Leaderboard

Now that Scream Like a Banshee is complete, I'm excited to announce that my next project will be an in-depth documentary about this giant noodle.

"Sorry folks! Parks closed! The moose out front should have told ya..."

Stop it! Posting bogus information like this forces the park to field unnecessary calls, emails, Facebook and Twitter messages.

So, I rode Banshee for the first time yesterday and it was pretty awesome! I especially love how fast it goes! I got four rides yesterday and each ride was different (which was a good thing!). First ride was on the right edge seat and was, as I put it on Twitter, "crazy awesome". The second ride was actually a bit better as my restraint seemed looser (I was in row 4 for the second ride, don't remember what row for the first one). The third ride was my first night ride on Banshee (I was in the 2nd row, same seat as first ride) and that was cool. The ride definitely felt faster and the lights were cool. The fourth ride was also in row 2, but on an inside seat, and that was great not just because of the fireworks, but because I always wanted to ride on an inside seat and finally got to (and the experience seemed different as a result)! Some other cool things about Banshee were that for the last 2 rides, I got to ride in the turquoise train (ride ops called it green), which I've wanted to ride in, and probably my favorite inversion is the barrel roll at the end. It reminded me of the time I went to Kings Dominion and rode Volcano. The barrel roll can be most felt by sitting on the outer seats. So, yes, Banshee is amazing and did indeed dethrone Invertigo as my favorite roller coaster at KI.

I know trains were stacking pretty bad around 5pm... and that was with GM Greg on deck. The crew were even taking time to buckle the belts of empty seats. That isn't even done on Beast. I asked Gary Coleman about the belts before I rode and he said "It's a bummer". He was on ride 10172.

^I can see it now: "Italian Sausage Job."

Son of Beasts eternal flame burned out pretty quick. Noticed it wasn't lit today.

I rode Banshee for the first time yesterday. It is an awesome coaster that just never lets up! That drop is so much more steeper than it looks. The dive loop and loop are smooth and graceful with a tiny hint of snap on them. The Zero-G Roll is just awesome. The Batwing is graceful and goes so fast down their and the blood was rushing to my feet. The loop was just fast and insane. The turn I actually had a little bit of tunnel vision on. The inline roll is just awesome with that Falling out feeling with airtime. The helix was intense and I also had tunnel vision their. Then the brake run came and I was like this is an amazing ride. If I were to rate this out of ten I would rate it 9.7/10!

Rode Diamondback today and the seatbelts are really slowing the crew down. Waited 2 hours for almost a few queue. That line used to be 90 minutes at the most.

You can see the gas line if you look behind the monument. Someone in another thread said WindSeeker was closed tonight for high winds. Maybe they turn off the fire for that too.

"I need to go to the bathroom" - Guest 4562 in X-Base

I have to be honest.... I didn't read this thread earlier because I was like, "WTF are they talking about? I am just going to leave that one alone." Then I seen it tonight as I want on break, and was like "ooooooh, THAT noodle."

I'm not paying that much for Chicken Shack 1!

Except B&M hyper coasters have existed for 15 years and have had 0 ejections. It feels more like a knee-jerk reaction to the public's reaction over the New Texas Giant incident more than anything else.

In our hearts?

