Shaggy

I had not seen this footage until you shared it with me. It's terrific! To add on to what you said about the original Dodgem/Cuddle Up... many think the Cuddle Up was removed when Coney Mall was overhauled for 1986. However according to park maps, it could have been removed as early as 1984. Although I did visit KI in those years, I don't remember riding Cuddle Up then - so it was likely gone. In addition, what is now the Candy Shop at the end of Coney Mall was the location of Ki's Fascination Parlor. Fascination transferred from Coney Island as well. I believe it bit the dust in 1986 when the Coney Mall update happened. Although I've never known it as fact, I have heard that KI's Fascination games were sold to LeSourdesville Lake - which eventually became Americana. They had a working Fascination Parlor until the final years, but I'm not sure if it was ALL KI original equipment, or if KI's was used for replacements.

Got it, thanks for clarifying. :-) I wish I had been more attentive to the park details in the 80's-very early 90's. If only I could rewind time and revisit those years and write down or photograph the subtle, and not so subtle changes at the park (which I started doing around 1996.) Little things like "When did they tear down queue building #3 on Beast" or "For how many seasons did KI have The Vortex "tracks" through Coney Mall" or "When did the German Toy Store close" etc continue to elude me. Back in the 1970's and 80s, there was interest in the park, but it cannot hold a candle to today's microscopic analysis of all things KI. Back then, you either read in the paper or park brochure (or saw a commercial) what was new at KI, then you begged your parents to take you to the park sometime during the season (if you were really lucky, you got to go MORE than once!) and you spent most of that visit running around trying to ride as much as possible - while shrugging off some of the changes. (I.E. "Hmmm... I think there was water running out of this chute last year when I was in line for Beast... Oh Well.") But with the advent of the web, KI-watching took on a life of it's own and the media blitz that followed forever changed how we keep up with those changes. To be honest, I have to give a shout out to people like Don... or my friend Roger who went to Coney Island as a kid - then Kings Island when it opened (and is still going today.) They were ahead of their time because they DID take note of those things - and saw the significance of the changes that occurred in those early years. Most of what I know about those early years is based off of their having witnessed them. I guess that's partly why I created my little page. I really want those that have a love of KI today to see how rich a past the park has had. With so many mega parks today, its really hard to recognize that KI was always a top tier park... and it's very existence is *essentially* a result of an act of Mother Nature.

Hmmm... Not sure how that picture negates my memory? LOL It actually confirms it.... ;-) I said I went in 1994 to find the monorail gone... (I just couldn't recall if the station remained or if it was an empty plot of land in 1994) then I said that in 1995 the Skyflyer was built. That pic could be from 1994 or possibly 1995 before the Skyflyer was added (if indeed, the Skyflyer opened mid-season) Remember, Top Gun was built in 1993. I distinctly recall Top Gun operating for a season with the Monorail, and then a season without it, then the following (95) Skyflyer appeared. (It was as I drove past the park... sometime in 1995 that I saw Skyflyer being constructed - not while IN the park.) What I am fuzzy about is not when the Monorail was or wasn't there, or when the Skyflyer was or wasn't there... what I am fuzzy about are details like whether the monorail station sat vacant or was demolished for the 1994 season - or the entrance to Wild Animal Habitat was altered in 1994 or 1995 - or if the Skyflyer appeared mid-season as I recalled or if it was ready to go with the start of '95. If we had a specific date of that picture, it would answer a ton of those "fuzzies" I have about the minute details mentioned above. Bottom line, when the Monorail left, it solidified the trend of negating the overall theming of areas within the park that it followed all the way through the Paramount tenure. The "De-theming" of areas IMO started with AE - totally misplaced - by the Linder staff. Then Paramount jumped on board and decided to try and make it a poor man's Universal - and commercialize the park with no regard to it's history. I DO think some good came from the Paramount days - and it gave us lots of good stuff to talk about. But one of the really bad things was how mis-focused the park became. Since Cedar Fair has taken over, IMO, there's been a concentrated effort to adhere to the themed areas. For instance Mystic Timbers is a great theme for Rivertown. Had that been Paramount, we'd be looking forward to "Star Trek: Beyond - The wooden coaster" in Rivertown. *Edit* - I was able to track down an online video from Jul 1995 that shows the Skyflyer (then Drop Zone) was in place by then. So, that answers some of my fuzziness - I probably saw Drop Zone being constructed as I passed by in early 1995 before the park opened for the season. If the above picture is from 1994, that means the entrance to Wild Animal Habitat was altered before it was taken - so that occurred in either late 1993, or early 1994. Here's the video...

