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The Kings Island snapchat has been updated with video of Don talking about MT multiple times. Views of the station, mid course tunnel, and white water with water can be seen! As well as a little bit of the shed from far away. Looks like things are starting to wrap up!!

Wow, so it's looking like it's going to be one GREAT weekend. Perfect park weather, a brand new and extremely promising ride, and a bunch of good people from KI Central will be there as well. Just think in one week and around 7 hours we will be making our way through the gate and making a right turn to travel into Rivertown to ride the anxiously awaited Mystic Timbers! I have a feeling this will be a long week. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

It sounds so..... mystical.

I actually looked at some evidence here.. This POV is actually that of the first test run they ever did with the ride. How do I know this? It is a cloudy day when the video was taking place. During the drop, I also noticed two people standing in the same place as this video.

The POV is up! Sorta. https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10155876501728368&id=155893938367

Dwight_Schrute

I love that you are putting your daughter ahead of your own fears. You rock! Welcome to KIC! As far as what you might/might not fit on, it all really depends on your personal weight distribution. If you don't want to ride stuff or are worried, there is no problem waiting in lines with your group, then simply walking through to the exit rather than ride. If you do decide to try a coaster, the newer ones have test seats outside the entrance so you can see if you'll fit before even getting in line. You should be able to ride White Water Canyon if you are ok with walking around wet for a bit afterward. There is also the train. Both are going to offer some great views of the new Mystic Timbers coaster as well! Although it's not a whole lot of fun, having someone to hold everyone's bags/etc while they ride is always appreciated. Personally, I enjoy people-watching and just being in the park atmosphere enjoyable enough that I could have fun even if I don't ride anything. Assuming you go after the Origins show starts for the season (it might not until after your visit, I don't know what the start date is yet), I can't recommend it enough! Love the show!

I may or may not have shared that video on my feed thinking it was the whole POV without actually watching the thing first lol. I'm too excited for this ride. XD

I miss the hour long ERT! But 30 minute ERT is still better than no ERT at all. Of course, when I enjoy Cedar Point's hour-long Early Entry, I can't help but think about the seasons Kings Island had hour-long ERT (including 2010, when I attended Gold/Platinum Passholder ERT for the first time!).

You sound like an amazing mother considering you are willing to do all of this for your daughter. As someone who grew up with a mother that did not ride rides (for health and size reasons), I can tell you first hand that just being in the park with her meant a lot to me and I cherish those memories even if she was waiting at the exit for me. I believe your daughter will just be happy that you are with her and spending time making memories. Don't stress yourself out, don't be embarrassed. Take what these fine folks above me have said and just remember your limits. If you want to try and see if it works then go for it! If not thats okay too. Some days I will just walk around the park and not ride anything. Enjoy your time. Oh, and Welcome to KIC!

I guess anything is possible if you throw enough cashy money at it.

What I like so much about the theme of MT is that the theme is really Kings Island itself. The park has definitely has its own aura, and I don't really feel that it has been showcased much since the early years of the park.

Okay, my daughter's school band is going to be at KI next month after playing at some event. My daughter is begging and pleading with me to be one of the chaperones for this trip. I'm terrified that I can't do it. I'm a large woman....how large you ask?? well 52'' chest and well wider hips and just overall a generous bit over the 300 mark....Yeah yeah yeah I know, I need to lose weight, and I'm working on it, I found out that my thyroid has been out of whack for a long time and since Rome wasn't built in a day, the fat isn't coming off in a day either. I don't want to be one of those people who need an electric scooter to get around in, I am absolutely determined that if I'm going, I'm going on my own two feet so I'm busting my tail on the treadmill to get more acclimated to long periods of walking. I'm just terrified that if I tried to ride any of the rides, then I will be told that I can't. It is going to be extremely embarrassing for me and I know it will be for my daughter if her band friends and their parents see me like that. I have tried to politely decline going, I haven't been to KI since 1998 when I was 150 lbs. lighter and in college, but she is adamant that I come with her because all of the other parents are going and she will feel left out if I don't. I admit, yeah some of the trips they go on if I'm not there she is kind of overlooked, so I want to go on this trip just so I can be with her. It will be her first time to KI and I want her to love it as much as I did when I was her age, but before I go, I want to see if there is anything that I can ride? I know that the roller coasters are right out, I can't really ride them anyways, the last time I rode a roller coaster I had a terrible migraine for some time after, so I have crossed them off the list. I'm talking about rides like the Viking Fury (that's the one she wants to ride first as I told her that was my favorite ride as a kid), White Water Canyon (definitely 2nd fave), Congo Falls, the log ride, and since it has been so long since I have been there, I'm not even sure what other non-coaster rides they have. So if someone could please help me, I would be extremely grateful!!

Last year they made it so the parking lot opened an hour before park official open, or a half hour before ERT. Since this is a passholder only event, I have no idea when the lot will open Hopefully at 3 or earlier, because that's probably when I'll shoot for.

No sense in weighing in until the moment of truth, I suppose, but I can say this: 1. If MT lightens lines at The Beast, particularly at night, I'll be happy. Not sure how the dynamics of that are gonna play out, but if so, cool. 2. Good for KI if they can build a coaster that once I've had a chance to ride it a few times would even make me think of returning to this discussion! I just remember first riding The Voyage a couple of years ago and being totally surprised by it--my first thought when exiting was, "this might be better than The Beast." But, on second thought, The Voyage might be what The Beast was to me when I was a kid riding it for the first few times--a complete and total onslaught of the senses. A total knockout. A surprise. If KI can get me to that place with MT, more power to them! I cannot wait to be able to give my post-ride review!

I doubt they're hiding anything at this point. Just taking their time getting the new site ready and the cameras back up. I think I saw Don say somewhere that they were also evaluating new positions for them.

It's right next to Dinosaurs Alive. The arrow on the picture, provided by Google Maps, shows the shed. The red is the train line. As you can see, the trains would approach the shed on the left. The tracks for the coaches curved and didn't have any type of shelter.

Mystic Timbers, capture my thoughts and carry them away Nature seems to grow In a supernatural way Mystic Timbers, under very few lights Just a canopy of stars We blast on through the night Towards the mystery shed afar.... Who can tell me the song that inspired my lyrics?

Here is a picture of Invadr that is made by the same company. I tried to contact the park on twitter to see if there would be a test seat available at any point, but haven't heard back. From what I've read online, GCI restraints are pretty forgiving. With Cedar Fair's priority on safety, I'm sure there will be a seat belt, but I have read that the belts aren't too terribly restricting. If you can ride things like The Beast/Racer, I think you should be more than OK on MT

Thought to bump this. I had pretty much given up on going to this event, which I was kind of okay with. Since I had gotten no donations even after sharing on my social media.... Well that all changed today when I checked my account and was surprised to see that I had achieved the 100$ goal.... some random person donated 100$!!! VERY happy right now.

I pick the Voyage.

