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McSalsa

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Posts posted by McSalsa

  1. Well, I had another dream last night. This one was a bit more unique though. The dream begins, and I had either just invented or acquired a time machine watch thing. I didn't have to worry about altering timelines because nothing the "watch thing" did was permanent, though I could grab items from the past and bring them into the future without affecting anything somehow. But how does this relate to Kings Island? Well, first place I went with the watch was, Kings Island...

    ...April 29th, 1972!

    Poof! Now suddenly I am at Kings Island, its grand opening day. I see International Street, in its original form, with the Eiffel Tower and Sky Ride ahead. I head over and go to ride...The Racer. Back when it was brand new, with buzz bars and the cool OG paintjob and all. The ride runs great and smooth, and I got lots of airtime (further boosted by the very un-restrictive restraint system). I get off and randomly decide to advance a few years.

    Now, it's...1979! Which means 1 thing: The Beast has arrived! But before I ride Beast, I head over and ride Screamin' Demon. A simple ride (it was the same as the real one was- launch, loop, backwards launch, ride ends) but it was fun in the dream. Then I head over to ride Beast and the wait is...3 HOURS (probably common back in 1979 TBH)! So I use another feature of the watch thing and speed up time so the 3 hours goes by super quick. Then I ride The Beast, in its original form. Then I decide it is time for another time jump...

    Now, we arrive back at Kings Island, but in 1981. I head over to The Bat and...it's broken down! But mechanics are trying to fix it. So I head over to Beast again, wait in line for "3 Hours" again, and by the time I get off my 2nd Beast ride (which now had tunnels and the early changes done) I see The Bat testing, head over, and it opens just as I show up to it. I get on, we climb the lift hill (which sounded just like modern-day Bat) and drop and begin swooping and turning among the trees. After I get off, I think "That blows Firehawk outta da water, my new favorite defunct coaster so far...". Then I hear the ride ops on Bat say over the intercom: "Attention guests waiting for The Bat, we are currently experiencing technical difficulties. We do not know when The Bat will re-open..." And I think again. "Oh fudge, guess that's common for The Bat though. Well, time to go to 1984 for King Cobra!" And then I woke up.

  2. 17 minutes ago, SonofBaconator said:

    Its all about media coverage. Whenever Cedar Point gets a new coaster, its blasted across the US by the Today show or some other network. 

    True- Cedar Point does get tons of media coverage whenever they announce new coasters- though I recall when Banshee was announced, it was also all over the place. Though that may have been partially due to the fact Banshee replaced Son of Beast, one of the most infamous roller coasters ever built (thus making people extra curious as to what would replace it). Banshee's announcement was the #1 trending item on Facebook for a decent amount of time when it happened. And then of course came the 4 1/2 hour wait the day it opened, due to perfect weather combined with all the hype (and I waited in that line! It was insane).

    Mystic Timbers also got a decent amount of hype behind it, though I'd say not as much as Banshee, probably because Mystic Timbers was not replacing something well-known (in fact we didn't lose anything big for MT, just a funnel cake stand that got re-located). Though MT also had the general media focusing on the 2016 Election so a new roller coaster being announced was small news in comparison.

    I would say overall, Kings Island is one of the parks that can get media attention fairly easily. Not as much as Disney or even Cedar Point, but it can. And if Kings Island does add a 300+ foot Giga Coaster, well, that is going to get a lot of attention because Giga Coasters are GP Magnets due to their huge stats.

     

    • Like 2
  3. I have actually thought of this, looking at Google Maps and such. Though TBH that "Red" area you highlighted could be even bigger- if the reason Kings Island got rid of Firehawk truly is because Vekoma stopped making parts for it because it is a "rare" model, then Invertigo is also screwed because it is also a rare old Vekoma model (and is no longer even on offer), once the Stinger scrap parts run out. And if you add Invertigo's spot to that red area, it becomes pretty much big enough for almost anything. A huge RMC woodie/hybrid, B&M Wing Coaster, B&M Floorless, or even a Twister Giga could fit.

    You could even keep Timberwolf (just take out Invertigo and Congo Falls) and you could probably fit a B&M Dive Coaster or a compact Intamin/Mack Launch coaster there (based on how large the site for Copperhead Strike is).

    • Like 1
  4. 15 minutes ago, Hawaiian Coasters 325 said:

    Using @sixohdieselrage pic. Full credit to him. I decided to use it for my latest giga concept on how it would look facing the river! I give you Vision Force!

