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Thursday May 28th found me in southern California with nothing scheduled all day and a free admission coupon from ACE for any Six Flag park. SFMM is only 58 miles away! Because its Southern California it took 2+ hours to drive! $20 parking seemed a bit steep, but i'm getting in free, so its kinda the admission. From the parking area I could see Goliath and the "new" Twisted Colossus. Unfortunately that was as close as I was going to get to either of them as neither ride opened all day. GRRRRRR! The will call window had never seen my ACE coupon before but after showing them my ACE card and giving them my name, address, email and phone number they gave me my ticket. Walking into the park I spotted Full Throttle. Just looking at the train I knew it would be low capacity so I hit it first. I neat little coaster! Hanging from the restraints in the loop took me by surprise as did the drop on the outside of the loop. (Think Maverick type drop) When I exited I noticed there were at least 100 people waiting to get in line ( More about that later) Best ride of the day. I then wandered back to find Goliath and Twisted Colossus both inoperative. TC had a line outside the queue with a worker giving the standard inop ride spiel. I did find Scream! (Floorless B & M) working so I got in line. It was a one train wait (only one train operation) and off I went. It seemed about same as Rougarou (without the new restraint smell). Nothing special, however. It was nice to hear the B & M roar. Working counterclockwise I encountered Batman (B & M invert) next. Walk on. A rather rough ride that makes me appreciate the Banshee even more. The ride was heavily themed (as were all the Marvel themed rides) so if Six Flags ever loses their Marvel rights to Disney they will be in a world of hurt. Green Lantern was next. The themeing was excellent. It was about a 15 minute wait. And the ride packed a punch! Riding the vertical lift hill staring straight down was unnerving to say the least. The drops either pinned you to the back of the seat or gave you a little negative g into the restraints while you were staring at the ground (Drop + rotation ). Less than a minute ride including lift hill. The Riddler's Revenge (B & M Stand Up) was next, again a one train wait. Best Stand Up I have ever ridden! Beat you up much less than Shockwave(CW) , Vortex(Carowinds) or the old Mantis (CP). I still don't like stand ups, however and this ride wasn't good enough to change my opinion. Gold Rusher. Walk on (Arrow Mine Train) Just ok, but a good helix at the end. Interestingly a ride op was being trained and insisted he was checking the restraints properly but the supervisor thought he wasn't. A little "discussion" occurred between those two that probably shouldn't have been in front of guests. Apocalypse. (GCI Woodie). A really cool little wooden coaster. Heavily themed (Mad Max style). Almost as good as Goldstriker (California Great American). The only straight track is the boarding area and a small section when it comes (mid ride) back through the station. Probably my second favorite of the day. The Ninja was next. A 30 minute wait, one train operation. (Arrow Suspended) It seemed more forceful (in the beginning) than our Bat but then it just kinda petered out at the end into the second lift hill. I would guess being on the side of the hill makes it that way. Tatsu (B & M Flyer). 50 minute wait. I'm not a big fan of flyers, and while it had some cool elements (immelman type turn) overall it was disappointing. Maybe its just the hanging in the restraints or the unfamiliar G loads but I didn't like it. Viper (Arrow Corkscrew) Walk on. Picture your first attempt at recreating The Vortex (KI) in RCT. Thats it. They added an additional loop because they could. Uncomfortable. Abrupt. Harsh. X2 (Arrow 5th Dimension) (20 minute wait) I was looking forward to this because I have never ridden anything like it before. Its weird. From the Jim Morrison voice over "...Is everyone in..? Is everyone in?...the ceremony is about to begin...." to the vertical drop (facing straight down ) (somebody at SFMM really thinks thats cool. Several coasters had that element) to the non smoothness of an Arrow corkscrew coaster combined with seats that rotate. I can't say i'm a fan. I can handle being tossed and turned in two dimensions, but three or more leaves me uncomfortable. Also the first coaster to make me think my keys and cellphone are coming out of my pocket. I held on. Checked on Revolution. Inop and almost looked SBNO. Needs some TLC and a weedwacker. Checked on Superman. Inop, but people waiting for reopening. I didn't have anything I wanted to ride again, except Full Throttle but it was a 90 minute wait. A few things I noticed. The place is dirty. There is trash everwhere and no one seems to be picking it up. Line Jumping is rampant. "I just had to get food, catching up with a buddy, etc." And the ride ops/hosts LET THEM DO IT. Lockers are provided ($1 per ride!) but no one uses them, even when the ride placards say you can't bring anything with you. Guests just pile things up on the far side, slowing loading to a CRAWL. The ride hosts don't let the queues fill up. They break the line at the Flash Pass break to ease the crowding in the station (?) They let 40 or so folks go at a time. TATSU, Full Throttle, Apocolypse and X2 were particularly bad. Lastly, I wanted to get food but at Katy's Kettle there was a QUEUE inside (20 or so deep) to order. No thanks, I'll get something down the road. So... 60 miles down the road (only 1:45 this time) to Knotts. My intention was to simply ride the Voyage to the Iron Reef. I waited 25 minutes and I was on. A fun, interactive game/ride! I thought I did pretty well at 128,800 points but my seatmate had 175,000. High scores were in the 250,000 range. I must have gotten a defective freeze ray, normally i'm a Master Blaster! What was really cool was the integration of the video with actual set pieces. TVs in the queue gave a good backstory. Unlike the Guardian (CW) it was a true flat ride; no roller coaster track. The exit for some reason puts you in the arcade, not a gift shop. (the shop is right there, however) I had to work to find a shirt to buy. I can see where Boo Blasters is going to end up when its our turn. And it will be cool. Hopefully they will use the same type of themeing with a lot of mentioning of defunct rides and "Easter Eggs". So I was all set to go...hey, no wait on the gliders. Ok, i'll do them. The trick to snapping them (at least at Knotts) is to figure out where the wind is blowing from. More wind, more force exerted (as I seem to remember from somewhere...) Is that Xcelerator running? Two train wait for the front seat, Thank you very much. Hmm, no wait on Silver Bullet? Well, ok. A better ride than Batman for sure. Nowhere near as good as Banshee, though. Oh, yeah, never got any lunch at SFMM. Meal plan buffalo chicken sandwich please. I just paid for a drink. I don't need another drink cup, thanks. Off to brave the traffic once more.... i'm tired.

