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Took this photo on Saturday night....can we talk about how awesome it looks and a great added touch it is?

Some are here because they never get bored of KI.

Two words: Phantom Theater.

Since we have many members wanting to be apart of the KIC podcast here is your opportunity. We are looking to create a few podcasts with multiple members as guests. We will want to know why you would be a good guest for the podcast. Keep in mind that the audience is not just KIC members. We put the podcast on itunes so we are looking to talk to any fans of the park and the industry. To be considered please do the following! Create a PM to @IndyGuy4KI and @CoastersRZ using the subject: KIC Podcast with your screen name. Example: KIC Podcast - IndyuGuy4KI In your subject tell us why you would be a good guest on the podcast. The more details you give us the more likely we will have you on the show. A few examples: You were a former park employee who has stories to share with us when you worked there. You have a degree in a field used at the park and can give us some perspective on certain things. You are a KI historian with lots of park history to share. You have 5,000 rides on DB and want to share your story. Let us know if you are current park employee. (If you do not share this you will not be considered.) Include your Full Name and phone # so we can call you if needed. We look forward to hearing from you and potentially having you on the show!

I don't drink soda at all. I have the drink plan (disposable cups) and use it to get tea, water, powerade and lemonade.

You're right, locals wouldn't buy it... when I saw this was available last year for this year, to me 500 seemed cheap for unlimited fast passes and I assumed they would sell out so I grabbed them quick, but yeah as a local why need to spend the money..to me though it seems cheap. 40 visits Fast Lane is 12.50$ a visit. Cost of Wendy's for 2

Lol... it’s just an amusement park, not nirvana. I don’t think anyone in the region really considers it a lifetime quest, like going to Dizzyworld. It’s only a day out for fun. For me, if the lines are long it’s a no go. With a gold pass, I have all summer to ride the rides I want to ride. This year I’m planning on enjoying Haunt and Winterfest and summer is only an extra benefit.

I am trying to understand this post. I think that you believe the Fast Lane pass is another tier of annual pass? The problem is that this is an add-on to an annual pass, you still have to buy an annual pass. The minimum break even looks like six busy holidays or Saturdays. In my view if you are doing any math at all trying to figure out if this is worth it then it most likely is not the right item for you. If you only visit the park a few times do you really need a Fast Lane every visit?

No thank you. Will never understand why anyone would pay extra to ride rides they’ve ridden a hundred times before.

And I thought this guy was bad.

Oh, you mean the ash trees down by The Beast MCBR that have been laying there since last spring? Try harder. Next you'll be on about the skids there with wood that is clearly meant for repairs on Beast itself.

Please note the lack of Japanese Steele-built roller coasters in the background.

Not sure Kings Island is quite the place for those entirely dedicated to preserving themselves. For those throwing caution to the wind, however, it's quite inspiring.

Well you can find me in the smoking section drinking my diet Coke.. LOL but I feel pretty good every day

But they could use the terrain to go over 400ft if they got creative.

That's similar to what I had months ago

How could my work of art stoop so low =(

Now that opening day has passed I’m REALLY looking forward to Coasterstock! It’s just a month away now!

Sure. It will be interesting to see how well it is attended. This short clip Tony posted is so cute. It makes it look like a kiddy coaster and should be in a Planet/Camp Snoopy.

While 40 visits is probably a bit more than I could handle, if I were more local 20-25 wouldn’t be out of the question. FL+ is also good for a few slides at SC and my kids want to spend at least a few hours there every visit. The wait for Zoom Flume is unbearable except for the most dead days. They let so many people up the tower I am not sure of its value for the other slides however. Many don’t have a flexible work schedule and so weekends/holidays are the only time they can go. Just like a season pass enables more frequent shorter visits so does this. Local and have a few spare hours on Saturday afternoon? Pop on over and you can get a lot done. It just sucks for the rest of us when they do not throttle the FL line AT ALL, which I see all to frequently.

I don’t know. You can deck your tween out with all the bells and whistles for about $800 for the entire summer. That’s less that than 3 weeks of camp. Not what I would do but you know there are parents that do.

