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Showing content with the highest reputation on 12/03/2018 in all areas

  1. Hi everyone, Back in 2008, I visited Jungle Jim's and wrote a story for this site about the park's former monorail which was (at the time) being repurposed there. I was accompanied by Keith, a KIC member and former monorail operator. Years later, I finally got to ride the thing with @BoddaH1994. I dug up some of my old photos, cleaned em up, and put together a new story that tells the tale of the monorail at both Jungle Jim's and Kings Island. You can read the full thing here: http://queencitydiscovery.blogspot.com/2018/12/jungle-jims-monorail.html There are also some fantastic resources out there that helped me cobble together the story (admittedly it's a bit brief on my site, but these two links are GREAT reads): 1) Ty's thread from 2011 2) This great piece on the KI website by the talented @Shaggy.
    8 points
  2. We got our picture taken with Santa and this was one of the best Santas around!
    5 points
  3. Beastie is a name I really wish we could have back. ...and have remain as such, regardless of what theme the surrounding kids' area takes on.
    4 points
  4. Was supposed to have ended yesterday. https://www.wcpo.com/news/local-news/hamilton-county/cincinnati/skystar-observation-wheel-will-stay-through-june-16
    2 points
  5. WinterFest was a return to the "old" KI for me last year, with a current day twist. I think the park is adding in nostalgic treats for us old school folks and look forward to seeing what they have planned down the road. International Street was absolutely the most incredible thing I have seen at Kings Island. When the lighting ceremony counts down, it actually feels like the buildings are beaming with pride and dancing. It really is electric.
    2 points
  6. And, as you can see in the above picture, the train has been lifted up on jacks. The trains are fired by liquid propane, which is denser than air. Because of that, having a traditional maintenance pit could be lethal for those working on the trains. So instead, they will jack the train up off its wheels to do the necessary maintenance.
    2 points
  7. Got ya... The Banshee one was confusing, but I could see the park giving a nod to history with changing Diamondback to King Chaos as a nod to King Cobra.
    2 points
  8. I'm gonna rename every KI Coaster after The Beast Adventure Express- Beast Express Backlot Stunt Coaster- Beast lot Stunt Coaster Banshee- Beastshee Bat- Flying Beast Beast- Beast Diamondback- Snake Beast Flight of Fear- Flight of Beast Flying Ace Aerial Chase- Flying Beast Aerial Chase Great Pumpkin Coaster- Great Beast Coaster Invertigo- Invetibeast Mystic Timbers- Beastic Timbers Racer- Racing Beast Surf Dog- Surfing Beast Vortex- Looping Beast Woodstock Express- Beastie
    2 points
  9. Rivertown has changed a lot over the years. While Mystic with its theming is a return to form for the area, I still miss the green tunnel (a great transition from the kids area to Rivertown), the Blacksmith shop, and KCKC.
    2 points
  10. I was just looking at Google, and saw something very interesting. I've taken a screen snip to post here of what I saw, but either the Google machine has something wrong, or names are changing on rides in the coming season....
    1 point
  11. I'll post some photos that I took later today, but for now, here's this: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/473792823282745243/
    1 point
  12. They worked that out a while back. They're going to build a pier off the floodwall then put the wheel on that instead: https://local12.com/news/local/newport-officials-approve-sale-of-bonds-for-skywheel I haven't heard anything else as far as when construction is supposed to start though
    1 point
  13. The Northern Kentucky one wasn't approved by the Army Corp of Engineers because of it comprising the strength of the levee and flood wall. Honestly, a permanent ferris wheel on the Ohio side of the river would look fantastic.
    1 point
  14. It was nice seeing you tonight and yes it was awesome doing the last ride. My husband got a kick hearing you during the ride! Lol
    1 point
  15. I really hope not because I got the word "Diamondback" tattooed on my arm so I hope they don't change it.
    1 point
  16. Millennium Force (10) vs. Adventure Express (4)Top Thrill Dragster (9) vs. Blue Streak (5)Steel Vengeance (10) vs. Flight of Fear (1)Diamondback (10) vs. The Racer (4)The Beast (6) vs. Mystic Timbers (8)Magnum XL-200 (10) vs. Rougarou (3)Banshee (10) vs. Raptor (1)Vortex (4) vs. Maverick (10) Sorry @TombRaiderFTW and @VortexBFForever
    1 point
  17. Silver Dollar City probably does a better job with the lights. They have lights on every board of every building. I would rate both equivalent on the amount of entertainment, although Cedar Fairs entertainment excels over Herschends hokey entertainment in general (Hershend has some outstanding talent, but their shows are generally not that well produced). But nothing compares to the awe of International Street for Christmas.
