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We can't wait for everyone to experience Mystic Timbers! Before your first visit of the season, please be advised loose articles are not able to be brought into the queue line area and stored on the ride platform area of Mystic Timbers. Riders will need to store loose articles such as cell phones, pagers, hats, cameras, stuffed animals, purses, backpacks, umbrellas, beverage containers, personal entertainment devices, etc. in a locker or leave them with a non-rider in your party.

Per this tweet, the gates should open at 2:30 on Friday.

Ok so good news for you. If you still have last years pass it will work for this season if you have renewed. Wish I knew this before the three hour drive one way today, however it was a good excuse for the girls and myself to take a road trip and have some fun. The calm before the storm! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I believe the strobe lighting may refer to the flashes they use for taking on-ride photos.

^ The last time KI was open on Easter Sunday was in 2014. Crowd-wise, I'd expect it to be a very good day to visit. Many people (myself included) have other plans that day & won't be ahead of you in line.

I'm very excited for the season. I will be working at Backlot Stunt Coaster folks so come have a ride.

Gotta say, I like the whole "ride into the unknown" factor about Mystic Timbers, as reflected in the above picture. 7 more days!

Yes, It has been used elsewhere. Ride Operators speak up if they see something you're not aloud to be doing... 1711.551 states that "that riders must obey all warnings and directions regarding this ride and behave in a manner that will not cause or contribute to injury to themselves or others." As stated in the Laws and Rules Governing Amusement Rides in Ohio While it is not illegal per-say to film on roller coasters or other amusement rides in the park, The park states that it does not want guests to be filming on rides (No matter what it is...) Unless it's the Eiffel Tower or the KI&MV Railroad. So basically it is a law. I think it's become a more serious problem, due to the fact that guest do not realize how slippery their phone or recording device is when you're plummeting down a 215ft drop at 80mph. Or even on simpler rides, Beast is bumpy, phone can fall out of their hands and so on... I can go on and on with every single ride as to how your device can slip out of your hand. (Mystic Timbers, because of the air time hills that are sudden and everywhere, Unexpecting hill can lead to a phone being dropped into WWC.) Please! If you've never been to KI and you want to share memories, Do it on a pathway, not on a ride.

I do miss the 1 hr of ERT. We have to also be lucky we get the 1/2 hr. Not something we are entitled to get.

I believe most rides contain the strobe light warning because of, as Magenta Lizard stated, the on-ride photos. Though there may be lighting effects in the shed, this doesn't hint much towards it imo Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I'm also considering a trip to KI on Easter Sunday, as I can't go on Preview Night (my sister's birthday dinner is that night) and Opening Day as I know it would be way too crowded. One of my friends (who is also an associate!) will tag along with me on my first trip of the season! Edit: She just texted me saying she can't go on Easter. Looks like I have my very first true solo trip in the works (as neither of my parents will be going).

So I found out I'm off on Easter Sunday and I'm seriously contemplating a visit that day. Just out of curiosity, when KI has been open on Easter, how have the crowds been?

Great advice... for ALL coasters. Roller coasters are so much more enjoyable when I don't have to worry about losing stuff.

"The taking of pictures and video while riding is strictly prohibited at Kings Island. Guests taking pictures or video while riding this attraction may be asked to leave the park with no refund and given a Misdemeanor under O.H.C. 1711.551. Thank you!" While i'm not sure if that exact wording has been used elsewhere in the park (im aware of no pictures or video on ride signs) this one seems to be much more serious. (Which is a good thing considering how often you hear guests being told on The Racer to put cameras and phones away)

They're really pushing the "no pictures or videos" for mystic timbers, especially considering that MT interacts with the two other rides, it could be dangerous to drop things on other riders of the other rides.

^ Most likely, the billing address (specifically, the street number) or zip code you entered doesn't match what's on file with your credit card issuer. If everything's correct and you still have problems, I'd recommend calling the online store customer service number.

No seat belt!! This GCI is not very intense though. As always, we rode the back seat. Unlike most GCI coasters I have been on, this coater does small drop first before a big drop in a structure followed by two head choppers. It is a windy day so that the coaster did not feel very fast. More later.