^ My Overall Rivertown Theme Hypothesis: it's this small town with a Railroad and various shops, however, the town hides horrible secrets, note-ably with the Mining Company (Home to The Beast) and the Logging Company (Mystic Timbers & Its Shed). Based on one of the 3 shed endings (spoilers?) that Diamondback is a huge monster snake that escaped from the shed, and now also terrorizes the town. A river also runs through the woods which people can take raft rides on (White Water Canyon). Coney Mall is just a old fashioned amusement park, on the surface at least, featuring classic flat rides, old school roller coasters like Racer & Vortex, etc etc. They are also filming the car chase scene for a upcoming action movie here (Backlot Stunt Coaster), and they are looking for actors for that. However, hidden in a secret area behind The Racer, is X-Base, a government testing facility home to Hangar 18 (Flight of Fear) and its UFO, as well as a government machine to test human flight, known as Project Firehawk. Now, the other full areas I don't know/have not made up stories for, but based on the lore I have read/seen or made up, I can add at least some individual rides to the overall Kings Island storyline: Adventure Express: A railway designed to take government employees from near X-Base to Outpost 5, the other government base in the area where the Aircraft Carrier was located. However, the idiots building it made Track #2 go through a ancient forbidden temple, causing horrible things to happen on that track. Due to this, Track #2 has been closed for good, but somehow, on occasion (AKA every time you ride the coaster) the railway switches to Track #2, sending riders into the forbidden temple. Son of Beast: Yes, this ride is gone, but it's storyline is still connected in ways. Government Agents studying The Beast in Rivertown stumbled upon a cave, and there was a baby Beast inside. It is not known if the father Beast knew of his existence or not, but the Agents kidnapped the young creature and returned to Outpost 5, where the aircraft carrier was docked. This government base was also hidden, behind a well-known movie studio. In addition to studying the creature, the scientists at Outpost 5 decided to give steroids and growth hormones to it as well for research purposes, causing Son of Beast to grow incredibly massive and become very aggressive. The people in charge of Outpost 5 grew worried as Son of Beast kept attacking search vehicle after search vehicle, causing many injuries. They stopped giving him the steroids and neutered him, hoping he would become less aggressive, but it only marginally worked as Son of Beast continued to attack more search vehicles. Eventually, the General decided enough was enough and ordered Son of Beast to be killed. It took a while, and they say Son of Beast killed many of the soldiers trying to kill him, but eventually they did it. However, little did they know, this would be the undoing of Outpost 5! Banshee: When Son of Beast died, his blood soaked the ground. Little did most working there know, Outpost 5 was built on a former graveyard. With his last breath, Son of Beast wished vengeance on those who killed him. One of the spirits in the graveyard, known only as Banshee, heard Son of Beast's dying wish...and decided she would act upon it. The first of the loud screams was heard that very night. As days passed, mysterious things began to happen to the Soldiers, Scientists, and Agents: their drinks would turn into blood, their vehicles would randomly malfunction (sometimes even blowing up!), and they would have horrible nightmares and wake up screaming: "Banshee IS COMING! Banshee IS COMING!!!" Many soldiers, agents, and scientists quit their jobs and fled, but some remained. About 2 weeks later, the screams were heard again, but this time, Banshee herself appeared and began to terrorize and destroy the base! Since she is a ghost, bullets and bombs were useless against her. Nearly everyone either died, or ran away as fast as they could in pure terror. Banshee had taken over Outpost 5. She created a new tombstone for the fallen Son of Beast, with a flame atop it that is said to never go out. She also allowed a nearby Bat colony to overtake the army's aircraft carrier, and a pack of Werewolves were allowed to call the former Son of Beast search vehicle station home where they would not be persecuted by normal humans. The movie studio next door, unaware what had fully happened (they saw some explosions and heard the screams, but did not know the government base had been destroyed) remains in operation to this day, however, after Banshee took over Outpost 5 their hurricane-simulation prop, Delirium, changed colors mysteriously. The government has now abandoned Outpost 5, and has instead decided to focus its efforts on its studies in X-Base and Rivertown for the time being. And well, that's about all my Kings Island ride backstory head-canons. I really have nothing for I-Street other than it being a street with shops, probably in Paris, and Oktoberfest is just a small German Town, and Planet Snoopy is hard to make a backstory for that fits this overall storyline. I hope people enjoyed this story lore dump I came up with.

A little known fact many of you don't know. Before every season, Don ventures to The Home Depot and goes to the "Trolling Wood" section of the lumberyard. The trolling wood comes in long planks that are made into fences which are slightly taller than the average human being, but are not tall enough that someone can't hold a camera overhead. The fences have very small holes and cracks that offer limited visibility, but just enough to cause curiosity among coaster nerds. Don also buys multiple colored flags that can be decorated around random trees which can cause unnecessary excitement throughout the coaster community.

