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If you've ever heard a working carousel band organ, you'll never have any problem figuring out what's live...and what's Memorex.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't that the 1918 band organ that sits in the center of the ride? The one that's sat unused for years now, while a digital loop of fairground music played over the speakers? Cause if so, this is big and exciting news.

Anyone else noticing that the park is gaining back some of the quirks it had from 1972 to the mid-90's, which is the last time anyone here typically says the park had its own non-movie, non-concrete personality? I'm very, very interested to see what's next. Wouldn't it be something if the Glockenspiel, Ferris wheel, or Phantom Theater made a return?

Kings Island really is in good hands now.... I really love all the changes we have heard about so far!

Yeah Lindz says it's been a CD player hooked up to the soundsystem. Also apparently it's rerigged to play the cornstalkers soundtrack every year Also this was her responses and I quote.. I just squealed. Now they just need to replace the mirrors and the light bulbs, repaint the inside of the ride, paint the horses, replace the gems...

Now that's what I call "heart" surgery! Another piece of epic wonderfulness from Don! The off season has brightened a bit.

That would be amazing if they brought this back to the Carousel! Simply amazing! It adds so much to the experience hearing the music playing from a band organ like that! Hopefully they get it refurbished and it returns in all its glory to the Carousel.

Not to be greedy, but while the park is fixing this up if they could give Festhaus' glockenspiel clock some TLC, that would be all kinds of wonderful

I might be more excited for this than Banshee. Well, at least close to the same level of excitement. A carousel ride is truly enhanced by a working band organ, the sound of one is quite enchanting. Now if Mr. Ouimet could get two more working in the state.

Thanks for the tips! for starters....the Cinnamon Bread was delicious! As for the park...got a little lucky on the weather on Friday...it cleared up and the park was virtually empty. For anyone else who might attend this December...they didn't have any rides shut down...and we were @ borderline 40 degrees with some drizzle on Saturday. Everything was still cycling through.... cycled through every seat on Wild Eagle in the front rows....and did the back also. Great ride. Really enjoyed it. No seat is the same. These are the same harnesses that Banshee is supposedly using correct? They felt super comfortable to me...and it made the ride that much more enjoyable. I just felt sooo comfortable and secure that I could just concentrate and enjoy the ride. I really liked the onboard camera/video system. For 35$ you can get a video of you on the ride (Except the front rows) - Kind of a neat little souvenir. Thunderhead will really get you out of your seat in the front row. Must have popped me out of my seat...10 times. I was kind of 'meh' on Tennessee Tornado, I prefer Vortex. It might be the shoulder restraint that urrrks me. A- it doesnt have the seatbelt connecting the headrest (like Vortex) and B- it didnt even remotely make me feel secure. I had alot of room to move around..just made me feel uneasy. Mystery Mine is really neat...and completely different than any other coaster...I've come across. The themeing is great...and the angles that the ride takes...create an exciting ride... The christmas lights were fantastic! really reminded me of being at Disney's Hollywood Studios for the Osborne Lights...except they don't all 'dance' - But, the lights were worth the trip...by themself. Anyways, It got my $$$$ and now I'm a season-pass holder. I plan on taking a few more visits in 2014...so it was worth the price of a pass.... Again, thanks for the tips!

More Iron and Fiber in its winter diet.

Unfortunately some young-ins here don't know what Memorex is or was. And on this note...pun intended Can we get the original music back on International Street??

I am so excited to hear the Queen of Kings Island again! This is some of the best news so far this off-season! I just realized... GatorGirl has never heard the Wurlitzer 157. She's heard others at other parks, but not KI's, the one that I grew up listening to.

The Children's Museum here in Indy within the past year repaired its original (from the same time frame but not to the actual carousel) organ to its former glory after using a recorded track for a few years. Having ridden the carousel off and on throughout my life, I also can attest that there is nothing like hearing an old fashioned reel as oppossed to a CD. I believe Indy's carousel turns 100 within the next year or two.

This may be the greatest off season news ever! There is nothing like the sound of a band organ or a calliope. Especially when ridding a carousel, nothing like it. Wow, just wow. Will be nice to see it not just sitting there but actually working. And the sound, my the sound the is magnificent.

Batwing is 15 miles from my apartment. Are you near DC?

For those curious, here's one of a few short videos YouTube user Wurlitzer157 uploaded of the organ from 2005 (the last year it was used I believe): I'm very excited to see its return in 2014.

Sometimes a teaser video is just the tip of a much larger iceburg... what if the Band Organ is just a sampling of even more surprises in store? Yodle-a-hee-yodle-a-hee-yodle-a-he-hoo! Let the stoking begin!

I hope they put it on display! I'm such a geek about watching mechanical music- carousels, street organs, hurdy gurdies...

Be still my heart. Put another nickel in... So to speak. Wow. Simply wow.

A. If you don't bother with shows, please don't try to edit them to your tastes. B. If you found the costumes offensive, please don't go to Soak City. Oh, the exposed skin you will see. The horrors of it all! For that matter, skip the dry park, too. It's 2013, not 1933.

This is great news to me. I love carousels. I wish to carve a German style horse someday. The Wurlitzer returning makes me really happy.

And guests will have to not carry birdcages to be stowed in the station, along with cups, hats, small prizes, big prizes, basketballs, back packs....

It was certainly stated there would be no midcourse brake (nor midcourse break).

Week 19 (12/02/13 - 12/08/13): -

Don tweeted that 2014 will be The Beasts 35th Birthday! Do you guys think they will do somthing big for it?

^ May I ask why that matters, unless you're trying to prove what you wrote about KIC topics? Many topics derailed long before you started posting, and many of those topics managed to get back on track without much prodding. Most topics tend to derail because there isn't anything interesting else to say strictly about the main topic, so what's the point in mentioning it? Besides, you're the one posting about donkeys. By the by, here's what Ice Scream Zone looks like now. Notice the lack of menu, sign, etc.: Compare to On Location, also missing its sign: ...And then see Stunt Crew Grill, WITH sign (those boxes aren't the same boxes as the ones mentioned earlier): Coincidence?

The last time I heard one of those Band Organs....well I heard a pipe organ last month, but the last time I truly heard a "classic" style was at the 1900 Park Fare. Truly a long while for me! (I like getting a glimpse of this, I like vintage machinery!)

Thunder Run......Or should I say....Winter Run?.... (Photo Courtesy of The New Kentucky Kingdom)

Wam pa pa Wam pa pa Wam pa pa Wam pa pa....

I am pretty sure that in a walk back tour it was stated there would be no trims. I could be wrong on this!

Kings Dominion gets singing mushrooms back.....

Wow... Nothing similar between either manufacturer, ride layout, style of ride, ect... Sometimes enthusiasts give me giant facepalms..

I like the thought of Action Zone, and Oktoberfest becoming a Merged Oktoberfest area.

Fair rides go up in hours. Terp, may or may not be relevant.

Top Thrill Dragster would disagree with you. Ready to go?

I disagree with Tornado. It is the best Arrow looper! It rides like a B&M. So smooth, and no awkward transitions. Love climbing up the side of the mountain, then plunging through it. Please tell me you ate at Aunt Granny's for dinner! That is a MUST when I visit! Front right is my favorite on Wild Eagle. To my knowledge, Wild Eagle is the only coaster with a theme song!

Wow, this is really cool. Banshee really does look beautiful in the snow. Thanks for takin the time to make these videos. I really enjoy them. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk - now Free

The Starlight Spectacular was becoming an embarrassment towards the end there. Sent from my Gizmotronic Betterthanyourphone XUNN-5676Y Super-Duper Model Extra-Special Contrapto-phone 2000 using WhyEvenTalk

I'm ganna miss Alonzo.. Decent magic, great dancers, great music, fun environment, and enjoyable to watch several times. "Bye Ed" xD

Amazing news that starlight is gone... 3 years late but still great news. As someone who helped put it together it was beyond embarrassing walking through it the past few years

I don't know if this has made rounds over here yet, so apologies if this is old news. For several years, people have posted about how they'd like to see Flight Deck renamed The Bat (which, of course, is now coming.) Other people have requested things like simple repainting and care-taking of the park's finer details. Don did an interview with the folks at KIFansite concerning next year, and it looks like these sorts of things are coming in 2014. Here's a link; it's really an interesting read. A few key points: The area under Banshee's station will mainly be the photo booth, with "some" souvenirs being sold there. The On Location building will have more Banshee merchandise. The KI maintenance team will do the actual assembly of the Banshee trains. Action Zone will have a new look. The park isn't saying any more than that until we're actually at the park next April. The "gift shop" (I don't understand if they mean Banshee's gift shop or the On Location store) and Stunt Crew Grill MAY have new names. That's still being finalized. Nothing new is happening with the International Street fountains at this time. The International Street buildings have been painted. The park is exploring options for improving communication concerning wait times and whether or not a ride is down. Food options in the park will be expanded. (Not a surprise since they just hired a new chef and all, but now they're actually confirming that new things are coming.) Gold and Platinum passholder benefits will be more defined and easier to use. Snoopy's Starlight Spectacular is gone. The Bat's station won't be drastically changing. The queue underneath was removed to clean that area up. (I was wrong after all!) We're definitely in the Ouimet era, folks. The future looks like a good one!

When you go out and buy steak fries, nacho cheese and bacon bits, then extra large paper cups so you can have the "PotatoWorks" experience at home. Also, when you put on music you hear at Kings Island, burn some 'Fresh Grass' and 'Tropical Beach'-scented Yankee Candles (for that summertime fragrance), and watch as many HD YouTube videos of this and other parks as you can. Helps.

When you drive friends and family even crazier than normal, rattling off Kings Island facts. Sent from my VS840 4G using Tapatalk

Wow! Look at that snow! As always, thanks for doing these!

I only got to stop by briefly, but had an awesome time! Thanks again!!!!

Ed won't be back for the regular season in 2014. I can say that with a certain degree of certainty. I tried to get information out of Don as to what's going in the KIT next year, but all he would tell me was that it would be a show that you'd want to see every visit. [paraphrased]

Its....It's.....BEAUTIFUL!!

They're probably not going to get much done today...