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It appears that the park is testing new metal detectors at the front gate today. They look to be the Express model by Evolv Technology, and allow security screenings to take place fluidly and without bag checks. Traffic was flowing much faster through the security checkpoint using these new machines. https://evolvtechnology.com/products/evolv-express/ Have you been to the park and experienced the new screening process?

It may be possible. In 2008 when working on the ride in the drive box we have panel that shows the speed of trains in the shed (long stretch of covered track), the quick dip (the lowest point in the ride), and the entry into the final helix. During some Haunt days I recall seeing hits of speeds at 73-75mph at the quick dip. During colder temperature they would remove the trims at the mid course.

Strange as the Carowinds webpage advertises Winterfest returns in 2021 - guess will see if that changes in the next few weeks -

The bridge over Oktoberfest's lake was added 1983 and the one over Swan Lake was present when the park opened in 1972. I believe that they were both removed after the 1994 season (at least that's the last time they were depicted on park guides). Regarding @gforce1994's recreation, I think it's important to show what he seems to be modeling it off of. Some of the earlier Kings Island concept art released to the public / Taft shareholders featured some minor changes in park layout. As scanned and shared by Steve Frazier, the 1970 Taft Broadcasting annual report:

Absolutely. Furthermore we’ve seen Knott’s do food festivals, and be successful at pulling them off.

^Since in all likelihood it would be a scaled back version of what they offered at Winterfest, I could see them simply call the event something else like taste of the season or something so that people recognize it is not the Winterfest experience, similar to how KI and CP are not doing Haunt, but instead doing Fall Fest... plus they are stringing lights....

That is cool. How did the lines move at security today?

The Beast for sure is number one for me. I know this topic is about The Racer and The Beast, but Mystic Timbers would be second, followed by The Racer.

Not all the way to coney, but I thought there was a bridge over swan lake a long time ago. Is this wrong?

I would consider most of their parks as smaller local parks that don't need the attendance of bigger parks like Kings Island and Cedar Point. A larger population probably helps support more parks too. And while they may not be in Ohio there are a few parks within a few hours drive of Cedar Fairs Ohio parks.

Here’s a look at a nearly completed Coney Mall and semi completed Oktoberfest section. The interesting thing about the early visualizations is the fact that the park would have had a pathway between Coney and Rivertown at the back and middle of the park.

The only way I see GL surviving is if SIX never purchased them and overbuilt there to keep it as a small niche park, and even that's a stretch.

I only rode SOB in 1-1 and 1-2 most of the time as they were slightly more comfortable. It was mostly just jarring jackhammering on the helices and that last bit before the final brakes. The pre-lift and the few straighter drops it had (the first drop, the drop off the MCBR and the drop before the final brakes) weren't bad, but just forceless due to being drawn out. I'd put it above Voyage and Mean Streak for sure on the roughness scale. The Rose Bowl felt like riding a coaster attached to a jackhammer. The second helix was basically the lite version of the first but still awful. The Premier restraints did it no favors. The Gerstlauers made things worse because they bounced WAY more due to being lighter and made it more boring because it seemed to barely get over hills. Those trains, BTW, were not new Gerstlauer trains designed for SOB. They were lightly retrofitted G-trains (I'm probably being generous saying they were changed all that much aside from the new colors) from a defunct wooden coaster known as Hurricane from Myrtle Beach Pavillion, which makes the 'rehab' CF did to it all the more questionable.

...and when I got on Youtube, THIS popped up in my feed. The Animation from the 1999 Son of Beast announcement. Compare this to the animations for Orion, Banshee, or even Diamondback and it is obvious animated coasters have come a LOOOOOONG way.

I heard that too. Kings Island could have done Winterfest. 95% of the human body is covered (gloves included) anyway- and face coverings are generally included as well.

My humble vote goes to The Beast. I am a big fan of The Racer. Without it, The Beast would not likely exist, and I would love to see The Racer restored to its red, white, blue, smooth, racing, and backwards glory. The Racer absolutely helped the public fall in love with wooden coasters again. It was "just" a bigger version of what riders were familiar with (Shooting Star). But The Beast defined how a coaster could be huge, "epic", and have a personality. A story. An immersive experience before, during, and after. Much of this is due to the hidden setting that had to be ridden to be known, and even the logo. Just look at this logo. It looks like a poster for a great horror movie. Riding The Beast, especially at night, was like experiencing that movie. We are so lucky to have both Beast and Racer in one park!

As originally proposed and visualized, Coney Mall was a two midway area. The first midway ran in a North South orientation from The Racer to the Sid and Marty Kroft theatre and featured Haley's Comet, Racer, Ferris Wheel, Dodgems, Whip, and the Giant Slide. The second midway ran in an east west orientation from the Sid and Marty Kroft theatre to the Antiques. The second midway had Tumble Bug, Haley's Comet, the theatre and the Antiques. There are no flying scooters in the early visualization.

I think KI’s Racer is Allen’s finest creation, followed by Racer 75. It is clear to see how the design of The Racer spurred the second Golden Age of the wooden coaster.