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Here is what I tell my speech therapy clients when we are concerned about voice: Avoid the loud scratchy coughs. These strain the voice more. Do smaller coughs to clear mucus from the throat. Water, water, water. The more water you can get into your body (before the vocal stress) the better. This allows the voice organs to stay plump and useful. Vocal rest. After using your voice in a very rough manner (see haunts) do not use it the next day. Whispers actually cause more damage. The whisper has the vocal folds taunt and cause them to hit more often. If you are attempting to be loud, the go to manner would be to tighten the muscles around the neck and vocal folds (voice box) to create a louder sound. This actually will cause more damage. The proper way would be to use diaphragmatic breathing exercises (breathing using the stomach muscles versus the chest) to increase sound levels. Your lungs are the power source. Avoid the following: C affine, smoking, dust, inhaled irritants, whispering, and clearing the throat. I am a licensed and accredited speech and language therapist. If you would like more information, please see ASHA.org to find a therapist in your area who could give you more specialized information....

I am glad you specified those are vocal chords...lol

So I thought I would be funny and do a quick image search for Shamu wearing clothes, to go with the discussion. The results page was even better than I could have expected https://www.google.com/search?q=shamu+wearing+clothes&client=firefox-a&hs=vTv&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&channel=sb&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=Yl81VL-AEMH38AHT2oHYCA&ved=0CAgQ_AUoAQ&biw=1366&bih=609

The Undertaker is very good at what he does, and at least he's miked. This year, Sam has been wearing out my voice more than ever every weekend since he's doing more talking now that he's out in the open as soon as people enter the room. Sam did a fair share of talking in his spots in the old house, but this is going back to the level of talking as when I transformed into The Bouncer in Club Blood on Fridays & Saturdays in 2008. Sundays & Mondays my voice is really rough, Tuesdays are a little better and by Wednesday it's almost back to full strength. Then it's time to do it all over again. But I wouldn't have it any other way. A couple of the other Slaughter House scaractors and I were discussing this on Saturday. We each have told ourselves at the beginning of each night that we were going to take it easy in order to save our voices... but then once we start we instinctively ignore that thought in order to go all out. It was nice to know I wasn't the only one doing this. It's just more fun to not hold back! Oh I remember that conversation. Yes if you are not going balls to the wall you are not doing it right. I have not talked this much in a few years. This weekend was the first one that I did not really strain my voice to much. I have noticed it is the long breaks, having to go in and out of character that gets me the worst. A couple tricks I have been using this year: I bring a gallon water jug and a couple water bottles. You want them about room temp. Cold water can shock the vocal cords and strain them more. I went to Dollar Tree and picked up a thing of honey. I take a shot every couple hours. Seems to help a lot better then cough drops. That is just a couple things I do. Would love to hear what others do because as mentioned earlier, going easy on your voice truly is not an option when you love what you do.

Back in 1972 when the Kings Island Inn opened, it was the only motel at the Kings Mills/I-71 exit and was most convenient to Kings Island. The nearest motels were located one exit south on I-71 at the Fields Ertel/Mason Montgomery Road exit and the nearest in Mason was the Houston Inn. If it is just a glitch in the online reservation system, it would be interesting to call and inquire about reserving rooms in mid November and they are not taking reservation, it would be nice to know the reason why they are not. Then if it was to close, could it then be the owners are planning to rebuild a much better, modern hotel in its current location? If that was to take place or if they were to sell, there should be some sort of a public record in the form of permits or other legal notifications in the near future. I wonder what management has told to its employees if they were to make major changes or close the hotel? If it was to close, are there legal notifications that management MUST give before laying off its employees?

My wife and I are going down to Disney World next weekend. Last night we went ahead and linked our Magic Kingdom tickets to our MagicBands and selected our FastPasses. We even downloaded the mobile app so that we can manage our accounts from our phones. Within the mobile app there is an "Attractions" tab that lets you know the wait times of all the attractions in the park. If those wait times are correct, then I don't think we'll even need FastPasses since most of the waits were only 10-20 minutes. The longest wait in the park was the new Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train which was 50 minutes. Since the park is open from 9am to 11pm, there should be plenty of time to do everything even without FastPass. That being said, I think it's a horrible idea to make some rides FastPass only rides. I think it's still good to have a normal "Stand By" line for guests who weren't able to FastPass the ride. If someone wants to wait 2 hours or more to ride something, then that's their business. It might be the only time they're going to be able to come to Disney, so to them it's worth it. You don't know the circumstances and it's not right to tell people they can't ride if they didn't book it 6 months in advance. That's crap.