Enjoy. I always love the atmosphere of this park. One of my favorite. Don't forget to ride Apollo's Chariot in the back.

The difference between KI and CP for ERT is that CP has resort guests who are able to take part of ERT....whereas KI only has season passholders. Essentially the resort guests are paying for that hour ERT with their stays whereas KI season passholders aren't putting any additional funds into the park by coming early (no stands or anything are open....so it's a pure labor cost at that point).

I miss the hour long ERT! But 30 minute ERT is still better than no ERT at all. Of course, when I enjoy Cedar Point's hour-long Early Entry, I can't help but think about the seasons Kings Island had hour-long ERT (including 2010, when I attended Gold/Platinum Passholder ERT for the first time!).

The Kings Island snapchat has been updated with video of Don talking about MT multiple times. Views of the station, mid course tunnel, and white water with water can be seen! As well as a little bit of the shed from far away. Looks like things are starting to wrap up!!

You can donate on your own page to make the $100 minimum. You don't need to get donations from others. It's what I did.

It sounds so..... mystical.

I actually looked at some evidence here.. This POV is actually that of the first test run they ever did with the ride. How do I know this? It is a cloudy day when the video was taking place. During the drop, I also noticed two people standing in the same place as this video.

The POV is up! Sorta. https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10155876501728368&id=155893938367

Dwight_Schrute

Probably not; but the webcams are just a line of code/plugin on a site page. Don wouldn't likely mention anything they were doing anyway, unless it was to specifically cause a "buzz."

I doubt they're hiding anything at this point. Just taking their time getting the new site ready and the cameras back up. I think I saw Don say somewhere that they were also evaluating new positions for them.

This has probably been discussed, but I've never been accused of reading all posts in a particular thread. The fact that the web-cams have been "off" for a while now... anyone suspect that they are concealing some change happening prior to opening day? I've suspected the demise of the Tomb Raider building was happening- but that's probably a long shot.

Thanks for the forecast, DubVLegend! Looks to be a fantastic week in general weather-wise! 8 more days ya'll!

With Banshee I wish they would have gone all out in trying to make the station look like an old church. If money was no object, I would put in a little village of houses and huts under the track like on big bad wolf at Busch gardens. That would be pretty cool.

Well, that Flight Deck cue is so long, you could probably have a flat ride or two on the way to the coaster.

I get to try it today! Can't wait for my first time at Busch Gardens Williamsburg

I'll be there, should be fun!

Like many people have said, their is a lot to do at the park besides rides but there is many rides you can ride, the rides you mentioned should be okay although I will say the log ride, Race for your life Charlie Brown is the ride I think your referring to is a little tight but still should be fine. Also The Bat is one coaster anyone can ride because of its overhead restraints and since it has a suspended/hanging track, it is not very rough and a very enjoyable family coaster thats not to intense. You could also ride Boo Blasters, which is a dark ride where you blast ghost for points basically, it can seat anyone and is good for catching a quick break from the outside. Also dont forget that the train is great, relaxing fun and can fit anyone. Viking Fury should be fine, along with White Water Canyon I would think. Congo Falls also should be alright. You could also take a trip up the Eiffel Tower, if your not scared of heights or anything like that! Most importantly have fun with whatever you ride and if you feel comfortable with a few rides go for it, if not dont worry and move on to the next ride. Hope all goes well and have fun!

You sound like an amazing mother considering you are willing to do all of this for your daughter. As someone who grew up with a mother that did not ride rides (for health and size reasons), I can tell you first hand that just being in the park with her meant a lot to me and I cherish those memories even if she was waiting at the exit for me. I believe your daughter will just be happy that you are with her and spending time making memories. Don't stress yourself out, don't be embarrassed. Take what these fine folks above me have said and just remember your limits. If you want to try and see if it works then go for it! If not thats okay too. Some days I will just walk around the park and not ride anything. Enjoy your time. Oh, and Welcome to KIC!

