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And do what you want to do. Don't let others' advice keep you from trying things out for yourself. For many years, I ascribed to the conventional enthusiasts' wisdom at the time that Six Flags Great Adventure was dirty, dangerous and little better than a dump. Finally, against my better judgment, I went, only to find a delightfully wonderful phantasmagoria of seasonal theme park goodness mixed with the unexpected. Go. Have a great time. And definitely ride everything you can. Some things won't be there next year. Heck, some of us won't be here next year. Enjoy all you can while you can.

I was on WT when a fake leg came off the forward launch side. The ride was e-stopped & homed out, and it created quite the scene (with some blood curdling screams) when someone yelled out "SOMEONE LOST A LEG!" and then we all saw it laying there. My wife freaked, I then sarcastically asked her: "I wonder what it hit?" She then hit me (this happens often).

So now we just have to decipher @!!$!(*%% ALLSLCIBB? Do I win? Or maybe it's scrambled. BALLBLISC. Okay, not a fan of that... Oh shoot, do I see SLC? I didn't know Vekoma was going to fix Son of Beast? Or if you take the first letter of each sign (e for exclamation point, etc) it's AEEDEPAPP. A DEEP APE. I KID YOU NOT. YOU HEARD IT HERE FIRST. Son of Beast IS BEING RENAMED A DEEP APE AND REOPENING 2013! ... ... Where am I?

I hear how Elvis' dance moves were offensive way back when. Now look where we are. Things change.

1. Definitely give Mantis a try. It may surprise you like it did me; I now rank Mantis above all steel coasters at KI, even DB. Front row is worth the extra wait (and that line moves four at a time, so it's faster than some other coasters' front seat lines). 2. If you've got two days, you've got time to hit all the coasters. Don't worry about it. 3. Same ride but different views. Also, I believe maXair typically doesn't have as long of a line as Delirium, so take advantage of that. 4. Skyhawk and Witches' Wheel. The latter was the first ride in nearly a year that I was truly scared on when I rode it about a year ago. 5. TTD is very, very intense and even more so in the front seat, but it's also over in the blink of an eye. As to whether it will freak you out, I can't answer that. I recommend you just give it a go. 6. Pink's. Pink's. Pink's. Did I mention Pink's? 7. If you can do ERT, I recommend entering through the Marina Gate if at all possible and hightailing it to Millie as soon as they allow you to. If you get there quickly, you can get a short wait for the front seat, which will have a significant line even during ERT. After that, go to Maverick, which doesn't build up nearly as long of a front seat line since they can put 6 of every 36 riders up front compared to just 2 of every 36 on MF. After Maverick, go wait in line for TTD so you're not faced with the longer lines later in the day (and this is another opportunity to potentially get a shorter-than-usual front seat wait, which can easily be an extra 30 minutes all day long). Raptor will likely have shorter lines in the evening and can wait until then. 8. Take a few minutes to relax on the beach. Get a handstamp at the Resorts Gate, go down to the edge of the beach, take your shoes and socks off, and just stroll leisurely down the beach to the Beach Gate. Or go the other way. Take the time to feel the sand between your toes. Wriggle your feet down into the sand and use your hands to create a pile of sand around your legs, then sit down and rest for a few minutes with your feet still buried. Maybe go down to the water's edge and wade through the shallow water (but only in the designated swimming area!) or even just lay down in the sand for a few minutes and rest. There are spray stations at each exit off the beach where you can rinse off the sand. A little R&R goes a long way toward keeping you going all day. 9. Above all, have fun!

Maybe they should make a ride inspired by CF's former CEO. Call it "Kinzel - The Ride". It will have its ups and downs but the end is rich. At first, people will like the new ride, but as the years past, coaster enthusiasts will despise it. Build it in the main parking lot so it can be viewed from the chaussee, along with the Magnum XL-200. AND - if it were a twin, racing coaster, make sure the one side can't see the other, and vise-versa, the entire ride. Then, when the riders are leaving the station, they can ask the other trains' riders, "Have we met yet?".

I've said it before; those in the know at any park have to LOL at what enthusiasts come up with...Although I can say, with confidence, park enthusiasts are a few notches above Trekkies.

