Shaggy

I wouldn't say Fallen...out of...Holding on for dear life maybe? I think that it's best to just say that it has always been safe for guests. Shaggy

No one has ever fallen out of Tomb Raider : The Ride or The Crypt. No, but close... Judging by the pic... me thinks the testing is 'bout to begin...

Just you... it's as it should be. Shaggy

I don't think you should worry. In particular, B&Ms typically have "Big Boy" seats set aside, with a little more "room" for the larger patron. Not that you fit that category. I also know from experience that the B&M Hyper seats tend to be quite roomy and IMO very comfy. (I still want a seat to put in my living room to sit in and watch tv, complete with TV Tray restraint LOL) The good news is that there will undoubtedly be a test chair at the queue entrance for larger folks to avoid embarassment, and a wait for nada. Shaggy P.S. My 34" pants are feeling very tight these days... I blame winter too... ;-)

When the B and M hypercoasters first debuted (see Nitro, for example), there was a small cable that attached from the rear of the restraint to the train body (see Flight of Fear's 'seatbelt' for a nearly analagous example). The cables were soon removed. I believe Nitro and Raging Bull were the only B&Ms to have the cables... and it was, more or less, a Six Flags novelty. At least that's the only ones I rode that ever had them. Apollo didn't. But as you said, they were short lived. I've never had it confirmed, but I've heard several ride ops sliced fingers on the cables when the plastic covering on them wore down... thus the removal. Seems like at an IAAPA I attended around 2000, B&M were showing off the new "security cables" on a displayed hyper car. B&M hypers all use a much simpler, but effecive way of securing a harness. There's a little "line" on the pivot axle at the base of the restraint pole. The restraint must be pushed far enough in so that the ride op can see the mark on the base of the restraint. It's the same idea as those "Power Surge" rides where the Ride Op must push the restraint in far enough that a signal light above the rider goes out. I've ridden the Superman Rides both prior to, and after, the restraint modification. The earlier restraint system was flawed for sure. Specifically at SFA, I could push my restraint slowly forward after locking, and no I didn't do so on purpose. I remember riding, having my lap bar push forward from my body weight mid-ride, which scared me to death. Upon exit, I told the ride op, who said "Yeah, we know" and shrugged it off. I didn't ride the coaster anymore that day. I was not shocked in the least when the person was thrown out at the other park. It was obvious that an obese person could easily cause the restraint to fail. Shaggy

It's either a future building, or a queue pad with wooden railings laid out. Shaggy

It appears that a new building may soon start appearing... Shaggy

It doesn't stop them... see SFOG for reference... it just appeases the Insurance Company. ;-) Shaggy

This is just a guess but it looks like they are building a fence along the swan lake path. I'd also expect a lock-out fence surrounding the splashdown pool in addition to an esthetic perimeter fence.

"If they are planning to do a pull through, they don't have a crane large enough to do it. Clifford was the only one that would have been tall enough, and that's been gone for weeks. I vote for the no pull through on this ride." Certain B&Ms also utilize a "ball" contraption that can slowly crawl the track. Batman Knight Flight at SFO, ummm SFWOA, errrr GL, came with it's own. Here's a link to a pic of it being used when the coaster was re-located to Kings Dominion: http://www.kdfansite.com/gallery/displayim...bum=3&pos=5 I believe B&M also has one that has been used to test parameters on several different installs. I've also seen them use a makeshift "car" complete with plywood shells that that run through "tight" areas. Shaggy

Fence footers?? Re-installing the "World's Largest Hanging Basket." Yuk Yuk Shaggy

And all "KECO" parks that had, or have a "Vortex" branded coaster use a variation of the same logo. The difference is found in the coaster trains. For instance, here's Canda's Wonderland: Here's Great America's and Carowinds:

I don't remember some of those. I've been riding FOF since 1996 but don't remember any kind of prints or even any very good signage (except for the sign at the base of Racer's hill) leading to FOF. I seem to remember something leading to Vortex but don't remember what. Same with Beastie. Outer Limits, Flight of Fear had the ride's logo stenciled along Coney Mall. It stretched from The Racer's Lift hill back towards the former Flight Commander area. These only existed partially through 1996. Also, in 1995, when construction began on OL:FOF, a gigantic sign was placed on the side of The Racer's Lift Hill vaguely advertising the new space-themed coaster... without saying what it was. Vortex was a stencil of the iron hand logo. It stretched from The Vortex "house" back down Coney Mall to where the former Rock Shop was. Beastie used orange baby paw prints. They ran in a random pattern through HB Land. Top Gun used a stencil of the Flying Jet logo. These stretched from the ride entrance back through what was then Adventure Village. King Cobra and Flight Commander also had "prints" that were used along paths in their earlier years. Kings Island used them on many attractions when they were new... mainly for crowd/que control. Shaggy