Chapter 1- The Old Dominion Line https://www.facebook.com/KDGoldenYears/ Following the success of Kings Island in near Cincinnati, Taft Broadcasting Company decided to duplicate the park in Virginia. One of the many things Kings Dominion took from her sister park was a small 36" narrow gauge railroad in a section of the park named "Old Virginia", a section that reflected the early years of Virginia; a similar concept to Rivertown at Kings Island. The "Old Dominion Line" featured two authentic steam locomotives built by the Crown Locomotive Works- the Baldwin Locomotive Works of amusement park railroads. The line ventured through the Virginian wilderness past log cabins and animatronics. https://www.facebook.com/KDGoldenYears/ The two locomotives that ran along the short line were the #601 "Patrick Henry" and the #552 "Stonewall Jackson." Like their Kings Island cousin's, both locomotives were modeled after the standard "American" style locomotive bearing the typical 4-4-0 wheel arrangement. When management asked Kings Island engineers for feedback on how to perfect the train ride in Virginia they suggested a more prototypical approach. This meant that the locomotives should have larger smoke stacks, darker colors, and most notably- wooden cabs (as seen in the picture above.) These changes were made to give the locomotives a more "primitive" look as steel wasn't as plentiful in the mid 1800s as it is now. http://parkfans.net/thread-1541.html The “Patrick Henry” was meant to resemble Kings Island's #12 "Tecumseh" locomotive respectively. The locomotive bared a large balloon smoke stack, featured 2 domes, and a gothic style roof, as well as a dark blue color scheme with red decals. The “Patrick Henry” also had a set of blue coaches with brown decals to match the locomotive’s color scheme as well as the look of older passenger coaches from the 1800s. There’s no audio to prove this but I suspect the “Patrick Henry” featured a 6 chime whistle. The locomotive also featured two flags, one was the American flag and the other one was the Virginia Flag. Though meant to resemble Kings Island’s #12, Kings Dominion’s #601 was one of the most cloned Crown models to date. The large balloon stack was seen on multiple crown locomotives throughout the 60s, 70s, and 80s giving it a less original look. http://parkfans.net/thread-1541.html The “Stonewell Jackson” was meant to resemble Kings Island's #19 "Simon Kenton" locomotive respectively. The locomotive bared a narrow balloon smoke stack, featured 2 domes, and a curved style roof, as well as an orange-red color scheme with blue decals. The “Stonewall Jackson” also had a set of orange-red coaches with brown decals to match the locomotive’s color scheme as well as the look of older passenger coaches from the 1800s. There’s no audio to prove this but I suspect the “Stonewall Jackson” featured a 6 chime whistle. The locomotive also featured two flags, one was the American flag and the other one was the Confederacy Flag. This locomotive model was my favorite of all the Crown locomotives ever built because of its unique balloon stack design. This is was one of the more original designs ever found on a Crown locomotive. https://www.facebook.com/KDGoldenYears/ The line started in the Old Virginia section of the park, near the end of Candy Apple Grove not too far from the Rebel Yell. The train would run parallel to Rebel Yell until taking a right turn into the Virginian Wilderness. In the woods, like the Miami Valley Railroad, the trains past several log cabins and animatronics. The train would stop at a part of the line and actors would interact with guests on board. The train would then pass the engine house before finally returning to the station. In the later years, some of the scenery changed to accommodate newer attractions. In the early 80s, Grizzly was placed behind the station, similar to Mystic Timbers at Kings Island. The challenge was that the que line crossed the railroad tracks making operations interesting to say in the least. http://parkfans.net/thread-1541.html Towards the late 80s, the popularity of the railroad started to dwindle and some of the theming began to go away. By the 90s, Paramount attempted to revitalize the railroad by adding an action scene on the train but to no avail. Operations were so dismal that the railroad would close early around 6pm because it began to lose the park money. In 1994 Hurler was added and coexisted with the train for about a year. In 1995, it was decided that the line would be demolished and the locomotives and their coaches sold to other amusement parks. The fact that the railroad wasn’t a transport ride was one of the main reasons why it’s popularity decreased. One could make the assumption that Kings Island’s trains would have suffered the same fate if they weren’t used to transport guests to and from the waterpark. #601 currently operates at Busch Gardens Tampa on the Serengeti Express. The locomotive was repainted an off green color with a red cowcatcher and yellow decals. The original wood cab was replaced with a steel cab fitted with exhaust fans. The whistle was mounted on the additional dome and was toned down a couple of chimes, in my opinion to not scare off the animals. The original coaches were painted yellow to match a nearly identical locomotive bought from Six Flags Mid-America, now Six Flags St. Louis. The green coaches the train usually pulls is a part of an older Busch Gardens locomotive #4 that isn’t currently in operation. I was fortunate enough to see this locomotive down in Tampa when I visited Busch Gardens in 2012. Though I prefer its original look, I’m happy that the locomotive has more room to stretch out it’s wheels and isn’t sitting out to rust like a lot of other Crown locomotives. http://parkfans.net/thread-1541.html #552 currently operates at a small religious retreat called Dry Gulch USA in Adair Oklahoma. Like #601, #552 received a cosmetic overhaul with a black boiler, red domes, a red cowcatcher, red wheels, and a black tender. The most notable change however was the wooden cab. While in transport, engine #552 encountered a tree and suffered damage to its cab. The original cab was removed and replaced with a new, darker colored wood cab that can still be seen today. The locomotive operates on select dates and during the parks popular “Christmas Train” event with two other locomotives made by H.K. Porter. It is unknown what happened to the original coaches of the train whether they were sold to another party or are sitting on storage. https://www.facebook.com/KDGoldenYears/ There has been a bit of confusion as to where the locomotives actually ended up first. One rumor states that Dry Gulch bought the two locomotives and sold #601 to Busch Gardens. Another rumor states that Busch Gardens bought the two locomotives and #552 was sold to Dry Gulch. In my opinion, I believe both trains were initially sold to the Busch Gardens chain since Busch Gardens Europe was a short drive from Doswell. At the time, Busch Gardens Africa already had three locomotives but desperately needed a backup. I think #552 was less appealing to the company so it was sold to Dry Gulch. I could be completely wrong but that’s just how I think that went down. http://parkfans.net/thread-1541.html Remnants of the Old Dominion Line can still be seen at Kings Dominion today. The old railroad shed still stands vacant and the old route can still be made out on satellite. I think this ride could have served a greater purpose and could still be standing today if it acted as a transport ride. However, it’s placement in the park limited its potential to be used as a transport ride and was one of the many contributing factors to its dismantle in 1995. Also, the placement of the ride prevented a lot of potential expansion so, while I still wish it were there, I can see why the park made the decision to remove it. I hoped you enjoyed this! Please feel free to share your comments and post any pictures. I have way more pictures if anyone's interested. If you have any questions for me or any suggestions on what park I should do next, please let me know! Edit as of 2020: Cedar Fair aquired #552 to be a backup engine for the World's of Fun Railroad. The engine will be named "Levi"

^ Carowinds needs a GCI Sent from my Moto G (4) using Tapatalk

RMC's presence has been confirmed in 2 Cedar Fair parks and it's highly rumored that Hurler at Carowinds will be next. That being said, is it possible that RMC will reach other Cedar Fair parks in the coming years? I honestly don't think so because there aren't any other Cedar Fair Woodies that desperately need the RMC treatment. Unless Cedar Fair and RMC experiment with non-wooden rides. RMC did do some track work for S&S with their 4D free spins after all.

I have never had the pleasure of actually riding a GCI coaster in person. What type of restraints do GCI's normally use, and how forgiving is their restraint systems? Im a bigger dude. I've taken the good ole walk of shame on many a ride. Last year at KI I was able to ride Banshee, Firehawk, Delirium, Racer, Bat, and Beast. However, Diamondback, Flight of Fear, Drop Tower were all no go's. I know that every ride is different and that it all depends are how a person is built and where there weight is held etc etc, but in general, are GCI's fat-friendly?

Per this tweet from the pass holder Twitter account, this event has been confirmed: Check out @KingsIslandSP's Tweet: Shout out to @Magenta Lizard for re-tweeting this onto my twitter feed.

If you want an update to it. Technically the music is from 300: Rise Of An Empire, Specifically the Fire Battle song. (But it happens during the end credits of the movie.) Case closed now.

