Leaderboard

Ok he made me register lol...Hello everyone!

It's Ohio...you want the weather to change, wait 45 minutes.

I hate looking at Kings Island Facebook comments, people complaining about no new roller coaster. I love all these little things. Can't wait until tomorrow - even if it is probably a small thing.

1. The people. People make Kings Island. It has good ones. 2. The Midwest. It's a great place to be. Jeff Seibert said it was the Midwest, anyway. 3. Its customers. Good folk. Well behaved. 4. Its access. Easy to get to. Compare Geauga Lake. Or Lake Winnie. 5. Its sitdown restaurant, now that it has one. 6. The ride mix. It's missing a little something, but that'll be fixed soon. 7. The water park included with admission. Many places, it isn't. 8. The many, many memories I have of Kings Island, many with people I can never go with to the park again. 9. The grand entrance highlighted by the Royal Fountain and the Eiffel Tower. 10. The many, many friends I have made there over the years, and will in years to come.

As many KIC'ers that will be there. We will have a good time regardless!

How about a link? (no pun intended)

Construction of Adventure Expresses 1st lift hill

Ah, good to see Cedar Fair is still in the habit of constructing useless shade structures over their queue lines.

plus if all else fails. come check out the ALL NEW Red's Hall Of Fame Grille. check out some of the shows. do some of the indoor rides. or even ride the water rides (if there even open) for an all around splashing experience.

^^ Have you seen the line for Boo Blasters on a rainy day? I don't think you'd be marathoning it without Fast Lane. Certainty in forecasts more than 7 days out is usually very low. Companies like AccuWeather aren't doing anyone (except their advertisers) a favor by "predicting" day-by-day highs and times of precipitation weeks in advance.

Last year it poured until about 1, and then it was fine after that. Even if the weather isn't ideal, I will do everything in my power to be there! A trip to the park is long overdue, even if it is a Boo Blasters marathon!

As long as it's not pouring down rain, I'll be there. We're still 11 days out so I wouldn't put too much faith in what the weather report says now. We all know how that can change from day to day. 60 degrees would be great though!

All I know is I'll be at opening day, rain or shine. Can't say that the Gatorettes would join me there in the rain, but I'll be there.

I spent 10 years in machine repair, best time of my life. The average size of the machines I worked on was probably 6 feet wide and maybe 20 feet long. To work on a machine that covers ACRES?!?!? I both appreciate, and respect these brave people that walk the tracks, tighten the bolts, and watch out for our safety.

And we all know what assuming does

Buyer beware.

I find it hilarious that the user name is beast3631. The number 3631 is very significant to the ride. It's The Beast's phone number.

Great idea! Let me start, There seems to be a big wooden roller coaster missing.

With 10 days to go until Kings Island opens for the 2013 season, In your opinion, What are the 10 best things about Kings Island?

OSHA are out of their element when it comes to animals since they don't do squat with elephant and tiger attacks (which happen more often). And they treat Miami Seaquarium as if it is nonexistent where those trainers are still allowed to swim with the killer whale there in public and private. They need to go away. And also, that is an old video, about 2 years before the 2010 incident with Tillikum. Trainer was fine

In no order The worlds longest wooden coaster The world's best kids area the largest animatronic dinosaur park the largest amusement/water park in the Midwest One of the top 10 steel coasters the more or less themed sections the rides the family rides the peanuts blue icecream

in no particular order ~rides ~food ~shows ~staff ~haunt ~environment ~scenery ~the lights around night fall ~how easily picturesque everything is when you stop to look at things ~the park is just as great when you rush from ride to ride as it is when you slowly snake your way around the park

Link?

Can't wait to see you Gator! I'd say stay for OSU day, Jared and I will be there! Yeah, I saw Jared on Saturday and he said you two were going to OSU day. That got me convinced even more that I really should spend more than one day up north! Good thing I had the foresight to request Friday off too.

I think it would be pretty cool to work on coasters for a living. It would definitely be much more fun than working in a lumberyard, which is what I do now.

I would be happy to bring them over! I will be at the park around 8:30 to start handing them out. If some are coming later maybe we can have another pickup time around lunch?

Last night I dreamed I was setting up a dog show where the antique cars used to be. To be clear, I usually decorate the show for our local Scottie club, and for some reason, the show was at KI. I was walking along the antique car route, setting up foam core backed toon Scotties, like the cutouts they used to have at the HB race cars in the kiddy land. What? the dogs were going to drive the cars? The one who hit the middle rail least wins?

Ok, that calls it for me. I MUST get to Entertrainment Junction!! I've been kind of wanting to go, because I've always loved model train displays, but this is just so incredible!! I can't wait to see it all in action.

I always love seeing all the work that goes into keeping a park running - it's just very interesting. One of my favorite things in the mornings at Dollywood was walking past Thunderhead while they were doing the morning trackwalk, or even better, minor retracking. It was just very cool to watch. Probably my favorite part of working on a coaster was getting to see all of the mechanics that go into it, learning how the controls systems work, and everything that was done as far as maintenance.

What Adventure Express once looked like: Pulled from OP here: Link

By the way. The first 30 people to order their shirts get a free KICentral bumper sticker with their name on it!

I'll miss the old slat covering, which was there when it was Bier Garten (a few of the posts above make it sound like some think that it was added with the conversion to Bubba Gump's/Outer Hanks... not so. I spent many hours in the summers of 1992 & '93 wiping those tables down and sweeping the patio in the shade). Hopefully they replace it with some sort of covering to escape the heat of the summer sun!

I got this bright, yet wild haired idea last night just watching TV, so hear me out. Would it not be nice if, for the more enthusiast type people, Kings Island did something like an opening day Scavenger Hunt deal where you had to like pick out 5-10 things different in the park than were there last year. An example is, there is no more trash cans located beside of the Festhaus, or something received a coat of paint, things like that, that only the true enthusiast fan would be able to pick out.

The splash down needs something done! I dont know why it bothers me so much when im waiting in line,but it does! It makes me feel hotter,when its hot out? I know,im weird!

It is far to early to predict what the weather will be like on April 27th, opening day for Kings Island. All you do is project based on what it has done in the past.

^ 7 days? I was thinking more along the lines of 2.

I picked the underdog I guess. I think BLSC still has the feel of being chased by coops in the back alley of LA. They revamped the guns with the LED's and the fire still works. I do miss the water in the splash down though!

I will be there almost every weekend and some days of the week through the summer, and every Friday and Saturday night for sure .

I shall also be at media day, Representing the Dark Ride and Funhouse Enthusiast. I look forward to seeing old KIC friends and meeting new ones.

Are we getting Funperks at Kings Island again this year? I hope so,it gives me an excuse to say," But honey,we have to get ice cream, it adds up our Funperks"!

A nice, secluded, quiet, adult area of the park with a German band? Uh, no, please.

I really didn't appreciate this comment, also what do you mean by west ender? Teens? or Black People? Tell me. Also tell me when has Ed been a failure at operating Kentucky Kingdom? I will be proud to send this complaint to Ed Hart. I am sure this will motivate him even more to prove YOU wrong. I meant troublemakers.... be it teens, blacks, whites, hispanics whatever. Kentucky Kingdom was an inner city park with inner city problems. That's not going to change. It's past speaks for itself... simply google things like "Kentucky Kingdom rape", or "Fight at Kentucky Kingdom", or "Kentucky Kingdom molestation." Hart has neglected to obtain the thing the park needs the most - the support and backing of Louisville citizens. He can score every loan or tax incentive he wants. He can promise large rides, a bigger waterpark, blah blah blah. But all of it is moot if the public isn't on baord. If he wants the support of Louisville - then he has to promise a park clean of the trouble that existed before. But as Terp said - Ed Hart is in it for money. He's a businessman, and wants to turn a profit. To think he's in it for the "heart" would be naive. Every one of my statements and sentiments are things that I stand behind. What I typed is no different than what I'd say to Mr Hart directly. Bottom line, I don't think my taxes should be used to grant the park another turn at bat. Folks can sugarcoat all they want.... I wont. The reality with KK was, and is: the upper income families in Louisville and surrounding areas avoided the park because it was considered a hangout for hoods. People looked down their noses at the park because it has a perception of being a gathering place for riff-raff. These same people are willing to drive a longer distance for a perceived safe, wholesome family experience - hence HW's immense success. Had this been a project to relocate KK, then I'd be all over it. The area Southest of Louisville, on I-64 towards Lexington is on the verge of booming. Within the next 5 years, the Simpsonville exit will have been developed much like that of Monroe Ohio. (A large Outlet Mall and travel destination project is in beginning stages.) The state spent millions expanding I-64 and the Simpsonville exit/overpass for the future growth. This, IMO, would be a defining location for a park in Kentucky and I would have been carrying a banner in support. But no... instead we get to look forward to a refurb of a land-locked, (historically) under-performing and trouble-layden park. From this article: http://www.wave3.com/story/21945539/changes-made-to-budget-to-get-kentucky-kingdom-open-on-time Now Shaggy, question... you said this: What was the reputation in the 1990s? Was it a baby sitter for uncontrollable west-enders on the busline? Was it heavily attended by troublemakers? I've never been to KK, but I find it hard to believe it was always like how you perceived it to be. Times were different back when Hart operated the park previously....times changed with the operators. To say that a park that was ran by the most recent operater (SIX) is how the proposed new park will run is a bit pre-mature. Different operators have different security policies and codes of conduct. I highly doubt that Hart would allow for any activies that "happened" (I use quotations because I don't remember hearing about any of them until recently and/or ever) with his business frame of mind (bad publicity = bad business). Here is the kicker though...Kings Island, Cedar Point and other parks are hands-off babysitters, sometimes for uncontrollable kids, and trouble makers. Think about it, how many times at the park do you see a group of kids between the ages of 10-15 by themselves? I saw it a ton while working at the park. I've seen numerous kids trying to start fights because someone "line-jumped them." I've seen a ton of kids placing graffiti at the parks by carving into fence posts, queue line rails and decorations, sticking their gum on walls, etc. When someone tries to stop them, generally late teens, employees, adults, the kids run their mouths trying to cause trouble, trying to act like the big man of their group, etc. The kids do not have any respect, anywhere no matter the park, so I wouldn't say it's an isolated thing at KK. If the things are true, that is truely tragic and should not have been that way, but as I said, the operator of the park is at fault....not the park itself. I truly believe the success of parks comes from various resources..but one resource is the consumers/visitors/guests/etc. When they take pride in their park, how it's operated instead of harping on how things used to be and when they start looking at how the park can grow by what they do while at the park, things are going to be a bit better. When it comes to reopening KK, if there is constant doubt and negativeness from the get-go, those people will only see the bad. It's all about perspective. Read it again... "The incentives will be paid out over ten years and are based on performance. Hart is adamant that when the park is running again it will go over as well as when he operated it in the early 1990s. "We ran a very successful facility," Hart said. "We built over 1.3 million in attendance, bringing hundreds of thousands of people, visitors, in for overnight stays." He said he ran a successful facility - referring to money (Imagine that!) he didn't speak of the guests experience. ...and experience is everything. Public perception is everything. Postive word of mouth is crucial to the success of any business. KK has a long way to go before the tarnished public opinion can be swayed... no matter how much "biggah, bettah or wettah" it is.

Not very. I'm much more concerned how much family discord, distraction, and legal battles will harm Holiday World.

There's no one in line at Americana or Geauga Lake. Enjoy.

I'm not conflicted... I flat out do not want KK to reopen. As a Louisville, Kentucky resident, I don't want my taxes to be used to re-open a park that has proven over and over to be nothing but a hands-off babysitter for uncontrollable west-enders on the busline. It was, and will be, a park heavily attended by troublemakers. We've heard how it will be bigger, better & wetter from Ed-no-so-smart-Hart. But he's not said one thing about how much "safer" it will be. Why? Because he's not focused on that. At least when HW was involved, they were inent on improving the reputation and ensuring safety. Hart hasn't even acknowledged there was a safety issue to begin with. The whole thing is a joke - the reason local people avoided KK was that it held a bad perception. Seriously - in latter years there were at least 3 cases of rape/molestation that took place inside the park!!! Mark my words - if re-opened, it will hold that same reputation within 1 season. It's ridiculous to see this as anything but the 3rd time at the rodeo. Fool us once - shame on us... fool us twice... Astroworld had the same issue - and Houston bulldozed it. They were smart... Shaggy

Approved as expected: http://m.bizjournals.com/louisville/news/2013/04/10/tourism-authority-approves-kentucky.html?r=full Hart says end of June to wrap up financing, agreements: http://www.wdrb.com/story/21933835/10-million-in-tax-credits-approved-for-kentucky-kingdom

Houston, we have a problem...

I miss the Hanna Barbera characters. I liked the Star Trek characters too, although they didn't last long to begin with. My first employer was Paramount's Kings Island. Wow, to be 16 again...sigh. The music was nice as well.

No, because I don't have that kind of dough and my backyard isn't big enough to build a ride like that.

There are some laughs and smiles, but no rolling of the eyes.