Leaderboard

I look forward to Carnevil every year. It's the most fun haunt in my opinion. I just have a grin on my face the whole time I'm going through. Massacre Manor used to be a favorite but, like others have said, the theme has kind of gotten away from it in recent years. Slaughter House has quickly risen in my list. Last year was the first time I tried it and I thought it was very cool. Tombstone is just...ugh...I fall for it every year. I say to myself, "Myself? Maybe this year it will be awesome and they'll do something cool with it, and let's go get some pizza", but nope, the same sequence continues. Long wait. Train ride. Long wait. Long walk by crates that are too spread apart; some having a person hiding behind it to jump out and give a "rawr" and some don't. The only suspense comes from wondering, "Is someone hiding behind that box way over there?" and being disappointed with either outcome. It's almost like playing hide and seek, but the scare actors aren't the ones who are "it". I'm "it" and I'm looking for you to scare me, but you aren't doing it. Why aren't you doing it?! I'm going to go get some pizza now.

He received an offer that he couldn't resist and sold the park for $64,000,000. Every man has their selling point even if it is something he loves. He made a huge profit and foresaw the trouble that the Fair Board was going to cause dealing with business. So he was in a win/win situation. Sell the park for a huge profit and he did not have to deal with the Fair board which is (IMO) ultimately the reason why the park failed and is still not operating today. Ed Hart is not an idiot he knows exactly what he is doing.

A respite from everything...except cigarette smoke. With all due respect, this is one of the few egregious, incredibly stupid things Cedar Fair hath wrought for Ye Olde Park.

Uh... can't we just take a moment and talk about his eyes? A wee bit too much "clue finding" for Scooby? (for those that know a bit about Scooby Doo you'll know what I mean!)

So you fixed your Boo Boo. Terp, who wonders how many younguns even know Boo Boo.

What if they were to restore/renovate the gardens and add in a nice restaurant and have seating in throughout the gardens?

From the park's Twitter a few days ago, if you hadn't seen it:

^I feel like it's all in the eye-of-the-beholder, because I personally ranked Club Blood above Urgent Scare, at least as of last year.

Time? Money? Some would disagree... Add me to that list. This just looks so "thrown together." On top of that, the food at KI is still horrible. How will this be any different?

You don't have to be young to appreciate dinosaurs, my dear. In fact, as you get older and older, you will find your friends become them!

New for 2012 at Halloween Haunt is Madame Fatale's Dead Inn Feast, a high-end haunted dining experience unlike no other. The menu is to die for and includes Chicken Marsala, Beef Tenderloin Medallions, Shrimp Pasta, Raviolli, Pasta Rustica, Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Pasta, and an assortment of desserts, unlimited soft drinks and a cash bar. Doors open at 5:00pm with dinner starting at 5:30pm every Friday and Saturday night during Halloween Haunt (except for September 22). After the meal, dinner guests will be the first to experience the all-new Madame Fatale's Cavern of Terror maze. Seating is limited, so now is the time to reserve your seat to dine with the dead and experience Madame Fatale's Cavern of Terror. http://www.visitkingsisland.com/haunt2012/tickets-offers Madame Fatale's Cavern of Terror will open at 7:00pm for non-dinner guests.

Holly Hopscotch of Hampton! That is a quote stack if I've ever saw one!

I was seriously thinking you would pick Crocodile Dundee. I was surprised enough to see you didn't, but I just about fell out of my chair to see Yogi! Excellent choice, sir!

Yogi Bear, he is my favorite HB character of all time, infact I may watch an episode right now....

He indeed does. See also: http://www.whas11.com/news/local/Few-bidders-show-up-for-Kentucky-Kingdom-tour-Hart--170245896.html

Polls tend to go in the poll section of the forums! Aren't categories fun!! Second, Scooby Doo!

Why not make it a poll? Why not put it in the Poll section? Scooby Doo.

Sheesh. Way to make old Terp feel even more ancient! Please pass the Geritol! Terp, who got his retirement estimate this week, but shan't be collecting soon...he has yet another career to pursue first!

Have you ridden El Toro? Or Tremors? Or even Thunderhead? The Ohio woodies running nowadays, especially with their rolling stock, are not exemplars nor the best of their kind. I'd love to ride Racer, Beast and Blue Streak again with their original plush seating, no seat dividers, flip down bars, no head restraints and smooth as glass track.

I remember opening night last year with Jesse, Brad, and two others that I can't remember off the top of my head. We did every maze, except I missed Club Blood while trying to catch up with them. At the end of the night we began discussing personal favorites and worsts; all five of us had different favorites, and some people's favorites were other people's worsts. So it truly is "in the eye of the beholder".

Maintenance...you're refrencing the up keep of fog machines. Correct? This is extremely easy and any proper person can maintain one easily. In fact, one cleaning method that A LOT of haunts use is simple mix of white distilled vinegar and water ran through the machine...completely cleans the unit AND "de-gums" it for future use. Happy Haunting...

I'm so tempted to eat what sounds like an excellent meal inside what used to be my favorite ride of all time... But, I could also eat at any upscale restaurant I've been to (i.e., where one dish is $35) for less. As much as it hurts me to say it, that's not affordable for me right now.

Time? Money? Some would disagree...

I see that a lot of parents take small children into the Story area for a rest. Sometimes little kids just get tired. I'll get a coffee and funnel cake and sit there for a break. I wish the water worked, but it doesn't. I like that area, it's a small respite away from everything, smack in the middle of the park.

Yep. You can go round and round about those.

no prob. as being a scarector for many different haunted house's (including ki in '09 (& this year)); i find that most places have a story plot that can be followed if one looks for it. just like with urgent scare in the early years having the same story plot similar in style to the remake of "the crazies". but i have also been to (as a guest) places that have no story plot @ all & make no sense period which becomes hard to follow/convey. i personally see haunted house in general as a form of screenplay for a movie/theater. due to the fact that you have set pieces/designs that you walk thru that try to tell a story to begin with. then you have your main scarectors that play as your main cast that are out in plain sight with lines. then you have your secondary scarectors & extra's that help the story pull together with sudden/quick but effective outbursts. so long story short, were here to entertain you as if you are watching a movie.

Here's a look inside Madame Fatale's Dead Inn Feast. http://www.wdtn.com/dpp/news/buchers_beat/things-are-spooky-at-kings-island

Unlike no other? Sorry, Don; that means just like another. I believe you meant either: A. Like no other or B. Unlike any other. Terp, equal opportunity clarifier.

Before i'd say yes a new owner needs to happen now, but lets see if new CEO know's how to play the cards.

Also, for 100 dollars (the cost for my wife and I to eat there) why in the hell would I want to share a table with 20 other people? Assuming they only have the one large table.

You guys are all my new best freinds . Haha Somehow my little brother got hooked into it, and got me into it too. Even though he is young still. He loves the older ones.

I was seriously thinking you would pick Crocodile Dundee. I was surprised enough to see you didn't, but I just about fell out of my chair to see Yogi! Excellent choice, sir! I agree with bother statements. Long live Yogi!!

Yes I know I'm late to this but here is some more wobble footage from Diamondback

I agree. Thunderhead is one awesome ride, that doesn`t let up until you hit the brakes at the very end of the ride. It is amazing how much those PTC trains have been modified from their original incarnations. I would love to eventually see a Great Coasters International ride at Kings Island. I don`t think that will happen any time soon though. I think we will see a new steel coaster at Kings Island before we see a wooden coaster built there.

I'm not. Mr. Hart is in this for Mr. Hart. His demands in the past were not met by the State. He wishes to transfer nearly all his investment risk to the taxpayers of Kentucky. Why should the state guarantee his loan? Why should the state be in competition with private enterprises like Holiday World, Beech Bend and Kings Island? Why should Mr. Hart and his political cronies be given state guarantees to compete with private business? If he wants to start a theme park, why should he have unfair advantages (and disadvantages) that others do not?

