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My mom and I arrived at the park around 9:30 and made it back to Maverick in time for one early entry ride and rode in the back. My mom saw one of her high school friends and her 2 younger kids. They hadn't actually seen each other in person for a very long time and they had fun catching up, and her 7th grade son is a major enthusiast. He was so funny! Then the line just started to fill up but we managed to get on it again, this time in the front, with only a 5 minute wait. But as soon we we left, a lot of the main queue building had already started to fill up. We were glad to get our Maverick rides in when we did, since we hate waiting in that line. We headed over Mean Streak and waited a couple minutes for the front and had the smoothest ride I ever have on it. The layout's still as boring as ever, but it was actually pretty enjoyable. Dragster was next, and we waited or the front row which came out to be about a 45 minute wait in total. It was so nice to get back on it and to just hear and see it running. Coastermania was so strange without it. After this was the longest wait of the day, in total an hour and a half for the front row on Millennium. It was fun and worth it, but we were surprised by the line. It seemed to move very slow, much slower than usual even though it was running 3 trains. It was around 2:30 and we got lunch at Panda Express. Talking to one of the workers there, she said how it has been a rough day and that there were lots of rude guests, so we made sure to be extra nice. I don't get why people feel the need to act that way, and I felt bad for the employees. And let's just say that throughout the day, we have our fair share of interesting guest experiences (More to come about that later). We just sat for a while and just relaxed. With platinum passes, I love how you never feel rushed and can take your time. It was fun people watching and enjoying the park's atmosphere. Then we decided to take a jaunt through the Frontier Trail. We stopped for about 20 minutes at the Barnyard. I still love this little surprise addition for this year. No matter what day we go or what time of day it's always so much busier than it used to be, and it's great seeing all the families with little kids who are smiling and laughing. Even though it's not a ride, I love Barnyard so much. Then we stopped and watched Snake River Falls for a little bit. It was fun watching both the riders and the people standing on the bridge. If it was hotter I would've gone on. I want to get on the water rides at least once this year but at the time I didn't feel like getting wet, but I'm sure later in the summer I'll have a better opportunity to go on. We decided to ride Mine Ride when we walked by, and we actually had to wait about 15-20 minutes and went on the front row. A couple little kids in front of us were funny, since one of them was very serious that Mine Ride's station used to be a house and that it was turned into a roller coaster. He couldn't be convinced any other way. It was so cute. We noticed that SlingShot had been testing earlier with dummies, but while in Mine Ride's station, we saw people on it. We wondered if it could have opened already, but Jason tweeted that it wouldn't open until hopefully Tuesday. So after a fun ride on MR, we went over to SlingShot where there was a pretty decent crowd standing around. Employees were testing it and it was so much fun to watch. It was hilarious listening to the onlookers' reactions whenever the ride launched. People are just mesmerized by this ride, and even though it will be expensive (a worker told us it will be $25 to ride and $20 to buy the on-ride video) I will definitely try it. I really love the color scheme once seeing it in person. While watching it, we met Alex from MyOwnCP. He's really nice and it was fun meeting him. Rude guest incident: a group of middle school ages kids were sitting around the new planters near the Gemini restrooms. After they left, we saw that hid ripped a lot of the flowers and were drawing and writing inappropriate things on the planters. There were 2 sweeps that came and they were frustrated. So after watching SlingShot test for a while, we rode Magnum. In the ejector seat. It was painful, but fun. Then we went on Dragster again and waited about 20 minutes for the back row. While in line a kid around my age noticed the Banshee shirt I was wearing and said he works in the Diamondback shop at Kings Island. He says he actually doesn't like working at the park and doesn't like The Beast. Oh well. It was his first time on Dragster so he was looking forward to it. We waited about 5 minutes for Power Tower drop and faced the lake. Arms out and legs out is the best way to ride. We then decided to go back on Dragster again, but the line had lengthened a little bit. We wanted to ride in the front again and waited about 30-40 minutes. We headed up toward the front of the park and went on Cedar Downs (I won!). Then we waited about 5 minutes for the front row on Raptor. I was looking forward to going on it after riding Banshee, and I have to say, Banshee is better. Raptor is still fun and is intense, but I love how re-ridable and overall just more enjoyable Banshee is. Since we were right by it, we decided to get a quick ride on Blue Streak. Only waited a couple minutes, sat in a middle seat, and had an incredibly smooth and fun ride. Next was Gatekeeper and we rode the back left after about a 15 minute wait. I got a good look at the new structure that supposedly might be for a new haunt. The steel framework is up, and it definitely looks big enough to house a new haunted house. I got a picture from outside the ride. After Gatekeeper was Wicked Twister, and we rode in the 2nd to back seat after 1 ride cycle. It was as enjoyable as ever. By this time it was almost 8:30 and I decided I wanted to ride Dragster again and then finish off with Millennium. We went to Dragster, only to discover it was closed due to mechanical reasons. We decided to wait around for a little while. Eventually it ran an empty train and it had a rollback. After seeing this, most of the general public became freaked out and left the line that was forming outside the entrance. Then a few other people were concerned that "the ride was leaking" after seeing the water used to cool the ride dripping down from the track. Another kid said "the ride is peeing!" which was pretty funny. Then there were some kids who were karate chopping and ripping out parts of the small bushes near the ride's entrance, which was annoying and disrespectful. Eventually there were only a handful of people left and I was in the front of the line. My mom has a broken toe so decided to wait on the benches across from the entrance. At one point the ride host offered his stool to anyone who wanted it, and the people around me knew I had been waiting there the longest and was first in line, so they all told me I could have it. So at least these people were nice. I got to talking about Banshee with a guy and he said he went on Opening Day, and he said is was such a big mistake. He didn't even end up riding Banshee due to its line so he and his son plan on going back in the fall. We also started talking about Coastermania along with the ride host. I then explained to a man and 2 teenagers behind me what Coastermania was after they asked. It was actually pretty fun just sitting outside the entrance talking with the ride host and some of the other guests. The ride host, Plamen, was hilarious and was really nice. He joked around that we needed some firewood, s'mores, and a guitar while we waited, and made lots of other fun jokes and interacted great with all the guests, despite the tons of times he had to explain to guests approaching the entrance that the ride was down. He's great at his job. Then one of our other favorite Dragster (and all time favorite) ride ops, Ashli, came over and we talked with her for a little bit too. I also found out that there was Magnum ERT that night, which surprisingly I didn't even know about. That was fun to learn about. Then about 5 minutes til 10, Plamen got a call that the ride would unfortunately not reopen. He thanked everyone for waiting around, and then my mom and I quickly headed to Millennium. We managed to get past the Luminosity mob and thanks to the 8 minute grace period, got in line in time. There were only 7 people behind us by the time the line was closed, so we had high hopes of getting on the last train of the night. Then when we were about halfway up the ramp, a woman came walking right on past everyone saying she was trying to get to her family. I can't stand people who do this, and try to cut everyone to reach family or friends who have previously been waiting in line. Even if she was telling the truth, it's still annoying. Then something very strange happened when we were almost to the top of the ramp. A woman came barreling through, furious, along with several other people. We were thinking that this is just ridiculous, with all these people cutting us, but this time there was an employee following them. As the lady in front walked past us, she kept saying how a man left his 7 year old kid with her and her family and they had him all day. She said she saw him run onto this ride. Well, several minutes later when we were almost to the unload station, we hear someone screaming as soon as a train pulled through the brake run. The lady was standing below on the exit ramp yelling up to the train that had just come back. She was screaming and swearing at the top of her lungs, meanwhile everyone on that train just looked confused. Everyone around us waiting in line peered over to see and listen to what was happening. Basically the lady was calling the guy on the train out for leaving his young kid with her and telling him what an effing this and effing that he was. I have to assume that there's more to this story than what happened. Maybe could this man be an ex boyfriend or ex husband? They seemed like they knew each other, but who knows. Also, for the lady screaming up at the man, don't you think she would not have wanted to make such a huge deal of it in front of everyone, especially little kids were in line and on that train? Apparently she just wanted to make it an even bigger issue, and was perfectly alright with swearing at the top of her lungs around all the kids. Classy. So classy. Such a great way to relieve a situation. So then after the guy got off the ride, everyone around us in line starting booing him and taunting him as he walked by, which made him even more mad. I just stayed out of it and didn't say anything. Who knows what the circumstances were and I was not going to partake in behavior like that. So anyways, once in the station they announced there would only be 2 more trains, and we were in the 2nd to the last row on the last train of the night! I love getting on the final train. It's so cool knowing you're the last people to ride that ride for that day. By then it was 10:30 so we quickly went to Magnum for the ride night. We ended up getting in 2 great rides. We could have got more since at 11:10 when we walked by, they were still letting passholders in but we were tired, hungry, and had an hour and a half drive back home. Just outside the main entrance was the family who had the issue with the man abandoning his kid with them. I still don't know the whole story, but based on what I heard when I left, the man had an older son with him and the 2 of them wanted to go on all the big rides, so they left his 7 year old with that family. Like I mentioned earlier, I just don't see that he would leave his kid with a random stranger all day, and if he did, why didn't that family contact security or other employees? It just sounds fishy to me. It also sounded like the police had been involved, and the lady, surrounded by her own young kids, starting saying how the man kept saying "effing this and effing that right in front of the police officer." Again, this woman is not censoring this in front of these young kids. So this whole situation was just very very strange. That's a horrible thing to leave your kid with someone else, but I feel like there's definitely a back story behind it. Then the lady used this opportunity to completely call out the man, paying no regard to her foul language around all the other guests. So personally, I think the lady is no better than the man but I'll hold all firm judgments since I don't have enough information to do so. Then on our way out to our car, we saw this written in large letter with chalk: "Don't park my cars butt!" What???????? Just something else to add to the strange things that day. And on the causeway, there was a car pulled over by 2 police cars and it looked like the car was being searched. The day was so much fun and was a blast, but between strange occurences, and a whole day full of rude guests, it was just very odd. But thankfully we met lots of great staff and patrons too, and did talk to a bunch of friendly people around in lines throughout the day. Plus I have to give honorable mentions to Jasper of Maverick, Ashli of Dragster, and Plamen of Dragster. Best 3 employees of the park this year, at least as far as I've seen and have gotten to know. And in total, we got in 18 rides which is pretty good considering it was fairly busy and we took our time throughout the day. It was great to get to the park one last time before out vacation!

Most annoying spiel: "As a reminder, the park closes in about 2 hours, 25 minutes." For some, KI is their vacation. Reminding them that they're on the tale end does nothing for them. Can you imagine going to Florida and having the guy at the reception desk remind you, "your vacation is over in 2 days?"

Would be some great people watchin'...if one could find a safe place to do so.

Oh my: http://www.lex18.com/news/changes-coming-to-state-fair-kentucky-kingdom http://www.lanereport.com/33906/2014/06/kentucky-state-fair/ $9.95 additional to add Kentucky Kingdom during the fair. Season passes valid. Waterpark closed. $8 Fair Admission, $4 seniors 55+ and children. $8 parking. This is the worst of all possible worlds. A zoo it will be.

"Wonder Mole Hill Guardian" coming to Cedar Point in 2015! I like it!

At Six Flags St Louis, they thank riders for riding whatever ride they are on and suggest another ride on the park. However, the ride op on Boomerang encouraged riders to try Superman who had riders stuck near the top. I noticed when we were waiting in line for Pandemonium they used an automated spiel. The line moved pretty fast for what appears to be a lower capacity ride. There was minimal guest interaction, but was still pleasant. I may have mentioned this before, but a number of ride ops at Kings Island (I heard it most frequently at The Bat) saying the name of another Cedar Fair park and the name of another ride. That is truly annoying to me. Hopefully that has been put to a stop by this point in the season. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Or going to carefully crafted Walt Disney World and hearing: * Welcome back you crazy Splash Mountain riders, how was your ride? * Enjoy the rest of your day here at Disneyland Paris! * I'll say M I C, you say K E Y. * The resort closes in two hours and twenty-five minutes; buy your stuffed Mickey now!

I wouldn't be surprised if it didn't. But I doubt I'll ever know as Sling Shot rides do not interest me in the slightest... unless I'm watching, they're cool to watch.

Meh, it's a picture of wood. Now if it was a dirt pile.......that would be significant.

A little vain tonight, aren't we BB1?

Are you going Monday? I'm going Monday for the first time.With how excited you are, we'd better see a trip report from you.

Had a really great time for our first trip together as a couple. Jeremy had never been to an amusement park and I was so excited to see his reactions, I was not disappointed. We got a later start than we wanted as I was waiting for my check to hit my account, normally it hits early morning but it didn't until after 6am of course! We had to stop at Walmart for a few items and we left Frankfort KY around 7:15am. We had a pretty smooth ride until about 5 miles before KI where there was some pretty heavy traffic. We made it to the parking lot around 9:45am and had to go get our platinum passes processed. Thank you to those who suggested having your confirmation number ready, it made the process so smooth and we got into the park right about 10am. Because I have a hip problem, there are times I cannot walk a lot so we decided to get a locker even though it was $13, just was easier for me not having to go to the car multiple times. We also purchased the all season dining, which I was really on the fence about, but after having been at the park, I'm so glad we did. As everyone else had said, the food prices are pretty high. For us getting the dining pass was perfect as we plan on taking multiple trips before the end of the season. The one thing I may do next year if they offer it is just get on dining pass, we had enough food to share between the two of us and Jeremy is a big guy. Our first stop was to Banshee, I was prepared to see a really long line, but to my surprise it was maybe a 10 minute wait. I loved the themeing in the line and especially the SOB eternal flame. This was Jeremy's very first roller coaster ever, I don't think he ever realized exactly how big these rides were, but he was really pumped to get on them. We waited for front row and I'm very glad we did, as almost everyone else has said, this is an awesome coaster, We did give in and buy a photo since it was our first trip together and his first on a coaster, it came out to $15 and some change with our pass discount. Our plan was then to hit The Bat, Flight of Fear and Firehawk, but we didn't stick to that plan. Flight of Fear was still closed, so that was out. We did hit The Bat with about a 5 minute wait. We again waited for the front row, I was a little disappointed in this ride, I had rode this when it was Top Gun but that was so long ago I really didn't remember it. I figured it would be my favorite as I really like Iron Dragon at Cedar Point, but I found it to be rough and my head got knocked around a lot, it wasn't something I wanted to do again. With all the excitement of getting to the park, we forgot to put sunblock on so we headed back to our locker. On our way back to Firehawk we decided to hit Drop Tower. The line was a little longer and it took about 20 minutes to get to the front. Of course right before we got on I started not feeling well, I think it was the sun and heat, I'm not really used to it, I was in a really bad car accident 5 years ago and it has taken a lot out of me, so I really felt it quickly. This was when I knew we would not be able to get on ride after ride without a break as I had done in the past. I did decide to get on Drop Tower and was pretty nervous cause of how I was feeling. I loved the view going up and am grateful for the suggestion of getting a cord for my glasses, that saved me on this trip! The wait at the top seemed like forever to drop but wow when it did, it took my breath away! I have gone on Power Tower at Cedar Point and Dr. Doom's Fearfall at Islands of Adventure but those were tame compared to this. Jeremy was ready for a drink so instead of heading towards the back we went to Festhaus. It was pretty empty and we saw no one at the beer counters. We asked at LaRosa's and they acted like they didn't know what we were talking about, I was not very impressed, as they finally said they didn't have anyone to open it, so I decided to get my souvenir cup filled. I showed the receipt and it was like I was bothering the guy, I told him three times I wanted diet Coke and he kept saying huh. This was one of the very few times the customer service was lacking in the park. So we decided to get something to eat and after hearing about Hank's and how good it was supposed to be I decided to get my first meal there but the door was locked. I know someone mentioned that the stands outside of International Plaza don't open until an hour after the park is open but this was 11:30a, getting around lunchtime so I would have thought everything would be open by then. They did open at around noon and I got my taco salad and chips and salsa, the BEST food in the park that's on the dining plan and it was huge. Jeremy finally did get a beer behind Hank's at the Bier Garten and we enjoyed just sitting there relaxing and people watching for a while. Next we were off to ride Firehawk and the line didn't look all that bad, the sign said a 1/2 hour wait. I should have known when I saw only one train running that it was going to be longer than that, it seemed like we never moved but were pretty much stuck in the line, we waited about an hour and 20 minutes. I really wish I would have remembered how much I hated this coaster when it was at Geauga Lake, would have saved myself a lot of waiting. We were not given the option for front row, so we ended up in the second car, not that I think it really mattered. I felt like I was thrown around everywhere and it really was hard on my body, Jeremy didn't like it either so we never went back to it. We walked around a little more but I was pretty shaken from Firehawk so we didn't do another ride for a while. I needed to cool down as my face had turned bright red after that ride, so we walked around the arcade in the coney mall area. Jeremy wanted to ride the monster, so I let him do that alone. I was thirsty so we got a cherry icee and headed towards Planet Snoopy. I wanted to do Boo Blasters, as I remember as a kid when they had the scooby do ride, It was not a long wait, maybe 10 minutes. I liked that it was cool in there and we could sit for a little while, I beat the pants off Jeremy and said we