Breath taking. Simply incredible. Highly recommended. Worth a trip from anywhere.

My first coaster ride was on AE, my dad convinced me to ride and even tho I was scared I didn't cry. ( at first ) we reach the first lift hill and while looking to my left I see this huge wooden structure with a loop. ( SOB ) and not thinking much as a kid I thought both the rides were connected and we where heading that way. Than I began to cry, my dad laughed the till the end.

This thread struck a nerve with me... I have a friend who totally coddles and babies her 7 year old son and they got gold passes last year at his request then only went twice and he rode exactly one ride the whole season. Over and over, he would get into line for something, wait until he got almost to the front of the line then say "I'm not riding that and neither are you" and she would just say to my daughter and I, we'll wait for you at the exit, and lead him calmly away. The kid even jumped off the train after we had been on it and waiting for 5 minutes, AFTER it was cleared to go, freaking the poor girl working there out, and declared he wasn't riding it and neither were we, so we were forced to get off to get him then walk all the way to the waterpark. This drives me nuts! I can see not making a screaming crying toddler go on a ride, however a whiney older kid can be reasoned with and needs a push to try new things or they are going to miss out on everything fun in life and be afraid of everything forever. I kind of feel like if just once she had stood up to the kid and said, no suck it up and get on the ride, he would have gotten over it and enjoyed coming to the park the rest of the summer. I have always made my 7 year old daughter at least try something before she makes judgement and now she's one awesome independant kid. She had never been to an amusement park prior to last summer and she rode everything she was tall enough for from day one. She's like a hair from being tall enough for Diamond Back this summer and she told me she is kind of afraid because of how steep the first hill looks but that she would try it anyway if I hold her hand. Love her .

....when I have a doctor appointment in Mason and wonder if I should go take a ride on Banshee before returning to work

Northern Kentucky is a very different place than rural Kentucky. It is part of the Lexington-Louisville-Northern Kentucky "Golden Triangle," and very different from most of the rest of the state--much of which thinks the state's resources are unfairly distributed to the Trianglites at the expense of the Booneyvillians.