Yes I know the TR is really, really, really late but I have been backed up at work so I finally have been able to write a quick one up. The day started with my fiancé (Jessi) and I leaving Indianapolis around 8am. We stopped to get breakfast but the restaurant was a bit slow so we ended up getting off schedule. We arrived in the parking lot at 10:20. We met up with everyone (ohiocolts, dudecoasterman, jcgoble3, original, pkiboy, and others) waiting for the whole of our group to come up. Jessi and I arrived after most people had their fast lanes purchased so we grouped with a couple of other people to get the FL discount at the booth. After we purchased our FL passes the group headed towards DT for the first group ride of the day. It was about a 3 cycle wait (which probably was the longest wait of the day) for our turn. DT is one of the two rides at KI I still get nervous for( WS is the other one… Yes I said WS…). After the ride the group headed towards AE. This is where I actually felt bad using the FL pass. The majority of people waiting in line for this ride were kids. I heard someone say “but mom why do they get to skip the line?” Their mom had to explain that it was a perk of the park and they got to cut because they paid more money than they did. I’m not trying to start anything but that is what I heard and me being a nicer guy I really didn’t like what I was doing. But we hopped on the ride. Rode it once and went on throughout the park. We hit Racer and FOF next both enjoyable rides. Next was our wait for Firehawk. FH was a nice ride as we (Jessi and I) haven’t been able to ride it often this year. It was a fun ride nothing spectacular but it was satisfying. After this the group decided to go ride WindSeeker. Jessi and I ended up skipping out on that and went to eat at Skyline near the entrance of the park. While we were cooling off. The main group ended up catching up with us at Skyline. We waited for the group to order their food and hung out and talked over our food. The main group sort of split up after we were done with our meals. The people that joined us were Alek, aka dudecoasterman, his mother, and Lucas, aka ohiocolts. We headed to Eiffel Tower. The queue line was packed but we had the FL so we got in on the first elevator. We headed up and stayed for about 5-8 minutes. We got some good views of the park. The wind was blowing rather hard up high and you could feel the tower sway a bit. It was a nice breeze to cool off though. After ET we headed towards The Beast. We waited about 10 minutes to hop on The Beast. We decided to start using our FL a bit so we rode again as soon as we got off. Next we went to Diamondback. Alek, Alek’s mom, Lucas, Jessi, and I decided to marathon Diamondback. Jessi and I rode 7 times in a row. Alek and Lucas rode maybe 6 times and headed off before we were done. So the group split again and it was just Jessi and I for a while. Since I left my phone in the car I couldn’t call the group to get a location. So we banked on running into someone during the day. After that, most of the day was a blur (seeing as I am writing this exactly 2 weeks later). Jessi and I rode Vortex, Firehawk, Boo Blasters (which I got a good gun and scored 2340 point during our ride), we ate dinner, took a break, and watched Ed Alonzo’s magic show. This was the first time I watched the show and I was surprised. It was a pretty funny show. The tricks were very entertaining and the child helper section of the show was awesome as well. The only complaint that I do have is that I would have to agree with some of the other reviewers that said the dancers were a bit skanky. I don’t think the actual dancing was suggestive but the fact that the girls came out dressed in cop outfits some with their cleavage showing and all of them with short shorts on. I don’t have kids and I am 25 but I still think their dress was a bit too much for a “family” show. Like I said I thought the dancing itself was appropriate. After we left the show, Original tapped me on the shoulder as we walked towards the Action Zone. We walked and talked for a bit and ended up running up to Invertigo together. We talked a bit and she mentioned that she rode the ride earlier that day and her younger "half brother" (in quotes because I don't know if he is truly her half brother) Andrew had not been on it. So we made it a point to sit facing each other so we could see Andrew’s reaction to the ride. Going up the lift hill you could tell Andrew was a bit scared but as so as the ride let go and we made it through our first run he and Original were both having a blast. The return run was great and as the ride was over we parted ways. Jessi and I headed for DT and the FD stopped for a snack and a break. We made our final ride run starting front to back, hitting FD, AE, FH, FOF, Vortex, BLSC, DB, and saving the final ride for The Beast. We ended up leaving the park around 1130pm. Headed back to our hotel and slept getting ready to go to the Cincinnati Reds game during the next day. Notes: I hate to say it but FL is worth every penny. On one of the busiest Saturdays of the year, Jessi and I managed to get in 32 rides with the inclusion of a total of, not riding our first ride until around 11 am, 3 hours of break/eating time, and another 45-55 minutes for the Ed Alonzo show. Wait times ranged from 12 minutes to a walk on, with the average probably being a one to two train wait. It was absolutely great meeting everyone at the park. Alek and Lucas you guys are awesome. We had a great time hanging with you both for the little bit we did during the middle of the day. Again it will be great to meet up with everyone again if we have something during the Haunt. Ride Count: DB: 10 FH:3 FOF: 3 DT: 3 Beast: 3 Vortex: 2 AE: 2 Inv: 2 Racer: 1 FD:1 BLSC: 1 BB: 1

