Standing within' 3 feet of 1974

[standbyme]

Way back in April I teased that I had purchased a set of photos of the park from 1974. (Random Photo Thread) A lot of the photos are the “same old, same old”…it’s amusing to me that I have seen several different sets of photos that people have taken at the park over the years and it seems like you can count on quite a few people taking the same exact shots. (I wish I could run across someone who liked to take more pictures of the rides back then! )

Anyway, as I was scanning these photos and looking at them I kept thinking to myself just how much the park has changed. (duh) I was also just as amazed of how many of the things that existed all those years ago are still there.
This got me thinking…what would these photos look like today if I were standing in the same spot as the person who took them 37 years ago. (Light bulb goes off in head!)
I decided to see if I could recreate each of the photos that I had. I could tell that MOST of them would be easy…especially whenever I could use the Eiffel Tower in the background as a point of reference.
There were 3 photos that I knew would be impossible for me to recreate…these were taken from The Lion Country Safari monorail. I shared those in TombraiderTy’s (excellent) “Lion Country Safari Spotlight” thread.

Due to the fact that EVERYTHING has changed in some of the photos, it became a challenge to figure out exactly where the original photographer would have been standing. (Especially in the Lion Country Safari shots.)
To figure this out I poured through old park photos that I have saved up over the years to try and pinpoint each location.

As I stated, the Lion Country ones were the toughest…here is how I went about figuring out where to stand to take the new photo:

If, after looking at the original photo there was no current visible landmark I would figure out from an old aerial photo of that area where the person was standing when they took the photo….then I would find an exact aerial of the photo of that area today. (Once again, it’s amazing how so many people take the same exact shots year after year.) I would then size match the 2 photos, then layer them, and then make the current photo almost invisible and mark where the person would have been standing and in what direction the camera would have been aimed. After making the top layer visible again I would then be able to see a current landmark to go by.

Here is an example of my work in progress:


After I had done all of my research, “all” I had to do was take the new photos when I went to the park. In order to do this I came armed with both the copies of my 1974 photos and also my “work” photos of where to stand to get the same shot.



In the past I remember a park employee posting on here that security is watching guests a lot more than they think they are. If that truly is the case I would say that the park’s security was not on their toes the day I was taking these photos! I KNOW I had to have looked suspicious while I was completing my mission. I would stop in front of something, start looking at my photos, every now and then holding one up to make sure I was getting everything I needed in the shot. I would then take several shots at varying angles just in case. THEN, since I didn’t want to have to remember if I had or hadn’t taken a certain picture I would walk over to the nearest trash can and throw away any of the photos connected with the one that I had just taken. Tell me this whole scenario wouldn’t have seemed suspicious!

I am very proud of how well some of these photos turned out…as you will see some of them are almost an exact match. There are 31 photos in the series. I would say that with the exception of maybe 1 or 2 I really am within’ 3 feet of where the original photo was taken. There is room for error on some of the shots…even though I could pinpoint where to stand…in some of the photos where there was no remaining landmark from 1974 I had to make my “best guess” on the direction of the photo…where even tilting the camera a few inches gives you a different photo altogether. (I will point out the couple of times when this came up.)

I PLAN on posting one comparison shot set a day. (Not counting weekends.) BUT, there are 2 conditions!

#1. If you feel that I have made an error by all means point it out. (Even though I THINK I have done my homework I do not for one second feel that I am infallible.) BUT if you do think/know that I have made a mistake…PLEASE point it out in a NICE way.

And #2, which is a BIG condition! (And some may say selfish.) When I started this project I was excited about sharing these with this community…I must admit that that excitement level has dropped CONSIDERABLY since then…so much that I was REALLY close to bypassing posting them here and just sharing these photos directly to a select few.

The reason I say this is because SO many of the viewer’s remind me of that old line from Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit”…”Here we are now, entertain us”.
Many members seem to have lost what made this site so special “back in the day”…courtesy to their fellow members.

Over the last year I have seen a disgusting lack of consideration for the posters who have went to a lot of effort to put together either special features or trip reports. These posters spent quite a bit of time putting these together for our benefit and what do they usually get out of it, almost nothing. (I long ago gave up making trip reports.)

Here are screen-grabs from the latest trip reports:


Look at the difference between the views and the replies! Those numbers just scream inconsiderate…or lazy…take your pick. If a member has the time to punch on a topic, that member should also have enough time to post a simple “Thanks”…or at the VERY least hit the “Like” button to show that the author’s effort was appreciated.

SO, here’s where I stand…after spending a nice sum of money to purchase these original photos, then spending time scanning them, digging up old research photos, using a few hours of my (limited) time at the park to take the new shots…and finally putting this whole thing together…J.D. (that’s me) is NOT playing the “Here we are now, entertain us” game.

For all of the above reasons I feel like I should be able to rate a little consideration and know that my efforts were not in vain. I DEMAND interaction…and here is how it will work. I will keep posting a new set of photos each day as long as I get a certain amount of either comments OR “Likes” each day. (And just like the park won’t disclose the maximum amount of Fast Lane passes it will sell…I won’t say what my minimum is…but it’s not much.)

