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A new topic since Banshee has officially opened for the 2014 season. Tell us about your Banshee experience. What did you like? What did you not like? Did anything surprise you or catch you off guard? Feel free to share pictures/on ride photos of you Banshee experience also! Ill start by saying this ride experience has kicked Montu to the curb and buried it in dust. It is the most intense, well paced, well laid out inverted coaster i have ever been on. I felt like the ride got faster at the bottom of every drop. My favorite seat ended up being in the front right, although the back seat is great too. The entire ride delivers some solid positive Gs. My favorite park of the ride ended up being the spiral into the in-line-twist and into the carousel turn. The entire thing is full throttle from the moment you hear the Banshee scream at the top of the drop, to the second you come to a stop! Also, the theme is (imo) unmatched by any other Cedar Fair attraction. Kings Island really took notice of every single tiny detail. The theme is very well executed; Kings Island fans are in for a real treat for this season, and the seasons to come! My woman and I My woman and i to the right!

So my wife and I just got back from KI and I thought I'd post a few things about opening day. I'll start with the good things: Banshee is amazing! It was a fabulous ride and definitely worth the wait. Also, all the upgrades they've made throughout the park really look nice. All the new paint and things really add to the look of the park. Now some of the bad things: The crowds. Just one word: DANG! I've never seen a busier opening day in my life. This was worse than Diamondback's opening day by a mile. Total wait time for my wife and I for Banshee was 4 hours and 5 minutes. One thing that was really bad was the excessive line jumping and line "holding" we witness while we were in line. I kid you not, it happened through the entire 4 hours we were in line, even once we got into the actual queue areas. People were just coming right on in like nothing was wrong. One instance that ticked me off was this one girl came into the queue line and found a friend of hers and asked if it was ok to join her in the line (note that this was 2 and a half hours into our wait) her friend said yes, so the girl turned and motioned for her other friends. About 4 other girls come pushing through the queue to join the group. This happened again about an hour later with 4-5 young teen boys further up in the line. Besides that we saw, no lie, about 20 people or more walk past us from kids to adults, all meeting up with people holding spots and such. Whoever was working the main entrance should be fired. Next, what was with all the stacking of the Banshee trains? My wife and I never saw more than one train running at a given time. More than 5 times (once we got close enough to see) we saw all three trains stopped at the loading station. For a high capacity coaster, they sure weren't loading quick at all. Who knows how much shorter the wait would have been if not for all the stacking. Also, apparently they're letting you take loose articles on now? We heard them tell several people that they could take their loose articles on, such as the Banshee drink bottles, as long as they held on to them. Hmmm....I thought that what the lockers were for. I saw one lady carrying a book with her. Not sure where she put the book, but she was standing on the stairs just minutes from loading on the ride. It'll be interesting to see what comes of that. We also got a chance to go through Dinosaurs Alive. Just as I was afraid of, it was rather packed. We saw a bunch of teenagers roaming through the area, some of which were walking up to the dinos and touching them, or messing with their teeth and such. I wonder how long it will be before they return that area to a "pay" attraction if vandalism starts to become a problem. All in all though it was a great day. There is always something exciting about opening day and waiting in line with the anticipation of riding a new ride. Even though the crowds were large and we had some not so great experiences (ie. the line jumping) it was still a fun day at Kings Island and we both look forward to our next trip!

B&M or not, it's a mechanical device. It may have issues. Especially this early on. Please be patient... you're in good hands.

My second ever on ride photo. The first one was Magnum XL-200, man that was a long time ago.

All I will say that this will be a record breaking year for KI. Good weather and awesome rides will make 2014 go down in history. Sent from my iPhone using Taptalk

Holy. Crap. The Earth is the proper name of a planet, and thus should always be capitalized.

With Banshee opening to the media today, it looks like this topic has expired. When you ride it, let us know about your experience on the ride.

From Scream for A Kid Again: 20140417_205004 Haunted Hill 20140417_205300 Son of Beast 20140417_210348 The lift hill 20140417_213053 The sign 20140417_232058 The amazing free t-shirt! Had a great time! Thank You KI for the event! Back row is the best! Note: Wish I would of ate a little before I came.... Wasn't feeling so hot after my second ride...

No seat belts on Diamondback The Earth is the proper name of a planet, and thus should always be capitalized.

