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Theme. What else is new. Theming makes Verbolten more than just a family coaster; Flight of Fear more than Joker's Jinx; Adventure Express more than Cedar Creek Mine Ride; Maverick more than iSpeed; Mystery Mine more than any other Eurofighter; Tomb Raider more than The Crypt; Banshee more than Raptor. the point is, theme matters. Not just a barn station for every ride. A storyline; props; fog; plot; pacing; effects; music; commitment to those elements over time...

Ugh, are you sick of snow? Yeah me too. But here's a warm thought... We are down to 43 days until Opening Day!! Edit made by me. Original photo: http://behindthethrills.com/2014/04/after-31-years-the-bat-returns-to-kings-island/

I honestly don't find Adventure Express any rougher than it was the day it opened back in 1991. How does Vortex (or Racer or Beast) compare to your 15 years ago experience? Remember, you have aged 15 years. You have probably changed a lot more than the ride has.

^ Idk why but that made me think of this.

Well, if we were in a high school physics class word problem, that train would ALWAYS be accelerating at a rate of (-9.8 m/s2 * sin(Ө)) (where Ө is the angle of the slope) no matter what kind of wheels are used. Fortunately, real life is not similar to high school physics word problems, or we would constantly find ourselves in very bizarre, contrived situations. And then we'd all die because we'd be living in a frictionless vacuum. (I hope my formula is actually right... It's admittedly been a while since I was in a physics classroom...)

Safety mechanisms. Yup, all those safety mechanisms that make the coasters the thrill machines they are.

The term "anymore" would imply that at some point this person was interested. Which would imply they were under the impression Fury 325 would include inversions. With this amount of information I am fairly confident in my conclusion that this person is a complete idiot. .

^POVs can be deceiving. Most people who aren't roller coaster enthusiasts wont notice the difference. Both Intimidator and Fury 325 were made by B&M, both have the same style of track, and both have similar clam shell seats. So they MUST be the same ride. That is what everyone said about Leviathan before anyone got to ride it. Now I bet if you go around Canada's Wonderland and ask people if Leviathan and Behemoth are similar they would say no way. They will definitely change their minds once they ride this monster called Fury 325.

That and a dandy restraint change? Terp, who likes to ask questions.

Intensity. Examples are Maverick and Voyage.

I can't wait for my 2nd season at the park!

For the smoothest ride, ride in the middle (second) row of any of Adventure Express's three row cars. From there, you may see Terp riding in the front row of the front car (or behind you or with you in the next to last row of the train).

Racer seemed a little rougher than memory, but not a ton. Vortex was just as I remembered. Beast was actually smoother than I remembered. AE just seemed rougher. Like I said before, it could have been car/seat choice. It could also be influenced by the fact that I rode all of those others waaaaaaaay more than AE and just have a better sample size to draw from. Regardless, with gold pass this season, I'm sure I'll hit AE a few times. I may, in fact, just to see if the car/seat choice was a significant factor.

Nothing is going to stop that. (bad pun)

A slice of bread can be very exciting! Even without the slicing! Especially at Mythos. And some people aren't into beating drums or even listening to them, yet are more horny types, while others are into sax, yet others abstain or are into rhythm and/or blues.

I take it you aren't a fan of Leap the Dips, Avalanche, or Flying Turns? I can relate to that. I have a friend who adores Milennium Force and thinks it the most exciting thing since sliced bread, while I think it's about as exciting as a slice of bread. Like I learned from TV, the world don't move to the beat of just one drum, what might be right for you might not be right for some. The difference, of course, is that MY drum is the one that sounds correct (JK, of course)

I voted for turns and negative gs. My favorite coaster is The Voyage. It's is like 3 coasters in one. It's an airtime machine with 90 degree turns. The pacing of the ride is just fantastic. I feel like pacing is more important than speed. If the ride is paced well then it will feel fast no matter what. Theming isn't really important to me but leaving trees or bushes up around a ride are a must to me. Could you imagine Diamondback or Banshee with trees near it. It would make the rides even more intense. I think the way new rides are going in on great terrain but with the trees completely cleared is disappointing.

Tumblebug?? Skylab??

For those who don't know how bad the overhead restraints were, imagine being put in a rubber headlock while riding Flight of Fear and all it's quick transitions. Not fun.

No. It's Care-uh-winds. It's not Care-oh-line-uh.

The over the shoulder restraints are gone...

lol many of us have grown in various ways in 15 years, I'm sure! I actually shrunk by about 40lbs since then. Congrats! I am struggling with weight right now, so anytime posts something good like that, its worth a huge congrats.... I wonder about roughness as a psychological thing. 15 years ago, the steel coasters in the park were King Cobra, AE, Vortex, Top Gun, and Outer Limits. Not smooth in the transitions and somewhat rough. But 15 years ago they felt good. Now we have Diamondback and Banshee which by all accounts (except for a few) are buttery smooth. Could it be that psychologically we interpret it as rougher than it was 15 years ago, only because something smoother came along? While the wooden coasters remained the same because there is no "rougher" coaster. Heck maybe to even explain why The Beast seems smoother is because in our minds eye, the coaster is out of control and tough to ride? Maybe?

lol many of us have grown in various ways in 15 years, I'm sure! I actually shrunk by about 40lbs since then.