I am NOT asking for, nor do I want any condescending “Oh this is just the greatest thing ever…” type comments. I am simply looking for a little proof that someone is out there enjoying my work…or else why do I need to bother to keep posting them?
I would be happiest to see a little interaction with comments about how someone feels about the changes in the park…but I will settle for a simple click of the Like button.

So…will all that said and done…here are today’s shots:
1974

I STILL miss the tunnel walkway…it is one of the few things that I can still remember from my first trip to the park way back in the 70’s.

2011



I thought it was amazing how many structures had survived after all these years.




As I looked at each set of photos I would sit back and think…where would I rather be standing…back in 1974 or 2011. With this set of pictures it was pretty easy. 1974 wins easily, to me the area looks serene…and a more consistent theme throughout the area.

I HOPE that everyone enjoys the (hopefully) upcoming photos…and just like the Son of Beast posts…I am going to beat this horse one last time:



P.S. Looking at a lot of these photos as a "fade in, fade out" type of slide show was (in my opinion) neat...some of the photos are so close you can see key structures change before your eyes. I TRIED to come up with a way also throw on a slide show version but I couldn't figure that out...so if someone else knows how feel free.

EDIT: Hendrick was nice enough to slideshow these photos for me/us! Thanks!!!

[coaster_junky]

this is an awesome idea, i think my favorite part about these two are that you can see how much the trees have grown in around the train.

[kingsrattler]

Standbyme, this is maybe one of the coolest things I have seen on this site. I really hope to get to see more of your masterpieces

[medford]

awesome, thanks.

[thekidd33]

I too miss that tunneled walkway. Strangely as a child that was the thing I thought of first when thinking about the park.

[Hendrick]

Awesome idea! Can't wait to see what you have in store!

[Guest TombraiderTy]

J.D., thank you so much for doing this. You know how much I, alongside other members, love the park's history, and I've always thought that comparing then/now is one of the best ways to share it.

Your determination to make the photos as accurate as possible is impressive - based off the first photo you shared, I'm curious what the Congo Falls employees thought when they saw you standing on the far edge of the queue, taking pictures of who-knows-what

I also enjoy how in-depth you made the comparison with the "Surviving after all these years". It's also clever how you put the date alongside the photo in the vintage format.

However, following your first rule...

#1. If you feel that I have made an error by all means point it out. (Even though I THINK I have done my homework I do not for one second feel that I am infallible.) BUT if you do think/know that I have made a mistake…PLEASE point it out in a NICE way.

...I do have to point out an error In your "Currently known as..." picture, you incorrectly labeled Planet Snoopy Grill as Chick-fil-A. Chick-fil-A is closer to Eiffel Tower and technically part of International Street. Not a big error, but thought I'd let you know

Once again, thank you for doing this. I plan on following the topic (and posting too ) and hope that other members do the same.

P.S. Thanks for the shout-out to my Lion Country Safari spotlight- oddly enough, I actually referenced that today for some odd reason in my physics class

[CoastersRZ]

Standbyme,

This is an AWESOME thread. Kudos to all the work you have/will be doing for this thread. It is stuff like this that makes checking out KIC so much fun. I love seeing the history of the park and what it looked like in its early days, before I was around. I look forward to more photo comparisons in the coming days/weeks.

[TOPGUN1993]

I did this about 3 years ago, but never was able to have my work showcased.... cough cough flint cough. Look forward to seeing more and more... maybe "Flashback Till Opening" will make a return this offseason

[standbyme]

Thanks everyone for the responses!

(And Ty, I fixed my mistake...thanks for being my editor!)

I also just wanted to say thanks to Hendrick for making a "fade" of the 2 photos!

http://localhostr.co...2e/aerialb2.gif

[lambertman]

Signing in for the first time in years (gosh, I look so young in that avatar) to commend you on the effort. This looks like it will be fun.

[dudecoasterman]

Amazing work, I wish more people did things like this.

[KIfan73]

Awesome thread! What a great idea, to recreate old photos....can't believe I never thought of that!

Also, I can't believe that "Smells Like Teen Spirit" is over 20 years old! (I was entering college at that time)

[ahank]

Incredible idea J.D. I really wish you well on this, as I think you really have something here. Cool cool cool cool cool cool stuff.

[beastfan11]

Thank you sir for your hard work! It's greatly appreciated. Can't wait to see more!

[rcs]

Great topic! Its great fun to see the park of old compared to todays KI and what is still there and what no longer exists. Please keep up the good work!

[16gwoods]

This is so cool i cant wait for more!

[thunderbeast1968]

All I can say is WOW. I remember the "good ol' days of Kings Island. My memory is having to drive up Rt. 52 to the park, and we could see the Eiffel Tower a few miles down the road (4 hr drive, is now cut to about 3hrs) Upon arrival we would get a Larossa's pizza. That is still a tradition with my family.

Racers were the big attraction among others. Rides I remember most were Rotor, Magic Carpets, Tumble Bug, Bavarian Beetle, and the Bayern Curve. That was the ride that prepared me for coasters, with the high speed and g-force. Man, I wish KI would (and could) bring back some of these classic rides. Now back to reality, I still love visiting the park, and sharing the park with my son, like my parents did with me.

