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Some of you guys are acting like the new Evac, system was just made using old stuff they had laying around. I'm sure it's perfectly safe. The only thing I'm wondering about is, if this evacuation system runs on the gondola's "track", then how will it be able to move up and down, but the gondola won't. Wouldn't it be running on the same cables/ power system?

Maybe we should look into the rides we buy better. Buying a new ride? Just say - Show me the ridefax

Even Disney bungles from time to time...

I would like to see more taxi cabs and hotel deals in the works with the new Reds Grille.I bring the older kids for night rides during the summer and I see so many drunks and beer cans in the parking lot that we wait till everyone leaves before I do! I work hard and I party hard too,but never with the kids or when Im driving! I really would like to see more security cracking down at closing time! With the new Reds Grille coming,I think they should crack down!

Cool I am on the team now!!! I can not think of a better way to start the season off, being part of a cause to save the TaTa's, see the park with fellow KICer's before the public gets to while having a memorable time. Have each other to take pictures as we get colored in pink. Then enjoy a great day at Kings Island with each other. This is going to be another memorable opening day for sure!!! I was worried that since I signed up to take advantage of the discount that it would be hard for me to get switched to the team but it was easy. Just let Ryan know you want to be part of the team. as many of you know I run and now bike with a team for a cause and I can tell you we as individuals can achieve great things on our own but when done as a team the results are astounding. Not to mention the great resources we can draw from before, during and after. Come join the team and be part of a great feel good cause. I promise you will be glad you did.

Anynone else experiencing the tingling sensation associated with heights from reading this thread? I can't wait until the park opens!!

Why are the entrances for Hollywood Studios and Epcot on the top? That would confused the heck out of me when trying to find stuff in the park! Edit: Just realized you already said that.

Less of a line for everyone who enjoys the ride.

Jr, you do make a point- I can't recall which park has them, (could it be Alton?) but there are 'portable' hotel pods near the amusement park, very small rooms for overnighting, with I believe, room for four. Even something like that would be nice. As I've said before, I believe my sister would be able to enjoy the park more if she could stay a weekend at a reasonable price.

I haven't looked at any Disney map for years. I know the parks very well so I don't ever have a use for them but I'm not a fan of these new ones. Like goodyellowcorn said, it's viewed from an odd angle. I don't think I've ever since a park map that wasn't centered from the front. I didn't even know what I was looking at the first time I looked at that Hollywood Studios map. On a side note, Kings Dominion is releasing a new style for their park map this year that will be the first in the Cedar Fair chain. Lets hope its nothing like Disney's new maps.

Worse, the new map revealed JUST how long and tediously un-enchanting the walk to Festival of the Lion King really is!

Great way for Kinzle to go out in style.

I like the fact that they posted info about when they'd be hiring.

I think it raises under the seats so they're in the "cage".Indeed: It also looks to have some kind of drive system on it:

Would have to be faster than the current evac system...that said, if that is the best that they can come up with to help with the problem, it shows a total lack of planning from the ride manufacturer from the beginning. I predict a very, very short lifecycle for these prototypes. Perhaps building one to start with would have been a better idea. Shame, really.

I love your awesome design! It has an almost "Nike" quality to it (as in, world-class). I'd love to see it on a gray XLT tee.

Steve,I check hotwire and priceline for best deals.You cant beat it,and you see the rating percentage! I only book at 85 percent or better,its worked for me and I travel for a living buddy!

Front seat at night,or next to last row during the day! I have said this before but never get any love! I guess when nobody knows you its ruff to get some street cred!

I'm not a huge fan of this evac platform. I wonder how long it'll take to assemble and make each trip up and down. Thinking of my restraint coming off and slipping into this evac platform 300 feet in the air doesn't sit well with me.

According to Screamscape, only when needed. All of the parks with WindSeekers will have these. Source

i cant wait to return.

I think it raises under the seats so they're in the "cage".

so far from what ive seen, i am really pleased to see the improvements.

You will not see me on a sunny day above 75 in a dark colored shirt. So, I would prefer to not have a dark shirt please! White or a very light blue would be good!