Yes and no. So when you swallow the Epiglottis closes off sealing the air way (so we dont choke or drown every time we eat). Honey, cough drops, lemon water, etc. These can all be used to help sooth a sore throat from talking to much. When we talk to much we dry out our entire pharynx (the blue, purple, and red areas on the above pictures) because we are pushing air up and out of our lungs. Think about turning a fan onto wet paint. It eventually dries, and could crack or peel. So by drinking we are soothing these structures. So when we are drinking things they are not actually touching your vocal folds, but are actually soothing the walls up and around the voice box. Water works because it is absorbed into the body and makes all tissues (brain, throat, vocal folds, skin, muscles, heart, etc) more plump, malleable, and able to handle some stresses. Lemon and other citrus can cause more irritation just because of the acid. Think if you have a small cut on your hand and peel an orange. It would hurt. But honestly, if you are drinking water w/ lemon, honey, oranges, etc its the water that helps. The rest is for flavor or the soothing properties on the walls of your throat. The following IMAGES ARE Medical and MAY BE CONSIDERED GROSS. DO NOT LOOK IF YOU DONT WANT TO (I dont know how to hide using the spoiler key) This is the normal operation of our vocal folds/chords. They are closed (stopping air) and vibrate when we speak by pushing air through them. The following image is of a damaged vocal fold, possibly from over use As compared to a healthy one and a dehydrated one

I'm not sure you understand PETA's issue with the treatment of Shamu... I'm not sure you understand sarcasm.

probably not the best location for it, but it would be nice to see a return of a Kings Island campground

It is in far, far better shape than the Best Western in KD's parking lot was several years ago. Our family stayed in the Best Western near Mason back then. There was very limited lodging in what was known as Kings Mills and vicinity, and it was comparatively VERY expensive.

What an incredible insight. The Bat's ridership has definitely gone up since Banshee was added to Action Zone.

If the park got far less of your money when it had a campground, tell me why Mr. Ouimet and company would want to replace the campground, especially since the same amount of land would support far more occupancy and spending as a hotel.

"You'll never leave Bleekstone Manor, never, ahhhhhh." "You haven't seen the last of me." "Great job, please put your Boo Blasters in the holder and exit right."- Boo Blasters Ending. "Like nice going everyone it's time to put your bright lights back in the holder and please watch your step on the way out."- Scooby Doo and the Haunted Castle ending. "You'll be back, hahaha, you'll be back, hahaha." - ending to Phantom Theater.

I remember when the campground was still open, my family and I used to just walk from the campground to Kings Island which was really convienient and cheaper than the Great Wolf Lodge. We used to go to Kings Island and go back to the campground and eat lunch and go back to Kings Island . It was more cheaper, than staying in a hotel too, so I'm in favor for a new campground , if possible.

But for now... Are ya Ready? Grab your Boo Blaster and aim for the lighted target.

Wow! I have to say, I would really be sad to see that happen.

It depends on what the item is and if Disney minds it being available to the public. The old iconic Disneyland sign was sold at auction, a celebrity purchased it and put it in his yard. When Disney closes a retail store at a mall the figures are destroyed. They also warehouse a ton of old items they think they might want again, and used to sell a ton of stuff to Surplus companies (no idea if they still do but the biggest stores seemed to have all gone out of business). There used to be a store near Orlando called Mouse Surplus which used to sell items from both Disney and Universal. Most of the items were from the Disney Hotels and you would find furniture from when a resort was last renovated. But they would also get items from the parks, including props, and even ride vehicles. I remember they had a monorail car, trains from space mountain etc. I think the company ended up going out of business though. I know the store closed. I was thinking Disney could have the museum or restaurant on their property and be in control of it. Over time it would be neat to see the technology and innovations the imagineers have made through the years.

What an incredible insight. The Bat's ridership has definitely gone up since Banshee was added to Action Zone. Do not remember writing that. Thanks for refreshing my memory!