Whenever I see older pictures of the the old Wild Animal Safari monorail station, it takes me back... In 1994, I went to KI and was dismayed at the fact that the Monorail was no longer in operation (If I recall properly, throughout that season the station, or at least the land it sat on remained empty.) I attended opening night (my first) for the unveiling of "Days of Thunder" simulator in 1994 and while there, I discovered the monorail had been demolished - and possibly the original entrance to the Wild Animal Habitat area was completely re-done. (In addition, the water under King Cobra was gone.) Then, fast forward to mid-season 1995, I saw what appeared to be a GIANT STEEL COASTER LOOP being assembled in that area of the park. The excitable and non-rational side of my brain thought "They tore out the monorail to install a GIANT coaster!" (even though the practical side of my brain thought "Naaaah, they just installed Top Gun.") Well, as the weeks wore on, imagine my dismay when I saw that the "GIANT STEEL COASTER LOOP" was actually the Skyflyer being installed. Wah waaaaaaah. (As far as I recall, the Skyflyer was actually installed while the park was already operating for 1995.) It was, actually, the first one I ever saw in person, but none-the-less I was really bummed. However that very same time period, I started noticing earth being moved back behind Racer... and we all know what happened back there... It's all a bit fuzzy, and I may have some of the timeline a bit twisted, but there were LOTS of changes in those days - not the least of which was the Paramount takeover. That having been said... I do distinctly recall a big SECRET from that time... Most don't know what ALMOST happened in 1995... and it involved the monorail NOT being removed. One word... MOVIERAIL.

Also, worth mentioning, is the fact that when AE opened, there was no FOF, there was no SOB or Banshee, there was no Days of Thunder, there was no Top Gun/Flight Deck/Bat. It had a great feeling of being "remote" because it was nestled in a valley surrounded by trees (and you also realized live animals were nearby.) So that added a great deal to it's experience. What I distinctly remember the first time I rode, was thinking "Why did they put it in the German section of the park?" That made absolutely no sense to me - still doesn't. I expect it was just prime land. But I have always wondered if the original intent when Arrow proposed the ride to KI, was for it to have a Bavarian theme - especially since the station has a very Chalet look to it. It very easily could have.

It does and it doesn't... I rode Adventure Express in it's first season and it was actually extremely well done. It was the 2nd half of a 2-part deal KI had made with R&R Creative (the folks that came up with Phantom Theater's theming.) They first designed Phantom Theater, and then moved on to the theming of Kings Islands new "Runaway mine train coaster" the park had in the works with Arrow Dynamics. Obviously the picture dramatizes some elements, but when it opened the theming was pretty over-the top. All the tunnels had fog, lighting effects, water splashes, animatronics etc. What exists now is, well, about 20% of it's original effects. *Side note* Did you know in Adventure Express' first couple of seasons of operation, the Wild Animal Safari Monorail actually passed through the ride area?

Today is a really nice day in Louisville. There's only a slight chill in the air, but the sun is out and makes me look forward to the looming spring (my favorite time of year.) We were lucky this year and, knock wood, didn't have a really snowy/icy/bitter cold winter. it had it's moments, but overall it could be a lot worse. Why am I bringing this up? Because every year I marvel at the workers that labor in rain, sleet, snow, cold, hail, ice, wind, freezing temps etc all to build something we'll enjoy in much more pleasurable weather. Year after year the construction crews that assemble the new attractions at KI must face some pretty difficult elements. I hope this season, as each of us ride Mystic Timbers, we take a moment to think about those that braved the elements to help make magic for us. I know I certainly appreciate their hard work!