Way back in April I teased that I had purchased a set of photos of the park from 1974. (Random Photo Thread) A lot of the photos are the “same old, same old”…it’s amusing to me that I have seen several different sets of photos that people have taken at the park over the years and it seems like you can count on quite a few people taking the same exact shots. (I wish I could run across someone who liked to take more pictures of the rides back then! ) Anyway, as I was scanning these photos and looking at them I kept thinking to myself just how much the park has changed. (duh) I was also just as amazed of how many of the things that existed all those years ago are still there. This got me thinking…what would these photos look like today if I were standing in the same spot as the person who took them 37 years ago. (Light bulb goes off in head!) I decided to see if I could recreate each of the photos that I had. I could tell that MOST of them would be easy…especially whenever I could use the Eiffel Tower in the background as a point of reference. There were 3 photos that I knew would be impossible for me to recreate…these were taken from The Lion Country Safari monorail. I shared those in TombraiderTy’s (excellent) “Lion Country Safari Spotlight” thread. Due to the fact that EVERYTHING has changed in some of the photos, it became a challenge to figure out exactly where the original photographer would have been standing. (Especially in the Lion Country Safari shots.) To figure this out I poured through old park photos that I have saved up over the years to try and pinpoint each location. As I stated, the Lion Country ones were the toughest…here is how I went about figuring out where to stand to take the new photo: If, after looking at the original photo there was no current visible landmark I would figure out from an old aerial photo of that area where the person was standing when they took the photo….then I would find an exact aerial of the photo of that area today. (Once again, it’s amazing how so many people take the same exact shots year after year.) I would then size match the 2 photos, then layer them, and then make the current photo almost invisible and mark where the person would have been standing and in what direction the camera would have been aimed. After making the top layer visible again I would then be able to see a current landmark to go by. Here is an example of my work in progress: After I had done all of my research, “all” I had to do was take the new photos when I went to the park. In order to do this I came armed with both the copies of my 1974 photos and also my “work” photos of where to stand to get the same shot. In the past I remember a park employee posting on here that security is watching guests a lot more than they think they are. If that truly is the case I would say that the park’s security was not on their toes the day I was taking these photos! I KNOW I had to have looked suspicious while I was completing my mission. I would stop in front of something, start looking at my photos, every now and then holding one up to make sure I was getting everything I needed in the shot. I would then take several shots at varying angles just in case. THEN, since I didn’t want to have to remember if I had or hadn’t taken a certain picture I would walk over to the nearest trash can and throw away any of the photos connected with the one that I had just taken. Tell me this whole scenario wouldn’t have seemed suspicious! I am very proud of how well some of these photos turned out…as you will see some of them are almost an exact match. There are 31 photos in the series. I would say that with the exception of maybe 1 or 2 I really am within’ 3 feet of where the original photo was taken. There is room for error on some of the shots…even though I could pinpoint where to stand…in some of the photos where there was no remaining landmark from 1974 I had to make my “best guess” on the direction of the photo…where even tilting the camera a few inches gives you a different photo altogether. (I will point out the couple of times when this came up.) I PLAN on posting one comparison shot set a day. (Not counting weekends.) BUT, there are 2 conditions! #1. If you feel that I have made an error by all means point it out. (Even though I THINK I have done my homework I do not for one second feel that I am infallible.) BUT if you do think/know that I have made a mistake…PLEASE point it out in a NICE way. And #2, which is a BIG condition! (And some may say selfish.) When I started this project I was excited about sharing these with this community…I must admit that that excitement level has dropped CONSIDERABLY since then…so much that I was REALLY close to bypassing posting them here and just sharing these photos directly to a select few. The reason I say this is because SO many of the viewer’s remind me of that old line from Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit”…”Here we are now, entertain us”. Many members seem to have lost what made this site so special “back in the day”…courtesy to their fellow members. Over the last year I have seen a disgusting lack of consideration for the posters who have went to a lot of effort to put together either special features or trip reports. These posters spent quite a bit of time putting these together for our benefit and what do they usually get out of it, almost nothing. (I long ago gave up making trip reports.) Here are screen-grabs from the latest trip reports: Look at the difference between the views and the replies! Those numbers just scream inconsiderate…or lazy…take your pick. If a member has the time to punch on a topic, that member should also have enough time to post a simple “Thanks”…or at the VERY least hit the “Like” button to show that the author’s effort was appreciated. SO, here’s where I stand…after spending a nice sum of money to purchase these original photos, then spending time scanning them, digging up old research photos, using a few hours of my (limited) time at the park to take the new shots…and finally putting this whole thing together…J.D. (that’s me) is NOT playing the “Here we are now, entertain us” game. For all of the above reasons I feel like I should be able to rate a little consideration and know that my efforts were not in vain. I DEMAND interaction…and here is how it will work. I will keep posting a new set of photos each day as long as I get a certain amount of either comments OR “Likes” each day. (And just like the park won’t disclose the maximum amount of Fast Lane passes it will sell…I won’t say what my minimum is…but it’s not much.) I am NOT asking for, nor do I want any condescending “Oh this is just the greatest thing ever…” type comments. I am simply looking for a little proof that someone is out there enjoying my work…or else why do I need to bother to keep posting them? I would be happiest to see a little interaction with comments about how someone feels about the changes in the park…but I will settle for a simple click of the Like button. So…will all that said and done…here are today’s shots: 1974 I STILL miss the tunnel walkway…it is one of the few things that I can still remember from my first trip to the park way back in the 70’s. 2011 I thought it was amazing how many structures had survived after all these years. As I looked at each set of photos I would sit back and think…where would I rather be standing…back in 1974 or 2011. With this set of pictures it was pretty easy. 1974 wins easily, to me the area looks serene…and a more consistent theme throughout the area. I HOPE that everyone enjoys the (hopefully) upcoming photos…and just like the Son of Beast posts…I am going to beat this horse one last time: P.S. Looking at a lot of these photos as a "fade in, fade out" type of slide show was (in my opinion) neat...some of the photos are so close you can see key structures change before your eyes. I TRIED to come up with a way also throw on a slide show version but I couldn't figure that out...so if someone else knows how feel free. EDIT: Hendrick was nice enough to slideshow these photos for me/us! Thanks!!!

Really? I hadn't heard that about Kings Dominion. Great news, though. Of all the Cedar Fair parks with that comic-book style map, Kings Dominion's is by FAR the worst. That park is way too convoluted and concentrated with shops, attractions, and stores to have that tacky style and huge labeling. And in such a forested park to have no trees... Well, ya'll know how I feel about Cedar Fair maps and trees / three-pronged bushes.

Interesting considering they don't seem to know what they'll be hiring for. Do they just need lifeguards?

I'd have to test these maps out in person to see if they're effective, but I have a feeling they won't be very helpful in a park like Animal Kingdom whose layout was evidently designed by a group of people knee-deep in narcotics.

An evac is going to take at least 2 hours if not more or major attractions. Having been trained on evacuation proceedures and doing so once, it takes a while. Especially if it is at any extreme height. To evacuate 2 of the coaster trains out of the 3 total, is rough. Starting at the front car of a train, releasing restraints manually then assisting guests out of their seats, waiting for all guests of that car to be off of the train, get them strapped into the safety evac system (harness and tied onto the rope/rail), walking them slowly down the stairs (whether it's from the lift, midcourse, etc.), get their info in case they need to be contacted or they contact the park, then walk back up the stairs and repeat the process. Can take a long time. So I can only imagine the WindSeeker evac, with what looks to be a evac of 4 total riders (two rows on opposite sides of the gondola) at a time.

hopefully they pull this off and make it happen, with great success

This whole thing seems overcomplicated and over-engineered. What about this ride makes it so much more problematic compared to its Funtime counterparts?

Love the logo, and would love a shirt, preferably light gray. I bought one of the old old ones (the one with the original KIC coaster logo) a few years ago and took iron-on letters to add my user name to the back, and I had several people from this site introduce themselves to me at the park. But then after only a few times wearing it, the sunscreen I put on at the park came out of the bottle too fast, I got a nice glob of it on the shirt, which caused a stain that I haven't been able to get out.

I could go for grey as well!

"Pod" hotels are definitely an idea more easily accepted in Europe (or Asia) than in the US...even at Yotel's location in NYC, the rooms are probably 4x (at least) as large as they are at the Heathrow location.

Maybe in the area between the tower and the seats?If people saw that cage before riding, I think more than a few would choose to stay off.

Well speaking of hotels/motels the Super 8 near the park is going at rates of $34 a night. I'm not sure if this is a deal they will have going once the season gets going or not, but I was able to book a room for two nights for opening day weekend this year at that price.

Totally agree with this! I would add maybe an option for a light gray as well.

I wore number 14 in honor of Pete Rose playing high school baseball,basketball,and football. He was my idol,I loved the way he played the game.My grandfather knew his dad,great people to know. I just checked Kings Islands website and I see Pete's jersey! Im sorry, if Pete walked past you and didnt have time for you,but thats the life they live! I have been blown off by Tiger Woods and Kobe Bryant before in private events! I didnt hold it to them,they live every day with people wanting a piece of them! Imagine living that way,it sucks! If you dont like the Reds family and this great addition to Kings Island than dont post here! Let the rest of us real REDS fans love it! I cant wait for 2013,if you dont like it,focus your negative energy somewhere else please! Im loving our Reds to win it this year!

$$$

Are we going to have username things on the back like a KICentral jersey?

I am also a graphic designer and work in the printing industry. I've branded a few products myself and think the new logo has great quality with a clean and simple appeal Simple is always better!

I agree, this new logo would look nice on a t-shirt while walking around KI. I think it would start quite a few conversations with guests and other enthusiasts!

Sorry, been a little busy with this website, and other things. Here's a bit about me. My real name is Lee. Although I live in Indianapolis, I consider Kings Island my home park. I've been going to it for over twenty years. I'm a graphic artist by trade, and have been in charge of designing 95% of the banner, logo, and t-shirt design (well, the one that originally won before Dane released the second version, per request) you have all seen on KICentral for close to a decade... God I'm old, lol. I have been a long term theme park/amusement park enthusiast. I've done the Walt Disney College Program, gone to IAAPA multiple times, and am trying hard to get back into the industry via Disney or Silver Dollar City. Guess that's really all I have. That's my life in a nut shell. If anyone ever needs any graphics/vinyl/etc, contact me. I do vehicle graphics, signage, logo/branding creation. Etc.

Are we going to be able to get T-shirts with the new logo? The one I have with the old logo is getting a bit faded

Thanks Gator! Lol. I'm hoping to actually make it to Haunt this year! Haha

Man its been a while since Ive been on here! As some of you know me I played Steve in Urgent scare in the hallway and in the last 2 weeks in the morgue and most likely returning again to haunt the halls of the hospital. I would really love Urgent scare to be revamped for this year with new layout, rooms, scenes, and actors. Would be nice if we had all of Acton Theater to ourselves that would make for one incredible hospital. Guess Steve can only be wishing until its time for fresh meat to roam looking for a non existent cure to whatever it happening to them. Couldnt see why anyone would want to fix whats happening to them? Just look at Steve I loved what happened!

That is, most certainly, a step in the right direction.

What caught my attention is "live band." Hopefully this carries over to most of the other live shows in the park.

Another musical revue.... Once upon a time shows at Kings Island had story lines and not just song, song, song (more accurately song snippet, song snippet, song snippet).

Thank you to everyone who responded…it does mean a lot to me, sincerely. (Although some of the responses are SO hopeful they almost scare me…I hope that the pictures don’t eventually let some of you down.) As I mentioned, quite a few of them are the “same old, same old”…at least that’s the way I see them. PLEASE do keep in mind that I have not posted the 1974 photos before…so even if the 2011 shot is “boring”…at least you have an unseen old shot to look at….which leads me to today’s photos! This is a shot of one of the island’s in Lion Country Safari. TombraiderTy’s Lion Country Safari thread was a great assist with some of these photos! As Ty pointed out, the islands were supposed to look like a monkey’s face…this would be a shot of the “right eye” island. (I hope.) This was a tough one. I went through several old shots and attempted to match the park benches in the background and the type of tree that is on this island. There is room for error with this shot...but I THINK I got it right...what say you Ty? 1974 2011 And today here we stand outside of the line for Congo Falls. About the only thing that looks somewhat the same (to me) is that you can still see an embankment in the background. Thanks to Hendrick: As for where I would rather be standing…1974 or 2011, today I choose 2011. As much as the island is interesting, I love Congo Falls SO much I would give up looking at the turtles & birds in a heartbeat…plus it doesn’t look like they themselves are probably having a great time being confined to that little area all the time. I hope it does, I have been counting on it!