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I swear there's a topic floating around somewhere about Kings Dominion's 2014 addition, but search didn't bring it up and I couldn't find it. New news to report today anyway, but to briefly summarize, the park's big news for 2014 (announced a month or so ago) is that it will bring back a lot of nostalgia. To Refresh Your Memory Most noticeably, the park's "Congo" and "The Grove" areas return to the names / themes they had during the park's early years, "Safari Village" and "Candy Apple Grove" respectively. Congo (now Safari Village) will receive "improvements" on Volcano and Anaconda (begging that Anaconda's improvement is new restraints). Candy Apple Grove (very much equivalent to our Coney Mall) will get new lighting packages for the rides along the midway and the park's famous "oversized candy apples" will return. Blue ice cream will finally make a come back (apparently Kings Dominion has been without it for many years) and the Royal Fountains will get a major facelift (rumored to be identical to Wonderland's from last year with a "World of Color" style water show built in). Today's Announcement Newly announced just today is the next nostalgic surprise: the park's singing mushrooms will return after being ousted by Paramount in the 1990s. The simple little garden in Candy Apple Grove looked like it just had plastic mushrooms, but every once in a while they'd "wake up," led by a pianist frog, and sing barbershop quartet songs. They'll be back in 2014 in their old spot, brought back to life by Garner Holt Productions. Here's a video of the originals: The rest of the park's 2014 plans are here and they promise more surprises are on the way. I think we can all agree that this bodes very well for all Cedar Fair's parks.

Yes....magic mushrooms! Kings Island could benefit from a display similar to that.....Festhouse Clock maybe?

It'd be one thing if the Festhaus clock had been quietly shut off and the animated figurines were hidden behind closed doors. But it's an embarrassment for the park that the thing hasn't worked since at least 2009, with one of the doors ajar with a little chef figurine stuck halfway inside, halfway outside.

^^Exactly, it's not REALLY important, but since there's nothing else discuss, what's the problem with bringing it up? We've got nothing better to do at the moment... Oh yeah and in no way are we "complaining" when we bring up the fact that the vertical loop on Banshee is much wider than most other B&M inverts, we're just discussing... In fact, I must say that I actually like that it's the way it is so far; it makes KI's long-awaited B&M invert just that much more unique and stand-out.

Who or what did Flight Deck defy?

Just drove by KK on my way to go ziplining in the Mega Caverns under the zoo... and it looked to me somehow much more "alive" than I remember in other recent Louisville trips, even during an off-season month.

^ I'd love to see the glockenspiel return. That was so neat as a kid.

Cause everybody hurts...2.....3...... Sometimes!

From May last year. I think they have closed the door:

But flight deck is based on Top Gun which is based on Navy ops...I'm confused

For example, if I see just ONE episode of a TV show that catches my attention, I have to go back and watch the entire thing to find the answers. Banshee is just "episode 42" in my B&M conquest. It may not be important to anyone else here, but I have to find out "why".

Another piece of track installed......

Good lord! Let's have an announcement, for the announcement, for the announcement!

S&S sells Arrow parts. Adventure Express is high capacity and one of the more popular rides in the park.

Cookies for all!

I would be happy if Kings Island did some landscaping to really accentuate this beauty B&M has created. It's a shame, to me at least, to just have a flat grass patch under the ride. I don't expect it this coming season, but I certainly don't want to see that entire area become another Firehawk landscape.

It already has. See: The Bat.

My daddy would have said "So little boys can ask questions about it."

(Both Pictures Courtesy of Kings Island)

The United States Air Force? Batty Terpy

That dive after the roll is going to be sweet Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

You've heard me sing apparently. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

That may well sound like the wailings of a Banshee!

Finally have an update for today. 1 support was installed. Link to gallery

Inverted Roller Coaster 1

The first coaster I rode was the forward side of Racer at age seven and it scared the crap out of me. Primarily due to my then unknown anxiety disorder.

todays update. Link to gallery

Big Dipper, Camden Park (Huntington, WV) I am guessing that I was about 8 or 9 years old

Adventure Express with Caleb.

So, any of the possibilities previously discussed, you have rejected? Or does it require absolute resolution from the ride designers? Don't get me wrong here, not trying to "yank your chain", just curious as to your thoughts of "why".

A little, I mean does it really matter? I'm sure there is a reason. Some reasonable causes have been discussed. What's the point of obsessing about it?

I've looked at the webcams during different times of the day today (to make sure it wasn't just the lighting) and it looks to me that they have painted the lift hill and first drop supports of The Bat to the new charcoal color.... I know that it is hard to see but earlier in the day it was more clear. Are you able to confirm this Don?

Danglefeet.

Reptile Cage.

Thank you for the inside information from a winning family. Now I know to never, ever allow my kids to play a game with the potential of such a prize. If they won that, we'd have to leave a kid at the park! Oh, wait, they'd probably enjoy that. When we were kids, my brother won a really big animal, but it was nowhere near as big as yours. It was just like a hard foam covered in fabric, not even enjoyable. Is your gorilla guy soft and cuddly?

Someone from TPR just made an interesting note. But it is just someone's opinion "I was just thinking if the announcement doesn't happen soon, is it perhaps a new coaster concept that will be revealed at IAAPA. They have been able to do a good job with keeping this coaster a mystery."

Topography. Banshee uses the gully it sits in. Putting it where Firehawk is would at best be much more expensive, if it could be done at all. Vice versa, too.

I'm hoping this nostalgia trend works it's way north over the next couple of years. I have a strong hunch that it will but you can't be certain.

Don told us to keep our calendars open the weekend before the Super Bowl. This would be January 25-26, 2014. In any case, some form of event after the holidays appears likely. Right now, we're still thinking about the holiday party at Great Wolf Lodge. See the threads in the meetups forum for information on that: http://www.KICentral.com/forums/index.php?/topic/28551-kic-holiday-party-itinerary/ http://www.KICentral.com/forums/index.php?/topic/28564-kic-holiday-party-reservations-35-42person-126-127/ The holiday party will not include a KI construction tour, but we're hoping to have some form of activity outside of the waterpark. We should have good views of Banshee and The Bat from some of our top-floor suites.

Kings Island stated it in the comments on the picture. Its further down in the comment section on the picture of the dive loop. The height of the others have not been posted. https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10152323410763368&set=pb.155893938367.-2207520000.1384524639.&type=3&theater

Nice pics I will say though that I do not miss Nickelodeon. However...I miss HB.

- "Lets hear it for the Mushrooms!"

Fresh coats of paint appearing everywhere at Kentucky Kingdom.....Even in the queue of Breakdance..... (Photo Courtesy of The New Kentucky Kingdom)

Can we sing this song too? Obviously, you've not heard me sing. I do love that song. It is such a happy little ditty. Michael Stipe has such a great voice in my opinion. Did you catch the eye bows on a few if them? Wowzers. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

KICentral meet up day at Kentucky Kingdom? ha

Now let's all hold hands and sing "kum ba yah". Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

^^ Have you been rendered speechless?

The only floor that I care about dropping is the one that drops 70 feet after a zero-g roll.

Not negativity. Realistic expectations. The Ed Hart proposal does not add up to a successful strategy over time. Nearly all the risk is on the taxpayers of the Commonwealth of Kentucky. And Hart and Mr. Bruce Lunsford and their investors (again, most are the Kentucky taxpayers) have a very small chance of succeeding in this venture. For the sakes of Louisville and the people, I hope they do. From my knowledge, experience and insight, I fear there are two parks within 100 miles of Louisville that have extremely shaky futures. I worried even more about the future of both when it appeared the same family was going to manage both. Some told me I was too negative then, too. I wasn't. Hope is not a strategy. And not just Six Flags has had a rocky time at the fairgrounds. I seem to recall a bankruptcy. It's hard enough to start a new fresh park. Reinvigorating one that has been closed for years, with very limited investment, on leased grounds, in a poor location, and that, you say Six Flags ran into the ground (it didn't) is a nearly hopeless pursuit. Hart and Lunsford could finance this out of their pocket change. They have not. They are not willing to put at risk very much of their own funds, nor collateral--the state's land is being used for that. The banks refused to lend the relatively small amount that Hart and Lunsford originally sought. The venture leaders and the banks are in a superior position to us to gauge the probable future of this venture. They did. I agree with them. The track records of other new and reopened US parks are not good. Most fail. Often quickly. Then there's the matter that the Commonwealth solicited proposals from the entire park operating community. Few even asked for a look-see. Only one other operator sent a representative. There were no responsive bids--only after extensive negotiations with Hart & Co. and numerous modifications was this proposal accepted. I submit it is more of a political effort than a serious proposal. The Governor can say we gave the place another shot. Hart and Lunsford can make a small amount of money out of this before it goes south. And the State will ultimately be rid of the albatross lands the Kingdom sits on, with the bank ending up with that particular bag. Perhaps not. But this venture is very severely undercapitalized (which is why financing was nearly impossible to attain). The Kingdom's future is not bright. And welcome to KIC.

1996. Had to take pics of pics. Cody's 7th birthday!!!! The man and boy on right photobombed before photo bombing was cool. . Left to right are godsons Jason (now 22) Nick (now 24) and my son Cody (now 24). Trying to get brave...and taller How things have changed! Not a great pic, but a favorite. Adventure Express. Closest to me on right is my son. The one on the left is Jason. The one in front of Jay is Nick. As we are getting ready to get in line, Nick asks me if this is a scary ride. I pointed to Vortex. I said, see that ride? He says yes. I say that ride does not scare me, so no, *I* do not find this ride scary at all. Well it convinced him to get on the ride. (That and his mom bribed him with Smurf ice cream that he has yet to receive.) the entire ride Nick screams at the top of his lungs, "LORA LIED TO ME!!!!!" (No, I didn't. You asked me if I thought the ride was scary, not if I though YOU would find it scary) bwahaha Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk