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If this is you and your dad's only chance to visit together this summer, then yes, it would be worth going. Having a great time is definitely possible at Kings Island even when it's crowded. If lines get long, look for something with a reasonable wait (try, for example, Vortex, Adventure Express, The Racer, a water ride, or a flat ride), see a show, go for a ride on the train, or relax for a meal. This is a holiday weekend, so crowds are a given. If you have passes, get there early and ride Action Zone rides during ERT. Lines for rides like The Beast, Diamondback, Flight of Fear, and Firehawk will probably get long and stay that way, so riding those early (before noon) would be a good idea. I would expect Sunday to be less crowded than Friday or Saturday of this weekend.

Yes. Terp, who: * Carefully read your post in its entirety. * Promises that is not just a snarky reply. * Has said all he has said or ever will say about that situation, here or elsewhere, once this post is concluded. * Knows plans can and do change, as do managements. * Has seen Great Advencha plans change more and more quickly based on managements than any other North American park's, with the possible exception of Kings Island. * Is amazed what Six Flags corporate can get accomplished in short order when it really wants to (suffice it to say that Big Droppy Thing opening yesterday was at least a moderate miracle). * Is hopeful that current Six Flags management realizes that its most overlooked potential moneymaker is in New Jersey, with Illinois a very close second. * is astonished there are times he really misses Mr Dan Snyder (but ONLY as to Six Flags, NOT The Washington Football Organization) and Mr. Mark Shapiro (at both Flags AND Disney) in certain aspects. Oh well, learn on oh Mr. James Reid-Anderson. (And contemplate why Mr. Al Weber, Jr., once Chairman and CEO of Paramount Parks, GM of Kings Island, etc., 'retired.') For everything there is at least one pertinent reason. * Notes in passing there are a lot of things in this tag line set that are not diversions, that 99.9 percent of readers will either miss, quickly dismiss, or read over. * Wonders if LoraX & Co. resorted to staying in the hotel in the parking lot. * Wishes that he wasn't tied to the District this of all weekends, but knows he does what he does because he must (and should). * And, finally is glad that he's alive to see all this, and wishes the incomparable Steve Urbanowicz, who loved Great Adventure with all his heart, could experience all this, and what is to come. Expect more, expect, and make today, a GREAT Adventure. Go big!

Big Droppy Thing is officially open! Got a ride tonight during the fireworks. It's fun. It is fast. NJFTP is a great park. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I'm going to try to film some stuff so those of you who can not attend tonight can see what it's all about.

Be sure to let us know about Flight of Fear! Thanks!

^ Earlier this season (around 3:00pm on moderately crowded Friday, May 30), I waited 1 hr 50 min to get through Flight of Fear's nearly-filled inside queue. The line separator was letting 14 Fast Lane Plus guests through per two trains, for a 35/65 split. Whenever the Fast Lane Plus queue backed up, the split became ~50/50. Perhaps they concluded that capacity isn't high enough to maintain a good experience for guests in both queues. It should be noted that Cedar Fair's corporate focus is on safe, reliable rides that have high throughput.

If they put restrooms back there before they did in X-Base I'm sure plenty of people on here would have a few comments to make.

HoliBlog post by Leah: http://www.holidayworld.com/holiblog/2014/07/05/world-leahs-lens/ According to that, beginning sometime this coming week we're going to get a live streaming webcam of the construction site. Now that's cool. Also of interest, apparently they have a major delivery scheduled for July 25, the day after the announcement. My guess: coaster track!

Guest behavior. That's why.

Waited 30 mins for Beast and........ Flight of Fear IS OPEN!!!! sign says hour long wait. I will come back to it later.

At the park now and it Is surprisingly not very busy. We have not waited more than 30 minutes for anything. I figured for a Saturday, midnight close, holiday weekend, and not exceptionally hot it would be packed but nope very light crowds. We got here around 9:40 and in about 30 minutes time we rode Banshee front row twice and have covered all of Action Zone and Planet Snoopy plus Viking Fury this is the line for Diamondback

According to a couple different reports Zumanjaro and Kingda Ka cannot operate simultaneously. Apparently Ka has been sending out 3-4 trains and then waits for Zumanjaro to complete a cycle before the pattern repeats.