    IMG_20190107_144337_536.jpg

    Uhh, that's not a Giga Coaster, that thing is at least 600-700 feet tall (based on Eiffel Tower and Drop Tower in background), we must come up with a new term for what is by far the largest roller coaster ever built. :P

    • Haha 1
  5. 1 hour ago, silver2005 said:

    Unless that coaster is named Son of Beast.  ;) 

    On 2 bench PTC's or if you have to pick a wheel seat, the front of the cars are smoother. 

    To be fair, the 6-bench rule held true (from what I have heard) even for Son of Beast, it was just the coaster was apparently so rough on average it just went from "OH #&! MY BACK" on a wheel seat to "Ow, that hurt my back". It gave a smoother ride, but it was still rough compared to other coasters. Then again I never rode Son of Beast, in the 2000-2006 form (when it has 3 row cars) or otherwise, so I cannot confirm.

    BTW, I have learned that the middle row of ANY coaster with 3-row cars is usually smoother. Woodies like Blue Streak, Racer, and Beast are all smoother of course but even Arrow Mine Train Type Cars (Used on Adventure Express, Cedar Creek Mine Ride, Gemini, and even Magnum XL-200 oddly) all gave me smoother rides from the middle row.

    4 minutes ago, IndyGuy4KI said:

    Don made a blog post about The Racer track work. It seems pretty cut and dry that the majority of the track work is just on the blue side turn around. Don't set your expectations to seeing much more that that being retracked.

    https://www.visitkingsisland.com/blog/2019/january/new-track-part-of-racer-roller-coasters-annual-winter-work

    Awe. I was hoping it would be a bit more than that- is OK though, Blue Racer's turnaround IMO was one of the rougher spots on both sides. There was a violent "Pothole" there last season, right before you went up into the actual turnaround. I hope they at least fix that.

  6. 32 minutes ago, SonofBaconator said:

    @McSalsa I think the coaster wars of the 80s had a huge influence on the types of coasters Cedar Point churned out over the years. You'd never see a cloned coaster at that park like you see at Six Flags or even at some lower tier CF park. Millennium Force didn't put CP on the map but it certainly kept it a relevant park in the tourism industry and even more so with TTD and many other coasters that came after. 

    Yep- not having any clone rides (well, some of them like Raptor did get CLONED but not by Cedar Fair themselves) is a huge plus to a park when trying to attract guests from outside your main region. If you are just looking to draw a few locals in they are fine, but you need to build unique or at least rare rides to attract someone from across the country or even from other countries.

    Also, I thought up an analogy for what Millennium Force did for Cedar Point. Think of the park being known by everyone as a campfire: Magnum XL-200 has gotten that fire burning really good- bigger than most other parks fires. Mean Streak added a bit before sputtering out (aka it got rough and had trims added, etc) but then Raptor came in and made the fire even hotter. Mantis also helped a bit, though looking back, probably not as much as Raptor did. Then Millennium Force got thrown in, and the fire explodes. Millennium Force didn't start Cedar Point's "fire", but it did make it bigger. And what is scary is Cedar Point just kept adding to the fire, so it is even bigger now than when Millennium Force was added.

    • Like 2
  7. Well, I thought this up, and figured it would make a great poll. So I made it. :P

    I would imagine most of us here like Kings Island, but a random thought popped up in my head: but which part of the Kings Island "Season" is the favorite? I have decided to break the operating season down into 4 sections...

    Early Season (April-May)

    Basically, this is from passholder preview night to around Memorial Day Weekend. The park has re-opened after being closed for months, yay! Time for first rides on the brand-new attractions! Crowds have not peaked due to most schools still being in session, but the employees also generally have yet to get into the swing of things. Only a few shows are playing at this point usually, and the waterpark and some water rides remain closed.

    Main Season (June-August)

    Summer is here, and the park has been open a few months now. The waterpark is open now, and most if not all of the live shows should be playing, and the employees should be getting used to their jobs at this point. However, the summer crowds generally begin to kick in around this time (until the end of August or so when school goes back), and it can get very, very hot.

    Haunt Season (September-October)

    Well, Waterpark is closed again. But now it is time for...Halloween Haunt! There are horror props all over the park, and the park is now open on Fridays and Saturdays until 1am- great for night rides. But, when the Sun goes down, the monsters come out. And so do the insane crowds on Saturdays.

