Leaderboard

You can have your Magic Bands, Disney. Kings Island has access to a freakin' drone! See this and more by following @KIGMGREG on Twitter.

I too hope for a new flume ride at KI some day. Under the current Cedar Fair leadership, the Timber Mountain Log Flume was refurbished at Knott's Berry Farm last year. That ride is amazing. I don't think there is an official POV, so I won't post any links, but check out that ride if you haven't seen it before.

And the problem with that is what exactly? Just as some don't care for peas... That being said, they shouldn't be allowed in the houses and mazes. Period.

Once upon a time, there was Nemo...

Well, I have some stuff about HW I felt was worth posting...first up: Thunderbird gets looped! And also, remember how the Google Street Crew visited HW earlier this year? Well...it's here...drop the yellow "guy" in and have fun. https://www.google.com/maps/place/Holiday+World+%26+Splashin%27+Safari/@38.1226,-86.912673,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m2!3m1!1s0x886e581193468c21:0x50d781efa416e09b

Uh... http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/aug/28/disney-puppets-fireworks-drones-patent Very cool.

Fury 325. I'm going Platinum.

Boy, oh boy, I need to stop having impulses to go ride new coasters. Thursday evening, I decided that I wanted to go to SFGAm this weekend. Yes, the notice was unbelievably short, but I made it work. I called up a friend of mine who I thought might be interested and not have weekend plans, and he said that he could make it work, so Friday after work we were on our way to Chicago. I hate Chicago, for what it's worth, and I always have. i have family in Milwaukee, so I travel through Chicago about four times a year. I truly despise that city. And just in case anyone from Chicago is reading this, I'd like to point out that Mike Ditka is overrated, Soldier Field is a dump, and New York style pizza is by far the superior version. Now that that's out of the way, let's get to the report. I found a Motel 6 in Palatine, IL that had been recently renovated and was affordable. I've never been one to care much about where I stay. As long as it's clean, I can take a hot shower in the morning, and there is a bed that is free of any bedbugs, it'll do for me. So, for the price, I can't complain. Bit of a drive to the park, but overall, not too bad. I would definitely stay there again. We arrived to the hotel around 11:30 PM Friday (Central Time) and after a Taco Bell run, basically just crashed and went to bed. I love my Vue, but not enough that 6 hours of driving (especially when part of that driving involves Chicago travel) is enjoyable, so I was happy to be going to bed. We got up the next morning and headed to the park. Apparently I-94 is a toll road that only accepts cash, and only COINS at that. I didn't have $1.90 in change, so I had to go online later to pay the toll. I was prepared next time around, though, so when I bought souvenirs at the park, I had them give me change in coins so that I would have it for the way back. Now then, to the review: The Good: I've heard a lot about this park. It was my dad's home park when he was my age, so he always praised the rides he remembered there. That set the bar high, but I wasn't disappointed. It was a very clean park, and while I was there for their BooFest, it didn't bug me. There was fog, but only in a few places, and it was kept to a reasonable level. There were scareactors, but they were sparse. This meant that they weren't nearly as annoying, and when you DID see one, you weren't expecting it and the effect was far better in my opinion. I have no complaints with operations. Trains were dispatched quickly and efficiently on most coasters. Vertical Velocity was an exception to this, but we'll get to that later... The food was alright, but I had a hard time finding any that wasn't just something from a national or regional chain, served in the park. When I'm at a park, I want to try something from the park, not Panda Express that they phoned in. But, you get the same thing at all of the Cedar Fair parks I've been to, so I can't really say it's any different than that. The park is very clean, and they claim to be "the cleanest amusement park in the world". Holiday World also makes this claim, so obviously one of them is lying, but it was still very clean. Themed areas felt like they had an identity and I could tell which one I was in simply by taking a look around, something that Kings Island has largely lost in recent years (with the exception of Coney Mall). A recent addition to the park is the Little Dipper, which was relocated from Kiddieland Amusement