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2014 marked a landmark year for Kings Island. Several fun and interesting things happened to shake things up throughout the season. Here is my top 10 ways Kings Island shook things up in 2014 10 – Skeleton Key When Kings Island began offering an augmented experience in the Haunt mazes for an extra charge many of us quickly blew it off. The mazes were historically not bad, but not good. A solid mediocre. Why would you pay extra for an extra room or two? Those who dared to brave the Skeleton Key experience were in for a real surprise. Not only were the mazes ramped up for the 2014 Haunt season, but the Skeleton Key experience was definitely one to write home about. People who had the Skeleton Key seemed to all have agreed to a pact that they would not spoil the secrets to those who hadn’t experienced it. The Skeleton Key rooms grossed you out, took you out of your element, surprised you, and harped on your worst phobias – all of which are a recipe for an amazing Haunted experience. 9 – Dog Days By 2014 we were used to one – and only one – dog ruling the midways of Kings Island. For the past several years, Snoopy has been unleashing his family-friendly mischief on Kings Island’s Planet Snoopy,but now he’s not alone. In 2014 we saw the debut of the inaugural Dog Days at Kings Island. Every Saturday in October featured special activities for both man and man’s best friend. I imagine that we haven’t seen the end of this super popular event . 8 - Dinos After Dark It has always been widely accepted that Dinosaurs Alive closed at dusk and the Audio Animatronic dinosaurs simply went to bed. That was, of course, until Kings Island invited guests to check out what it would be like to see the dinos under the cloak of the night. Armed with only a flashlight, kids and adults alike traversed through the woods full of growls, suspicious movements, and eerie silence to see Dinosaurs Alive in a way that has never been done before. Those who braved Dinos After Dark got an experience that they’ll never forget. 7 – Kings Island Kicks Cancer After parting ways with the controversial Susan G. Komen foundation, Kings Island repackaged their August charitable event into Kings Island Kicks Cancer. Guests were invited to kick mini soccer balls into the fountain for a chance to win a car. The proceeds from this event supported the Cincinnati Dragonfly Foundation, Pink Ribbon Girls, and Melanoma Know More. A total of $186,000 was raised for these three organizations. 6 – World Records A-Plenty photo credit: wlwt.com As part of the Kings Island Kicks Cancer campaign, three world records were set in three subsequent weeks, all of which to create awareness for their respective charities. First, roughly 200 heads were shaved – symbolic to the hair loss that is often associated with Chemotherapy cancer treatments – to create awareness for the Dragonfly Foundation. The following week a total of 2,148 patrons participated in a record breaking attempt to host the most people apply sunscreen simultaneously to create awareness for Melanoma Know More. Finally, 1,821 people simultaneously applied lipstick to break the record for the most people to do so. This was done to create awareness for the Pink Ribbon Girls, a local organization that supports women fighting breast cancer. Since then, all three records have been verified by the Guinness Book of World Records. 5 – The All Season Dining Plan The one thing that is rough about being a season pass holder is the cumulative cost of food at Kings Island over a season. We’ve all spent well into the 3 figures or more on food. I don’t even like to think about it. Rumors started circulating that Kings Island would be adding an all season plan shortly before its announcement. This rumor seems to come up every few years, and the prices guessed were otherworldly. At a price of below $100, people were shocked at the good value. Good form, Kings Island. Good form. 4 – Milestone Rides The Beast – 50 million riders, The Racer – 100 million riders, Diamondback -10 million riders, Banshee – 2 million riders (in an 11th hour push). These numbers come up at times, but they sure did fall into place quite a bit for the 2014 season. News outlets all around the world reported on these milestones (good job, Don) and Kings Island became the focus of attention in countries across the globe for a brief second each time. 3 – Announcement – New Flying Scooters!! The year 2004 left a gap in both our souls and Kings Island’s ride lineup as the classic Flying Eagles were unexpectedly packed up and shipped to Carowinds. It took ten years, but at least part of that gap will be filled in 2015. Typical Kings Island announcements come in August. August came and went and most were convinced that the park simply wouldn’t see a new ride next year. It wasn’t until the second last day of the season that both members of the media and everyday guests were invited to the Festhaus to be the first to hear what was in store for 2015. Not only did we hear about a new set of Flying Scooters (Woodstock’s Gliders) but also another new ride called Snoopy’s Space Buggies. It didn’t stop there. International Street Candy will be completely gutted and rebranded as The Sweet Spot, the largest Starbucks in the TriState will call home to Kings Island, and more! Oh yeah, and there will be a full-season petting zoo! Half the fun of being a Kings Island fan is always looking forward to what’s next! 2 – Exit Stage Left – Ed Alonzo / Enter Cirque Imagine photo credit: fansofkientertainment.com We all loved Ed. He made it clear that, although he loved Kings Island, 2013 would be his last season there. The only information we would get from the park was that “something big” would be replacing him in 2014. In the early spring, Kings Island announcement on their Facebook that Cirque Imagine would debut for the 2014 season in the Kings Island Theatre. No one knew what to expect: would this be our own version of Cirque du Solei or would it be a cheesy carnival sideshow? Those lucky enough to happen to be at the park on May 23rd to attend the impromptu preview show were left speechless. It was one of those shows that you couldn’t explain to someone else; just encourage them to go see it for themselves. Cirque Imagine became a staple for the 2014 season and many of Kings Island’s most loyal guests saw it a dozen times or more. 1 – Banshee’s Debut This one’s not surprising. When Kings Island announced Banshee in August of 2013, they knew they would have a hit on their hands… and boy did they! Guests lined up for hours to be some of the first to experience the world’s longest inverted roller coaster. Banshee proved to be what everyone had hoped – a smooth, thrilling ride that easily fits into any coaster enthusiast’s top 10 lineup. So many awesome things happened at Kings Island in 2014 that it’s hard to rank them in a manner that makes everyone happy. Do you agree with my list? Would you add or remove anything? Your thoughts and input are appreciated. We’ll see you in 2015!!

