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Apr 29, 2011
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Seriously?!

http://www.wavy.com/news/virginia/ap-virginia/miners-union-va-theme-park-attraction-an-insult_43341921

Miner's union: Va theme park attraction an insult

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - The union representing America's mine workers is speaking out against a Virginia theme park's Halloween attraction that depicts an underground mine disaster.

The United Mine Workers of America is raising concerns about Kings Dominion's "Miner's Revenge" Halloween Haunt attraction.

The Doswell amusement park's website describes it as miners that were left entombed deep underground following a mine disaster searching for the men who left them to die and get revenge.

In an email statement, union spokesman Phil Smith said the attraction is an insult to the memories of the thousands of miners who have died in America's mines.

Kings Dominion said in an email statement to WWBT-TV that the attraction was not designed, nor intended, to depict a specific situation.

The Halloween Haunt event began Sept. 27 and ends Sunday.
 
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RE: Halloween Haunt 2013

Unagi said:
Seriously?!

http://www.wavy.com/news/virginia/ap-virginia/miners-union-va-theme-park-attraction-an-insult_43341921

Miner's union: Va theme park attraction an insult

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - The union representing America's mine workers is speaking out against a Virginia theme park's Halloween attraction that depicts an underground mine disaster.

The United Mine Workers of America is raising concerns about Kings Dominion's "Miner's Revenge" Halloween Haunt attraction.

The Doswell amusement park's website describes it as miners that were left entombed deep underground following a mine disaster searching for the men who left them to die and get revenge.

In an email statement, union spokesman Phil Smith said the attraction is an insult to the memories of the thousands of miners who have died in America's mines.

Kings Dominion said in an email statement to WWBT-TV that the attraction was not designed, nor intended, to depict a specific situation.

The Halloween Haunt event began Sept. 27 and ends Sunday.

The whole story on this came out when an op-ed person from the Washington Post came to the park and saw the description of "Miner's Revenge" on the park's Haunt map. This person had spent nearly 2 years investigating the coal mining industry and the dangers for miners that work there and interviewed the families that suffered the loss of loved one's in mining accidents. Kings Dominion offered to have the person tour the attraction and show what was in it. The person refused the offer.

I can see where someone is more sensitive to this sort or thing; especially, after being immersed in the coal mining industry for that long.

BUT, he was reading a overblown description of a Haunt attraction. One of many over-exaggerated descriptions for all of the Haunt attractions. I went through Miner's Revenge 2-3 times during Haunt and there is NO SIMULATION OR RECREATION OF A MINE EXPLOSION in it. Nothing. Nada.

The attraction, to me, looked like a mining operation from the late 1800's. It reminded me more of a old-time mine from the American West than a coal mine from Virginia/West-Virginia. The mine itself was mainly dark and there were a handful of Scare-actors who popped out to scare/startle folks. There were a few illuminated scenes that look like the miners took it out on each other with picks and one creature that looked like an ogre. And that was it.
 
RE: Halloween Haunt 2013

Well it was fun while it lasted. Miners Revenge won't be returning next year.

blooloop.com said:
The Kings Dominion amusement park has decided to drop the “Miner’s Revenge” maze from its “Halloween Haunt” lineup after an outcry that it was insensitive to coal miners.

According to NPR, Kings Dominion decided to discontinue the maze, which featured garish representations of injured coal miners “as part of its regular rotation,” according to company spokesman Gene Petriello.

http://www.blooloop.com/news/kings-dominion-amusement-park-drops-the-miner/25177

Here's another link with a bit more information:
http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2013/10/28/241429629/kings-dominion-insensitive-for-miner-s-revenge-attraction
 
RE: Halloween Haunt 2013

Pretzel Kaiser said:
The thing is that there are no "explosions", they're just zombies or whatever.

I suppose BGW will have to take out 13 since it's offensive to doctors and mirrors.

I would be more concerned with the "Ripper's Row" Terror-tory than 13. Simulating a real serial killer and his murdering ways with women. I hope Busch doesn't get clobbered with upset folks that are related to victims of violent crimes.

My guess Cedar Fair will have to stick with Fantasy creatures and situations/places that are so out there as to not resemble anything based in reality.
 
RE: Miners Revenge's Closure

The whole dangerous mine thing is hardly original. I wonder if these people simply look out for things about mines just to complain about them.
 
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Hey guys, we gotta get rid of Coal Cracker, Mystery Mine, Black Diamond, and anything else even representing a mine now.

I was legally licensed to work in underground and pit mines when I was in High School. I've met people who've lost friends and family in mines, and damn are people overreacting to this. There's no need to rating bomb a company that honestly meant no harm in themeing an attraction to entertain guests. People really need to learn how to properly voice their displeasure with something, instead of causing riots about innocent practices.
 
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Party Rocker said:
Wash out the 1 star ratings with 5 star ratings and balance it all out.

Because prodding an angry nest of bees with a stick is always the smartest idea. Let them have their last laugh and move on. Kings Dominion will lose little business over a half of a star loss in their rating or whatever the hell the 'protesters' actually did to them. The loss in business over a pixelated star likely won't make a dent in what Kings Dominion rakes through gate clicks in a given weekend.

I'm glad this incident didn't get national coverage, and only appeared as a small clip in the back pages. It's not a noteworthy story and it would've done way more damage to Kings Dominion's reputation than a few hundred one stars.
 
There was so much MISINFORMATION on these protest sites it was scary. Such as:

KD made up an mining Haunt attraction that makes light of our loss of loved one's in in the recent mining accident!


FALSE: KD did not come up with "Miner's Revenge". Cedar Fair, the parent company of King's Dominion, has a central Haunt attraction creative team that comes up with the ideas, concepts, and themes for all the Haunt Attractions that are used in 10 of the 11 theme/amusement parks in the chain.

"Miner's Revenge" Haunt attraction premiered in KD's sister park, Canada's Wonderland, in 2007 and ran there for 6 years. Three years before the mining incident that claimed the lives of the 29 miners. Cedar Fair decided "Miner's Revenge needed to be rotated to another park in the chain and was relocated to Kings Dominion for 2013. (Matter of fact, some of the props used in the attraction came from CanWon park).

KD is charging people to go through this attraction to make money off our misfortune!

FALSE: Halloween Haunt is NOT a stand-alone event that requires a separate admission. Kings Dominion charges an admission to enter the park. Whether or not you choose to visit the 10 mazes during the Haunt Hours is your choice. There are some people that go to the park just to ride rides and see the shows and other attractions and do not want anything to do with Halloween Haunt and do not visit any haunt mazes during their visit.
 
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