The wait was absolutely insane. I got to the park at 10 till Noon and it took me 5 1/2 hours to get on (that is including a 45 minute wait to get through the turn styles). The length of the line was about what I expected, but the efficiency in which the line moves was pretty bad. Just missed getting a shirt, they ran out right before I got on, I wasn't surprised, but a little irked when Fast Lane riders had an arm full of them. The ride is pretty awesome, but I almost wish it had a couple moments when it slowed down a little so you could take in the view, but I'm looking forward to riding some more when the lines are shorter.

Kings Island is going to have the best season yet!

If you're anything like me, you miss the Banshee Construction Thread. Well I've decided to make a new thread dedicated to the entire 2014 Kings Island Season! Here you can post anything about Kings Island's 2014 season.

AWESOME! We were in line from 5:00 on the button, and were behind the gate at 8:15. I know Don tweeted that they were expecting to turn over 1,500 people per hour. I timed trains leaving on an average of 1 min 5 seconds. 32 people per train, that's turning around 1,900 per hour. Pretty darned good. Edit: forgot to say: while we were in the next to last queue line, KI started passing out cups of ice water when you hit the first line. Much appreciated!

Banshee was amazing, just what I was hoping for! My wife and I were a little disappointed with the stacking. We saw all three trains waiting in the station pretty frequently and mostly just one train cycling at a given time. Pretty bad in my opinion. Also, did anyone else have any problems with all the line jumping and line holding? No lie, in the 3 and a half hours we were in an "actual" queue (the temporary queue and the main ride queue) we had about 20 people or more come walking past us. It was like people were texting their friends and telling them if they wanted to ride Banshee that they could come meet them in line. It was getting completely out of hand. We saw some people try to block the people line jumping, but they would just duck and crawl under the railing. I had half a mind to go tell the people at the entrance to do their job and quit letting all these people in. Oh well. What can you do?

I thought that long line was for the ladies room

Waited 5 hours and STILL got a shirt heck yeah!!!! The Earth is the proper name of a planet, and thus should always be capitalized.

I am suddenly very glad I decided not to make the trip today. High of 70, clear day, and a highly anticipated new ride opening up; sounds like a recipe for disaster. Yesterday, however, was the best day I've ever had at Kings Island.

