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Launch video. I'm loving the sound of this ride.

Holiday World & Splashin' Safari on Facebook: Photo : Holiday World & Splashin' Safari via Facebook

Looks cool already! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

It seems like there is water spilling out of the dummies (only on one train this happens) during the drop. (Image taken from Carowinds' webcam https://www.carowinds.com/online-fun/webcams )

Or Terp... These are not glass smooth B&M's. They were not meant to be. If made so now, they'd be different....beasts.

Adventure Express never has been, and never tried to be "smooth". It's a mine train coaster. It is supposed to emulate the experience of an out-of-control minecart. The "roughness" comes not from any flaws in the ride, but from the very design of the ride itself. A lot of what I've seen people refer to as "rough" on that ride pertains to things like sudden transitions and underbanked turns. It's not that the track has warped over time and become less smooth - that happens to a degree with wood, but not so much with steel. No, the ride runs exactly as it was designed to run: wild, crazy, and seemingly out-of-control. To change it and make it smoother by altering these elements may or may not make for a more enjoyable ride. I would personally find it less enjoyable, but I can't speak for everybody. But it wouldn't come without cost. It would fundamentally change the identity of the ride. I'd compare it to the old and new Texas Giants. Same footprint, same name, and a lot of the same structure, but completely and undeniably a different ride. Or for a better example, Steel Phantom to Phantom's Revenge. You have an old Arrow that a lot of people see as rough, so another company (D.H. Morgan) was called in to modify the elements of the ride that people found to be unenjoyable. The end result was a ride that shared some of the most recognizable elements of its former self, but was almost entirely a new experience. Now that I've brought up that example, I've realized that it is very possible to modify an Arrow and end up with something I like, as Phantom is my favorite Hypercoaster (a classification which is itself debated for that ride... I consider it to be one due to its having a 200+ foot drop). So MAYBE a modification to AE wouldn't be THE WORST thing, but I'd certainly be reluctant to welcome the idea, and if Vekoma were involved, I would almost CERTAINLY not like the idea. But being that it's in Ohio, I assume that S&S would have to give the OK for any such modifications to occur regardless.

Smoother VEKOMA? Pardon me while I wipe all the Canada Dry Diet Ginger Ale off my screen. Hoo-eee! That WAS a good one. Snort.

Huh? From Batman: The Ride to Kumba, Raptor, Montu, Nitro, Chang, Medusa now Bizarro, to Tatsu and so many others, B&M has long "made some awesome coasters right now." Most importantly, their customers, the parks, think so, too. Reliable. Safe. On time. Crowd pleasing.

And sometimes that group doesn't move on at all.

That would be the shelter just to the right of Woodstock Gliders. They generally only list ride names on the map. (Unless it's Timberwolf, for some reason)

Hmm, don't remember seeing this before... Kings Island Drone Policy All drones (Unmanned Aerial Systems) are prohibited at (in) all Cedar Fair parks, including Kings Island, and any unauthorized drone(s) observed over Kings Island will be reported to the FAA and local law enforcement, regardless of its point of origin or operation. Drones may pose a potential safety risk and may violate Federal Aviation Administration guidelines. (https://www.visitkingsisland.com/plan-a-visit/frequently-asked-questions) Seems that drones are all the rage right now.

Everything just looks so fluid on a B&M. That's why they look so pretty. Smooth transitions and beautifully banked turns come to mind

Not a problem! AE is one of my faves at night; especially when most of the tunnels go dark! EDIT: Plus, seeing Banshee's lights during the ride has added a cool effect to AE's night ride experience!

There is nothing wrong with Vortex if you are asking homestar.

^They are not screaming in joy, its pain from having the restraints go Mike Tyson on their cranium.... As for revamping/removing AE, it is for a certain group of riders. Some times that group moves on and goes for different rides but there are new riders being born every day for that ride...

Great Wolf Lodge is a registered trademark, and, as such, is always capitalized here. You do realize Cedar Point employees pay for lodging, and the park has it available because of its resort location? A half hour commute to work is excessive? I have lived in major metros quite some time now. Many at my place of work spend two to five hours each day commuting.

Man that's going to have a wonderful sound back in those woods. The echoing once the trees fill in is going to be awesome!