I love that you are putting your daughter ahead of your own fears. You rock! Welcome to KIC! As far as what you might/might not fit on, it all really depends on your personal weight distribution. If you don't want to ride stuff or are worried, there is no problem waiting in lines with your group, then simply walking through to the exit rather than ride. If you do decide to try a coaster, the newer ones have test seats outside the entrance so you can see if you'll fit before even getting in line. You should be able to ride White Water Canyon if you are ok with walking around wet for a bit afterward. There is also the train. Both are going to offer some great views of the new Mystic Timbers coaster as well! Although it's not a whole lot of fun, having someone to hold everyone's bags/etc while they ride is always appreciated. Personally, I enjoy people-watching and just being in the park atmosphere enjoyable enough that I could have fun even if I don't ride anything. Assuming you go after the Origins show starts for the season (it might not until after your visit, I don't know what the start date is yet), I can't recommend it enough! Love the show!

Then I guess I will see you all next Thursday! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

No sense in weighing in until the moment of truth, I suppose, but I can say this: 1. If MT lightens lines at The Beast, particularly at night, I'll be happy. Not sure how the dynamics of that are gonna play out, but if so, cool. 2. Good for KI if they can build a coaster that once I've had a chance to ride it a few times would even make me think of returning to this discussion! I just remember first riding The Voyage a couple of years ago and being totally surprised by it--my first thought when exiting was, "this might be better than The Beast." But, on second thought, The Voyage might be what The Beast was to me when I was a kid riding it for the first few times--a complete and total onslaught of the senses. A total knockout. A surprise. If KI can get me to that place with MT, more power to them! I cannot wait to be able to give my post-ride review!

Please update us after you ride MT! I didn't think I would like any wooden better than Beast, but Thunderhead changed my mind. Not that I don't ride The Beast any less or anything and it still is my go to coaster unless I have the choice of one versus the other.

I prefer The Beast for being rough. Truthfully, I think MT looks fun but videos don't look as thrilling to me. Granted, I haven't ridden it yet, but as of now I'm sticking with Beast!

Seeing this made me extremely excited!

