor, is the floral clock will return! Hoefully it will also be similar to the old one: pilotank

Balloon Glow appeared to have a record day. By 8:00 pm, all parking lots were completely filled. The west parking lot, pool lot, Riverbend lot, River Downs and all lots across the street were packed and stacked. Some Coney employees estimated the crowd at over 50,000! I was selling Sweet Maize kettle corn and we ran out. The Rozzi fireworks were spectacular, and the rides stayed open until 11:00. The pool was open until 9:30! The only downfall was after the fireworks. We stayed open until about 11:00, then had to tear down and clean up. We left at midnight, and traffic was still at a standstill. We did not exit the west parking lot until after 12:20. Two hours after the fireworks were over. It makes you wonder if Coney could make a full blown come back as America's Finest Amusement Park! pilotank

It was actually an electrical fire located at the Showplace Theater. A birds nest caught on fire in one of the spot lights! It cancelled the 3:30 show Sign, Sealed, Delivered. The 4:30 show went on as scheduled. pilotank

Cincinnati is under a severe weather watch for Saturday. Any contigency plans for a rain-out? pilotank

From Coney Central "Throughout Coney`s history, roller coasters have been a big attraction. The Wildcat opened in 1926, and the infamous Shooting Star opened in 1947. The Schott and Wachs family maintained a meticulous facility, earning the motto “America`s Finest Amusement Park. Indeed, it was held in high regard as Walt Disney visited the park as he was beginning to plane Disneyland." I just returned from Disney World and while staying at The Wilderness Cabins, there was this portrait of the train Walt Disney had imagined for DineyLand. It is strikingly familiar to the CI Lake Como Rail Road! Also, The Magic Kingdom use to have a Sky Ride much like the one at CI, and later moved to KI. The Swiss Chalet at Coney is eerily simillar to the Chalet for the Sky Ride at the Magic Kindom located between the Haunted Mansion and It's a Small World! There is no question CI had a strong influence on Walt Disney and both DisneyLand and Disney World. pilotank

Thanks Robbie for the pictures. It's great to see how America's Best Amusement Park used to be. I have always been a strong proponent on returning Coney to it's glory days. I truly believe it would be a winner. However, after this years flooding and going through the park after the river re-ceded and seen first hand the clean-up needed, I can see why the park was moved. Just a rumor, I have heard the new owners of River Downs have big plans and would like to upgrade CI, if the gambling at RD's is cleared by the state. I know they would have to first obtain the property first. pilotank

I spoke with a Sunlite Pool employee yesterday, and she said that the ride will probably be closed for the season. She also stated that maintenance has been the major reason for the closure. The impression I got is that the plunge is costing more to maintain it than it's worth. So unfortunately, it may be done for Sunlite Pool. pilotank

SummerFair 2011 was a great success! Although the temperature reached 90 degree's all three days, there was a banner turnout. I had the pleasure of selling Sweet Maize Kettle Corn back by the Riverbend entrance under the large tree by the river. Congratulations to the EMT"s from CI who responded to a worker who became overheated and kept the patient stabalized until Anerson Twp. Medic's arrived and transported her to the hospital. As a former medic, they did an outstanding job. If anyone know's how she is doing, please post it. The only complaint was Sunday evening. Riverbend had a concert (Phish) again:(. SummerFair traffic was letting out, concert traffic was trying to get in. Traffic was backed up N-bound I-275 past the NKU exit. Southbound was snarled too, no one could exit onto Kellogg. Something really needs to be done so CI and Riverbend do not have scheduling conflicts. SummerFair should close by at least 4. Sweet Maize will be set up for Balloon Glow July 3rd. Come by and get a free sample!

Does anybody remember what happened to the clock at Coney Island? If I remember right, it was by the fountain near the current admininistration building. pilotank

I drove down to see the flooding at Coney Island a couple of weeks ago. and seen two maintenance workers trying to clear debris away from a drain near the auto entrance on Kellogg @ Sutton. They had caught a catfish with a backhoe. The conversation took to past flooding and the general history at CI. Although neither have witnessed paranormal activity, they did share some stories of people who had. The next day I was at Border's book store and came across a book: Cincinnati Haunted Handbook America's Haunted Road Trip Morris/Moris http://www.clerisypress.com/product.php?productid=16948 It lists both Coney Island and Kings Island. Specific to Coney Island, the book goes way back 1500 years when the Hopewell Indians frequented the land. The book also lists the merry-go round, Sunlite Pool and definitely talks about Moonlight Gardens. A great read for all you paranormal enthusiasts! This provides verification of the earlier posts. pilotank

Awesome! I bought a copy of it at Sunlite two years ago. They also sell it at the gift shop! pilotank

Actually there is a maximum height requirement on many rides like the airplanes. That confuses many people! pilotank

As with Summer Fair, I'll be selling Sweet Maize Kettle Corn at Balloon Glow. Stop by and get a free sample and to say "Hello"! pilotank

Things may be looking uo for River Downs. Yesterday, Ohio group drops slots referendum. The Cincinnati Enquirer reports: The group that stalled Gov. Ted Strickland’s plan to put video slot machines at seven Ohio racetracks announced Monday it would drop its bid for a referendum to repeal the 2009 legislation. Barring another roadblock, the move would appear to clear the way for the racetracks to install the slot machines. Still, the racetracks remain at a competitive disadvantage: their tax rate is 50 percent, compared to 33 percent on casinos, which are slated to open in 2012. Hopefully, this will save the track! pilotank

Did anyone notice the attendance was 20,000, not quite the 31,100 from the day before. I just got back from Disney World, and Friday The Magic Kingdom had 40,000 and they had to shut the gates at 10:00 AM. I have read and heard that Coney surpassed the 3,000,000 mark in attendance for the closing year of 1971. Mathmatically, they probably would have needed 30,000 everyday on average to accomplish this feat. pilotank

Coney Island experienced a grand week-end. I had the oppertunity to be a vendor selling Sweet Maize Kettle Corn by the gnarly tree for Summer Fair. Summer Fair attracted over 20,000 and on Sunday, Brad Paisley attracted over 15,000 at Riverbend. For the most part it was a very positive experience. The only downer was traffic control. In addition, you also had a full day of racing at RD. After the Fair was over, it took most patrons over 45 minutes to exit Coney, and concert goers stranded on the I-275 bridge for an hour trying to get in. Not to mention the usual crowd at the pool. I hope during next year's event, they can plan the timing of major events better. pilotank

Darryl Parks, the CEO of WLW had an interesting twist on the Buffett's concert. The reason Jimmy Buffett doesn't sell out multiple shows at Riverbend is that Buffett takes 110% of the gate receipts. It's not economically feasable for Riverbend to have more than one concert. Also, for a good laugh read the demands Buffett puts on the promoter's. It's 13 pages long! http://www.thesmokinggun.com/backstagetour/jimmybuffett/jimmy_buffett_1.html Parrot Heads be warned, sneak a peek at Jimmy Buffett's warm-up and the good times will be ruined for all. That's because the Mayor of Margaritaville won't perform "if the doors are opened during the Artist's sound check." Buffett, however, will still bank his full fee. So if it's pre-show face time you want, try the dinner line. Jimmy won't be hard to find, since it's not the lighting guys, stagehands, or even the Coral Reefer Band eating first. Nope, when it comes to chow time, "JIMMY SHOULD BE (AND OFTEN WILL BE) THE FIRST PERSON IN LINE..." (13 pages) pilotank