    Winterfest (November-December)

    Most rides are closed, but in the past we couldn't even ride roller coasters in winter anyway. The horror props give way to beautiful Christmas Lights, and the park ups its show offerings with special holiday shows. It is also usually very cold. BRR!!!

    And well, that is my new poll: which of these 4 parts of the Kings Island season do you enjoy the most?

    • Like 4
  8. On the subject that Millennium Force "made" Cedar Point what it is today:

    Cedar Point has always been popular for its location: people love that Beach, and it is between Cleveland and Detroit, 2 good-sized cities. They got a million visitors in 1960, and they didn't even have Blue Streak at that point. And they were famous for roller coasters well before Millennium Force was a thing. Gemini was beloved and crazy popular in the late 70's and 80's, and Magnum XL-200 shocked the world with its sheer size and lack of inversions (debunking the notion that steel coasters needed them to be good). By the time Raptor was added in 1994, their attendance had basically already reached current levels, and it along with Magnum XL-200 were frequently listed among the world's greatest roller coasters at the time (Magnum XL-200 won the Golden Ticket Awards Steel Poll from 1998-2000). Cedar Point was ALREADY a destination park for beach lovers and coaster lovers alike. Millennium Force was a great addition, and made Cedar Point even more popular, but it didn't put them on the map: They were already on it and tons of people were already making long trips there, coaster nuts included.

    • Like 3
  9. I have had Fast Lane Plus twice at Cedar Point: once at the end of October 2017, and once in August 2018. We won a trip to Cedar Point that included them in Late 2017, and in 2018 we renewed our season passes and used them on a Sunday (because Saturdays were no-go for using that perk).

    I would say, if you have the money, it's worth it. You'll probably still have to wait for some rides, depending on how crowded it is and when you go to them, but the wait times will be a lot shorter than without Fast Lane for most popular rides. Steel Vengeance, Maverick, and Valravn are probably your worst chances for running into a big line even with Fast Lane Plus- at peak, I saw all of them go above 30 minute waits for Fast Lane, with SV going up to 45 because it only was running 2 trains at the time. Still, that's way better than the 2-hour waits all of them had in the regular line. However, early and later in the day Maverick and Valravn were near walk-ons with Fast Lane and Steel Vengeance was down to 10-15 minutes. The other rides that you'll see huge time savings on are Millennium Force (you can skip the main que and go straight to the ramp with Fast Lane) and Top Thrill Dragster (You don't wanna stand in line for this too long, that's giving it too many chances to break down and TTD loves breaking down), and Raptor (I got on it in less than 10 minutes when the main line was 90!).

    GateKeeper, Magnum XL-200, Rougarou, Blue Streak, Gemini, Wicked Twister, Corkscrew, and Cedar Creek Mine Ride all usually don't have much of wait anyway, unless it is very busy or various other rides are down due to wind or other factors. Iron Dragon does not have Fast Lane, if it has a 45-minute wait (Rare but possible), you have no other option if you wanna ride it than to wait 45 minutes.

    • Like 1
  10. Welp, that's poll. :P

    ...AND DA WINNER IS...

    (Official POV from Cedar Point's Youtube)

    ...STEEL VENGEANCE! TBH, not too surprised, given how well this ride has done in nearly every poll on and off this site I have seen. Steel Vengeance DESTROYED Flying Ace Aerial Chase, Flight of Fear, and Magnum XL-200 in the early rounds as none of those rides could get more than a few votes before SV got 10. Maverick was the first ride to actually put up a fight, but Steel Vengeance won the fabled feud of Frontier Town in the end, 10-8. In the final round, it was a epic duel, coming down to just 1 vote- but Steel Vengeance managed to hold off the legendary Beast, and claim victory.

    Ironically, in both versions of the poll so far, The Beast was the runner-up. In the 2011 poll, it was finally beaten by Millennium Force at the end, and here Steel Venegance undid it (though Beast was MUCH more competitive in the 2018 version, MF won by a few votes in 2011). Millennium Force- the defending champion heading in- was eliminated by Maverick and didn't even get to the Final 4 this time. Maverick must feel good about that for 1 reason- in 2011, MF eliminated Maverick fairly easily when the 2 met. Maverick also defeated Banshee in a bonus poll to claim 3rd place.

    Thanks to everyone who voted. I will probably do this again in a few years when some new coasters are added to both parks.

