Mrs. G.

You guys are in for a good time tomorrow night...I just met Weird Al after the Chicago show, which was great. I told him he was going to my favorite place tomorrow, wish I could have made it. He asked me which roller coaster was the best, that he should make sure to ride, I told him Son of Beast! He said he would try to get there. Enjoy the show, it's excellent and he's doing a lot of his new stuff. Please let me know how it was!!

I read at the time that they got fined and community service time...that they had been so cooperative they felt bad giving them any sentence, but of course they couldn't let anybody get away with that kind of stuff - and these weren't teenagers. That was one of those things I found so unbelievably stupid it was funny. Ah, the importance of self-respect. My only gripe is, why do they show those same videos - a couple years ago it was the half-naked Ricky and Christina (yuck!) and this year it was the Santana/Michelle Branch with all the people making out video - over and over, and over, and over, and OVER - if they don't want people to make out? Seems contradictory to me.

http://www.enquirer.com/editions/2000/08/1...verexposed.html That one is still my all time favorite. What are people thinking? I must really be old and jaded because I don't even notice that stuff anymore. I went to PKI on my honeymoon and we didn't act like that. A time and a place for everything...some people just don't get it.

The first time I rode The Racer (1985) it did not have the restraints it has now. It had a seatbelt and the bar in front of you to hold on to.

We are finally here!! Seven months is a long wait. Had fun finding a place to sleep last night, pulling in to the Mainstay at 11:30 and having no one on duty, no manager, and six guests besides me with guaranteed reservations trying to check in - after a very long hour on the "courtesy" phone got into another hotel at 1 AM. Got to the park around 1:00. Worth every penny, every hour driving, all the aggravation last night... Looks like we were everywhere you weren't, Dragonlord. Never made it to Vortex. Son of Beast was first, we waited for the double ride line, got there and - figures - the train coming in, a guy was barfing over the side. Sure we had to wait a little longer but if you ask me the operators can't possibly get paid enough, to clean up someone else's barf, while having stupid comments made to you. My hat is off to Frank and Matt at Son of Beast. Next over to Scooby, it's very bright and well done. I couldn't hit a target for beans. Got about a 300, lowest score on the scale. My daughter got a 1500 just firing willy nilly. One kid wanted to go on WWC, the other didn't, so I left my friend and kid at the footlong place, "get us hot dogs, we'll be right back." Right. About a 20 minute wait, we got on - and every drop of water drained out of the ride. That was weird. WWC was one ride I didn't think could possibly break down, and there we were for close to an hour while they got everybody off, shut power, and refilled. I do have a question - when you're out in the woods in that line and people are smoking what should you do? There was a really obnoxious group of 4 all smoking, of course the guy with the "BIG PECKERS" t-shirt was really interested in what I had to say about it. A little poetic justice, at least they got on before us and had to walk back and out when it drained. Then some slob in line picked up the internal phone when it rang and said something rude, we told the operators but he left just before they were going to tell him to leave...Jean and Sara at WWC also had a very tough time today and were very courteous and professional, with everybody crabbing at them...these people just don't get enough credit. Bought some new hot dogs to replace our two-hour-old ones, rode The Beast, played a bunch of games (Bowler Roller is daughter's specialty), rode Delerium - VERY cool, just too short - went back to The Beast, watched fireworks from the lift hill, and the day is over. Two more days left, bummer! PKI is an exceptional park in every way. Six Flags has awesome coasters - but they're all on asphalt, no themes, food stinks, no trees or grass - there is no comparison to riding The Beast through the woods and riding Superman - through the parking lot.

To Dino: First, I am probably old enough to be your mother. Second, the personal attacks are getting out of hand. I personally don't care for a lot of vices in the world today but have a little more insight and understanding of people, life and society. I found this site by accident and came here as a place to find out what's new with my favorite park since I can't go as often as I would like to, not to be told that people hate me and I have a death wish. I'm gone.

I agree with the last comment. PKI is more vigilant than other parks. The few times I have seen (usually kids looking too young to smoke anyway) people lighting up in line, I have said things and since these are people who don't follow rules anyway the response is a laugh or smoke blown in my face. I am a smoker and it hasn't bothered me to refrain while in line for a ride or in any other non-smoking area of any kind. Some people just don't give a crap about anyone or anything and that's unfortunate, but they also know there are no real consequences and that doesn't help. At Six Flags last week Security threw out a jerk for smoking in an inside line; today every line we were in had kids smoking in it and nobody said a word or did anything. Security can't be everywhere and see everything. They are way better at PKI than other parks I've been to. Hating all smokers isn't cool either, some of us actually have manners.

