auge.dog

I resemble that remark Aug E.

I got to ride Firehawk for the first time about a month ago. It was my first ride on a flyer. I did not know what to expect, and wasn't expecting much. However, the ride greatly exceeded my expectations. It offered a unique ride experience with excellent G's, surprise and variety. It was also a decent length. I compare this ride to FOF, which I also rode for the first time on the same day. Whereas Firehawk exceeded my expectations, FOF did not meet my expectations.

I have never been to an Amusment Park that I did not thoroughly enjoy. Not that I have been to many mind you, but now that I have kids that seem to love to go, I'm sure the list will expand. I think if you go with the right attititude, you will likely not be disappointed. Parks I've been to within the past few years - Disney World (Majic Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, Epcot, Animal Kingdom); KI; BGE and Disneyland (both sides). I went to Cepar Point about 16 years ago and it was great then, but I know it has changed a lot since then. Once my son passes 54", I'll take the family and go back. Perhaps next year - more likely 2010.

We went to Busch Gardens Europe in June 08. My son was 4 and not quite 48" yet. My daughter was just over 52", but at the time, she was not ready for a loop. She did go on Appollo's Chariot with me, but the height really scared her. My wife and I took turns riding a few of the other coasters, but basically as far as rollercoasters went that day, it was a whole lot of BBW. At one point, I went on 5 or 6 rides in a row with my kids. Now, I would rank BBW last of the Big 5 rollercoasters at BGE, but I would rank it well ahead of Flight Deck. Flying out over the water is a great element. Now my daughter is over 54" and my son well over 48", and should be over 52" by next summer. However, whenever we decide to go back, it will be sad not seeing that ride there - as going on it with my kids several times is truly a great memory.

1a) The Beast 1b) Alpengeist 1c) Diamondback These 2 are my top, and could be interchanged at any given moment. 4) Apoolo's Chariot 5) Expedition Everest SOB and Firehawk are close behind

KIfan, I misspoke earlier, and now recall that my son did ride The Beast one time last year. He had just turned 5 a month ago and was barely 48". It shook him up a bit. This year he is able to handle it much better. I was also surprised this year when we went the first time, and he did not hesitate about going on Vortex. Now, he wants to ride Diamondback badly. Unforunately, he is at least one season away, and probably 2.

Very cool story. My son went over 48" at the end of last year. We visited KI 2x with the purcahse one - go any 2 days deal. He was also 5 at the time, and his favorite was Flight Deck. He rode all the coasters he was tall enough for except for Beast, Vortex and SOB. This year my daughter went over 54", and since my son is now well over 48", we got season passes. My son has expanded the rides he now goes on to include Vortex and The Beast - and these are now his 2 favorites. With my daughter going over 54", I have been able to ride Diamondback as well as Firehawk and FOF for the first times. You have much to look forward to, but enjoy each moment as they happen.

1. The Beast (Sentimental reasons play a part in this ranking.) 2. Diamondbac, (Closing fast on #1. Hope to get a night ride on it soon.) 3. Firehawk (First ride on 30 Jun. Far exceeded my expectations. Add some big trees and a pond, and this ride could rise higher) 4. SOB (Have only ridden once. Loved the speed, and did not mind the roughness. However, my daughter was in tears, and that took away from the experience.) 5. Racer (love all the hills - also my first rollercoaster) 6. BLSC (enjoy the turns and heading into the tunnel) 7. Vortex (If only it wasn't so jerky) 8. Flight of Fear (first ride also on 30 Jun. Did not meet my expectations. There seemed to be no rhyme or reason to this ride - as if it could not make up its mind what it wanted to do. 9. Flight Deck (Fun, but too short.) 10. Adventure Express (This ride is growing on me.) 11. FOC 12. Runaway Reptar - not much thrill for the wait. Have yet to ride Invertigo.

Just goes to show you, that people's opinions of rides differ greatly, so enthusiasts should really try all the rides, and not just those people recommend. We went to BGE last year, and I thought Alpengeist was the best ride there by far. I thought it was very intense and really enjoyed it. Of course, I have not been on Raptor. After Alpengeist, I liked Appolo's Chariot, which for me, at the time was my first B&M hyper. I thougth Griffon and LNM were about equal. Griffon had that great first drop where you were suspended, but after that, it just went by too quickly for me. LNM had some good twists and hills in addition to the loops. While BBW was my least favorite coaster there, I still thought it was a very good ride. Much better than Flight Deck. I agree with your comments on Dark Castle. They also had some decent water rides.

I was there, yesterday with a group of 8. It was more crowded than I have seen in awhile, but I did not think it was overly packed. We got there early, and got to ride many attractions with very little wait time. About 1230, it all of sudden seemed pretty crowded. We left at 6. Wait times after 1230 White Water canyon - 20 minutes Beast - 30 minutues D'back - 40 minutes Delirium - 35 minutes Drop Tower - 35 minutes Racer - 10 minutes Congo Falls - 10 minutes Wild Thornbury's - 20 minutes. Adventure Express - 20 minutes. So while everything had a wait, none of waits were too onerous. Actually, we had a great time.