At least weather looks to be ok - that wasn't the case when I checked earlier this week.

I guess my retail job was being nice to me for allowing me to take PTO for next Friday, I'm also off the entire weekend, which I only work one Sunday a month anyway. So looking forward to next Friday. Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk

I guess I just assumed Too CP centric I guess.

Contrary to popular belief, I ride relaxed and with my head slightly forward. The "relax" bit was advice from my brother when I went with him in 2008 and I rode next to him on The Beast, fun fact. It has benefited me greatly, and I hope other riders are benefited too! As for the "head slightly forward" part, it is extremely helpful as well, especially if you relax. I clearly remember a few rides on Vortex where my head was jostled from side to side but it did not hit the restraint (when it would have otherwise) as I was leaning slightly forward enough for my head to be just in front of the restraint. The only time I ever remember pushing my shoulders into the restraint is whenever I'm in a corkscrew. @harveyhaddixfan, I'm sorry, but I politely disagree with you. -BFF, who knows Vortex like the back of her hand, after 317 rides and counting. She's also virtually immune to headbanging.

Yah I want to try and leave work around 2 and get there by 3 as well. Also hoping since its Good Friday traffic shouldnt be too bad. Schools by me on spring break and some businesses probably closed too.

There sadly is not a "one size fits all" answer to this question. It really all depends on where weight is held and body shape and such. Things like Viking Fury, Scrambler, Monster, etc should all be fine. They aren't super restrictive, but obviously I can't guarantee anything. Last season I was 6"1, around 320 pounds. I was able to ride pretty much everything but Diamondback, Flight of Fear, and Drop Tower. However, my weight is spread pretty evenly on a large frame, not all kept in one spot. Here's my advice. Try things out. If you get brave enough to try a coaster, try one of the test seats. My guess is that most coasters will be a no go, except for The Bat. Also remember that KI has shows, live entertainment, music, etc. Not just rides. I think you should go, and even if rides can't happen, I bet you'll enjoy it.

Have no fear. Kings Island is full of things for everyone! What your seeking are the flat rides from the sound of it and they have a couple great ones. The Monster, Scrambler, Shake Rattle and Roll, WindSeeker. There's also to rides you can partake in that cost additional money, the Slingshot and Xtreme Skyflyer. They also have some great shows you guys can go see. However that being said there are also some coasters you will be able enjoy and some of them even have "tester" seats at the beginning of the line if you want to check before standing in line. You may want to also get a females perspective on some of those though... some of the restraints go across the chest and may be uncomfortable for your chest measurement. Coming from a parent even if you only ride the flat rides with her and see the shows it's worth the trip for that experience together and the fun that will be had. Heck even if you don't ride a single ride it will be worth seeing her face and how much she enjoys it. So GO and as KI would say Have a Best Day! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Welcome to KIC! As for the rides you mentioned: Congo Falls should certainly be fine for you; it has simple bench seats and no restraints at all. The log flume also should be fine with no restraints, but the width of the log might present a small issue. You could probably squeeze in, but with your weight and size, I wouldn't recommend riding with more than two other people. Rounding out the water rides, White Water Canyon is likely fine; it uses stretchy seat belts that cover two adjacent seats per belt. You might have to take up both of those seats at once, but I've seen large people do that with no issues. Viking Fury might be an issue; one, I'm not sure how far the lap bar needs to be down to be considered locked, and two, it's a community lap bar that you share with other people in your row as well, so once it comes down and hits you, the amount of space between the kid next to you and the lap bar might be a problem (I don't know their rules on that, or if they even have such a rule). As for other rides, Drop Tower is a no-go for you. Delirium and WindSeeker are likely also too tight. Most of the small Coney flats (Scrambler, Monster, Dodgem, and Shake, Rattle, & Roll) are probably OK, though I doubt you could fit on Zephyr. And finally, Boo Blasters will be fine. If you're concerned about a "walk of shame" (the common term in the enthusiast community for having to leave a ride because you couldn't fit into the restraints), know that some rides have test seats outside the entrance, and on all other rides, you can approach the exit and ask to test-fit a seat between ride cycles prior to waiting in line. I hope you and your daughter have fun, and good luck on losing weight!

As a note on pass processing hours: In past years, on days when the park is open, the advertised pass processing hours have always matched the park operating hours, as they do here. But despite that, pass processing has generally opened at the same time as ticket sales on such days, which is typically when the parking lot itself opens, an hour to an hour and a half before the time listed on the schedule. While it's not guaranteed that this will be the case this year, it seems like a safe assumption. That said, pass processing lines on opening day can be, barring a new coaster, among the longest lines in the park, and the same will likely be true about preview day as well this year. So it is still a good idea to process in advance to beat the massive crowds who didn't.

Then I guess I will see you all next Thursday! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I haven't seen a test seat in any pictures. I hope it fits super sized rear ends.... like mine....