Sigh. Why must Haunt, driven by SafeAuto, mar the park the rest of the year? Hasn't it done so enough already? I tell you, it's frightening.

That's true, to a point. But I don't think physical copies are going away completely any time soon. America is an enormous market, and a lot of America is very, very rural. There are lots of places where the only options for internet are dial-up, which is far too slow for streaming video, or Satellite, which is very expensive and usually has data caps, making it unsuitable for streaming. And as a content creator, you don't want to simply eliminate that large portion of your market. So for that reason, as well as people like you and I that like to have tangible copies of the movies and music that we purchase, I don't see physical media going away completely in the foreseeable future. Maybe when we get to a point where affordable broadband is available nationwide, though, as that would blow away the biggest reason for continuing to sell hard copies. As for the other piece of that puzzle, the people who have reliable internet access but simply prefer physical media: For me personally, I won't outright refuse to buy a digital download, but it is definitely a much tougher sell. I won't, however, pay for something that I "own" but can only stream and not download locally (such as a movie on Vudu). If I'm paying for something intangible, I want to at very least make sure I can make a backup and that I can continue to use my product even if the vendor goes out of business. Obviously this wouldn't include Netflix, since I'm not "buying" those movies, it's more akin to an unlimited rental service. That's usability even if the company goes under is precisely why so many people cling to physical media. And probably exactly why the movie and music studios want so badly to move past it.

That guy in the Banshee picture, He sure looks like one cool guy.

I don't even think it would be 5 minutes. They could add a bridge and just make it have a similar design to the fountains with the white and blue. Something classy. It would, however, be unnecessary in my opinion. I could see it being done if the fountains were added last year, but after 40 years of having a fountain without a bridge then why now? If I could do one thing with the fountains to change them it would have them look EXACTLY the same, but still pull off a water show at night. That way you get the nostalgic feeling as well as a modernized end-of-night experience.

Welcome to KIC!

