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I don't want SonofBaconador's options to go to waste, so I'll answer both pairs of challenges: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jcgoble3/6490430453/'> http://www.flickr.com/photos/jcgoble3/6490116829/'> Both photos taken December 10, 2011 at the GOCC Holiday Party and Winter Tour. And now I'll reuse two of my previous challenges: Easy: Interior of Beast station Hard: White Water Canyon turntable in action EDIT: I got beat. Next person can pick which pair of challenges they want to answer.

This weekend and next, The Children's Theatre of Cincinnati is showing Santa's Toy Factory at the Taft Theater. After reading the description of the show on their website (http://www.thechildrenstheatre.com/onstage/) and especially after reading the synopsis on page 2 of their study guide (http://www.thechildrenstheatre.com/pdfs/2013_santa_sg.pdf), I thought it sounded very similar to the Santa's Toy Factory show that KI did back in the days of Winterfest. I emailed their public relations person and asked if it was. She was kind enough to respond very quickly and confirmed my suspicions: it is the same show, which "has been adapted and expanded" with a few additional scenes. After reading her response, that's all I needed to know that I would definitely be going! This show is one of my favorites that Kings Island ever staged. From the opening number with Santa's elves rushing around to "Racing With the Clock" and "Hard Knock Life", Santa's reindeer singing "Up on the Roof", the homesick alien singing "I'll Be Home for Christmas" and the penguins singing "The Twelve Days of Christmas" with a Cincinnati twist, this show still stands as one of my favorite Christmas shows ever (right along with Dollywood's Babes in Toyland, 'Twas the Night Before Christmas, and Christmas in the Smokies). Show times are: Friday 12/7 at 7:30 PM Saturday 12/8 at 2 PM and 5 PM Sunday 12/9 at 2 PM Saturday 12/15 at 2 PM and 5 PM Tickets are $20, $18 and $7 (plus additional fees if purchased through Ticketmaster). There are a few videos of the KI productions on YouTube. There's one with parts of the 1991 production: There's also one of the 2006 production (which I couldn't get to play on my work computer, but you may have better luck. Individual results may vary): GatorGirl and I are going tonight (although she doesn't know it yet). I'm so glad that I get the chance to share one of my fondest Winterfest memories with my daughter.

Hard: Flight of Fear outside queue Easy: Coney Games

jcgoble3 is keeping us from slacking off. I knew some of The Beast tour pictures might come in handy: Easy: International Restaurant interior Hard: People getting soaked on the Congo Falls bridge

There are some questions that even I won't ask!

I am reminded of a common newspaper disclaimer: Claims made in a lawsuit tell only one side of a story.

I have come to the realization that there is a BIG difference between 'What I think they should do' and 'What makes sense from a business standpoint'. Just because we all want the picnic grove closer to the entrance, as an example, doesn't mean they should do it. All about the moneys. And return rate on the investments made... I guess. ... And I'm stepping off the soap box now...

These are supposed to be photos that you took, not ones you found posted online. That photo is from http://www.negative-g.com/KingsIsland/KingsIsland2010/Kings-Island-2010-9.htm.

I can't access the report button if I'm stuck in mobile mode...

I seriously doubt that's the issue. Remember, the Kochs were about to take on the Kentucky Kingdom mess.

I have changed the registration software to hopefully cut these spam issues back. The best thing we ask for is if you get a message to hit that report button. So we can block these bots.

Just a reminder that we are only about five hours away from the two-day cut-off for the last challenge, quoted above. TOPGUN1993 may have managed to stump us.

It certainly doesn't seem to acknowledge the....present. Terp, taking a bow. (long o?)

Wild West World moved forward. So did Hard Rock Park. So did Six Flags Worlds of Adventure. So, supposedly, is Ark Park. Success is not guaranteed. Terp, who is somewhat surprised at the length of Kentucky Kingdom silence so far.

Back when I was in high school, I left home with a friend of mine, headed for KI. We left on a beautiful fall morning from just SE of Indy. Somewhere around Batesville IN, we ran into a HUGE thunderstorm. My 1968 Mustang, with bald L-60 tires hydroplaned in a most terrifying fashion for the next 30 miles(took 60 mins). We finally arrive at the park, to find out it was one of the "private event" days. No internet back then to check schedule.

That Indiana place has a functional water tower. That Mason place has a dinky, out-of-place fake water tower. If you can even call it that. Terpy, just sayin'

^The platform you are wondering about was once used as a train stop for kids to go to the "Pumpkin Patch" which was in the fenced-in area.

What day was their empoyees passing out hundred dollar bills??? Im a bit confused why you feel they are 10x better.Do you work there or something? Please give your reasoning i would like to know,maybe im missing something?

I think Kings Island should expand Planet Snoopy to where the Picnic grove is, then move Picnic grove more forwards the front gates, possibly near Action Zone and KI theater.

Moving a ride with a foundation like that one would neither be simple nor cheap. It is extremely unlikely to happen.

The long-term solution has been found: As a Halloween Haunt attraction.

