Why did everyone hate Dick Kinzel?

Pete said:
The food was good, details like having all lights on the rides working were taken care of daily and more imagination was used in designing the park. I think Ouimet will bring back the magic.

That is one of my biggest pet peeves with Amusement Parks. Lights on rides not working. I can understand a few burned out bulbs but when it gets to the point of an entire section or more not working it just makes the place look cheap at night.

And it's not just Cedar Fair, EVERY amusement park does this to an extent (except for possibly Disney.) That's why I am so excited for LED technology to start entering the parks in a big way. Yes they are not perfect yet, but they are less likely to "burn out" than the standard incandescent light that is used most often.

Morté615 said:
That is one of my biggest pet peeves with Amusement Parks. Lights on rides not working. I can understand a few burned out bulbs but when it gets to the point of an entire section or more not working it just makes the place look cheap at night.

When they charge an arm and a leg for crappy food then every damn light bulb better be working!

In 2005, many of us wondered if Cedar Fair could survive without Kinzel.

By 2008, many of us wondered if Cedar Fair could survive *with* him.

Geauga Lake was killed by Six Flags' ego-driven incompetence. Cedar Fair bought a park that had turned into a money pit, and then embarked on a program that over the next five to ten years could probably save it. Then the economy in general tanked, attendance at all the Cedar Fair parks took a hit, and Cedar Fair jumped on the once-in-a-lifetime chance to snag Paramount Parks. Cedar Fair paid too much for Paramount Parks, and the huge error connected with that was chasing away so much really good talent. But in the long run I think it will prove to have been a valuable acquisition for the company. I don't think buying Paramount Parks, even at a premium, was a mistake.

But the combination of the poor condition of Geauga to begin with, the amount of money and attention that had to be directed to the Paramount parks, and the general malaise at that time is what ultimately killed Geauga Lake. I'm convinced that there was no grand conspiracy to kill that park, and that they really did want to make it work. But in the end, it just made more sense not to do it.

--Dave Althoff, Jr.

It was extremely sad what cedar fair let Geauga lake become. Even Six flags, who maintained the wildlife side, did a great job keeping up the animals and shows. Then CF comes and closes it, leaves it abandoned, then turns the animal side into a mediocore waterpark. And when at that sub-par waterpark, you could look across at the shut down abandoned ride side and see big dipper over there, rotting. I also do not like the way wildwater kingdom is run, ever since I found out that they recently allowed a sexy calendar shoot to take place there. Not a good image for a family park. I think they should expand WWK, and use the land for more water attractions, even on the other side of the lake. I cant see WWK lasting that long, as people would go to the columbus zoo and cedar point for waterparks.

Why was it sad that Cedar Fair let the animals go? Cedar Fair is an amusement/water park operator, not a wildlife company. It would have been a waste of money for Cedar Fair to enter a field that they have little experience working with (besides Jungle Larry & the dolphin show).

If Cedar Fair wouldn't have bought the park, Six Flags might have been in even more trouble then they were 2 years ago.

Miss_Maverick07 said:
I think they should expand WWK, and use the land for more water attractions, even on the other side of the lake. I cant see WWK lasting that long, as people would go to the columbus zoo and cedar point for waterparks.

Wildwater Kingdom will be around for a long time. Everyday I've went, it's been packed. The water park is doing the best it's done in years and I think we'll deffently see an addition in the coming years.

Miss_Maverick07 said:
I cant see WWK lasting that long, as people would go to the columbus zoo and cedar point for waterparks.

Actually Zoombezi Bay right by the zoo is a surprisingly nice water park the new double slide they have is actually a lot of fun and rather Thrilling! I would love to see Soak City get something like that!

Miss_Maverick07 said:
then turns the animal side into a mediocore waterpark

Um, how many water parks have you been to in your life? I ask because I would not consider WWK mediocre in the least.

I also do not like the way wildwater kingdom is run, ever since I found out that they recently allowed a sexy calendar shoot to take place there.

What calendar shoot? This I would like to see.

I cant see WWK lasting that long, as people would go to the columbus zoo and cedar point for waterparks.

Zoombezi Bay does not compete with WWK, neither park has to worry to much about the other. WWK will do just fine for the people it is targeted too, the Cleveland/Akron area. Most people do not travel an hour+ to visit a water park.

I highly doubt a "calendar shoot" would stop anyone from coming. If it really did happen it's not like it goes on everyday the park is open with the public there. As for the topic of this thread, I have no reason to hate the man, his name was on the bottom of my paychecks for years and I'm greatful for that. Not to mention, whether you agree or not, the park has improved over the years and is a big reason why I always went back as a guest and wanted to work there and have been there for 8 years.

Miss_Maverick07 said:
...ever since I found out that they recently allowed a sexy calendar shoot to take place there.

Seriously? Coming from the girl who is literally "striking a pose" in her profile picture?

+1

We really need a like button of some kind +1 dj lol

+1

You know, I didn't really think about the degradation of Cedar Point rides until reading this post. Sure, we always cite Disaster Transport as an example, even if you look at some of the larger roller coasters. The area around Mantis can be kind of gross depending on when you see it. But when the roller coaster first opened, it was a beauty to behold. Millennium Force and Top Thrill Dragster just feel like they've been forgotten for the next big coaster instead of them being treated like the amazing (and crowd drawing) rides they are.

I always say, we are lucky at Cedar Point. Some parks literally have two or three extremely thrilling coasters, with the rest being kind of meh. Cedar Point has 6 to 7 if you ask some. But unlike those other park, Cedar Point lets the look and feel of those coasters diminish as the focus is turned to the next coaster.

Like the rest of you, I can't wait to see how the park transitions and the company as a whole. More trees, more non-coaster fun. More thrill rides.

We really need that +1 Jeff.

Millennium Force and Top Thrill Dragster just feel like they've been forgotten for the next big coaster instead of them being treated like the amazing (and crowd drawing) rides they are.

Um, MF is getting her paint job completed this year and a brand new lighting package. I'm not sure how Dragster has been neglected at all; it looks perfectly fine to me.

New lighting for MF came from Ouimet, not Kinzel.

Aside from some loss of color, I'd actually have to say that Dragster is one of the most non-neglected rides in the park. The amount of man power, attention and dedication that is required to keep that beast running everyday is staggering. Heck, I get gitty by the littlest improvements that, to me, are a sign of a ride that is well taken care of.

But that there is Dick's paint.

My point is, I don't see how any coaster other than DT was "left behind".

Millennium Force and Dragster have had plenty of attention to keep them running. A lot of the niceties have been removed from those rides.

Here is a list of the "special effects" that were included when the ride opened, but since removed. This list is not meant to be comprehensive by any means. Just what I can think of off the top of my head.

Magnum: Fog in the last tunnel
Raptor: Strobe lights on the cobra roll
Millennium Force: Lights on the lift hill (only being improved this year with Luminosity), projectors with the "M" logo in the station
Power Tower: Lighting not in sink.
Maverick: Water Bombs turned off, LEDs in the tunnel
Dragster: Fog on a train launch, dragster parts on train (OK, this was due to a safety issue, but they could have replaced the real ties with fake lightweight alternative and kept the look)

Yeah I'd say that he should have retired right before the Paramount acquisition, when he was at the top of his career. I've heard that he had what is now referred to as "Eisner Syndrome". He just didn't know when to quit. How much of the story about the Board of Directors talking him into staying instead of retiring like he was scheduled is fact or just that, a story.