    1 point
  18. I wish I lived closer to the park...there is just so much to see and do at Winterfest! On our 2 day trip it was not even possible to get everything in. No regrets though, still had a great time.
    1 point
  19. I went for a few hours again tonight and had a blast! I rode Flight of Cheer twice (the last ride ended up being a lights on ride on the last train on the night- thanks to @harmony29 and her husband who encouraged me to wait as it was worth it!), saw 4 Drummers Drumming, Mr. and Mrs. T, and even ran into Chef Major and Woodstock! I also rode the train and Mystic Timbers. My next trip will be Friday.
    1 point
  20. It'd only be here so it wouldn't get fined. ...Wondering if someone gets the reference...
    1 point
  21. I've been to WinterFest three nights now and am encouraged by all the improvements made this year to what was already a spectacular event. They've made better use of all the spaces, improving performance "venues" for "Four Drummers Drumming", "The Mistletones" and of course, "What the Dickens" and "A Peanuts Guide to Christmas." "Tinker's Toy Factory" feels even more polished and the trolley show seems to have better sound and a more cohesive cast this year. I'm a big fan of "The Sounds of the Nativity" as a bit of a hidden gem in that corner of the park with truly the best vocalists Entertainment has to offer. "Jingle Jazz" sounds great this year, too. The lights are gorgeous all over the park - especially in Coney - and I'm glad they turned the lake red/green instead of the odd purple it was last year (though that was pretty and different.) Food operations is still a bit frustrating, with the Chicken Shack having to pull security guards in one night to hand out food. I did have the roast beef at the Smokehouse and it was delicious and there was no wait. I had the buffet at the Reds Hall of Fame Grille (I-Street was closed that night) and was surprised by the quality of the food. We got there when it opened (which was about 5:45 for some reason... can we put up a sign and get consistent with our opening times, please?). The turkey was juicy. The ham was perfectly cooked, especially on the ends and the maple glaze was very tasty. The mashed potatoes were out of this world and I didn't mind the bag of cookies, though I did think it odd that they made the poor cashier hand those out on top of all the buttons he had to push (seriously, it was like he was entering launch codes for NASA just to ring me up.). Oh! And the hot chocolate - from the places that can get it "from the tap" (instead of a bucket) is pretty great... especially back on the path to Winterfest Way where she gave me marshmallows, whipped creams and chocolate sauce. I can't wait to see what's in store for next year's event now and I am hopeful that they are learning about how much people enjoy Entertainment offerings in the park and will increase that budget back to the days when we had 5 or 6 quality shows (at least).
    1 point
  22. Of all the nights to have bought out..
    1 point
  23. The International Restaurant has a different, more upscale menu than the Red's Grill. From memory the Red's Grill has Turkey, ham, stuffing, sweet potato casserole, green bean casserole, breads and that's all I can remember at the moment (Bodda may remember more). As for the International restaurant below is a pic I took of the menu. They also have a cash bar to the left at the top of the stairs! If they are open or not is dependent on company sell-outs. I have told them they need to post when these are so people can plan accordingly. I would love to take my wife to the International buffet but would like to know when it is available to the general public. (Hopefully Don H. can help with this?) Most food places have special holiday menu options below is from the festhaus: Hope this helps....
    1 point
  24. No disrespect meant towards local tastes but I would put Subway 3 or 4 tiers above either of those. So...I guess I am with you on that.
    1 point
  25. So you're hoping for more upcharge? You sir are a true blue Kings Island supporter.
    1 point
  26. Not a picture inside the house, but probably one of the best photos of the house. Definitely shows how big the house is in comparison to the Fort. From Bing overview a few years back.
    1 point
  27. They are both unique in their own special ways, like I really love the theming for Mystic Timbers however The Beast is an instant classic with record breaking length and great timing, so in my opinon they are both awesome and neither is greater than the other. (Plus they both fit the theming in RiverTown )
    1 point
  28. I put this in another thread somewhere, but to recap: Turkey was decent, didn’t try the ham (ham is gross. Change my mind.), stuffing was on point, mash potatoes were excellent, green bean casserole wasn’t bad, rolls were dry and flat. Some reviews on FB were saying the food was slow to come out, and I can see where that comes from. Over all good experience. Well worth the $5 upcharge.