     

    • Like 4
  11. My 2018 season at Kings Island was amazing. I already wrote about this earlier in the year in another topic, but heck, it's worth repeating. I'll try to make this a bit different though.

    I got Platinum Passes for the first time (also wanted to go to Cedar Point- and did twice- in 2018 for Steel Vengeance), and thus I went to the park 6 times total, which may not be a lot to some on here, but it DOUBLES my next best year (which was 2014). I got a "surprise" visit for the first time- my sister didn't tell me we were going for Media Preview Day, tricked me into going for a car ride, and then she spilled the beans as we were almost into Ohio. I also- finally- saw my first shows. The Dog Show was fun, but Gravity blew me away. The Peanuts Celebration was awesome, I liked the special food offerings and free donuts, and it was nice to finally see the Enchanted Theater be used.

    The park looked better than ever, at least as long as I have been visiting (2000, and then 2009-2018). The landscaping was very nice in the summer, and when Haunt hit, the fog created a incredible atmosphere. Then came Winterfest, which I missed in 2017, but was able to do a few days for the first time: WOW. Never have I seen that many Christmas Lights in one place! I also liked the new lights on Racer.

    The food service at KI may be inconsistent at times, but I may have gotten lucky. We didn't eat in the park a ton, but we usually got good results when we did. Everything was at least decent tasting, though a few items of note did rise above the rest and stand out, like the Chicken Shack Chicken Wrap I had half of (which also gave a much-needed energy boost). I also really liked the Chicken Tenders from Island Smokehouse. The only "bad" food experience I had was on preview night when everything had monster lines, but I was kind of expecting that because preview night=employees doing this for the very first time.

    This was also the year I got my first ride on a now-defunct coaster: Firehawk. I waited until August to ride it, and only rode it once because it kept breaking down in September. To be honest, I only ever rode the coaster 4 times since I started coming back to KI in 2009. It was a decent coaster, but I was not a fan of the huge lines and constant breakdowns. I was usually going to X-Base for Flight of Fear anyway, to be honest. There is a very good chance whatever replaces it, be it Giga, Wing, Dive, or Floorless will be something I ride a lot more often.

    Overall, I'd say Kings Island was better in 2018 than any previous year I had visited the park (again since 2009 mostly, plus a visit I only sorta remember way back in 2000 when Son of Beast was new). I would imagine the Kings Mills Antique Autos are gonna make the back of Coney Mall near WindSeeker and Vortex look much nicer, making the park even prettier. And I can't wait to see what special events the park does next year, to follow up the Peanuts Celebration of 2018. Heck, April 2019 can't come soon enough. I even renewed that Plantium Pass anyway, so of course I am gonna be back next year... :P

     

    • Like 4
  12. Hi everyone! Get ready for a McSalsa Trip Report...IN DECEMBER!?!? Yep: I went to Winterfest at Kings Island for the first time yesterday! But first, here is ride rating system as usual:

    F- Garbage. I regret ever riding this and will not make the same mistake of ever riding it again!

    D- Mediocre. A disappointing, or painful ride, though there might be a little fun here. I might give a D-Tier ride a second chance but it is gonna need to be a walk-on or something.

    C- Average. A fun ride, but either there is enough roughness/pain to dilute it, or it just does not blow me away. Will still ride this if the wait is not too bad, though.

    B- Good. A ride I enjoy, but it may have some flaws, but I will happily re-ride this unless the wait is pretty crazy.

    A- Awesome. These rides leave me with a huge grin usually, and I will ride them over and over if there is a short wait. If there are long waits around the entire park, I may aim for these anyway, as if you are gonna wait, best to be for something worth it. Surpassed only by...

    S- Epic. The best of the best. I am usually giddy and my happiness meter is maxed out after riding one of these. Tragically, these are not the most common rides out there, however.

    Note: If you wan na take this as a 1-10 system, S=10, A=9, B=8, C=7, D=6, and F=5 or worse.

    I was with the same group of people I have done most of my 2018 trips: it was me, my sister, and the 2 usual friends: A (Who Doesn't Really Do Looping Coasters) and B (Who Does). On a small side note, both sides of I-74 heading from Central Indiana to Cincinatti have finally been fixed, and the road construction that has been there all year is finally gone. In spite of this, we arrived a bit late- the park opened at 4, but we showed up around 4:30PM. We still arrived in time for the lighting ceremony though. But first, we headed for...

