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****UPDATE Upon further research, I was able to conclude that the entire scene was in fact filmed at Americana by the Screechin' Eagle. This scene, however, clearly was not: .

It's from the second drop on Screechin' Eagle at LeSourdsville Lake. http://binged.it/11pU5sU Edit - I'm also thinking that the second picture is Screechin' Eagle. I don't believe Racer ever looked that bad. If it's Screechin' Eagle, it'd be on the return track, the one that runs right next to the first drop.

I was working on some stuff for KIC's Facebook and I came across something interesting. As you've seen from FUNtv and other sources of Kings Island trivia, the 1988 movie Fresh Horses was filmed in the Cincinnati area - including scenes from Kings Island. Here are a few shots from the movie: In the above picture, Molly Ringwald is clearly walking along the maintenance path behind The Racer. As in, if she turned around (in today's world) she would be walking toward the intersection at the beginning of Dinosaurs Alive. In this scene, he is clearly walking along the return route - alongside the path of the Blue (north) Racer. This all makes sense. This, however, does not: They are walking along the turnaround of what is supposed to also be The Racer. I don't think that's it though. The Racer's turnaround on both sides is every bit of 50' in the air. It doesn't turn into a dip like that. Also, you'll notice in the backround there is a sign above the hill (probably "do not stand up"). If this were The Racer, that would be on the first lift hill, therefore you would be able to see the twin racer's other track. And what's up with this maintenance shed in the backround? Wood coaster maintenance is behind The Racer, but nowhere near the turnaround. Can any of you identify which ride this is? Is it actually The Racer and I'm just missing something?

I don't know if any of you have noticed these newly uploaded videos on Youtube, but they are some interesting nuggets of KI history! The videos were uploaded by Youtube user VideoByGeorge. It's very cool to see a few of the now defunct rides and attractions in motion, as opposed to a photo still image. Check them out! Enchanted Voyage full ride through with quality sound and video: Coney Mall with Bat construction:

Well......This is kinda sad... Mostly because, for some strange reason, I've always loved the look of the outside of it. I'm not sure why but something about the design of the outside of the building really always gets me..... Seriously.

It's clear the third one is Screechin' Eagle though. The main drop in the back, the second drop in the foreground, the maintenance building on the right, etc. In my opinion, it's also clear that the second picture isn't Racer. There's only one track going up on what should be the lift-hill. If it was Racer, there'd of course be two. Edit - Oh, and Screechin' Eagle was indeed white. Courtesy everyone's favorite, RCDB:

According to Cedar Point's OnPoint blog, the Good Time Theatre (which hosted a Snoopy ice skating show during the summer and Midnight Syndicate Live during HalloWeekends) is being removed for future park expansion. https://www.cedarpoint.com/blog-article/online-fun/The-Curtain-Closes?mobile=0 For the time being at least, this will leave CP without a large, indoor show venue.

I would love to see a dark ride of any kind pop up in Oktoberfest and or Rivertown. Dark rides are some of my personal favorites.

I can only imagine the level of precision involved when working with two cranes that size. Hats off to those that construct the thrills we all enjoy.

Ahh I see it now, the river of beer you flow on to get to the giant pretzel filled with bratwurst and sauerkraut at the end, while fighting off men with accordions and in suspenders, with this song playing though out the ride: Honestly though, I love German stuff. I loved taking it as a foreign lang. and would love to visit it. In all honesty I would love for a German themed dark ride!

Firehawk, of course. Diamondback close behind. Even if a hyper design like Diamondback isn't an amazingly unique doesn't make it any less special to the Kings Island park goers. I think it was desperately needed addition that really brought Kings Island's coaster line up to the next level.

Diamondback. It completely changed the face of the park, became a must ride for every visit, and is a high-capacity, high-reliability, coaster. It is incredibly fun, and offers so much. It was and still is a great addition, and was just what the park needed at that time. For me specifically, Diamondback was the reason I began attending and got a pass for Kings Island in 2009. It was where my enthusiasm for this industry was born. To me, it is the most influential ride of my life. It will also hold that place in my heart.

Time to replace the one thing missing from Cp since the removal of The Pirate Ride, Earthquake and the Fun House. The perfect spot for a new dark ride.

^ I agree wholeheartedly. I've never seen a show there I was particularly excited about there (How I wish I'd seen the Midnight Syndicate show there when I had the opportunity!) but loved the appearance of it being partially underground and somewhat engulfed by the surrounding scenery. Another piece of (what I consider) classic Cedar Point is gone. I'll miss it.