That is very true, but there are, of course, exceptions. It is very rare nowadays for downloaded music to be wrapped in DRM. Amazon and Apple don't use it in their marketplaces I know for sure (on music only - other content from these sources DOES have DRM). Movies almost invariably are (which is also why the only digital copies I own of movies were bundled free with the physical disc). If you want to get really nitpicky, most DVDs and Blu-Rays have DRM, too, it's just a bit less volatile since the devices to play this content do not necessarily have an internet connection. Plenty of online game retailers don't use DRM (GOG and the Humble Bundle are examples of this). Probably the one exception for me is Steam. I get a lot of games on Steam, which are wrapped in DRM. I'm not sure why I make this exception. Maybe it's the crazy sales they have a couple times a year. It's almost like, if Steam goes under, I've saved so much money by buying through them as opposed to buying the same games elsewhere, that it's almost still worth paying for an "indefinite rental". Of course, with Steam, you can put the client in "offline mode" but even then, they are still tied to that PC and you will only be able to play them for the lifetime of that computer.

Banshee, by a mile. While it's well-documented on here that I'm a huge Kings Island enthusiast, I think I've been coming to KI the last few years mostly for sightseeing and sentimental reasons. I wasn't even all that interested in Banshee, to be honest. I came to Kings Island to run the 5k in May and decided to give Banshee a try. Completely blown away. Haven't been that pumped for roller coasters since I rode Vortex for the first time in 1992 (when I was 19). Banshee seemed to almost literally turn the clock back for me. Love the location, the theme, the trains, the lift hill, all the elements, the sound, and the gift shop. They truly hit it out of the park, in my opinion.

Sure! They have a coaster so thrilling that the back seat of the train won't even ride it! I do have to admit, walking into the station and seeing an entire seat and lap bar missing from the train did not exactly give me the warm fuzzies about riding...

I think you hit the nail on the head. I agreed with everything you wrote about. The only thing I didn't do this year was dinos after dark but since I used to work on the trail I have walked it at night before anyways while cleaning up for the night. I can't wait for the 2015 season. I've been really missing ki this off season. Its been really hard. I have been constantly having dreams about the park. Here is to hoping this year's season will be just as great if not better than last year's

Until 1999, I felt the same way about Disney. I, too, was going to go once....I did. To WDW. For a week. Within less than a year, I was busy plotting a California trip. I am not a Disney junkie, but I am a Disney admirer. Now. As for the cold and snow, thanks! I love it. I missed it terribly down Fulton County, Georgia, way. One of the happiest days of my life was the day I packed up Scooby LaRue and drove out of that place, watching it get ever smaller in my rearview mirror, both physically and metaphorically. I will forever be glad I spent 18 long months there. I will be gladder still it wasn't longer. California, on the other hand...if I weren't the type who doesn't want to live where there is moderate potential of devastating earthquake, I'd move to Los Angeles tomorrow. Or San Fran. Or Sacramento....

Maybe they're taking lessons from the "being first is better than being accurate" news media of today? Or ScreamScape..... TheBEASTunchained.... Choosing his words carefully..... Somewhat..... Which makes sense if your post had a veiled hint, reference, or pun. But alas... The big hullabaloo about Screamscape isn't necessarily that he's the first (because often, he posts even verifiable news days after I hear it elsewhere). It's that he's been known to renege on things he's claimed before, or edit the past to suit new information. That's something Kentucky Kingdom has done quite a bit - this included - but at least this time it seemingly benefits the consumer as well.

TheCryptCrusader and I have been working on a drawing of the Kings Island map in chalk on a 9 ft wall! Here it is! Took about 2 hours, and a lot of hand cramps. We are now covered in chalk.

Give me an RMC with more airtime than any other coaster in the world. With golden colored track.

Meanwhile, Edison brown cylinders from 1897 still play happily today. And I have books that are nearly 200 years old...

Both the park and the cast have been very clear that Cirque will be back next year. Welcomed news!

^ Most digital video you "buy" and store locally is locked into a particular DRM format. If the vendor goes out of business or changes their technology, you're left storing useless bits. I wonder if an iTunes digital video purchased in 2015 will be playable in 2045.