Haha I do get weird looks at the school I work out when I am reading case studies haha

It depends on what the item is and if Disney minds it being available to the public. The old iconic Disneyland sign was sold at auction, a celebrity purchased it and put it in his yard. When Disney closes a retail store at a mall the figures are destroyed. They also warehouse a ton of old items they think they might want again, and used to sell a ton of stuff to Surplus companies (no idea if they still do but the biggest stores seemed to have all gone out of business). There used to be a store near Orlando called Mouse Surplus which used to sell items from both Disney and Universal. Most of the items were from the Disney Hotels and you would find furniture from when a resort was last renovated. But they would also get items from the parks, including props, and even ride vehicles. I remember they had a monorail car, trains from space mountain etc. I think the company ended up going out of business though. I know the store closed.

They can. However the Commonwealth of KY can also pull the tax benefits for that reason, thus jeopardizing the project.

The Yelp reviews for the KI Inn are abysmal.

Excellent tips shark6495. Just curious is the honey thing real or is it more just in my head? It seems to help me. Also I read that hot tea with honey and lemon helps but I read somewhere else the citrus can do more damage, which is true?

Warren County (Public) Records show the same owner since 2009, OHMI Investors, LLC. So, no ownership change recently. My wife and I stayed there in December 2004... was sort of underwhelmed of the experience. Dirty carpet, floor boards in dire need of replacement. Did n't live in Cincinnati at the time and expected the Kings Island "Resort" to be a bit more than it was.

No, the first year, and Pirate Jack, were both from Sudden Impact! and Lynton Harris. The Oak Island guys were around during the Sleepy Hallow maze (in the tent where the old dolphin show was), and also the Haunt in the old mining company building, which I can't remember the name of.

^ He still makes a good point - their online registration could just be glitched.

Has it occurred to anyone to maybe call them and try to check availability for some date in the middle of November. They're obviously not going to reserve you a room if they won't be open.

The best scares are the silent, unexpected ones.

No idea but maybe if its true Cedar Fair and Kings Island may have bought it and us tearing it down and building an official Kings Island hotel. Its possible.

For those of you who aren't already adults when Fear Fest/Haunt started... who DIDN'T do this?

In his defense, I also thought, "really?" when reading your post before realizing you were kidding.

I'll be there this weekend and will try to verify the rumor.

I still cringe at the thought of the hotel.

Their newest coaster (I forget the name) replaced itSent from my iPod touch using Tapatalk

I remember going to a haunt someplace (can't remember where) called (Silent Scream-I think) - I remember that the only noise was a beating heart repeating over and over. There were strobe lights facing away from the guests and everything was either black or dark colored. The scare actors would bolt towards you and the flashing of the strobes made it appear that they jumped from 15 or so feet away to in your face. Plus at some point you had to feel your way through nasty stuff. It felt like fur on the walls... disgusting and creepy.

Cedar Fair could have bought the CBS interest in that property. It chose not to. Or couldn't afford to. And lawyers are good at . . . stuff.

Oh yes, we know. Lots of water, and coating our throats with cough drops. It's advice that us old-timer scaractors pass on to the newbies every year. Without those, I wouldn't have a voice at all on Sundays. I learned my lesson my first year when I didn't have either one the first couple of weekends, then I started using them!

A few things: Facebook trending is not based on amount of mentions but by a number manipulation in a program. Most people post negative things on the internet. Usually complainers post and very rarely do positive reviews get posted. No proof that the people complaining have any clue about what happening other than what they have read. Things change.... Life's tough baby brother, get a helmet.

The Undertaker is very good at what he does, and at least he's miked. This year, Sam has been wearing out my voice more than ever every weekend since he's doing more talking now that he's out in the open as soon as people enter the room. Sam did a fair share of talking in his spots in the old house, but this is going back to the level of talking as when I transformed into The Bouncer in Club Blood on Fridays & Saturdays in 2008. Sundays & Mondays my voice is really rough, Tuesdays are a little better and by Wednesday it's almost back to full strength. Then it's time to do it all over again. But I wouldn't have it any other way. A couple of the other Slaughter House scaractors and I were discussing this on Saturday. We each have told ourselves at the beginning of each night that we were going to take it easy in order to save our voices... but then once we start we instinctively ignore that thought in order to go all out. It was nice to know I wasn't the only one doing this. It's just more fun to not hold back!