need to do this again! By this time I was finally feeling a little better so we headed towards Diamondback. The wait was posted as 45 minutes and I could have kicked myself that we didn't hit it earlier in the day. Jeremy suggested we spin the wheel to see if we could get front of the line passes, on my first spin I got it! The second spin we got a coupon for the boutique at Planet Snoopy. We had a lot of luck while at the park, I won at the age game, she guessed 31 and I'm 44, Jeremy won also, they guessed 31 and he's 37, so the luck continued at the wheel. We got right on Diamondback, wanted front row but we ended up with the two seats that are on the sides in the front between middle seats that are closer together, but it was an awesome ride. This coaster is right up there with Millennium Force in my opinion. We headed back to Boo Blasters for another go round and I again beat Jeremy! I was getting pretty tired by this time and we started to make our way towards the front to get dinner. We again tried the guessing age game and won myself a raccoon tail, just what I needed! We stopped at LaRosa's in the International Plaza to get our second meal of the day, this is where we had our other encounter with a not very nice employee. I wanted the Italian sandwich and it was like I was bothering them to ask for it as there were none out in the case. I also wanted a refill on my soda cup and again it was like I was bothering them. Jeremy ordered the pizza and breadsticks and we went and sat by the fountains to have our dinner which was really nice. I took one sip of my soda and about gagged, I didn't know what was wrong but it definitely wasn't right so Jeremy took it back to see if we could get something else. When he came back he said that there was no carbonation in the orange, well that's really stupid when the other stands in the park have it for the Fanta orange, made no sense to me. Once we were done with dinner we decided to hop on the train and take a ride. It was really nice as it wasn't crowded and it was just starting to get dusk, we didn't get off until it came back to Rivertown, it was nice just to relax. We were still pretty warm so we hopped over to Red's bar for a drink and to cool off in the A/C for a while. I loved this place, the food smelled amazing and I wish I would have tried something but I was still stuffed from my sandwich. We made out well here though as there was a special on draft beer so we saved a little money. After that we headed over to WindSeeker, I was really apprehensive about this ride as I just can't seem to do anything that spins, it was not even a 5 minute wait and we were on. I loved the view from the top but the spinning did get to me a little, but not too bad. We then headed over to Backlot Stunt Coaster, I really loved the theme of this ride, probably because I loved the movie The Italian Job. I figured this would be a cute little coaster to ride, I was really surprised when it took off, it was much more than I expected. I was disappointed to not see the special effects but was prepared for it after having read others reviews. We then headed over to ride the train, I loved seeing the old fort on the ride, I was even more thrilled to know that there is an old house inside there that is supposedly haunted and that Ghost Hunters have been there, now I need to see that episode, I'm really into the paranormal and used to be a tour guide for haunted ghost tours, so this was right up my alley! By this time it was starting to get dark and we wanted to get our last meal not to waste it (for lunch we only used one of the meals as it was so big, so that's why we still had one more to use). We walked over to Hank's and was surprised that at 9:15pm it was already closed as was the Bier Garten. It looked like all of the food stands were already closed which I guess I had just assumed if the park is open, they would be open too. So we decided to call it a day as we were both really tired and sore. We stayed at the Red Roof Inn in Blue Ash for $59.95 for a superior king room, I have to say for this being a budget motel I was pleasantly surprised. The room was quite clean and newly remodeled. The only negative I would say was that the bed was really hard, but I can't complain for the price. We got up early on Thursday as I wanted to make sure we got to the park before it opened so we could take advantage of having the season passes. We had a quick breakfast across the street from the Red Roof at Bob Evans, I was in heaven as I have not been there since I left Michigan in January 2013. We arrived to the park about 8:15am, which I soon found out was way too early lol. There were two cars already waiting so I just shut the car off and waited. The one plus to getting there that early is that we got a close parking spot which was nice later in the day. By the time they opened the gates at 9:30am the lines were pretty long to get in. This was the first day of the Spirit Music Festival and I figured the crowds would be heavier but I didn't really know what to expect. I have to say the one complaint I have with KI is that they need some more signs cause at times it can get confusing if you've not been to the park much. With my hip injury I really try to walk the shortest routes and save myself a little. We had walked a good distance once getting in when we got to a rope and they said we had to go the other way, why couldn't they have directed us at the front gate? So we finally made it back to Banshee and it was a walk on. We decided to just ride in the middle this time to see if there was a difference, I really didn't see much except that I like being in front better, seeing where I'm going. We both really wanted to get on Diamondback again so we headed over that way, although I knew we couldn't get all the way back there as it was not 10am yet. We waited with about maybe 40 others for the park to open. We got on within 5 minutes of the park opening and this time we had front row, I'm so glad we did, I loved it and sitting right next to Jeremy. After our ride I wanted to take a few pics in Planet Snoopy