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The prerogative of youth: to be unencumbered by history

59 days seems like such a long time away...especially with all of this snow getting in the way. At least I can still see KI from my house to remind me it's awaiting me this summer...(unashamed brag).

I like the idea of a bathroom next to Splash River, seems like you have to walk a mile to get to the bathrooms from there.

I thought the petting zoo was nice, they rotated the animals. We didn't see the joey because it was too cold for him, too windy, but we saw a lot of pretty calm animals not bothered by kids. Yah, I know, PETA would accuse me of not knowing what the animals think- but the camels didn't spit, there was no flinching, it was clean. There were plenty of attendants around to supervise. I could see where KI would be quiet about a petting zoo; the whole "animals in a park" gig has been taking a beating in the media lately. Some petting zoos are stinky and run down, with the animals in bad shape. I didn't see that at KI. It would be a long walk to the Pet Daycare from Planet Snoopy, though. I'm thinking it's just a shift of finances. The Pet Daycare was never crowded when I went there, and as it's been stated in this thread, the view of dogs on vacation has changed. The last three Scottie shows I attended were in a hotel, and the dogs stayed in the rooms.

I'm one of those people who's famous for being famous...

Rides, Rides and more Rides. One of the really neat things about the new Memory Maker package (formerly Photopass) is the inclusion of On-Ride Photos and something really neat is an on-ride video from the new Seven Dwarfs coaster. Really a neat feature to the package and honestly some of the neatest pictures we have from the trip. I have a little thrill seeker on my hands in Little Miss RailRider and there is no better experience than enjoying some of her favorite rides with her. Expedition Everest being her favorite ride from any park. Also something else that makes Disney World truly family friendly is being able to experience a lot of rides with all members of the family. We experienced so many favorites together as a family and getting to take little baby RailRider on some of the classics like Dumbo, Its a Small World, Peter Pan, Pirates of the Caribbean and so many others as an entire family is pretty awesome. I must say at such a young age she really enjoyed Its a Small World and Little Mermaid and she may have slept through Pirates. Still these are just mere moments of magic to add to such and fun and wonderful place. Enjoy the pure excitement as we experienced some of Disney's best rides. And I know some of you will ask, Seven Dwarfs was everything I thought it would be... A great family coaster to start the young ones out on and it takes Disney Animatronics to the next level. Do I wish it were longer? yes. More thrilling? No. Is it a great addition to Magic Kingdom, Absolutely! Once again thanks for the ability to pre-book FastPass+ before we ever arrived. Everest is an amazing ride. While I like the West Coast version better, Dinosaur is not to be missed. Might have napped through Dumbo Was in awe of Little Mermaid Made it half way through Its a Small World Space Mountain is such a fun classic ride Did I mention 7 Dwarfs is a great ride Tron the Ride? Nope the New Test Track Tower of Terror We made it to the concert with time to spare Thanks for sharing in the thrills and memories. Come back soon as we will celebrate the season with the Mouse. Tis the Season.

Oh hey there! There may be snow on the ground right now and bitter cold but just think warm and happy thoughts of Kings Island's Opening Day on April 18th! We're down in the 50's (no not 50 Shades of Grey) but 59 days away until Opening Day! Here's a little something... I edited this a little but here's where I got it from: http://www.cincinnati.com/story/entertainment/2014/04/17/kings-island-roller-coaster-Banshee/7813679/

If I had my say, I wouldn't convert it. I'd remodel it. I am seriously bummed out about the Resort's fate. A visit to Kings Island has, for several decades, meant that the Kings Island Inn/Resort may be a part of that trip. I'd like to see a revitalized resort. Please know, however, I understand there is virtually no chance of that happening.

Like others, I am really thinking the Soak City expansion is coming within the next two years. The space by the parking lot would be a nice place to put it.

Hey, I for one would not mind for that. To be frank, I would add in a parking-lot coaster. Make it x height and make it go over the highway, and it would not be that bad of an Invert.

Like the Kardashians?