EDIT: You beat me to it! (Got the runaround trying to post a .png image and had to re-save / re-upload it!) And the Facebook post includes an extra hint...

Ahhhhh, Ancient Chinese secret!

I've seen something like this before, where a person sees impending danger and inexplicably bails out of their vehicle (there are videos of drivers, about to bump into another car during ice storms, who will open their doors and try to jump out, etc.). It must be some kind of instinct. Thank Heaven she wasn't on a ride like WindSeeker. Not much sand there.

What I've learned from prior threads on this topic over the years along with my own experience (others please fill in details and correct errors): - since Beast opened to the public, there have been trim brakes at the four locations: First Drop, Second Hill, Brake Shed (covered straightaway), and Drop into Helix (after second lift hill) - for many years, these were skid brakes which slowed the train via friction interference. They were changed to magnetic brakes which deliver more reliable/consistent speed reduction in shorter distance (this therefore feels more forceful) - Magnetic trims, as added, are designed to slow the train to the same speed as the skid brakes they replaced. However, since skid brakes weren't as consistent (rain, wear, other factors caused them to be less effective) there were likely times that the ride ran faster than it is with the magnetic brakes (people often point to how far up the second lift the train sometimes reached) - Skid brakes on the first drop began as a shorter length, then were extended to almost the full length of the drop before being replaced by the magnetic trims - the brake shed used to have the skid trims and some pinch brakes along with kicker wheels as used on the final brake run/station. This was to enable the train to be stopped/restarted at this point as this was part of the blocking system at one point (although no longer is). Now, the train ahead must be clear of the second lift block before the next train can clear the first lift block (hence the slower first lift speed that some talk about) Searching for Beast blocking and Beast trim brakes may lead to some of the old threads - search wasn't easy on mobile so I'm not doing it right now.

I thought I read somewhere that the Dino contract ends in 2018. That will be when they are taken out...or renewed.

Many would recommend the second row on Top Thrill Dragster instead of the first. The stadium-seating still offers great views, but the patriots in front of you get all the bugs and whipping wind. Don't skip Disaster Transport. It's a fun, unique ride that will no longer be there this time next year. maXair and Delirium are the same, but the views offered are completely different. And with such huge capacity, a line spilling onto the midway still doesn't amount to more than 15 minutes so don't skip it. Skyhawk is incredible. You'll be there for plenty of time so don't plan to skip anything. Literally almost every coaster there was the biggest / tallest / fastest of its kind at one time so riding them all as fast as possible can be exhausting and, frankly, awful. Take time to ride the flat rides, family coasters, etc. When time permits, spend a few minutes on the beach. It's not perfect, but it's very lovely and has spectacular views of WindSeeker and Wicked Twister (and yes, ride both). Camp Snoopy is even worth strolling through. Planet Snoopy is entirely relocated from Geauga Lake and done really well. When you're on the brake run of Top Thrill Dragster, you'll probably think, "That was the best coaster I've ever been on." The same can probably be said of Millennium and Maverick (but you MUST ride Maverick in the front row to come off with a positive experience!). Have fun! Explore the nooks and crannies! It's a massive, massive park with much to offer.

Ride Mantis it's a decent coaster. Skip Iron Dragon. Skip Disaster Transport. Delirum is same as Max-Air except larger. Ride Cedar Fair Downs and Sky Hawk Ride Top Thrill Dragster in the front seat. Big difference, it's like all the speed and being able to see so much overloads your brain. It will freak you out in the front, but it will all be over before you can have a heart attack so don't worry. Call Maui Sands Hotel. You will be able to get a ridiculous good rate there for the type of room you will get. Get to the park for early ride time if you have a pass or stay at a resort. There is also late ride time on Tuesdays for platinum pass holders, they alternate weeks between Millenium and TTD. I power rode TTD 4x in a hour an hour. Ride Maverick EARLY in the morning first thing. Park in the resorts lot in the back, tell the parking attendant that you want to park back there. Raptor and Wicked Twister will have short lines in the late afternoon - avoid the front of the park in the morning. Go out to the beach. Eat at Pinks once.