The list of the top 10 most visited Amusement Parks, I think, would be exactly identical. GYK, 1) amused at both; 2) imagining that most people use the terms interchangeably; and 3) aware that even those who don't use the terms interchangeably can't quite decide what qualifies - Universal Studios, some would say, is NOT a theme park; some would say that Kings Island most certainly IS.

Though it's economically a waste for someone my size to go to the feast, I think it's great. People in the forums had been speaking of a sit down dining experience, and there you go. It ups the anti for a good night out. It will also bring in a different caliber of customer, the kind that doesn't want to see a midget bleed. I was married on Halloween, and I'm sure, especially as Ohio is a very Halloween state, there's tons of couples that also share the same wedding anniversary. This would be great date night to celebrate- a dinner, than some fun scares. It does look like it's going to be a Chamber of Horrors style wax museum. I think this is a great addition. KI has really added a lot to the Haunt this year. (I've been dying to have a birthday party at the Dinosaur Party Pavilion, but my bday comes to late in the year for that, ... and besides, I'm 48.)

Had a wonderful day with you guys. It seems like we didn't wait long at all for any of the haunts even though the park seemed crowded.

I knew it! Of course, I checked the website, both yesterday AND today... I loooove going in October! On 10/02/2011, the lines were so short that I stayed on Diamondback 10 straight times, and on Vortex, I rode it 9 times straight. Can't wait for this October. I'm sure those lines will be short again!

it was interesting. some good scares were got on numerous folks that i saw. i liked when i carried on a conversation with the lady who couldn't get them marauders to pay there tab.

Whoa $48.99 per person? I think I'll pass on that...

Those would be the Creepers. And the knee pads are just standard knee pads with a small metal plate added to make the sparks. However I do not believe they are doing the metal plates anymore due to some safety hazard or something.

Wow! Now THAT is a topic bump!

When I went through Death Row, it was a Home for Wayward Surly Girls. I heard later that they used Club Blood dancers as prisoners, and it did Not work. Those girls were hired to be sultry and smoldering dangerous, not play a game of "Scared Straight". It was just awful. Soured my haunting experience for the rest of the night.

Well, this time the state can say, "We tried everything". That will help ease the sting when their failure is being torn down.

^^I told you guys! 2014 was our year! Im so excited!

If roller coasters didn't wobble at all , Then I think they would be Too stiff and not make the same ride expirience.