^^To me, MT surpasses both Flight of Fear and Banshee when it comes to theme; from the lead car, the queue, entry plaza, the story behind the ride, "the shed", the interactions with KIMVRR and WWC, the reservoir crossing. Take all of that into consideration. And much like many other rollercoasters at KI, this one is sure to provide a spectacular night ride. Sent from my SM-G925T using Tapatalk

That's a shame... it would be amazing to see the headlights leading the train through the dark forest. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

It should be the same picture as last year. You should be able to go to any ticket windows/guest services/season pass processing area to double check that your picture is there and ready to go for the season. I've double checked a few times.

Just hoping there will be some sort of shade structure or something for when the summer sun is beating overhead.

^^^ Not even remotely true about the restraints. As many have said here, they are T-bar restraints. Source: http://www.incrediblecoasters.com/evilkineval2.JPG

Unlike the other CF parks, it seems that all of the wooden coasters are generally well liked by the GP. So I don't think KI would fit in with this trend, unless they decided to make a gutsy move and RMC The Racer.

Part 6: London Before our trip was over, we hopped on a train out to London. We stayed in a nice little hotel a couple blocks from Buckingham Palace. Our first full day in London was spent walking around the Piccadilly Circus area. Now, you may have noticed in the previous sections that I was always on the lookout for movie locations. And in London there are tons of them. But one of my favorites is An American Werewolf in London. So, when we were in the Picadilly Circus square, I was amazed. It's kind of like the Times Square of London. This is also the spot where the wolf goes full on attack mode in the movie at the end and causes all kinds of problems before his ultimate fate. Below is the shot from the movie: The place where the final attack starts is an adult movie theater back in the 80's. As you'll see in my pic, it's now a GAP store. By coincidence, we had started planning this trip and then about a year out it was announced that they would be performing J.K. Rowling's new play Harry Potter and the Cursed Child at the Palace Theatre in London. It just happened to start a week before we got there. So, I stayed up when tickets went on sale and waited hours and was able to get some killer seats. They were pricey, but they ended up being in the 2nd row from the stage. We were so close we could see the actors spitting all over each other! It was glorious. As has been discussed elsewhere, the story line of the play isn't the best (almost like HP Fan Fiction), but the acting, the sets, the special effects are all amazing and make it worth a viewing. When the play comes out here I'll be sure to check it out. The next day were walked about 10 miles around London, hitting all the biggest sights from Buckingham Palace, to Big Ben to the Tower of London. I thought the shot below was a very British picture. Doubledeckers and a phone booth. One cool thing with the phone booths is that a lot of them have been retrofitted so be free wifi hot spots. Very convenient. When I see Big Ben I think of one of 2 things, Peter Pan landing on the hands and moving them, and the finale of V for Vendetta. Here's where the Prime Minister lives: The London skyline with their weird shaped buildings: The Tower Bridge: And lastly, the Tower of London: After that day, we flew back and reflected on all that we had seen. It was a lot and something that I'll never be able to forget. We're already thinking about when we can go overseas again and what we'd like to do. Thanks for reading!

Part 5: Train to Hogsmeade and Goodbye Robin Hood's Bay One day, we took an old fashioned steam train ride from Whitby out to a town called Goathland. What's cool about Goathland is that they used their train station as the location where the students arrive at Hogsmeade station in the Harry Potter films. It was a very relaxing ride through the moors of Yorkshire. Eventually we arrived at Goathland. Here's how it looked in the film. Up the hill from the station is the village which is very sheep friendly. They're all over, just wandering around the roads and shop areas. I was very surprised to see that they didn't sell any Harry Potter merchandise there. I wonder if they had some kind of clause where they weren't allowed to capitalize on the location filming. There was a show that was apparently popular that was filmed in the village called Heartbeat (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heartbeat_(UK_TV_series)) and the shops were covered in merch for it, but nothing from HP. Was a little disappointed. View from the bridge over the tracks. With that, it was the end of our stay in Robin Hood's Bay. But we still had London to look forward to. Coming up, London...