In a fun but gruelling 27-hour day of bone-chilling cold, sleep deprivation, chemistry tests (this isn't a post about exams week in the winter, I promise!), 30 minute waits, boring walks out to The Bat, these really cool stackable disposable coffee cups with handles, coaster enthusiasts taking over an entire section of an amusement park, and most terrifying of all, free Banshee twists everywhere you look, one TPR member and two GOCC members drove to the city where pigs fly for the debut of a ride a year in the making. When we got there, I could hear her, but I couldn't see her. Seeing this at the end of the check-in line was like seeing the light at the end of the tunnel...because left my jacket in the car and this meant I was about to get something cool to take back and would therefore have an excuse to go get said jacket. Light was starting to pour over the horizon by the time we were through. Jacket? Check! Lanyard? Check! Time to go ride Banshee! This path felt so long! And here we are... They themed the queue out the nose with this one. Gravestones in some of the off-to-the-side areas, it was incredibly foggy, and they shone these spotlights shaped like little Banshees around the floor erratically. And it was definitely worth the wait I spent in it, the drive down, the months upon months of waiting, all the speculation, all of the checking the webcam between classes, all of it. This has to be the best B&M ever manufactured. It's as smooth as the newer ones like Intimidator, SheiKra, and Wild Eagle, but just as intense as the older ones like Montu, Afterburn, and Alpengeist. It has a significant amount of B&M roar but it isn't as loud as other ones like Mantis and Kumba. The drop is a great way to start the ride and it really whips you around and into your seat. The dive loop is also great and you get some old B&M snap going into it before diving down over the new tent (which provides a fabulous view). The entry into the loop (where this was taken) is just as intense as the drop and it really caught me off guard, though most of the pained expression is due to wind chill and the unexpected force. The zero-g roll isn't as good as Raptor's or Montu's but it still snaps a bit and still acts as a nice transition into the lower half of the ride. And then the drop. That drop off of the zero-g is as good as a good B&M first drop and hurdling into that trench is incredible. There is a trim there but I didn't notice it at all. It makes no sound and I didn't feel the train slow down at all. I'm guessing that either A. it's there but somehow switched off and only comes on on really hot days or B. it's like the little fins on Skyrush where they're there just to make sure that the top speed it was designed with is the top speed it uses, keeps it from entering the intense element with a Vknot higher than it's supposed to be entered with. Whatever the situation with the trim, you hit the bottom and she lives up to her name, that roar is deafening from the train! And then you go into the batwing, not much snap there but it still provides a nice visual, and then WHOOSH!!! She slams into that batwing and you get plastered into your seat. I didn't grey out but I felt like I might, because that's by far the most intense point on the ride. I love the batwing, it's easily the best part of it. After that the loop is pretty standard, nothing incredibly intense but a loop-the-loop is a loop-the-loop. Then came the spiral element which provided some really nice visuals of The Bat and the valley behind the park. It was definitely more floaty B&M than forceful B&M but that isn't a bad thing at all. And then came the inline. If you watch the music video I made it looks like just a harmless cartwheel. WRONG!!!! Those forces transfer strangely and you really get shaken around in that open restraint, it's absolutely terrifying that high up. The following helix acts as the intense finale of a great ride, no matter which seat you're in it's incredibly forceful and also provides some nice visuals. And then you hit the brakes which is just that, hitting the brakes after a nice long ride and wishing it continued. But it's not a short ride by any means, you'll hit those brakes plenty satisfied! And after that we got donuts. FREE donuts. With a line longer than Banshee's. They served as many free breakfast pastries as you wanted with free hot chocolate. Honestly, it outdid the catering my school does for its classy events. The donuts were huge (and I love donuts, they're quick and tasty, perfect college breakfast) and they had plenty of kinds. They blew those accomodations out of the water. I WANTED to get back in line, but the line was long. That and Banshee at sunrise. The fog and the rising sun made for some beautiful visuals from The Chicken Shack. Round 2, here we go! *ding!* Me being artsy with my iPhone photos that I posted to Facebook to make all my friends jealous. View from the station stairs. The sunrise ride was amazing! I got the same row as I did the first time but it was still fun!That allowed you to see clearly that the ground below the batwing was really muddy and you were about to get thrown close to it. The bottom of the dive loop is a good photo op, I could see quite a lot of pictures taken here. Banshee compared to the rest of the park. Going down! Delirium swings somewhat close to the new dive loop...but I'm not a fan of the new paint job personally. It matches Action Zone, true, but something about it seems off to me. And I kept hearing people complaining about the noise it made for some reason. I've lived near this ride for eleven years and it never bothered me. On Location is now Coaster Connection and it's awesome. Love some of the new Banshee stuff. Wish they had Bat stuff, though. Some gravestones somewhat away from the ride. Not sure if these are there to bring the experience to the overflow queue space back there or just to provide some backdrop to the ride. :? No picture taken of this coaster that I've seen has done its size full justice. It's absolutely massive and pictures don't convey that well. The fog is always on on the sign even when the night fog is off. After that ride I settled down