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Great America Guy

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Everything posted by Great America Guy

  1. IF this is legit, I love the nod to The Bat!! I will be pleased with whatever it is, as anything they add is WAY better than the empty dirt lot that has been sitting there since KC was removed, and a giant wooden coaster that just stood there for the past 4-ish years. The only question I still have is if this is indeed a wing coaster, what the "IC-2" track/station supports will be for...
  2. Oops, yes they were valid for 2 people. The six of us used the first 3 passes for the first ride on FOF, then the last pass used by me and my cousin. I was thinking about it the wrong way. Sorry for the confusion!
  3. Hello all! I am a very rare poster, longtime lurker... probably for more than 10 years already. I had the opportunity to spend a week visiting relatives in Cincy earlier this month, and what visit would be complete without a trip to Kings Island! I would have made an attempt to meet up with some of you at the park, but the particular day of our visit was decided at 9am the morning of, so I really didn't have much time to plan ahead. A little background on me, as you can tell by my user name, my home park is SFGAm. However, my first visit to a theme park ever, was to PKI in 1998, so KI will always be very special to me. Beastie was my first coaster ever, then 1 hour later I became hooked for life when I rode The Beast for the first time. I generally only get to KI once every few years, but every time I walk through those gates, I feel like I'm home. It's actually kind of funny, I can still look around the park and remember exactly what it looked like that first time... KCKC, Hannah Barbera, red Top Gun, Adventure Village, Flying Eagles, King Cobra, antique cars... It's amazing how much has changed. But anyway... We arrived at the park around 9:30am, with amazing weather... no humidity to speak of, bright sun, and a light breeze. Decided to wait at the chain into Action Zone. At 10, we jogged quickly to: Invertigo: First train of the day! Made sure we rode this first, because I didn't wan't to wait in line later. It was fun! Much smoother than I remember from a few years ago, and I definitely love the new colors! After deciding to pass on Drop Zone, we dashed over to... Delirium: Walk on. What can I say, I LOVE this ride. I wish we had one at SFGAm! We wanted to ride it again, but the line sure filled up quickly while we were on it. Decided to head over towards X-Base but got distracted along the way... Adventure Express: Walk on. Still love this one after all these years, its just a fun ride. Now on to X-Base: Firehawk: Third train of the day. Entering X-Base, I was floored to see Flight of Fear with a 60 minute wait alredy, and all outdoor queues filled. However, we were shocked to find Firehawk opening up as we stood there, so we jumped in line. While it is a fun ride, I guess I no longer enjoy these types of rides. As I've gotten older (almost 30 already!) I seem to have less of a tolerance riding on my stomach, and I am average build. I feel the same about Superman Ultimate Flight at SFGAm, I usually skip that one as well unless it has no line. These flyers just don't do it for me anymore. Afterwards, FoF still had a 60 minute line, so we meandered on over to... The Beast: 20 minute wait. I still love this ride!! It has been my favorite coaster ever since 1998. While there are a lot of awesome rides out there, I still keep this my #1. I love the ride( do miss the old brake system though;), there is nothing else like it, a fast insane ride though the woods. It was not rough, but just bumpy enough to add to the experience. This ride just does it for me, the whole experience, the history, the legend... The Beast!! Everyone in my family just loves this ride. Our late afternoon, and night rides were made more interesting by a very active and vocal ride op. Didn't catch his name, but I still don't know how he could still have a voice left by 9:30pm! Our night ride was nothing short of AWESOME, and we were able to get the last train out of the station before the "temporary shutdown for fireworks show". Next it was off to... Diamondback: 20 minute wait. LOVE this RIDE!! After quite a few rides on this now, I still can't decide whether I like this ride more than Raging Bull. Diamondback, from the first drop to the midcourse has awesome airtime, but I like Bull's first drop better. Never the less, Diamondback was probably the best addition to Kings Island since Vortex, and is definitely what this park needed. All 3 rides we took were in the back row, as I will never ride a hyper coaster anywhere other than that. Love the whip effect over the top of the lift! We got off Diamondback just in time to see the "spin the wheel" game roll up in front of DB. Between the six of us, we probably spent $20 on this, lol. The result was 8 skip the line passes, and two Buy One Get One Free for cotton candy! Now it was time for... Eiffel Tower: 5 min wait for elevator. This is the first time I have gone up there in years. Had to get a good look at the 2014 construction! Based on what I saw during my visit to the park that day, I am fairly certian this will be B&M based on the footer cutouts. The only type of coasters I can see this being is an