    Ride #1: Mystic Timbers
    Wait: 15 Minutes
    We headed for Mystic Timbers first, as we figured its line would grow after the tree lighting and stuff. When we arrived though it was still only at 15 minutes, even with only 2 trains. The ride ran pretty fast for such cold temperatures (BRR BTW) but the airtime was a bit weak, but I figure that was because the ride had just opened not too long before this and hadn't broken in for the day yet.It was still a very fun ride though, nice way to start the day. BTW, we got Snakes in the shed.
    Rating: A-

    After Mystic Timbers, we headed over and saw the "Tree" Lighting. It was fun, the singers were good, and I LOL'ed at the fake snow which was soap. There was this one strand of lights on the Eiffel "Tree" that was constantly green, so I assume that strand was busted. Then we headed through Candy Cane Lane, aka the Tower Gardens. It was BEAUTIFUL as the lights had turned on by now. Then we headed to Coney Mall, as my sister wanted to do a Horse Carriage ride. They were $40 but for 4 people, so $10 per person (which is not a bad price for carriage rides), so we went ahead and did it.

    Ride #2: Coney Mall Carriage Rides (Note: Upcharge)
    Wait: None
    This was a nice, relaxing way to go up and down Coney Mall and see all the pretty lights. Monster is taken apart for the year, it was kinda shocking to see it in pieces like that. I do like Racer's new "Millennium Force" style lighting package, it looks cool. We then turned around and went down the other way. A fun Winterfest-exclusive attraction.
    Rating: C

    After the Carriage Rides, we headed over to Flight of...Cheer (LOL Winterfest). My friends wanted to smoke so I took advantage of the single rider line.

    Rides #3-6: Flight of Cheer (x4!!!)
    Wait: 2 Cycles or so each time (Less than 5 Minutes Each)
    And the Single Rider Line, ironically, had no line! I just walked up to the station, waited for a empty seat (which happened almost every train) and boarded in whatever row I was put in. For the first ride, I got put in the back of the 1st car. I'll "review" my rides at the end of this section. After I got off and headed out, I found out that my sister and Friend B had finished smoking and were in line now, via Friend A who couldn't do loops (much- hence he didn't ride). So I went around again, and rode the ride 2 more times via Single Rider Line- from the middle car, and then the front of the very back car. After that (and a few minute breather) my friends got off the ride and said they waited 15-20 minutes. So via Single Rider Line, I rode 3 times to their one. And they decided to smoke AGAIN when we got off from their ride, so...one more ride, rode in the middle again.

    4 rides in a row is enough to really get a good sense of what I like and don't like about this coaster. I love the launch and first few inversions, it feels like you are going super fast. The midcourse brake run kinda kills the speed, and hanging over the edge while turning is a bit awkward in the front car, but after a few drops and turns you are going again. Then you start going into more and more aggressively banked turns, and finish the ride with the final corkscrew- which is a great ending, IMO, as the banked turns tease you will flip and then the corkscrew does just that. Flight of Fear is a rock solid ride, probably my #5 in the park behind the "Big 4". It was also running pretty smooth from all seats for all my rides, which was a nice plus as it can sometimes be a bit rough. Also: STUPID ALIEN AT THE END, CHRISTMAS IS OVER!!!:P
    Rating: B+

    Leaving Flight of Cheer and the "dead" Firehawk behind (I only rode it 4 times from 2009-2018: FOF matched that total in 20 minutes tonight!), we headed out of X-Base, but my sister wanted to ride Zephyr, so we did.

    Ride #7: Zephyr
    Wait: 1 Cycle (About 5 Minutes)
    Brr, these really are the "coolest" swings in Coney Mall, with WindSeeker closed at least (that would be stupid cold and possibly dangerous to ride in these temperatures). It was fun to swing around even in the cold, and the ride op had us play a fun game during the ride: sing the Spongebob theme song!
    Rating: C+

    After a fun ride on Zephyr, we checked the line for Scrambler, and it was crazy. Looked like a 20 minute wait, which was worse than some of the roller coasters! I wonder why Scrambler was suddenly super popular. Instead, we decided to ride the Grand Carousel.