As of now, there aren't any more King Cobra footers remaining. King Cobra has been completely replaced the new ride "Banshee," at Kings Island. Also, the trains that belong to King Cobra were moved to Kings Dominion in 2009. They are located behind the Flight of Fear ride. The trains can be seen by Google Earth/Maps, trespassing (Highly not recommended,) or looking towards the back of the Flight of Fear as soon as you exit the launch tunnel in the ride, "Volcano the Blast Coaster." An update on the trains: From what I've noticed from my last visit to Kings Dominion is that the King Cobra trains look like they do not have their set restraints on. (I saw the trains on the Volcano the Blast Coaster, so it was a bit hard to identify every single detail.) Also, when I got to the ride Shockwave, the restraints were either repainted from yellow to black (With a bit of yellow emphasizing the handlebars,) or the old Shockwave restraints were replaced with King Cobra's. This is a theory. Please don't interpret it as a fact. That's about it with the trains. Also, if you don't know what the ride "Shockwave," is, it is a TOGO stand-up rollercoaster. It looks almost like the King Cobra, but without the banked track part. (Tricktrack.) Look it up yourself for more information. As for SkyRider at Canada's Wonderland... That ride has been removed from the park. It has been relocated to an amusement park called Cavalinno Matto, in Italy. (You could probably tell by the name.) From what I've heard there is no new name for SkyRider, but it doesn't posses the name "SkyRider" anymore. It was either named after the park or it doesn't have a name as of now. (This is fairly new information, correct me if I'm wrong.)

I would invest my money in making it an Alpine lodge resort again. A lot of wall replacement and major fumigation would be needed for the restoration project.

There was no Facebook, but a yearbook is a book of faces!

A couple of notes on the website. -The mobile and desktop version of the website are the same, there are simply media queries to rearrange things for a smaller screen -It was designed by an outside company that looks like they have created a number of websites for Cedar Fair -They used Bootstrap I still hate the URL change. Everyone who linked to the old Conneaut Lake Park will have to change their website, and (assuming the park makes it), how long can you keep the "New" on a website?

My parents certainly did not pay for my yearbooks. I worked 50-60 hours a week during school and more in the summer. Though even then it was not legal, it was one of the best things I ever did. It kept me sane, and that job in any given week taught me more about life than high school did in three long, boring, monotonous years. The yearbooks have been a sometimes reminder of how life has a way of producing unexpected results. There was no Facebook, no Twitter, no social media. These yearbooks survive more than 40 years later. Will any of those things? At least the yearbooks had editors!

As I mentioned in another thread, I've come into possession of two Kings Island employee yearbooks. One is from 1978: Kings Jester and the other is A View from the Tower from 1987 (the year Vortex premiered). Almost the instant I saw these on eBay, I bought them, even though I hadn't been aware KI made employee yearbooks and wasn't sure exactly what they were going to be. I was hoping to get a bit of a look at the Kings Island I loved so much in my childhood. I have an unusual memory. I know all kinds of strange facts, but I never remember how I learned them. My own personal memories are few and far between, often vague, and I don't remember much of it at all without outside prompts like other people, pictures, diaries, etc. For an example, around the first time I found out my memory was different was at the end of 5th grade when classmates were talking about very specific memories of events from our years in elementary school, which I should have remembered too (because I was there for many of them), while I couldn't have told them my second grade teacher's name without looking in my yearbook from that year. So far, a cursory look through the employee yearbooks have jogged a lot of memories, as I had hoped. What I hadn't considered was the ability to look behind the scenes, which is giving special insight about the people who helped make those days so special, and by extension are continuing to help make my days at the park pleasurable. Kings Jester in particular focuses on this aspect of being a Kings Island employee, and that is what I want to make my first installment of several posts I hope to write about these yearbooks. If anyone has any questions about the yearbooks and/or would like me to show/talk about something in particular that may be contained within, please let me know.

i recall the exact day those were installed as i was on my way to my morning shift. it was like "Oooo, shine-y..."

Ryan's been famous for a while now. As I recall his picture used to appear on a banner somewhere in Action Zone

Just because you have money does not make you smart. As they say, "A sucker is born every minute" Pretty amazing the guy got away with it that long.

Welcome to KIC!

It's also interesting that the two domains are not owned by the same person. However, why they wouldn't just put the new site at the old domain, or at least automatically redirect it (like how pki.com redirects to visitkingsisland.com) is beyond me.

I love how the videographer seems blissfully unaware of the past. Great Adventure HAD a Frisbee. It lives at Six Flags Great America now. And someone really needs to teach him how to pronounce Huss. And no one, and I do mean no one, but the park calls that park Six Flags. It's Great Advencha to the locals. Not Six Flags Great Adventure. And certainly not just Six Flags.

A report is nearly done. Such scurrying. Such worrying. And in THE election year. Much to see here. Coming soon. To a legislator near you.

I have some...these two I actually appear in (back when I was fat....eww) IMG_4393 by ki_faerie_wench, on Flickr But yeah...as far as I am aware 2006 was the last one.

And none of that, at all, can happen without the approval of the bankruptcy judge or a discharge of the debt. The simple truth is the park is no longer in control of its destiny. At all.

I have never understood why amusement park games are not gambling. The same games, conducted in a retail store, would often be shut down. And 11 year olds, and younger, play them. They can't play the slots at Vegas, for crying out loud, but the peach baskets at the park or fair are okay? Why?

Yeah, is was on here so you usually saw it here on KIC.

Ahhh reliving memories through the creation of a trip report. This is something I have always taken great joy in doing, but it seems over the years I have done less and less. Lack of time, Apathy or maybe nobody around here cares anymore. I'm not sure the reasons I have not done as many as I once did, but a magical trip to Disney at Christmas seemed like the perfect opportunity to wax poetic once again. 2014 saw La Familia RailRider add member #4. Yes we were blessed with daughter number 2 in August and it made perfect sense that our first real family vacation be to Disney World at Christmas. Visiting the World for the Christmas season is something we have been wanting to do and the trip provided so many new magical moments. Especially seeing Little Miss RailRider share her love and enthusiasm of Disney with her Sister and her Grandparents. What a neat moment to behold. Please take the next few minutes and enjoy our journey.

Yep. That's being discussed in the Coming Attractions forum: http://www.KICentral.com/forums/index.php/topic/29049-next-new-ride/page-20

Earl Grey, black, or green? Lol

I have a friend that has a business with their husband...each year they donate about $100. My goal is $1,000. I've got incentives set up on Facebook for those who donate. I'm also trying to decide on ways to get people to donate in the form of if we raise $200 I have to do this....and so on. If I reach goal, I will dye my hair for the event.

My favorite part of Soak City is the big wave pool, im not a real big fan of slides, but I am a fan of the Lazy River, because when Im in the Lazy River, I do what im best at, being lazy!

It is odd. KI has been somewhat quiet about the petting zoo.

Our high school yearbooks were at least $60/ea. and not distributed until the following fall. Which meant graduating seniors had to come back to pick theirs up.

The places I stay close for the winter.

To me, it sounds like cheap encouragement to stay through the end of the season.

The rooms were designed in-house by the same people that brought you EnterTrainMent Junction. The plan to repeat the attention to detail, quality, and mind-blowing scale with this project. It is not a franchise. Thanks!! I had already contacted the first one, but didn't know the second one. I went ahead and submitted our information with them. If anyone else wants to submit potential resources, I'm happy to give them a shot. I really appreciate it. Yeah, obviously I have a vested interest in this so I want it to be successful too. I can tell you that there are several of these through the US. The range goes from excellent to lame. Almost all sell out all the time. The whole concept is very popular no matter where it goes. Plus with the people working on it, I can safely assume that there will be nothing short of excellence with this project. I'm excited to see what everyone thinks.

The loop name. Ouch. Sobbing Terp

I believe the law change is from 2013, reflected in section 849.0935 F.S. regarding games of chance by nonprofits, Very broadly-written law. Several lawsuits pending dealing with the language, but Disney decided to be proactive in the meantime. DQ will remain open, minus the redemption games.

