BlondyRidesOn

Glad things are looking up for the ride. I hope GCI continues to do this work in the next few seasons as well.

I've often wondered what could've been myself. I never rode Son of Beast, but my father found it to be a very rough and uncomfortable ride. He's an engineer and he said, while Sonny was still SBNO, that the park should've invested money in rebuilding the coaster with stronger, more durable wood. One of his favorite roller coasters was Mean Streak at Cedar Point, the giant Dinn Corporation woodie built in 1991 (He had gone up with my mother that season to ride it; we still have photos of the new southern yellow pine structure in a photo album). Shortly before the coaster closed in 2016 to make way for what would become Steel Vengeance, we went up and rode it one last time (first and last times for me). Despite its roughness and bumpy ride experience, I actually enjoyed Mean Streak and could see why he liked it. The major downside to Son of Beast was that Paramount cut costs while building the coaster, explaining why they didn't use the best wood. Mean Streak, on the other hand, had a great structure with track that quickly got rougher over time. When the rumors of Son of Beast returning began stirring, which I knew there was no water to those theories, I began wondering to myself if had Son of Beast been similar to Mean Streak, with a much more sound structure, would it still be around to this day. Still, to this day, my father and I both look back at the possibilities and the potential the ride had.

I decided to start this topic in the other amusement parks category, as it's about another park despite its connection to Kings Island history. It's no secret that in the early years of Kings Island's development, actor Fess Parker was planning to build a theme park in Northern Kentucky themed to Davy Crockett and Daniel Boone, two television characters Parker played, called "Frontier Worlds." When the Coney Island group shut down the funding for Frontier Worlds, Parker's project was ultimately cancelled. Does anyone on here know where the park was planned to be built? I've heard it was near where I-75 and I-71 merged. Would be an interesting site to see in the future.

I decided to start this topic in the other amusement parks category, as it's about another park despite its connection to Kings Island history. It's no secret that in the early years of Kings Island's development, actor Fess Parker was planning to build a theme park in Northern Kentucky themed to Davy Crockett and Daniel Boone, two television characters Parker played, called "Frontier Worlds." When the Coney Island group shut down the funding for Frontier Worlds, Parker's project was ultimately cancelled. Does anyone on here know where the park was planned to be built? I've heard it was near where I-75 and I-71 merged. Would be an interesting site to see in the future.

It has always been my belief that Rivertown needs another "river" ride besides White Water Canyon. What if the park built a MACK water coaster on the current site of the building and themed it to the old Kenton's Cove Keelboat Canal? They could call it "Keelboat Rampage." The ride can pay homage to other Kings Island attractions, defunct and existing. You would enter the ride through the old Tomb Raider/ Crypt entrance, with the queue rethemed to an old abandoned boat house located on Kenton's Cove (similar to how Disney themed and decked out Expedition Everest's queue line). The boat house was abandoned due to sudden rapid overgrowth (Mystic Timbers) and sightings of a rampaging monster in the wooded area the boathouse resides in (The Beast). This, however, may require the removal of the old Crypt show building, but it would really enhance the area.

Maybe paint Sling Shot the colors of the German flag to freshen it up a little.

^^^ Maybe make it a floorless coaster instead.

I chose The Bat. I visited the park this summer with my cousin who hadn't been to the park in years. He loved the current Bat when it was themed to Top Gun and was so excited when he found out it was still open. The Bat, the former Top Gun and Flight Deck, is one of my favorite coasters at the park. The only downside is that the coaster has a shorter ride duration and a layout similar to Vortex at Canadas Wonderland. The original Bat, as well as quite a few other early Arrow Suspended coasters, had two lift hills and unique layouts. The problem was the mechanical issues that arose as it was a prototype, as well as the wear and tear on the structure. If it were built with banked track and with the technical bugs worked out, it could've honestly been one of the best coasters at Kings Island.