to go hear the speeches. While waiting around, I saw Robb Alvey from TPR walking around and talking to people. Somebody approached him and got one of the buttons he had promised the first 100 people, so I took that as a cue that he wasn't busy. I approached him, held up my lanyard with my TPR card on it, and greeted him. He asked me, "did you get your button?" I just shook my head, he gave it to me, I told him, "thank you, sir," and left him alone. I was pretty nervous to meet him not because I didn't think he'd like me, but because I was worried that my first impression would be me bothering him while he was busy with the media. Having done that right was a huge relief, I met him in person for the first time. And then Don told us a heartwarming story about how they had to decide between keeping two attractions or removing them to build something bigger, and the difficult decision that a landmark ride had to go to make way for Banshee...so they removed the go karts. Lots of people gathered around to hear the speakers. They all did a great job and I found it fascinating, but the best had to be the guy (I forget his name) who talked about the engineering behind Banshee that the park did with B&M. As somebody going to school to design roller coasters, if I had to watch just one speech it would have been that one. The way Banshee rides is like somebody took the first part of a coaster and cut it off at the top of an element, and then took another and cut it off at the top of the drop, and stuck them together. As said by one of the speakers, the elements at the bottom of that hill are massive, and they were absolutely right. This right here is why "there is only one Banshee." These guys probably just had a fun time. Through the batwing! Some of the cattlepen theming. I like Eiffel Tower in this one for some reason. Back to the station! Snap into the dive loop A not-so-zero-g-zero-g roll (Five hyphens? Dang!) that still provides some snap. This picture does an okay job of showing just how massive the lower elements are. As said by a speaker, they re-opened Banshee, and also opened Skyflyer, Delirium, and The Bat. Banshee looks absolutely massive from this spot. And it really looks nice with The Bat's colors. Yay, they kept the station! I slept in this station during a rainstorm! Banshee towers over a train full of Bat riders. Three different types of below-the-track coasters in this shot. Once the trees fill out, you won't be able to see Banshee from here. Don't you hate it when people hover over you while you're trying to eat? Chicken Shack time! What a phenomenal free meal! Their chicken tenders are now my favorite anywhere and I love the sauce they serve with it. Only thing I noticed was that it's very much like Chick-fil-A's chicken, and the park has a Chick-fil-A just on the other side of International Street. And the park's own take on Chick-fil-A was better than actual Chick-fil-A. Could this mean a decline in business for Planet Snoopy Chick-fil-A? I love the tent they built. They have the Celtic interlocked three ring symbol (don't know what it's called) in brick on the floor, and the ends of each one stick out of the tent and can be seen from Banshee's dive loop. THIS is a good Banshee twist! I tried a paid one back in August and it made me miserable to eat all that ice cream but this small one is great. Good ice cream, not enough to make you miserable. They cut back on the blue dye, too, I think. I said on Facebook that if my status got fifteen likes, I would consume an entire Banshee twist and then ride Banshee. It didn't get fifteen...but I did it anyway! And kept it down! Modeling my new Banshee hat! https://scontent-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-frc1/t1.0-9/1002534_824669624228733_3903184001647925613_n.jpg Through the loop... https://scontent-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-frc3/t1.0-9/r90/10268502_824669647562064_1305653254006178490_n.jpg ...AROUND THE LIFT!!!! https://fbcdn-sphotos-b-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-frc1/t1.0-9/10176208_824669660895396_2664562632594009351_n.jpg More gravestones in the path to the cattlepen. https://scontent-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-frc1/t1.0-9/r90/1511712_824669730895389_4183236408917233318_n.jpg In line for the front row! Front row, left seat, easily the best place to ride! Forces aren't as good as the back (but still way more aggressive than the middle), but the astounding visuals make up for it. https://fbcdn-sphotos-b-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/t1.0-9/10270394_824669827562046_4003138592729912117_n.jpg They put up this really cool staggered LCD display behind the cash registers that has a little animated Banshee logo on a loop. https://scontent-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-frc1/t1.0-9/1011636_824669847562044_6667015398553831141_n.jpg Went to go put my jacket and tat in the car and snapped this picture outside the park. https://scontent-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn2/t1.0-9/1623681_824669887562040_7029785325186140067_n.jpg Sooo, anything new for 2014? https://scontent-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-frc3/t1.0-9/1982332_824669934228702_7728790400934371602_n.jpg I love this banner, but that big blocky entrance building has GOT to go. Maybe in the next few years? I'd like to see this opened up. https://scontent-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-frc1/t1.0-9/1888441_824669994228696_2702788121804940133_n.jpg Coming back for more! https://scontent-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/t1.0-9/10170956_824670017562027_5010678620299831787_n.jpg The wait spiked to an hour so I went to go ride Bat again. https://scontent-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-frc1/t1.0-9/10246693_824670087562020_2569307838793142369_n.jpg Hello, Bat! https://scontent-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn2/t1.0-9/1510711_824670044228691_6093763639448082886_n.jpg On the way back I noticed that they didn't paint over this. In a few years it'll be really faded and it'll have people asking questions about the little air