Old Structures

[CoasterKrazy]

At Paramount's Kings Island, there are several places where a guest can notice old structures and paths. I've notived a few, and I would like to know what they were and why they were removed. Thanks for your help!

1. )On the right side of Internation Street is the very first entrance to Hanna Barberra Land ( Where Scooby Doo and the Haunted Castle is ) If you go to the exit of Scooby and turn around, the Scooby building is to your right. Follow the very far right side of the path, and you will run into a store. There is what appears to be an old path that leads to a now sealed brick door. Did a door used to be in this location, and if so why was it taken out?

2. ) Again on the right side of Internation Street. Go past the entrance to Hanna Barberra Land and just past the very first store. On your right is an old staircase that is fenced off. Did guests used to be able to go up this staircase and over the stores below? If so, why was this closed off, and is there anything else up there for anyone that can remember? ( This staircase is located just before a sculpture of Don Quixote )

3. ) Go behind the E. Tower and follow the path down towards the garden clock. Take the path to your right, which will lead to the tropical drinks stand, the old antique cars station, and eventually RiverTown. Just after the tropical drinks stand there is a path that seems to lead directly into the lake. I know for a fact that a path used to be there ( from looking at old maps of PKI ) but I want to know where it led and why is was removed.

[Vortex]

#3) From what I've read, I think that there used to be a dolphin show on that pond. Maybe that path used to be for the dolphin show??

As for old structures, I finally found a few of The Bat's footers under Vortex the last time I was there

Edited January 1, 1970 by VORTEX

[coasterdime]

There used to be a bridge over that lake. The last year I remember it was 1994. I don't remember when it was removed. There was also a bridge over the Oktoberfest lake, leading to the Beer Garden. Again, I don't know when it was removed, either.

Does anyone else remember the vine covered path when it still went somewhere? (HB land, near Oscar's)

[TheRickster]

I DO!!!! That was really neat I miss it to this day

[TraderJake]

3) I remember that path as a kid, it went across the lake and I believe it ended behind Wings Diner. I don't remember it being there after black Sunday (well, I think it was a Sunday), but I do remember it from my early childhood. As for the other two paths.

As for the other two places, I am not really sure what you are refering to when you say "sealed brick door", and I know that nowadays the people in the Candy Store will run you off of the top floor balcony should you decide to tempt fate and run up the stairs.

As for old footers and such, I think you can still see KC footers around the access road that was under where the lift used to be.

Edited January 1, 1970 by TraderJake

[fryler87]

i still remember when they had that vine pathway thing...it went towards wings diner (cant remember exactly the other shops nearby. as for the footers left from The Bat...i noticed those one time after reading a website about the coaster. kinda cool in a way that history isn't always erased from the physical world and left for memory.

[TheRickster]

Yup the cement footers for KC are still right next to the access road. Get inline for Adventure Express and you can see em.

[PKIDelirium]

if you look closely at the map, you can see the vine tunnel.

[BoddaH1994]

I too remember the ivy tunnel.

Also, the old queue lines for the Flight Commander/Zodiac are still next to the Launch Pad. They're black and have blue-ish lights on poles, it was part of Flight Commander's themeing.

If you want to see a few of The Bat's footers, loot toward the ground during the helix of The Vortex, you'll see a few.

The dolphin show wasn't in the lake, but at the International Showplace.

Yes, Black Sunday was on a Sunday.

Also, I'm sure you guys have seen the stairs for the Eiffel Tower, which now have gates bolted shut in front of them. I'm going to assume that they closed after "genious boy" was killed in the elevator shaft. (Although I have read accounts saying that he simply fell from the tower.)

Apparently there are still caves out in the outskirts of Action Zone from the Lion Safari, although I can not back that up. I heard that from a few friend of mine which were employed there last year.

::Minor tangent::

There is a cemetary between the campground and the parking lot. I remember seeing it when I was a child and thinking that that was where the people who had died on Black Sunday were buried. (My first time ever at the park was just a few days after Black Sunday) My friend and I drove to that side of the parking lot looking for it last year, but couldn't find it. The first time I saw it was from the car, so it can't be far from the parking lot. Does anyone know if it's still there or not? I realize that it's kind of morbid to have in an amusement park, but these are human remains we're talking about.

[TheRickster]

Nope its still there. You can see it from the eefiel tower. There is a story about that side of the parking lot being haunted to. Tram drivers when parking at that end after the day would see a girl and then she would run off into the woods teasing them.

[fryler87]

ill probably stand corrected, but you can see the cemetary not only from the Eiffel Tower but also from the back corner of the parking lot and the exit drive.