Or if you are a park owner, you may find your planned Memorial Day ride openIng date becomes the Fourth of July. Barely.

High winds might cancel the fireworks, but they'll almost always go. They can shoot them in the rain, and if they're in the tubes they have to be launched. They closed the park at like 8:00 a few weeks ago but still set off the fireworks they had loaded (4 or 5 of them) at 9:30 or so.

Very Interesting to say the least. If the ride has reopened I wonder why they decided to not offer Fast Lane on it anymore. My only guess is the capacity already isn't very good on Fight of Fear so they are trying to improve how fast the line moves? Cause funny thing is it just became Plus after the season started and now it's not Fast Lane anything.

My first tpr...excuse the wordiness. My coaster buddy M&M Productions and I left my house at 4 am on 6/28 for our first time back to KD and BGW in over 7 years. The last time we went both of us were disappointed by the fact that we didn't fit on anything...more on this later. We arrived at our hotel in Ashland at 11:00 am....surprisingly fast in my opinion. Now a word about the hotel...Bad bad bad hotel...We stayed at Motel 6 in Ashland. The room was stinking and the light switch did not work. There were shorts in about all of the plugs and at night there was zero path lighting or stairwell lighting. It was not a safe atmosphere at all. We did not receive any maid service and I had to ask for towels after hours. The lobby was locked and the attendant was on the phone when I went into the enclosure. I told him we had no maid service and needed towels. He went into the back room....a half hour later he came out with one towel and a hand towel. I would have left, but the fees were non refundable...now I know why. Won't be staying there again. Anyways, on day one, we arrived at the park around 11:30. That weekend was KD's a festival like Spirit Song (it wasn't Joyfest). We expected a crowd and it was crowded. So we walked around for a while and decided to ride Ricochet . The last time we were there we couldn't get the restraints down two clicks...voila! We were able to get them set. The ride was rather fun. So we tried our luck with the Hurler. No problem there and we both fit, however, the quick hard banking to the right reset my spine and I thought I would be in pain all day, but that quickly went away...needless to say we didn't ride that one again. We then rode Rebel Yell. It is similar to The Racer but noticeably smaller....but it was very smooth. After riding this we headed over to Drop Tower. Here they have a test seat. We were both disappointed that we could not get the restraint locked. So we counted Volcano out as another ride we couldn't ride. So we walked dejectedly to Bad Apple (our version is Shake Rattle and Roll). Fun ride. It seemed a longer cycle but the operator was hysterical. When the ride was over he said push up on your lap bars...of course they were pushing and he was giving them a hard time by telling them try over and over. Eventually he released the locks everyone on the ride and in the line was giggling and having fun. We decided to have lunch so we check several places and prices are identical with King's Island. We finally settled for a cheeseburger at the Hungry Hippo in Safari Village. It was a burger bar with fixins. I was rather good. Plus there was unlimited drinks too. We stepped out and M&M said "Let's ride I305....Now, none of you know this but I, Upstop, am actually terrified of heights...ironic eh? I had just eaten this meal and now I was being asked to drop 305 feet. I was going to get over my fear with this trip but was not expecting to do this right off The Bat....so I reluctantly said "ok", but only if we can ride somewhere near the front....(this is an actual habit of mine when riding new-to-me coasters). So we came around the corner and lo and behold...there was a test seat. Secretly I was hoping that I wouldn't fit...I know, crazy right? I fit...so true to my word to ride I entered the line with M&M. Believe it or not, even with the crowd we walked right to the platform. We took our place in the second seat (front seat was around a half hour wait). So we were sitting there in the second seat and then "Gentlemen start your engines" and off we went up the super fast and super steep lift hill. I felt the hamburger rising and falling in my throat as we went up the hill. then we crested...down we went. I305 is one of the most exhilarating rides I've ever ridden. The only thing that was a drawback was that in the directional transitions, you are thrown into the air and to the right. Both times I slammed my collar bone on the restrain. I'm still bruised a week later. Other than that, I highly recommend this ride for speed junkies (94 mph)...It's fast fast fast! After this we headed towards Avalanche, and as we were passing Volcano, we noticed that Avalanche was temporarily down. We started to turn away when I noticed and told M&M..."hey, volcano now has a test seat...lets just settle this and give it a test." M&M was reluctant and didn't want to be let down again so I said "I'll go first". I fit....YAY!!! I told him to get on the test seat and he said "I won't fit" He got on the seat and by pushing it down a quarter of an inch he fit. We were like two little kids ready to do cartwheels. We rushed up the ramp and into the cave...and...the queue was full. As we waited, some people became impatient and left the line complaining it was too long. The entire queue is about half of Diamondbacks upper queue. I looked at M&M and said "They think these lines are long, they should try Kings Island". In the end the ride launch was incredible! If only KI had something like this...wowwy! After riding this we decided to head over to Boo Hill. What a neat ride. I like the laser beams better. At least you can see where you are aiming. I won...with two guns...LOL. We then headed over to Dominator. This was a tight fit for both of us. The tightest at KD, but what an exciting ride...a little rough but very speedy. We took a water break and went to the cooler in the car. It was beginning to get dark so we went back into the park to end the day. As we were walking near the tower, I mentioned "Hey, since we fit on Volcano, do you think we can fit on Drop Tower?" I convinced M&M that hey, if we have to do the walk of shame, so be it...I don't know anybody there..let's give it a try. WE FIT! The test seat is way off what is on the ride. Once I was locked in I thought, well