force stars on this concrete tunnel. Like the original Bat footers under Vortex. https://scontent-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn2/t1.0-9/10262222_824670177562011_2098327052903473253_n.jpg I can't get over how awesome this sign is... https://scontent-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-frc3/t1.0-9/10177333_824670207562008_4431116251230266556_n.jpg Track behind gravestones https://scontent-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn1/t1.0-9/r90/10246537_824670217562007_1997457316382667382_n.jpg Here's that Son of Beast memorial they built. There's an eternal flame at the top that was hard to photograph but it's there. https://fbcdn-sphotos-e-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-frc3/t1.0-9/10277792_824670260895336_6532528182729016724_n.jpg More artsy... https://scontent-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-frc1/t1.0-9/10247442_824670284228667_9074776927473974876_n.jpg Three years ago I got a picture at Cedar Point of their Winseeker framed by one of Raptor's loops. Couldn't do exactly that, but I did this. It counts, right? https://fbcdn-sphotos-b-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-frc1/t1.0-9/1897838_824670350895327_1449694805317394286_n.jpg Waiting over there should be fun. https://scontent-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-frc3/t1.0-9/1798003_824670664228629_4165190427188141277_n.jpg ZOOM!!!! https://scontent-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn1/t1.0-9/10269571_824670717561957_260718193802724580_n.jpg I was about to be in their position! https://fbcdn-sphotos-e-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-frc3/t1.0-9/1422598_824670750895287_296793468560570311_n.jpg I can't help but photograph it! https://scontent-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn2/t1.0-9/1502511_824670764228619_2940079762794134198_n.jpg Up, up, and into the dive loop! https://scontent-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-frc3/t1.0-9/1557479_824670780895284_4902356882178183368_n.jpg Taken from the station stairs. https://scontent-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn2/t1.0-9/10151176_824670807561948_5362705781030992856_n.jpg One more ride! https://scontent-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-frc3/t1.0-9/10153307_824670827561946_3431742025402533777_n.jpg I'd love to take a long exposure of this to get the train blowing the fog around... https://scontent-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-frc3/t1.0-9/10264427_824670837561945_6154295355048070593_n.jpg Diamond ring loop. https://scontent-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn2/t1.0-9/10289968_824670860895276_7895461375455733536_n.jpg Incoming! https://scontent-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-frc3/t1.0-9/10250286_824670900895272_5056317949685996155_n.jpg The trims weren't noticeable at all... https://scontent-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn1/t1.0-9/10247336_824670960895266_6079060230082606494_n.jpg Back up into the zero-g roll! https://scontent-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn1/t1.0-9/10174811_824671074228588_2232220123611323622_n.jpg Banshee dominates the valley. https://fbcdn-sphotos-f-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn2/t1.0-9/10150642_824671124228583_2817664146094483223_n.jpg They're about to have fun... https://scontent-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/t1.0-9/r270/1502511_824671154228580_6026063020101224986_n.jpg I don't even remember taking this but I love it! https://scontent-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn2/t1.0-9/1482869_824671177561911_7624792687287488450_n.jpg Load 'em up! https://scontent-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/t1.0-9/10174910_824671237561905_2643406305601187593_n.jpg She looks so menacing here... https://fbcdn-sphotos-g-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn2/t1.0-9/1939631_824671250895237_47082137754605272_n.jpg The closest I could get to the dive loop. https://scontent-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-frc3/t1.0-9/r90/10150729_824671320895230_6971590859090013912_n.jpg You'll see plenty of these awesome Banshee banners around the park this season. https://scontent-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn2/t1.0-9/1551479_824671297561899_9180762880091422564_n.jpg What a fun day! Kings Island really outdid themselves, both on Banshee and the event! I look forward to coming back here to ride this one for years to come, it's easily their new best ride, both for Kings Island and B&M. The food was good, the operations were great, and the free stuff they gave us was enough to make Oprah want to step up her game. So glad Kings Island did this, it's a day I'll never forget. I wish there was a way to thank the people who put it together personally. https://scontent-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn1/t1.0-9/r90/10254003_824671340895228_4968308067997990103_n.jpg Taken after finishing my afternoon classes. This included two compositional drawings for my Themes in Visual Culture class and an exam (that could drop if it was low) for chemistry...and I think I aced it! https://scontent-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/t1.0-9/10177279_824671360895226_982199657496927522_n.jpg Everything I got from left to right, top to bottom: *Banshee Media Day t-shirt- Free from check-in *Banshee park map: Free from gates *Banshee Lanyard and Tag: Free from gates *Banshee Hat: Bought for seventeen dollars at Banshee gift shop *Banshee On-Ride Photo of my first ride ever: Free from check-in, obtained from Banshee shop *Banshee Media Day Club TPR Button: Free, Robb from TPR gave them to us *Banshee Laser-Etched Paperweight: Free from check-in *Banshee Keyring: Bought for two dollars at Banshee gift shop RIDE TOTAL: Banshee x7 (once in front, once in back, once in row 4, twice in row 5, once in row 3, one in row 6) The Bat x2 (one in the middle, once in the back) Delirium x1 And the music video I made for this: Thanks for reading! Be sure to watch this forum for my Vegas trip reports in May!

