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Music is such a simple element that can make a world of difference. Cedar Fair was bad about it. Real bad. Remember when The Crypt opened with techno music? Eventually, it was replaced by jungle animal noises, which was a (narrow) step up. That was about when WindSeeker opened and they seemed to suddenly realize that music licensing is simpler than other types. WindSeeker is VERY musical, and we got simple but effective music added to Delirium, Drop Zone, Invertigo... WindSeeker had Harry Potter and Star Wars scores, and The Crypt got the music from Inception, which was really great. Backlot played smooth Michael Buble songs that totally fit the "spy" aesthetic. It was just a big boost to atmosphere and style. Seems that that, too, has fallen by the wayside. I'm not saying that Diamondback needs to play songs that reference snakes or anything, but why SHOULDN'T Banshee play atmospheric Irish music, or Diamondback play Western songs like Maverick does (er... apparently, used to ). Maybe blame FunTV? I was SHOCKED that they actually added flatscreen TVs in Boo Blasters' queue playing "Rude" by Magic. I mean, shocked. Is nothing sacred? The park existed for decades without the songs of four-years-ago playing in the queues. Is it more fun for the masses? I mean, maybe narrowly. But c'mon. When waiting for an experience like Boo Blasters or Banshee or Diamondback, at least try. Different music for different themed areas. Music creates atmosphere. Walking through Islands of Adventure, the music is on par with the physical theming. What fun is walking through Jurassic Park without its score playing? What's exotic about Lost Continent without its music? The Wizarding World's big emotional punch is the score from the films playing. At Kings Island, you get "California Gurls" from the early Ohio settlement to the Irish moors. And then there's International Street...

Stay far away from the Super 8. We stayed there for Banshee Media Day morning and slept fully clothed due to the condition of the room. Probably would have been better sleeping in the car.

This is where I'll post my trip reports in the future. Mini-trip report May 1st: We went to a fair on Friday, because in the past almost 4 years of living in El Paso I have never seen one until now. Even though we have Western Playland, I was curious to see what kinds of rides they'd have. The first thing we rode was the Crazy Mouse roller coaster. I was actually really impressed with how this traveling coaster looked. Shiny, fresh paint. No odd noises. It looked like it would be a lot of fun. However, actually riding it was a bit of a different story. The cars are designed to fit 4 to a car, two on each side sharing a restraint. But if you only have two riders you each occupy one side. The beginning of the ride was actually really fun and fairly smooth except of course for a few intense turns. Then the ride started spinning. I still have a headache and bruises from being whipped to one side of the car and then the other hitting my shoulders & arms on the sides. The hills were very bumpy while spinning. It was an interesting experience, but not something I chose to ride again. After Crazy Mouse I had an awful headache and decided to avoid most of the spinning rides. I wish I hadn't chosen to ride it first because I'd been really looking forward to riding the Hurricane, but I just couldn't do it! Next we rode this Ghost Pirates dark ride. It was kind of like a tiny budget version of Whacky Shack with a couple of scares and a tiny bit of theming. I liked it enough to go on it a few times. The rest of the evening was mostly walking, visiting assorted fun houses, trying to decide if I was ready to ride Hurricane or not (which I didn't end up doing), trying to avoid overly aggressive game operators, having dinner consisting of a corn dog and a shared funnel cake with cherries, and riding the ferris wheel over and over. The ferris wheel was probably my favorite part, it was smooth and had beautiful LED lights, and of course the views in El Paso are pretty fantastic. We headed home a little after dark. It was a nice night and I'm happy to have a bunch of neat pictures.

About the outage today, I'm going to take the liberty of reposting the following from the KIC Facebook page, originally posted at 3:18 PM: So that's why the site was down all afternoon and evening.