They most certainly played a major role in this and also footed the bill for a large portion of it. Recent WDW "refurbishments" have seen the projects value engineered to death (please see Space Mountain), however Test Track went the opposite direction. This was not a cheap re-do. Quite honestly, I was very surprised when I rode Test Track last night for the first time. I purposely avoided watching videos so I would be surprised and boy was I. Gone is the tacky and loud queue with the annoying sound track, crashing sounds, etc. It's now very sleek and modern, it's beautiful really. The design aspect was something that didn't appeal to me at first, but it is actually kinda cool and it is neat to see your design sync up to the ride itself as you experience the attraction. Also gone are the three pre-show rooms and the god awful bottle neck in the queue when they dumped out. Such an improvement. Instead the 3 design rooms are now at ground level and dump out onto the ramp that the former stand by line utilized as it lead up to the old pre-show loading. Fast Pass skips the design studios but has a small modified section near the end of its queue where people have a few minutes to design a car. Single Rider skips the design phase all together. As far as the ride itself, it is visually stunning now on the inside. In some places theme elements and screens extend from floor to ceiling. The way that it is lit and the placement of all the new elements give it a more intimate feeling on the inside, as opposed to the old Test Track where you could clearly see the wasted space left over in the building from World of Motion. The testing chambers, I'll admit, I missed what two of them even were. The former "cold room" is now the aerodynamics testing room. It utilizes the same mirror trick used in Radiator Springs Racers (which was an amazing attraction, btw) where you see an air current appear to flow over the shape of your car as it moves through the chamber. I think the biggest piece for me, as others have mentioned, is that this new theme better aligns with what EPCOT truly is. I couldn't be happier with how this project turned out and I'm happy to have Track open again...EPCOT has certainly been quiet the past 7 months with out it - Todd

I think this has it's pros and cons but it should benefit Coney with some more tourism, but still anything could happen in the future with the park. If they end up building a hotel near by (which I have no idea where that would go) that would be very good for coney, also if the Delta Queen were parked near by I also think that would help boost the number of people that come to that area.

I don`t think you have to worry about Coney going away anytime soon. It will be around. I don`t think River Downs will take over Coney. They own quite a bit of land already. If anything they see Coney as an added benefit, because it is another attraction to attract people to the area. And remember, technically, Coney Island borders Riverbend Music Center, which in turn borders Riverdowns` land. Riverbend is owned by the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. I don`t think that the changes to Riverbend will cause Coney to go away. Will it change the way that Coney does things? Yes. I know that for a fact. And I`m sure we`ll see some of those bear out in the coming months and year

And everyone knows Terp likes to ask questions.

Not to mention the fact that, I HIGHLY doubt that the first Timberliners were constructed and shipped to Holiday World without at least a substantial deposit, if not the entire amount of the trains paid in full. Whether or not the original price/deposit has been reduced due to the continual issues of said trains, we will likely never know, but the fact is that the price of them was already entered into the budget as of 3 or more years ago.

Does anyone have like a google image picture with Kings Island land highlighted? I've always wondered how far ki's land goes? Do they own it all the way back to that river?! thanks!

If you don't have a picture, then don't post. Simple. Also, let's not lie about not posting other people's pictures before. I've been able to find 3 additional (out of your 6 total) online. http://www.KICentral.com/forums/index.php?/topic/26828-ki-photo-chain-game/page-3#entry496620'>Your Post | http://www.flickr.com/photos/coasterville/4960977861'>Source (Flikr) http://www.KICentral.com/forums/index.php?/topic/26828-ki-photo-chain-game/?p=496020'>Your Post | http://www.themeparkreview.com/midwest2007/kingsisland/kingsisland129.jpg'>Source (ThemeParkReview) <a href="http://www.KICentral.com/forums/index.php?/topic/26828-ki-photo-chain-game/page-2#entry496344">Your Post</a> | <a href="http://nationalcarousel.org/psp/KingsIsland/ptc79_00_bldg2.html">Source (National Carousel Association)</a> Guess we're back to malem's.

I voted for Americana.

Hello, NoChickens! So I try to give new members "a welcome photo". I know this isn't my most impressive photo, but I thought it would be appropriate. http://www.flickr.com/photos/original2/7934071978/'>

Still stuck in mobile here....

I am not sure a wrap, ribbon, and a bow is going to help it blend into Rivertown any better? Although, it might make for a better location for Holiday Horror! IndyGuy, who may or many not be here all weekend!

You packaged that well! -Tb, just 'ribbin' ya a little...

thanks for the updates on the seemingly random platform.

I'm not a huge fan of DA, but its great when they have the hall-o-ween walk thru w/ candy for the kids, and its seemingly makes a nice profit for the park, so its hard to complain. I loved the idea of doing something to spruce up the train ride. anyone know why there is a platform somewhere after you pass Diamondback? Do they shot the fireworks off from there? did it have a prior use? Seems like a dead spot that leaves a lot of questions. With that said, the biggest waste of space is the Tower Gardens. So much potential, so much neglect. Get the fountains working back there, turn it into a "history of Kings Island" w/ minature mock ups of the park at various times (at its opening, when The Beast opened, the monorail, when King cobra was there, when SOB was there, when Diamonback was build and "today") for example. Create a little gift shop that sells "classic KI gear"; I've got to imagine there are a few people that would by a screamin' deamon or King Cobra shirt.