Lose enough weight to fit my fat butt on Drop Tower

Maverick was down quite a bit last year, one of my best friends was the supervisor at Maverick and I got a daily update.

Another Giga theory over in DA!

If a tree falls in the forest and and no enthusiast is around to hear it, is it for a giga?

April 14 (along with the 13th) was a day for which many of us waited with great anticipation. Now, whether we believe it or not, that day has come. My first ever day of work at Kings Island was on Opening Day, April 15, 2017, and I wanted to repeat that this year by making April 14, 2018 my first day of my second season as a ride operator at WindSeeker and Vortex! After passing the growing line for the parking tolls that was almost backing up onto Kings Island Drive, I arrived at the park at 8:40. Apparently, many fellow associates had also arrived this early, as I had to wait in a long line to go through security and enter the park. But the line moved fairly quickly and I entered the park just before 9:00. As soon as I walked onto International Street, "The High and the Mighty" boomed over the speakers! I was so excited to hear instrumental music on International Street once again for the first time since last August (and WinterFest)! With a warmed up chocolate chip muffin and a Mocha Frappuccino in my hand (plus the Chicken McGriddle I got at McDonalds ) as I had not eaten breakfast prior to my long 45 minute commute, I met up with my crew and we headed back to our rides! While we were doing startups, I felt as if it had not been five and a half months since my last work day at Vortex. My experience and training had become so second nature that I could literally pick up where I left off from last year! Part of me was excited beyond belief that I was once again back at my favorite place, but the other part of me couldn't believe it had been so long, especially with how I picked up my work so easily! At 9:50, one of the most-anticipated moments of my whole winter finally came to be: my 494th ride on Vortex (a.k.a. my first morning test ride of 2018!) finally happened! And it was so much fun! It was smooth too, as the trains have all new wheels (which is typical for the beginning of the season) which always makes for a smooth(er) ride! I loved flying through those six inversions again...aboard Train #1, the same train that took me on the first test ride last year!! As the park opened at 9:58 (seriously, the park opened two minutes early! ), my drive retraining got underway. I spent the first hour reviewing everything I must know about Vortex's most responsible position, and subsequently became a recertified driver. After that came my first drive hour of the season! I don't even need to mention that I was so happy to be back at the panel, driving my favorite ride. But I'm mentioning it anyway. At approximately 11:30, it began to rain. Vortex runs fairly well in the rain as long as the ride doesn't get wet enough to impede safe operation, so I wasn't too worried. But I kept a closer eye on things just in case, as we were still running all three trains. At 11:40, we got the call to close for weather. WindSeeker closed as well. Soon after that, I went on break. One thing I love about my break happening during a weather-related closure is that I can literally eat my lunch in Vortex's station, since no guests are there. Once I got my food, I took it back to Vortex to eat. However, I noticed something strange... WindSeeker and Vortex were the only rides closed. ALL the other rides were still open. Usually when closing in anticipation of inclement weather, all the other tower rides and roller coasters close in a matter of minutes, but not this time. Diamondback, Eiffel Tower and Drop Tower (which are normally among the first to close) were still open! So why weren't we?? Once I got back to Vortex and told my crewmates, we got the matter clarified and we reopened Vortex just after noon, though WindSeeker remained closed for a little while longer. So I instead ate my lunch in the drive box, sitting on the floor out of view of the arriving guests who were eager to ride the newly reopened Vortex. Then a cool opportunity came up. As I ate, I thought it would be cool if I got to ride, since there was still no line and a nearly empty station. So I asked if I could ride, and I got the green light! I excitedly hopped aboard the back row and I was off on my 495th ride on Vortex. It had cooled down considerably since the late morning shower, which made for a fairly chilly ride. But it was no less fun, especially with that lovely ejector air on one of the best first drops at Kings Island! After that ride, I quickly returned to my lunch since my break was almost over. Now I can say I got to ride Vortex during my break, especially since it would not have happened had we NOT closed for weather!! Talk about great timing. My next hour was at Unload, more specifically Back Unload as we had four people working on the floor. It started raining again so I still watched the trains as they came into the brakes, ensuring everything was still A-OK (which it was, thankfully!). It was cool seeing how well the ride was operating in the rain with all three trains, as on many a rainy day we usually run only two. I loved getting to check restraints again, though sometimes my hand felt otherwise. After my one hour on the floor for today, I was back at Drive! It's not unusual for me to end up with more than one drive hour; apparently last year's theme of multiple drive hours even during a single Open or Close shift (as well as working only one hour at WindSeeker and the rest at Vortex) had carried over to this year, as my supervisors know how much I love Vortex. Right as this hour concluded and we had begun to rotate, I noticed @whengodsaysgo waving from the queue line, and I also saw @NoChickens, Mrs. NoChickens, @Magenta Lizard, @MDMC01, @malem, and even @jcgoble3 among others! I waved back from the drive box and even said hello over the mic, as well as told that I was now at 495 rides on Vortex. I think I also saw @PKIVortex earlier that hour, in his usual 7-1 seat, if I remember correctly. I asked my supervisor (who was taking my spot at Drive for the next hour) if I could send one more train (which had most of you aboard), and he let me send that train and its KIC passengers rolling out of the station. For the last hour of my shift I would be at Op-3 at WindSeeker. WindSeeker had just started a cycle when