In the case for building a new Skyride, from what we've seen from the park the last two seasons, it seems that a rebirth of Coney Mall is taking place. Coney Bar B Que, Kings Mills Antique Autos, new lighting packages, these are all new additions that give Coney some nice refreshing look. If a new Skyride were built to span the Coney Mall midway, I would love to see a reproduction of the European style fountain in the middle of Coney Island's Mall. In 1964, Coney Island Management made plans to expand the Mall, requiring the removal of the Wildcat. When the Swiss Skyride was built in 1965, to add more visual appeal from above, the park installed a large fountain, which I believe was designed by Charles Flatt (the designer of the Royal Fountain on International Street) in the middle of the midway near the Lost River. The ideal location for such a fountain would be near the Zephyr where the hammer game used to stand. It's a very large plot of land that could benefit greatly by a large display like that. (Not my photo. Retrieved from the website Cincinnati Views) http://www.cincinnativiews.net/coney_part_4.htm

I'm a bit indecisive about that, mostly because of the accident in 1977. However, Skyrides work at other parks, such as Cedar Point and California's Great America. The thing is, though, I can't think of a modern manufacturer that builds Skyrides anymore other that Von Roll, which is out of business. If a new Skyride were built, it would be cool to see it over Coney Mall, start in Oktoberfest around where the Tumble Bug used to be, past The Racer and end over near Kings Mills Antique Autos. It would help make Coney Mall look a little more like the old Coney Island.

This is slightly off topic but still Oktoberfest related. Does anyone know who designed the buildings in Oktoberfest? Der Alte Deutsche Bier Garten (Hanks) was built with the park in 1972 and the Festhaus opened at Winterfest in 1982. I'm familiar with Bruce Bushman designing International Street as one of his last projects, as well as Darrel Daniels and the SkyRide stations, but is there some insight regarding who designed the other buildings in the park, specifically Oktoberfest?

The lack of trees in the early seasons created a forced perspective that made the tower look taller than 300 feet, similar to how Bruce Bushman designed the windows and doors on the terraces on the buildings to be 3/4 scale in real life.

^^^ Totally agree with the Bernstein piece. I feel like they could've used more of his score in that film, and I just think it ties in very well with The Beast. Also, I forgot about Adventure Express. Still going with Williams' Indiana Jones scores, I would choose the original 1981 Raiders March with the London Symphony from Raiders of the Lost Ark and "Belly of the Steel Beast" from Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade, which I mentioned in a previous thread was played in the final tunnel with the temple god.

The Racer- The current Racer Radio is good, but it would be cool to hear some more music from the late 60s and early 70s in the station. The Beast- "Metamorphosis" unused track from "An American Werewolf in London" by Elmer Bernstein The Bat- "Night on Bald Mountain" by Mussorgsky Banshee- "Ossuary 6 - Air" by Kevin MacLeod Vortex- "Vengabus (We Like to Party)" by Vengaboys Diamondback- "The Good, The Bad and The Ugly" by Hugo Montenegro (Composed by Ennio Morricone)

The Northern Kentucky one wasn't approved by the Army Corp of Engineers because of it comprising the strength of the levee and flood wall. Honestly, a permanent ferris wheel on the Ohio side of the river would look fantastic.

Size doesn't always determine might. Mystic is a nice family coaster, but it has a large amount of intensity and force. In regards to the next new coaster, if we do get a giga coaster, the coaster after that should be one that pushes the limits again. At one time, Kings Island would be a trend setter for the coaster world. The Bat being the worlds first suspended coaster (Big Bad Wolf at BGW being the first successful one), King Cobra first looping stand up built from the ground up, The Beast being the longest and largest roller coaster at the time, even The Racer in 1972 was a risk. It would be cool to see a coaster that puts the park back on track as the king of thrills.

Somewhere on here, someone posted some photos of what we believe to be the house in the middle of Fort Coney prior to Kings Island's construction. Does anyone know where they may be?

Any chance The Racer will have that lighting during regular season and be incorporated into the fireworks show?

Will GCI still supply the Millennium Flyer trains or are they moving to the Infinity Flyer much like RMC discontinuing their original train design?

Why not build a Hopkins Super Flume that weaves in and out of the building, which can be themed to a mine of some sort. The Licking River in Kentucky is known for salt mines along its banks, maybe name it "Salt Mine Falls."

I'm amazed by how much they look like the original Arrow models. Will they all be patterned like that, or will they be solid colors?

But we already have The Racer and Mystic Timbers. Personally if GCI returns, I would love to see a Ghostrider style treatment of The Racer; same layout but new wood track and new trains. However, an RMC topper track woodie would be cool to see implemented.

I agree about the tree lighting. As cool as the show is, I liked watching old clips from 2005 and the original in 1985 with the pyrotechnics lighting the star. It would really help our Winterfest stand out from the others in the chain.

It's pretty clear by this Tweet that the park has plans for the station. I'm thinking it may have to do with a future roller coaster or an all year use because I don't think they'd hype it up as much if it were a Haunt attraction.

More video from Firehawk's opening year. Really interesting piece of historical video.