And this is why Mako is the wrong choice for Sea World. As I said in that forum Mako is the wrong coaster for the Orlando Market and for potentially drawing guests away from either Universal or Disney. The majority of which are families with children who may not be tall enough to ride Mako but Cobra's Curse is in their wheelhouse. Now the question is will they want to make the drive down to Tampa? I disagree. Even if they put in a family coaster and ride there might be a bigger amount of people that could ride it, but it will get compared to everything Disney and Universal offer and Sea World will pull up short still. Mako gives Sea World something that no other park in the area offers. I think we're a bit biased and not as enthused by the announcement since we have a lot of similar coasters around us. But for Florida there really isn't anything like Mako nearby. So for crowds wanting a big, tall, fast coaster Sea World will be the place for it. For a fmily coaster they can go toDisney or Universal and be able to ride a multitude o other family rids as well and not jstu the one.

Thanks for all of the input, everyone. It is a difficult line to draw. Each child is different and has his own way of dealing with things. I've never taken a crying child on a ride, but I have told each of my children (6 total) that "one needs to try a ride at least once." Then again, I pretty much know my children. The only time I've regretted this decision was on the Haunted Train Ride (not sure of its official name) at KI. I thought it was a train ride ONLY. I convinced my grandson (10) and youngest daughter (13) to ride. These two kids loved going to Halloween Haunt, but just don't want to visit the actual "haunted attractions." All of the adults agreed to put them in the middle of the train bench. Well, we didn't know they would make us get off and walk. My daughter, who is not much of a cryer, cried all of the way home...and we live an hour away.

Firehawk? Used to be X-Flight.

Surf Dog is one of my favorite flat rides at Kings Island. And my word choice in that sentence was very deliberate.

With such a large base of people and the fact that the large Coasters at BGT and other parks are very popular it as always amazed me that Florida does not have a Thrill park. I understand the need to lure families and international tourists but it seems (to me with my limited knowledge) that a Cedar Point or NJFTP would do well in the state.

One of the best things about the show is listening to people that have not seen it yet.

How crowded does it need to be? Curious Terp.

They might be concerned with their credit score....

http://www.communitynewslinesville.com/index.php/News-Conneaut-Lake/headlines-for-may-25-2015.html Scratches head...

^ They should want to! Tampa is awesome. Gorgeous gulf beaches, dolphin cruises, aquariums, museums, it really has a lot to offer as a vacation destination, and is much more affordable than Orlando.

And this is why Mako is the wrong choice for Sea World. As I said in that forum Mako is the wrong coaster for the Orlando Market and for potentially drawing guests away from either Universal or Disney. The majority of which are families with children who may not be tall enough to ride Mako but Cobra's Curse is in their wheelhouse. Now the question is will they want to make the drive down to Tampa?

You're just gonna coast in here with that word choice and expect us not to read into it?

I'd rather visit BGT for this than Sea World Orlando for Mako. I'm a little biased though since BGT is my favorite park and my kids aren't tall enough for bigger rides yet.

Please forgive us. We are far too excited about T3 to notice.

It appears as though more FUNtv monitors have been or are in the process of being installed at Kings Island. FUNtv debuted chain-wide in 2014 and has proven to be an excellent way to reach guests while waiting in line and throughout each park.

Or cranky upset parents dropping off their kids to only realize their kids passes are deactivated due to non payment.

^ Absolutely full queues on both of The Runs are about an hour each (less if Lightning Run is operating two trains. I wouldn't hold my breath). And, documented for those who aren't on Facebook:

Local reaction to Mako has been good. Not so much for the BGT install. Some feel the park has enough Coasters as it is and should start focusing on other ideas, Dark Rides in particular,

I think I'm gonna catch the 7:00 show tonight. Looking forward to it a great deal after seeing it with my wife on Wednesday. Flying solo tonight though as she's out of town.

Better than it opening for the first time the following Saturday, when I'll be there. I'll only be there for a few hours I don't need it to be more crowded than it needs to be.

Another preview weekend? And a Wednesday opening? Really?

Your ride counts go up.

T3 Update- In response to a comment, KK has confirmed T3 will open June 3rd. It isn't mentioned anywhere else though. Expect some angry guests this weekend.

^ I'll agree, I haven't seen much representation for Canada's Wonderland at all.

^ Based on some stories I've heard the past few days from some friends in Louisville, I think you may be right.....

I've never tried this before! I may try and ride it on sunday!