Park. The park went under in 2009. Six Flags purchased the ride and installed it at SFGAm so that it would stay in the Chicago area. By doing so, they are preserving roller coaster history, and you have no idea how much I respect that. Maybe Six Flags doesn't hate wooden coasters after all. The Bad: Goliath didn't open for quite a while after the park, and this gave it time to develop a very long line before it ever opened. I wish there were more exclusive food options. I did not see a single costumed character (scareactors excluded) and I am very disappointed because I wanted to meet Bugs Bunny. The layout seemed confusing to me, but that might be because I'm used to Kings Island, Cedar Point, and Kentucky Kingdom, all of which I know like the back of my hand. Vertical Velocity had one of the most inefficient crews I've ever encountered. They made Hartland ride ops look like the Banshee crew. Many rides were temporarily renamed (going so far as to even change the signage) for BooFest, but the map was not changed to reflect this. This would be a nice touch if you were a local who frequents the park, but as an out-of-towner, it was very frustrating. I searched and searched for the Whizzer, only to give up and ask an employee for directions. Imagine my frustration to find out that this "Biohazard" ride that I had passed five times was actually the ride I had been searching for all along! The Ugly: It's near Chicago. It's full of Bears fans. It's near Chicago. It was cold. Almost as cold as Banshee's Media Day, and I was there for 12 hours. It's near Chicago. I had to carry an oversized Tamagotchi around all day and worry about breaking or dropping it, and the privilege to do so cost me 80 bucks. Parking is a staggering $25 for a parking lot that is in almost as bad of shape as Kings Island's. It's on a toll road. I had to pay the Gurnee Amusement Tax, causing the tickets to cost more than they should. Did I mention that it's near Chicago? Ride reviews: I'll start by saying that I was unable to ride any flats at all besides the carousel, even with The Flash Pass. I was going to ride Revolution, but I was simply too tired by the time I got all the coasters out of the way. Oh well, just an excuse to visit again, right? But I digress, I'll go ahead and review all the coasters that I rode. Goliath: Wow. What a rush. Fantastic first drop. Forceful turns. Decent pops of airtime. Inversions unlike I'd experienced before. Overall, it was a very impressive steel coaster. And yes, my wording on that last sentence was absolutely intentional. The Flash Pass that I purchased was the gold level, so I had to wait in line for this one. The estimated wait was posted as two hours, but it was only about 90 minutes. It wasn't too bad, though because their queue TVs were showing Looney Tunes, including one of my favorite ones, "Ain't She Tweet". It was my first RMC and it did not disappoint. Batman: The Ride: I've never been into superhero stuff, but I was impressed by the station. It was well themed and really felt like the Batcave. The ride is absolutely dwarfed by Banshee, but that doesn't mean it isn't great. While not as tall, fast, or long, its shorter height leads to smaller, tighter elements that really pack a punch. B&M built a fantastic invert here, and they nailed it on their first try. Does it beat Afterburn in my book? Oh, heavens no. But then again, I think Afterburn wins points simply because if I'm riding it, it means I'm at my favorite Cedar Fair property. The Dark Knight Coaster: I love Wild Mouse coasters. I love indoor coasters. I love themed dark rides. Exterminator is one of my all-time favorite rides. Having high standards for the ride, I expected to be disappointed. I was not. It was a fun, forceful Wild Mouse, and the dark factor made for unexpected turns and drops and made the experience even better. I loved having things to look at for the entire ride, and the surprise at the end just before the on-ride photo was hilarious, and led to some great pictures of the riders! Fun ride, even for someone who doesn't like superheroes. Superman: Ultimate Flight: Meh. Firehawk is better. This was my first B&M flyer, and I was sorely disappointed. I found the seating arrangement uncomfortable, especially during the ascent up the lift hill. The layout did not feel like any sort of flight pattern that Superman would be doing, and I don't think the association added anything to the ride at all. If I didn't ride this one again, I wouldn't be upset. I didn't hate it, but I wouldn't wait for it. The only thing it has over Firehawk is that it doesn't remind me of being in the dentist's chair, so it wins points for that I suppose. Raging Bull: Remember these words, as you won't hear them from me often: I really enjoyed this B&M Hypercoaster, and would gladly wait in line for it to ride again. It offers a lot more things than a newer B&M Hyper like Diamondback. Plenty of floater airtime, good pacing, and good capacity, all as you'd expect. The second half of the ride has some good laterals and a couple of low-to-the-ground helices. The variety of elements cemented this as my second favorite hypercoaster that does not feature any Arrow track. Again, the previous sentence was intentionally and carefully worded. American Eagle (Blue Side): Ugh. Train wraps. An ad for a Blue Man Group concert adorned the front of the train. This was a tad disappointing, but it certainly didn't keep me from riding. This was not on The Flash Pass lineup, so I had to wait in the normal line. Estimated wait was posted at 75 minutes. In reality, it was less than 45. The ride was fun, but definitely needs some TLC. Paint is peeling worse than on The Racer, and for a ride that is very, very visible from the Interstate, that isn't a good thing. The ride was OK, but I'll take The Racer any day. I did not ride the Red side, but I wish I had had the time, as the layouts are different. Fortunately, this makes my coaster count simpler, as I don't have to figure out if I would count the two sides separately or not, considering their different layouts. X-Flight: I didn't expect to like this one. After being thoroughly disappointed by Gatekeeper, I thought that wing coasters were a gimmick. This one was a lot better. The smaller size means tighter elements and better forces. The keyholes with the tower was fantastic, but using the ride's own support structure for a keyhole element was a stroke of genius. My only complaint is that the restraints still have the tightness problem on the collarbones that we saw on Gatekeeper when it initially opened. Viper: Wow, what a great woodie! I rode this at night, and I had not seen any POVs of the ride prior to riding, so I had no idea what to expect. The result of this was a surprising and thrilling ride that I so wish I had had time to reride. It is definitely up there on my list of woodies. I like it more than Mean Streak, and I REALLY like Mean Streak. I don't know if it is as good as Thunder Run, but close. Fast, thrilling, forceful, and not too rough. Great qualities for ANY coaster, especially a woodie. Demon: So, I think you know how I feel about this. It's an Arrow Looper, and I adore Arrow Loopers. The themeing was nice, and the lighting effect in the tunnel was awesome. Without these elements, I think it would have been pretty standard for an Arrow Looper, but as it is, it dethroned Viper at Darien Lake as my second favorite Arrow Looper. Vertical Velocity: Imagine Wicked Twister, but less exciting, louder, and with a truly awful crew, and you've got this ride. If you don't care about your coaster count and have ridden Wicked Twister, skip this one unless it's a walk-on. Whizzer: This thing is weird, but in the best possible way. It has a spiral lift. The lift motor is in the cars themselves, and not the ride structure. The seating arrangements are like you would expect to find on a log flume, and the only restraint is a seat belt. The ride has very good forces, and its forested setting and low seating make it even more thrilling. If I lived closer to the park, I would consider going back just for this ride. It's the last of its kind, and if you can appreciate a unique classic coaster with historical significance, you owe it to yourself to go ride this. Just make sure you are VERY comfortable with your riding partner, or you're bound for a very awkward ride... I did not ride Little Dipper due to time constraints, but I can comment on the parts of it I did experience. I popped into the queue and took a look around. There are signs pointing out its history and telling its story, complete with old photos. The paint job looks great, and it appears to be well taken care of. I also did not ride Spacely's Sprocket Rockets because they do not allow adults to ride without a child. I have never before seen this restriction on a Vekoma Junior Coaster, and it is admittedly a little disappointing, because those are actually really surprisingly fun rides. And that's about it... Would I go back? Sure. It's a perfectly fine park, but not one of my favorites. If it didn't involve travelling through Chicago, I'd be a lot more enthusiastic about returning, but as it stands, I didn't like it enough to consider driving through my least favorite place in the world any more times than are absolutely and totally necessary.