here goes nothing. I just rode a roller coaster 305 feet high. there is no reason I can't drop 272 feet. I have to say it is a very different experience. I have ridden the Drop Tower at KI in the past. At KD it seems much, much faster. I'm guessing because it carries more weight and has less drag on it. We walked up the central walkway to look at Snoopy's Starlight Spectacular. I like how they used ground lighting to shine up into the trees instead of Christmas lights. It was really nice. After this we decided to call it a day and went back to the roach motel. Day two began with an early arrival at the park. We parked in row G3 right next to the kennel. We hit all of the rides from the previous day and decided to hit attractions that we didn't make. We rode the Crypt...wow it was intense. I think I was in the restraint more than the seat on this one. We rode Avalanche, a strange but fun rollercoaster. We also rode Flight of Fear, same as ours except they have a permanent haunt in the building queue line. We went across the park and rode Shenandoah Lumber Company. At the exit, I spent a couple of dollars soaking riders...fun! We then went to Dinosaurs Alive (got to love the platinum pass). At one point we were looking around and didn't even notice the giant dinosaur we just walked under...it was well hidden. We then rode Grizzly....what a fun ride! I remember it being so rough but it looks like a lot has been replaced with new lumber. We again rode Rebel Yell. Then we rode Drop Tower again. There was a guy in front of M&M who was talking smack to his friends who all chickened out and left the line...but when the carriage started up he freaked out. I couldn't help but laugh...We hadn't even passed the breaks and he was so worked up. I thought he was going to pass out. We rode I305 from the front car...it's interesting to have air injected into your nose from moving so fast. I felt it go deep into my lungs. We then spent some time on the tower and then had a chicken sandwich followed by a blue ice cream...funny thing...it's not blueberry...it's just blue....go figure. We rode BLSC and then Anaconda. BTW, BLSC still has the splashdown and sprays when the car passes the drop, but most of the other effects are minimal....no flames here either. Later on as it was getting dark we rode the Scrambler and headed to I305. The line had grown to a full queue but still took about 20 minutes to get on the ride. We rode in the back car. Wow what a different ride at night...there are no lights anywhere! It was very exciting...I cannot wait to get my weight down to where I can fit on Millennium. It was almost closing time so we decided to try Volcano one last time. There were only four queues in the main house. When we were rounding the final queue, the fireworks went off. Volcano paused during the fireworks so we only got to see over the queue fence. However, since this was our last ride at KD for this year, we rode from the front....WOO HOO!!!!! (somewhere near the turn around a skunk got spooked and sprayed....and it was strong) it is totally different at night, flying through the dark and up through the Volcano...and then it was over.... Day three. We travelled to Williamsburg. As we were arriving at the motel, the local news on the radio talked of a bomb scare that temporarily closed down the England area on Sunday...we were hoping that this wouldn't affect our visit for that Monday and it didn't. At Busch Gardens Williamsburg our platinum pass got us premium parking! We parked right outside of the main gate and entered. The first thing we did was to go to the London Rocks show. Wow...Busch Gardens can really put on a show. There was actually a standing ovation at the end of the performance plus they used textured projection for set changes...it was like psychedelic, man....then we headed to Apollo's Chariot. It's very scenic....sorry guys. I like it better than Diamondback. We then headed over the bridge to Verbolten...what a neatly themed ride and it was very fun. We rode it many times and we only got the Spirit theme once, and then pretty much evenly for wolves and storm. The drop is surprisingly scary in the dark. Word of warning, if you ride in the very back, prepare for whiplash as you drop over the small hill and are launched out of the second tunnel. We then rode Mach Tower. It has a loud drop, but since it is on a hill side, you appear to be much higher than you really are. It's a fun drop, but you slow down about half way down the tower. By now it was lunch time so we went to Festhouse. I was so excited to have my favorite sandwich...The Alpine....I was shocked to see the Alpine was not on the menu...Then I noticed the Mile High sandwich...It was the same thing with a different name...I guess they didn't renew the copyright for the name. We then rode Dark Castle. It is one of the best of it's type for simulator/dark rides. The little splash of water at the end is welcome for a very hot day, but exiting the building, you could feel the heat streaming into the door...just like opening an oven. We then rode Alpengheist. M&M was in the large seat and I buckled into the seat next to him. The attendant came by and pushed down the restraint and then asked me to exit to wait for the next train and put me in the large seat. I got the seat locked so I'm not sure why this happened. It was a bit rougher than I remembered. Onwards to Griffon. What a rush! I love that ride. We took an airconditioning break and rode Europe in the Air. It was nice for a break. Next we went to Loch Ness Monster, It was a tight fit for two big guys, but it was very enjoyable. We finally finished the day by riding Escape from Pompeii then we did several cycles on Apollo's Chariot. Day four we arrived at the park at the crack of dawn and rode everything twice. We added the Turkish Delight, Trade Winds, Le Scoot, and Le Catapult. We also rode Davinci's Cradle...a very interesting ride, Davinci's Flying Machine and The Battering Ram. We rode the train from Italy to Canada and the skyride from Germany to Scottland. We ate at the La Cucina all you can eat pizza buffet for $12.99. Overall, Busch Gardens is is the most beautiful park next to Disneyland. Now that M&M and I have platinum passes for Busch, there is a reason to go to HalloScreams in Tampa this year...Yay I can't wait. Right now however, I came home from Virginia with a cold that knocked me out all day yesterday and part of today. I hope to get over this soon so I can enjoy me some KI....LOL Peace out ya'll.