Hey all! On Thursday, I went to all four Walt Disney World parks. I'd been to Epcot and Magic Kingdom before, but this was my first time going to Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios. Just had some thoughts that I'd like to share here. There's probably going to be a ton of text and not many pictures, so you've been warned: this is going to be a novel. So it's been about a year and a half since I was last in Orlando. My last trip involved Magic Kingdom on Christmas Day... Uuuuuuugh. To say it wasn't a great experience is kind. So, I was aching to get back to WDW on a day with decent attendance levels. And that's very much what I had on March 9! A one-day Park Hopper ticket was at the cheapest price tier (the last day it's at that tier until sometime in August or September.) Spring breakers were somewhat present, but I think it's still pretty early in spring break season--they didn't really affect the park experience too much. There were some noisier folks staying in the same hotel as me, but even then, there weren't too many of them. (I didn't stay on Disney property--I stayed at an Extended Stay America fairly close to Universal, ironically.) The final Disney After Dark event at Magic Kingdom was also set to happen that evening. If you're not already aware, Disney After Dark is a (controversial) series of events that Disney started last year. In essence, you pay extra for around 3 hours of ERT at Magic Kingdom on select nights. It's typically priced higher than a full day at MK (about $115 for DAH vs. $100 for a one-day MK ticket)--hence, the controversy and accusations of Disney being greedy. Ordinarily, I'd be very, very hesitant to pay that much for only a few extra hours... But I made an exception this time as I wanted to ride certain rides in each park, wanted to spend more than 3 hours in each park (9am to 9pm hours across 4 parks = 3 hours at each), and probably won't be able to go back to Orlando for quite some time. Plus, with how short I've read the lines tend to be, I figured it would be fun to experience multiple re-rides on some of my favorite Magic Kingdom rides just once. So, I got ready and headed to Lake Buena Vista in time for an 8am arrival at... Park One: Animal Kingdom Time spent at park: 8am to about 12:30pm. Attractions experienced: 5, but with multiple re-rides. FastPass+ reservations acquired beforehand: Expedition Everest, Dinosaur, Kilimanjaro Safaris. Food bought at park: some Masala Chai tea and a chocolate doughnut. Percent of time spent drooling: 95.7%. First impressions: You know how when you pull into a park's parking lot, you look at the skyline to see the big rides? Yeah, that's mostly not how it works at Animal Kingdom. You can see some floating Avatar islands and the very tip of Expedition Everest, but that's it. Depending on what you look for in a park, this can either be intriguing or disappointing. Personally, I found it really interesting--that's pretty much exactly the opposite of Epcot and Magic Kingdom. So, with tentative excitement, I parked in the Dinosaur parking area and headed for the gate. The front gate does remind me a bit of Islands of Adventure, but not so much that it feels like a copycat. It's very jungle-y and filled with bamboo, and the buildings all have a green or dark brown color scheme. You enter the park, and you are in the Grove, a small grotto surrounded by huge trees and some water elements. Is it anticlimactic? Maybe. It flies right in the face of Main Street USA at Magic Kingdom. There are no lines of sight deeper into the park. Is it mysterious? Absolutely. If you're like me, you're dying to explore deeper into the Grove and into the park to see what's around the bend. In essence, that feeling summarizes Animal Kingdom really well. Magic Kingdom finds adventure in exploring imagination and fantasy; Epcot finds adventure in exploring the future and everything that contributes to making a brighter future; and Hollywood Studios arguably finds adventure in storytelling, especially through utilizing stories we know through movies. Animal Kingdom simply seems to find adventure in exploring the world around us; the world is its adventure. That really resonates with me. I just think that's so dang cool. Anyhoo, I digress: around 8:45, they let the crowds finally walk deeper into the Grove. We wound past trees and rocks until finally, the Tree of Life came into view. It's a HUGE faux tree that has several animals carved into its trunk, and by far one of the cooler centerpieces to a park I've seen. Check it out: (Source: Disney Parks Blog.) What's more, as they held people in the plaza in front of the Tree of Life, they did a small show featuring at least a dozen Macaw parrots flying in from another part of the park and swooping over the crowd. It was one of the COOLEST things any park has ever done. I'm geeking out so hard over it. That was so cool. Finally, at 9:00am, the ropes were dropped. I had a FastPass+ reservation at Expedition Everest starting at 9:00, but I wanted to try to get multiple rides on it if possible. So, I started power-walking to it with several other people. Now, time for a PSA: when you're heading for Expedition Everest from the Tree of Life plaza, you'll notice that you have to go around the large-ish body of water used for Rivers of Life to get there. You can either turn left and walk through the Asia section of the park, or you can turn right and go through DinoLand U.S.A. Go left, it's quicker. Didn't know that myself, so I went right and realized my mistake when only a couple other people went with me. If you want to beat the crowds to Expedition Everest, don't do what I did. Go left. You're welcome. Expedition Everest: I wasn't totally sure what to expect out of Expedition Everest. I've heard both great things and complaints about a "Disco Yeti" not living up to expectations. I've watched (and watched, and watched) POVs, and I wasn't sure how much I should raise my expectations. I didn't want to experience anticipointment, ya know? Uh, yeah. About that. Anticipointment was not an issue. Expedition Everest is incredible. Much like Verbolten, it's one of those things that might not look like much on YouTube. Also like Verbolten, it's a much better experience when you are actually there experiencing G-forces and the bass of the Yeti's roar (or the forest spirit's voice, in Verbolten's case.) On the second lift hill, you pass through this small tunnel themed to a temple with paintings warning you of the legend of the