Third train is running, but they are stacking all three trains routinely. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

It was awesome meeting all of you that I met today.

By the way:

I think they should of cut off Fast Lane today. How is it fair for them to keep getting shirts. Also its Fast Lane not Walk on lane which KI thinks it is. Sent from my DROID RAZR HD using Tapatalk

Indeed I was. I rode Banshee in the front row, went up the Eiffel Tower (and came down--else I'd still be up there), partook of a wee bit of food from Hank's back bar, and then skedaddled. It was a great day. One with great company, too.

I'm sure you were at the park today and only know names on here and no faces. My kids were all too excited about the ride. The love The Bat wing and experienced a first time rider for KI. It was well worth the 3 1/2 hour wait for us all. Here are my kids sporting their new Action Zone gear Sent from my iPhone using Taptalk

Oh, and my experience was awesome. First drop was great. All my blood was in my feet by the end. Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

Waiting to get in at 10am. Queue line was beginning to fill. Overview of the ride and you can see the mass of people that is the line. People trying to come in at 1pm. People trying to get through the parking tolls. This was the crowd as I was leaving at 1:15

Its worth the wait.

My wife said the line snakes its way all the way over near Diamondback (see what I just did?). I feel REALLY fortunate I got my rides in yesterday.

(this was taken when I was sitting down) The 3rd ride, taken in 6-2, happened to be the start of a 15-ride marathon. I don’t exactly remember the order, but I moved all over the train. I rode in 1-1 another time, along with a couple more in 1-2, 6-2, and 2-1. I also rode in 7-1, 7-2, 5-1, 3-1, and 2-2 as well. Looks like The Bat has a head start over Vortex, in terms of seasonal ride totals! On the 13th consecutive ride, it was my 60th ride ever on The Bat! Amy (faeriewench) was at the exit and she took a couple pictures of me on that special ride, which I spent in 2-1. On my last ride I saw a few more KICers (including malem) making their way up to the station, and I met them after my last ride. Devan (thedevariouseffect) was there too, along with a couple other members. We made our way back to Action Zone. I went to Delirium. When I was making my way to Seat 15 (my assigned seat) I ended up right next to Princess Sparkles, Beastie1980 and LoraX. We had a fun ride together. Princess Sparkles and I stayed on for the next cycle, which we enjoyed together. Call me crazy, but I stayed on AGAIN for a THIRD CYCLE! I found out 3 cycles in a row on Delirium was enough for me, as I did not feel the best when I walked off. The rides were still fun, though! (Before this, I did not know I could marathon Delirium! ) TurkishDelightBGW and I decided Banshee’s line was too long for me to take one last ride (we had to leave in about 10 minutes). Meanwhile, the folks at Ice Scream Zone were handing out free cones of Banshee Twist Ice Cream. I had one, and it was delicious! Next we checked out the Chicken Shack. To my surprise, the food and drinks they had there were free as well! We each had a plate of two chicken tenders, some fries, a piece of butter/garlic bread, and a small cup of dipping sauce for the fries and chicken. They were really good! I loved them! I definitely hope to eat there in the future (even though the food won’t be free then…). Finally, it was time to leave. I hope we can visit on Opening Day! (if we do, it will be during the evening hours, approx. 7-10pm) Thanks for reading! +Banshee: 2 +The Bat: 17 Overall: 62 +Delirium: 3 Overall: 16 Notes: -Sorry for not being very mobile-friendly...I take a lot of pictures! -As you can tell, I did a bit of continuous photography during this trip! -loved the fog, especially when it engulfs the sign! -Festhaus's back entrance has a new look -free refreshments! -Some other rides were testing, including Adventure Express, Vortex, and WindSeeker -The Bat’s line really shrank when I was riding it; in all honesty I never thought I would marathon it on Media Day! -it was my first Media Day, and it was amazing! -Thank you to Kings Island and everyone who helped put this event together! Mom's pics of the day: Getting ready for my first ride on Banshee! I'm the one with the penguin apparel. The first ride on Delirium. We (myself, Princess Sparkles, Beastie1980, LoraX, etc.) are seen on the upper right part of the circle.

