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I realize I'm gonna be way off topic, but I first read this thread while at work and therefore couldn't get to my pictures on my laptop at home, lol. All the talk of the Timberwolf Amphitheater reminded me I had a couple old photos my dad took back in 1982, when the Beach Boys were there in concert. The most memorable part of that particular trip (besides being able to hear the Beach Boys from International Street)? The group of 3 or 4 guys in line ahead of us for The Beast with about 3 buckets each attached to their belts. These buckets were from the Bucket o' Beer you could purchase once upon a time in Kings Island. You got a metal bucket filled with beer. I would guess they were between 16 and 24 ounces maybe, I was 10 at the time so my ability to guess liquid volume was not well developed and memories tend to be distorted. Anyway, these guys were definitely showing signs of drinking 3 Buckets o' Beer each and singing Barbara Ann at the tops of their lungs while in line for The Beast. Quite entertaining, we were all having a good laugh. So I mentioned pictures, didn't I? Below is a picture, taken from the Eiffel Tower, of Timberwolf, full to bursting with Beach Boys fans. Note the Festhaus, under construction at the time, and the top of the Viking Fury, brand new that year (oh, the chants of "Less filling!" versus "Tastes Great!" lol). You can also see the (Screamin') Demon and the monorail. Below it is a picture taken opening day this year, so you can see how much that area changed in 30 years. (In my opinion way too much cement there now.) Enjoy! 1982 2012

I didn't even know they carried cash, debit or credit!

Guests can take the train to and from Howl-O-Palooza. When exiting the the train in Rivertown, they're not that far from Dinosaurs Alive!

There were also new pavers added to Coney Mall that year. Depending on your personal preference, that could be considered an attraction.

They should have named it Howl-O-Pooloza. Get it? Pool-oza because, ya know, it's in Soak City.

Comparing the areas shown in the '82 pic to the present is truly sickening.

"Back in the day" it certainly did. When it originated, similar theaters were popping up at amusement parks all over the nation. Timberwolf once hosted jimmy Buffet regularly among other folks. In the 90's under Viacom, it also received a lot of acts associated with Nickelodeon sponsored tours (Britney Spears, Aaron Carter, etc). Riverbend soon beat out Timberwolf in nearly every aspect - more seats, better amenities, better sound, larger stage, easier access for tour busses etc. And in recent years, Riverbend added a smaller, more intimate theatre right next door that took even more acts from Timberwolf. When I was younger, my parents took my sisters and I to see Aaron Carter. It was for my sister's birthday, I unfortunately was too young to stay at home and was dragged along to hear the fake tones of aaron carter, the a-teens and Nick Cannon. The seating at Timberwolf is awful - benches that are hardly tiered to allow you a view. It's just an old venue that's been eclipsed by so many others around here. Its only act the past few seasons has been Spirit Song, which tours many other amusement parks as well. As for Sean Hannity's Freedom Concert, it seems the last year for that whole tour was 2010. I believe they cancelled it in 2011 amongst a fundraising scandal and the tour hasn't been done since.

You are not the target market.

Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again but expecting a different result.

Boss. The train is fantastic, especially for kids. Saw the Twitter feed featuring the shovel people and the hay bale maze. This year's Halloween is going to be fantastic.

The road directly behind GWL is not tresspassing. It's another access point to the southern end of the GWL parking lot. Hence why there is no gate keeping you out of it. You were not tresspassing. Just don't go past the KI gate and you are fine.

The road that is behind the GWL is Kings Island property and if you go beyond where Columbia Road ends, you are trespassing. The road you are talking about is the old Columbia Road and there are other maintenance roads through out the back area of the park that allows access to all the rides and the rest of the property. They are all private property and unless you are employees of Kings Island authorized to access them or contractors, you are not permitted on them.

I actually think they'll more than likely run the train for Howl-O-Palooza, if the past is any indication. In prior years the train made regular runs around the track on Sundays (and Saturday mornings/afternoons, I assume) without stopping at Boomerang Bay/Soak City. Tombstone Terror-tory, at least in previous years, never really affected the train much; the trail's contained to the exit of White Water Canyon. Year-round, the most you'll see of TT is the "station" it stops at for the haunt, which is a wooden platform with regular old chain-link fencing running the perimeter. Any other non-Haunt day of the year, it passes by that "station" like it's not even there. I'd bet they'll still run the train; it'll just stop at Soak City rather than making the full circuit in previous years. Maybe Don can confirm this?

Reactivate the trams.

No and yes. No in the sense that the first year of Slaughter House, 2009, there was no Mama. But yes, the same person has been Mama since 2010. I agree, she is a great addition to the cast and really helped the story of Slaughter House come together. Everything just seemed to gel in the house when she came on board. I can't wait until next week for our family reunion!