Specifically, part of the Gerstlauer train.

In my opinion, the park should tear down the old Tomb Raider building and build a new log flume ride there. As mentioned above, O.D. Hopkins Associates, Inc. is now defunct as of 2005, however it was bought out by another manufacturing firm and is now called Hopkins Rides and is still in business making log flume attractions. So there is still a possibility of bringing back a ride similar to Kenton's Cove Keelboat Canal.

You are correct.

A. Before your time. and B. Now he's on a different kind of ship.... Terp, of the becoming arcane references.

Since drones can't (yet) be legally used for commercial purposes in the US, presumably these photos were taken by an amateur operator and shared with Greg and/or the park.

The other thing nice about Hershey's Coal Cracker is how it meanders through the Comet Hallow area. There are some excellent views of Great Bear and Sooperdooperlooper to be had. Still a bit irked they dwarfed Comet though. I don't care how good Skyrush may be, but before its arrival, Comet and the area around it was, IMO, one of the most beautiful areas of any amusement park ever. But alas, the power of Intamin compelled Hershey. The area still looks pretty good, but Skyrush just sticks out like a sore thumb. You may now return to your current Kings Island log flume topic.

I tried the wing deal last night. It was, contrary to what I had heard from customers in previous weeks, a buffet-style setup. As advertised, they had wedge fries, salad, and an assortment of wings. A nice surprise was that they had fried pickles. I don't remember that being advertised, but I might have missed it. The only problem I saw was that when we ordered the deal around 11:00 or so the waitress had to check to see if it was still available (it was) because allegedly they start to break down the buffet earlier than the restaurant's midnight closing time. If you are going to participate in this deal I'd recommend doing it before 9:00 or 10:00 - just in case. You are given a plastic serving tray and replacement paper inserts for multiple buffet trips. If I had to review the food, I'd have to say that the fries and fried pickles were a little mushy - as they would be from sitting on a buffet line. They used the same bottom-heated catering trays as they do for group picnics. It's not that they weren't good - just not as good as they would be if you ordered them fresh. The chicken wings were very good. I'm a boneless wing guy. I particularly enjoyed the barbeque and sweet and spicy variety. If wings are your thing then this is definitely a good deal for $14.99. Don't forget that if you have a Gold or Platinum Pass you get an additional 10% off. The servers there were, as always, very polite and efficient. They were a good representation of how food service employees should behave at work. This deal is available Fridays only at the Reds Hall of Fame Grille.

*Cough, cough the park's newest existing, wooden coaster and probably most popular ride, was built 35 years ago *cough, cough. The scourge of SOB is gone. It's time, to bring back the wood, (cue Beavis and Butthead joke.)

Thanks for the bump. I was unaware that Hershey had an Arrow Hydroflume. I am planning on going there next summer and that gives me one more thing to be excited about! I miss KCKC.

Some threads are SO worth reviving for our newer, younger members. This is definitely one of them.

Actually it was only SBNO for only one season. It was not open for the 2000 season. It did indeed run for the 1999 season. In 2001 it reopened as The Wild Tornberry's River Adventure.

I think there is a bit of confusion between the two flumes that existed at KI... King's Mill Log Flume (Which opened at KI in 1972) still exists. It was re-furbished and transformed into "The Wild Thornberries River Adventure." It was originally designed by Arrow Development for Cincinnati's Coney Island, and I believe was installed there in 1968. It was then meticulously relocated to KI when CCI closed and KI opened. Later, it was SBNO for 2 seasons at the turn of the millenium while the park pondered what to do with it. With 30 years of operation under it's belt, the ride was wearing out. The park decided to keep it for not only nostalgia's sake, but also so that they could keep a flume operating in the park. (By then, the park was already in initial design/development/preperation for the install of Tomb Raider.) It was refurbished by O.D. Hopkins, re-themed and reopened as part of a Nick Expansion. Kenton's Cove Keelboat Canal is gone. It opened in 1973, and was one of 3 (I believe) Arrow Hydroflumes installed in the U.S. The others are located at Hersheypark and Cedar Point. Hershey's Coal Cracker was opened in 1973, the same year as KI's and still operates. Cedar Point's White Water Landing was opened in 1982. However, it was closed following this recent season to be removed for a future attraction.) Here's a link to it's demolition photos: http://www.pointbuzz.com/wwlremove.htm Hydroflumes are different from other typical Arrow Flumes in that they have a dueling drop that has 2 chutes to allow for a greater capacity. They also were designed to allow for larger final drops. KI's had a Drop of 45 feet, I believe, while Hershey's was 49' and CP's was 45'. These hydroflumes are also unique in that you first climb a lift, and most of the course of the ride is raised in the air. Most early flumes reside close to, in, or on the ground. These models also culminated a large drop with a camelback hump at the bottom to cause a weightlessness sensation. These Hydro Flumes also featured (I believe) the first turntable loading stations on a flume ride. Time was not kind to the rides and PKI's was the first to bite the dust. The rides simply have worn out and have seen their day. PKI's in particular became a low interest attraction with a very low ridership. It also was deemed necessary to either refurbish it or remove it for maintenance reasons. Tomb Raider took the place of the Kenton's Cove Keelboat Canal. The ride was scrapped.. with only the boats being salvaged. Thus it cannot be re-installed. Shaggy