as I just think it's such a cute area, so we did that and then figured we were there we might as well ride Flying Ace Aerial Chase, Jeremy barely made the cut off for height that was posted but they never checked when we got up there. I figured this would be a cool little ride, NEVER again, it was so rough and just bounced my head around, neither of us liked it. We headed over to Surf's Up as we tried to ride it Wednesday but it was closed. I was pretty anxious to ride it as I saw the one that opened at Cedar Point, Pipe Scream. OMG I could not get off this ride fast enough, it seemed to last forever, I liked the up and down motion but the spinning really got me. It was at this point I knew I probably would not be able to ride Delerium since I got such a sick feeling on this one. We again did Boo Blasters and finally Jeremy beat me! It was extremely hot and seemed more humid than Wednesday and it was really tough walking around. I tried to stay in the shade as much as possible as I'm pretty sensitive to the sun. We were a little hungry so we headed to Hank's, they again weren't open yet but it was only a matter of minutes. We again just shared a taco salad with the chips and salsa and sat at the Bier Garten patio. I love people watching so we did sit there for a while. We didn't have a plan on what to do next so we headed towards the back and got some pictures of Vortex, Jeremy wanted to try it but I told him it was a pretty rough coaster and he would have to do that one alone, he opted not to do it. We wanted to see Soak City so we took the train over there and walked around for a while. The heat of the day was getting pretty bad and the crowds were really heavy when we came back from Soak City. We both agreed next time we would bring swimsuits so we could enjoy Soak City. I was bummed as Johnsonville had tweeted that the big grill was going to be there Thursday - Saturday and I really wanted to see it, my dad was a meat cutter for 45 years so he got me really into meat! We could not find it and asked around but everyone said it would only be there Friday and Saturday, oh well that's ok. We headed back to the park and wow the crowds were getting really heavy. We tried to get another ride on Diamondback but it was packed so we headed towards The Beast. I had never ridden this coaster and was a little intimidated as I knew it was long and pretty rough and with not being able to see much of the ride I had no idea what to expect. I have to say I was pleasantly surprised, we opted for a row more middle to the back of the train hoping that would help with the roughness I really liked this coaster, it was not nearly as rough as I had expected, the only part that got me was when it slowed down on the second big hill, once it came down and went into the left turn it whipped me pretty good and I felt my back crack, but still nothing like I thought it would be. I snapped a couple pics from the loading station and was waiting for the next train to take a pic of it on the tracks. It was just ready to take off when they made everyone get out and back on the loading platform, someone had gotten sick on our train in the front car, oops! We walked around Rivertown a bit and headed towards Coney Mall to check out Racer, but we never did get on it, the line was awful. We instead went to the Eiffel Tower and spent about 20 minutes up there enjoying the view and taking pictures, we got the best picture of us ever up there! We then headed towards Extreme Sky Flyer and I let Jeremy take a stab at it. I honestly don't know how he did it, I would be terrified but I got it on video which was pretty cool. Since we were right at Banshee we decided to ride again. I was prepared for a long wait but it was maybe a 15 minute wait, not bad at all! We again did the front row, I think that's the only row for me on this ride! I wanted to do Diamondback again so we again headed that way. The wait was posted as 45 minutes, so we decided to try our luck again on the wheel, first spin and I won front of the line. Took my second spin and I got it again! I wanted to do Banshee again but I was getting pretty tired and sore and didn't think I could make it back there again. There was a group of four teens standing there and I asked them would they like my other front of the line pass, it was the best thing I did, they were so appreciative and couldn't say thank you enough, it was so sweet. We got right on and had the front row again, another awesome ride. We decided after this that it was time for us to head home, as we were both tired and had puppies waiting at home for us. We stopped at LaRosa's and got pizza and a sandwich to take home and left the park about 8:30pm. For being my first trip to Kings Island in 20 years, this was an awesome trip! I really enjoyed seeing Jeremy experience everything for the first time and I loved riding the coasters with him. I felt the park was really clean and a huge difference since when Paramount owned it. For the most part all the employees were very kind and helpful except for the couple isolated incidents. There was one that really stood out though, Leah, at the Bier Garten was so nice and friendly, going above and beyond, she even remembered us from Wednesday. I had hoped to check out Cirque Imagine but we never got there. The only show we saw was part of The Boys Are Back. I give people a lot of credit for being able to get up there and perform in a packed house with lots of noise, but this show was just not very good. They were lip synching and it was really obvious, I even heard other people complaining about it. We had been there when it had started pouring rain on Wednesday, which everyone else had the same idea. I am really glad we had changed our dates, just seeing the crowds Thursday compared to Wednesday, it was huge. I know we didn't ride nearly the rides that a lot of people do but for us we had a great time. We know we are going back after our wedding so we have time to experience the ones we didn't get to on this trip. I have to say I am really glad I live close to KI now and can go more than once a year!