Other- The feeling of recklessness is my favorite part of a ride. Maverick, Voyage, etc... something with constant excitement, speed, G's, and whatever else there is. As long as there is a feeling of recklessness, it will work for me.

In other words, it'll be doing this with the hard wheels-

That's okay Terpy. I love dive coasters, some think they are boring. I really love the airtime on Diamondback but my buddy says it might be the most boring B&M he has ever ridden. That's what I like about coasters, they can produce completely different experiences from two people.

Great Coaster? Great Coasters International, Inc. makes great coasters. Terp...who just HAD to.

I voted "Other" because all these elements make for a great coaster. Yes, Maverick is my favorite because it yanks you down the drops and around the turns with blazing speed, but I think theming also has to count for something too. Mystery Mine may not be the tallest and fastest, but that second drop with the really gives it a nice touch. There are also other factors others than those listed, such as nostalgia, which is pretty important to me (which explains why Adventure Express, The Bat, and Vortex are my most ridden KI coasters and also why I love Firehawk so much!) and location. Location explains why Gatekeeper is so visually appealing and why The Beast is so great at night! So yeah, I hope that explains it well enough! EDITed to add blurb about location.

Earlier today, Kings Island's Vice President / General Manager, Greg Scheid, asked a question to his followers..... ........So to help give Mr. Scheid some feedback, What is your answer to the above question?.... His Twitter followers have given their answers, now it's time for KICentral to voice ours (in one specific topic ) What is most important to you on a coaster? (After answering the poll, please explain why you chose what you did, If you want) This should be an interesting discussion.

And bars...yet I always sing along. Bum bum bum

1) Other: A truly successful coaster is one that I can smile before, during, and after while making memories with friends and family. 2) Negative Gs: My favorite aspects on coasters. Which is why El Toro>>>all 3/4) Theme/special effects: While not a make-or-break factor in my ranking of coasters, ones with more effects and theming provide a better overall experience and leave a great impression. 5) Speed: Launches. 'Nuff said.

I think the theme of a coaster is important take Space Mountain at DisneyWorld for example, throughout the entire ride it sticks to its theme being space. Another great example would be the Banshee, I mean walking through a graveyard and having the Banshee wail at you, how awesome is that? I overall think that theming a coaster is pretty important, as well as special effects.

Those are all valid possibilities for my perception of AE's (lack of) smoothness. For each of us, perception is reality...even if that perception is not shared with others. The only exception to some of the theories would be the impressions of the 14 year old. He doesn't have the memories of my prior visits on which to base his perception. However, he also benefits in some ways by not having the older steel coasters to compare/contrast with the new steel coasters etc. It's all fascinating to think about, but in the end, doesn't change that my family is unlikely to get in line for AE. I may while they do something else as a pseudo survey on how car/seat selection changes the ride.

Imagine a workforce without friction being a factor!

Hotel is booked and trip is planned. We are going to Busch Gardens Williamsburg and then to Kings Dominion the next day. I can't wait. Does anyone have any suggestions or tips for the two parks like times to avoid certain rides or special food items I wouldn't be able to get elsewhere?

This is incredible! Makes me feel bad about some of things I have complained about in the past.

I've racked my brain for a few on this one, and I just can't come up with an answer, for me. Of the coasters I've been on, I have enjoyed most. Not being chucked out at 60 mph and 100 feet is a nice start.

I personally prefer more thematic elements to areas and rides than to bigger and badder attractions. I'd rather have a short, themed dark ride with a fun and emersive interactive queue (see Peter Pan's Flight, Magic Kingdom) than a record-breaking invert with little to no theming at all (Banshee, sorta). I'm not saying I don't like Banshee, but I am saying the sweet spot is where you can combine a great coaster like Banshee with heavy thematic elements to make a one-of-a-kind ride (see Expedition Everest). great coaster + great theme = happy me

As much as I agree it could use a flat, I would love to see a dark ride of some sort end up back that way.

Safe, reliable operation at a cost effective price + long term guest appeal. Terp,...speaking like a consultant (imagine that).

All the above in my opinion. The right mix of all those things listed, and more, make rides enjoyable.

Most important to me are negative g's and pacing. Pacing is maintaining a sense of speed and excitement throughout the entirety of the ride. I find negative g's to be the most thrilling element of most roller coasters. Pacing is important to me because I don't like it when a ride feels like it is petering out towards the end. Capacity is important also, but I would be happy to wait for an exceptional ride. P.S. It seems the gears of a five year plan are turning.

Sorry for the double post......BUT..... This is WAY too exciting not to post. Carowinds Amusement Park on Facebook : "Round #2. #FuryFever" Photo : Carowinds Amusement Park via Facebook

Fury 325 or bust

Have you been on Leviathan? Do you plan on riding Fury 325?..... TheBEASTunchained......Asking questions again....

http://dailyadvocate.com/news/health/152114448/Amusement-park-motivates-girl Mod edit: Removed full article for fairness to the author. Please follow the link to read this amazing story.

The days when they played the movie themes over International Street were nice. I chose pre-DB Rivertown; although the present-day Rivertown is very open and bright. I still miss the certain, tucked-away feel of the pre-DB days.

All the attractions featured in "Must-Do Disney" in Disney World, of course. (Listen to Stacey, she'll tell ya what you need to know)

Or even if she didn't. Bless her heart.

If Kings Island gets a giga hopefully it's a Intamin instillation. I'd rather have KI skip on the oversized Diamondback.