Cedar Point is the kind of park that developed over the course of a century (and then some) growing from a picnic park to a carousel park to a midway to a coaster park. Its setup (particularly the long midways dotted with vendors and rides) reflects that history. I think of that as a "natural" or "organic" layout that develops over a long period of time as a park grows. Often, those parks aren't very intuitive or easily navigable because they grew out as needed and under the care of many different owners. (See Cedar Point, Geauga Lake, Conneaut Lake Park, Universal Studios Hollywood, Kennywood, etc.) In 1955, Disneyland opened with an innovative "hub and spokes" park layout with an entry land that forced all guests to the center of a wheel from which other themed lands radiated outward like the spokes on a bike tire. That was very unique and new, and one of the key elements that separated Disneyland from the parks, midways, and boardwalks that had predated it. To me, that layout is intentional, purposeful, and man-made. It's got traffic flow in mind. It's got the benefit of being developed and built all-at-once instead of responding to growth like the other kind. (See Disneyland, Islands of Adventure, Universal Studios Florida, Animal Kingdom, Kings Island, etc.) Being 50+ years old by time American parks began being built in Disneyland's image, Cedar Point maintains its midway style. Its themed areas - Frontier Trail and Frontiertown - were built between 1965 and 1972... right around the time Magic Kingdom opened. What's cool is that Cedar Point has shown an interest in at least giving personality to different areas. Gemini Midway is a great example. We'll see what else the park has in store. Valravn and a "dark forest" dark ride in Rougarou's area would build a very compelling themed area (if trees came along, too). Of course, then Millennium would be even MORE stranded than it is right now.

CP also has themed music to its themed sections as well. Country in Frontiertown, and last year brought bluegrass to the Trail.

Can't believe that I am just now joining this group. Anyway, I was somewhat disappointed when KI announced that Banshee would be an inverted coaster. I thought a giga would be the right choice to compliment what SOB was trying to accomplish. Having ridden Banshee multiple times, I change my mind. I just assumed that the trains would be just iike Raptor and any other B&M inverted coaster that I have ridden. Pleasantly surprised to see the Gatekeeper restraints, tight but more comfortable overall. I wonder if there is discussion about doing something with KI's front gate area, similar to what Gatekeeper and now Fury 325 have done. It would certiainly be a very difficult task to get a track over the front gate and back to where ever the station would be, not much room, unless they unload Invertigo. It wasn't running both Fridays we were there so far in 2015. Anyone going to CoasterStock? I will probably ask the same question in the meetup area.

For budget hotels in the area, I've had good luck with the Best Western and the Comfort Inn at exit 19.

Best sounding lift - The Bat. I love that clunky clicking sound. Best launch sound - Flight of Fear, no question. Best sounding ride - The Beast, I love hearing the sound, of the cry and screech, through the woods as it runs with the land.

I also recommend Dixie Stampede. I haven't been since 2001 but highly enjoyed it! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

^All they'd need are the woods!

Brace your knees when you hear 'Fire in the hole'. Dems are really small carts for anyone over five feet.

Well, I'm sure I will get on it once just to see what it is like. That may or may not be a smart decision though, lol.

I will make this just a quick little trip report so I can get back to my school work. I have procrastinated long enough today already. ------------ I was lucky enough to win one of the auction seats for Thunderbird. I was on the first train, right wing, row 4. The morning we got there was very cold. We had to be at the park by 6:15 am for check-in. The auction riders were taken back first to Thunderbird before the rest of the group left the main gate. We were seated almost immediately in the nice and cold train and we waited for launch. I spent the day at Holiday World, with my mom. She loves wing riders and Holiday World so it made sense she was my guest today. Once the rest of the group made their way back to the plaza, you could hear a speech being given out in the plaza before we were launched. I couldn't make out anything that was said so if anyone here was there and not in station and knows what was said, feel free to let us know. Launch time was precisely 6:50 am. You could hear the countdown start outside and work its way into the building. 5...4...3...2...1... "It's Launch Time!" We proceeded into the staging area amidst a dense fog and thunderstorm effects. We waited several seconds in the fog while it thundered around us. Then at the loudest crack of thunder, the train was whisked away. Through the fog, down the launch track, and into the Immelman. You truly were upside down before you knew it. The ride never let up. The vertical loop, horseshoe turns, zero g-roll, and fly throughs were amazing. The finish reminded me of Banshee so much but Thunderbird crawls through it slower and is drawn out, creating some crazy hangtime. It was overall a fantastic addition to Holiday World! After our first flight we were able to warm ourselves up with breakfast: egg and cheese sandwiches on a buttered biscuit, strawberries and blueberries, cinnamon rolls, orange juice, and several other items. Ride time on Thunderbird, Voyage, and Crows Nest went until noon, so about 5 hours. Plenty of time to relax and enjoy the day. We were lucky enough to spend a little time on the other woodies when they were open, which ended up being only about 45 minutes. Raven still kicks some serious butt and Legend packs a punch with those lateral G's. The Legend is still my mom's favorite wooden coaster. Just goes to show you why we build so many different types of roller coasters, we all have different tastes. She didn't really say it but Thunderbird might be her favorite steel one now just based on her reactions to the ride. We were treated to lunch around noon. They served pulled pork sandwiches and country fried steak, the new menu at the new food stand by Thunderbird (forgot the name). It was all delicious. The Thunderbird Ice Cream was very different and not something everyone will like. It's vanilla ice cream with caramel and pecans. The funky thing about the ice cream though is that the pecans are fire roasted, making them spicy. I do encourage you to try it at least once. It was a very long day at the park and we didn't even stay for the last bit of ride time on Thunderbird or get dinner. We had been in the park for roughly 9 hours and had already ridden Thunderbird 14 times so we had plenty of laps. I was reminded why I love this little park in my home state. Can't wait to return later this summer! As always, thanks for reading!

