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The actual quote was by sections, not piece by piece. If you're going to quote someone, let's try and get it right.

http://t.co/D5rLOugO

ooo good one I've backed off the "enthusiast wagon" for a while now. You come to find there's more in-life and most of the "enthusiast" are embarrassing to be associated with.

I guess people realized coaster credits no longer get the lady's.

I hope I'm not the only one who was thinking, "Is this just a thirty second video of the structure sitting, OH WOW, nevermind"

Paul stated it best. Some enthusiasts can put a "black eye" on the perception of enthusiasts. A few bad apples can spoil it for the bunch. There are some enthusiasts who think they are entitled things when they go to the parks. This is a select minority, but they tend to stand out. Then there are those of us who have spent 11 seasons working in the industry and still are enthralled by it. I don`t care how many times I have ridden a certain coaster, I just enjoy going to the parks for the sake of enjoying the parks.

My wife and I were in line for The Beast on a Saturday night and a woman, about a ten year old boy, a fifty something man and a teenage boy got behind us, they were mouthing off back and forth and the teenager kept cussing at the boy and the woman. I tell my wife great tonight on a very special Springer...when I hear the woman quitely calling security, that's when I realized they weren't together. I had the woman and boy go ahead of us while they waited for security to get there, the man and teenager were both drunker than monkeys and didn't seem to want to mess with me. They were stupid enough to tell security that they did threaten the woman, the man saying " I can knock her on her -ss she isn't older than me". I told security that I better not see them in the parking lot because they were both wasted and to my suprise they were being loaded into a Mason cruiser when we were on the brake run.

I guess grammar doesn't, either.

The actual quote was by sections, not piece by piece. If you're going to quote someone, let's try and get it right. Burn!! LOL

^ Funny! It does bring up a question- what is the obsession with a ride count each year? I can understand a sig with the parks visited count, or how many times you visited each park count, but a total KI ride count? I don't get it.

Is your signature long enough ? ? ? ? ? ?

Don's meaning of "taken down the same way it was put up, piece by piece" must be different than my meaning.

My question is, since the coaster wars are far over, do you believe that the coaster enthusiast population is slowly dying off? I seem to feel as that the ACE population, as well as other coaster clubs aren't as prevalent in the scene today. Enthusiast events, like HoliWood Nights, seem to be less of an occurence as they used to be. So my question is, do you believe that the enthusiast population has (and/or will continue to) decrease as the years go by? And will this effect the industry as a whole?

I think we all need to really appreciate how much Don adds to this site. While fans of other parks have to sneak their way onto the property to get shakey cam footage or out of focus pictures, there is Don posting videos and pictures. Plus he helps put members in their place... someone give this man a medal! Side note: Does Don still hold The Racer Record? And cross threading here: Don's a good example of how an enthusiast can turn his hobby into a career.

That guy in the hallway would be "Steve". He's a poster on here, so I'm sure he appreciates the recognition. Sorry to hear that you were disappointed. Hopefully you'll have a better experience next time. This past weekend, I got to thinking how it's a little sad that not everyone gets to meet Sam. You see, Sam lurks in his hiding spot, awaiting the perfect victim. So there are some people who go by, oblivious to the fact that Sam is watching them. You never know when Sam may appear; sometimes he gets the front of the group, sometimes the middle and sometimes the end. There's no set "perfect victim" either. It may be a group of teenage girls, it may be a middle aged couple, it will almost always be the group of pre-teen boys who think they're tough by trying to scare/mock the other scareactors in the room, or it may be a group of football player types (Sam was particularly proud of one scare this past weekend; there was a group of football player types, with the biggest guy leading the group. Sam popped out, and the lead guy jumped straight up in the air. Sam proudly exclaimed to the guy's friends "Look at that! I made the big boy jump!", which got the guy's friends laughing hard.) Sam has a good eye for the perfect victim. It's all intangible qualities, mainly based on the people's body language & facial expressions. Sam can be summoned, however. Sam is in the If Sam's not already out and you would like to meet him, all you have to do is call his name while in that room. Just make sure that you're loud enough for him to hear you, as it can be a little noisy at times. Sam is in there most of the night, he only takes about 5-10 minutes worth of breaks total each night. Sam likes meating new friends! Heart, meet dagger. Wow... You gave Slaughter House the 2nd lowest rating out of all of them. I respect your opinion though. Constructive criticism is always helpful in making improvements.