I didn't really know where to put this, so I figured this was good. I've been thinking about it a long time posting this, but I just couldn't keep any of this to myself. So, I thought I'd share my Kings Island story. I have to warn you though, it's pretty long. lol Kings Island. It's a place where coaster enthusiast, thrill seekers, and families go for summer break or to just have a good time. Kings Island opened on April 29th,1972,in Mason, OH. At the time I wasn't born yet. But I would someday get there. I was born in December of 2000. Same year that the massive Son of Beast opened as the first hyper wooden coaster at 218 feet and the first woodie to have a loop. I've been to Kings Island 16 times in my 16 years of life, and have spent about 55 hours at the park. My first visit to Kings Island was on August 13th, 2002. I was 1 and half. Little did I know that a little over 12 years I would grow to love Kings Island very much. This is how Kings Island has changed my life. Kings Island to me is more than just an amusement park. It's everything else with it. Great coasters, food, shows,etc. When I'm near or at the park, I just feel diffrent. I feel happy, and at peace knowing I'm in my favorite place. The sounds of the anti roll back clacking, people screaming, the whoosh of the ride as it passes by,smell of fresh cut potato fries, chain lube coaster oil from The Beast, Racer and Vortex. I've set goals, and have achieved them on account of Kings Island.When I'm going through hard times in my life, I just think of how many days till I go to Kings Island again and all the fun memories I've had. When I walk through those turnstiles, I become a whole diffrent person. Smiling the whole day till it's time to leave. I didn't like roller coasters that much till the end of 2012, early 2013. My first big coaster in Hanna Barba Land now Planet Snoopy, was The Beastie, now known as Woodstock Express. I remember it very well. I was scared so bad! In the ride photo, I'm clinging onto my mother and have a terrified look on my face. I first rode The Beast, Racer, Adventure Express, Backlot Stunt Coaster on September 7th, 2009. First time on The Bat, I almost had a bathroom attack, it looked so big! I don't rememeber my first time on Adventure Express, but I do remember I always held onto someone's arm and I hated the end! I don't really rememeber first time on Backlot either but I wasn't scared too much. I can't rememeber my first time on The Racer. First time I rode The Beast, because I was so scared and trying to hold onto my mom's arm, I got a huge purple knot on my left elbow. I swore to myself never to ride it again. Till later... I didn't ride Beast when I went back the next year on August 26th, 2010. We never went to Kings Island in 2011. We went 2 times in 2012 though. The first trip was July 17th, 2012. I refused to go near The Beast since I remember what happened the last time with my arm. But I did ride Diamondback. The 230 foot, 80 miles an hour hyper coaster. I came so close to telling my sister I didn't want to ride. But I got on, heart beating like a crazy, held a tight grip on my sisters hand. By the end of the ride, I was smiling and wanted to ride it again. Rode it 3 more times that day. Second trip to Kings Island was on August 6th, 2012.My oldest sister convinced me to give The Beast one more chance. And I did. It wasn't as rough as I remembered. In fact I loved it! Rode it in the dark that night, and absoulutly fell in love with it. That following winter I looked up more on Kings Island, park history, ride stats, past ride stats, where past rides used to be. My first time back to Kings Island after looking so much of it up was May 21st, 2013. That was when Banshee was being built but no one knew what it was at the time. Fast forward to the night of August 8th, 2013. The night Kings Island announced Banshee as the longest inverted roller coaster at 4,124 feet long. I got chills when I first saw the POV and thought "I'm going to ride that next year." So, I followed along with Banshee's construction. Saw basically every piece be placed, the trains arriving, testing of the ride, and opening day. Saved a lot of conststrution pics from Kings Island's twitter, and saved interviews with the park about the ride. I also memorized basically everything about Banshee, and a lot about the park. I started a Kings Island notebook that has ride stats, past ride stats, where old rides used to be, deaths, ride records, trivia, and a little story of how Kings Island started. May 23rd, 2014. One of the biggest days of my life. I was going to ride my first inverted roller coaster. I saw Banshee and I just froze. It was one of the most beutiful rides I've seen. The color,theming, size. It was perfect. Got in line only waited 15 minutes. Nervously I got into the seat, pulled down the overhead, buckled in. I heard "all clear!" then the train started moving. I just thought "I've been waiting since August 8th, 2013. All the times I watched the POV's saw the track being put together, and here I am going up the longest inverted coaster in the world." I screamed from the first drop to the brakes, and as the ride came to an end I was all smiles! Got back in line and rode it again. This time in the front row. Oh was it an amazing feeling. You feel like you own the world on the front row of Banshee. My second trip that year to Kings Island was on August 9th, 2014. Just one day after it had been a year since Banshee was announced. It was a Saturday. So we had to wait almost 2 hours to ride Banshee. It was worth it though. Getting to ride Beast again was amazing too. I only went to Kings Island once in 2015. It was May 22nd, 2015. The next time I went was May 27th, 2016. I had to wait a very hard 370 days without stepping one foot into Kings Island. It was really tough going so long without being in my favorite place. But my comfort was that I was only an hour and 45 minutes away, and it will all be worth the wait when I go again. May 27th had finally came. Not only was I excited about riding my favorite rides again like The Beast.I was very excited to see what was going on in Rivertown across from Red's Hall Of Fame Grille. I knew it had to be a roller coaster. Then Pulling down that lap bar on Beast, hearing the anti roll back, and the smell of the coaster chain lube after going 370 without all of that was just amazing, I went 5 times to Kings Island in 2016. : May 27th, June 9th, August 9th, October 21st, and October 29th. Riding 95 rides that year, getting my 40th ride in on Racer. I've rode 228 rides in my 15 years of going to KI. 368 roller coasters totaled up. 53 miles traveled on The Beast 24 miles traveled on Diamondback 25.9 traveled on Racer 7.9 miles traveled on Vortex 18.7 miles travaled on Banshee 7.6 miles traveled on The Bat 4.5 miles traveled on Backlot Stunt Coaster 1.9 miles traveled on Firehawk 1 mile traveled on Flight of Fear 1.3 miles traveled Flying Ace Aeriel Chase 0.6 miles traveled on Invertigo 0.3 miles traveled on Great Pumpkin Coaster 5.1 miles traveled on Woodstock Express 62 feet traveled on Adventure Express I have traveled 163.5 miles on Kings Island roller coasters, 73.8 miles in 2016, and 224.4 miles on roller coasters combined in the past 14 years. The biggest reason I am a coaster enthusiast is because of The Beast and Diamondback at Kings Island. I am who I am today because of Kings Island. I know now that I want to work in a communications department at a Cedar Fair park, mainly Kings Island. My whole entire room is basically covered in Kings Island stuff and souvenirs. My past, present and future is all Kings Island as of now in growing up, my job career, and when I have a family of my own. I know we'll go a lot when we can. Again. Thank you from the bottom of my heart Kings Island. I am more patient, more kind, more everything because of this amazing park and the people working in it.I'm so blessed and thankful I have a 2017 gold pass so I can go to the park a lot this year! You'll see me mainly at Racer, The Beast, and maybe even Mystic Timbers this summer. Thank you for taking your time out reading this. It took awhile to write. I hope maybe some of you can share below what Kings Island is to you, and what kind of person you are cause of it, or just whatever. What I consider my home.

I guess I'm following everyone saying great story! I'll probably get around to doing something like this, I still have my first on ride photo on Woodstock Express back in 2006 when the area had just became known as Nickelodeon Universe. (I was 6 at the time).

Beautiful story! That is the nicest photo of the park that I've seen in my entire 45 years of being a Kings Island fan! My family and I have been going since I was 3, and it never gets old or boring!

Good stuff, I enjoyed your story! I too started with The Beastie, and long story short, I liked coasters when I was a kid, but was hesitant. For me, it was about milestones such as Son of Beast (first looping coaster) and Flight of Fear (first indoor coaster). It wasn't until high school that I really became the enthusiast I am today- my first major solo coaster trip was to Six Flags Great America in 2008 and I had a blast. Flash forward to 2 years ago, where I successfully went to Hershey and Dorney with my cousin; and then last year when I took a solo trip to Kentucky Kingdom (I paid for everything except for the hotel). I'm hoping this year that along with Mystic Timbers, I can get to Carowinds to make Nighthawk my 100th coaster. I'd also like to get back to Cedar Point and maybe a trip to The Kingdom. That's my coaster history in a nutshell

Thank you so much for sharing! I too have a deep Kings Island story, though it doesn't span over as many years as yours. But it's still just as long. I'm currently typing it and saving it in a Word Document so I don't lose sleep tonight and that it'll be guaranteed that I won't lose any of it in the process. I'm currently in the middle of describing the pivotal events of my July 23, 2010 trip.

Excellent story! Regarding your Beast experience: it was during the offseasons prior to 2011 and 2012 that major retracking was done on The Beast, creating a massively smoother ride. In 2010, when I first rode it, it was extremely rough and I could not stand to ride it in a wheel seat. By 2012, it was running almost like brand new, and the very back seat became my favorite seat, even though it was a wheel seat. So that may explain the difference between your 2009 and 2012 rides. As for my story, here's the condensed version: My mother took me to what was then Paramount's Kings Island about once per year in the early to mid-'90s, but I was too scared to ride much outside of the kiddie land. On my final visit that decade, I decided I wanted to ride The Racer, and my mom tried to talk me out of it, saying that it was much bigger than anything I had ridden before, but I insisted. That ride spooked me so bad that I didn't return to the park until I was an adult. In May 2010, while watching a Reds game on TV, I saw an ad for Kings Island Gold Passes, looked them up online, and decided to give it a try again. I quickly found that like many of my childhood fears, my fear of roller coasters was now gone, and I now enjoyed thrill rides of all kinds. Since 2010, I have been to KI at least three times each year, and have visited other parks as well, including Cedar Point, Holiday World, and Kentucky Kingdom. So yeah, once you realize that you like coasters, there's not really any going back.

Oh, and I'm also praying for rain on preview night.

I like the "people haven't zeroed paticular idea" answer. Oh that clever PR guy.