Yes... Taft was involved in Marineland for a while. Marineland in CA got tossed around a lot - and eventually ended up SBNO. Here's a snippet about Taft's involvement from this website: http://blogs.dailybreeze.com/history/2014/08/23/marinelands-tumultuous-final-days/ In October 1977, Marineland was sold again, this time to the Kroger Company and Taft Broadcasting for $5 million. Taft also owned the Hanna-Barbera animation studio, and decided to remake the park using the studio’s familiar characters Yogi Bear, Scooby Doo, Huckleberry Hound and others. The park was closed on October 31, 1977, for remodeling, and many employees were laid off. It reopened on May 27, 1978 as Hanna Barbera’s Marineland. In addition to the various cartoon-themed renovations, the refurbishments included the Marine Animal Care Center, whose mission was to treat wounded marine animals. The park had been doing just that since its inception, but the Center established a special facility for sea animal care. Taft did invest a considerable sum in Marineland, adding participatory attractions such as the Family Adventure Swim, followed by Baja Reef, where swimmers could swim and snorkel through a custom-built aquarium. Attendance began rising back towards the 1 million mark, after dipping as low as 700,000 during its lean years. In 1981, Taft sold Marineland to Far East Hotels and Entertainment Ltd., a Hong Kong company that ran hotels and amusement parks. The company, a division of Warwick International, promised to invest in refurbishing the aging park, but did little more than give it superficial touch ups, such as a fresh coat of paint

The tree was the Puppet Tree I mentioned above. The "farm" was McScrappy's Farm. The "Farm" actually resembled one of those Fisher Price Little People Farms.

I'm not trying to bring you down - but you do know the house of cards was just a tiny walk through? They were more decorative than anything - the inside just had a couple of fun house mirrors - that's it as far as I remember. The bigger attraction in the area was actually the Puppet Tree - which was adjacent. That seems to have escaped a lot of the pictorial history of Kings Island.

I'll eventually upload all that I have. (Its a slooow process with scanning etc) Frankly, I have so much, I won't know what I have until I get to it. As far as pictures, what I have is from the years I attended - and I first went to KiI in 1981.

Thanks for all the work, and best wishes!

With much, much more to come! Thanks for the bump

Wanna know a huge *secret?* The Marketing/PR Director at the time (who can be seen in the video - and shall remain nameless) was released just a couple months later immediately following the Son of Beast announcement event. (IMO, well deserved!) Just prior to the announcement of SOB, Tim Fisher called in his former marketing Director at Carowinds, to move to Cincinnati and restructure the marketing team. - Thats how David Mandt became Marketing Director. David's first big move was to hire an enthusiastic young man to oversee PR, who was then doing marketing for Americana. The young man was at the SOB media event and it was there that i first met Jeffrey Siebert. Jeff came on board at PKI shortly after, and the team he and David created would prove to be utterly successful for the park, enthusiasts and the industry. That change single-handedly turned around the marketing of Kings Island, and started a momentum that continues on to this day with Don. Today those two help lead the industry... and that, my friends, is history...

The stunt show was not discontinued because of the shootings. After the shootings, the guns were removed from the show, and it limped along through the 1999 season. It was cancelled late in the season when Tim Fisher viewed it, felt it was poor entertainment and embarassing, and he immediately dismissed the "stunt men" following an afternoon show.

To be quite honest, the details escape me. I probably would have recalled that once upon a time, but my KI memory is not what it used to be. What I do recall is that the day it opened to the general public, it was misting/raining. My goal in the FB page isn't to recollect the specifics/minutia/dates as much as it is to share the wealth of pictures and materials I have amassed over the years. As I post, I simply type in a few comments as best I recall.

For anyone curious about the construction of Action Zone - including Face/Off and Drop Zone - I just uploaded a bunch of photos. (Including an ULTRA RARE look inside Drop Zone's tower!)

Unless the queue goes back there, they'd be pointless... you cant see the outside while inside. ;-)

Throw the book at him!

There's been a few things there through the years... FOF Souvenir Stand, VR coaster, games etc. I'm not sure which exact picture you may be referencing.