I am currently at KK as I type this. Some observations: Lightning Run crews are not very quick. About 1 dispatch every 4 minutes today. I'll give them a pass for now because it's year 1 and early in the season. This absolutely MUST be fixed at some point sooner rather than later, though. The park looks great. Fresh paint all over and very clean. RMC outdid themselves on Thunder Run. It rides like a new coaster. Lightning Run is amazing. Better, even, than my beloved Maggie. Possibly even better than Phantom's Revenge. This ride alone is absolutely worth the cost of admission. Season pass processing is very quick and easy. In and out in less than 5 minutes. All in all, I'm impressed. The park is not remotely perfect, but I see a great deal of potential here.

They don't want people not coming because they think it looks too busy. Once you're there, you're more committed.

+1. This is why I love going places, not just amusement parks, but anywhere, by myself. The complete freedom to decide what I want to do, and do it when I darn well feel like it. Hell, in 2012 I took a three-week vacation to Florida, hitting a Star Wars convention, Universal, SeaWorld, Busch Gardens, Discovery Cove, and Disney, all by myself, and that trip was probably the most fun I've ever had in my life. Don't be afraid to go to the park by yourself. I guarantee you'll have more fun being by yourself that you ever thought possible.

This year is the first time in 15 years I've been able to ride coasters much, because I finally decided to stop waiting for people to go with me. I've been enjoying it immensely. Going alone isn't in any way as bad/sad/scary/lonely/whatever I thought it might be. My husband and I are practically joined at the hip ordinarily, so it is unusual to spend hours apart. We both work at home for his business, so we spend most of our waking hours (and sleeping hours for that matter) together. So, it was a big step for me to go do this by myself. But, as I said, my fears were unfounded. I think I've had my best times at the park, ever, this season, because I can do whatever I want whenever I want without having to worry about someone else's desires. If I want to ride Beast seven times in a row, I can. If I want to stick around an extra hour just to watch another set of the Kings Island Five, it's not tiring anyone. I wouldn't want to spend this much time with someone other than my husband (one of the reasons I've not tried too hard in past years to find a coaster-riding buddy), but it's actually been kind of nice to have so much self-directed time.

That goes for both men and women. As a 28 year old guy/father/husband I still let someone know when I go to the park alone or to a movie or even to an adult beverage shop to watch a game. Just in case. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

The web cams were conveniently positioned in a way in which you couldn't judge the crowds anyway...

That's tough... I understand trying to get people through the gates but this could be bad. $18 tickets ($8 for the fair and $10 for KK) may lead to big crowds but long lines, hot temps, and a crowd that is notorious for having some bad apples... seems like a problem just waiting to happen.

So... The dry park is only worth $9.99 according to Ed Hart?

It was. That's why I'm wondering if this recent report is true. If it is, I suspect Kentucky Kingdom's apparent status in complying with the Americans with Disabilities Act may have resulted in the Fair Board wanting to separate the fair from the amusement park and to make crystal clear that the Kentucky State Fair and Kentucky Kingdom are separate and apart.

I'm fairly certain the park doesn't want you to see how large/small the crowd size is.

Banshee's wail has just been scaring too many of the other rides

It's odd that The Boys Are Back performers were lip syncing when you saw it. When I watched it, it was painfully obvious they weren't lip syncing. I could tell they individually were good singers by their solos, but when they sang together it was discordant. It sort of defeats the purpose of a "boy band" which typically refers to a often-manufactured (by a producer, rather than fate) group of singers brought together specifically because they sound harmonious together. I felt bad about it, but I only made it about five minutes into the show, and considering how hot it was that day, it took a lot to get me to leave the A/C. I think lip syncing to an actual harmonious track during the non-solos would be a great improvement to that show, if the performers are unable to learn harmony otherwise.

This is from my last trip. Argus on the iPhone 5s it works great and it's free to boot. The other one is from one of my Cedar Point trips.

Most guests don't even know they are line jumping. Let's be realistic: are those couple people just trying to catch up with their group really going to make your wait that much longer? 10 teens catching up with 2 people is one thing, parent & child catching up is another. Like my grandfather always told me: "Fight the battles that are worth fighting."

I am single and conquered the fear of going out alone. It's simple to do if you really want to do it. Start with grabbing a book (if you like to read) and get coffee some place. It's weird at first, but love time alone at times. My daughter goes to camp every July and I rarely make plans with others. It's my time to have down time. One suggestion if you are going to do things alone, let someone you know, know where you are going. It's best to be safe. Going out to grab a soda may not require a call to a friend, but if you are going to go to Kings Island alone just let someone know. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Uh huh. If he paid more attention to operations and less to entertaining, I bet operations would improve. Pay an automated spieler once. Only approved messaging. Ride ops can then do what they were hired for--op rides. If they wanted to entertain, they should have applied to the entertainment department. Or games (don't get me started about THEIR barking).

I wouldn't stress out about it too much. FOF is fun and if you miss it, it will be a shame, but there is still plenty to keep you occupied. I'm not a huge fans of flats, mainly because I can't take too much spinning, but Viking Fury is easily my favorite, however with that said riding it will neither make nor break your day. I've never been on Shake, Rattle and Roll, but a similar tale I am assuming. If you like flats that spin around, there is a solid selection outside of Shake, Rattle & Roll. Most rides are operational during the season, and while no one can garuntee what Monday will look like, there is no reason to assume that a large number of additional rides will be closed, and perhaps 1 or 2 of those 3 will be open by then as well. KI is a big park, with lots to do, you won't find yourself bored by any means b/c those 3 rides are not operational that day. Take your time, and have FUN.

I'm hoping that Shake Rattle & Roll as well as Flight of Fear is open for the Coaster Crew event. I miss me some SR&R.

Well, considering our registration for the event was $26, not $15.99, that only makes things less clear. I'm just going to assume the $15.99 is part of the $26 and that I'll get my picnic meal ticket at check in for the event on July 7th in the morning, until told otherwise. If it's not, I think a lot of people are going to be quite upset that day. There has been no opportunity to buy a picnic ticket to "present their picnic meal ticket at check in" as you say we need to do. I'm also going to assume "or season pass" because otherwise that sentence makes no sense.

