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Photo #23 - Flying Dutchman I wonder if it would be a "good" marketing strategy to "bring back the classics" in lets say bringing Flying Dutchman back from Kentucky Kingdom and Flying Eagles back from Carowinds.

Thanks for the answers, Don! I'm archiving the questions and answers here, since old tweets can be hard to find. (Even harder when people delete their questions, which at least 2 people have already done.) Q. Why did you retire from riding The Racer? (ohiocolts) A. Love the ride! First roller coaster I rode. Will ride again at some point. Q. Can you share any teasers about new shows, new food, or other additions this season? (myself) A. Ed Alonzo will be back with a new show. New Peanuts show, legends of rock type show in Festhaus and live band on the Bandstand. A2. Some more Soak City enhancements, lots of special events being planned. Q. when are you guys making an new roller coaster ? (@noahharsh1) A. Down the road. Q. how many park maps are distributed throughout the year? And how could one obtain old park maps? (@rollercoastinRO) A. Literally thousands but not as many as before with the launch of the mobile app. Old maps hard to come by. Q. Do bigger people have any issues fitting on the Diamondback or Skyhawk? I've had issues with coasters at Cedar Point before. (@UnderZenith) A. It depends on how ones body is proportioned. It varies from ride to ride. Q. when will details of Coasting for Kids 2013 be finalized? (@jporta2) A. Mid February to early March. A lot involved in putting the event on at all Cedar Fair parks. Q. What is favorite ride of all time, past or present? (@tismeansbeans) A. Favorite is The Racer. First roller coaster I ever rode. Q. any ride improvements this off season? What do you count as hidden gems at KI. How come there are trim brakes on The Beast?TY (stashua123) A. Work is done on all rides during the off-season. Racer has has had work done bottom of first drop and other places. A2. Brakes have been in place on The Beast in the same spots where the trims are since the ride opened. Just different type. Q. What is the "hot stuff" being cooked up in the marketing dept? (@Nathan90210) A. Working on series of special events that our guests will be excited about. Q. what's going on right now during the off season? (@KDFreak925) A. The off-season exists only for guests. Beehive of activity at the park in all depts. Rides get stripped down and rebuilt. Q. What is your favorite snack to eat while in the park? (ohiocolts) A. Fresh-cut thick fries in Rivertown. Q. What was ever done with the crate that sat by Son of Beast's entrance? (@TheSpeedDemon__) A. Dismantled. Q. If anything new is coming for 2014, when will we see teasers and signs for it? (coastergeek101) A. Sometimes late summer, sometimes winter like Dinosaurs Alive!, and sometimes like WindSeeker not at all. Q. If we were trying to think of a random meaningless number between 300 and 309, what number would that be? (‏@gahannaman) A. 308 Q. Any chance of The Racer running backwards again in the future? I miss it (@SteveSnowmn) A. No plans to run one side backwards again, at least for the foreseeable future. Q. will a winterfest ever come back? (@lynchc20) A. No plans to bring the event back at this time. Q. what is new in dinosaur adventure? (@the_chop) A. There will be some additions for 2013. Details will be announced in the spring. Q. how early do rides usually start testing before opening day? (@elizwal01) A. Depends on the ride but some 4-6 weeks before the park opens. Q. Will any consideration be given to increasing early ride time back to 1 hour? (@ssskellogg) A. Early rides for Gold and Platinum passholders will be 30 minutes before park opening as they were previously prior to last year.

not sure if I should make a new topic...so I'll just put it here. Cincinnati kids episode will be on hallmark on the 31st at 7:30pm .

Photo #22 This is when Coney had it!

Would it not be nice for the beach to add a boardwalk at the beach family fun center, a mini golf, go carts, some upcharge attractions, later, down the road:

Personally, I like the haul back to Flight Deck. It creates a sort of ambiance and separation from the rest of the park. With SOB finally gone, I think it will be even more. It gives it character.

Don, I got quite a laugh out of the title. Very clever!