Great read! Glad you had a great time. (Next time break that Big text into paragraphs

Whew. I was afraid that they were buying the park from Cedar Fair.

Double the pictures. Double the fun. And double the chills and thrills that go along with one of my favorite time to visit Cedar Point: HalloWeekends! Sunday, September 21st: It was extremely windy and as soon as my mom and I arrived, we knew that a lot of rides probably wouldn't be operating. Upon entering the park, we were even told that Raptor and Gatekeeper would be down until further notice. Raptor never did open as far as I know. Anyway, we went straight to Maverick for the last part of Early Entry and rode it 3 times, first in the front, then in the back, then in the front again. We had a great ride op named David, and we saw PegKeeper Peggy. She was trying to reach 2,000 rides on GK for the season and at the time she said she was around 1,775. Pretty impressive! But since GK was down, she would have to wait to get some more rides on it. Next was Skyhawk with a 1 cycle wait. We decided to go on Millennium and rode it twice with 15 minute waits, first in the front and then in the back. We wanted to make sure to see Midnight Syndicate due to all the great things we had heard about it, and decided to aim for the 2 pm show. We still had a little time to kill, so we headed back to Magnum and had an awesome ride in the 2nd to back row. Finally it was time for Midnight Syndicate. I had see pictures of the set and show, but it was incredible seeing it in person. The level of detail was incredible. Live entertainment has really been impressing me lately, and I'm glad to see the park going in this new direction. A great amusement park needs more than just thrilling rides, and the Point is definitely starting to improve on this. I won't give away any spoilers, but the show was amazing and wasn't what I expected. I also loved the surprise at the end, including what happened even after leaving the theater. We grabbed some lunch at Panda Express and saw some of the Eternity Infirmary Screamsters heading back to get ready to scare. Between seeing Midnight Syndicate and now seeing the Screamsters, the Halloween excitement was finally becoming real. I was pumped up for the first haunt, and decided to go straight to the new Hexed haunted house. I'll write my haunt reviews later, but I'll say that I was really impressed. Then we spent the next part of the day going through all the haunts. We went from hexed to Zombie High, Eerie Estate, Eden Musee, and then Eternity Infirmary. None of them had waits. We also got to see the 2nd half of Skeleton Crew, which was as great as I remembered from last year. The crowd was really into it too. Our next stop was Blue Streak and we rode in the 2nd to back row. We had a fun, smooth ride. I wanted to go through Zombie High and Hexed again while we were in the front of the park, and we noticed GK was running so we got in line. It was frustrating that only 1 train was running since what would have been a 5 minute wait turned into a 20 minute wait, but oh well. We rode in the left front and had a bumpy but fun ride. By this time it was around 7:30 and we decided to finish off the night on Millennium. In total we were able to ride it 7 times in a row, and the ride ops let us go through the gate to walk right back into the station instead of getting off and going all the way around due to the lack of people. During the first ride, I looked out over the horizon and over the lake while going up the first hill, and saw a massive wall of rain coming our way. I had never been on Millennium during the rain before, but I've been on other rides during it and it is a painful experience. It turned out that it started to rain just as we were going down the first drop. The remainder of the ride was very painful but I kept my arms up the whole time, enjoying every second. It was so crazy but I loved it. The next ride it absolutely down poured. I have never had such a painful coaster ride in my life, but it was the most unique coaster ride I've ever had. Believe it or not, it was one of my best Cedar Point memories of this season. Then on the 3rd ride it was just lightly sprinkling and the following 4 rides were dry. It was running really well and we ended up getting on the last train of the night. While leaving the park, I noticed a jack-o-lantern display on Giant Wheel, which I thought was a nice touch. The day overall was a lot of fun. In total: 16 rides, 7 haunts, and 2 shows. Hexed: 9.5/10 I loved the theming. Very elaborate and interesting. It definitely exceeded my expectations and the Screamsters did an amazing job, especially considering how early in the season it still was. They had already mastered the art of distraction. One would get your attention while another (or 2) would come up behind you or from another place to jump out and startle you. This was very impressive, and they were all in their characters really well. I won't give them away, but there were some pretty cool effects too. My only complaint is that the barker/entrance host was dressed as a normal park employee, and wasn't in costume like they are with any other haunt. I'm not sure why that is, but I don't like it. She was really nice, but usually the barkers set up the entire mood for the haunt. Besides this, I was thoroughly impressed. Zombie High: 10/10 Wow. My favorite haunt from last year dominated yet again on this trip. The barker was amusing, and the theming inside the haunt was just as amusing and creative as I remembered. Plus it was loaded with Screamsters, and they all did a great job. I liked how there a nice mix of "jump-out-at-you" startles, loud noise/banging startles, and Screamsters who talked to you. It was a perfect balance and blend of scares and entertainment. Eerie Estate: 8/10 I have always loved the theme of this one. I'm a sucker for classic, Victorian Mansion-esque haunted houses. By far this one is the most elaborately themed and detailed at the park, which I really appreciate and enjoy. The Screamsters in this one did a good job and made me jump a few times, but I wasn't blown away like I was with Hexed and ZH. It could have been better, but it was still fun. However, something unusual was that there were a decent amount of park employees just standing around inside. It sort of detracted form the experience. I wonder if there was some incident that happened whether with Screamsters or guests, so there was an increased amount of secutiry/general park staff. Eden Musee: 3/10 A boring walk through the sauna. I don't know why, but this haunt is always really hot. Also, there was not a single Screamster for a least 2 minutes when we went through. Then there were many areas that we would walk through without a single scare and still not seeing any Screamsters. Very disappointing. We left with minimal scares and without a good impression. I remembered from last year that for some reason this haunt is very inconsistent, even later in the season. Good potential, but it just wasn't there when we went. Eternity Infirmary: 9/10 I always love the barkers for this one. They do an amazing job at setting the mood for the entire haunt. You could tell they were having lots of fun being in their characters and it was amusing to see. Since this haunt has very minimal theming, there is even more pressure on the Screamsters to really portray the theme. They all did a great job, and I was startled many times. I still love the walkway that makes you feel like you are tilting. If only the entire house could have cool effects and theming like that, then it would be amazing. But the scares were good and I enjoyed it. Overall Favorite Haunted House from 2013: Zombie High Overall Favorite Haunted House from 2014: Zombie High Best Screamsters: Hexed