Having visited Magic Mountain a few times now, I too would recommend visiting on a Friday rather than a Saturday. As far as ride strategies go, I would highly recommend heading straight to X2 at opening if you decide to go on Saturday. It is a spectacular ride and my all time favorite. Most visitors agree with me, and therefore the ride gets long waits very quickly.

KI paid a good bit of money for that. I don't see them leaving anytime soon. I could see something behind Delirium ( like a station) and go back above thunder alley and back by SoB and AE

In Dayton. Seems rather pointless. Terp. who may need to plot a trip to Maple Grove some time in the future. Well, it's that or Alaska.

Have you no Hart? Terp, who doesn't always lance sorespots.

What about best defunct area? My vote would be Hanna-Barbera Land! However, I do like Coney Mall, Rivertown (especially the way it was in the 80's/90's) and Oktoberfest. Also, I wish they would fix the clock on the top of the Festhaus! I loved watching the little animated characters come out and do their little thing. I'd like to see that again!

That's kind of sad actually. I kinda liked Disaster Transport. Any time I managed to get up to Cedar Point, I always made an effort to ride that. The last time I got up there was in 2009. I went with my girlfriend and her sister. That day at the park the weather was horrible. It stormed and poured rain all day. Because of this it got rather chilly. Disaster Transport was an excellent ride to go into and escape the nasty weather while still being able to have some fun. I will miss it the next time I'm there. I understand rides like this eventually get replaced by bigger and better ones, but it's still kind of disappointing.

To me, screamscape is CP's manicured coast line. That's all!

But where's the *? It's also not nine letters, if that rumor is true. Very weird though!

Not my original idea, but: Banshee @ = 2 = B ! = 1 = A !$ = 14= N 1( = 19= S & = 7 = H % = 5 = E % = 5 = E Via Pointbuzz. Blew my mind.

Now it is official. From CP's FB page- http://www.facebook....m/#!/cedarpoint I assume something was announced at CoasterMania. EDIT: 60 seconds is a long time!

^ I just found out California Grill is getting shutdown early 2013 for renovations. Glad you can see it open!

At one time, often. Now- never, as I can get more accurate information from 4 different enthusiast sites that generally have integrity.

I've always wanted to hear this one play while I ride... John Williams at his absolute best.

I like Coney Mall because of the midway/arcade feel it has.

Rivertown, no doubt. I love that theme. In fact almost every RCT3 park I make includes a themed area like Rivertown. If only they played music to make it really great...

Double Loop at Geauga Lake.

I don't know. It's what my teacher's always said when we told each other to shut up.

Suing is one thing. Winning is another. Anyone can literally sue anyone for anything. That doesn't mean there might not be consequences.

My first kiddie land ride was The little Beast (Fairly Odd Coaster). I thought "Eh, That wasn't SO bad!". I was 6 at the time and it was the last day of the season. The next season I rode it again and once again thought the same thing. Thinking I could handle something MUCH bigger, I begged my aunt to sneak me on The Vortex (I was a tiny 7 year old). We had almost made it through when they asked me to check my height. I thought to myself "Noooooooooooooo". When they took me over to the metal bar of death (Height checking thing), they brought the metal over my head, and just when I thought "Man I'm not gonna make it" BOOM! It hit the side of my head. Everyone was staring at me and then clapped. I felt proud of my self cause right before I got on the ride, I stuffed tissue in my shoe. We climbed to the top of that hill, my aunt glancing over at me every second. My hands were sweating, so I was losing grip. I wanted to wipe my hands but the second I put my hands on my knees to wipe my hands, the chain stopped, and out of no where a huge hill made my stomach drop. I can honestly say, I thought I was going to flip out on the corkscrew after the MCBR. When the ride was over, the Ride OP came over and said "Is this your first time riding?" When I responded with "Yes!" he asked me if I liked it, I shouted "YES!!!" He said "if you really loved Vortex, scream "I love Vortex" I screamed it and everyone laughed and clapped and cheered(: By the way, it's good to be back(:

Since everyone's been sharing their SOB memories, I though I'd share a few of mine and I'm in a writing mood so pardon this novel. I also thought I'd share a few photographs I came across. I remember the day they announced Son of Beast. I had come home from school and my dad was home from work early. Our family had been going to Kings Island regularly with passes since 1996/1997 and I had just gotten brave enough the year before to start riding the "real" rides. I remember him booting up the old dial up Netscape internet to show me the old Cincinnati.com articles, waiting with anticipation as each small image loaded of the ride's model. I remember vividly the wooden loop and how it looked on the model. I remember all the news outlets misreporting it as the world's FIRST wooden looping roller coaster. There was a book I checked out from the school library frequently that proved otherwise. When the ride finally opened, I was 11. I didn't get to ride it in its early days of one train operation before it closed down for awhile. When it did reopen, both trains were running and my uncle and I waited two hours. I remember the queueing very vividly. We were in a temporary line outside the entrance for awhile, I remember my uncle making fun of my shoes as we watched Top Gun nearby. I remember getting incredibly nervous as we waited on the ramps up to the ride station and saw the water dummies below. Never did I think while waiting for that ride that day that I'd ever work at the park let alone in the maintenance shop that worked on SOB or ever walk its rails, I was just thinking about how intimidating that hill looked. I even remember how the ride smelled and still smelled in its last operating season... all that wood. We boarded the train and the first thing I noticed was the awkward placement of the on-ride photo. Then the loud lift, the speed and view in the dip. The slow down at the first drop crest and then WHAM! You were flying. I immediately picked up on how the double helix rose bowl was a homage to the original Beast and then that loop... I made sure to look left and see the Eifel tower spin like in all the media videos. Then there was more speed and boom you were back. I was psyched. It was by far my favorite coaster. ...granted I was really thin, 11 years old and a little bit over four feet tall. My uncle on the other hand hated it and immediately complained of how rough and unenjoyable the experience was. I begged my dad to ride it again with me since my uncle declined. Another two hour wait and then I got to experience it all over again and loved it just as much. My dad hated it and never rode it again. As the years went by and I got taller and bigger I realized how painful and miserable of an experience the ride was. I stopped riding it at age 13. In 2006 the ride opened a few weeks after the regular park and a few people hinted on KIC that it would be much smoother. My friend and I actually ditched school a few periods early and headed up to the park when we heard from Boddah1994 that it was set to reopen that day. We got there and noticed they had removed the last car and that the ride was now a 5 car operation per train. We anticipated it greatly, there was a short line and we hopped in the back seat. If there was an improvement in the ride experience, we missed it cause it was still rough as hell. I didn't ride it again until after it reopened in 2007. While the first drop was great and the new trains offered more leg room... the Rose Bowl was still punishing and completely ruined any hope of the ride being good. I never much cared for it and by this time I worked at the park a lot, so I hardly ever visited in my off time. The last time I ever rode the ride was in 2008 while at the park to photograph some of the Knievel set up. Still didn't care for the ride. I have lots more experiences and cool stories about how special that ride was to me, but Ill save those for another day. Not that anyone asked, but in my humble opinion - the ride is done. I'm sure you could do something incredible with the Rocky Mountain treatment, but even if you did... EVERY news article and piece of media would include "the ride USED to be Son of Beast which was known for x y z (x y z not being good things). Browntggr brings up the best and most logical point. They haven't torn it down because it's not a threat, not falling down and not hurting anything. When they need to get rid of it... they will or they'll do it when they're ready to put something else there. And as someone who is familiar with that ride from many perspectives... you can't see anything from the midway or Adventure Express to be able to convulsively say you see it falling apart. Just throwing that out there. As for the photographs I mentioned earlier. I remembered seeing these a few years ago, but couldn't find the website. Apparently this website has been down since sometime in 2010 and even before that it reaked of early 2000's web development and hadn't been updated in some time. It is (err was) the website for Roller Coaster Corporation of America. I accessed these photos via the Way Back Machine. All of the following photographs are ©Roller Coaster Corporation of America. - Work on the loop towards the end of construction. - Aerial view towards the end of construction in 2000. Note that you can still see a lot of the landscaping for the former Wild Animal Habitat. - A train being lifted onto the track. - Work on the final brake run.* *A rumor I had always heard, but have no idea if it's true is that the brake run was initially designed to hold two trains in waiting in addition to one in the station for a three train operation. I also heard that the ride's station was supposed to be an exit station and that the area of straight track immediately exiting the station was going to be a loading station to allow for a four train operation. Obviously, the ride opened with one train and only ever ran two so who knows. - Not sure what section of track that is, but check out that extreme banking. Too bad you were too busy praying for the ride to be over to ever notice the cool element. - Construction workers. I bet these guys have a cool story. - No idea who any of these guys are, but I believe that the date reads February 17, 1999. Maybe checking out the area for where a future attraction would go? - Draw your own conclusions. - Land clearing, note Adventure Express on the right. - Construction as the sun sets. - A train on its way to the station. Note the all red color scheme that eventually was changed to Red/Yellow. - View from the block brakes while the ride was still under construction. - Not sure why the flag was raised here since I don't believe this is where they "topped off" and completed construction. - The media day in May 1999. - Mock up of the trains. Note how much more spacious/better they look compared to how they turned out. And last, but not least: - The station. Like, I said these are not my photos. They are ©Roller Coaster Corporation of America. If you want to see their old site, you can access it via the Way Back Machine here: http://web.archive.o...//www.rcca.com/ A man I once worked for, who taught me a lot, once pointed to that ride and said "To me, that thing is iconic of Kings Island." For me, it is as well. Even though I never cared much for the ride, it's symbolic of my favorite years in the park I spent with my family and for a lot of other things, but that's all another story for another day.