The queen of American watering places, The Amazement Park, America's Roller Coast. That way you can see the greatest pirate in the land. After which you can see me.

Not nessicarily, heights are a big fear issue for some people. Just remember to not feel pressured or that you are letting the people you are with down if you don't feel comfortable enough to ride a ride yet. When you are ready, you'll know

A ride op told my friend to put his shoes back on, although he was wearing them. They were skeleton-toes, although his were dark brown, and his skin a tad bit lighter. Another ride op had to convince them they were actually shoes.

Vortex is nice to look at. That's all I've got to say.

When I was young, Vortex was the "big" ride that officially made you a tough guy if you rode it. Because of that, I still have a nostalgic appreciation for the ride. As a rider now, it's okay. Not the worst Arrow looper I've been on, but I don't think I've ever found myself craving a ride on it. Several of my friends don't care for it, which means I usually only ride it when I'm at the park by myself or if I'm there with someone who's never been to KI before. There are many things to like about it, but I'm just not very excited about many of them, especially if I'm not sitting in one of the last three cars. That being said, Vortex's corkscrews are one of my favorite coaster elements, and the turn before the MCBR always surprises me with how intense it is. When it leaves Kings Island when its time comes, the place will definitely lose something for me.

I need some ice...

Hey Rustbelt was Blazing Fury last November? If it was I probably walked down with you. My buddy and I were stuck on the brake run of Carowinds version of Firehawk, it doesn't have a duel loading platform and there was a problem with the restraints on the train in the station so we sat for 45 minutes with our hips higher than our heads. About 15 minutes in they came up and asked if anyone would like a drink, we were all like sure would but do you want to tell us how to drink in this position.

^My friend explained how he had been cornered in the room and was threatened by the guy, who proceeded to punch him in the face. While I agree a fist thrown may be instinct, that time it was clearly assault.

I'd go even further. If a guest assaults a park employee or other guest, (s)he should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. No exceptions.

Thoughts change and times rearrange. I still check up on this site once or twice a week and I still talk to a few members, but for me college is quickly approaching and you start to realize that maybe roller coasters aren't the most important thing in your life anymore.

I would have gagged, just from walking through Mysteria!

Meating new friends. Nice! Terp, who is glad you didn't butcher that line.

So I had a crazy one last night. I was at Halloween Haunt on a Friday night and the park was dead, no pun intended. Anyway I went to Action(less) Zone first and got in line for Drop Tower. Walked right on. Next was Delirum, which was an hour wait, although on 5 people were in line. Gotta love the capacity on that machine. Also Delirum was where Invertigo was and Blood Drums was where Delirum is. Yes Invertigo was gone completely. Crazy part # 2 was Son of Beast was running. In my dream they had demo the rose bowl but reconnected the track from the second hill. Crazy part #3 all of the rides were hauntified. I.E. Delirum had people with chainsaws on the ground chasing you. DT had a monster on the lift car. Son of Beast still had Wolf Pack. FD line had been converted into a Haunt about plane crashes.

Wow. And again: Wow. Great video. Never thought I'd see that!

Don't go to either parks on a Saturday. This Sunday CP was empty. 3MF, 1TTD, 2Mag in 30min....

There are many factors to consider. Coaster clubs like ACE have been rendered obsolete in certain ways by the internet and the abundance of communities that can be created at will. As for enthusiasts, everyone grows up and moves on to new things in life. Just in my lifetime I've gone from being the diehard rollercoaster fanatic, to an adult who still enjoys parks and rides but doesn't center his life around them. You also have an econonmy that's not in the greatest shape, so parks are doing their best to cater to the largest possible audience to sustain their business. Spending twenty million on a record breaking roller coaster may bring an influx or visitors short term, but it's not going to help your business as much as families or broad appeal will. I think the enthusiast population will always exist but it won't be as predominant as it was. When you can learn about any coaster, park, manufacturer etc. with the click of a mouse, it's hard to really be that much more in the know than anyone else

Great TR, Thanks for sharing! I bet Tom76257 wishes he was with you on the roll back! His favorites coaster in the park is BLSC. Opnenig night of haunt he was planning on a BLSC Marathon for an hour. Not sure he did that or not?