About ready to head to the park now!

Here is the check!

I love the chicken from The Chicken Shack. It is delicious. The dipping sauce is oh so tasty with a tiny kick to it. It's a chipotle mayonnaise type dip. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I rode Banshee three times today. Although I personally would have liked to have ridden more, I was there with an acquaintance who, on the first try, couldn't fit in the test seat. I mean, it was really, really close - I'd say the seatbelt was a half centimeter too short. Anyway, he then proceeded to go through all five stages of grief (he had bought an ACE membership for the explicit purpose of going to Media Day) and we proceeded to eat a delicious lunch at the Chicken Shack, marathon The Bat a bit, and jog around the small section of the park that was open in the hopes of him losing enough weight to get that extra half centimeter. Apparently it worked, because when he tried the test seat again, he fit, albeit barely. The first thing he said when the train hit the brake run was "I like Diamondback better." (On a side note, that buttered bread bun roll thing [EDIT: apparently it's something called "Texas Toast," although I've never heard anything referred to as that before] that came with the complimentary meal at the Chicken Shack was possibly the most delicious thing I've ever eaten at an amusement park. I mean, that's some Dollywood-tier food right there.)

It is packed up here. This was the line to get in this morning. The Earth is the proper name of a planet, and thus should always be capitalized.

It was now time to head back to The Bat once again. It was one of the additional rides that were open, along with Xtreme Skyflyer and Delirium. Xtreme Skyflyer was giving free rides, but the line was already lengthy and, considering Skyflyers capacity, very slow moving. Although I have never been on it, I decided to pass. As I was heading through the tunnel, a bright orange and black train swooped by. I was overwhelmed with excitement. I was back, ready to ride it again! I found a line extending to the flight of stairs before the station. The wait was roughly 7-10 minutes. https://flic.kr/p/ncCJTy] End of Part 4 I got on in row 1-2, for my first ride of the day on The Bat. It was awesome like always! The line was down to about ¾ of its original length when the cycle finished, so I decided to ride again. The line for the front row was shorter so I rode there. It was very nice feeling a 51mph breeze in your face. It felt really good!

I agree. I might go as far as saying Banshee might be Kings Island's greatest ride ever! However I have yet to ride it. Sunday isn't far away though!

Another picture of the KIC group: Once I got to the top of the stairs, one of the attendants was looking for a single rider. I called out and said I was one. I was assigned to Row 7 for my first ride on Banshee, and that was how my wait time was cut short by a few minutes! I was on the dark blue train. I saw Matthew (malem) and the others in line for the front as Banshee took me away. I tried to wave to them but they weren’t looking my way. I liked the music on the lift hill, followed by the scream at the top. I was afraid it would get a little annoying after hearing it over 10 times while waiting, but I actually LIKED it! I liked it, even with the repetition. Since Row 7 was just one from the back, I got pulled over the top and through the inversions, all throughout the ride. I absolutely LOVED the last inversion because the train goes through slow enough to make you “fall” out of your seat a little. It was a really cool ride! I used my complimentary ride photo voucher to purchase the photo of my first ride, and then I exited and saw jcgoble3, MrsNoChickens, and IndyGuy4KI. Jonathan (jcgoble3) was holding Amy’s (faeriewench’s) camera bag. We talked for a few minutes before heading back to The Bat. It was closed at the moment, but I got quite an eyeful of the new colors. They looked AMAZING! I couldn’t wait to ride it. While we were walking back to Banshee’s entrance, I saw Delirium testing. It had a very similar orange to that of The Bat, and it had some white and red near the base of the swinging arm. ohiocolts and Fire-Beast-OF FEAR were by the dive loop. We talked about a variety of things including what we liked about Banshee, what rides we couldn’t wait to ride soon, and ideas for the next Off Season Photo Contest. In the meantime, I got some more shots: Part 3 in next post

I had 16 wonderful rides on Banshee. There is not a bad seat on the entire ride. I have to say row 1 middle 2 seats are excellent. The view of looking up and seeing the track and looking down seeing the ground quickly approaching is incredibly cool. The textured lighting at night is much better than I hoped it would be. I expected this ride to be great. It far exceeds my expectation. The theming is breathtaking. I don't know if I can pick one element out as "best". It's almost as if each seat highlights a different turn or loop. It's a whole new feel in each seat. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Don said with donations they got tonight grand total was $103,000 which tops Diamondback by $1,000 The Earth is the proper name of a planet, and thus should always be capitalized.