invert, or a wingrider... and I'll most likely be wrong! I would love to see an Intamin Blitz coaster, or a multi launch like Cheetah Hunt, or Verbolten. Anything that launches is fine with me! Back on the ground it was off to the Festhaus for LaRosas pizza for lunch, and then a nice hike back to... Top Gun: 10 minute wait. I REFUSE to call this ride Flight Deck!!! I'm not sure many people realize it, but this ride is a gem. Suspended coasters are so rare, it is truly a treasure to the park, and unless maintenance became an issue, I can't see why the park would remove it. It's sad to see people always pushing for it to be the next coaster on the chopping block. As always, this was a nice fast ride! It just isn't the same without the SOB near miss though. Next up.. Red Racer: 5 minute wait. Fast, fun, and smooth! I am always worried as I get on this ride, as it seems to be quite rough some years, but smooth other years. Rode Blue Racer later on, found that to be just as smooth and fun! Next it was time to use our skip the line passes; Flight of Fear: Line was still 60 minutes with half of the inside ques filled, plus the outside ques. Used our passes, and were rewarded with a front row ride! Love the launch, dark tunnel, and the blinding camera! But WHY does this ride need to come to a full stop in the midcourse! It kills the pacing of the ride. Still a favorite though. After FOF, we took a few more rides on The Beast, Diamondback, Blue Racer, and Adventure Express. Mixed in a few flats that I haven't been on in years... Zephyr, Monster, and Viking Fury. After this, four of the six of us headed home, while me and my coaster buddy cousin decided to stay until closing. Took a lap on WindSeeker(god I hope SFGAm doesn't get one of these!), then it was time for a beating... Vortex: 10 minute wait. Now, I'm not one to really ever complain about a ride, but this was one of the most painful rides I've taken in YEARS. I don't know what happened to this ride since 2011, but it isn't good. If the train came right into the brake run after the first drop, I'd be fine with that. Rode towards the back of the train the first time, then a few hours later tried out the front half of the train to no avail... actually this time I though I broke my jaw, lol. Maybe it has to do with that getting older thing again, because all of the little kids on the ride seemed to be enjoying it. Alas, as long as it is standing, I'll most likely still ride it. Backlot Stunt Coaster: 30 minute wait. As I said before, I very much enjoy launching coasters. This is a fun little ride, with an unfortunately trashy theme job. I could cry looking at this area of the park, remembering how beautiful it was when the antique cars were here. Oh well. Afterwards, on a spur of the moment decision... Wild Thornberries/Kings Mill Flume/Whatever Charlie Brown Name this has now: 10 minute wait. I had never ridden this before, so this was a new experience in the park for me. Now, I hate being wet in my clothes, so why I agreed to this I will never know. As we waited, I did an intense study of each boat coming down the drop. After being sure we were properly loaded(me= heavier weight than my 15 year old cousin so I sat in the back) we were off. Now I don't ride many log flumes, but this one seemed faster than most other ones I've been on. We were able to avoid getting wet on the drop, but I hadn't noticed the snoopy that sprays you before you get back to the station! All in all it was quite fun. After this we took our last ride on Diamondback, then used our last two "skip the line" passes for another ride on FoF, hit Vortex, then a night Beast ride, then a very quick ride on Adventure Express as the fireworks were going off. One thing that is obvious, is how spread out Kings Island is compared to SFGAm. At GAm, you can ride four coasters without ever leaving the same little area, but KI's are all spread out. Definitely felt it in my feet and legs the next day! We had an excellent day at the park. The perfect weather, combined with short lines made for a perfect day. You guys have a beautiful park, filled with great rides. Whatever 2014 brings, will only compliment what is here already. Thank you for reading! *Jason
  4. American Eagle has run the blue side backward once or twice during the 90's for Fright Fest, but in 2002, the Blue side was turned backwards for what seemed like a permanent change. This lasted through I believe the 2006 season, when it was returned to forward operation only; I'm guessing also as a result of PTC's recommendations. I miss both The Racer and Eagle backwards
  5. Holy crap, thank you so much for posting those pics. The Cuddle Up has always been one of KI's past rides that has always been sort of mysterious to me. I also found it odd that Cuddle Up was never mentioned in some of the 80's maps that I've seen, especially since I knew that it shared a building with Dodgems. And as stated above, Dodgems was moved/expanded for the 86 season, so I always just assumed that Cuddle Up was removed at that time.
  6. Wow, seeing that picture of KCKC really makes me miss the way Rivertown used to look. I'll always remember seeing that ride the first time I visited Kings Island on opening day 1998. It was not very warm outside, and I remember seeing people riding KCKC, and thinking how crazy they were to want to get wet in the cold weather.
  7. Anyone know what type of ride the Spinnen Keggers was? Was it a calypso style ride, or more of a "tea cups" type of ride?
  8. Wow, I really wish I could have had the chance to ride The Bat, unfortunately It was already closed awaiting removal by the time I was born. I'd have to say that of all removed coasters I wish I could have ridden, The Bat is #1. I just love aerial views that show how much track was crammed into that area. It just looked like an insane ride! On a side note, I wonder if the ride would have been able to survive with a complete overhaul, such as replacing track on curves, modifying the brake system; ect. Granted, they probably thought of that, and it was most likely cost prohibitive.
  9. SFGAm is my home park, and I have mixed feelings about Deja Vu's removal. Since I live in Wisconsin, I usually only get to SFGAm about 4 times a year. Since 2001, I've only ridden DV three times. Most of my visits, the ride was closed, only to remain that way the entire day. A few other times, it was running, but with three hour waits. For these reasons, I will not miss Deja Vu, just because of the frustration of it never being open. As far as I'm concerned, I'd take Face/Off over Deja Vu anyday. For some reason, I found F/O to be much more intense than DV's long, large, and boring elements. However, I will miss this ride, as it is sad when any roller coaster is removed. Having only ridden it three times, I didn't get to experience the front or back rows of the train, which could very well have changed my view on this ride.
  10. Well, it depends who you ask around here. On August 4th, 2002, Shockwave had an incident that was kept pretty hush hush. All I know is that sparks flew, and the ride was e-stopped in the midcourse. That was the last time Shockwave ever ran. Some think it was the straw that broke the camel's back, and with all of the press the Whizzer was getting at the time, they opted to remove Shockwave instead. Others think it was all a publicity stunt... stir up some support for a ride that might be seeing lower ridership(Whizzer), then conveniently decide to save it? Hmmm... after all, you don't just design a ride to go in one place, then up and move it to another place. The process of surveying land, utility planning, ect; takes months. I guess no one will ever really know. As far as SOB, the series of events that began with ground breaking, right up until the ride opened in 2000 was about as ridiculous as a circus. From the 'misplaced footers', and the partial lift collapse right up to the shoddy construction/design error lawsuits... it seems like nothing has ever gone right with this ride. I'm willing to bet that if the lighter trains/no loop plan doesn't work, it will be the end of SOB.
  11. ^ That I did not know, but thank you for sharing that! I always figured that building once served an actual purpose, and it's too bad those days are gone.
  12. I really like Rivertown, but not as much as I did before the Keelboats were removed. I used to love the pathways from Shake Rattle & Roll to The Beast, and from Eiffel Tower to The Beast, but now with Italian Job there... ick.
  13. Well, The first roller coaster that I ever rode was Beastie, when I was in 7th grade on opening day, 1998. When I got off The Beastie, I thought it was the greatest ride I'd ever ridden. Then my uncle asked if I'd like to ride another 'bigger' coaster, and I said of course!! We walked under the sign reading The Beast, and I was a little worried that I couldn't see much of this coaster. By the time we got on about a half hour later, I was so nervous I could have puked. To be honest, all I remember of that first half of the ride was near decapitation on the first tunnel, the long brake shed, the second tunnel, and woods. The ride scared the absolute crap out of me and I wanted off. I'll never forget the thoughts running through my head when I saw that second lift hill ahead. But the moment we slammed through that double helix... thats when it all started. That first ride on The Beast got me hooked for life on coasters, and no matter what trackwork, brakework or re-profilings it sees, it will always be my #1 coaster.
  14. As far as paint, the #1 ride that needs painting is Top Gun. I would like if they painted it the same colors as Carowind's Top Gun; silver track with blue supports; instead of silver/grey. I also really like that idea about moving all of the pay-to-ride attractions to their own area by Boomerang Bay. That would free up just about the entire area where King Cobra was(except for Delirium) for future attractions. Although it will most likely never happen.
  15. I'll never forget the time I watched Vertical Velocity at SFGAm literally *e-stop* itself. I don't know if all Impulses do this, but every once and awhile, the brakes at the end of the ride will fail to raise back up into the track. When the next train launches, it gets about 3/4 of the way down the straightaway when it hits the breaks and comes to a complete stop. 60ish mph to 0 in less than 50 feet.