Of course the Kings Island Inn - or Resort, whatever it's called now - is always highly recommended since it is so close to the park. I stayed there many times in my pre-family days and it was very nice but no fridges or anything. With kids I needed more space and couldn't live out of a cooler for a week, so we stayed at the Homewood Inn a couple times, nice but expensive, and for the past couple years have been staying at the Mainstay Suites in Blue Ash, 5 miles away, a suite for four with a kitchenette for $70-$90 a night. Most of the hotels in the area have websites so you can check them out and price them right online.

Did we just pick the wrong day last year? It was so crowded we got on one ride the whole five hours - and that was Adventure Express with an hour wait. It was the Saturday before Columbus Day and I've never seen it anywhere near that packed. I already bought my gold passes (which I can't get processed for another month), I would have without free Fear Fest but it would be nice, it kinda sucked to drive six hours and spend $100 for one ride. Still my favorite place though.

Look here: http://www.weirdal.com/touring.htm I have never been to a concert at Timberwolf, is it worth a 300 mile drive? I think I'd use any excuse to spend another week at the park anyway....

Weird Al is scheduled for July 27, according to his website, tickets go on sale May 10. He is playing at Navy Pier (Chicago) the day before and I would love to go and then drive to PKI and see him there the next day but have no clue how to get Timberwolf tickets.

I think you mean "grammAr." Yes, abbreviations are taking over, some is necessary, some is laziness, all I know is I need a decoder to follow anything my kids type and I'm not THAT old. Way back in the 70's we actually were able to write out a whole four-letter word instead of, for example, "L8." In this case though it would be cumbersome to retype Paramount's Kings Island and the ride names over and over. I figured most of them out, I don't think anyone does it to be inconsiderate. And I LOVE the part about paper towels in the shoes - we used Kleenex in my daughter's to get her on!!!

3 hours for Top Gun in '93. Probably wasn't anywhere near as bad for me as it was for whomever I stuck with entertaining my two toddlers while I was gone...one can only watch the Boulder Bumpers so many hundreds of times before it gets old. At least they still had the squirting elephant at that time too. Waited 2 hours for Son of Beast the first time, that was also my last long wait. There is so much to do that if the lines are that long we keep moving, walking around, playing games, etc.

Wow, you got me beat!! Chicago here, 320 miles, 6 hours to PKI.

The footlongs and fries by White Water Canyon, the cinnamon rolls drenched in frosting at the bakery on International Street, and the pizza!!!! (And a few pounds of fudge always have to come home with us.) PKI is the only place I can spend 8 hours on my feet, walking, running, swimming, and still GAIN a few pounds!

After 9/11 I considered not going to Fearfest for about 30 seconds and realized it was ridiculous. We woke up in the hotel that Sunday to the news of bombing in Afghanistan and instead of watching TV all day went to the park and had a great time. I was happy to see the extra security but never felt afraid at PKI. I doubt many people would change their plans, I had an awful time after 9/11, working across the street from Sears Tower, I was a nervous wreck and needed to get away. My daughter was my voice of reason when she said she wasn't going to be afraid because if she passed up one thing she really wanted to do purely out of fear, the terrorists win. We went then and we will be there again this year, no question.

I, too, made the mistake of going on BAFFD (without knowing beforehand that it was), it was so crowded I almost wanted to turn around and go back to Chicago. Thank heaven the next day was back to normal. I LOVE to see PKI do so well, on the other hand when I only have a week's vacation to take and I have to spend a day driving there and another driving home, we only get three days in the park and it was a shame to waste one. We went to Lone Star and swam in the hotel pool but of course we would have rather been at the park. It was a good idea, but too much of a good thing maybe?

Really? I liked the haystacks, I especially liked that you couldn't get to The Beast without passing through there, and I didn't smell a thing. Maybe it was because we went the second weekend, maybe I'm just too used to Chicago smog. I was extremely disappointed last year. Never enough to keep me from coming back, but it just wasn't the same as 2001. Again, maybe that's because we went early in October (have to use Columbus day holiday for travel) and the night we went it was like 60 degrees and packed, but so many of the special effects were missing... I would love to see fog (it's usually pretty foggy in those woods anyway) or lights in The Beast woods, especially on the second lift, put the old Phantom Theatre guys up there or something to see you over the hill. "Sliders?" Thanks for the term, my daughters use "crazy guys." That looks like a lot of fun but rough on the knees!!!