My dad works construction and is busy this entire summer building. We haven't gone together since April and he really wants to go tomorrow. I am really scared it's going to be very crowded and we won't get to ride a lot of things. We don't have the money for Fast Lane. I don't know if we should go or not because we would have to leave at 6:00 because he wakes up at 4:00 AM to go to work. Would it be worth it to go?

Great spot Sent from my iPhone using Taptalk

In line and waiting for the group to go in. Can see Greg on the Dino pavilion and Jurassic Park is playing Sent from my iPhone using Taptalk

Ah OK I get ya. Yeah I have heard rumors of such lol

^ Don't trust the sign at Flight of Fear. Look for yourself. (Though, without a Fast Lane entrance, that might be difficult.)

Hmm may have to do this for the s'mores and juice

Hopefully the lines stay decent. Courtney and I may head out if we get a babysitter.

Hmm, I passed up Tylersville on the way home thinking about it, but passed because I felt KI'ed out, been there too much lately. That empty I wouldn't have minded sitting by the fountains or staring out of the tower for a few hours and maybe catch a show. Ah well, big long night to prepare for, plus I need to shower and get ready and wash the exhaust fumes from racing off of me.

Will do, Terpy. The Beast has the longest wait of any ride so far. At least 30 minutes but likely longer. Full middle set of queue lines. Lower queue lines are not open and I doubt station queues are. They need to open some lower ones though since the line extends a good bit out past the entrance. We got in line at 2:52 so we shall see how long we wait

Here is what I found out for tonight...Temporary movie screens are being set up for the movie tonight just like Dive In movies and flashlights are going to be provided and returned when you leave the attraction. S'mores and drinks (water,juice,coffee) are going to be provided during the exhibit and first 1,000 participants get a free tshirt and cost is $3.00 for season passholders and $6.00 for non pass holders for the event tonight, tickets for tonight can only be purchased here at the park now. Other dates you can purchase online on the website.