For starters this will be a fairly shorter TR with no pictures, and i'm only doing this because of the rarity of said events. This will be mostly riding rides with my little nephews but I did mange to go ride some bigger rides of my own and man am I glad I did! We got at the park right around 4:30pm. Boo's Blaster on Boo's Hill: Rode this first as soon as we got to the park, this ride was rather upsetting and boring... Their was like a total of 3 moving things working the whole ride, everything else was not working. This made me actually rather upset. ♫Shake Rattle & Roll♫: My nephew is tall enough this year to ride any 44in rides and he rode Shake Rattle and Roll with me. He liked it at first, kind of got scared, then liked it at the very end. Needless to say he would probably ride it again with me. Larosa's pizza: This is the one right in-between BLSC and The Beast, we have the year long dining plan and got 2 slices of cheese pizza and 2 bread sticks with it. The pizza wasn't very warm, but it tasted good none the less! We were gonna ride BLSC afterwards but it was still in the process of opening up. Diamondback: Waited about 8min in line for it, the lady right behind me was talking about it and said their is seat belts on it now... This actually really depressed me then and I thought this would kind of ruin the ride. Now I get to where I see the station, (this is part 1 of the surprise!) I seen Greg Scheid! I wanted to say something to him so bad, but him being in the station and me just stopping in the station, would be kind of rude... (he was over on the exit side too) I seen him talking to someone and I couldn't believe who it was! I had to take a double look! It was Matt Ouimet! Really wanted to talk to him but he was standing right outside the exit and that also would of been kind of rude due to location. As according to CF biography on him, he is 55 years old. Well let me tell you this, he looks in really great shape and very energetic! Him and Greg Scheid were in casual everyday clothes and only an enthusiast, would of noticed either one of them. But this really tickled me and made my day! Especially since I've never seen Matt in person! Still have never gotten the chance to talk to either of them too... So I get on the ride now all excited, still sadden by the seat belt part though... Found out thought the seat belt has no/little effect on airtime so I was happy about that ride was also smooth, like always! So we roll back into the station and I see Greg and Matt are still their (part 2 of surprise!). I was trying to think of any possible outcome of getting a chance to talk to one or both of them, but nothing came to mind that wouldn't of been rude or something. Well Matt is standing their and then he yells something like "come on!" Little did I know but I was riding DB with Matt's family! At first I was like okay that confirms it wasn't him but i keep thinking over and over again, that first, who would come up threw the exit and stand and talk to Greg threw several ride cycles? secondly, how many people look like Matt Ouimet and visit KI? After I finally came to that conclusion, that I just rode with some of Matt's family on DB! This is like the most exciting thing that has ever happened to me! I wanted to go hunt him down and say something so bad, but ounce his family got off they ran literately ran off. ( I was riding in row 10) Planet Snoopy: After this I went and rode some rides with my nephews in Planet Snoopy. Took my one nephew for the first time on Surf Dog and he loved it! they were having a blast and had a great time! This also made my day even better as they were having fun and had a smile on their face! The Beast: Loved The Beast like always and sat towards the back. I kind of wished/hoping they would of gave the ride something special for being 35 years old, but didn't see anything... BLSC: It was now open and I went and rode it and all the police lights were working, the helicopter scene was working like it does any other day, second row on this. Why oh why!: Apparently my brother a nd my nephews thought it would be a great idea to ride "Race for Your Life Charlie Brown"... Well they all rode it one time before it got over their (just got off BLSC and headed all the way back to kiddie land...), and they barely got wet. Well this ride was FULL of water! Like if it was much higher it would of been flooding over. The water also seemed to be moving much faster than normal. So we go up the first hill and everything was fine until we hit that wall of water right before the second hill and well got pretty good and wet... Also would be worth noting it was only 65 deg outside... now were going up the final hill and when we hit the water, I WAS SOAKED! Like I probably would of stayed dry better on White Water Canyon! After that my nephew wanted to ride "Flying Ace Ariel Chase", in the front seat... we did so and man was that chilly! then rode "Boo's Blaster's on Boo's Hill" one last time and all effects were working and then after that we were tired,cold and wet and went home. Overall: It was a great visit to the park, even although I only rode 3 "big" rides. But the surprise at DB really helped make my day! Also was nice to see my nephews happy!

...or 10 hours. Terp, who once arrived at a very empty Kings Dominion, about 15 years ago. Closed. To ALL.

Every time my dad and I go to KI (he's a truck driver who lives in Indy so not very often) my dad will tell me about when Beast opened and they had the paw prints on the pavement extending all the way to the park entrance for its queue. It's my favorite and always will be, especially at night, and in no other seat but the front. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thank you BB1. Just a brief report. With the park opening late, I was hoping for light crowds which is exactly what we got! It was another awesome trip. It's been such a great way to shake off the off season by having a lot of rides in pretty quickly to kick off the 2014 season. This is technically my 5th time in the park since opening day. Media Day, Scream For A Kid Again (same day, completely separate event several hours apart), opening day, Easter and today. Every new season should start this way! We (the chickens, UnrealNightmare and I) arrived at the park we headed to Banshee. This ride is wonderful and beautiful from every angle. I wondered who all would be at Kings Island today. First person was Manis Man and his wife in line for Banshee. They walked with us to Diamondback. On the way we stopped and took a pic of the orange noodle. I had it set in my head it would be between Royal Fountain and the Eiffel Tower, but it's not. It faces Planet Snoopy. We go to Diamondback and they have installed the seatbelts. My Glamor Shot model Zach demonstrating how long the seatbelts are. Just to help a bit, when getting buckled in properly, the belt needs to go like this: (Thank you random kid who thought I was weird for taking the pic but said ok.) The belts do night tighten up. They are stretchy and retract. Aside from taking more time to get secured in the seat, I did not notice any change in airtime or thrill of the ride. The belts are at least 3 feet long if pulled out completely. Malem and JCGoble were in the park and we met up with them at the exit of The Bat. Dee and I are determined to get them warmed up to hugs. However, these are hilariously awkward: We were able to get a free sample of the funnel cake with maple and bacon. Dee and I loved it, some felt it was too sweet. The longest line in the park was at Starbucks. We waited and watched people. So happy they made the trip down to hang out with us! Thank you for bringing me a jacket! I think I have lost track of the rides I have rode this season already. Tonight I was very happy to get to ride Firehawk. It's one ride I really won't wait too long to ride. Very happy Zach and I got front row on it since I've never rode front row. Also had two rides on FoF. Beast twice, Diamondback twice, Racer once, Adventure Express twice - thanks to Skylar for suggesting a night ride on it. I forgot how great that ride is at night, plus it was great seeing the textured lighting on Banshee. Final ride of the night was Banshee at night. It's pretty sweet seeing the fireworks upside down. We also ran into Duncan and Matt (I forget your name on here) he will hopefully post his experience on Banshee - he's super excited about it! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Youngstud wouldn't say anything, because his foot would be stuck too far down his throat. After finally getting the coveted night ride experience, I honestly find it as enjoyable as Maverick, but for different reasons.