The swarm continues to fly in an upward direction..... Image captured from the Carowinds Fury 325 Construction Cam

Permanent Real Estate for sale to the public in the heart of the Mouse is scarce, and this location is far far better than Celebration's. I expect these homes to sell for close to full value and sell quickly.

And now it's about to begin. My political sources tell me that, under strong pressure from Governor Beshear, every aspect of the Kentucky State Fair, the State Fair Board and its relationship with Kentucky Kingdom is now under the political microscope and that no holds are barred. I am also told that the print edition of the Courier Journal has some details, but does not come close to revealing just how close to a political powder keg and firestorm this is. The 2014 fair lost money. There's an election on in less than a year. And Bruce Lunsford, Mr. Hart's crony and partner and former opponent of re-elected Senator Mitch McConnell, is concerned.

Bringing B&M into KI with Diamondback and Banshee.

What Cedar Fair addition has probably benefited the park the most? Probably Diamondback. What addition benefited me the most and made me the most pleased? Banshee, by a long shot......Although second probably goes to the Coney Mall pavers that were put in. ...I can't speak of the Woodstock Gliders yet though....... ....Lets just say it's too early....

ah, back in the days when they knew how to do the complicated things like.... change burnt out light bulbs. Such a lost art.

Such wonderful gems! Thank you for posting these!

OK, Screamin' Demon's lighting package might be my favorite ever. I wonder if the Flying Dutchman still has the same lighting package in its new home. Or a better question, will it ever be seen even if it does? Watching that video (the Eiffel Tower at night one, specifically) made me realize that I have nothing to compare it to. In all my years of going to KI, I don't think I've ever gone up into the tower at night. It's always been one of those things that I tell myself I can do any time, and then never end up actually doing.

FUN's aggressive reinvestment strategy of late is refreshing. The Good Time Theatre needed a lot of work. A large portion of it - the outdoor amphitheater - has been vacant in recent seasons. From the outside, it isn't obvious that an indoor theater exists at all. The fact that Cedar Point needs a large entertainment venue isn't necessarily a good reason to keep this venue, just as needing an indoor ride wasn't a good enough reason to keep Disaster Transport. I'm sure that the major hole this leaves in the park's lineup will get filled in the years to come.

At Kings Island, you can get cool, air-conditioned refreshment at Flight of Fear, Festhaus, Boo Blasters, Kings Island Theatre... Used to be The Crypt, too. At Cedar Point you can get cool, air conditioned refreshment at the Good Times Theatre. Wowzers. I'm sure it's being removed for a good reason, but a destination park with zero dark rides, zero indoor coasters, zero large theaters... Odd! The only relief from the heat is in small entertainment venues and arcades.

Black Fish Friday deals, what a hit!

That still isn't the last support beam for the lift hill/drop. (photo from https://www.carowinds.com/online-fun/webcams )

I had heard rumors of this for a while. Allegedly they had construction markers behind the building this year.

How about making WWC into a ride where you still get wet at the same parts but your in a dark tunnel like a mine, I would ride that most definitly and would fit quite well in RiverTown.

That will make all the difference in the world when selecting a movie. "Wild Horses", I believe was a song in the movie Silence of the Lambs.

Seems like they are preparing to put a piece of support beam in soon. (See the live stream at https://www.carowinds.com/online-fun/webcams )

Yes the rider will ride in a raft type vehicle and will be harnessed in. Not sure I see the point of this attraction and the raft reminds me of the transport system in James Bond Moonraker Here is footage inside the ride vehicle during the ride. Here are some additional specs

And politics, politics, politics. Without taxpayer dollars, neither would exist. That's not a comfortable place to be in 2015. See the 2014 message there. Some are terrified that their political survival may hinge on Kentucky Kingdom's success. Given that, the Kingdom's survival through the 2015 season is about an iron clad guarantee. 2016? That's a whole 'nother ball o' wax.

Social Media is best used by companies that have well established brands and identities. These marketing tools allow a business to foster additional relationship points with customers. Rarely do these channels drive guests to the store or front gate. Why? Because your reach is limited and typically your followers are your established base. Typically social media is best used to sample your customer base on potential new products or offerings not to drive new customers to your product. Social Media can be a great Market Research Tool if used correctly. But Hart doesn't understand that because if Market Research would have been conducted before the reopening of the Kingdom they would have found out many things. One main thing being Location Location Location. The Fairgrounds and the Park share the same location. Neither had a good year and this was during a rebounding economy. What do they have in common with one another? Location, Location, Location.