Yeti, and there are these wailing horns that play as you pass through, and I get straight cold chills every time. If you didn't know (I didn't!), the story behind Expedition Everest is that you are starting an expedition to the top of Mount Everest from a small town in India/Nepal. You're taking a train up the side of the mountain. You are warned about the legend of the Yeti, but you press on--until your train encounters track that appears to have been pulled to pieces. You hear a faint roar off in the distance, just over the sounds of the birds squawking. Your train stalls, then rolls back down a side track until you're deep within the caverns of the mountain. You pause--and in light shining through a small hole leading outside, you see the silhouette of a huge animal tearing more track to shreds. Your train speeds through another side track and down the side of the mountain in a frantic attempt to escape, but the more you run, the closer the roars echo. Finally, as you plunge through a final tunnel, the Yeti is inches from snatching you out of your train--and you can only see him in quick and occasional bursts of light. You narrowly escape and roll into the brakes at your base camp: the expedition failed, but you survived. Everest had a HUGE price tag ($100 million, more than Cedar Fair or Six Flags spends across all of their parks in a typical year), so I'm sure the technology behind the ride wasn't cheap. Plus, y'know, the giant mountain they built and stuff probably cost some money, too. That being said, there's something really awesome about the indirect and somewhat subtle way they tell the story. There's never any narration, but it still communicates a story really well. I've never really experienced anything like that before, and I really, really like it. I can't quite decide if EE ties Verbolten and Fury 325 as my favorite steel coaster or if it's in a very close second, but I do know for sure that it's a must-ride. If you have time to visit Animal Kingdom while in Orlando, you HAVE to ride Everest. I recommend the back if you want the forces or the middle if you want the best view of the theming. I like both forces and theming, so sitting about 3/4ths of the way back on the train was my favorite experience. They assign rows for this ride, though, so your mileage may vary. The single rider line is VERY nice, though, and you can cut a 45-minute wait down to 5 minutes pretty easily. That's how I got about 3 rides in on it. (Side note: if, like me, you've ever heard complaints about "Disco Yeti," here's my understanding of what that's about: the Yeti animatronic you encounter in the final tunnel is illuminated by a strobe light. It doesn't move. This is due to some alleged foundation issues for that animatronic that keep it from moving--apparently, the Yeti used to reach out towards the train as you go by. I don't know what the lights originally did, but I guess it wasn't the intermittent strobe situation it is now. Since the main thing that makes the Yeti alarming now is the strobes, it's earned the nickname "Disco Yeti." Admittedly, I haven't researched the original ride's design, but I don't mind Disco Yeti. I think it's pretty cool the way it is, but that's me!) Maharajah Jungle Trek: Maharajah Jungle Trek is essentially a zoo, but with some incredible crumbling Asian-/Hindu temple-inspired architecture. I visited it very early in the morning after 2 or 3 rides on Expedition Everest, so it was nearly empty. The animals were pretty active, though, and the views you get of their exhibits are really well-designed. I saw tigers sprinting a few feet from the windows I watched from. There also are cast members stationed at each exhibit, so if you have any questions or just want to learn some things, that's there for you. I thought that was a neat touch. One of my most favorite places is the small Islands of Southeast Asia area at the Columbus Zoo. I still love it, but MJT is that experience on steroids. I don't know of any themed park area that's ever felt like an adventure the way that MJT does. Plus, it's secluded, (at least for me) not crowded, and doesn't have a line. If you love seeing animals, I have to recommend Maharajah Jungle Trek, regardless of whether or not you ride Kilimanjaro Safaris. (More on that in a bit.) I don't have too much more to say than that--just be sure to check it out if you're at AK! Here's someone else's picture for reference: (Source: the Walt Disney World website.) Dinosaur: Wow. Wow wow wow wow wow. Let me make a big claim right now: as far as I'm concerned, Dinosaur might be the most underrated ride at WDW, in Florida, or even the American amusement industry. You may not agree, but I stand by what I said. It's one of the best dark rides I've ever been on. I think it's tied with IOA's Spider-Man for my favorite dark ride. Dinosaur is located within the fictional Dino Institute, which holds a handful of traditional museum pieces in it (e.g., a large dinosaur skeleton, pieces of fossils, etc.) As you enter, you are separated into one of two preshow rooms, where the head of the Institute, played by Phylicia Rashad, explains that they have perfected a time machine to take you back to see dinos firsthand. It's praised as the next step in experiencing history--after all, "the future is truly in the past." And then the video feed is interrupted: quirky subordinate scientist Dr. Seeker wants you to travel to the past to bring back an Iguanodon. You're not supposed to, of course, as Dr. Marsh (Rashad's character) reminds you. When she's not looking, though, Seeker modifies the time coordinates to the point JUST before the comet hits and kills the dinosaurs, which is where his Iguanodon is located. Don't worry, though--"you'll be in and out of there before it breaks the atmosphere. What could go wrong?" I don't even want to describe the ride experience because I don't want to spoil it. Yes, the ride is 19 years old, but still. It's so good. And so much of the ride is in the dark that it doesn't video particularly well. If you want to know what the ride's about, I'm sure you can find an in-depth description somewhere else. If you absolutely want to get an idea of what it's like, check out a POV on YouTube. The audio in the darker parts will give you a pretty good idea of what's going on. It's just so good. I will never ever not get goosebumps at Yeah. Yeah. Just go ride Dinosaur, okay? At least on the day I went, it never had a line longer than about 5 minutes, not including the preshow