Kings Island (KI) Discussion Thread

[SKULLY]

I hate to jump onto the other side of this but I am actually quite disgusted that the park would do this sort of thing. Call me soft but it makes me quite scared to become famous and than suddenly die.

[Josh Linn]

The Steve McNair one is just wrong...I mean, LOL, but it's just wrong.

[browntggrr]

I really think people are forming an opinion way too soon.

 

Yeah, at first I was rather bothered by the McNair & Heath Ledger scenes. Then I found out that all the skeletons are part of a whole Grim Reaper scene that has a list of celebrities, and the one portrayed are crossed of the Reaper's list.

 

So at this point, I'll wait to see how the whole thing looks before criticizing KI.

 

But one thing, Ted Williams in the fridge looks HILARIOUS!

[browntggrr]

McNair likeness removed from HH.

 

http://www.faniq.com/blog/Kings-Island-Halloween-Decoration-Featuring-Steve-McNair-and-Sahel-Kazemi-Causes-Uproar-Blog-29582

[Homeboy23]

Didn't know they were going to put the girl with McNair.

 

Still don't see anything wrong though, just a little humor. They probably should have gotten permission from family though since it is rather soon from all the deaths.

[Olsor]

There's a difference between being irreverent and having bad taste. This was tasteless. Helbig is still probably trying to dislodge his foot from his mouth.

[CorkscrewFoley]

I loved the McNair one, I mean, yeah, it was tasteless--but I do love crude, low brow humour from time to time. I have to say though, that butcher shop looked fabulous!

[Looty]

While I do admire the balls that KI is showing for this....i cannot help but feel that the Risk/Reward ratio isn't working in their favor in this situation.

I do love halloween and scary gore and so on....but I personally feel that this is going a bit too far.

I don't feel as if these minor, yet risky, props will MAJORLY impact their ticket sales this year.....so why risk it? Why not improve elsewhere?

 

Poking fun at dead celebrities is a sensitive matter that is only going to create negative feedback (thus the adjustments that have been made at this point). KI should have considered HOW those celebs died before deciding to do this. Steve McNair was murdered, Farrah and Ted Kennedy died from cancer...hardly funny IMO (not to mention that poking fun at Ted Kennedy opens the door to another always sensitive subject in politics). If they are going to do this, why not also include props for Laci Peterson and her dead fetus?...or poke fun at AIDS?...or religion? Where do you draw the line???

 

As for the animals...I have worked at two different amusement parks over the last five years and have witnessed really stupid people doing really dumb things. I'm curious to see how the animals will be incorporated into the haunt because I personally wouldn't put them within throwing distance of the general public.

The park I work at is currently setting up their haunt attractions and one of the items that the monsters carry on them is a "safety whistle." If people get too rowdy or out of control, they blow their whistle for help. A few of the actors that I have spoke with say that it is not uncommon for them to be hit (intentionally and unintentionally), spit on, swore at, etc. I think that the animals would be nothing but a target for that type of behavior. I sure as hell wouldn't volunteer my animals.

 

AGAIN LET ME CLARIFY BEFORE YOU TEAR ME A NEW ONE: I admire the guts KI has for even considering to do something like this. I love halloween festivities and haunted houses with gore and that jazz...but I feel as if the RISK of LOSING is greater than the OPPORTUNITY to GAIN in this particular situation. I am not offended by the dead celebrities (I am a 23 year old male...I am not easily offended by this stuff), but I just don't think it's worth it.

[Guest]

Who wouldve thought, they made the news

 

http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/09/23/skeletons-depicting-steve-mcnair-sahel-kazemi-featured-in-king/?icid=main|aim|dl1|link3|http%3A%2F%2Fnfl.fanhouse.com%2F2009%2F09%2F23%2Fskeletons-depicting-steve-mcnair-sahel-kazemi-featured-in-king%2F%0D%0A

 

Nothing says Halloween like the fake skeleton of an NFL quarterback murdered by his mistress. At least that was the initial opinion of King's Island Amusement Park -- because, as part of their Halloween Haunt show, a skeleton depicting Steve McNair wearing a No. 9 jersey and holding a Titans helmet with the top blown off was on display, an apparent reference to the two bullet wounds McNair suffered on the night he died. As if that weren't enough, a skeleton depiction of Sahel Kazemi, McNair's 20-year old mistress who Nashville police have said murdered the football star in the early morning hours of July 4, 2009, lies across the McNair skeleton's lap, wearing a piece of slinky red lingerie.

 

Videos of the display emerged courtesy of a sneak peak given to WLVT in Cincinnati and immediately drew intense scrutiny.

 

In the display, the McNair figure sits on a couch, assuming the same position in which he was murdered, and the Kazemi figure rests on its lap. At the skeletons' feet, a gun lies on the ground. The couple are just two of the familiar faces included in the Haunt: A skeleton depicting Heath Ledger is shown surrounded by bottles of pills (Ledger overdosed in January 2008), and a skeleton is dressed like Michael Jackson in pajamas. But it's McNair's image alongside his mistress that has the city of Nashville horrified.

 

George Plaster, the host of Nashville's highest rated radio show at 104.5 The Zone, reacted with outrage. So did the callers on his show Wednesday evening. "I don't think the city is going to take it well at all," Plaster said, "This is a city that prides itself on having some taste and values, and I just can't see anything about what they're doing that has any good taste at all. I was shocked and totally appalled, and I think most people in Nashville are as well."

 

Kings Island is located 24 miles north of Cincinnati, Ohio, roughly 260 miles from the city of Nashville. It is the second-most visited seasonal theme park in America, behind Cedar Point, and the park does a Halloween-themed event each year. This year's Halloween Haunt debuts on September 25 and runs for 16 nights through Halloween. The Web site advises parents: "Halloween Haunt includes graphic scenes, suggestive themes, and intense imagery and is intended for mature audiences; not recommended for children. No one and nothing is off limits!"