We had to put our family dog down last year, so some of this is a bummer for me. Then again, my dog would NOT have put up with wearing a costume, walking in a parade, doing the obstacle course, or accepting treats from strangers. She also used to get car sick extremely easy... So I guess she wouldn't have been doing Dog Days anyway.

A most awesome video. Thanks! Memories are blurred a bit. Where did Americana end and Fantasy Farm begin and vise-versa? I have many wonderful memories about "Americana," as it existed in 1986; and even some of "Fantasy Farm" from my earliest (possible) memories. Somewhere, buried in boxes in a warehouse in Maine, are some old Polaroid Land camera pictures of my brother and me, with my bee-hive-haired mother (may she rest in peace) walking in front of something called the "Spook Barn" at FF. I wouldn't return until a few years later (an eternity in kid years)... In 1986, both my mom and my dad had their company picnics at the park. It felt like the 'poor man's Kings Island' to me. I remember it being kinda 'weird,' like we were going back in time visiting that park. That year, there were radio commercials singing "The Rage of the summer is 'Raging Thunder' at Americana!" (It was their new Log Flume, which had a sheet of water in a tunnel, which would shut off as your log passed under it.) There was a giant "Hercules" pinball machine in the arcade by the front gate. The first thing you saw coming through the gate was a Ferris wheel/Zipper contraption, the name of which I can't remember. There was a centrifuge-flat called the "Electric Rainbow" that stuck you to the wall as it spun and tilted. It was to the immediate left of the Zippery thing. I rode the flyers in the southwest corner of the park, and I also remember a "Cinema 180," with no seats... you just stood inside and experienced the film, which was hilarious. I drank a lot of "Pepsi Free" (the actual name of the product)... and wondered how the Screeching Eagle did not collapse with all of its rotting wood! A local band called the "Chandells" -- or some 50's-sounding thing such as that -- was playing on the stage in the amphitheater (or outdoor showplace; I don't remember if it was referred to as an amphitheater). The band was made up of 30-somethings, all wearing red sportscoats, and they sang a mix of doo-wop and semi-contemporary pop songs, and did funny little stage antics. My friends and I made fun of how goofy and old-school they were (the term 'old school' didn't exist yet; but there really was no 80s version of 'old school' so I used it here). The park was crowded both times (once in July, the other in mid-August). It was a fun, free atmosphere that felt less like an amusement park and more like a county fair... without the animals... ironically (farm?) There was a speaker hanging from a tree that blasted the latest hits over near the eastern part of the midway (on your way to "Raging Thunder"). Everytime I hear the song "It's a Kind of Magic" by Queen, "A Matter of Trust" by Billy Joel, "Dream Time" by Darryl Hall, or "Suzanne" by Journey, my mind goes right back to that park, and the great times we had there.