I left the drive box, so I had a few minutes before I absolutely had to be there. I chose to use that time to meet the KIC group at the exit, which was fun especially when I saw that @jcgoble3 had AGAIN come out of his Vortex retirement. After talking with the group for a few moments, I scooted over to WindSeeker since its ongoing cycle had concluded. There I spent the next hour assigning seats (which once again felt like it had NOT been five and a half months since I did so) and greeting the riders seated in my section while checking their lap bars. And just like that, it was time for me to clock out. Never had a six-hour shift flown by so fast. But my day wasn't done yet... ...as I had brought a change of clothes so I could be a guest and ride a few rides after work before I had to leave at 6! On my way out I noticed that Diamondback had only a station wait. A STATION WAIT on Opening Day?!?!?!! Just after 4:00, I entered the park as a guest for the first time of this season. I decided to swing by Build-A-Bear Workshop and see if they had any park-specific apparel yet that I could get for Toothless. Speaking of Toothless... ---he got to meet his display look-a-like. As for apparel, there was some Cincinnati-themed apparel but no Kings Island apparel. I walked up International Street as the beautiful tune "Circus Fantasy" from the "Water For Elephants" (2011) soundtrack played. I walked a little more slowly than usual so I could listen. Then I headed into Planet Snoopy and hopped aboard Log #17 on the Flume. Yes, I rode Flume. It may have been barely warmer than 60 degrees, but that didn't stop me. I was going to get wet anyway in the rain. Besides, Toothless had never ridden it so I took him on his first Flume ride! I (we) of course got a little wet, just how I like it on water rides. A little wet, but not drenched. Next, I headed across the way to Diamondback. As Diamond-stack was living up to its name for understandable reasons, the line had grown a little but it was still only five minutes -- which is GREAT for a day like Opening Day!! Where I was standing in this photo was how long the line was! Since Diamondback is not a no-loose-articles-in-line ride, Toothless is able to come through the line with me. However, he is not able to ride (not even while strapped to my fanny pack) due to the open seating. So he waited in the loose article bin while I rode Row 14 on the Red train for my first ride with the new seats and clamshells, which was also my 110th ride on Diamondback! It had started sprinkling again just before my ride, which made for my official first ride in the rain on Diamondback! I closed my eyes on the first several drops, feeling the rain drops hit my face as we plunged downward. It felt so cool to float in my seat but not see where I'm going! While my train waited on the brakes, I saw the line now reaching to below the lift where the train leaves the station. I decided one Diamondback ride was good for today as I did not have much time left. You know where I headed to next. I walked on to the back row for my 496th ride on Vortex in the rain, which had once again lightened. Another fairly smooth ride (and airtime!) ensued. Now, you likely saw in my earlier photos including WindSeeker that it was getting pretty windy up there. I went right to WindSeeker after riding Vortex so I could get in a 'Seeker flight in case it would later have to close for wind. What the photos show does no justice to just how windy it was 256 feet up. My first flight, in Seat 53 and to the tune of How to Train Your Dragon's "Test Drive" (quite appropriate since I had Toothless with me), was fun yet crazy because of the rain and the wind (and it was CHILLY!!). The last time I had a flight this windy was several years ago. This kind of flight is my favorite, especially since Kings Island's WindSeeker is the most reliable of its kind in the whole Cedar Fair chain, so I don't have to worry (as much) about getting stuck. I'm not even scared when the gondolas swing back and forth, even with the increased adrenaline that comes with having the gondola in front come within several feet of my gondola mid-flight, as well as feeling my seat slow down/speed up as the wind pushes it. I think it's exciting and adds to the thrill! Not to mention those additional shock absorbers that were installed in 2012 really come in handy for days like these. My 120th flight on WindSeeker I will definitely remember! After 'Seeker landed me back on the ground without fail, I headed back to Vortex and rode it again, this time in 2-1 as the front row was taken, for another nice, smooth (and chilly!) ride! Then I came back to WindSeeker for another crazy flight. This time I was in Seat 63, so I was right by Op-2 where two of my crewmates were. This cycle's soundtrack was my favorite, "Flying" from Peter Pan. I enjoyed my second windy, chilly flight of the season! I loved being back on WindSeeker and seeing the surrounding area from 256 feet in the air. ^If you look closely in this one, you can see a train on Diamondback, as well as a Vortex train hiding behind the loops! I started heading over towards The Beast to take advantage of its five-minute line, but I later decided that I should have Toothless' first ride on The Beast be at night (as it was going to be at night because I was going to ride it with Toothless at last year's Exclusive Ride Night, but that night's thunderstorm beat me to it) so I didn't go for it. Meanwhile, I discovered views of Vortex that normally coudn't be seen because the leaves would block it. So I spent fifteen minutes just photographing Vortex though the trees and enjoying those interesting views. ^I caught two trains in this photo!! It was almost 6, so I made my way back to International Street and left the park. By the next time I walk through the gates of Kings Island, I will have finished my spring semester (hopefully strongly) of my freshman year at Cedarville University, including enduring four final exams. I have a lot of work in between me and that day, but completing that work confidently will make my return to Kings Island more rewarding! Though I did not do everything I had planned today, an entire season lies ahead! There will be other days when crowds are this light. +Vortex: 4 Total: 497 (As of now I plan to take #500 in early May, hopefully May 4) +Race For Your Life Charlie Brown a.k.a. Flume: 1 Total: 11 +Diamondback: 1 Total: 110 +WindSeeker: 2 Total: 121