When the Off Season Photo Contest is already in its 16th week...which means we are already 16 weeks into the off season...which means we are getting closer and closer to Opening Day 2015!

Welcome to KIC!

This whole concept is based off of the escape room game genre. I actually played "The Room" and "The Room 2" as research in the weeks leading up to the announcement. "The Room" is only $.99 on Android (and probably iOS) so if you want to see what this is all about I highly recommend checking it out. I found the game super addicting. The things that happen in the video game kind of defy the laws of physics. I.e. a drawer would have different content if a switch is flipped. Obviously something like that would be hard to mimic, but what they have planned is still pretty darn amazing. One of the target groups that we're looking for is corporate groups looking to do team building. I can tell you that after the "powers that be" did their research on other escape rooms the consensus was that the most successful groups were able to quickly establish leaders, communicate, and think together as a team. That's one of the reasons why I'm so excited to bring KIC out there. I'm really curious as to who falls into what role... who helps and who deters... who is a leader and who is a follower... who can maintain composure while being timed and who can not. God I love this stuff. “If I had an hour to solve a problem I'd spend 55 minutes thinking about the problem and 5 minutes thinking about solutions.” -Albert Einstein

I know (a small part of) the kennel was used to care for some of the animals in Ed Alonzos show before- wondering if its being closed to the public this year to be used for some of the petting zoo animals?

Oh What Characters You Meet... We always make it a point of our trips to meet lots of characters and the more unique characters have been some of the most fun. Christmas time is not full of unique characters like it used to be, but still there are some neat ones to meet. Gaston was probably the highlight of the trip as far as interaction wise. Not soon after we got back but a video of meeting Gaston went viral for the push up contest. Also no trip is complete right now to Disney without meeting Anna and Elsa. Thank goodness I was able to book our FastPass+ far in advance of our arrival. Love that system. Just a small sampling of the numerous characters we met. Some great interactions with Marry and Bert Anna and Elsa Her Favorite Princess Snow White Loves Little Baby RR Some very special characters ever since our trip to Disneyland. Everyone loves Stitch and Santa media/Disney2014/santa.jpg.html'> What to Ride, What to Ride...

An Introduction to Magic For many Disney World is a once in a lifetime trip, that will hopefully create memories that will last a life time. These special moments and interactions throughout Disney are what I like to refer to as Magic. I was introduced to Magic by a fellow KIC'er and esteemed all things Disney expert (Avatar). When planning a trip I try to incorporate enough time and opportunities for those unique magical one in a lifetime moments. The amazing thing with Disney is that there are so many opportunities to create Magic and sometimes it is by total surprise. This trip was extremely special because we were taking Baby RailRider on her first real vacation and the Grandparents were experiencing Disney through the eyes of a child for the first time. Oh yeah and we went at Christmas as well. The details: Bay Lake Tower was our home for the week (Walking Distance to the Magic Kingdom) We had free dinning that we upgraded to Deluxe. All 4 parks will be visited along with their Christmas Festivities. We start every trip with Dinner our first night at California Grill, High atop the Contemporary Resort, amazing views of the Kingdom and the best seat for Holiday Wishes Fireworks. Not to mention this is the best meal at Disney by far. Did I mention best seat around for Wishes Fireworks? We were treated to Holiday Wishes and Disney goes all out. We would be visiting the parks over the next few days Rather than share a chronological trip report, I am just going to share some favorite moments. Yes I broke down and bought everyone matching Diseny Shirts with our last names on them. Actually its a brand that makes headwear that we share last names with. Awesome! Too early in the morning for BabyRailRider, she will be awake later. The Disney Photopass now the Memory Maker is worth the purchase price. You get shots that you wouldn't have otherwise and the onride photos that I will share later are just awesome along with the video Something in this picture is no longer around? Oh what Characters you will meet... Coming Soon

Hey if we are dreaming maybe Face Off goes away and there comes a new coaster that interacts with the gate as we have seen at CP and CW

^Given recent additions in the chain I think a dark ride might be a safe bet. If only there was some sort of building already constructed to house such a ride...

Carowinds. Helpful Terpy.

Flea From Terrier?