A 10/3 Rougarou picture update: I really, really love the new colors! Old and new: The trim break on the drop isn't painted...hmmmm...Could that mean it will get removed??? I love that big, orange loop. A cool perspective: I can't wait to ride Rougarou next year!

More pictures from 10/3: The Chamber of Horrors: There were cool views of Maverick and the moon from Cut Throat Cove. I love this: I'm in my glory. (Don't worry, I didn't go into restricted areas. This support is next to the old Giant Wheel concrete pad--accessible to anyone.) A cool panoramic shot:

Friday, October 3rd: I had planned to meet up with friend and enthusiast rcoaster10, and thankfully it worked out that we could. The last time we met up was at Coastermania, and we were excited to have another fun time at the Point. I went with my mom and he went with his dad. They arrived before we did and rode some rides, and we decided to meet up at Millennium. It was windy, cloudy, cool, and rained on and off when we arrived. Millennium only had a station wait and it was fun. We went around and rode it again. Then we decided to just walk around to see what was running. Wicked Twister was open so we went there next without waiting at all. This is such an underrated ride. I really do love it. Gatekeeper was also running so we rode in the back right after about a 15 minute wait. It was actually a really good ride and wasn't too bumpy. HalloWeekends Fridays are always strange, since it gets dark so soon after arriving. It feels strange getting there so late in the day, but it's fun being at the park while it's dark for a longer period of time than normal. It started to pour so we decided to go into Pink's to escape the weather and get something to eat. We finished right around 8 and headed straight to Zombie High. It was rcoaster10's first time at HalloWeekends so he didn't know what to expect and enjoyed taking in the whole atmosphere. Due to rides being closed for the wind and rain, the haunts were pretty busy. We ended up waiting about 15 minutes. Rcoaster10 and his dad enjoyed their first HW haunt. Next was Hexed, and we had to wait 20-30 minutes. It was really good again, and Rcoaster10 enjoyed it more than ZH. It's definitely a great addition to the haunt lineup. Then it was time for Eerie Estate, which only had a few minute wait and ended up being everyone's favorite of the night. It was really well done. Then we headed through Blood on the Bayou, and I was extremely impressed. It was a million times better than when I went through it last year. Dragster appeared to be down, so we continued on to Magnum. We waited about 5 minutes for a row toward the back and had one of the best rides I've ever had on it. It seemed to fly through the course, it was pretty smooth, and riding it at night made it even more fun. It's still one of my favorite night rides of all time. Then we went over to Carn-Evil. I hadn't gone through it in several years since it was so disappointing, but this time it was actually decent. Still not amazing and I never really was startled, but it was amusing. After this we headed toward the back of the park and made it to Tombstone Terror-Tory. Maverick had a fairly short wait and we were on it within 15 minutes. Next was Eden Musee, which was better than last time. We decided to go through Cut Throat Cove, which was my favorite scare zone last year. However, it was not that great this time. Following this was Eternity Infirmary with no wait. It was just eh this time. We were really excited to do Cornstalkers, but it looked like it was closed off. We asked some nearby employees and they told us that unfortunately it was flooded and was closed. Stupid rain. That was disappointing, but you can't control the weather. I never heard if it was opened back up for Saturday or not. Hopefully it was, and if not, hopefully it will be good to go for next weekend. Then we walked through Screamworks. To finish off the night, we marathoned Millennium 5 times. It was a lot of fun, and I realized that the first drop gives a completely new experience if you turn your head to the side the whole time. It's such a strange feeling, but it was really cool. The day was just a lot of fun, and despite some weather issues, I had a great time especially meeting up with rcoaster10. Zombie High: 7.5/10 It was fun, but wasn't as good as the 9/21 trip. There were only about 2/3 as many Screamsters and they didn't do quite as good as a job. I still love this haunt, though, since it's just so fun. I always walk out laughing and smiling. It was a little disappointing walking through so many empty rooms, but it was still enjoyable. Hexed: 