Shaggy

The ice rink has always been built on temporary platforms above the fountains. It was always a popular myth in the early years of Winterfest that they froze the fountains. But that is simply impossible since the fountain is not built to be frozen - even if it had feezing coils and piping installed, the concrete would crack, electrical fail, fountain plumbing would be compromised etc. Personally, I'm curious to see where the staging platform will be (where you put on/take off your skates.) In the original years of Winterfest, it was at the end nearest to the main entrance. For the 1-year return during Paramount, they installed permanent access walkways and placed the staging area at the end nearest to the bandstand - opposite the previous set-up.

If I may, Canada's Wonderland - for nearly 20 years now - has been a near perfect model of additions and capitol expenditures season to season. It is easily one of the most well-balanced parks in the world. They have continually upped the flat offerings, while still doing the 3-year mega coaster cycle. As with most of the original KECO parks, the theme has long been compromised. However as far as rides, it is the epidome of "something for everyone."

I truly appreciate the encouragement. Frankly - that blog was waaaay too long. But how do you tell the story of the most infamous coaster in KI history in 4 sentences? LOL! I'll let you all in on a little secret. I had to shake off a lot of the responses on FB, because even so, some went on and on in their comments about how it killed people, fell of the tracks etc. Hoo boy ;-) LOL!

LOL! Yes, 37 years ago, people had to suffer the painstaking process of "patience." In today's world of instant news demand, can you imagine the furor? I remember hearing that people speculated that the entire ride was upside down - since the track was inverted. They didn't comprehend the hanging concept until it was announced. Looking at the track, it appeared back then that the trains would ride upside down the whole time!

There's a TON of myths, questions, rumors and mis-information about Kings Island's most notorious ride "The Bat." In honor of the 37th anniversary (to the day) of it's announcement, my latest blog is live on Kings Island's website. A true labor of love for me to write, click here if you'd like to read the true, fascinating story of the legendary, original suspended coaster... "The Bat." Happy Halloween! https://www.visitkingsisland.com/blog/2017/october/the-sporadic-erratic-flight-of-the-bat

A headbanger, yes. Worst coaster ever? No. I rode many, many times. I never understood why it received the overall hate. To me it didn't head bang any worse than most other Arrow multiloopers. Heck - the long defunct Shockwave at SFGAM, or GASM at SFGAdv were worse IMO. Drachen Fire's downfall... was very poor placement... and the fact that it wasn't the ride BGW really wanted (B&M.) By default, it had one of the best elements on any Arrow - the inversion immediately off the lift - that only came to pass when Arrow took over the failed B&M contract. Do I miss it? No. But it was a pretty cool coaster when it was first built.

Years ago, while I was in line with some *enthusiasts* for Double Loop at Geauga Lake, a little boy walked past us in line. The male enthusiast I was with - a hot head - grabbed the boys shoulder and said something to the effect of "where do you think you're going?" The next thing I knew, the boys Father, who was just a few feet in front of us, walked up to the *enthusiast* with fist drawn and said "Get your hand off my kid" or something to the sort. It turned into a heated exchange of words about line jumping, rule breaking etc. Although I didn't say anything to the *enthusiast* (as to not worsen the situation) I didn't blame that Father one bit. It was terribly embarrassing and shocking. I thought the *enthusiast* was going to get socked in the kisser, and by default, I'd have to deal with the fallout - or perhaps get socked just by association. It basically ruined the day - all because someone tried to police a situation. Don't ever try to police a situation, or physically deal with a rule breaker - you may end up with something broken yourself (or worse) and it's simply not worth it.

Waaaay back when I worked at KI, we would monitor this constantly, then when the line jumpers reached the front of the line, security was waiting to escort them away. However we also encouraged the guests not to police it - for fear of this type of reaction.

If the weather is even remotely like here in Louisville... then they made a very very smart decision. The rain and high winds are terrible and headed north!

OMG... that CEO guy is wearing flared/relaxed fit jeans. Yeah, there's a tough leather guy for ya. ;-)

I have only one response to the title of this post... BITE YOUR TONGUE!!! LOL!

Ooooh... I love Sugar Sugar - but it's not '80s.... the era of the rides back story. The Archies were on in the early 1970s.

The slope of the shed and track is a given... but what baffled me is it actually gives the effect that the logo is not only crooked, but false. Being more specific - it makes pictures of it seem as though the name was photo shopped onto the shot. LOL I cant tell you... my OCD absolutely cannot handle it!

So, ever since I saw this pic and then in person, my OCD has kicked into high gear. I was wondering if it was just me, or can others see it? Is the logo on the Mystic Timbers shed crooked?