I stayed in that Microtel years ago before the brand was bought by Wyndham. It's been a while since I've stayed in one but Microtel's are a bit quirky and seem to be designed to maximize the limited space. Mirrors along the wall to make the room look bigger and tv mounted up high so it doesn't take up desk/dresser space. My personal favorite is the padded window bench; it's the perfect space to curl up with a good book.

I agree on the Microtel comments I've stated here 3 times in the past with no problems and its within minutes from the park.

To be a bit more blunt on this, I highly recommend the Microtel Inn over by The Beach Waterpark. I have stayed there twice before, for Opening and Closing Days last year, and can't really complain about anything.

The cheap motels in Mason are extremely so (and I don't necessarily mean 'price'). You'll save money, and the people running them are friendly, but you'll see why they're so cheap quickly! (I've been to two that have cigarette burns in the bed covers, mold in the ceiling panels, and ... hair... I'll just stop there.) The neighborhood is relatively safe, though, and well-patrolled at both "ends" of the town (by that I mean the Fields-Ertel end and the Kings Mills end). I'd recommend spending a little more for the quality of the overall experience. Avoid the ones that advertise their weekly rates up front! Also, be aware that "nationally-advertised, brand-name" chains do not necessarily denote quality! Trust me. Conversely, chains whose names might lead you to believe that they're cheap because they're small ("micro"), might actually be of higher quality than you might expect. Check on-line for their rates.

And the family-friendly tale of a guy who wants to lazily lay in bed all day, only leaving to find someone to mate with, on the family-friendly revamped Gemini Midway! Wait, something about that doesn't quite add up.

Racer, Flight of Fear, Banshee. Just personal preferances. EDIT: Changed after some thought.

Soak City is indeed a separate gate, and only included on Platinum Pass.

Perhaps they are considering Soak City in that equation, too? Unless I'm mistaken, their Soak City has a separate gate and a separate price of admission...

Ahh, I see. it dosen't look complicated, but sometimes I'm lucky to turn my computer on. As for mobile, I've owned one, old flip style cell phone in my life. Lost it on Firehawk. Possibly one of the best days of my life.

I'm pretty sure it only applies to brand-new B&Ms, which is why Kings Dominion was chosen as the recipient of Dominator.

Though that was moved there from Geauga Lake.

I am very interested to see what comes out of this

One more question. Is Splash Country worth doing at all? Since Dollywood is only 4 1/2 hours away I could theoretically spend the last day at Splash Country and drive back that night, at the added expense of a 3-day park ticket compared to a 2-day ticket (the customer service rep at the booking agency who responded to my email said a 2-day ticket is good for admission to one park each day, but the 3-day ticket would give me admission to both parks each day).

The best reason. We had a horrible winter after what happened in November so this news really lifted our spirits.

Best Sounding Lift - Racer. Love the classic chain sound and when you have both going get double the sound. Best Launch Sound - Flight of Fear. The enclosed tunnel really enhances the sound and makes it louder. BLSC is more of a whirring sound that isn't real loud since it's all open. Best Sounding Ride - Beast. Can't beat the "roar" in the enclosed portions of the double helix.

I submit that Cedar Point has nearly as much vestigial themeing as Kings Island retains.