Hello again! I visited KI on Friday, and I am going to write a PTR. Ok. So, I went with my mom and sister, and met up with my dad later on. I got there at around 3:40PM and got greeted to green and orange leaves on the parking entrance thing. Hello Diamondback! Nice to see you. The green and orange leaves were also on the ticket booths. We entered the park to find the Gold Pass sale already being advertised. I believe it is $10 more than last year, but it would still be worth every penny. We agreed to walk to Flight of Fear, hoping the line would be shorter now than later. Lots of Haunt decorations were already set up by the fountains. Décor was also set up by the Eiffel Tower. Corn stalkers has made some progress sense my last visit. I love how this is changed every single day. The last day of August. Yeah yeah, we all know what that is. The outside of Massacre Manor seems finished. (Unless it is being renamed) It’s Zephyr! Yay. After the walk of observing a bunch of stuff, we made it to Flight of Fear. The line started just outside the entrance to the building, as seen here. When I walked in, I noticed the alarm thing was actually on. I forgot my film badge again. We proceeded into the hangar and I got to see a part of the movie I rarely actually get to see. (I usually go in the hangar and it’s always “Roll Call, all stations reporting. Station 101”. So, I continued onward. We soon headed into the Flying Saucer. I can never solve this! After about a 15 minute wait, we got on. I tried to notice any daylight shining thru, from the crack in the building. I thought I might have seen just a tiny bit. But anyways, it was a really fun Flight of Fear ride. I also love that it seems the Flight of Fear exit person seems to be asking how our ride was more often this year. We now decided to head to Backlot. When we got to Backlot, the line was just over the bridge, and it was about 10 minutes. One thing I didn’t like, is sense there was no separator, Whenever someone at the station saw Fast Laners, we all had to get along the fence and let them walk to the station. That’s weird. Time to get on, The Italian Job: Stunt Track? I remember watching Diamondback construction from this line. “Ok stunt team, listen up. As with any driving stunt, Safety First. So stay seated, keep your head against the head rest, and your hands and arms inside the vehicle At All Times. Secure all loose articles, or leave them, with the crew, before we roll”. After about a 10 minute wait, we got on for a FUN ride. Another great ride on Backlot. We then decided to head to The Beast. I noticed these orange and black flags scattered across Rivertown. Nice, peaceful Diamondback pond. The Beast! We walked right up to the station, and just had a station wait. We quickly got on for an awesome ride on The Beast. And the speakers on the lift were working! I love them. So, after that awesome ride, we headed to Diamondback. Wonder how exactly this will work come Haunt time. Looks like the Souvenir Cup unlimited refill is now $7 instead of $5. What’s hiding behind the trees? It’s Diamondback! We walked right up to the station and had a station wait for Diamondback, waiting a little extra for the back row. It was a great, airtime filled ride on Diamondback! I also put my arms back for the splashdown to get them wet. We were going to go and try Backyard BBQ today, and it was getting close to time for it. We decided to head to Flying Ace, just because I did see a short line for it on Diamondback. I wonder what this “Top Secret” box is for. I’m guessing it has to do with Haunt. Plenty of these colorful boxes were all around Planet Snoopy. Ready for Flying Ace! We walked right up to the station and waited a couple of rides for the back row. I got on for a nice ride. I hate how the head rest isn’t soft, though. Made my head hurt a bit. It was a nice ride on Flying Ace Aerial Chase. We now headed to Woodstock Express. It looks like they had the walls set up for Holiday Horror, I believe. Another one of the boxes. More PS Halloween decorations. Woodstock had about a 5 minute wait. It was a nice ride on Woodstock Express, my favorite PS coaster. We now were trying to call my dad, but my mom’s cell signal was really bad, and it was hard to hear him. I soon was able to understand he is coming now and will try to get to Backyard BBQ. He said we could head on to it though. While walking there, it was really quiet. We got to the entrance of Picnic Grove and did 3 transactions to get us all counted for FUN Perks. I never knew the shelters in Picnic Grove were named after rides. (Beast, Scrambler, Carousel, etc.) There was a small buffet in the middle of “The Carousel”. It had hot dogs, baked beans, pulled pork, fried chicken, rolls, and a couple other stuff. There was also a freezer with “Ice Cream Treats”. There is also soft drinks you just get, (As much as you want) but bees were all around them. I’m not sure if they are the kind that sting or not, but it was hard to get a drink. Here is the food I got first go round. The hot dogs tasted like All-Beef hot dogs, which I don’t prefer, but I still like. I guess my sister Lucy really likes All-Beef hot dogs, cause she was saying she really liked it. The roll and fried chicken were pretty good. But, when I was getting close to being finished with my first plate, a bee stops by and wants my fried chicken. If I had a good camera, this would make for a really cool photo. Later, I also got some pulled pork, which wasn’t all that good. My mom got a text from my dad saying he wouldn’t make it for the Backyard BBQ. We decided we would meet up with him at Diamondback when we were done eating. The employee that you entered from looked bored out of his mind. He was doing weird stuff, leaning against the lamppost, and yeah, he was bored. I got an ice cream thing before we left. It was kind of melty and drippy. I ate it on the way to Diamondback. Overall, Backyard BBQ was pretty good. All the food wasn’t the best, and there were lots of bees, but for $11 for pass holders it wasn’t bad. We saw my dad at Diamondback and got in line. Due to too many photos in 1 post, right below here I should have part 2.