    Ride #8: Grand Carousel
    Wait: 1 Cycle (Again About 5 Minutes)
    The Organ was working, which was a plus. This ride looked GORGEOUS all decorated for Winterfest, props to the Winterfest guys/gals who did this ride. I ended up having to ride a horse that didn't move, but I did enjoy going around in the cold on this old classic from 1926.
    Rating: C

    After the Carousel, we headed to International Street to locate The Beast Hot Chocolate, but when we did we found it sold out (Beast be popular yo). So we settled for some regular hot cocoa at Blitzen's Hot Drinks, and I got a season long drink refill soda. We then used the bathrooms, warmed up near a heater thing the park had kindly put out (THANK YOU KI!!!) and then headed for Action Ice Zone. We saw a little of the Ice Sculptors, took some pics in the big globe, and then rode...

    Ride #9: Action Zone Sleds
    Wait: 15 Minutes
    Since they were next to Drop Tower (and even using some of its que) these sleds were not intimidating at all. It was a bit of fun to slide down (I struggled to get going for a second) but I have slid down a much bigger hill on sleds before (a few years ago) and this was nothing in comparison. Still, it was a Winterfest exclusive attraction, and we had time to kill.
    Rating: D+

    After the sleds, we left Action Ice Zone, and cut through Festhaus where I got another glimpse at a show. It looked well made from the brief glimpse of it I saw. Then we headed to Rivertown, as we wanted to ride the Train.

    Ride #10: Kings Island & Miami Valley Railroad (12 Days of Christmas)
    Wait: 15-20 Minutes
    We boarded the Green Train, only for them to decide to put it up. So that is why there was a 20 minute wait- we had to wait for the Green Train to go in its shed, and then wait on Blue Train to pull up.

    The Train itself was pretty fun, you got some nice views of Diamondback at night and Mystic Timbers you don't often see. And the lights for the 12 Days of Christmas were nice. But, there was ONE thing we all hated- the song gets old, and playing 4 versions of it doesn't help much (and I didn't even notice sometimes when the changed versions). I much, MUCH perfer Ghost Riders in the Sky!
    Rating: D+ (would have been a C but hated song by the end!)

    After the KI & MV RR, we ended the night with the nearby roller coaster...

    Rides #11-13: Mystic Timbers (x3)
    Wait: Under 5 Minutes, 15 Minutes, Walk-On
    My friends decided to smoke again first, so for the first ride, I used Single Rider Line again and waited less than 5 minutes. As with Flight of "Cheer", I will do the review part at the bottom here. When we rode as a group, we waited 15 minutes, and then we got back in line for last train of the night with next to no wait (and rode in the very back)!

    Earlier, Mystic Timbers had decent speed, but kinda weak airtime. Well, after it has been running for a while, that changes and it has MUCH better airtime like it did on all 3 of these rides. The ride also felt even faster, too, as it had broken in. My solo ride was in the middle, I got some great Diamondback-style sustained floater air from there. We then rode from the front, and those seats gave semi-strong ejector air instead! The very back was also very fun, but I was expecting even more airtime there and it was actually a bit worse than the middle (though still a good amount). As for the shed endings, I got Snakes, Snakes AGAIN, and then finally Bats. I was actually glad to see Bats because I was getting tired of snakes! Anyhow, Mystic Timbers gave me some awesome rides to end my coaster riding in 2018.
    Rating: S

    After Mystic Timbers, Kings Island began to close. We headed out, took in the International Street Ambiance one more time, and headed out. And thus ends not only this Trip Report, but my 2018 Coaster Season. Before I get into Overall Season Stuff, here are the Pros/Cons of this trip:

    PROS
    +The Park is GORGEOUS for Winterfest! There are a insane amount of lights, and little touches like changing most of the signs for the shops goes a long way too!
    +Flight of Cheer and Mystic Timbers were running great
    +I didn't do a whole show from start to finish, but what little I saw was neat, and I liked the roaming actors too
    +The fact THE PARK IS EVEN OPEN IN DECEMBER!

    CONS
    -Many rides closed, it is to be expected (they have to do upkeep and maintenance and some rides can't run in cold) but it does suck a bit to see so many favorites closed
    -BRRR!!! COLD!!! Not park's fault but still a con.

    This was a AMAZING trip, and a great way to end the season. Now, as this was my for-sure final visit to KI in 2018, here are my ride totals for the year:

    Visits in 2018- 6
    Passholder Preview Night: April 13th
    April 21st
    June 16th
    August 5th
    Haunt: September 29th
    Winterfest: December 29th
    There are Trip Reports for all of these BTW, search "McSalsa's Coaster Adventures" in Trip Reports to find them!