8/10: Like ZH, way less Screamsters than before. Some of my favorite elements from last time weren't there due to this fact, but the ones that were there made it work. However, the entrance host still was wearing CP employee clothes, while all the other haunts remained having barkers dressed up and acting in character. Very odd. I did get some good scares out of this one, though. Eerie Estate: 10/10 By far the best haunt of the night, and a huge improvement over last time. Every Screamster was on point, and some did amazing jobs with their scares. I really jumped and yelled many times, and I loved every second. Plus it was very quiet when we went through since we were in the front of the group and didn't have people in front of us screaming, talking, and ruining scares for us. Very creepy and enjoyable. I couldn't ask for a better performance. Also, unlike last time, there were no general CP employees standing around in various rooms. They detracted from the experience and this time it was simply a haunted house. Nothing else took away from it, and it was awesome. Blood on the Bayou: 9.5/10 The Screamsters did a very good job. Plus there were thick areas of fog, which added to the creepy atmosphere. The theming was really cool and there were a lot of Screamsters in this one, unlike ZH and Hexed. They all portrayed their characters really well and I had some good startling moments. It was great and well done. Carn-Evil: 6/10 I'm still not a big fan of this one, but it was decent. No startles, but the atmosphere is sort of fun. It is what it is. Nothing too special about it, but I guess it could be creepy if you're scared of clowns. Tombstone Terror-Tory: 3/10 I wouldn't even call this a scare zone, more like a pass through from A to B. It is so short and its location can at best be described as awkward. It's mainly just filler for that area of the park, which is I guess why I like it. I'd rather have this area than have it be a regular section of the park since it does add to the HW atmosphere, but if you're judging it as a stand-alone scare zone, then it is not good at all. However, it does add a nice touch to Frontier Town, but I would by no means call it a true scare zone. Plus the fog was blowing away due to how open the area is. But during the day it does look sort of cool with all the barrels and props, but like I said, I enjoy it as a pass through to get to Maverick and Eden Musee, not as an actual haunt. Eden Musee: 7/10 Way better than last time. More Screamsters and they did pretty good jobs. Overall it was a great improvement and I enjoyed it a lot more than I did before. Cut Throat Cove: 2/10 The wind played a big factor, since the fog was blowing away. I know this couldn't have been helped, but it did detract from the experience. Plus the Screamsters were not good at all, and I didn't get a single scare. I wasn't impressed at all. This was especially disappointing since it was my favorite scare zone last year. Hopefully it will be better next time I go. At least the props were cool, but now more than ever I miss Terror Island. That was incredible, especially with how thick the fog would settle in that area. Eternity Infirmary: 4/10 Just like ZH and Hexed, there were way less Screamsters than before. Times like this really make it obvious how bare and empty this haunt is. It's in desperate need of more theming. It has a lot of potential, but especially without good Screamsters, it is a pretty disappointing haunt compared to the others. Screamworks: 4/10 It was alright, but I didn't see Mr. Giggles. I always look forward to him, since he does such a great job. I still don't like the whole steampunk theme. The Screamsters were just so-so and the whole thing was a little lackluster compared to previous visits. Overall Favorite Haunted House of the Day: Eerie Estate Overall Favorite Haunted House of 2014: Zombie High Overall Favorite Scare Zone of the Day: Blood on the Bayou Overall Favorite Scare Zone of 2014: Blood on the Bayou Best Screamsters: Eerie Estate My mom, me, rcoaster10, and his dad: I always love this view. A cold, wet, and windy night wouldn't stop us from having fun! Hexed and Gatekeeper: A cool view with the moon. Mean Streak really does have such an impressive structure.

Yikes a water park tomorrow? Hmm...not sure if I'd be up for that. Not even for $9.99. Who would've thought it'd be 68 degrees in mid-September? Oh yeah, I forgot we live in Ohio.

I don't usually comment on things like this, but I will go with The Beast because it has been around a lot longer than most of the others and it will be around a lot longer than most of the others.