Banshee is a good example. Really long brake section, and no MCBR.

The B&M Giga's (Leviathan and Fury 325) have exceptionally long brake sections. Thus, removing the need for a mid course. I wouldn't say it would need a MCBR for an inversion...if anything, trims could be used..but these companies as they design the rides have the ability to design where a natural slow down could occur for said inversion.

I was not that impressed with Goliath at Six Flags over Georgia. I personally do not mind mid course brake runs.

I am guessing if they go B&M they will have a MCBR for capacity. Side note: Unless the train needs stopped due to blocking, why do they need to stop/slow you there? I have never understood that.

I can't make till May 6th ugggh That will be trip #1 of many though. Another Giga idea...not to scale I know but still lol

@Maverick44 I will be there Friday and Sunday.

Yawn......so anyone going to the park this weekend?

No not at all.. Have been more then that in recent years and never got bored. I'm bored waiting to go

Well, it's also strange because, as weird as some of Six Flags' practices are, they still throw their small parks some bones a bit more often then Cedar Fair does for parks like Dorney, WOF, Valleyfair, and MIA. Heck, SIX is even starting to pay attention more to La Ronde and SFM now. Great Escape even got a new flat this year.

I just started it so I can't remember

I'm watching it on Hulu right now. "Sup Witches?

They would have cleared it before hand, like every other time. They couldn't get the equipment they need to the spots for the footings.

I'll tell you what isn't though...

I love it. Can we make the track pink B&M instead of green Intamin?

I have goosebumps!!! This made my day!

@King Ding Dong Dont forget to yell at yourself afterwords for line jumping.

Maverick is saying that Maverick didn't go on Maverick that much last year?

I agree, at the time to be honest I never thought of someone being injured, i would just thought worst case my phone would fall and I'd lose it, but after this Saturday having someone's sunglasses fly back and smack me in the arm and the mark they left, yeah I could only imagine a cell phone coming back and smacking someone in the face could be brutal So stupid and boneheaded maybe was the right choice of words

Dude, I have some bad news for you. It is March 31st, I think you overslept.

Man we all look miserable! lol

I had submitted an idea nine or ten years ago. Something like this: