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Just being there opening day should be enough. Don't need a shirt to tell me any different. Enjoy the day and riding the worlds longest inverted roller coaster. . 74 days left. Sent from my iPhone using Taptalk

The A Kid Again participants will be the first night riders. This is very special, for a very special cause and before opening day. Yeah, but many of them are, to put it bluntly, heartless dummies. And full of it. So park employees are "heartless dummies, and full of it" ?, Good luck ever getting to ride it without those very employees. Jumping to conclusions much? Test dummies full of water ride first. Thats what he's referring to.

The A Kid Again participants will be the first night riders. This is very special, for a very special cause and before opening day. Yeah, but many of them are, to put it bluntly, heartless dummies. And full of it.

If there are T-shirts, I really hope they don't do it the way Cedar Point did with Gatekeeper. I mean someone is going to wait outside your parking lot for hours to be first, but you're going to give a T-shirt to a random person who didn't come early at all instead of that early-riser? Really?

No joke. They are literally the first riders. To think a strong industry supporter like me would speak of park employees like that? That's the joke. Seriously.

Here is a little contribution of mine. The wonderfully made .gif file was created for the thread "Standing within 3 ft of 1974" seen here: http://www.KICentral.com/forums/index.php/topic/24760-standing-within-3-feet-of-1974/page-7 1980 (notice The Bat in the early stages of development)

Viking Fury - with a sail Wild Thornberry River Adventure Station Concept Son of Beast Construction Coney Mall (With Bat) Delirium as the HUSS facility in Germany Demon Construction Beast 5 cars 5 rows Beast "Penny Mill" as we called it Vortex Construction Coney Mall with Wild Animal Safari That is all

Final photos for this topic are some of my favorites. 1977 1986 1986ish Oktoberfest 1970's 1993 - The only season TOPGUN & Wild Animail Safari Monorail coexisted. 1999

Promotional material for the debut of Kings Island's first Halloween event, FearFest, in 2000.

The A Kid Again participants will be the first night riders. This is very special, for a very special cause and before opening day. Yeah, but many of them are, to put it bluntly, heartless dummies. And full of it.So park employees are "heartless dummies, and full of it" ?, Good luck ever getting to ride it without those very employees. Park employees ride after them. It's the law. And makes sense. Humans are never first.

THE first rider for Thunder Run. I got...a great ride (and a 5 hour wait). A first rider for Kingda Ka, Medusa (now Bizarro), Shivering Timbers (another 4-5 hour wait), Legend, and many others. Shirts? No. If the park chooses to give out talismen, it can do so however it wishes or not at all. It really shouldn't be expected. It's not an entitlement.

Just to share some stuff, somewhat related: Cleaning the pit, it's below the lift, it gets nasty, right near here is where the water is pumped in from the lake Empty troughs Still hate this ride, it can be potentially scary/deadly during an E stop, glad I never had any experiences with that

At some point, factors will be weighed that will lead to Racer being repainted. Or, like at Carowinds (Thunder Road), a Racer sans paint will emerge. I'm really, really hoping it isn't the latter.

I can't see Avatar being nearly the smashing success that Potter is. I work in the Potter area (which is why I will not be adding my thoughts or speculations on anything ride-related to this thread) and it is definitely still a huge draw. We just had a sponsored fan event last weekend and it was kind of insane. Potterheads everywhere. I'm suspecting they'll come out of the woodwork for Diagon Alley as well - I'm personally expecting another June 18, 2010. Forbidden Journey (my home ride until this past week) still generates the longest lines of any attraction in either park, and if they can produce to that level again, WWoHP is going to be an unstoppable force for a very long time. I also can't see Spiderman going anywhere. It's the second most popular ride in IOA after Forbidden Journey, consistently running hour wait times when Hulk and Dragons are 10 minutes. It's a big draw for the families, because kids love Spiderman and it has a fairly low height requirement (40" as compared to Journey's 48"). I do hope to see that side of the park get some love though. Marvel Superhero Island and Toon Lagoon have remained largely unchanged since they opened. Dr. Doom's Fearfall is frequently forgotten, hidden back behind the main buildings in MSI. I only rode it for the first time two months ago, because I never remember that it's there until I see it from outside the park.

Fun Fact: White Water Canyon's 1,680-foot canal is lined with 5,000 tons of limestone rock, the largest weighing eight tons. Regarding "themeing" for the ride, I've always thought it could use a few more water effects. I enjoy the geysers at the end (and the single one over near Diamondback), but the only other thing to potentially get riders wet are the rapids themselves, which there doesn't always seem to be many of. Additional water falls, spouts of water, and the like would really add to the attraction. And, although incredibly unrealistic, I wouldn't mind seeing a drop added midway through the attraction. After crossing under the first tunnel and making the big turn near Diamondback, a large elevator lift could be installed. It could be themed as a large mill or an oil derrick or anything else Western/mining. The drop itself would be a straight incline that would dive right into the second tunnel, which could also be more heavily themed.

Those were fantastic. I like how the posts were like the 10pm fireworks--one at a time, then a bunch all at once. Thanks!

AE Beast with 4 cars of 4 rows Train station KCKC Oktoberfest - (One of my favorite photos) Son of Beast

From personal experience as a Universal employee, I will just say this: Even "free" lockers will not solve the problem. People sneak bags past the greeter constantly, pitch fits about having to leave their items in a locker (yes, even when they're free!) and carry items that are way too big to ever fit in a locker. Just like at any other park without loose article bins (Cedar Point, Six Flags, etc), the guests either find a way to deal with it or don't ride. Their choice. If you choose to carry loose items in the park, you are choosing to have to find a solution for storing it.

Stashua: I would think it's pretty silly to put the plaza in the middle of the midway when the ride's entrance is so far away. TB: I could understand where you're going with it, and I wouldn't necessarily be mad with this idea, but I feel like the lockers would be best placed by the entrance of Banshee since the lockers are intended for the ride.

I hate violence. However, I strongly feel if you are physically attacked, fight back. I do not advocate abuse. Mental abuse, emotional abuse, physical abuse is wrong. I was bullied for years by a girl. She was the school bully and most boys were afraid of her. The bullying stopped when it finally came to blows. She threw the first punch, all I knew is I had to throw more punches that her. I threw three punches to each one she threw. No hair pulling. I punched her in the face repeatedly. I ended up giving her a left hook and she went up and over her desk. She was suspended a week. I was in in school suspension for a day. The teacher came down to the office once my dad showed up. She apologized to me about not stopping the fight. Then she told my dad this girl deserved her butt whooping because each punch I threw was not just for me but every other person she bullied in the past. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I disagree. I beleive you have the right to defend yourself and if you find the courage to do so, you should be proud. I was bullied way before any anti-bully campaigns and teachers didnt care. I felt on my own because I was on my own. I do agree and support anti-bully campaigns, Sometime in your life you are faced with problems and everybody deals with it in their own way.

The drain is always open which goes back into the drainage pond when they turn on the ride to turn on three pumps which then keeps the water level the ride needs to be for the to function. The four pumps which only three operating at one time are located to the right of the loading station Sorry using voice to text to type this Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Was here on the computer looking over my picture files this morning... 1972 1973 1992 2005 2008 2010 2011

Not Disney, but SeaWorld didn't do too bad of a job with theming theirs, I thought. IMG_9983 by ki_faerie_wench, on Flickr

Sometimes. Terp, avoiding one word posts.

It wasn't Paramount that voluntarily made those changes. PTC, which built both coaster and trains, made those recommendations. And in Ohio, manufacturer recommendations generally must be followed in order for operation to be licensed. Similar changes were made to every wooden PTC coaster train in Ohio.

It was my first time at the park for years last summer and the state of The Racer nearly made me cry. I know it's just paint, but it was embarrassing. I wanted to show off to my British husband how cool The Racer was and the hisotry and it just looked completely uncared for. Especially with all the pretty shiny new rides, tell me they will at least paint the thing??

Games revenue would probably go down. The large prizes "walking" through the park are enticing advertisements. Games and foods often have goals that are at cross purposes to efficient (and safe) throughput in rides. It hasn't been that long ago that Steel Force at Dorney had no bins and riders were REQUIRED to take loose items with them as opposed to leaving them in the station (severe over reaction to a local court case where the park was held liable for loss/theft of articles left in the station).

I don't know why SeaWorld is being targeted. It seems entirely wrongheaded on the part of the protesters. Unlike your typical zoo, SeaWorld has A LOT of money. They won't be taken down easily. And unlike your typical zoo, SeaWorld's animal enclosures are state of the art and well maintained. Animal rights protestors would be more effective targeting small- and medium-sized zoos. Not only are they easier to handle, they often don't have the funds to upgrade older exhibits and only do so when they must meet new minimum standards for accreditation. Not saying these zoos are "bad," they just don't have the same resources as a SeaWorld or larger zoo. I'm sure the extremists behind the SeaWorld attack know that their chances of actually shutting down a park or leading SeaWorld to release their Orca population to the wild (very inhumane idea) are slim-to-none; they're wasting a bunch of people's time and obfuscating their own point in the hopes that they might get a flashy win for their organization. Meanwhile, there are animals in much worse conditions that they could actually be helping.

Yet Northern Kentucky does not have a reporting News Market. It is considered part of the Cincy media reporting. And that is what happens when you spend all day reading German history books...

Those cannons can be a money maker, especially on busy days, plus it's only a quarter per shot. Plus, if they made them free, I can see kids or random people standing there all day hogging them, making you miss the oppourtunity to blast your friends.

Gatekeeper's T-shirt give away was handled differently. Only at random times the prize crew came around and tossed a few into the queue line. Only a few got one.

^Yes thank you! I have Type 1 Diabetes and I keep my blood sugar meter, my insulin, and candy for when I go low... The problem with buying lockers is I need it at all times! If something bad were to happen and I didn't have my bag... That would be a huge problem...

@KingsIslandPR on Twitter: That Tweet / post can be found here.

Thanks Terpy always count on you for a answer even the funny ones!!

Heck that looks about right for a cue area size. Makes me think about Cedar Point's Raptor's que line...and really just about any invert I've seen seems to have a large cue area. It's going to be a massive hit. I can just feel it. I won't be surprised if that thing gets full all the time even years after its newness wears off.

Yes, those noisy basketballs! Funny thing: I was mixing a "sounds of Kings Island" audio project, and couldn't, for the life of me, figure out what was missing. There was the music, people talking, children laughing, the Grand Carousel band organ, the Kings Island Miami Valley Railroad 5-chimer, the screams, the roller coasters, the midway callers... I even threw in that randomly-modulated sine wave tone that the Test of Strength would emit between games on Coney Mall.. but what I forgot was the sound of basketballs! Hundreds and hundreds of basketballs: The somewhat arrhythmic heartbeat of the KI soundtrack!

It also includes those dratted bouncing basketballs.

Well said, Terp. Thanks. I even began thinking about that as I was writing the post... It's true; seeing huge toys being carried about shows that the prizes can be won, and challenges the pride of those carrying smaller prizes to not want to feel like ..um ..second banana. -Tb, turning his tassel.

Or a prize-voucher option at the midway games, so that if you win, say, a giant, stuffed banana, but don't wish to carry it around and deal with lockers all day, you can opt for a pocket voucher (or some kind of electronic version via smartphone), then stop by a "prize redemption & souvenir center" on your way out of the park and claim your day's prizes...?

I was worried that King's Island would start looking like a parking lot full of roller coasters, but I'm glad they've been tasteful and considerate with their additions so far. I love Cedar Point. It's a very straightforward coaster park. Minimal theming, functional infrastructure. I would never call the place pretty, though. King's Island has always had great rides, but it's also a place you can take a satisfying walk through. I'd hate for that to be lost for the sake of more coasters.

Not just Cedar Fair but NASCAR and related entities?Please capitalize the names of rides and attractions at Kings Dominion, Carowinds and other parks Thank you. Ah. You edited, I can't see. Or both!

What you see as a non-obstruction, the local fire marshal may see as an obstruction. I hate to be this blunt about this, but guests will either buy a locker, leave their stuff in the car, risk losing their items by putting them in a "hidden" spot or they don't take their items with them. If you have a medical condition that requires you to carry items with you in the lines and into the stations, please proceed to Guest Relations before entering the park to have a medical documentation for your required items in the line.

I stand corrected. My New Jersey friends told me this song is about their Allentown. It is not. I learned something today.

Yah, count me among the minority as well... I'm mean, I'm all for the park wanting to increase the hourly-capacity of what is going to be a very popular ride and wanting to maximize profits while doing it, but does it really have to be done THIS way... I bring a small Nike bag whenever I go to the park... it rides with me on all of the sit-down coasters except Diamondback, and when I do have to place it in a bin, I do so as quickly as possible and I am back in my seat before some guests have even started walking past the loading gates. What I am not liking is the stereotype that ALL people who carry bags are always the ones whole significantly slow down lines. Most of the time when I get impatient while waiting for a train to depart, more often than not it is because either a "large" guest is having trouble fitting into his/her seat or because of some lackadaisical ride ops who insist on excessive chatter and speils rather than putting up the "ALL CLEAR!" when they can... I think another reason that I am dissapointed this is happening is probably because well...it's just that on the last huge, ~$25 million B&M coaster Cedar Fair installed (Gatekeeper) they had bins where you can put your stuff no questions asked. Gatekeeper eats riders FINE despite having storage bins, so why couldn't Banshee do the same? I expect to ride Banshee A LOT this summer, and it would just be so much more convenient for me if Banshee would have bins, instead of having to solve some elaborate puzzle of when I should or shouldn't carry my bag each time I want to ride Banshee... And in case you're wondering why I carry a bag, it's not because of a medical condition or anything, it's mainly because I don't trust my cargo pockets enough to safely hold my phone, camera, wallet, and gold pass. No matter how much I reassure myself, there is always a hint of doubt whether they will stay in or not, and thus it detracts from the overall experience. Even if I did have cargo shorts with zipper pockets, I still wouldn't like them as there's a good chance that either my camera or phone would get damaged while riding, especially on the more rougher ones. Oh yeah and a fannypack? Um, sorry if this sounds arrogant, but no...just no...rant over. (I guess I wouldn't mind this as much if there was some way you could buy an "all-year" locker pass for $25-$35. That actually would be pretty nice. I could just quickly scan it each time I need to use a locker, and not have to fish out $2 from my bag everytime I ride Banshee...)

^ Darien Lake's Mind Eraser still has no loading gates. Not to many people stepped in front of the yellow line unless the ride was stopped.

Back then, Cedar Point coasters had neither seat belts nor gates. Chutes: Stay Behind the Yellow Line. And guests...DID.

The Racer still gives Coney Mall the old-time amusement park look. If it leaves, there will be so much lost out of Coney Mall!

Nice photos! I always enjoy seeing how the park has changed over the years. Those pavers sure make a difference, and give it more of a classic feel in my opinion.