  16. If I had a dollar for everytime I've seen that phrase on a this site... We heard that about 02, then 03, 04, 05(IJST, then everyone was disappointed), and 06. Now in 07, we are getting a major coaster, but it seems to not count just because it isn't a *new* ride. Firehawk is going to be a GREAT addition to bring the thrillseekers back to the park. To everyone else who visits Kings Island, Firehawk is a MAJOR thrill ride, and that will draw people in the gates just as much as a B&M Invert will. The general population isn't going to care that this ride isn't brand new, 200ft tall, have 9 loops, or go 80mph. No matter what KI installs, some people just never will be happy. Back to topic. Does Racer and Vortex still have the chasing lights on the lifts? The last time I was in the park at night was 2001, and I thought there was talk a few years ago about them not working anymore.
  17. Sounds like the launch was a bit too much for someone. LOL!!! For some reason, I find that hilarious!! Funny pictures in my head. At PKI, I found over two dollars in quarters in a seat on Son of Beast, and a park map in the seat on Beastie in 1998.
  18. I actually really miss Les Taxis. I always liked taking a break in the mid afternoon and going for a nice, quiet, scenic ride on the antique cars, or just strolling the midway in that part of rivertown. It used to be so quiet, and serene. Now... ugh. I also miss the Keelboats, and King Cobra because I never got the chance to ride them.
  19. The same can be said about an Impulse coaster, Vekoma Boomerang, B&M Flyer, Shuttle Loop, stand-up coaster, suspended coaster, looping wooden coaster, or a floorless coaster. Sure the novelty can wear off after awhile, yet we still love all of those rides, I'm sure we'll love Firehawk too. Firehawk will do what it is supposed to, and that is to get people through the entrance gates. I think Firehawk will be awesome, and I can't wait to come down to Kings Island this summer and ride it. As far as the original topic goes, if your scared to ride something, sometime's you just have to do it if it's something you really want to do. Just about every enthusiast has that one ride that got them going. For me, I swear if The Beast would just end where the second lift starts, and there were no double helix, I probably would have never ridden another coaster again... ever. The first half of that ride scared the tar out of me, but once I went through that double helix, I was hooked.
  20. SFGAm did the same thing back in summer 2002- Bright red pieces of track and blue support columns began showing up in the back parking lot in August of 2002. These pieces of track were clearly visable from just about every coaster/taller ride in the park. On the midways, you could hear people asking their relatives if they had seen the new coaster track in the parking lot. Then there was the big ordeal of Whizzer vs. Shockwave removal. Once Shockwave came down, the red and blue pieces began going up, and could clearly be seen from outside the park. Yet... despite all of the visibility, and rumors, the park waited until early February to announce Superman. And when they did, even though everyone already knew, it created quite a buzz in Illinois/Wisconsin.
  21. Thats another thing that I wish would happen, the return of some classic midway rides. I think rides like an enterprise, falling star, tea cups, ferris wheel, and a tilt-a-whirl would be awesome to see added to the park.
  22. I alway thought (more like wishful thinking), that it would be really awesome if Skyrides went through some popularity boom again, and alot of parks added them back. If KI could connect Nick Universe with, say the FOF area, that would be great. Another thought I've had is that if they could somehow extend the train ride to run behind TR:TR, under The Beast lift hill, around Vortex, Racer, FOF(and now XFlight), through SOB and put another station in AZ either by Top Gun's entrance, or where King Cobra used to be. Then just parallel itself back around FOF, Racer, Beast, and TR back to Rivertown. I know it will most likely never happen, or if it's even and engineering possibility with all of the terrain, limited space in AZ, ect. But I agree with everyone that the Antique Cars need to return. Maybe Cedar Fair will add some sort of paddle boat(swan boats?) attraction to the Rivertown pond, since other Cedar Fair parks have similar attractions. Like I said... Wishful thinking.
  23. I think Delirium and Flight of Fear were probably the best installations, with Face/Off and Drop Zone in a close second. Action Zone would be alot better if it were a little more grass/trees, and a lot less concrete. Tomb Raider is a great concept, but it would be better with a more reliable and interesting ride. Nick Central/Universe is what I think put PKI on the track to "Most Visited Seasonal Park" . The only things Paramount did that I did not like had to do with asthetics. I much rather prefer the safari feel of Adventure Village over the concrete Action Zone anyday, as well as the Antique Cars over the industrial wasteland of Italian Job.
  24. I loved Ninja! The last time i was there in 2003, I rode it 6 or 7 times that day. Valleyfair's Excalibur on the other hand... Sadly, I never got to ride King Cobra. I remember being at the park in 2001, and I was begging my uncle, dad, and sister to get in line with me right before park closing, but they were all too tired, saying "we'll ride it next year when we come back." Sadly, by the time our trip in 2002 rolled around, KC was just a dirt plot.
  25. ^ Just like Demon at SFGAm. The broken pieces caught a track tie, thus jamming the train upside down in a loop for 4 hours.
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