.......Who was the captian of the Nautilus, a Drone.Pretty cool photos I LOVE The Beast during the Autumn and seeing all the colors!

Themepark Connection (themeparkconnection.com) has a lot of stuff from former attractions such as cast member costumes, set pieces, ride vehicles, signage & the list goes on (I doubt they have any animatronics)

I second that! My wife has been after me to take her up there and now I have the perfect excuse!

I will say the same thing I said to my wife: if you think you will go 2 times then it's cheaper to buy the pass ($30 ticket + $15 parking)

I would rather have a Maverick style ride then a giga terped again

Welcome to KIC!

I'm putting my money on the sky ride.

A new ride certainly influences ridership locally. Hence why the area is typically spruced up near the newer attractions.

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!

Amazingly sad it got this far...

It will be interesting to see if the name quietly disappears. If it doesn't, it's disrespectful at BEST.

You'd think they'd staff people for that. Especially during Haunt...

This company was the same jerks that put my name on a grave in the Banshee queue.

They also have Hurler, eliminating any potential personal jealousy of the park itself. Now KD's location we all can be jealous of. The close proximity to BGW, home to 3 fantastic B & M's which are all: fun, reliable, and (most importantly) safe makes the area near KD a great family destination.

You'll fit right in! Never be timid to post your opinion.

I've worked at KI for the last 2 seasons during Haunt. It was easy for me to get a job for Haunt. I could only work saturdays though because of my full time job. I think most could only work saturdays. I tryed to get a spring/summer job this year. But i wasn't hired. I am guessing it was due to me needing to work a certin amount of hours during that time.

Actually, I would say that the answer to the question that has been posed would be "none of the above". The real answer would likely be either Xtreme Skyflyer or Slingshot, probably Slingshot as it can only do two riders at once compared to Skyflyer's six at a time (three on each side).

This past season has been a dream come true. I love working at Kings Island, and i love that i have got to meet some great people while doing so. Im kinda sad that the season is coming to a close. In fact this Saturday is my last day working at the park. I will be returning next year, but its sad to say goodbye to this past season. Kings Island is the best job i have ever had and Im not planning on leaving. Ever. lol I say if you want to work here, put in an application. and go for it.

Nah, my sister and I worked at Americana/Lesourdsville Lake back in the day. Remember her? She was really into dinosaurs... Very cool. That certainly explains your familiarity with Jerry Couch.

I went to a job fair at KI when I was 14 to learn the ropes. At 15 I started at I-Street Pizza, then at 16 moved to rides. Worked in rides until I was 20. I loved every minute of it.

Not necessarily so. I have a lot of fun working Haunt every year. It's a wonderful change of pace from my day job. Gator, who started in his teens and now falls into that "30s or older" group (and is currently in his 19th season at the park).

1, Depends on weather, park attendance, how many people are in your work crew and how many of them actually showed up to work that day. Your shift my be 5 minutes or 15 hours, but "if" everything goes as planned you get around 7 hours a day. At least that was the case in the department I worked. 2, 40 X 7.25 = $290 (before taxes), So, don't plan on living in Mason or anywhere near the park, driving a luxury car to get you to work, or ever ordering anything besides $1 menu items or what's on sale at the grocery store. Plus you'll want to make sure you don't get ill or injured. Yes, the park does offer insurance to their employees, but that will just eat up about another $20 a week out of your paycheck and you'll still have to make a co-pay. 3. Math test to work in games, drug test at the beginning of the season to work in rides or maintenance. Everyone working at the park is subject to "random" (a.k.a. don't screw up and we won't test you) drug test for any position held during the season. Is working at the park fun? Sometimes. I'm sure it's more enjoyable for someone in their teens than it is for someone who is in their 30s or older. Are you going to be able to "make it" without living with your parents, a roommate or having another job? No.