Wait... just to clarify... the Kings Mill Log Flume was moved from Cincinnati's Coney Island before Kings Island opened in 1972 - it was not moved within Kings Island. (Not sure if that's what you thought.) Within Kings Island, it has always existed in it's current location. However, for the 2001 renovation, the flume trough (the metal gutter/gulley the boats float in) was completely replaced. Originally, the ride was designed and built by Arrow Development, in 1968 for Coney... but by 2000 the ride had nearly worn through. So the park contracted O.D. Hopkins to completely renovate the workings of the ride. I also believe many of the flumes circulatory pumps were replaced as well. So... it's the same ride... in the same place... but not really. BTW, the ride was *thiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiisssssss* close to being demolished. In 1999, the park made the decision to rip it down prior to the 2000 season, but several people internally fought for it. It then sat empty for 1 year with a wall around it - causing many KI enthusiasts to freak out (including me!) The year it re-opened (2001 - Now themed to Nickelodeon) the adjacent Kenton's Cove Keelboat Canal was demolished for the installation of Tomb Raider:The Ride. Ultimately, what saved the flume's life was Tomb Raider - the park didn't want to lose both flumes.

I personally am unfamiliar with the red ice cream in the 1990s. They did have red/puple/fuscia colored ice cream when Banshee opened... so perhaps they have had several colors through the years. However, I've never known the park to not have some incarnation of the blue ice cream - ever since it was introduced, it was one of the park's biggest sellers.

The "water balloon" attraction being referred to was the "Double Dare Slime Shot Challenge" that premiered with the new "Nickelodeon Splat City" in 1995. The attraction - due to it's poor interest, and ridiculous operational requirements (someone constantly filling water balloons, constantly cleaning up remnants of popped balloons etc) it only lasted 2 seasons.

Originally, The Beast had 4 trains... each train had 5 cars that had 4 rows holding 2 people each. So each train originally held 40 people. The 4th train never ran for the public... so when it opened, it opened with 3 trains of 5 cars with 4 rows of 2 people. Still holding 40 people. The cars were then altered to 3-rows, and an extra car (taken from the unused 4th train) was added to each train. Ever since the alteration, the coaster has operated with 3 trains that have 6 cars with 3 rows of 2 people - 36 people.

..is... (He's still around ;-)

For clarification... the first video's interviews/ride footage was not from opening day. The interview with Carl Eichelman was filmed in it's second season. He didn't make a name for himself as The Beast crazed-rider until 1980 when the park began publicizing his ride counts. The final interviews were likely opening weekend, but not opening day. It rained 1.25 inches on Friday April 13th, 1979. The following day, on Saturday the 14th, The Beast did not open until mid-afternoon... and it began raining by 4:00. The guy is not even wet. The very brief final off-ride footage is indeed from the grand opening press event - you'll notice very few riders (all of which are wearing ponchos) and there's a camera mount. There were less than 300 people there for the opening ceremonies on Friday the 13th. Between the two, the second aerial video is the gem. I am 99% positive it is from 1979... as "The Bavarian Beetle" was gone and the land was being prepped for "Stadium of the Stars." If you look VERY closely, you can see that the station for "The Bat" looks to already have been constructed, but there's no sign of any footings or ground clearing yet.

My perception of the park these days is that installs are simply based on the best way to satiate most guest interests. There's an obvious concentrated effort to increase capacities, and to focus on things for the entire family that are dependable and marketable. I would suspect - based on things like food offerings, meal plans, etc that a lot of the survey results are indicating that people want to take their entire family there for the overall experience - and want a deal - rather than to simply ride a huge coaster. I would suspect Cedar Fair views CP as their Ohio "thrill" park, and Kings Island their "experience" park - a precedent that was set independently by those parks many years before Cedar Fair took the helm. Most every install at KI is based on guest feedback through surveys - so if guests say they want a 300' coaster, then they'll probably install one. If guests are saying they want more kids rides, then that takes priority. KI has to straddle the middle in most cases - since it's a very family oriented park. They could have very easily built Mystic Timbers 100 feet taller, or twice as long and fast - but they installed a highly enjoyable, non-intimidating ride that many people can enjoy. MT actually, IMO, filled a need that I didn't even know existed. It's a mid-sized ride that pulls two audiences... it's a "graduating" coaster for kids moving up a thrill level... and it's a satisfyingly fun ride for those already used to bigger thrills. I also think that for many, many, years, KI execs have been trying to completely correct the "ills" of the former owner. There's a focus on bringing back a lot of the quality to the park, while reducing it's previous blatant commercialism. In addition, they've steered away from gimmicks... special effects, complicated theming that is expensive to maintain etc. I see a lot of infrastructure changes to the dated buildings and facilities, that frankly, cost a LOT of money (but often go unrecognized by guests.) The Paramount installs - as fun and over-the-top as they were, weren't (as a whole) dependable and high volume enough - and are to blame for many of the confusing compromises to the themes of the park. Bottom line, I do have my fingers crossed that KI will get their own version of 'Leviathan" or "Fury." (I would kill to see one of those at KI.) Chances are, it will come... in due time... and only if most guests want it. But frankly, my biggest dream for KI, especially the older I get, is that the park adds things that will keep it around for another 50, 100, 200 years.

Its funny, but water rides have taken a turn in popularity over the years. Back in the 1980's-early 1990's they were a hot commodity and people would wait for hours to get soaked on these in a dry ride-park. But actually, I think the "soaking" part is what ultimately has cost their popularity - that and the onslaught of parks with waterpark/bathing suit options. I know I personally don't want to walk around a park soaking wet - especially with squishy shoes. Amazingly themed and fun too look at, River Battle was not a "thrilling" ride by any means. Couple that with the "soaking" aspect and those 2 negatives cost them a good percentage of their riding audience. Knowing Dollywood, they'll add something much better in it's place. The park is smart, and they don't let unpopular rides stagnate for too long. Frankly, the ride would probably be immensely popular if moved to Splash Country.

It's the same train - however the train's decorations were severely altered after this pic was taken. That pic is from IAAPA in 1978 - when they showed off the lead car. At that point, there were 4 trains. Prior to opening, the ride reduced to 3 trains and received a different "fire-themed" paint job and had the headlamp removed in favor of a logo (that would better represent the park in media coverage.) After a few weeks of operation the tufted button upholstery was removed as well. In subsequent seasons, the cars and chassis were cut down by the park to reduced them to 3-bench seats. The coaster still uses 3 of it's original trains - only SEVERELY altered. The #4 spare was broken up to extend the 3, and eventually the #4 lead was given to Ruth Voss upon retirement.

Now that I am NOT in favor of. Frankly, I think the layout needs to remain the same. "The Beast" has entertained and thrilled millions upon millions upon millions of people for nearly 40 years. To me, The Beast is the structure, and the way it brilliantly navigates it's terrain and woods. You have to understand that The Beast represents a time when all engineering was done by hand - it's a stamp in time as to the talents, and genius of the men who designed and engineered it - Al Collins and Jeff Gramke. I dont think such a change would be accepted by those countless people that love the ride - and I do mean COUNTLESS. Changing it's layout would be akin to re-painting the Mona Lisa. Yeah - she might be lacking eyebrows and may have faded a bit with time - but think of the beauty and originality you'd lose if you updated her.

Of course eveyone know's I am, and always will be a Beast fan... But, I am personally of the opinion that Beast needs it's trains replaced. The existing trains are considered the "originals" but they have been chopped, altered, padded, divided, dissected, renovated, changed, updated, downgraded, upgraded, conformed, and manipulated to the point that they are not remotely the same trains it started with... I'd actually go as far to say that in reality on about 10% or less of the trains is still "original." Just think about it... they were immediately altered after opening (interior hand-stitched tufted padding was taken out, the headlamp removed and replaced with the logo), then they were cut down from 4-benchers to 3 within a few years of operation, and in the subsequent 30 seasons had the buzz bars removed, headrests added, seat dividers extended, accessible strapping added, extra padding added, seat belts added, skids removed for fins etc etc etc. I don't at all think it would be some horrible thing to replace the trains completely. Frankly, a switch to a different type of train from the EXTREMELY dated PTC's would help re-invigorate the ride IMO - allowing for more rider comfort and also allowing for more guests to ride (let's face it... people are fat these days - so everything from cars, to airlines to movie theaters are having to address this.) It would be nice if PTC had an updated version of the trains to offer. But as far as I know, PTC continues to produce the same archaic trains they were making 100 years ago. I understand they do a good business for those that want new trains identical to the older ones - but they have virtually NO other options as far as styling or articulation, just wooden boxes on wheels. Heck - one of the main reasons The Beasts elements are so far apart is because the longer PTC trains couldn't articulate directional changes abruptly. The only option PTC gives it's customers for tighter elements is shorter cars yet still non-articulating. If The Beast changed trains, it would be a necessary advancement. The originals, or AN original, could be kept for display. If I was given a magic wand, I'd probably wave it at The Beast and orchestrate a complete station, theme element and train overhaul. The water, mining Co, Beast warning sign, tc would all be updated/brought back. And it would get a test seat - which it has needed desperately for decades. Of course it's very easy for me to be a keyboard critic and think that it would be that easy - it would likely take at least a million dollars to make that happen - alterations, permits, inspections, insurance adjustments etc etc etc. And why buy the Mercedes if the Cadillac is working just fine? No matter - I still love it ;-)