I believe some of these complaints to be justifiable and others to be kind of picky, but that is just me. Anyway, one picky gripe of mine is that I think it would have been cool if they could have incorporated some sort of splash zone where people could at least get a bit wet from Diamondback's splashdown.

I was hoping someone would add a thread like this one. With all the negativity, a thread about what is right with KI is needed - if for no other reason than for me to justify purchasing 4 season passes for the family. So, I'll weigh in. 1. Rides - and lots of them. Some are flat out awesome, others very good, and others, just good. However, I can honestly say every ride I have gone on, I have at least enjoyed it to some extent. Even my least favorite coasters - Reptar and Adventure Express are still fun. 2. Appearance of Rivertown. The upgrades to this area are noticeable, and I think it looks super. 3. A waterpark. It may not be the best, but it's nice to know that if my kids want to go, we can, and we will have a great time, AND it will not cost me one cent extra. 4. $1.99 refills for souvenir cups. A few of these each trip is all my family needs. 5. Ice water. I have not had any workers complain when we ask for some ice waters. This aspect combined with #4 keeps us hydrated, and the cost is very reasonable. $4-$6/visit. 6. No hassles at the entrance for bringing in bottled water. I often have several bottles in my backpack when entering, and I have yet to have security say a word. 7. Food choices. I, for one, like LaRosa's, Skyline, Chick-fil-a, and Subway. The family of 4 deal at LaRosa's for Gold Pass holders is also not too shabby. 8. Employees. For the most part, they have been helpful and have had good attitudes. Some more than others, sure, but mostly positive - and that is a good thing. 9. Gold pass holders do not pay for parking - that's nice. 10. Don Helbig. He used to work for my dad, and I used to talk to him about The Racer and all his rides on it. It's great to see someone have a successful career in an industry for which he has a passion. 11. Fireworks. I love fireworks, and KI has nice displays. 12. Characters. I like seeimg them out and about. 13. Street musicians. The last time we were there, we saw a group of bucket percussionists. 14. Events. My kids got autographs and had the opportunity to watch some extreme sports in person. 15. ERT. It may only be 1/2 hour, but it enabled my first ride on Diamondback to be only a 15 minute wait. I remember as a kid my waits for my first rides on The Beast and Screamin Demon were at least an hour, as there was no ERT back then. That's it for now.

1. The Beast's double helix 2. The second hill on Diamondback 3. The second largest hill on The Racer 4. The second launch into the tunnel on BLSC. 5. The loop on Screamin' Demon! Have yet to ride Firehawk, FOF or Invertigo. Perhaps this upcoming Monday, 29 Jun. Edited to add #5.

Kiddie coaster "junior coaster" Wood and Steel Wood - Scooby Doo Steel - Barnstormer Major Wood and Steel non looping Wood - Racer (first year it opened) Steel - Space Mountain Looping Steel and Wood sorry I had to do it. Steel - Vortex Wood - None Suspended - The Bat Inverted - Alpengheist Launched looped and Non looped Launched looped - California Screamin" Non-looped - BLSC Stand up - King Cobra Water Ride - Kings Mills Log Flume

The only loops I have experienced are Vortex's, King Cobras's - 1x and I do not remember it well, and the Screamon Demon's. I voted for the Demon's because 1) it was my first, and 2) My memory of it is of a massive loop that was really intense.

While it would not and does not bother me when someone says a school s__ks. I'm glad my 7-yr old was not there to hear it. It was the word choice and audience I have a problem with. If it's a bunch of adults at a sports bar, it's one thing - at a family amusement park, by a park employee, it's another. He could still poke fun at Michigan, and in fact be more creative without using that verbiage.