To answer your questions... 1) While schedules vary depending on the department you work in, you can count on working at least 6-8 hours on any given day (closing shift is usually a bit shorter for some departments). Seasonal labor laws (unless they have changed) will allow you to work up to 69.9 hours per week in the state of Ohio 2) I had plenty of friends that had apartments or condos that they lived in close to the park, however they usually lived with at least one other person. Not sure if 40 hours would be enough or not, you might need more hours depending on your living situation. 3) Other than age limits which are pretty clearly spelled out on the webite, you will probably be qualified for most posiions IN THE PARK. Keep in mind that positions in departments like games requires that you prove you can interact with guests and are comfortable talking into a mic to get guests to come to play your game. On a side note, I enjoyed every bit of working at KI and was able to learn so much about the industry. As pkiboy also said, I was able to see the ins and outs of the park and go to areas where the public will never have access to. I would definately recommend it to anyone looking for a summer job.

Yeah yeah yeah! It's Boddah1994 aka Ryan Suhr's birthday! Today he is 25 (Half way to 50 Ryan). As is usual Ryan Suhr Birthday celebration.....please recall your favorite Ryan moments from the past years... "today I drove downtown with my dad..." Flying with Nemo and Boddah1994... ...and reminding Boddah of how unlikely it is to survive if that plane were to crash. -The time Ryan borrowed my 2 gig flash drive to show videos at KIC day. -The time Ryan said he'd meet me at the park and return my 2 gig flash drive but forgot it at home. -The second time Ryan said to meet him at the park and he'd bring my 2 gig flash drive but he forgot it. -The time I met Ryan in the parking lot for media night and tore through his car looking for my 2 gig flash drive and never found it. -The time Ryan said that he'd buy me a new 2 gig flash drive and ship it to me up at school. -Checking the empty mail slot for my replacement 2 gig flash drive -Coming home for a 7 week holiday break, going back to school 2 weeks ago and asking Ryan about the flash drive again.... (its on its way he said.) Memorable quotes: Halloween Haunt Media Night... "Wow, Son of Beast in the back of the new trains isn't that bad [goes down hill into Rose Bowl].... AHHHHHHH F&%*#@!!!" "I have two one phones, ones for making calls, the other is for receiving them>" And heres a special birthday song for you Ryan... (just substitute the words Ryan for Steve) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9sAzsTZm_hE...feature=related

Kinda reminds me of Mary's brother "Warren" from Something About Mary. Happy Birthday! Oh, and my all time fav Ryan moment? Ronny and Ryan sharing a piece of licorice "Lady and the Tramp Style!" Dont ask! Bill

Happy birthday, Ryan!! I hope it's a wonderful day! Do you have big plans?? Maureen

I originally voted no on the question but it wasnt a No it was a half yes/no. I have grown up with the Paramount Park and Didn't actually have a season pass until 2002, other than that my visits were quite sporadic. I always liked that the rides were movie themed just like the big cahunas in WDW and what used to be Universal, but it didnt occur to me until now that things really dont fit like they should. After reading all your posts, I would like to see movie theming and current theming to go by the wayside, If we are gonna go for landscaping than we need to do it right, and if we were gona go for movie themes than we should have done that right! so I change me vote to Yes remove the theming, I am for a complete revamping!

^Raptor, I understand what you mean about the traditional feel for a park. I like that feeling as well. But the thing that seperates Disney from a lot of things is the extent of the theming. I mean, you may be in Florida, but when I'm there, I feel like I'm in a different country(especially in world showcase). For KI though, the traditional Coney Island style park would work much better IMO. I like the whole feeling of walking by the carousel, and what used to be the 'tiques. That was such a nice area of the park with all the landscaping, and then came IJST. It'd be one thing if it was like a classic Disney movie that would last through the ages, but the Italian Job, IMO won't.

I went to the Danger Zone.

I forget what guy in the amuesment industry said this but... "We're all just running dressed up carnivals" I think it might have been Walt Disney, not sure though.