    KI RIDES RIDDEN IN 2018 (In Order of 1st Ride)
    Adventure Express- 6
    Red Racer- 6
    Vortex- 4
    The Beast- 10
    Diamondback- 9
    Banshee- 6
    Zephyr- 2
    Eiffel Tower- 3
    Mystic Timbers- 11
    Backlot Stunt Coaster- 5
    Flight of Fear- 7
    Boo Blasters on Boo Hill- 1
    Delirium- 2
    The Bat- 4
    Blue Racer- 2
    Woodstock Express- 1
    Dodgem- 1
    Grand Carousel- 2
    KI & MV RR- 6
    Shake Rattle and Roll- 1
    Drop Tower- 2
    WindSeeker- 1
    Firehawk- 1 (R.I.P)
    Viking Fury- 1
    Invertigo- 1

    Soak City
    Zoom Flume- 1
    Splash River- 2
    Tidal Wave Bay- 1
    Note: Did not do too much in Soak City!

    (Looks at List of Rides Ridden) Woah that is a lot of rides taken in 2018! Wait a sec...OOPS! I forgot to ride Monster in 2018. I actually like that flat a lot, granted I did ride a semi-similar ride twice at fairs. I also didn't ride Surf Dog, or Woodstock Gliders, but I did get the same models at Cedar Point. I still need the credit for Flying Ace Aerial Chase too. Oh well, I did renew my pass, so those rides are ones I can aim for in 2019.

    Mystic Timbers, thanks to me getting 4 rides during Winterfest, was my most ridden ride at KI (or any park) in 2018 with 11 rides taken. Beast was #2 (Beast: "Grumble Grumble Stoopid Winterfest Why Do I Have 2 Close 4 It I am Wooden Too!") with 10, and Diamondback claims the Bronze with 9.

    And that does it for 2018. Kings Island really did a GREAT job this year. The park was nicer looking than I have ever seen it during my visits from 2009-2018, with the great landscaping in summer followed by Haunt's awesome atmosphere and of course Winterfest was incredible. Most of the food I ate was good too, and outside of preview night I didn't have any issues with food service at KI. I would say the Chicken Wrap from Chicken Shack and the Chicken Tenders at Island Smokehouse were my favorite KI foods in 2018 though. And of course, Kings Island has a solid ride selection as well. KI is one of the few parks I would say has both great steel AND wooden coasters while lacking a truly terrible adult coaster (Invertigo is my least favorite and it can still be fun sometimes), and there are some fun flat rides. And the ride crews were great most of the time too. Waterpark is OK, nowhere near as good as Splashin' Safari at Holiday World but it does its job.

    Now I look to next year. The Antique Autos will be a nice family addition in 2019, and I look foward to whatever special events they do as well, like the Peanuts Celebration they did in 2018. Not to mention we might start seeing construction for the nearly confirmed mystery B&M. Speculation is usually pretty fun.

    Well, that is all! This is the end of my 2018 Trip Reports. See U all in 2019! MCSALSA AWAY!!!

    • Like 3
  13. On 12/26/2018 at 8:49 PM, LondonFreak said:

    I LOVE THIS! It could probably even be expanded to include the Banshee and The Bat! I think that Adventure Express could even be tied into this, as like a prototype mine cart to search for The Beast and Diamondback! I could be a whole park story! :D

    I like the idea of a coaster, but I feel like Rivertown could use an indoor ride. We lack those at KI!!! There is the Scooby-Doo Haunted Castle (Boo Blasters now?) and Flight of Fear! (Sorry, I use the old names and new ones interchangeably...)

    I actually did a 2nd post about this, but I can't find it so I wonder if it was deleted or something. Ehh, oh well- I actually came up with a expansion to this story that included Banshee, etc. Here is a shorter version (I have also made a few tweaks):

    RIVERTOWN

    Basically a small town where mysterious things are known to happen (like The Beast) so Government agents were sent in to investigate. Diamondback was created when a experiment conducted by them went very wrong (see story above). When the Miami River Lumber Company demolished a old shed and built theirs, even more mysterious stuff began to happen and the company was shut down after only 1 day (Mystic Timbers Storyline). The Agency has shut down the MRLC area, but trespassers continue to sneak onto the property. To add to this, The Beast and Diamondback are still lurking (Diamondback has also been rumored to have been seen near the shed). The Agency has been reported to have been shipping items from the Miami River Lumber Company area to their bases, including...