I love Fearfest!! 2001 was my favorite and a time I will always remember, what a welcome diversion to the events of the day. It seemed like 2002 was toned down quite a bit and I was disappointed by that - do you know why? I loved the blacklights and the fog in Coney Maul and the haystacks and ghosts in the path next to the Flying Eagles and so much was gone last year. As a parent I get to have double fun watching my kids get scared. I especially love the characters who walk around and chase people (is it coincidence that most of the targets are teenage girls?) - one made my night last year, standing behind my daughter mimicking her, she had no idea he was there until we all cracked up. I love the whole atmosphere, I love being at Kings Island in the fall!, I love riding The Beast when it's pitch black, my kids love watching the zombies walk around.... As far as the deepest darkest fear, I think fear is used in a good way here and should stay that way, as in fantasy. The old standbys are still the best - Frankenstein, wolfman, mummy, vampires - we have enough to be scared of in real life these days. Not very original but I'm not very creative - I just love the old time monsters of the black and white movies, the fog, the lightning...the themes from the old horror movies. Unless we can think of a good Halloween costume for SpongeBob.

Flight of Fear and The Beast are my favorites. I did the Drop Zone once, I may go back someday to see if my stomach is still up there...but my kids do it over and over and over...

We ordered some over the internet, which I liked because we didn't have to carry them around and possibly ruin them. They were more expensive but obviously better quality - the pictures I sent out of my kids this year were professionally taken by Keyhole Photo!

It's pretty cool for a couple reasons - first, we live 300 miles away so nobody who sees the pics has any idea how great this place is, so it always makes for good conversation. Second, and kind of funny - my hubby is a professional photographer - and nothing he has set up for us can come close to that SOB pic (followed a close second by the Keyhole Photo from this year's Fear Fest). My girls are absolutely glowing in that pic, and let's be realistic, they're hitting teenhood and it is no longer cool to glow. They only glow when they're hundreds of miles away and none of the cute neighborhood boys are watching them. Gotta grab the opportunity to capture that however I can. I don't find the prices that high, but if I wasn't (1) a parent; and (2) older, with a little more $$ since I already have all the CD's I need - I probably wouldn't buy AS MANY. (I'd be lost without my Thornberrys keychains too.)

Actually, I do, because that is the only time we are all together and everybody is HAPPY! I have pictures of my kids through the years on The Beast, and who needs to spend the $$ on portraits - my "family portrait" on top of my TV was taken on Son of Beast!

I don't know why I am so surprised to read all of this, my hat is off to all of you guys for dealing with this kind of crap the right way. The ignorance and arrogance of some people will always tick me off and I hope it doesn't drive anybody away. Abuse of cartoon characters, that just blew me away. We still smile and wave when we see them, and my kids are teenagers now. Yogi has to make a living too, and all of those jobs are surely much harder than anyone realizes. You guys (and girls) have no idea how much you are appreciated...in 17 years I have NEVER had bad/rude treatment ever by a PKI employee (okay, one exception, the cranky old lady at the front gate who told my daughter that she was too young for Fear Fest), in fact I find the majority to be extremely pleasant...which is a big reason why I drive 350 miles to go to PKI instead of 40 to go to Six Flags. Surely you guys have some memorable experiences to share with NICE (funny, interesting) guests too?

From the description it sounds like the ride is the old ride commonly called the Round-Up, back in the 70's all the amusement parks had them. Kind of like a Gravitron but an open-air chain-link round basket, no safety harness (just a chain across the front of your slot and rail on the side to hold on to), and instead of pushing you up the wall the whole thing tilted 90 degrees. It's very likely Kings Island had one, they were everywhere in the good old days. The days when you could ride the Rotor for 15 minutes if the park wasn't busy and the operators would let you spin yourself upside down and ride, crawl along the wall...and as long as they had the safety rules posted, if you got hurt it was your own fault and you lived with it. Those rides have sadly fallen victim to the times, I'm sure it doesn't make good business sense to operate a ride on which the insurance costs more than the ride itself. I haven't seen the Brady Bunch epidode probably since its original airing but I wouldn't be surprised if the ride you're referring to is the Round-Up. Even those dopey Brady kids could handle that one.