Absolutely ridiculous. Just ridiculous. 2, 3, and 4 (above) are not even exact duplicates. Not by a long shot. If your biggest fret is that Tidal Wave Bay is a copy, you need to take your complaint up with most every water park on earth that has a wave pool. It's honestly very, very absurd that you'd accuse Soak City at Kings Island of being a "copy" of Soak City at Cedar Point. It's not even worth arguing, though I know you'll attempt a snappy reply... Was the name "imported" from Sandusky? Yes. Every single other thing about the water park is exactly as it was when it was named Boomerang Bay save the action river and new wave pool. As for WindSeeker, most anyone who's actually been on a handful of them will tell you that they give quite different experiences. WindSeeker, if it's easier to think about it this way, is an outdoor observation tower. Now, wouldn't an observation tower in Mason, Ohio provide a wholly different experience than an observation tower in Doswell, Virginia? Sandusky, Ohio? Buena Park, California? But to argue that misses the point entirely, because the question is who cares? (EDIT: The answer to the question, by the way, is a vast, vast minority!) Believe it or not, most of the folks who visit Kings Island will never, ever, ever (NOT ONCE) visit Carowinds. An overwhelming majority of Knott's Berry Farm visitors haven't the slightest idea that a park called Kings Dominion exists at all, much less do they know (or care?) that it has one ride in common. Period. If you traveled to Kansas City, Missouri and declared in your most accusatory voice, "You know, a park in Ohio also has Dinosaurs Alive!" guess how many people would give a rat's behind? Something tells me that if Disney purchased Kings Island and decided to clone The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror (which exists in four places in the world), Star Tours: The Adventures Continue (which is cloned in 3 places), The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Undersea Adventure (which exists in two parks as identical clones), and Jungle Cruise (in five parks across the globe), you wouldn't mind at all. Am I right?

They must of brought coupons, extreeme couponing.

^Same here! I loved watching them, but RIDING them was another story. I didn't ride a single coaster until I was 8. I started on Great Pumpkin Coaster and Woodstock Express in '07 and '08, then Flying ACE in '08 and early '09, and then on to Diamondback later in '09, and Vortex in 2010 (and BEYOND!!...). I did ride The Beast, Adventure Express, Drop Tower, Delirium, The Racer, and Flight Deck in 2008 (when I was 9), but it wasn't until 2010 after I started to ride Vortex that I returned to AE, Drop Tower, Delirium and FD and started regularly riding them as well, along with returning to The Beast in '09 when I started riding DB, and also (finally) returning to Racer in 2011 and this year, 2012, after I decided it was more than "just bumpy and mediocre." (In '08 I was still "scared silly" of riding all those bigger coasters--I was a bit "paranoid", I thought it wouldn't take much to get sick on even a small(er) coaster like AE. I eventually realized that I actually have a very strong stomach, and there is no need to worry about anything like that now.) ...Wow, I have a detailed history of my intro to roller coasters...

They have the dinosaur slice, the second walkway through The Racer. They could make any other paths go around it on either side. The current X-Base path isn't small compared to any other path, so I don't see why it would be considered not large enough.

Intended? Apparently. See also Scooby and the Haunted Castle and Delirium. Terp, who is not much for slice Dinosaur.

I remember those buckets of beer! They held more than 24 oz, more like 36 oz of beer. The price of beer was not as expensive as it is today. I remember going to Timberwolf to see the Hollies with my sister, cousin and her husband. It was a great show and my cousin's husband, Kenny, who is from the hills of Kentucky, thought that they were a country band instead of the British rock band that they are. He was sure surprised!

A photo of the area...

Fantastic pic! Thanks for sharing that!

Never got stuck on any!!!

Out of all the mazes, I got REALLY scared on Holiday Horror!!! I know, I know... it doesn't seem that scary but the actors kept jumping out of places and the costumes were so creepy and the music really adds to the mood!!!! Plus, theres a giant pysco easter bunny which is scary times 1000000!!! But my all time favorite is Slaughter House. Most people think its scary but I just love it. The actors are really good and the props are really cool. Really, you can't go wrong with any of the mazes!!! Enjoy and HAVE FUN!!!!

Do NOT ride any ride in the front. As tempting as it is with super short rides, it's a mess. The bugs are out in full force. Last week we rode TTD in the front row (it was a walk on!) and then we spent twenty minutes in the bathroom washing bug guts of our arms, face, neck, and clothes. Gross.

@fanofFirehawk: I'll try! I went to CP once in high school, but never got to ride Maverick, Millenium Force, Magnum XL or Disaster Transport. All I know is I have to ride TTD! Last time I went, there was virtually no line and I rode it 4 times (that's as much as I could handle without a break).

Just by the description alone, it sounds as if they're going for an old-school tourist trap or boardwalk attraction of days past: A uniquely-themed facade overlooking the midway enticing passersby to enter. Same concept can be used for the Crypt's entrance. Blaspheme to touch the Potato Works! Looking at those Bill Tracy funhouses reminds me how much fun those tourist traps are!

^ Now that you mention it, Firehawk is smack in the way. I would love to see some more stuff in X-base. At the bare minimum, this is what I would do. 1. Restrooms 2. A walkway to/from Action Zone, with games and other things along the way. 3. A flat.

Yes, I have been to Holiday World, and it is one of my most favorite places. I think it is awesome that there is very little litter, if any. I also remember that Nickelodeon Universe was very clean, no trash anywhere...might be caused by the mall around it. But, I still think waterparks are not clean.