I love the first drop. Always been one of my favorite drops in the park.

For many families that I know in Indy, going to the camp ground for the week, and spending most of their time at the park was their family vacation for the year. I know as a kid we did that several times and visited for at lease for the weekend every year. Most of the people that we know that did that stopped when the campground closed. I used to make weekend trips to the campground and KI myself when I was old enough to go by myself. Camping and having KI next door to your campground made it a a destination park for a lot of smaller budget families. I get asked at least once a month by fellow campers and people that know I frequent KI about them getting a campground back.

10 out of 10. Vortex was the coaster that started it all for me back in 1987.

Now shouldn't those photos be posted in the Pictures of SOB Demolition?

Just checked Twitter and Greg posted some photos, wanted to update you guys

Memories ... oh hey, it's Jeffery Seibert

Here is my rundown of Haunt 2012. What is a “must see” and what’s a “skip.” These are in order from the weakest to the strongest: Mysteria – This maze is more confusing than scary. I’m not going to dignify it with a large critique, but I’ll just say that it can be skipped. Tombstone Territory – You have to wait in line to ride the train… then you have to wait in line to walk through White Water Canyon’s exit. This maze is unoriginal and uninspiring. It wouldn’t be so bad if it wasn’t such a pain in the butt to do (waiting in too lines) but this one is a skip. CornStalkers – For some reason they put this in the Tower Gardens and nixed The Cemetery. It keeps coming back in different locations every year and every year is even lazier than the previous. I walked through CornStalkers after a rain storm and it smelled really bad too. It’s not exactly Mysteria bad, but it’s pretty bad. Cut Throat Cove – This maze was ok-at-best when it debuted and hasn’t really changed since its inception. I’m not going to go as far as saying you should skip it, but I’m going to advise against waiting and hour for it. Graveyard Shift – Rebooting a show that won an IAAPA award 10 years ago seemed like a good idea on paper, but I think the show is really stale. The performers – as always – are astounding and the lighting for the show gives it a big production feel, but the song lineup is extremely stale and the set is boring. It’s not a bad show, but it doesn’t hold a candle to the other shows we’ve seen from Haunt. Urgent Scare – This maze has been missing something since its first year. Don’t get me wrong – the “hospital” is VERY well-done, but every year they put a lot less effort into it. The first year, they had a whole scene in the outside queue – which went away after that year, and this year the last outside section was gone. They tried to imply that “Magnum Energy Drink” was responsible for the virus, but didn’t really follow through with the storyline… and then entirely nixed it after the first year. I’d say this one is worth going through. It’s not going to change your life, but it is fun. Massacre Manor – I’ve always liked this maze because it’s your typical haunted house. Again – it’s not groundbreaking, but it’s definitely a fun maze to walk through. That’s why it makes it on the “must do” list for me. Slaughter House – A butcher-themed maze can easy be really bad, but this one seems to work. It’s actually relatively long too. Some of the meat scenes are gross, but that’s the point, right? I’m particularly fond of the part when you get “pooped out” in the end. They don’t say it, but you know what they imply with the tight hallway. J CarnEvil – There’s something about this maze that I just totally love. A clown maze is another one that could be horribly stale, but I don’t think this one is. It has a lot of neat 3D-ish effects and some interesting twists. It’s a must-do! Holiday Horror- I know many of you might disagree with this maze, but I find it both creative and fun. It’s a must-do for Haunt and hasn’t dropped off in the least since its inception last year. My favorite part is the 4th of July scene with the house on fire. That’s just funny. Wolf Pack – How the hell did this make it so high up on the list? It launched a few years ago as a token werewolf maze, but was completely rebooted this year. They have a ton of sections that really make you feel like your treading through the woods. If you haven’t done it this year then you simply must! Club Blood – Club Blood is awesome all around. It’s unique, it’s creative, it’s witty, and it’s edgy. It’s been around for a half-decade but still holds its place as a staple for Halloween Haunt. Hot Blooded – I don’t care what anybody says – this show is amazing. I’ll let Kirk handle giving you a biography of all of the performers, but in my opinion it has one of the strongest casts that Kings Island has ever had. Every time I see this show (which is often) I find something else I like about it. This year it has been drawing standing room only crowds, which I think is awesome and well-deserved. The Showplace, though…. Boy does it need a new sound system. Last night, they had two people running sound, which helped, but it still doesn’t do justice to the performers. This is a must see, and has been for years. Blood Drums – Talk about a show that goes over well. How can you go wrong with people beating on stuff and fire? From what I understand, Cedar Fair has done this show at several parks for Haunt, and I imagine it works well at all of them. I’m not going to go as far as saying that it’s a better show than Hot Blooded, but it gets a slight bump because it’s new this year. Check it out! Madam Fatal’s Cavern of Terror – The problem that I’ve always had with the Haunt mazes was a lack of effort. This one is a true exception. You can tell a lot of time and money has been put into this one. It’s extremely long, creative, and of a quality that we haven’t seen until now. They really set the bar high, in my opinion. Let’s just hope that future additions live up to this must-see attraction. I know that a lot of people have griped about the $47 price tag associated wiith the meal that you can eat in the maze, but everyone I’ve talked to who has done it has said that the whole experience was worth it. I want to throw out the fact that if you really want to do all of the mazes, Fright Lane is a must. It allows you to skip the lines at all of the mazes once and can be purchased online or inside the park. If you’re going to buy it, get it early to get your money’s worth! Also, just as a PSA – season passes for ’13 are on sale for $79, and you won’t find a lower price than that. It’s a great deal and you’ll totally regret it if you forget to renew your pass and have to buy it for $100 an hour before the park opens for the season next year like I always do. To purchase park tickets, meal tickets, Fast Lane, Fright Lane, and everything Haunt visit Kings Island's official Haunt web site: http://www.visitkingsisland.com/haunt2012

