Shaggy

The Southern Yellow Overlook signage in the station is referring to SOB.

My speculation is Adventure Express will have lots more “props” - specifically in the tunnels-all illuminated by black light.

Here’s a few pics of sculpting under way…. The trains look to have been “refreshed .” Also, were those “shields” always there in the final tunnel exit?

It was closed all last season - but still there. By chopping block, I meant slated for removal.

I havent seen anything official - but what from what I have heard locally - It will be SBNO this season. So it sounds as though its already been retired - I wouldnt count on "last rides."

I've also heard - via local word of mouth - Deluge is on the chopping block. Take note of their locations.

The “Fantasyland “ font logo just can’t be beat. I wish they’d just bite the bullet and switch back to it permanently.

I typically give KI a break. But this year we upgraded to “Prestige”. I was curious about the VIP lounge and knew that it would be a temporary location. However I simply cannot believe the VIP area entitled us to… water… in Dixie cups.. and plain Lays potato chips. No, I’m not joking - that was it.

I'm really glad to see WOF getting some love. I first went to the park in 2008 and was surprised by the poor state it was in. It had been terribly neglected. For a park with such an amazing "theme" on which it was designed, I felt all potential had been ignored. The pics indicate its turning a corner and getting the love it deserves. Thanks for sharing KIghostguy. Carowinds continues to hit the ball out of the park with their capitol improvements, IMO. They've obviously taken a lesson from Canadas Wonderland - whom I believe to be the outstanding leader of the Cedar Fair parks. I truly hope KI's move to add two flats this year is an indication of many more to come and they follow the same trend.

I personally always felt the Bubba Gump overlay should have gone to Stunt Crew Grill in Action Zone. It would have fit well next to Congo Falls and played into the whole "back-lot" theme they had going. FYI - the Gump overlay to the former Octoberfest Gardens was chosen because the former restaurant was (at the time) the least patronized food stand in the park - and the "waterfront" location helped validate the theme. When it opened, it was part of a concentrated effort to improve some of the food options in the park (Happy Days Cafe was another example of a "restaurant" overhaul.) By mid-Paramount era, the food offerings were pretty bad. Those two additions breathed some fresh life into the choices of things to eat. Unfortunately the quality didn't last.

I wasn't suggesting it would be removed for those things. I was just pointing out "isms" people (that were not around when The Bat was at KI) may not have known about the ride. What I was saying was, the novelty probably would have worn out and wouldn't have had much marketability as newer, faster and more intense coasters were built. I referenced Screamin' Demon as an example. By the time Vortex was built, interest in (and marketability of) that ride had waned - and the park pulled the plug on it in favor of a new attraction on the same plot of land. I wish, probably more than most, The Bat had been a rousing success. But I also think that had it been a reliable attraction, people might not talk about it or reflect on it as much 42 years later. IMO there's a vested interest in the ride because of its mystique. That mystique (along with the various tall-tales about it) is what perpetuates a lot of the conversation about it to this day.

Definitely real. Dave Focke confirmed it directly to me. SFO only got one B&M - and it was a floorless - at a time when CP was heavily involved with Intamin. Simultaneously, KI was eyeballs deep in SOB and Paramount was working heavily with Vekoma. Perhaps CP passed on the floorless concept at the time, opening the door for SF to swoop in.

I personally think that, no matter the design flaws, The Bat would have been a short-lived coaster. Over the 10 years that followed it's installation, coaster technology evolved extremely rapidly. By 1992, the first invert was operating. Obviously, The Bat is my personal obsession... however I also recognize its challenges outside of the engineering issues. Here's a few things that often get overlooked with the coaster. - It was LOUD. Specifically the lift. you could hear it all the way in the parking lot. It was that familiar Arrow tubular clunking (like Vortex had) - but much louder. - It was jerky. It was not a smooth ride. Specifically, it caused neck/ear boxing like other Arrows. The horse collars were replaced to try and alleviate some of this. - It wasn't that fast. Because the swinging was a novelty, that made up for the fact that it only ran at a top speed of around 35 m.p.h. To put it in context - That's the speed of Woodstock's Express. If I had to guess, I think The Bat would have rounded out the '80's then bit the dust for something bigger - much like how Screamin' Demon left after an 11 year run. I think Vortex would have still happened (possibly in some other location or form) because Arrow multi-loopers were the definitive trend in the late 1980's. It also stands to reason that instead of Top Gun, KI might have very well become home to an invert. If so, it could have potentially undercut Raptor at CP by a year or two - and helped the KI avoid the B&M exclusivity agreement that hindered the park for years. IMO Backwards Racer may not have happened had The Bat succeeded. I know the recaR origin story is oft debated - but I was always told it was a knee-jerk reaction to The Bat's extensive downtime (to help promote the park for Memorial Day in '82.) However, because of recaR's success (and to offset the excruciatingly embarrassing PR issues they faced with The Bat) it was held over... I always recall visiting KI in '82, and the park was promoting the HECK out of Racer now running backwards, it was a marketing campaign the park pushed hard in '82 & '83. By '84, King Cobra was their new PR talking point - and by the end of the season The Bat was no more... they had newer, bigger things to market.