Taking KI questions Wednesday from 7:00pm to 7:30pm on Twitter (@KingsIslandPR). Questions such as "Red Racer or Blue Racer" acceptable.

That last question is purely a budgeting issue. A big cost with any amusement park is the seasonal labor force required to operate the rides. Budgets are always scrutinized. Is the added cost worth the benefits that the park is gaining in added income? It is especially difficult with the fact that Ohio`s minimum wage went up from $7.70 to $7.85 effective January 1st of this year. That means most of the front line workers are going to get paid more. That money has to come from somewhere, if the park doesn`t raise admission prices or other in park prices to compensate, then the added cost will have a material impact on their bottom line. In other words, they will make less money for profits if they don`t bring in more guests or raise prices to compensate. Back when I started working at Coney in 2002, I was paid $5.25 an hour, which is a lot less than the $7.85 new hires are now paid. But back then, they also had a bonus program which resulted in me essentially making $6.25 at the end of the season, which definitely would help with retention of employees through the end of the season. Last year, the rides department hired about 150 employees at Coney. We were down to about half that amount because of colleges starting back up and people getting fired or quit by the end of the season! And yes, I will be returning to Coney this summer as a rides manager again, marking my twelfth season working at the park!

I tried a burrito there last year and it was pretty good. I am fine with Hanks keeping its current theme but please KI, do something about the Festhaus...I would love to enjoy some German food and entertainment in there. Maybe even make it a nice sit down restaurant or buffet. There is so much potential there...

I just dont think KI has a 'go-to' spot to eat. When I go to other places I usually have a spot where I gotta eat,like CP brought in Pinks,now I have to eat there atleast once a visit,sometimes twice!

Sorry For OVER questioning!(im Joshua12319) EDIT: 600th POST!!!

That's a wonderful....interpretation.

Photo #21 - Front Gate Parking Trams

Nice picture online today of Gatekeeper.

Hey guys! It's been a while since I've been on here, but my dad found some old slides of him, his mom, and their friends, at Kings Island in 73. I couldn't help but share them, so here you go. Enjoy!

I cannot wait for this event again. Last year was my first year and I did it at Dorney Park. This year it's between Kings Island and Cedar Point. Hmmm...what to do?

I saw it on I75 this morning. Pretty cool.

Just realized that I have been using the mobile version on my desktop the whole time and didn't realize it, awesome.

I now wish I was at Outer Hanks.

My Coasting for Kids Video from 2011. Includes an interview with Don, hope you enjoy!

It could just be a technical issue. Things sometimes, and often do break with technology. That or there is stuff they don`t want you to see from the webcams...

Cedar Points does not have that bad of a smell. I quite like theirs. Besides, KI only likes using live animals for a haunt maze...

Outer Hanks, a name from Carowinds, is a play on Outer Banks, a popular shoreline destination.

I haven't posted in a while, but we should have a KIC meet-up there on opening day this year!

The videos are awesome! Thanks for posting Don and IndyGuy. I'd prefer the Red side, but agree with a previous poster that Flight Deck might be fun too (heck even my old bones are up for that! )

I always make sure I stop in and have a nice big chicken burrito. That restaurant is the best thing to happen to Kings Island since Skyline Chili. Make sure you ask for extra sour cream, you won't be disappointed!

If I had to pick one place in the park to eat on opening day 2013, i'm definitely getting a burrito from hanks and kickin it next to the pond. See you guys there!

Nothing like getting a delicious burrito at arguably the best restaurant location in the park. That building is as old as the park - so much history inside of it.

I right there with you Ryan. It's one of my favorite spots in the park. Can't beat eating a burrito while feeding fish.

I'm willing to go as far as saying that Outer Hanks is the glue that holds the park together. We are blessed to have it.

I think the walk back to Flight Deck only seems as long as it is (about two minutes from midway to station with a quick stride) because there's really nothing to look at during the walk, so all you notice is putting one foot in front of the other. So here's an idea I just had: Now that SOB is out of the way, take out half to two-thirds of the queue and exit for Flight Deck and extend the AZ midway back that way. Then put in several rides along the new stretch of midway (I'm thinking small flats here like Flying Eagles, a Tilt-A-Whirl, etc.). A major coaster to replace SOB (if they go that route) could have it's entrance/exit back here also, or up where Thunder Alley used to be. You could also put a food or snack stand back here as well. Now the walk back to Flight Deck probably won't seem as long because you can stop and look at the flats, grab a thimble-sized cup of ice water, maybe be distracted when a train on the brand-spanking-new record-breaking coaster that replaced SOB (yeah, right ) roars overhead, and by the time you reach what's left of the Flight Deck queue, you've barely noticed the length of the walk. This would also have benefit of simplifying the queues for Club Blood, Wolf Pack, and Flight Deck during Haunt, as it would no longer be necessary to reconfigure the FD exit to serve as the entrance for all three. Anybody else like this, or am I missing something obvious (other than cost) as to why this wouldn't work?

1973 was the second year working at the park as a litter getter and I remember how the park looked back then. Those pictures looked really good and how uncluttered the park was back then. But then again, it was brand new and not developed like it is today. The park has lots of pictures of how the park looked back then in the operations building, along with pictures of how the employees were outfitted that worked in the various areas. I was a young guy of 18 back then and I still had a full head of red hair on my now bald head. Great job on the pictures and look forward to any others that you might have.

I love hanging out at outer hanks, its such a nice place to rest and relax. Its one of my favorite locations in the park and I look forward to hanging out there for years to come.

Glad to hear this put to rest, absolutely love the ride.

Probably b/c he's the only one that we know for sure reads this forum and responds back that has connections to the higherups in the park. I doubt anyone assumes Don does everything, but everyone assumes he knows somebody who handles all the various aspects w/n the park.

I love looking at pictures from the 70's. I was born in the wrong time.

An issue Dane has fixed! I'm no longer stuck in mobile! THANKS, Dane!

The past two years, it has been Magnum from 8am to 10am and then Gemini for the rest of the event. Oh, and I have no preference as to which side of The Racer.

Gosh I loved the trams when I was younger and I loved trying to remember which "cartoon character" row we parked in. Scooby Doo row 3, Fred Flinstone row 4, Huckleberry Hound row 5...ahhh, those were the days!

Klingons!!

^ Why does everyone assume Don does everything? He's a great guy, but jeez.

Here's a clip from last year's Coasting for Kids event:

^They improved Son of Beast.

SoB is down and the station is being used. Vortex has stopped sinking. TR is no more, and the building is being used. There is no new ride for 2013 & FD will be here for it's 20th. It seems to be time for the Tower Johnny talk to start up.

The Great Don has spoken!

Yeah, I've noticed how obsessed most of you guys are about spelling & grammar...I like people to use it correctly too, but, it's not like we're gonna say "YOU DIDN'T CAPATLIZE THE FIRST LETTER OF THE SENTENCE! That's against TOS. Banned forever!" - that's being very nitpicky...

I hear Kings Island is getting a big 12 inversion roller coaster

Well.... not quite. While Scooby Doo (the coaster, aka Beastie, aka Fairly Odd Coaster, aka Woodstock Express) can be seen in the background, Mrs. Brady is not standing in Hanna-Barabera Land. She's standing in a behind the scenes area, specifically right in front of the Administration Building. That building is also where they shot the boardroom scene, in which Mike pulls the Yogi poster from the tube. What I find interesting (along with the running scenes that you pointed out make no sense if you know the layout of the park), is that when they're running through the park, it's sunny, but when they're in front of Admin handing the plans over to the executives, it's raining. You can't really tell by looking at the actors, but the ground is wet, you can see some raindrops to the sides of the frame, and there are a few rather large raindrops that pass right in front of the camera lens. I love that I have this episode (ok, ok, I admit... I have all 5 seasons!) on DVD, and The Partridge Family episode on VHS so I can watch them anytime I want.

2009 - Gabe does a mock 'stop yelling at Brittany' video and actually cries about Son of Beast, pouring out his true feelings for the ride. He won 3 Tony awards and no one cares.