Hopefully not for the same reason that the record for rides on SoB won't change!

You must really like building wooden coasters.

I have always loved Vortex, mainly because of it's sheer presence in the park. The ride is magnificent and looks magnificent from a distance. This year however I have grown to love Vortex even more. I have discovered some seats that give me that famous Arrow ejector air, I have rode it more times this year than any other and of course it is 25 years old this year. The ride experience is amazing, every single portion of track has some special element about it that makes it stand out. The day Vortex reaches the end of it's cycles will indeed be a sad day, I cannot imagine what that area of the park will look like if Vortex is not in it.

Get your butt over to Kings Island, El Toro.

This picture was taken last week.... The Chain is still on the ride. These were also taken one week ago from the Eiffel Tower: I'll upload some from yesterday as well very soon

There's a guy dressed in a leaf suit somewhere in the park that is going to scare the crap out of you. I hope I didn't spoil anything; also, it gets foggy.

Last time I was at Great Adventure I didn't happen to see an Eiffel Tower.....I guess I must have just missed it or something. I'll be sure to check next time I go.

I've been pretty lucky. During my last trip to the Point, Millennium was down half the day but that was because of a lightning strike. Besides that, they're almost all always open. I do know one Intamin that's very reliable, Jr. Gemini

Of all the things to debate, whether a video is real or animated is one of the last ones I thought I'd see on here tonight. Is everybody bored?

I would prefer a maverick style coaster over another BLSC coaster.

I dreamed I rode DB for the first time last night. They had you get on the ride in a very interesting way. They were handing out tickets to get on. The ticket had a ride number on it and then a seat #. When they called the ride number you went and got in the queue and then in the appropiate seat for your ticket. The trains were much different in my dream, they were more like Vortex's trains but they had seats like a ski boat and there were not restraints at all. When we left we circled the station sort of like The Beast before going on the lift. I mentioned to someone else that I did not remember that circle being there. The ride stated very smoth up the hill and everyone on the trian was making comments to that effect. After we crested the hill eveyone was holding on for dear life since we were not restrained in any way. There was a lot of air time and the ride was great. When we got back to the station I was asking if anyone was a member from KIC when the dream ended.