I used to be the kid who would cry in line if I was being forced to ride something I was scared of. Heck, if you still try to make me ride something that I'm not up for, I'll probably give you a good cussing and cry still. So, in a way, I'm really glad to see that KI employees don't send sobbing children away on a roller coaster without at least talking to the parents and asking if this is really what they want to do. In my case when I was younger, the people who make me ride stuff (whether it was my parents, friends, or my sister)-- it was because they wanted to ride it and didn't want to worry about me waiting for them. My sister took me to KI when I was 12 or 13 (she's 8 years older than me), and I did really well for a few rides. I rode The Beast, Racer, and Vortex with no problems-- but I really didn't enjoy Vortex well. I was still scared of going upside down, but I TRIED it. She wanted to ride FOF next, and it just terrified me. We waited in the queue line while I cried and hyperventilated and finally we ended up literally hitting each other because she wouldn't let me leave. When we got up to the train, I bolted towards the chicken exit while her and her boyfriend rode angrily. We left the park afterwards without me getting to choose what I wanted to ride even though we went for my birthday. Now that I'm older, I know that she did it because my mother told her to not leave me alone in the park-- but it was a bad memory. It's funny to tell, but I won't even get near FOF now and I'm completely okay with it. So, forcing a kid to ride something is one thing if it's Haunted Mansion or another tame ride intended for children, but I'm completely in support of not letting a kid ride if they're not ready for it. Not always, but it might create a really terrible memory and scare kids off in the future.

Most parents learn quickly how far they can push their kids. As Tr0y mentioned- tough love. My youngest will look at food she has never tried and scream yuck. Some parents will allow their kids to be a picky eater. But me as big bad dad will just take her phone away until she at least tries some of it. Typically she likes it. I did the same with TTD. She loved it. Not so much with X-Scream at Waldameer, which she still hates. When going to KI her first time & seeing Drop Tower, before even asking she told me to keep the phone. She didn't go on. Yes, she still has her phone.

In the spirit of optimism about T3- I wonder if its just that Kentucky Kingdom found time to test it, just not when the park was open? They might very well make tomorrow's opening, its just they didn't feel the need to share that info.

I think it looks to be a really cool addition for them. I'm not a huge fan of any coaster manufacturer. If it's fun, I'm in.

Seeing how the Butter Beer and Duff sell out almost everyday I think your right.

Great report! Sounds like a kind of random day. I love that kind of day. One note, though: Six Flags does not have the Marvel license. It has the DC license (Batman is a DC character, not Marvel). The Marvel license for theme parks currently belongs to Universal, possibly only east of the Mississippi or within some other specific region or whatnot (I'm not sure anyone knows exactly what the contract says other than the big shots at Universal and Disney).

Maybe if they had less flat rides, motion sickness wouldn't be such an issue. There's a LOT of spinning rides...

Mako looks cool, but this looks really cool! I was really blown away by the video and think the coolest features are the elevator lift and the unique way in which the cars spin.

It does look like a very unique take on spinning coasters. This will fit in very well with BGT's current coasters and I'm sure the air conditioned queue will be welcome relief in the summer.

This thing looks more interesting than what they got in Orlando. I like it, looks fun.

When instead of planning a trip to Kings Island around your week, you plan your week around a trip to Kings Island.......

I wish I lived close enough to be able to save money that way. Unfortunately, the cost of gas for a round trip to KI is approximately equal to a fast-food meal here in Xenia.

... I can say to the family "I'm not cooking tonight. You want dinner? Go to Kings Island and use your meal plan."

Wow. That last paragraph is some awkward marketing... (Also, I'd suggest ginger pills instead of the antihistamine.)

A front seat ride should be tried at least once. I've done that once or twice, just as I have ridden the front seat of The Georgia Cyclone a few times. Back's where it's at on those. Bizarro at SFGAd is a front (and back) seat ride...

Terp thinks Nitro is one of the grandest night rides ever. And he ALWAYS rides it in the back row, outside seat if possible.

I have been at Kings Island all but one day so far this season. I don't know if it's because I am there more or because my daughter works there and I pay more attention, but the ride ops seem to ask the child if they want to ride. I have seen many ride ops put the child's mind at ease and they get them to ride. I have seen a time or two where the ride op will ask the child and the child says no they don't want to ride and they let them off the coaster. I have been fortunate that aside from one circumstance (son was terrified of riding Phantom Theater) my children have always rode coasters without tears.

The V style seating is kinda cool and all, but it's not necessary, you can still get a good view without them, plus it makes for a smaller train length, so easier to go up and down the platform to do checks. I'm completely ok with that.