On Friday May 1st I decided to take a 1/2 day off from work and go to the park, stay all night and go back on Saturday as a me trip.I get to the park about 1:30 pm and go to Banshee first thing and get on it with just a a 2 cycle wait. When I got off I ran into Nochickens and Mrs.Nochickens. We got back in line for Banshee again and got a second ride. After that we rode AE, and then got in line for Red Racer, (blue was not up at that point.) We then got in line for Shake Rattle & Roll. There is something about that new paint job that just attracts you to it and makes you want to ride it. I think I like that remodel more than the addition of Woodstock Gliders! The new sign as well sets it off as well! We then go and get in line for BLSC when I was playing with my phone. I am not one for selfies, but got a good one with Dee (Mrs.no chickens) photo bombing so I had to keep it! LOL I got another one with a train going through my head. After that we got a ride in on The Beast and of course Diamondback! We then decided to ride Woodstock Gliders and see how well we could swing those tubs. Nochickens was getting a little frustrated with his skills and mine were not any better this time. While there I got a better picture of the new Space Buggies. We went and rode Surf Dog since Planet Snoopy was not really to busy. Got a nice pic of Flying Ace Areal Chase on the way to eat. After that several KIC'ers meet up at Red's for dinner. Some might recognize an old KIC'er (Rotag) in this pic as well. After that we went to The Beast to see if Princess Sparkles was working, but she actually had the night off. I got a few good shots there! After that we went to Vortex where I rode with nochickens in 7-1. It was quite smooth, I was expecting worse there! I had not sat in that seat in a while. After that we hit up Dodgem, and for giggles we all went to the Carousel! Gobble! Malem, behiind him is OhioColts, and to the left is Silver2005 We then hit up the Blue Racer which it seems to be winning every time. One or Red's trims must be pulling harder or something? Back to Adventure Express, and Banshee! I got quite a few good shots of her! This dusk shot is my favorite though! We then went and rode The Bat, back to Banshee and since I had not seen the light package on SR&R we walked back there and rode it. The queue was 3/4 full. I think they made a good choice adding that light package! Needless to say, Vortex needs a light package next. We noticed we had a 3/4 queue to ride SR&R and Vortex had less than a station wait. We were going to end out night on Diamondback, but it was down, so we hurried back over to get in line for Banshee. Walked out of the park as the fireworks were going off! It was a great day! I stayed in Cincy for the night and went back on Saturday! During ERT I got in 3 DB rides. Headed over to The Beast and got 2 rides in over there before it got busy. I then went to BLSC for a ride on it. I then rode SR&R , Vortex, and since I was by myself rode WindSeeker. After that I rode Zephy. I was trying to ride some of the flats I had not ridden the day before. I then went and got some Panda Express which was pretty good. After that I meet up with Kat and we rode Viking Fury. She wanted to get some food so I decided to see what was going on in Action Zone since I had not made it there yet. I wanted to watch Let it Rock at 1:30, but only had about 1/2 hr to ride something. It seemed that Banshee did not have to bad of a line and knew it moved quickly. Got on and out of the Banshee store in about 20 minutes.Got back into the Festhaus and found a seat. I got to say Let it Rock had to got be the best show I have ever seen at KI! Great songs, great energy, and all around fun show! You could tell those performers were really pouring themselves into it! After that we rode Blue Racer and AE, both having about 1/2 hr waits. We then headed to The Beast. Wait was about 1 1/2 hrs, we were 3 trains from getting on and it went down. we figured we had waited that long we would wait it out, but 20 minutes later we gave up when they said there was a bigger issues than just a sensor or something. I meet up with some other KIC'ers and got some dinner and just walked around for the rest of the evening till I left at 8:15ish to head back home. All in all it was a great few days at KI for an impromptu trip over! Will be back over for Coaster Stock!

Perhaps this is in part a way to demonstrate advantages of consolidation, in case BGW ends up on the market. In that event, they'd presumably want FUN as a suitor.

Best Sounding Lift- definitely The Beast. Best Launch Sound- Flight of Fear by far. Best Sounding Ride- The Beast, again.

My votes: Best Sounding Lift Racer. Wooden lifthills sound great in general, and when 2 woodies are going up at the same time? Epic. Plus unlike Beast it's actually located in a spot where non-riders can hear it as the train does its climb. If I were voting on most easily noticeable lifthill sound though, it would go to Firehawk- it's so oddly high pitched compared to all the others it stands out. Best Sounding Launch Flight of Fear, easy. BLSC doesn't really even make much noise and FOF does a whole "WHOOOOOOO...BANGBANGBANG!!!" as it launches. Best Sounding Ride Racer again. Wooden coasters sound awesome to me with the clattering and rumbling, and since Beast is so hidden you can't hear it off-ride much, Racer again gets the vote. The B&M's (especially Banshee) also sound great with their roaring sounds. Update: After seeing a post about Beast's helix sounds below, I have changed my mind for #3. You can't hear it from in-park, but that roar in The Beast's Double Helix is just too awesome sounding to refuse.