    1 point
  29. And worth the $5.00 upcharge in my opinion. The only critique I would have there is the cookies. They hand them out in bags. At least they were on Friday last week. I was expecting some homemade cookies on the buffet, not a bag of frozen cookies.
    1 point
  30. We are planning on going this Sunday, it will be our first WF visit this year. Loved it last year so can't wait! Thinking about trying the buffet at the Reds HOF Grill. I read somewhere that it is a $5 upcharge for Gold Pass members, is that correct? Is it an all you can eat style buffet or just fill your plate once? Here's hoping for a non capacity packed park on Sunday. Weather is looking unseasonably warm so that will probably bring out a lot of people who would otherwise not venture into the cold. Either way it will be great I'm sure.
    1 point
  31. The train is the same. It's not "bad" it's just not mind blowing in the way that the rest of Winterfest is. However, it is pretty obvious that I Street was the focus for 2017, Coney was the focus for 2018, so we can hope and assume that Rivertown will be the focus for 2019 and perhaps the train ride experience will be upgraded with the rest of that section of the park.
    1 point
  32. One of the many reasons I like KIC is becuase for the most part it is Real. Members can share their Real experiences both positive and negative with few exceptions. I understand that some do not like to hear negative comments about something they feel passionate about but the alternative in my view is much worse. If every post reads like it came out of the PR Departement why even have a site like KIC? Just read the PR blog and Twitter feed. Those have their place but so do people’s critical take on their experiences. There is truth there. Sometimes it is highly biased but without different viewpoints what you are left with is very distorted. That is not what I want and it concerns me that there are those that do. There have been many occasions that my critical viewpoint on an issue at the park has been changed or at least softened by my interactions with other members here. I highly respect our moderating team and feel they get it right the vast majority of the time but I also do not agree with all the decisions and that is okay. The day people stop criticizing and complaining on this site is the day it becomes meaninless to the free expression of ideas. I hope that day never comes.
    1 point
  33. I like different aspects of each coaster. I enjoy The Beast's double helix, the multiple tunnels, secluded placement and night time rides. On the other hand, I like the quick directional and smooth changes of direction on Mystic Timbers. I also had a really good night ride this year. Plus I enjoy the first drop's design. I'm just happy that KI has a nice collection of world class coasters for me and my family to enjoy.
    1 point
  34. 1 point
  35. Two of my family members did, and liked it...but not only was I mad* at that point, I really only wanted "the view" and not the food. *So why was I mad? We arrived at the park at opening on Friday to be greeted with the "Not available/ corporate event sign"...so I decided to politely tell Guest Relations how I felt about this. I talked to what appeared to be a knowledgeable older gentleman. I explained that we come from Illinois, only make one trip to Winterfest a year...but we do come two days in a row. I explained what is a common complaint here...to arrive at the park and not know if the experience will or won't be available. He apologized for the situation. I then told him that we would be back tomorrow/Saturday night and asked him if it would be available to the public., he said YES, there was no corporate buy out. We arrive Saturday to find it was a corporate sell out. I was more than mad...so mad I didn't even want to go into Guest Relations at that point....I waited until the end of the evening and told them what had happened. This time I talked to a younger guy. He is the one who told me that the policy had changed...they were now making it clear on the website if it was going to be available to the pubic....according to him they updated the website at midnight Friday night.
    0 points
  36. Back in the day, this (or a version of) was hung on the wall in the Admin conference room at KI (Same one used in the Brady episode - which often gets confused for the conference room in the old International Restaurant - not the same.) There were also aerial shots of other KECO parks (KD, Canada's Wonderland, Australia's Wonderland) - a holdover from the early 1980's massive KECO expansion period. Later they were replaced (during Paramount days) with updated aerials of Paramount Parks - PKD, PGA etc. I know personally that all pre-Paramount files, photos, press releases etc etc etc were not kept by the park. They were all discarded during a sweeping "cleansing" of the parks in the 1990s/2000's. You'd be shocked at how much documentation was destroyed by the park during the Paramount Tenure. I know because I personally saw it happen and many of my most prized KI historical items were "salvaged" during the purge...
    0 points
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