Cirque was awesome, but I still miss Ed. Either show is a welcome change of pace, though from the musical revues to which we had become so accustomed. And for the music lovers, both shows had a fantastic variety of tunes, too. It's a relatively safe bet we'll be seeing more of cirque in 2015 at Kings Island. I'll be going to a lot of other Cedar Fair parks in 2015, though, and I really hope Ed is at one of the ones I go to this year. And that I don't manage to end up there on his day off...

No more Mountain Dew so close to bedtime for you. It breaks threw with you!

My family and I have are own personal reasons for wanting to leave this place behind. This past Holiday season as especially solidified them. Time for a fresh start and all that jazz. As for Disney, I don't really know why. I suppose I am just NOT their target market and i can find fault in everything they do. Everyone talks about how awesome Frozen is. I watched it and don't understand the hype. It was the same basic movie they have been making for decades. They say that some folks just cannot be pleased. Well, I am one of those when it comes to Disney. They are even making their greed and constant desire for unneeded sequels the way of life at Pixar.

Had a KI dream last night to ring in the new year! Went to the park with my little nephew who just turned 40in tall and we went over to The Racer and got to ride it! First the coaster started before everyone's seatbelts were fastened, next while going up the hill it looked like a new themed ride was added to the X-base! So I was excited now to get off The Racer and to get on that. The rest of the ride on The Racer went fine until we hit the break run at the end... (This is the part where things get strange...) we are about to hit the break run when we see a train is already on it, the breaks were also 2 bars in the middle of the track that raised up. So we smack into the car in front of us and a worker says sorry we have been having issues all day with the breaks! So after that we got off the ride, we headed to the new ride in the X-base. It had no line, and boats that looked like Lightning McQueen. I was tring to wrap my mind around how Disney would let them do such a thing. Anyways we got on the boat that fits 4 across and has 4 rows. Their was a strange seatbelt and you had to put on and some 3D glasses. Well the ride starts off with playing music and you seeing model cites floating on water, a bit later their is a screen with a a short video of baseball being played. Then the screen and music stops and your just riding a boat around on the water. It felt like something wasn't right. So we keep riding about and the music starts again and then shortly after the ride was over. I got excited thinking Maybe more stuff like this will be coming to KI soon (except working right)! Well as we got out of the boat, the park workers were talking about how the park has been hacked by North Korea and they have been messing with break timings and what not. So a long time passes after that and the park is open until 1am that night. Well right at midnight while im in International Street, the Eiffel Tower sends out a big donic pulse which being to close to it will knock you down. So I got knocked down and then it sends out ghosts that will attack and harass park goers! Well I start running then! I start heading back by Vortex and wanting to get away only to find they keep coming at you and don't stop! So I then I head for Planet Snoopy and luckily find they have a save zone which is lit up and has a big cross on it. I head in their and stay in their for a bit. Apparently this was a new thing added, and every night that every night that their open until 1am they do this ghost thing (atleast that's what other people were saying). then I realized my brother is waiting for me out front, so I leave the safe zone and run as fast as I can! Lucky me the tower needed to recharge so I had 20 seconds to run to the front. No sooner than I step threw the exit their was another snoic wave that followed. The End!

Not to mention the higher prices on the coast lines.... The midwest has its faults but its cheaper to live around here. I looked at living in Amaretto Texas and Chicago Illinois. I did live for a year in upsate. I was so excited to move back to Ohio for the cheaper gas and food. Why, may I ask, do you despise the company?

Stop. You're making me miss it.

Well, you were in Georgia, yikes. The year I spent in that place was the worst of my life so far. The Disney PARKS may be nice but the company itself could disappear tomorrow and I couldn't care less. Of course that wouldn't bode well for the parks but you catch my drift. Only thing I like about cold weather is Chili. People say, just add clothing to get warm, well that makes me uncomfortable. I don't particularly care for long pants, big jackets, etc. Not saying that high temps and humidity are enjoyable but after 20+ years of working in stuffy motor pools and garages, the heat is manageable. You want HOT? Go to Haiti some time.