Awesome Bat Video...the song though, while good...I had a misheard lyric on...yeah I kinda know, there is a topic for this but... Actual Lyrics: "I'm Stuck in a Coma" I Initially Heard: "I suck at Vekoma"

I'm so excited after reading so many positive posts about Banshee that I can't wait to get to the park tomorrow! I have a meeting in the morning, but might have to use the old... " I feel like I'm getting a sore throat in my knee cap, I really need to see a Bansh.... doctor! "

And Mr. Ouimet has shown him what can be accomplished by spending nickels instead of hoarding them. Sent from my Samsung Galaxy S3 using Tapatalk

I wonder how Mr. Richard Kinzel will sleep tonight. He, too, should be happy. His pension is in capable hands!

They will all sleep with achievement, honor, satisfaction, and comfort!

Just imagine how well Greg Scheid, Don Helbig, Russell Flatt and so many others are going to sleep tonight! And yet, tomorrow's the season opener!

On an unrelated note, why is it that a small Indiana park can build a fully functional mobile website, but a park with the resources that KI has can't? Back on topic, I wonder if they're getting a discount on this due to the issues they had with the previous ride. I also wonder how it will compare to the Intamin ship at KI. I know that one opened in the 80s, and a lot has changed since then. Sent from my Samsung Galaxy S3 using Tapatalk

With a minimum charge of two hours. Okay onto my experience. Got to the park ~4:15 and waited for the gate to the parking lot to open. Registered and received our treats...a Media Day t-shirt, a glass paper weight with a Banshee print encased, the lanyard, and the card to receive a complimentary ride photo. Waited in line to enter the park (who here goes to Muskingum University...?). Walked over to Banshee, made it on the ~3rd train of "regular" people. Front row at 6 in the morning with the temperature hovering around 32 degrees is unique, wonderful, slightly painful experience. I was in awe the entire ride and couldn't keep track of where we were. I was absolutely BLOWN AWAY by Kings Island on this. The ride and area is beautiful in every way. The station looks great. The sign is AMAZING. Also....the lighting package!! Holy crap. I was stunned. I LOVED seeing how much was put into this between the sign, station, fog, lighting, tombstones, fencing, landscaping, just everything! Never in my wildest dreams did I anticipate Kings Island taking the theming and experience to this level. Really makes me excited for the future. I next rode in row 4 or 5, and there was a lot more rattling here. Slightly uncomfortable. I wasn't the only one who noticed this; others I talked to did too. My third ride was in row 8, right side. Later on, row 8, left side. THIS is my favorite seat. You just get yanked down and around that first drop. It's rare for me to get "that feeling" in my stomach anymore; Banshee's first drop does it for me, especially in row 8, left side. The pacing of the ride is unbelievable. Once you start, you don't stop until the brake run. There is NO time between elements. It's drop into inversion into inversion into drop into inversion into inversion into inversion into helix into inline twist to the brake run. The back half of the ride in incredibly forceful, especially in the back of the train. The blood starts going to your legs and keeps going due to the forces and how quickly you go from one thing to the next. Th first drop in the back row and the final inline twist are my two favorite parts. If you haven't ridden, you're in for an amazing experience. If you haven't seen the ride while dark, you're in for a real treat. Prepare to be speechless!

Oh, I know where at least one is, O'Terpy said gravely.

Yes, it was very good to see you guys today after the incredibly long and harsh winter! I love seeing the smiles on the faces of fellow coaster enthusiasts!

I'll be there Sunday morning...can't wait! Looks like the reviews are making it out to be what I thought it would be, and more! Arguably the best invert in the world! The theming looks like nothing coaster wise that Cedar Fair has EVER done before.