Diamondback trains were unique. I really don't like them. They hurt capacity in many ways; the even numbered rows rattle more and isolate riders. I see the staggered seating as a gimmick. One that doesn't work very well. Think how much more capacity the ride would/could have if the trains were the same length but each row seated four.

I have to admit, all the giga coasters have some sort of awe inspiring support structure to gawk at, F325 being no exception.

^ 95 degrees; 3 more degrees and it would have made teenage girls scream in the late 90's. The coaster's colors look great in person. I don't think pictures do it justice.

"Hmm, you're looking for a $1.2 million discount? I think we can work with that a little." "Here's our counter. We came down by $500. You in?"

A man or smurf can dream I guess.

Yeah, I already got my bid in for a house. I'm going to try to negotiate on the price a little. See if they can't bring it down a dozen hundred thousand dollars or so.

Over the few years that Cedar Fair has owned Kings Island, they have forever changed the whole atmosphere of the park; whether it be new rides, new areas, and a few rides returned as well . With this, the culmination of all of the additions now is something enthusiasts have been dying for: Flying Scooters. So, what is the best Cedar Fair Kings Island Addition?

Oh yeah, it was definitely needed in the park. Not saying it wasn't. I'm saying it wasn't a unique twist on the hyper coaster like Banshee was on the inverted coaster. So my answer to "what is the best Cedar Fair Kings Island addition" was Banshee for that reason.

WindSeeker or Dinosaurs Alive! Seriously, I would say Banshee. Diamondback is such a common ride; up and down hills the whole time. While inverted coasters are also extremely common, Banshee is far from generic like DB is. And it looks good.

This was the offseason, so any board that would have been replaced isn't typically painted until later in the Spring. That would account for why some of it is wood-colored. The third pic, however, has a mixture of white boards and wood-colored boards. I don't know if the Screechin' Eagle was ever painted white. It could have been at some point. 1988 was several years before my first trip there.

I don't think that's even KI. Maybe some "hollywood magic"? That drop looks like it's to the right of what that dip is. It looks kinda shoddy to me, but I would think that it's not KI.

Banshee. Followed by Ed Alonzo/Cirque Imagine level entertainment. If all the shows were as good as the ONE the last several seasons.... Now, if they'd bring back the parking lot trams...it'd be a reasonable accomodation for true multi-generational family fun...and nostalgia.

Banshee, by far.

*cough cough* dark ride

Well, actually you did it before reading this... Terp, running for the door.

Wow, talk about a thread bump! This was an epic thread bump 8 years in the making! Oh well, as long as we're here, classic Nickelodeon was, well, classic! I started watching Nickelodeon in the 80's and it seemed like they were still trying to discover who they were as a network. I remember shows like You Can't Do That On Television, Count Duckula, and a show called Out of Control hosted by a young Dave Coulier. There was also this show where kids reviewed movies. Not sure what it was called, but I do remember thinking that some of the movies they were reviewing were sort of inappropriate for kids to be watching. It was quite an interesting network in the 80s. Move on into the 90s and the network was legendary! So many great shows that I can't even list them all. All I know is that on the weekends when I was at my dad's house, Nickelodeon was the only station that was on the TV. Ok, I said I couldn't list all the show, but I'm going to try. Here it goes: Hey Dude Welcome Freshman Double Dare Guts Legends of the Hidden Temple Are You Afraid of the Dark Clarissa Explains it All Alex Mack Salute Your Shorts All That Keenan and Kel The Amanda Show Pete and Pete Rugrats Ren and Stimpy Rocko's Modern Life Doug (do do do do do do...) Ok, that's just off the top of my head and I'm sure there were WAY more that I used to watch. It was such a great channel with some unique programming (see Pete and Pete). Kids today sure as heck don't know what they're missing. Most of the stuff they have on that channel now is just crap (same as current Disney Channel). Oh what I wouldn't give to rewind time back to the 90s and early 2000s and relive some of that awesome programming. Until someone invents a time machine, I guess we'll just have to stick with DVD, YouTube, and the occasional Bit Torrent (you didn't see that). Here's to classic Nick!!!

I think the old Flight Commander pad would be a good place for a new Ferris Wheel if they were to decide to bring one in.