Street Drum Corps! :wub:

WindSeeker reopened later in the evening didn't it? I know my group rode it as one of our last rides of the night. We rode everything but Drop Tower and Firehawk. It was such a fun night! I think I had the best Beast ride ever on Pride Night. It seemed to be moving extremely fast (I know it's relative), and it was darker than I had ever seen it before. It seems like there used to be more lights on it at night. It was incredible though! Bought a shirt on the way out. Can't wait for the Pride events next year!

Turn one of the wave pools into a big foam pit .

I was not exactly a fan of Firehawk the first time I rode it because I didn't like how uncomfortable the restraints can be while on your stomach and how much you press against them during the ride. I felt really vulnerable. But now I love it, and found that the more I rode it, the more I got over that fear. Now I can enjoy the ride.

Of course he does. That said, he will be shocked to actually RECEIVE any. I cannot imagine why the big boys aren't chomping at the bit for this park,

Or maybe the Smurfs even!

I want a coaster! Pwease? (look familair anyone?)

Us in slawter hous are 1 crazie family we r the rowdyst buncha peple at haunt we likes 2 takes da peple on a tor of da hous n sum of dem dont make it out cos we keep dem 4 food sos we dont go hungrie mama likes 2 keep us wel fed its alot of fun wurking ther welcom 2 da family!!!! Sam EDIT: I am so sorry for this post. Somehow Sam hacked into my account. I probably left it open on this topic and he felt the need to respond to a new family member. Please forgive him, because reading and writing are not necessarily skills that Mama felt were important for her boys to learn, so he doesn't understand the need for proper grammar and abiding by the TOS. For those of you that need a translation of what he wanted to say: Once again, please accept my apologies. I will try to insure that this doesn't happen again, but you never know when Sam might appear again. He's just getting very excited that he gets to come out and play next weekend! - XGatorHead

I just did that on Friday. I went to Cedar Point without checking the calendar, assuming it closed at midnight. It closed at ten. Who woulda thought they would bother opening for 4 hours. I still got to ride everything multiple times due to less than 2000 people there, so oh we'll.

I prefer the music the park had when Kings Island first opened in 1972. Each area had music geared for each section: IS had French accordion style music;Coney Island (Coney Mall) had rag time music;River Town had country music;Octoberfest had German music; and Hanna Barbara Land had cartoon music. Now all they have is generic pop music throughout the park. Music is not to be listen to but is to be felt as background music.

I don't think I've heard any rap on the playlist. The type and era of music isn't as important as the mood it sets. Songs like "Rumor Has It" and "Somebody That I Used To Know" definitely should have been left off. Mixing in some popular, current hits can be a positive thing, as these are the songs the current generation can sing along to. Just pick those hits that will set a festive mood, even in those who don't sing along to current Top 40 songs on their ipod all day long. Also, if the soundtrack needs to be audible throughout the park, more and better speakers should be added to avoid uncomfortable volume levels in certain places. While I agree with all of your points, the fact is is that the park is using satellite music to feed all of the areas (except Planet Snoopy and Dinosaurs Alive). There are a few station selections, though the overall playlists cannot be changed since they are "piped" in. There really is no "customization" in terms of the music you hear; It's essentially the same thing you hear in restaurants, malls, etc. that use the same music service. Such a shame that it isn't back to the old setup of having zoned soundtracks. The sound system itself needs a complete overall, in my opinion.

I don't think I've heard any rap on the playlist. The type and era of music isn't as important as the mood it sets. Songs like "Rumor Has It" and "Somebody That I Used To Know" definitely should have been left off. Mixing in some popular, current hits can be a positive thing, as these are the songs the current generation can sing along to. Just pick those hits that will set a festive mood, even in those who don't sing along to current Top 40 songs on their ipod all day long. Also, if the soundtrack needs to be audible throughout the park, more and better speakers should be added to avoid uncomfortable volume levels in certain places.

I hope that book isn't about physics or engineering. :/

My first coaster was probably The Beastie at KI. From there I worked up to the Adventure Express, then Racers, then Beast, then Vortex. I was a late bloomer when it came to coasters. I was always scared of them for some reason, but the more I rode them, the more I loved them. I'll pretty much ride anything now.

I remember the last couple of seasons Phantom Theater was there, it seemed to stop quite a bit during the ride. Sometimes the ride would just stop, other times the ride would stop and so would the music and all the characters. I assumed some of that stopping had to do with trying to load people, perhaps handicapped people. Other times, I'm not really sure what was going on. It was always fun to get stopped during that ride though although I don't know if I would've liked to have had to evacuate and walk through the dark along side of the animatronic figures though lol. That would've been an interesting experience!

Well, you said you wanted replies. You got 'em.

I have now replied to your topic. Have a nice day!

That's because it is. B&M Hyper Coaster named after a snake with a splash down is SO 3 years ago.

While we're doing some speculating here, IF SoB is removed, I really don't think that anything will go in its place. I look for there to be development in other, sort of underrated spots (see Diamondback) in the park. I can see the "footprint" of the park just being moved away from that area, especially if FD is ever removed (which I would hate to see, because I really enjoy it).

If you had credibility before, you lost it with this.