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Well…I will “prime the well” so to speak…looking forward to seeing some good pictures from Grand Carnivale.

Orion made a good first impression on me last year with the 10 rides we were able to get on it, but this year on our trip I enjoyed it even more with the full trains. We were fortunate to get 14 more rides, 8 of them coming in row 8. It's moved past Millennium now into my 2nd spot among the 5 Cedar Fair GIGAs, behind only Fury (in 1st by a wide margin). It was really enjoyable from start to finish, and that first drop is spectacular in rows 7 or 8.

You should buy @KIghostguy 's book!

For our Cedar Point trip this week (Tues-Fri) it was very busy each day. On Friday, they ran two trains, which I hadn't personally observed in years. I had heard it was common on Fall Saturdays, but both Myron H and GA Boeckling were running, and it was great to see. We did a full lap on both.

Finally made it to get the Carnivale experience last night. @electricsun and I purchase a tasting card and it was a fun experience going around and trying the different foods. The stage was hopping the whole time and kids were having such a great time. The parade was awesome and I do like the later start to enjoy the lights on the floats that others have mentioned. We treated the evening like a date night and not a park trip. It was a really fun experience between the food, entertainment, and the atmosphere. We loved the whole Grand Carnivale experience start to finish. We definitely recommend the season pass holder tasting card. Some tents had really long lines and the line spread right across the whole midway blocking it. I was confused as to why someone wasn't directing people to line up away from the midway or setting up switchbacks, especially at the China and Italy tent.

it seems Cedar Fair really cut back on their song licensing fees this year. The same playlists are being used at multiple shows at different parks under different show names. And then there is the horrible outdated music loops playing all day long in the parks.

Watched (and participated in) the parade tonight and it was awesome. From where I stood (on the corner of Coney Mall in front of those games at the intersection of Coney and Area 72), the audio seemed a little softer, but I had a great time. After it passed by, the guy at the end appreciated my enthusiasm so much, he let me join in and follow them 'till the end. During the parade run, I saw a ton of people I knew and that was so much fun. On an unrelated note, tonight was more of a "party" night than a ride night, so instead of riding rides, I saw Busker Jam before the parade and participated in the Area 72 dance party afterwards. It was a fun night!!!

Don, thanks for clearing that up. I know this is unrelated but let me tell you guys, the Grand Carnival is one great event. Colorful, energetic, Almost as good as Winterfest, which is magical.

I think Kings Island has five standout coasters: Orion, Banshee, Diamondback, Mystic Timbers, and The Beast. If you were to put any one of these coasters at ValleyFair, Michigans’ Adventure or probably over 90% of the amusement parks on the planet, it would be their best coaster and would surely standout. Leviathan is a standout coaster for Canada’s Wonderland and most that feel Orion is slightly superior to Leviathan. But Orion doesn’t stand out at Kings Island the way Leviathan does at Canada’s Wonderland due to the fact that Canada’s Wonderland doesn’t have near the supporting cast that Kings Island does. In fact, Leviathan is the standout attraction in all of Canada and Orion is still a tad better. The fact that Kings Island has five coasters that are very close to each other in terms of quality doesn’t allow for any single coaster to standout on it own. I actually like that Orion doesn’t completely overshadow all other rides like some rides do at their respective parks. The other coasters get to keep their appeal. There’s now just more variety. Orion was a very good fit for the park I would even venture to say that the majority of park goers would rather have an Orion over a Veloicoaster, SteVe, Maverick, X2 or The Voyage. The size, the speed, the looks, the drop. It’s just more attractive to more people. Nothing you put at Kings Island is going to standout with the lineup they have anyway, not SteVe, not Veloicicoaster, not The Voyage. It’s just people’s preference for what they prefer. Not everyone prefers the most intense ride. Intensity does not maketh the most superior experience.

There are now two big head balloons. This is not a drill.

A Gerstlauer Sky Roller might be another option. https://www.canadaswonderland.com/rides-experiences/skyhawk