I'd prefer them to not install the theming in the first place if they don't plan on using it past the first year.

I honestly really like that! It gives a whole new experience than when it first opened. Sure all that fog and lights are cool, but no fog and less lights are cool too.

Ahh, I see. it dosen't look complicated, but sometimes I'm lucky to turn my computer on. As for mobile, I've owned one, old flip style cell phone in my life. Lost it on Firehawk. Possibly one of the best days of my life. I cannot imagine life without a cell phone these days. How do you do it?

Source I personally felt myself wishing that they had the ability to accept reservations for Reds, and notify of a time to arrive, via the app, website, or whatever. That way you don't have to wait around for a half hour. Similarly to what the MyDisneyExperience app can do. Dining reservations are quite FUN to make via the app as well.

Is that the one with the boats? I can't figure out how to post a picture of it to save my life. Sorry. Google Hurricane amusement park ride , I found a few pictures.

I figure you can Sea a World of examples of what the app will look like if you know where to search.

Bummer you had to change your plans but at least it is for a good reason. Congrats.

Great photos! Glad you guys had a good time!

The fog was on earlier today. I don't know about the lights. SoB flame was out but that's not uncommon.

I think it kind of looks better with a few less lights. Gives it a more mysterious look.

Went to KI all day Friday and rode Banshee at least 30 times. Yes she still runs like a bat out of hell! Several questions came to mind though after the sun went down and I experienced my first true night ride (not early morning on Media Day). Why does Banshee's sign no longer light up as it did when it first opened? What happened to the mist under the sign? The "eternal" flame on the SOB monument? Fog effects are not cheap so I understand why thats gone or temporarily gone. (Media day morning) (Night of 5/1/15) She still looks great, and so does the entire area. I actually forgot how well put together the entire area was, and I'm not at all complaining, just wondering. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I rode Woodstock Gliders multiple times during ERT. I wasn't a regular park-goer until 4ish years ago so I never really knew about the old Flying Eagles. I didn't really know what I was doing but I 'think' I was doing something to the effect of making the plane go really high then really low to the concrete below. Snaps? No. But hey, it was still fun.

It's awesome that some of you have been able to or have seen someone snap...I haven't been so fortunate. Maybe with some more practice. It is nice to have a set back in the park. Ha! I get what you're saying shark6495. But, as far as the snappability of our old set. I had some just plain violent snaps and times when it almost came as a surprise. Riding the old set, it did not take much at all to get the snapping going...my oldest son, who was around 10 or so when he grew to love the ride, snapped the first time he rode it (with a little coaching from me beforehand, of course). Guess I need to get out to the park and try again...time to teach my youngest what it's all about.

I can confirm that Woodstock's Glider's are indeed snap-able. I did not snap (I'm not very good at it lol), but I definitely felt a snap when someone did during my first night ride on them (and my cousin's first overall ride on them) on the 24th. EDIT: I'd also like to give my two cents about the old set since people are comparing them to our original set. I only rode those once and I don't remember much. However, I had low expectations going into my first WG flight as my most recent flyers experience was at Stricker's Grove's. Thankfully, Woodstock's Gliders blew me away and I think it's a really fun ride! Also, I was told that night I should ride the old set since I love ours so much!

I know y'all like to try and get snaps, but its also a nice gentle ride to get in to get a break from the thrills. It can be thoroughly enjoyed without snapping the cables.

I completely agree. Banshee is a perfect fit at Kings Island; it filled a huge hole in Kings Island's coaster collection, and did so superbly. Like with Volcano: The Blast Coaster at Kings Dominion, I think few realized just how great an addition to the park Banshee was at the time. Five/ten/twenty years from now, Banshee will still be drawing huge lines. That's the true test. Cedar Fair and Kings Island, in my opinion, made the best possible choice for a 2014 Kings Island coaster addition. Not a mid-size coaster, not an INTAMIN, not even a woodie or a B&M giga, Banshee was just such a perfect addition. A long term perfect addition. Incredible addition to an already great park, Banshee excels.