In simple terms. 90 year old male pt with nosebleed from fall. No loss of conciousness, is alert to person, place, time. Allergies to Penicillin & Prednisone (Type of Steroid). No acute distress (nothing life threatening). PE (physical examination). Eyes PERL (Pupils Equal/Reactive to Light) and are 2mm in size, Cardio (heart) s1-s3 are heart sounds. S1/2 are your normal lub-dub deal. S3 is heard if the heart is contracting but not fully filled usually, can be other things. PmHX (Past Medical History), HTN (Hypertension), and DB-1 (Diabetes, Insulin Dependent Type 1). Meds, on Statins are used to lower Cholesterol like Atorvastatin (Lipitor) or Simastatin (Zocor), notice the Statin. HTCZ is a BP controlling med/diuretic to lower BP and reduce cardiac output. Lantus is a Diabetic Med for Insulin Dependent Diabetics, Amoxicillin (Antibiotic), ASA 81mg (Baby Aspirin), MVT (Multivitamin), OM3 (Omega 3 Fish Oil). No History of -Coag (Anticoagulant Drug Therapy) or bleeding (bleeding disorders (think of Hemophilia). Result consult w/ EENT (Eyes, Ears, Nose, Throat)

Oh, sure BB1. Go ahead and jump right off of our little pattern.

Thanks, I'll post next time and see who's going to be there that day. My son is absolutely dying to grow 4 more inches so he can ride Banshee. I told him he's going to have to wait at least another year. Poor kid, he's so small for his age compared to his classmates.

Well post in here when you go and I'm sure you will find others who are hitting the park that day. I would ride with ya but mosty I take the lil one with me and he needs 5-8 years before beig tall enough Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I got sun poisoning at Soak City this past Saturday. It's still really red but the swelling is down and it no longer hurts. Just really itchy.Coconut oil at bedtime, cover with clothing, you'll wake up feeling much better. Good luck. I need a coaster fix. Haven't quite gotten the nerve to go to KI alone. Hell, I can't even go out to eat or the movies alone. I have issues.... Are you married/do you have kids? I don't have kids but I am married, and while I love my wife more than anything, I cherish my alone time more than ever. I have no problems being out in public alone. But I know that everyone is different, and some are vastly different on this topic. Plus it's way different for women. Divorced for almost 2 years after a 10 year marriage. I have two kids. The boy loves every ride he's tall enough for (he's 8) and my daughter isn't a coaster girl, except BLSC--it's a heights thing for her. She's 10.

I got sun poisoning at Soak City this past Saturday. It's still really red but the swelling is down and it no longer hurts. Just really itchy.Coconut oil at bedtime, cover with clothing, you'll wake up feeling much better. Good luck. I need a coaster fix. Haven't quite gotten the nerve to go to KI alone. Hell, I can't even go out to eat or the movies alone. I have issues.... Are you married/do you have kids? I don't have kids but I am married, and while I love my wife more than anything, I cherish my alone time more than ever. I have no problems being out in public alone. But I know that everyone is different, and some are vastly different on this topic. Plus it's way different for women.

Maybe I'm in the minority. I don't care much when a little guy or parent meets back up with the their group.... Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I got sun poisoning at Soak City this past Saturday. It's still really red but the swelling is down and it no longer hurts. Just really itchy. Coconut oil at bedtime, cover with clothing, you'll wake up feeling much better. Good luck. I need a coaster fix. Haven't quite gotten the nerve to go to KI alone. Hell, I can't even go out to eat or the movies alone. I have issues....

Some people try.

Yeah, KI's Slingshot is the third most boring ride I've ever ridden, after Gatekeeper and SheiKra. That said, I'm wondering if the lack of a surrounding cage would increase the thrill factor.

No kidding. I saw the topic title and thought it was going to be another "I was profiled" story.

Well this went better than expected.

To a stinky! HAHA! Is it bad I know exactly who you're referring to?

At least one of the songs played at BLSC last year was "Sway" by Michael Bublé Sent from my Samsung Galaxy S3 using Tapatalk

Your mobile phone was able to "correct" Adventure Express's audio, so why not make it play "Right Now" at the appropriate time?

First wooden coaster with an inversion? Son of Beast was a wooden coaster with an inversion at one point. And even it was not the first.

#WCW

Apparently I'm getting old because I've definitely transitioned from "Wow that sounds like fun!" to "Stay away at all costs, way too many people." That being said I hope everyone going this weekend has a great time!

You would use, maybe, the Mind Eraser? Terp, who thought breakfast ideal...a cereal thriller.