Called them and found out they are having website issues today, but they are still available at the park.

^ Tickets are likely available at the park even though online sales have been cut off. Call to find out.

New Jersey has either the strictest or is tied with California for the strictest ride regulation in the Nation. As just one example, the state inspects Kingda Ka each operating day at mid-day. EVERY day.

You shouldn't have trouble doing all the rides in 2 hours unless it's really crowded for some reason. Also, make sure to ride Flying Bobs twice as every other cycle runs backwards.

Might need Pucker Powder before riding it, but nevertheless I'm riding it

Last year on Delirium, some guy was sitting in my seat and I told the ride op about it and she told him to move and he was like, "No way n**** this is my seat. He was then asked to leave the ride and idk if he was asked to leave the park and then I had to sit next to his girlfriend and she literally kicked my leg the entire ride screaming, "You a**hole that was my bf!" I then told security and pointed her out and justice was served. Like I came out to have a good time and I'm honestly feeling so attacked right now.

Yea one day you may be sitting in a boat going up a lift hill and then the next moment you are wearing a boat hat Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Tonight I bought a limited Banshee picture frame containing inside it two really nice looking Banshee pins, and on the back signed by Greg Scheid. There are only 150, and I got #18! They are $80 - buy one before they run out!

The other thing I was thinking too, are they running Flight of Fear with both trains or are they only running one train? That could be another reason as to not offer Fast Lane. Please keep us updated!

It's an Intamin I expect it to have it's up and downs pun intended.

About 25 years ago, a person honked their car horn at a person in the parking lot at a Lexington mall, who immediately keeled over of a heart attack and subsequently died. For a while, there was consideration of potential involuntary manslaughter charges, but I don't think there was ever an indictment. What a thing to get to live with, and wonder if one caused, for the rest of one's life.

Hope for the best for Kentucky Kingdom:

Local news story yesterday said that the park is operating at higher than anticipated levels so far. Also saw that attendance at Holiday World has not been impacted and their season pass sales have increased.

You know what grinds my gears, is people who walk in the middle of the road in a parking lot and you are driving behind them, you really just wanna honk your horn, but politely drive slower so you don't run over the people.

Being a black man, i hate hearing the "N" word thrown out repetitively by other black folks while in the park. That REALLY bothers me. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

^ The first public rides were given on Opening Day, and the first 5,000 riders received t-shirts. Media Day rides did happen the day before, but many others (employees, vendors, etc) rode even earlier. One of my pet peeves is enthusiasts who feel entitled because of perks, such as Media Day access, that are graciously offered to them.

Thought this was funny... From the Holiblog: Captain Obvious here thinks that the ride may involve some sort of "drop."

+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.

Update - Fast Lane signs are removed. Sent from my iPhone using Taptalk

Trench that has been dug could be to access utilities.

Totally not just you. I hate crowds too. They bother me less as I've gotten older, and after having lived near Los Angeles for several years. It still stresses me out to be surrounded by people without a clear exit, though.

I've actually gone early to the sports bar on Western Row on Independence Day when PKI had Nights of Fire. I went inside, had my dinner, and stepped outside around 10pm....watched the fireworks, then turned left to bypass nasty I71 to Montgomery Rd. Quick and easy and oh so fun. Made the mistake in the first NOF by being inside the park....didn't leave the parking lot until...da da da.....4am. Never again. Im hoping to go to Dinos in the Dark..I'm just not a crowd person....at all...they make me anxious and sometimes angry. I don't know why....just me I guess.

And media day attendees, by and large, were not among the first few hundred Banshee riders. So what?

How incredibly sad. I hope that her species survives and doesn't go the way of the Martha, the Passenger Pigeon. I would hope that the zoo could/would capture Nikki's DNA. BTW, just read an article about Passenger Pigeons and the possible reintroduction of the extinct species! http://longnow.org/revive/what-we-do/passenger-pigeon/