I think I'd like to see an Option that you could, prior to your entrance on WindSeeker, have a jukebox that you pay $5 to play a priority song of your choice during flight with all proceeds going to Charity that helps families make wishes come true and so they can come to Kings Island.

^So there ARE two sets of rules? I am not a mod but I have been told inside stuff from employees...which I do not share...my information has come from some people "in the know"...so how would my hinting be any different? Is it a post count? A title? Don't get me wrong, I like the rumor area...but I have always thought that it was created so that posters could post whatever they felt like as long as they identified it as something that wasn't official...it was only if they claimed it was a fact that they had to back it up with their source(s)? If we always wait until the park confirms something this site would be dull(er).

Fan voting system= Dragster H20 'nuff said.....

Never been, but they could definitely use a better web designer. http://www.rivertoncity.com/ Also, at least three times Rivertown has housed "the next big thing for Kings Island." 1979, 2002, and 2009 come to mind. During any of those years, were the other rides 'forgotten?' Or do you just have to bring that up to mention Racer in your post?

Serious question: Doesn't: Kind of defeat the purpose of a rumors section? I mean take all the rumors here with a grain of salt, but how many people are going to be willing to post specific information they've learned about while divulging their source? Otherwise it might as well be called a speculation forum so we can post our hopes, wishes and best guesses at what developments in the park are going to be. I appreciate the effort to clean things up a bit, but sometimes I find the claims of inside knowledge to be kind of fun, even if I don't believe them.

Standbyme seems to have hit the, ahem, "Jackpot!" Idea: bury yours in a time capsule, with instructions to your great grandchildren to dig it up (who knows? with medical science, you might just be there to dig it back up yourself). Then take it on to Antiques Space Show (you know, because there won't be any 'roads') and see what it's worth then. I'd bet it'd fetch at least 1000-2000 future-bucks! Good luck!

I can still remember entering the building and seeing Gargamel to the right. The inside of that ride had a very distinctive smell to it also! But do you remember the original EV before the Smurfs?I personally like the original better.

Why does everyone think that CP doesn't have a lot of family friendly attractions? They have not 1, not 2 but 3 great children's sections, not one but two antique car rides, one turnpike ride, a great train, Cedar Fair Mine Ride, need I go on? Plus what do you define as a family attraction? There are families who love thrill rides like roller coasters and families who can't stand them. Just sayin.

I think he still works at Carowinds.

Whatever. Go catch a predator.