    Action Zone
     

    What appears to be a action film studio is, in fact, merely a front for the Agency. Behind the film studio lies Outpost 5, home of the former Son of Beast containment area. The Outpost also features a Aircraft Carrier. When Son of Beast was captured, he was given growth hormones and many tests were run on him, causing him to become massive, aggressive, and unruly to the point that the Agency eventually had no choice but to kill him. However, shortly after the death of Son of Beast, the spirit known as Banshee appeared and attacked the Outpost, claiming it for herself. Some strange, demonic-looking bats were also been held in Outpost 5 and when Banshee attacked, they were set free and took over the Aircraft carrier (The Bat). Outpost 5 has thus been abandoned, though the movie studio remains in operation (the Agency does need to make money so they make films to get it).

    CONEY MALL/X-BASE

    This small, family amusement park secretly hides X-Base: the location of the legendary Hangar #18. Rumors say a UFO is stored inside. The base was, until recently, home to a secret test project known as Firehawk. However, the Agency has gotten all the data they needed from this program and it has been retired, possibly to make room for their next big project.

    Adventure Express

    A 2-track train system, the Adventure Express connects X-Base and the Movie Studio/Outpost 5. Agents would use Track 1 to go from one to the other. However, Track 2 was built through a forbidden temple, causing massive problems, so it has been closed. However, Larry the Operator is sometimes a clutz and accidentally sends trains down Track 2 anyway. Oops! Why he hasn't been fired yet is one of the biggest mysteries of all.

    (I don't have storylines for I-Street, Oktoberfest, or Planet Snoopy that can tie those in to the story yet)

    • Like 1
  14. 4 hours ago, IndyGuy4KI said:

    I would assume so. I just work here. @McSalsa made the game rules. LOL

    Edit: My page has not refreshed to see his post before I replied. 

    McSalsa: Since this is a new game does the 48 hrs restart?

    When a round ends and another begins, you can vote immediately on the new matches, even if your vote ended the last round 1 minute earlier for example. Then the 48 hours before you vote again "clock" turns back on.

    • Like 2
  15. I taking advantage of 48 hour rule...

    Millennium Force (10) vs. Adventure Express (4)
    Top Thrill Dragster (10) vs. Blue Streak (5)
    Steel Vengeance (10) vs. Flight of Fear (1)
    Diamondback (10) vs. The Racer (4)
    The Beast (7) vs. Mystic Timbers (8)
    Magnum XL-200 (10) vs. Rougarou (3)
    Banshee (10) vs. Raptor (1)
    Vortex (4) vs. Maverick (10)

    R.I.P. Blue Streak (in this poll at least). Beast vs. Mystic Timbers is the only battle left. Once it finishes, Round 3 begins!

  16. ^ OK.

    For anyone else, I will update the scores so far with NewD4y20's votes.

    Millennium Force (3) vs. Adventure Express (1)
    Top Thrill Dragster (2) vs. Blue Streak (2)
    Steel Vengeance (4) vs. Flight of Fear (0)
    Diamondback (3) vs. The Racer (1)
    The Beast (2) vs. Mystic Timbers (2)
    Magnum XL-200 (3) vs. Rougarou (1)
    Banshee (4) vs. Raptor (0)
    Vortex (0) vs. Maverick (4)

  17. And with VortexBFF's votes, we are on to Round 2!

    Millennium Force (1) vs. Adventure Express (0)
    Top Thrill Dragster (1) vs. Blue Streak (0)
    Steel Venegance (1) vs. Flight of Fear (0)
    Diamondback (1) vs. The Racer (0)
    The Beast (1) vs. Mystic Timbers (0)
    Magnum XL-200 (1) vs. Rougarou (0)
    Banshee (1) vs. Raptor (0)
    Vortex (0) vs. Maverick (1)

    Since new matchups have been made (same rules: highest seed vs. lowest based on ride stats of all the coasters who advanced), all scores have been reset to 0, and you can now vote again even if you voted less than 48 hours ago because it's a new round (but once you vote the 48 hours rule kicks in again). I think a few of these matchups are very interesting, as we have a few of the same type of coaster going at each other now...

    Also, rides with a 1 instead of a 0 simply have my personal votes.

     

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