P.S. I heard a funny rumor. When I was 11 or 12, a kid in line tried to tell me, that The Rotor floor "raised" back up and caught the back feel of another rider. (pretty funny???) I think that it scared me just a little, and I payed close attention when riding that attraction. I would love to see more old photos of the park. THANKS

[Delirium13]

Thank you so much for taking the time to do this. I really enjoy reading threads like this and look forward to seeing more photos!

[standbyme]

Thank you to everyone who responded…it does mean a lot to me, sincerely. (Although some of the responses are SO hopeful they almost scare me…I hope that the pictures don’t eventually let some of you down.)

As I mentioned, quite a few of them are the “same old, same old”…at least that’s the way I see them.

PLEASE do keep in mind that I have not posted the 1974 photos before…so even if the 2011 shot is “boring”…at least you have an unseen old shot to look at….which leads me to today’s photos!

This is a shot of one of the island’s in Lion Country Safari. TombraiderTy’s Lion Country Safari thread was a great assist with some of these photos!

As Ty pointed out, the islands were supposed to look like a monkey’s face…this would be a shot of the “right eye” island. (I hope.) This was a tough one. I went through several old shots and attempted to match the park benches in the background and the type of tree that is on this island. There is room for error with this shot...but I THINK I got it right...what say you Ty?

1974

2011

And today here we stand outside of the line for Congo Falls.

About the only thing that looks somewhat the same (to me) is that you can still see an embankment in the background.

Thanks to Hendrick:

As for where I would rather be standing…1974 or 2011, today I choose 2011. As much as the island is interesting, I love Congo Falls SO much I would give up looking at the turtles & birds in a heartbeat…plus it doesn’t look like they themselves are probably having a great time being confined to that little area all the time.

... maybe "Flashback Till Opening" will make a return this offseason

I hope it does, I have been counting on it!

[thekidd33]

Well I've now been sincerely entertained by a picture of trees and dirt...I think my Kings Island addiction is complete.

Seriously though, even this photo is great. Thanks again for taking the time to share these.

[TombRaiderFTW]

This is too cool, standbyme. Can't wait to see what's next.

[kingsrattler]

I think its interesting, how in your first picture, you can pretty much still see the same infrastructure, but in this shot, almost everything has completely changed.

Thanks again, standbyme!

[XGatorHead 8904]

I can't wait to see these pictures that you've posted (and the ones to come). See, I'm usually on here while at work, and my work computer blocks pictures that are posted on this site. It all has to do with "Personal Network and Storage" sites being blocked, so anything linked from those types of sites are invisible to me. So, it looks like I'll have to fire up the home computer this weekend.

Now from the descriptions of the pictures, I think I'd have to agree with you on where I'd rather be... 1974 for the first one and 2011 for the second. I loved walking through the ivy tunnel as a kid. Too bad they got rid of it... was it really that hard to maintain?

[Guest TombraiderTy]

I was wondering why you asked me about the Monkey Islands quite some time ago

That shot is probably one of the trickiest and most difficult to replicate, but I think you did a pretty good job. I can't say with 100% certainty that it's the same angle, but it looks pretty right to me. I also doubt I'm the only one wondering if they're the same tree- it'd be pretty neat if they are.

[mikejenkins1]

Sorry if I am a reader and not responder. I love the trip reports people do and I have never responded to them. I know you can count views so to me that was my response. If someone knows people are reading it that was good for me and not trying to diss their hard work. I do hope you post all of the pics here as I am a resident of this area since the park was built and love to see pics from the past and current. Still wish KI would publish a book just on the story of KI. There is the coney island book and the videos of the start of KI, but a nice coffee table book would be a good addition.

[standbyme]

Hendrick came through again!

http://localhostr.com/files/XnWYeVZ/birdsc.jpg

This is how these photos really come to life.

Thanks again Hendrick!

[PKIVortex]

Awesome idea. Can't wait to see what else you have up your sleeve! It's amazing on how much the trees have gotten so much bigger in your first photo, it's like litterally watching the park grow right before your eyes!

[The Interpreter]

I still remember how fascinated and grateful I was when TopGun did this several years back. Threads like these take lots of painstaking work and attention to detail.

Thanks so very much. Having watched KI develop and grow over the years has been a fascinating process. Seeing it beautifully documented is fantastic, indeed.

[standbyme]

Good morning everyone! Once again, I appreciate the feedback. It does make a difference to me that I can see who is enjoying these photos.

Today is another shot from the tower. When the antique cars were still there I never failed to take a picture of that area when I was up in the tower. It was a close tie of my favorite area to look down upon…that and of course the fountain area.

It was fun watching the cars go along the track from up there…plus all that glorious grass & those wonderful trees!

1974

2011

Today, it doesn’t get much “colder” than this area of the park. It is like night and day compared to its previous self. I miss the antique cars SO much…but at least I have my memories.

As for where I would rather be standing in today’s photos…need I answer?!!

P.S. As I mentioned in my 1st post...I will be skipping posting these on the weekends...so my next one SHOULD be on Monday.

Once again, Hendrick was kind enough to put these 2 photos together!