Hey now, let's not knock KI employees or Disney cast members for that matter.

Agree. Plus look at all the problems Delirum has now in it's current location, moving it to a new location would probably not help it mechanically, but what do I know.

SOB's land is what I was thinking was a big waste of land before the announcement of it's removal. Touching back on the DA area, as much as the enthusiast in me would love to see the land DA is on used for a coaster, my 2 year old totally disagrees with you and me. When going to KI that is all she wants to do, and all she talks about going over there. There was over a month gap from the first time she went thought DA till her next visit, and she brought it up getting into the car before leaving Indy. I was so surprised that she remembered it at all. I ended up waking through there with her on that visit while my wife took my son on Vortex. Well worth the money to have daddy/daughter time. When I take my solo and enthusiast trips I am not going to spend the money going through DA. When we go as a family I know DA is something that the rest of the family is going to enjoy doing and don't mind spending the extra money. There is where Tepy's point in case is confirmed.

Almost as mysterious as the level of patience that the Koch Family... especially the LAWYER in the Family.... with the entire situation. Someone is very fortunate that the same problems were not encountered at a park that does not have the "Forgive and forget" Values that said Koch Family maintains.

I'm sitting back watching with amazement that anyone cares what the result of this very unscientific Internet poll is. Beats the Golden Ticket, I suppose....

^ Which I think is still plausibly consistent with the angle of the shadow. So I'd go with that. (Incidentally, while you're digging into your camera's settings, may I suggest setting the clock to the correct time? )

No you are right. They mentioned Timberliners were originally intended for the Voyage. I think there is obviously something wrong with either A. the design of the trains or B. how they run on the Voyage. If there wasn't a problem with the trains or how they run on the Voyage they would've been on the track 4 years ago. I am in the same boat with you about the situation. I'm not taking your comment as a dig because you didn't twist my words or put words in my mouth. You actually added to the conversation instead of changing my words. Either way the Voyage will still be a fun ride no matter what trains they put on it.

20:50 would translate to 8:50 pm, not 4:50 pm. The "-04:00" merely indicates the time zone as an offset from UTC (in this case Eastern Daylight Time); it doesn't mean to subtract four hours from the time given. Also consider whether you reset your camera for the end of DST last month; if not, that would contribute to its clock being set wrong, meaning it would have only been one hour off (about 7:50 pm). Sunset that day was 8:46 pm, and given the angle of the shadow on the top of the yellow portion of the tower cast by the checkered portion, it's reasonable to say that the sun was low in the sky, and the sun is hitting the tower from the west, which backs up that conclusion. So I would say that it was taken shortly before 8:00 pm. jcgoble3, playing forensic photograph examiner

At the risk of sounding like a fanboy or like I'm trying to overthrow your effort (I'm not), I voted for Holiday World. HW keeps growing into this bigger park but still manages to maintain this very personal and warm "small park" feeling. I do love KI (and, to a somewhat lesser extent, CP), but if you're asking me to pick between KI and HW, I'm probably going to pick Holiday World, despite how much I love Adventure Express and the childhood memories I have of KI. Edited after a couple likes to say: Now, if Dollywood were in the running...

No not at all... I'm not sure where you are getting that from. I was guessing that since it has taken over 4 years to get these trains on the ride that maybe there was something about the timberliner trains that doesn't go well with the Voyage. I, as well as no one else outside of those testing the trains, have no idea what the ride is like with timberliners. It could be better, it could be the same, it could be worse. I happen to like the ride with the PTCs I may enjoy it as well with the timberliners as well, but like I said I have yet to experience the ride in those trains so I can only go off of what I have experienced with the PTCs. I asked about the trains because I wanted an update on if they were going to be used this upcoming year. Because I like the way the trains look and that it is supposed to make the ride better. I got and answer and reported it here. Thats just it. I assumed that someone would find it interesting the way the park responded to my question but we all know what you get when you assume things. Maybe I should be more thorough in my posts that way i don't get smart-alec responses like the one posted above me.

Reading this topic makes me feel like playing RCT..... Add Shrub, Add Burger Bar, Add Footpath.

Bumping... No offense to the KI & MV Railroad, it's cool, but not really what it could be. It's not technically wasted land, but there's a good number of people who only use the train to get to Soak City. I believe if that if the Old Western theming was spruced up a little bit, the whole experience could be so much better.

You know what actually makes it the PERFECT time in the season?? Its that all but 2 Northern Ohio schools are still in session on that day!! I do wish they would have it include some kind of ERT on Saturday.... say from 7 or 8 am to 10am.... but other than that I Love the fact its a one day event, and on a Friday. Avatar, Indyguy4KI, and I attempted both days of CM2011, and we ended up going back to the hotel and sleeping for about 3 hours on Saturday afternoon because the Friday ERT until 1am and then coming back for 530am ERT on Saturday was just ludicrous.

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