Yep

Hi all! Some of you know me, many probably don't because I dont post like I did in year past. Let's just say KI and I go waaaaaaaay back. I have had a love affair with KI since I first heard about The Beast in 1979 and since I first attended in 1981 when the (original) Bat was new! Well, I have managed to keep tabs on the park for decades now. I was an avid coaster enthusiast for years, but my passion found it's birth in my early visits to KI. Throughout all my years of visiting the park, I collected souvenirs, collectibles, and other physical things. However I also amassed a lot of pictures (including rare, behind the scenes construction pictures), brochures, park maps, media kits, Press Releases etc. After years and years of sitting on a 4-drawer filing cabinet full of them, I finally decided I was being selfish by not sharing. So that's exactly what I am doing. I have created a FB page called "Sit on It." (It's a play on a slogan taken from a sign that used to hang in The Beast, and Racer stations. I loved the sign and always said if I were to create a site dedicated to my love of KI, that's what I'd call it!) So... I'd like to invite all of you to visit @SitOnItKI on FB. It's a work in progress... and I've only just begun to upload the hundreds of pictures, videos etc that I have dating back to Kings Islands opening years. All I ask is that you help me by giving credit to the page if you re-use one of my pictures, that will help promote it. Also, I welcome your nostalgic pictures and posts as well. I hope this isnt breaking any KICentral rules - I would have loved to contribute them - but frankly there's so many. My intent is to celebrate the wonderful park Kings Island has always been by looking back at it's past... and it's future! https://www.facebook.com/SitonItKI

When I was a kid, there was more than just Ringling Brothers & Barnum Bailey. There were also traveling tent circuses like "Clyde Beatty Cole Brothers Circus." Ringling was always the "Mercedes" of circuses when I was young. It was always a slick, highly produced arena spectacular. It had celebrated stars that were very well known - like Gunther Gebel Williams (whom I saw perform many, many times.) Tent Circuses were always rough, and gritty and literally set up on grassy plots of land with old rickety wooden bleachers and toothless carnies. I marveled at Ringling Bros. I loved the ariel acts - high-wire, trapeze, lady swinging by her hair etc. I loved the lions and tigers and elephants and monkeys. It all seemed so big, and mesmerizing, and exciting! I went a few years ago, after over 25 years of not having seen it. The show was a shell of it's former self. All the over-the-top extravagance had obviously been sacrificed to keep the show going. The arena was only half filled with ticket buyers, and it seemed all the acts were cut down in their time. Even the lions and tigers (which have always performed after the intermission) were only on for 10-15 minutes. Also, everything seemed smaller, the trapeze wasn't as high, the high-wire shorter etc. Most notible to me was the fact that there was no live music tmk - it was pre-recorded - vs a live orchestra that used to travel with them. I did always feel bad/concerned over the animals as a kid. The elephants always looked sad to me. But I always recognized that it was the only life those animals knew. So I have grave concerns over their well-being now that their security is gone. I also am gravely concerned for the families that travel with the show - most come from many many generations of performers that only know life in the confines of the show. Mostly I worry that those who's lives centered around the animals will be able to continue their work with them in some way. I don't think the animal rights do-gooders thought about that. They never factored in the fact that this may cause a separation of those keepers who have loved and cherished the animals their entire lives - but now will not be able to afford to do so on their own. I find it is a sad, sad day. Not surprising, but truly sad.

Frankly, what's in the shed is not nearly as interesting to me as what's before the shed. I will say just by visual judgement when viewing pictures, the fact that the track is hugging the ground so tightly after a decent sized lift makes me think its going to be a great ride. Once the "shed" secret is out, its out. The success of the ride will be based on it's overall ride experience not the last 20 seconds. What if what's in the shed is just a monitor that scrolls a list of build credits, like the end of a movie? LOL! Nah, that's more of a Paramount move... Ha ha!

As other pointed out, most of those thinking "drop track" are not accounting for the train pass directly underneath the area being speculated. Do you really think they'd install a drop track directly over a train pass? I am, and always have been on the "no drop track" team. I do think it would be cool if the track is kept open underneath and as the train passes it lets out a big steam toot. LOL!