There seems to be a lot of KI bashing in this thread, and I thought I would just provide a bit of a different perspective. First of all, having moved here from NM, I feel fortunate to have such a big and diverse Amusement Park to take my children (and me) to have a day of fun. In NM, we would have to drive at least 8 hours to find a park that could compare. We have gone to KI 2x this year, and I have yet to see any line jumping. I'm sure it happens, but I have not yet seen it. The closest was one time we got in line for The Beast - a group of about 6 teens got in just before us. Another group of 3 or 4 got in just after us. I saw them talking with the group in front, and they looked at me with begging eyes. I asked if they were with the group in front of us, and they replied,"yes". So I said, 'go ahead' and let them through. No big deal to me. I have only seen one group of people smoking in the park. True, it may not have been in a smoking area, but it was not in a line either. They were walking along a path, so it was not as if the smoke was lingering around. They were also fairly discreet about it, and were trying to stay isolated from the vast majority of people. My guess is that most of the people smoking are in the smoking areas, which I do not know where they are. Otherwise, I feel I would have seen a lot more people smoking. I can't speak for all parents, but I know myself and most of the parents I have seen, keep a constant eye on their children. Mine are told to stay with me at all times. I certainly do not and would not ever consider KI as a babysitting service. Heck, it's a whole lot of fun for me to ride and do things with my kids. The first time I went, I refused to ride D'back because I would have had to have left my 5-year old in a kiddie corral by himself. THere was no way I was going to do this - and I really have not seen much if any of this practice. Fortunately, the second time, my wife went with us, so my 7-yr old and I got to ride D'back twice. She loved it by the way (me too!). A vast majority of the teens and pre-teems I have seen have been well behaved. The first day we went was one of the music days where there were gobs of groups of teens and pre-teens. With the exception of one group, I felt all these groups were well behaved. Sure there were some adolescent moments, but nothing out of the ordinary. Basically, just kids having fun. I have actually been impressed with the cleanliness and appearance of the park this year. Spotless - no. But looking good nonetheless. The Rivertown area is looking especially nice. If they continue to improve one section of the park each year as they have with Rivertown this year, the appearance of the park could really be something to be proud of. Finally, the interactions I have had with the workers there have also been almost unanimously positive. The only minor complaint I would have is that some of the food service had been a bit slow. And while pop/soda is not free, $2 to fill one of the big souvenir cups is not a bad deal, and they have been happily giving out free cups of ice water. Heck, we bring in a few bottles of water, and fill up our souvenir cup once or twice during the day and we are set. I'm sure part of the reason I have not seen these things is that I am not looking for them. When we go, we go with the attitude that we are going to have fun. I am not looking for the bad - but rather enjoying the moments. Enjoying the people I'm with. It's all about perspective. Is KI perfect - no way - it can certainly strive to continue to improve in many areas. And we should not let them be content, and must push them when we see things that need improvement. If you believe rules enforcment is one of them, stay on them to do something about it. But, please try not to let it ruin your day. I'm sure Holiday World is also a great place with its own plusses and minuses - but it is also 3 hours further away. I cannot simply decide at the spur of the moment to go. I'm sure we'll go one day - but until then KI with its multitude of rides, thrills and shows does pretty darn well.

I like intense rides with longish ride times. However, my experience is liimited as I've only been to KI, the Disney Parks, and Busch Gardnes Europe in recent years. I have also been to CP, but well before MF and Maverick were built. I wanted to include types of rides that I have really not yet experienced. So in no particular order - Bizarro - have not been on an Intamin mega, and this one seems to receive the highest marks. Probably have a better chance of riding Millenium Force first though due to proximity. Voyage - everyone raves, and I have certainly not ridden a wood rollercoaster that matches this description. Plus, it is relatively close. El Toro - I tend to prefer woodies just a bit over steel, so I had to include 2. I'm not sure how similar this one is to Voyage, but hopefully, they would each be very different. Maverick - looks incredibly fun and original - at least for me. Again, I have a good chance of riding this one sometime in the not too distant future due to location. X2 - looks intense and certainly different from anything I've ever ridden. Tatsu almost made my list, but I'm hoping to be able to ride Firehawk sometime this year, and then I will have at least experience what a flyer is like. Finally, I really enjoyed Alpengheist at BGE, so if anyone knows of a ride that is similar, but even better, it would probably make my list.

Soooo . . . when did you get to ride BLSC?

Tomkatt, we may be aboe to help each other out here. In addition to the rides you have not ridden, I have not ridden Flight of Fear and Firehawk. The reason is also young kids. Although my oldest is now tall enough to ride all the rides at KI - whether she is willing is another story.

I just wanted to add that the Diamondback splashdown is quite impressive visually. While it does not seem quite as voluninous as the splashdown from Griffon, it is still quite impressive. So, while it may not add much to the ride experience (I cannot say from experience), it certainly adds to the spectator experience. My kids and I watched it several times from different vantage points. Perhpas in the future, KI could add an area that would make the splashdown more interactive with onlookers.

After going to the park for the first time this year - couple things struck me. Rivertown looks significantly better and nicer than the other parts of the park. KI needs to continue to upgrade/beautify the remaining areas of the park. If they concentrate on one area each year - they will get there soon enough. I was also struck by the lack of water features there. It's not like this is the desert SW. A few ponds/lakes/streams would greatly enhance the park's appearance. Someone suggested theming or something to spice up the train ride. I agree completely. My kids would love it, and it would seem to me that you could get a lot of bang for not too many bucks. Finally, could they do something with the area around Firehawk? I have yet to ride this attraction, but viewing it from The Racer and other locations, I cannot help but think they really dropped the ball with this ride. If they had somehow incorporated some ponds, trees or other landscaping, they could really have turned this ride into a home run. It's current site is somewhat of an eyesore and has no character. Just my opinion, of course.

I took the family to Busch Gardens, Europe last year, and I agree that KI cannot hold a candle to that park when it comes to beauty and appearance. However, I was very impressed with the aesthetic improvements KI made to Rivertown and the areas around Diamondback. If they can continue to beautify one area of the park each year, then while it may still lag behind BGE, it will certainly be something in which KI can be proud.

Thanks for the kind words. I need to write things up like this more often - for the reasons you state.

Well, I was certainly impressed with the aesthetic improvements to the park in the Rivertown and Diamondback areas. If they can work on updating one area of the park each year, that would be a good start. I agree in the train comments. My kids would love a themed train ride - I know I did when I was a kid.