I love Adventure Express for many reasons. Not least of which because it is the only coaster at Kings Island enjoyed by my first real boyfriend and my husband (not the same person, even though there are other similarities, including the unfortunate reason neither of them really got into coasters). As a coaster enthusiast myself, I understand the tendency to focus on the big thrills. I hope the park, however, never forgets that most of us don't begin as enthusiasts, and some never become big thrill-seekers. There is a definite place for fun, mid-level thrills. Fingers still crossed for a little love on the theming. It adds that extra something for those who don't feel it is thrilling enough to bother with.

Is it just me or does it seem like there is a lot of work left on the new entrance to get done in the next 3 weeks?

I had my first night right on Adventure Express last season when I was with a KIC group. It was a whole new experience for me on that ride, as some of the tunnels were pitch black, and you couldn't really see the quick and snappy transitions coming up. It was a blast, shoutout to MDMC01 for suggesting it !

Oh...sorry. I brain-farted on that a bit. I was thinking more about their more recent creations and kinda forgot that B&M has been doing this since the early 90's...fun, crowd-pleasing coasters with great reliability. I've edited that post. ^ Also that picture is incredible. In addition to being crowd pleasing and reliable, B&M's are also IMO pretty...usually. Unless the park that builds one goes for a hideous paint job or something. Thankfully not the case for Thunderbird...

This is my feeling as well. Theming is what puts great rides over the top and can turn a mediocre or stock ride into something great. All the elements are important but theming on any ride or a park in general is what gives it that special feel. EVen small amounts of theming can be a big effect as we see with Banshee. The queue and station have some theming to them but nothing over the top but even that little bit enhances the ride greatly. And jsut look at Universal and Disney. They are major worldwide destinations seeing millions upon millions of people each year but they don't have anything huge or record breaking but people flock to them for teh experience they get with all of the theming.

Where would I put it? Behind Congo Falls and Timberwolf, running onto the vast space still left from SOB. Tons of room in the park still.

Son of Beast unfortunately had breaks mid-ride. Never a good thing.

This is sort of off of the current topic, but I am just saying, I REALLY hope Kings Island gets rid of the seat belts on Diamondback this year. I only rode Diamondback 4 times last year all because the lines where long because of how much the capacity was affected. They need to up their capacity game and those seat belts are so loose they are almost unnecessary(I am 6 4' or 6 5' and weigh about 250 pounds).

At least B&M is still building rides in the major chains, in the US and in Europe.

Intamin has been working on the Orlando Eye among other things http://www.intaminworldwide.com/amusement/Home/News/2014Review/tabid/223/language/en-US/Default.aspx

I get what you're saying as for the mine theme. But if I were to play devil's advocate here, how is the transitions on Adventure Express any different than the ones people find as "rough" on The Vortex? (Another Arrow coaster from the same time period.) I think the difference, as the general public would see it, is that Vortex appears to be (rather ironically) a more "modern" coaster. Someone sees a giant steel beast with lots of loops and in their mind, it fits right in with the new coasters they see on TV or the internet being built today. Then they ride it, expecting an experience on par with a newer B&M looper, and they get something totally different. They have no idea what "Arrow Dynamics" means or who Ron Toomer is, nor do they know that they are riding a nearly 30-year-old machine. They just know that they've ridden other loopers, and that they felt smoother than this one. Despite actually being newer, Adventure Express doesn't feel as modern. It has wooden supports. The track is painted a color similar to that of rust. The trains look very boxy, almost like your traditional PTC coaster train (something that a lot of people would recognize as familiar even if they couldn't give a name to it). They see all these things, and their first thought is that it's older, and because the human mind is a funny thing, they become a bit more forgiving on it. Or turn away immediately. Now don't misunderstand me. I'm not saying the "older=rougher" argument is correct at all. Compare the Kennywood Jackrabbit to Mean Streak (which I'm told is apparently supposed to be rough...). But, Adventure Express looks old, run down, and rickety (largely because it was designed to look that way, I'm not at all claiming that it is any of those things). And I think people see that, and they go in with lower, more realistic expectations. Plus, Vortex has OTSRs. It isn't an issue for me because I'm tall enough that my head is above them. While I don't agree with the claims that it is unenjoyably rough, I do get why someone would feel that way. I can imagine that if I were 6 inches shorter, my opinions on Vortex might be entirely different. Now as for Vekoma... No. Just no. I don't see them refurbishing an old Arrow any time soon, and I don't want them to. I LIKE rough coasters, but the ONE coaster I've ever ridden that was so unenjoyably rough that I refuse to ride it again happened to be a Vekoma...

That's great to know, thank you! We'll definitely go with that option. Might as well add my dad too in case he decides to join in on any enthusiast events this year. Can't beat the low cost!

Fury 325 is testing right now. See here: https://www.carowinds.com/online-fun/webcams

Kings Island has done a great job in regards to ride length, whether in ride time, (probably how most gauge ride "length"), or actual track length. I would say they are well above average. When I go to other parks I often think, "That's it?"

For all of those wanting Vekoma of all companies to come in, they're kind of looked down upon anymore. They have around the same workload as Intamin right now, being around nothing.

It is the total cost. I signed my family of four up for $25.

Completely off topic but how wide the track is on Magnum XL 200 is unexpected for a coaster that size! My mind is like boggled on that still... Its about as wide as those "wild mouse" coasters but it is a crazier ride than DB! (in a good way). Back on topic, I think AE just needs a nice overhaul on theming possibly even trying to change the back story to it and everything else... But keeping the Tiki heads pounding there arms at the end and what not there.

30 minutes is a cake walk. Heck its almost a 30 minute drive for me to get to the park as it is now.

Now, how many parks have a mine train? How many parks have a FUN mine train? My point is, it's unique in its own way, and we should be thankful for it. Oh, and heres a picture of FOF with the over the shoulder restraints. From Kings Island

Sorry about that, I thought I did. Anyways, no I didn't. and It is for me, because I'm more younger, and work options didn't come around, Kings Island contacted me first, and I'm happy they did.

There are now Platinum Dining Passes available. That's the question. Can it be added at a different park than where the Platinum Pass was purchased? And, if so, will it work reliably?

So much so that I renewed a SFGAd pass at SFNE, and the renewal was flawlessly processed in 11 seconds at that park's front gate. Less than $50 for a full season, all parks, parking included pass, too.

^^ I doubt the pass infrastructure allows the platinum plan to be added at another park. In prior seasons, as I understood it, a passholder's master record lived only at that passholder's home park. A change at another park didn't propagate throughout the chain, except when it did. The Cedar Fair gate admission system was explained to me in 2012, so its capabilities may have improved by now. I was quite surprised when they integrated the existing system (from Paramount Parks) alongside Accesso's online platform. From what I understand, Six Flags is using Accesso's systems across the board (online sales, park POS, turnstiles, Q-bot) with very few issues.

Great Looking Map:

I cant wait to add this map to my collection, but it always looks to me on the map, that The Racer is a little too high, but besides that, it looks great!

The vote is still close. I'm officially in obsessed mode I can't stop looking up videos of the parks.

Adventure Express shouldn't be leaving us anytime soon. To me, it fills a niche in the park. It's a great stepping stone attraction and honestly still gives a fantastic ride to anyone who rides it.

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

The next to best Arrow mine train in the country? Sigh.

I just noticed this... I can't find Snoopy's Barnyard Friends. (The petting zoo)

Wow. That looked a lot faster and more intense than I was expecting it too. If the rest of the ride maintains that kind of speed, then this will be a real smash hit for Holiday World. B&M may well have yet another hit on its hands...

All of the Coney rides are fun! Even the Scrambler, though I hated running it; parents blow it off as a kiddy ride. It's hard to get a kid to sit up straight in a ride and hold on when their parents insist it's okay for them to lay down, or otherwise compromise their safety. Yes, I understand centrifical force will help them stay in the seat, but an E stop blows all your Einsteining out the window, and your kid onto the pavement. I love the carousel, too- but same problem. If your kid wants to stand on a horse; Barnum's camp is south of here. Sorry for the grouching; maybe it's just winter.

It'll be Kings Island! The launched-wing coaster will transform the front gate of Kings Island! ...wait....am I in the wrong thread?