Looks like the costuming for Peanuts Party changes yearly https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10152104537376723&substory_index=0&id=77137151722 Sent from my iPod touch using Tapatalk

Speaking of test seats, I was surprised to see that Delirium's test seat got painted as well. That's a detail that I think would be VERY easy to overlook (and go unnoticed by the general public) I can't praise Delirium's new paint enough. It makes my favorite flat ride at Kings Island as enjoyable to look at as it is to ride.

I love Diamondback. I was not happy about the possibility of the seatbelts. This rumor was the main reason we made a trip on Easter before they installed them. I was expecting them before the season started so I am happy I got a final ride before they were installed. I think I have mentioned it, but I am okay with the seatbelts. I love the airtime on it. The seatbelts did not change the airtime at all they are really something you do not feel like it's restricting or confining you. I think I had it set in my head it would end up tightening up during the ride like what a car seatbelt does, but it does not do that at all. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

It was. I drove down to Carowinds. It was a different time.

For the record I'd consider doing so too, but admittedly most patrons aren't like you and me. The Interpreter mentioned in a post some time back that bags of corn would come back if sent out on the Diamondback course because of the way the seats are angled. If there's one company I trust with my safety it's B&M. Their track record speaks for itself. I still believe that this seat belt is here for entirely unnecessary purposes. On the surface it looks like the seat belt does something to aid safety, but it's just an illusion - the placebo effect if you will. The primary restraint on any vehicle you're riding in, whether it's a roller coaster or a car, will typically have a far more significant effect on your safety than any secondary safety measures. Seat belts in your car are the primary restraint mechanism in your car. That's also the reason why all of the government ad slogans tell you to buckle your safety belt in some capacity ("click it or ticket", etc.). Seat belt usage saves more lives than any other safety related device in cars, and very few refute this. The primary restraint on Diamondback is the clamshell restraint/reclining angle of the seat combination. The restraints themselves have primary and secondary mechanisms to prevent failure. Millions of riders have ridden on B&M hypers without incident with no seat belts. We're well past the point statistically where that result would be considered insignificant. I spent a several hours researching seat belt statistics before posting this just to see what I'd find. I also decided to take a look at the incidents where riders were ejected on Intamin hyper coasters. From what I can gather the first incident, at Darien Lake in 1999, prompted the installation of seat belts on the other Intamin megas including the mirror clone at Six Flags America and the coasters that opened up the next year, Superman: Ride of Steel (now Bizarro at Six Flags New England) and Millennium Force. Another rider was ejected in 2004 on Superman (now Bizarro) at Six Flags New England. The accident report issued by the Massachusetts Department of Public Safety had several interesting quotes, two of which I'll quote below: The ride report is worth reading and you can read a reprint of it below: http://www.rideaccidents.com/2004.html#may7a Bottom line - if you think that seat belts might help keep you in a coaster train - if the primary means of restraint aren't where they're supposed to be on some rides with appreciable airtime - it might be presumptuous at best. The primary restraint (lap bar, clamshell, whatever) needs to be in proper position to avoid any issues. There's a reason why coaster designers generally don't use seat belts as the only means of restraint.

A cliffhanger? How fitting.

April 25, 2014: Post Workweek Stress Relief Arrived at the park just after 6:30pm. Coming from Amelia, I'd say that I made pretty decent time, being that I left the office at 6:00pm. Met up with Brian5475E and took the first ride of the night on Banshee in Row 8. I've said it before and I'll say it again, the back is the best on Banshee...the forces, the speed, just pure awesomeness. Waited 20 minutes for this first ride. On my way up to the park, I learned from one of my friends on Facebook that Diamondback now has seatbelts. With this in mind, me and Brian headed over and got a ride in on Row 1, which was a 20 minute wait. This was probably the first time that I have put my hands up on this ride, the other 108 times I always held onto the lapbar. Still got a decent amount of airtime for the belt being there. Hell, I hardly even noticed it. After this was a quick trip on Vortex in 5-1...love the ride but it was rougher than I recall. 1 train wait for 5-1 on Vortex. The rest of the night consisted of Banshee. 2 more rides this evening with waits 25 minutes or less- one in Row 2 and one in Row 8 (both night rides) Perfect end to a stressful workweek! TODAY'S RIDE TOTALS: Banshee (3), Diamondback (1), Vortex (1)

You have won the award for the best toilets in the country...