video. Primeval Whirl/DinoLand U.S.A.: Uhh... I think this might be why Dinosaur doesn't get more praise. I've read somewhere that Dinosaur is supposed to be the "serious" attraction in DinoLand U.S.A., and everything else in that area is supposed to be themed to a cheaper tourist attraction for visitors to the Dino Institute. Knowing that, I guess the theme of the area works... but I'm not a fan of it. If I hadn't known that beforehand, the area would feel like a very, very cheaply done attempt at mimicking (or even mocking) the Jurassic Park area at Islands of Adventure. Frankly, if it came out tomorrow that Eisner actually was trying to mock IOA, I'd believe it. There's a jarring contrast between the romanticized African and Asian sections, with their rustic signs and crumbling archways and respective animal elements, and the faded, cartoony, and flat printed signs of DinoLand. Gone is the feeling of "the world is an adventure"--and it's been replaced with something that feels a lot like "we needed some other stuff to go with Dinosaur, but we didn't have the money." It's a flat, crumbling asphalt patch with faded parking lot stripes painted on it. Attractions include two clearly portable spinning coasters and multiple game booths scattered throughout the area. The game booths aren't a bad thing by any means, but they're very simple and sun-faded; they'd fit more at a struggling FEC than a Disney park. The area, honestly, feels and looks cheap, and if lack of budget didn't "inspire" this area's theme to begin with, I'd kindly suggest that it get replaced soon. I get the feeling that Avatar is going to only make DinoLand look even more out of place. I never experienced the original California Adventure, but I get the impression that had a similar vibe. Here's a picture for reference: (Source: Vacationearing.com.) As far as Primeval Whirl goes... It's a pretty standard Zamperla- or Reverchon-style spinning mouse. It's fun enough, but it might not change your life. Disney's foresight to add two of that coaster was kinda nice, as I'd really hate to wait hours and hours in line for just a spinning mouse. I ended up waiting about 10 minutes. I'd say it's worth a 10-minute wait. Ho hum. Kilimanjaro Safaris: About 12 years ago, I had a chance to go on a safari in a national park in South Africa. Last January, I had a similar experience at an animal reserve in India. Kilimanjaro Safaris was pretty true to both experiences, and as a result, I totally loved it! Unfortunately, so does everyone else, so this ride gets a looooooooooong line early and keeps it all day. Fortunately, I managed to nab a FastPass+ reservation, so I only waited about 10 minutes. Quite simply, you ride through multiple animal habitats and see animals going about their day. There are many photo opportunities along the way, and the truck driver will narrate accordingly. If you've ever ridden the train at Busch Gardens Tampa, it's kinda like that, except you're in a wide truck instead of a train. If you've ever ridden Jungle Cruise at Magic Kingdom, it's like that, except in a truck and with 75% fewer puns. There's a very real possibility than an animal will decide to lay in the middle of the road and keep you from moving, so your typically 20-minute ride might be a half hour or more. For me, I really enjoyed both seeing the animals and hearing/seeing people's reactions to them. One of my most favorite things at any park is seeing and hearing people exclaim with excitement or wonder, and this was filled with that from start to finish. Such a good time. If you can make time for Kilimanjaro Safaris, you should definitely pursue it. For reference, here's a cool action shot: (Source: Disney Parks Blog.) In closing: I'm a very, very big fan of the Busch parks. I've gotten the impression before that Animal Kingdom was supposed to be Disney's/Eisner's attempt to keep people from spending a day at Busch Gardens Tampa. Many of the same sources made me believe that it wouldn't be very good--I've read many reviews where people name it their least-favorite park at Disney World. Whoever those people are, I couldn't have any more different of an opinion of the place. Animal Kingdom is definitely my favorite park there. It doesn't have a huge lead on Epcot, but it does have the lead. The attention to detail is just jaw-dropping, DinoLand excluded. If I had one day to spend at WDW again sometime soon, I'd be very tempted to spend a full day at Animal Kingdom. I'd love to try some more of the specialized food, I still haven't managed to see a show at a Disney park (AK has several), I need to see Rivers of Light, and I'm sure Avatar will be something to behold. I'd add some more thoughts on Avatar, but frankly, I've been working on this post for 3 hours, it's 11pm, and I'm old. Maybe I'll loop back around to it at the end. When daydreaming, I sometimes will think about what I would include in a third Busch park. BGW is themed to Europe, while BGT's domain is Africa. I can't help but wonder what a modern Asian Busch park might look like. Whatever I was planning, Disney completely blew it out of the water with AK's Asia section. It is probably my favorite non-Potter themed park area. Like I said before, I've had the opportunity to go to India, and "Anandapur"/Asia brought up some great nostalgia and emotions I associate with my trip there. The Hindi on the signage was such a cool touch, and the weathered look to most things was very true to the real thing. (I'm really kicking myself for not learning more Hindi when I've studied it in the past... It would have been really cool to be able to understand what was written on the signs and possibly find more Easter eggs.) ------------------------------------------------------------------ See? Told you it would be a novel. Part two is coming eventually; I'll cover my trip to Epcot, then Hollywood Studios, then back to Epcot.

Actually it's fair. If I recall Banshee's first rider shirt debacle with people scoring multiple shirts Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

They might only be giving first rider shirts to people taking part in the first rider auction. Does anyone know what Cedar Point did with t-shirts and their first rider auction? edit: heh, simul-post with Chris

Details now released on the website: https://www.visitkingsisland.com/events/things-to-do/events-and-promotions/Exclusive-Gold-Pass-Preview/?mobile=0 Friday April 14; 4-10PM Appears to be open to all gold and platinum passholders regardless of renewal.