 

Including an NFL quarterback and his murdering mistress.

 

When reached by FanHouse, a spokesperson for Kings Island, Don Helbig, said the following, "There will not be a scene at our Halloween event that features Steve McNair or anyone that resembles him."

 

With video and pictures of the skeletons circulating online, Helbig at first declined to acknowledge that they had ever existed. "There was no reference to Steve McNair at all. No jersey, nothing." Upon being informed that the pictures and video were already online, Helbig again insisted that the skeletons would not be featured on Friday when the event opens. Pressed as to when the skeletons were removed from the park, Helbig stuck to his talking points. "Our event does not open until Friday," he said, "We meant him no disrespect."

[PKI Jizzman]

I'd like to see what people say when....hm, maybe Family Guy makes a joke about Steve McNair.

[alpengeist04]

Whether they end up watering it down or not, KI has definitely gone up a notch or two in my book.

[teebone]

Either way, they got a lot of media coverage which in the end benefits them.

 

The thing that bothers me is all the coverage and uproar seems to be over the fact the McNair and Heath Ledger displays depict the method of their death.Why are the media or the "offended" not as concerned over the Sonny Bono display?

 

His passing should mean no less and it didn't involve adultery or abusing prescription drugs.I've read some people think it is too soon.But how do you determine when the time is right?I personally think this is a lot of bluster over nothing.I think there are more important issues in life to worry about.But at the same time if you are going to make a fuss be consistent.

[PKI Jizzman]

I scared quite a few Titans jerserys last night, haha.

[PKI Jizzman]

http://www.daytondailynews.com/news/crime/...day-346078.html

 

A trial will begin Thursday, Oct. 15 for a woman suing the owners of Kings Island for injuries she claims she received during a ride on the Son of Beast in 2006.

 

The jury trial is one of two scheduled in Warren County Common Pleas Court during the next two months involving the roller coaster incident that sent 27 people to the hospital in July 2006.

 

Jennifer Wright of Defiance, Ohio allegedly suffered a hip injury that her attorney claims will require several replacements over her lifetime. She is asking the jury to force Kings Island to pay for punitive damages.

 

The jury first has to find Kings Island caused Wright's injuries, then it will consider if the park should be punished. Wright's case was originally coupled with five other cases relating to the same incident, but the other plaintiffs have all settled....

[ginzo]

^Really strange that went to court. I wonder if they were asking for an unreasonable amount of money to settle this out of court.

[AllenA07]

^Either that or there was enough merit to the case to avoid death by Summary Judgement, and this woman really wants her day in court. Believe me, some people just don't want to settle and want to have their day in court. It's a gamble either way as sometimes the jury can do weird things and award next to nothing or some exorbitant amount (think of the McDonalds coffee case, even the plaintiff's lawyers and the judge were shocked at the jurys award, which was subsequently reduced).

 

I'd personally have such mixed feelings seeing SOB go. I've never been on it, but after all the hype and excitement around it when they built it, I just think it would be sad to see go. But considering all of the problems with it, and the fact that most people don't really care for the ride, it might just be easier for the park to cut there losses and get rid of the thing.

 

Basically I guess what it is going to come down to is how much the ride costs to operate and maintain vs. how much money the park makes by having that ride. I bet that SOB isn't exactly a cheap ride to operated and maintain. Furthermore I'm guessing that at this point the coaster doesn't bring all that much money into the park anymore due to how rough it has become, and the general feelings of unpopularity. It just doesn't seem like SOB wins this cost benefit ratio to justify the park keeping it.

[ratdogg68]

I've been on it with the loop, and that was the smoothest part of the ride. Haven't ridden it without the loop, but I'm sure it's still just as bad. I think they should just tear it down, and free up some land.

[jamesdillaman]

^ Now it's rough AND boring, since they took out the only real element.

 

-James Dillaman

[Cantrip]

It wasn't THAT bad. It was rough, but not painful at all for me. I actually liked it, but with all the accidents, some people probably say to it, "You are a curse!" just like what 1 said to 9 in the movie 9. I kinda feel sorry for that beast, but if they take it out, at least I can say, "I got the credit (the no-loop one)!"

[jamesdillaman]

^It actually wasn't as bad after they took out the loop, but the jackhammering was still there and readily apparent. My biggest complaint was by far the fact that the layout is boring and uninspired. Seriously, two painful helixes? fuuuuuuun...

 

-James Dillaman

[CPmaverick]

The Dayton Daily News is now saying that Son of Beast is flawed.

 

http://www.daytondailynews.com/entertainment/kings-island/kings-island-ride-flawed-engineer-says-391708.html

 

The comments that some people have are quite funny.

[PKI Jizzman]

The Dayton Daily News is now saying that Son of Beast is flawed.

 

http://www.daytondailynews.com/entertainment/kings-island/kings-island-ride-flawed-engineer-says-391708.html

 

The comments that some people have are quite funny.

 

Nothing new there.

[ohiocoasters]

The comments that some people have are quite funny.

 

I totally agree

 

at least put some seatbelts on the Diamondback, fun ride, but need to put some safety gear on. It feels like people are going to fly out, if there's a problem with the seat lock in whatever is holding us in. NEED SOME SEATBELTS

(Comment from the Article)

 

Really?

[atem122]

^At least B&M knows they're doing their job properly

[traincrossin]

The Dayton Daily News is now saying that Son of Beast is flawed.

 

http://www.daytondailynews.com/entertainment/kings-island/kings-island-ride-flawed-engineer-says-391708.html

 

The comments that some people have are quite funny.

If the ride was flawed and there were lots of problems with it, why did they open it in the first place? How much of that article is true?