Park calendar: https://www.visitkingsisland.com/hours-directions/kings-island Hopefully we won't get a post this year from someone who drove 4 hours just to find this out. </PSA>

A few years ago I had my iPod in my back pocket...being my young careless self, I didn't realize it could fly out of my back pocket. Luckily it wasn't till closer to the end and the kid behind me caught it. Learned my lesson after that...

My friend is playing Sally Brown this year! Guess I'll be going to Planet Snoopy for more than just getting to Diamondback.

The flame was back on this morning. It was out by 1, if not sooner. I think the wind likes to blow it out...

And it's quite the night ride experience. Great ride--night and day.

Looks like the train is closed for some digging.. They have a back hoe on the tracks by the Crypt building right now.

While I am not a fan, it really doesn't change the ride experience, other than the psychological. It will almost certainly have a small impact on capacity, even after most get used to it. There are always going to be new riders, twisted belts, crew stopping to fasten empty seats, etc. I understand the reasoning though, and it is what it is.

Indeed, another great day in the park. The ride on Banshee with fireworks was great. Always fun to hangout with KIC'ers in the park,#longlivethenoodle.#Jonathan. lol

I wonder what Youngstud would have to say about Banshee.

I have had 25 rides now on Banshee. I still love front row middle two seats and row 8 right side. The crew really has done an amazing job. They have had trains stack a few times, but I know several times have not been due to the crew hustling. Slow moving people, protein spills (so thankful I don't have to clean up and so happy I've not seen one up close!) line moves very quickly. The crew is really doing a great job. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Yes, as LoraX said, Banshee was amazing and I'm glad I got 4 rides on it last night/yesterday! I'll post more info in the Your Banshee Experience thread. EDIT: It was also great meeting up with fellow KICers for the 2nd half of my day!

I don't think it's in Kings Island's best interest to say anything about this situation publicly. They could position it positively as a "this is just for extra safety" statement, but I really don't see the value in opening themselves up to questions about any of their previous safety policies. It's Pandora's box waiting to be opened. I believe Diamondback will be giving its 10 millionth ride sometime this season. B&M hypers have probably given - conservatively - at least 100 million rides worldwide. To silver2005's point earlier, how many incidents involving the failure of restraints have we seen on B&M hypers? Zero. Anyone who has ever seen the inner workings of a B&M restraint knows that the odds of any of their restraints failing is so close to zero it may as well be zero. I'm sure B&M's safety record is a big reason why Cedar Fair continues to go to them to design their coasters. This is just an educated opinion, but I don't believe the seatbelts on Diamondback are primarily there for safety reasons, even though that's that reason most people buy in to. I believe the belts are there to simply make sure that the rider - specifically those with larger lower body proportions - fits in the seat. If the belt doesn't buckle then there's no need to deal with the primary restraint. Would anyone here ride Diamondback with the restraint up with the seat belt only restraining you? Probably not right? Just food for thought for those of you who believe that seat belt only would somehow be an effective way to restrain you in the VERY unlikely event of a restraint problem.

I, for one, am glad that they installed the seat belts. Finally, my wife and I can enjoy the Diamondback experience without that uncomfortable floating sensation.

Then I seen Skyler today, and JCGOBLE walking towards DB through Planet Snoopy while I was watching the kids. I got one picture of my 5 year old with the Noodle, my three year old dashed for Mama who was heading for Starbucks right before I snapped the picture! The Noodle was a big hit today, seen several folks posing for pictures with it. Brats and Mac n Chz tomorrow for lunch! Yummy...

I wondered how long it would be for the effects of Banshee/ Banshee queue to be "left off".

Rides I rode at Kings Island on 4/25/14: 1. Banshee- 1x 2. The Beast- 1x 3. Vortex- 1x 4. Diamondback- 1x 5. Firehawk- 1x (at night) 6. Adventure Express- 1x (at night) 7. The Bat-1x (at night) 8. Delirium- 1x (at night)

^^We don't have a RIGHT to know anything. If the park chooses to reveal such information to us, it would be a privilege. I don't think they will, and that's their right. All we know is, Diamondback has seatbelts, and I think it's a safe assumption that they aren't going anywhere. Then again, two seasons ago, I would have assumed that the seatbelts on Backlot Stunt Coaster and (what was then) Flight Deck were here to stay as well.

It doesn't feel like 2:40, but maybe because there's so much going on during the ride and babies are being born somewhere. As long as they ain't being born on the very train I'm ridiing, good luck to' 'em.

People complain All that needs said lol

Maybe mechanic12 can't find the entrance to Drop Tower.