[skatefanjeff]

I think all this stuff is intresting. I want to know about the tower johnny cables, the are supposedly kept by The Beast's second lift. I also want to know what PKI keeps in the storage sheds hidden way back in the woods. Some more things about The Bat is that some of The Vortex's stairs going up the lift are actually parts of The bats. The Vortex and bat also use the same station. Also If you look in the storage shed for The Vortex I think The moon shape cut out have something to do with The Bat.

Edited January 1, 1970 by skatefanjeff

[StXBomber]

Yes, look directly above the storage area for The Vortex cars, and you can see a little half circle cut out where the track of The Bat went through.

Also, the cemetary is still there. It can be seen driving Kings Island Drive going past the movie theater.

[EnterTheVortex]

Can someone please explain Black Sunday for me?

[fyrfyter]

Can someone please explain Black Sunday for me?

Go look under the Deaths at Kings Island thread under PKI in Main Discussion. Not in this thread.

[Beastfreak]

Answer to initial Questions

#1 That door goes into what is now just the Fudge/Candy shop.. Used to be Pretzel & Fudge before that. I'm not exactly sure but I assume the door is there for access for employees to get in and out. It really wasn't big enough of an opening for it to be for guests. If you look close enough at the French Bakery, they have this same door in the corner for employees. Just a guess that they had problems with guests coming in or had it sealed off just as a safety to the employees. Not a definite reason on that one.

#2 The stair case I believe was to a restraunt, or so I was told. I never got a definite answer on that from anyone. I think there is an office up there now. I believe I saw a computer in the window once when I went past. Though, who's office or anything.. I have no idea.

#3 The path was over the lake to Wings. It came out between Wing's (well at that time Wing's Ribs cookhouse, the windows are covered over in black paint now) and the Mining Store. The bridge did disappear around 1994 like someone mentioned. (By the way... like someone mentioned the dolphin show was not in the lake, and unlike what they said... it was not in International Showplace either. The flat land there by the smoothie store before the lake was the site of the dolphin tank and show. There should be a big generator box sitting in that grassy area, possibly behind some bushes, which was the location of the stadium)

[skatefanjeff]

What does Kings Island have in all those storage buildings that are way back in the woods? Does anyone know about the Cables from the Tower Johnny incident, is it true they are bakc by The Beast?

[BoObKiNoS]

Apparently there are still caves out in the outskirts of Action Zone from the Lion Safari, although I can not back that up. I heard that from a few friend of mine which were employed there last year.

Cages indeed still exist, dont know about caves though. They are right behind Son of Beast lift. If you ride and look to the right side when you're getting your picture taken you might be able to see them, maybe, in the fall with no leaves on the trees. It's seriously very creepy. I was down there once and, well, if you've never noticed, SOB is built on top of a creek. The whole darn ride is like on top of a bridge. It's the creek that goes under top guns station. It goes into a tunnel right where the top gun helix is, and the base of SOB's lift...and it comes out on the other side of the loop. IT goes straight under the lift, loop, and some sections of track. ANYWAYS, saw another cement bridge thingy one day down there by the creeks bridge and literally only walked like 15 feet into the woods to look at it, and about got the sh*t scared out of me becuase i looked up and saw all the old animal cages, they're all wood, and falling apart, the fencing is all rusted...but there is like 5 or 6 back there, all kind of in a line, alternating perfectly so that maybe the track for the monorail could go right in between them. I was looking for evidence of the track and really couldnt find much but that bridge. It's really overgrown back there considering the monorail hasnt been there for only like 10 years.

[CYoung2003]

If you go to Days of Thunder and while your in line, look to your right side and you will see the huge King Cobra supports still standing with a clearance sign still atached.

[BoddaH1994]

Apparently there are still caves out in the outskirts of Action Zone from the Lion Safari, although I can not back that up.  I heard that from a few friend of mine which were employed there last year.

Cages indeed still exist, dont know about caves though. They are right behind Son of Beast lift. If you ride and look to the right side when you're getting your picture taken you might be able to see them, maybe, in the fall with no leaves on the trees. It's seriously very creepy. I was down there once and, well, if you've never noticed, SOB is built on top of a creek. The whole darn ride is like on top of a bridge. It's the creek that goes under top guns station. It goes into a tunnel right where the top gun helix is, and the base of SOB's lift...and it comes out on the other side of the loop. IT goes straight under the lift, loop, and some sections of track. ANYWAYS, saw another cement bridge thingy one day down there by the creeks bridge and literally only walked like 15 feet into the woods to look at it, and about got the sh*t scared out of me becuase i looked up and saw all the old animal cages, they're all wood, and falling apart, the fencing is all rusted...but there is like 5 or 6 back there, all kind of in a line, alternating perfectly so that maybe the track for the monorail could go right in between them. I was looking for evidence of the track and really couldnt find much but that bridge. It's really overgrown back there considering the monorail hasnt been there for only like 10 years.