I love it when Shaggy comes around. Awww shucks, you guys sure know how to make a guy feel welcome ;-) Just for some clarity on my part Shaggy, the pump system that was used to create the Rivertown creek was retained during the construction of Diamondback? Yes. The pump house that held the recirculating equipt for Swan Lake and the creek was not removed. It, along with the Paradise Island drink stand, were left standing. Look very closely at the Diamondback construction pics. In some of them you will see the new storage shed, trees, and the Paradise Island drink stand. Well, in those trees, pretty well hidden, is the pump house. Shaggy

Here's a fun bit of trivia that you may enjoy then... Before KI was KI... it was farmland. There were no ponds or lakes on property. All that exist, or existed inside the park once KI was built, were entirely man made. Actually, I believe all recreational lakes located IN the state of Ohio are all man made. KI retains the farms original homestead. Yes, that's right. The house that the farmer lived in prior to the land becoming Kings Island is still on property, hidden from view. It's located inside the fort that you pass near Boomerang Bay while on the train. How do I know? I've been inside of it. And its gross... really gross... Shaggy

Huh? What are you talking about? Do you think the creek that ran through Rivertown was natural? It wasn't. It was man made, and had water pumped to it from Swan Lake. It no doubt will use the water from the splashdown pool now. Shaggy

The Beast paw prints have come and gone numerous times over the years. Last time they had them was in 2004, I believe. But those "prints" were not unique to Beast alone. I expect most of you are too young to recall that Top Gun (errr... Flight Deck), Beastie (errrr... Fairly Odd), Outer Limits (err... Flight of Fear) and Vortex (errr... Vortex) all once had "prints" leading to them. Shaggy

I think that's more a circumstantial fluke than anything. I'd be shocked if KI installed a ride in 2010. Let's just pray that they have a revenue generating 2009 that allows them to at least partially pay off Diamondback. If it were me, I'd concentrate on infrastructure. In these economic times, it's my opinion that it would behoove them to consider bringing back the campground to cater to those that wish to travel to the park without the costly expenditure of hotel rooms. Shaggy

"Looking back at the artwork/renders for the ride, and comparing that with what they've started around the splashdown, I'm noticing a definite difference." The animation was done by an outside source and was solely based on renderings. The ride's surroundings in the video involved a designer's personal take. The landscape, outside of the stream leading to the splashdown, was probably not even decided at that time. I've not explored it, but the animation looks to have been done by Keith McVeen. I knew Keith back when he ran "Badnitrus." He would develop 3D renderings of existing rides that were simply amazing. They were so good, in fact, that it led to his being hired by several parks to do animation for future attractions in development. Among them... Paramount's Kings Island. At that time, Keith was in college. I believe he eventually graduated with a degree in Engineering, and now has his own business within the Amusement Industry doing more of the same. The last website of his that I ever saw was: http://www.3dvip.com/ He did the animation for Maverick at Cedar Point, so I'd be shocked if the Diamondback animation was not his. Back to the topic at hand... If you pay close attention to the current work being done in the splashdown area, you'll first notice that hard plastic pool liner has been laid prior to the rock-bedding. The reason for this, rather than just "grass", is an obvious one. It's so that the water will find it's way back to the splashdown pool to help keep the water table at the necessary level. "I wonder if they will connect this "creek" with the old one that use to run under the little bridge." It appears so, and would make obvious sense. The "old one" that ran under the bridge was recirculated from the Swan Lake Pond waters that were pumped to the top. The only thing that may not allow a connection of the two, would be an access road/path to the station. I personally think the creek will be coneected. Shaggy

Just a question as I don't know a whole lot of building a large roller coaster. But why did they end at swan lake and forgive me if I'm wrong, but start again at the bottom of the first hill? So that they do not disrupt the midway while the operational season continues. Once the park winds down for the winter, you'll see construction take place in the midway areas. Shaggy

Dick Van Dyke was a great man. Last I checked, he was still alive ;-)

Who cares how many it is. I swear, why is it that people constantly want to **** on any bit of fun? I was at the announcement Wednesday. Although there for the Diamondback announcement, I got the biggest kick in hearing this news. I think it's a really quirky, fun and smart thing to do. Most everyone loves the Bradys. And most that love KI know that the Brady's played a special part in KI's history. KI is doing a bang up job of delivering one cool thing after another, I am more than happy to see KI is getting back to it's roots. Just a good park with exciting rides, and surprises. Shaggy

I don't recall Invertigo at KI ever stalling in the cobra roll. I do know that it's valleyed between the lift and vertical loop, as well as at both ends of the station. Shaggy

Ironic. Deja Vu of Deja Vu

Hence the irony in my post