Given the fact that they are gonna string colored confetti banners all over Adventure Port, there's no reason why they cant bring back all of the themed area archways/signage. I doubt they will, but one can hope.

I once asked why all the archway signs into the themed areas were removed. HB had one (well, 3, through the years) Octoberfest had one, Wild Animal Habitat had one, and of course Coney (2 through the years, actually). I was told it makes for ease of equipment to move through the park, as well as parade floats. While I understand that reasoning, I also think they added a great touch and could easily be brought back with a "pivot" action to them where they could swing out of the way.

@TOPGUN1993 - exactly the sign I was thinking of. (The non- digital one) Thank you!

One thing I'll also add: Originally, you were given the park guide/map by the cashier when you paid to park. If a major ride was closed, they'd also sometimes include a insert with the park guide saying the attraction was closed.

Earlier this week, I was discussing the apps that most parks - including Kings Island - are adopting as a hub for guest information. In the conversation, I brought up the fact that prior to web technology, guests never knew if any attractions would be closed for the day, until they arrived at the park. The person to whom I was speaking seemed flabbergasted by that. I explained that KI used a sign outside the main gate to indicate to guests prior to buying tickets (or entering the park) what, if any, rides would be closed that day. The sign was to the right of the main entrance, before you reached the ticket booths (that are no longer there.) The sign had various rules, like guest code of conduct, but at the bottom it had an area known as the "closed rides" sign. It simply said "The Following Attractions Will Not Operate Today" and underneath had slots where plaques with ride names would be slid in or out, if they were closed. The sign was there from the first visit I made back when the (original) Bat was new (in addition, The Bat closures also forced the park to set up sandwich boards in the entry plaza telling of its closure for the day.) But I also remember the ride closure sign being there through the majority of the Paramount years. I was wondering if anyone knew the exact year it was removed? Possibly the same time they removed the ticket booths?

Ed Dangler -who oversaw Maintenance at Kings Island for many years has passed. https://www.tributearchive.com/obituaries/27142965/edmond-w-dangler/huron/ohio/groff-funeral-home?fbclid=IwAR3K6FX0coHM4O2C5cM3gsEkIk1f4Asdki1DnRrPVh2lDMLjNPPcBCXwslo&mibextid=Zxz2cZ

Saw this online: Couldnt believe it, so I went to eBay to check it out... sure enough... BTW - I have some KCKC water if anyone wants to buy it for a mere $200... ;-)

Its pretty apparent that CF has been exploring all options with the park for years. CGAM is a park they've historically been unsure of what to do with for a multitude of reasons. Heck, even Paramount had the same struggles with the property over 20 years ago. The Storyland Studios info reads to me as though they were simply solicited to submit a proposal to CF to potentially re-invigorate the out-of-sorts park. Chances are, this isn't the only proposal CF received/solicited. Proposals such as this are common among the industry, but they don't necessarily mean they ever make it past the concept stage. Like any business, it all boils down to metrics. Will the cost of investment yield appropriate returns and financial gains? Obviously, not in this case... ultimately, the ground has become far more valuable than the park that sits on top of it. I sort of think about CGAM like that aging house in "Up" that had become surrounded by corporate businesses and modern development. The owner hung on to it for years... but much like in the movie, they ultimately have to let it go.

For every one image used in the book, there’s probably a dozen that didn’t get used (for a variety of reasons.). Stay tuned, you never know where they may show up someday. Lol! Glad you enjoyed the book, it was a labor of love.

It seems KI prefers to perform color patch tests on large re-paints. The mustard/orange/gold color that was seen on the backside of the Eiffel Tower last year was a color test. They obviously decided to remain with green, but it was apparent they considered a major color change for the tower.

Great interview! So glad he's passing the torch to those he has faith in - JRA has played an important part in Kings Islands history. ...and as a side note... his wife seems FAAAAABULOUS!

The Wachs/Koontz signed copies were a limited run of 50, I believe. As far as the unsigned copies, they will be available for a while (until they sell all the copies.) :-)