I'll get back to you on those caves, but I still can't guarentee anything.

I'm willing to say that there are a lot more remnance of the monorail back in the woods that we simply don't know about or can't see. I'm not sure if the cages you saw had the monorail running through them though, I remember the exhibit having the animals in an open rage. (Correct me if I'm wrong, it was a long time ago.)

The cables near The Beast were not elevator cables, although it was a common myth. I have heard that they were spares for The Beast, not SoB, buy hey, that's not the point -- they're still just cables.

Beastfreak, thanks for clearing up the Dolphin Show thing. Saying that it was in the International Showplace was an assumption which I made from vague recollections.

Yes, The Vortex's station is the same station used for The Bat. (They call that an Arrow-swap in the business )

[Beastfreak]

The concrete bridges you saw under Son of Beast, were put in during the construction of Son of Beast. The monorail didn't need one, it had the ability to support itself between support posts.

[fyrfyter]

I'm willing to say that there are a lot more remnance of the monorail back in the woods that we simply don't know about or can't see.

I doubt you are going to find any monorail remnants back in the woods, other than maybe a partial path or something like that. We all know that the monorail was sold to "Jungle" Jim Bonaminio, for him to reinstall around his store in Farifield Ohio. They are currently in the process of erecting the track and repainting the trains for his store. If you are unfamiliar with it, go to http://www.junglejims.com and under attractions check out the food tram. If you go out there, you can drive around the entire complex via some of the neaby roads and see the storage area for the monorail, the transfer track, and also see the maintenance shed Jungle Jim has built for his store.

[BoObKiNoS]

The concrete bridges you saw under Son of Beast, were put in during the construction of Son of Beast. The monorail didn't need one, it had the ability to support itself between support posts.

No not that small one i was talkin about by the cages...it was surrounded by trees and shrub and yea...it was just as old as the cages...maybe it wasnt used for the monorail...but it was definitley built a darn long time ago

[BoddaH1994]

I'm willing to say that there are a lot more remnance of the monorail back in the woods that we simply don't know about or can't see.

I doubt you are going to find any monorail remnants back in the woods, other than maybe a partial path or something like that. We all know that the monorail was sold to "Jungle" Jim Bonaminio, for him to reinstall around his store in Farifield Ohio. They are currently in the process of erecting the track and repainting the trains for his store. If you are unfamiliar with it, go to http://www.junglejims.com and under attractions check out the food tram. If you go out there, you can drive around the entire complex via some of the neaby roads and see the storage area for the monorail, the transfer track, and also see the maintenance shed Jungle Jim has built for his store.

I know about the Jungle Jim's thing. He actually has a lot of stuff there. I know he has a spinning kettle from the old flat ride either at Americana or PKI. (Not sure which) It's the flat which moves around and you have a steering wheel in the middle to get it spinning. I think the one at PKI was in Oktoberfest and was themed toward being kegs of beer, so the one from JJ's would be from Americana.

Anyway, was talking more along the lines of footers, bridges, and stuff like that. You wouldn't be likely to find a piece of track anywhere, but considering how long the monorail track was, there has to be terrain changes and stuff like that.

[TheRickster]

Dont forget when your on the train and your going thru the city part to look for the dont feed the animals signs posted agaisnt one of the buildings on the end.

[fyrfyter]

Anyway,  was talking more along the lines of footers, bridges, and stuff like that.  You wouldn't be likely to find a piece of track anywhere, but considering how long the monorail track was, there has to be terrain changes and stuff like that.

i don't know if you would even find that easily. There is 10 years worth of growth back in there, considering the monorail was removed between the end of 1992 and beginning of 1993 season. I would bet that most of what used to be kept up is no longer, and probably overgrown with weeds, trees, and brush. I guess there might be stuff bavk there, but I am thinking most inclines and bridges are probably gone.

Does anyone actually know who the manufacturer of the Monorail for PKI was? Intamin AG comes to mind, but I am not for sure on that. just a question.

Edited January 1, 1970 by fyrfyter

[skatefanjeff]

I wasn't sure about the elevator cables, that was something else I heard was they were just spare suspension cables, but I could of swore on a diffrent thread someone said they were the elevator cables, I think it was the thread about ghosts.

[Crispy1979]

removed

[TraderJake]

I am pretty sure that for initial question number two that the staircase at the candy store was to the old merchandise offices, well at least that's what I hear, as for what second floor is for now I have no clue.