jbeast

I'm a decent size guy...6'4" 230 and I didn't have any issues with the restraints either this past Saturday.

I personally like the updated/old look of International Street. The colorful buildings, pavers, nicer seating areas and open format remind me of being a kid when the park first opened. Also I visited for a few hours this past Saturday and the fountains were shooting up nice and high. Change is good in my humble opinion.

Just like everyone else on here, the hope for a new giga in that area sounds amazing. However, looking at it in person on Saturday...I'd sure love to see a custom RMC in that spot with some terrain hugging and long tunnels. That would be just as, or even better maybe.

It's going to be a really fun couple of days for sure. Cannot wait!

My vote goes for The Eagles with Phantom Theater a close second (of course, I still remember riding Enchanted Voyage too). I agree that the scooters we have now pale in comparison to the original Eagles. The Eagles were by far my favorite non coaster ride because of the truly wild rides you could get. I rode them as a kid on and as I grew up they were still a favorite! They were such an adrenaline rush! As I've said before, it's tough walking past that 3 point challenge knowing what was once there.

I love reading about all these past rides. Great job Shaggy! I was fortunate to get quite a few rides on the original Bat. It's too bad the initial design was so flawed, but I got lucky I suppose with the rides I had during the first year or so. It wasn't the fastest thing around, but it was a wild ride in it's inception. The descent off the second lift flying through the trees was my favorite part. Just watching the train swing through along the track was mind blowing as a 12-13 year old kid. It was such a new concept at the time. And I loved all the commercials for it and The Beast on TV back in the day. I still have a pennant the the original Bat, Beast and Screamin Demon logos together...it's one of my most loved souvenirs!

Having the original Eagles back would be a dream come true. As they were my favorite non-coaster ride ever, I would be beyond happy! I agree Shaggy, it was one of the most perplexing moves I have seen as far as the park goes. Such a loved ride with so much Cincinnati historical background from Coney to KI. Sometimes, I still hearing the cables snapping in my head as I walk by that stupid basketball game.

Well, it's time to get up to The Point again next summer...that is one amazing transformation of a coaster that sorely needed it. RMC is just blowing it out of the water with this one! After riding Outlaw Run and Stormchaser, I cannot wait to ride this monster!

Can't wait! I'm really looking forward to some nighttime ERT on Mystic Timbers! I still have not got a night ride in.

KI has a total winner with this ride! I've only been able to ride it once so far this past Friday afternoon (luckily I showed up at 2pm and only waited 20 minutes after the park opened), and I absolutely loved every second of it. It's such a beautiful coaster...I cannot wait to ride it again. It sure feels faster than 53mph with all the quick directional changes and pops of air. MT is the coaster I've personally wanted to see KI build for a long time and theming it to The Miami River Lumber Co. is a huge plus! I had to have one of the new shirts with the 'it's all good in the woods' slogan on it...way too cool! It seems the powers that be have learned all sorts of lessons from Son of Beast and their additions in the past few years have been reliable and stellar! I'm a firm believer a wooden coaster doesn't have to be the biggest to be exciting and a ton of fun and Mystic Timbers delivers that and then some! As far as the shed...I didn't go in over hyping it myself and I found it a fun way to end the ride with a nod to KI's wonderful past. It's pretty much what I expected, so no disappointment from me. Also, it's so nice to see the powers that be bring back some of the old lure to the Rivertown area. Reminds me a lot of the very early years where the rides matched the theme of the area for the most part anyway. I cannot wait for Coasterstock for some ERT night rides!

Thanks Shaggy for sharing your wealth of knowledge about the park. I always look forward to your posts! I too grew up in the early years of KI and those photos and your insight bring back a lot of memories. I wish I would have been better at documenting all of it through the years. Showing my age a bit, but I can remember passing by Fields Ertel and only passing a White Castle and Shell station (and that was it!) on our way out to the park. I love the park with a passion, but back then it always felt like going another world. Something about being an excited kid and the aura of the park when it first opened and especially after The Beast was announced. There was kind of a supernatural feel once The Bat and Demon came along...It was awesome! I would hover around the TV, just waiting for that awesome Beast and Bat commercials to play...ahh the days before the internet...Ha!

The more I see of this beautiful coaster, the more I like. It's going to have a great combination of floater and nice intense airtime. Something, as I've said before, I've been wanting to see at KI for a long time on a up-to-date wooden coaster! I absolutely cannot wait to get on this thing as it looks extremely re-ridable. I agree that renderings and videos of this coaster are not doing it the justice it deserves. Of course, videos rarely do for any coaster for that fact. C'mon Spring, get here fast!

As I said in another thread regarding this ride. Neat concept, but atrociously slow line. And, even though my oldest at the time loved it, it was not adult friendly....at all. Especially when you're 6' 4" and 225lbs...not much wiggle room. And ouch, that abrupt stop at the end hurt in a special place. Don't miss it that's for sure..ha!

It's always sad to see a classic coaster fade away and demolished. It was a true gem in it's operating years. I absolutely loved the ride and thought it was probably the best coaster they had at the time. Between this one and The Screechin Eagle, we've lost two really great classic wooden coasters.

I was just looking at the webcam a few minutes ago. It's probably just me, but I get a little nervous seeing that crane extended out over the first drop. Hydraulics don't fail me now...ha! Still, it's really amazing how that drop is turning out and alot of fun watching it being built. Also from that view, you really get a good estimate on how big Diamondback really is!