Incredible 10 countdown. Thanks,

Different philosophies can provide similar results. Conducting business is never cut and dry or right and wrong if successful. I will say though that following TPS (Toyota Production System) has many benefits which is another discussion altogether. I've been lucky to have grown within my company for almost a decade, and having started there while young I never truly got to see a company that follows "bad" practices. Many times newer employees from all backgrounds and age ranges have filled me in on some things that companies that have failed have in common.

You been in the Egg Nog again?

The Busch Gardens Africa name was short-lived; many would consider it forgotten.

The ride on Outer Limits: Flight of Fear was amazing. That's ONE word for it. One that can be used here, anyway.

Have whatever opinion you want about AIG, but they sure did build a VERY successful museum and I have no doubt that their Ark Encounter will do the same. When I was in college I worked at the closest Best Buy to the museum and I would see people from all across the country come in daily to pick up memory cards and whatnot for the museum. Just imagine what a life-size ark will do for them. I'm with a lot of you in thinking that Ken Hamm is quite a bit out of touch when it comes to many social issues, but it wouldn't be fair to discount his ability to expand his corporation.

Orlando-Tampa area? Puh-leeze. That's like saying the Cincinnati-Portsmouth area... Even in Orlando the Disney draw is not universal, Harry.

Hands down: Flight of Fear, second place: Tomb Raider. Flight of Fear was thrilling and comfortable until this year. Not sure exactly what happened to it this year or if it was related to the fires. I really wish some of you youngins' got to experience both Outer Limits: Flight of Fear (the hangar experience, not the ride) in 1996 as well as the Tomb Raider experience of 2002-03. Both were absolutely amazing.

My fondest memories include the Flintstone Boulder Bumpers, the Scooby Doo rollercoaster, the Enchanted Voyage (before the Smurfs), and the KI & MVRR when it had operating characters. And also the memorable vine tunnel.

I think goodyellowkorn was probably spot on regarding the fact Canada's Wonderland essentially needs the bridge to avoid forcing guest to walk all the way around the fountains or the mountain. Comparing Kings Island's fountains and International Street to Canada's Wonderland's is like apples and oranges to me. I'd first start by saying that I don't consider Canada's Wonderland's bridge to actually go over the fountains. It goes over water, sure, but the fountains end before the bridge. The reason they have a bridge instead of the walkway we have is because instead of capping their International Street with an Eiffel Tower as Kings Island and Kings Dominion do, they have a Mountain with a waterfall, which goes into a pool connected to their fountains. So the part of the water (if you want to call it part of their fountain, go ahead) Canada's Wonderland goes over, does not exist at Kings Island. Our fountains end essentially where their bridge is. Kings Island is a very well laid-out park, I don't think our fountains are that hard to get around and of course I don't mind walking by them because they are one of my favorite things at the park. While I think the idea being able to walk across and have the fountains on both sides is neat to imagine, I think it would end up making the fountain seem smaller and less grand, especially when seen from the entrance.

Bathrooms, anyone?

Maybe they're taking lessons from the "being first is better than being accurate" news media of today?

Why? Cost. VHS was much, much cheaper. WalMart has built a fantastic business on the proposition that Americans largely value cheap over quality.

That's all very nice, but blaming the printer? Does no one proof anything anymore?

The "we're not responsible for typos" policy is for the store's own protection, not because they want to be mean to consumers while cutting corners during the printing process. Several years ago, Sears inadvertently listed the then-$745 iPad 2 for $69 in their ad. Had they actually honored that price, not only would they have lost a lot of money, they likely would have been the recipient of lawsuits from competitors and/or friendly notices from Apple's lawyers.

Sounds about right.

Cornball Express. Cause the wife loves it.

Ah Wendy's the people that stole Kewpee's burger recipe

Miss King Cobra so much!!

The area in question, is where the fireworks are shot off for display.

Gwazi looks like all of the wooden roller coasters I used to make on RCT. It looks cool, but I guess that's why I never became a ride designer.

I have never been to Kings Dominion, so looking at the photos of the tower and the fountains there after a lifetime of attending KI is like looking into a Bizarro world. I'm half expecting Snoopy to walk by with a mustache on. Thanks, Terp, you've sent me down a Google images rabbit hole that will probably take up most of my afternoon.