CoastersRZ

But also note that per cap spending was down 1% in 2008 compared to 2007. Have they finally reached the point when they can`t continue to raise prices on food and soft drinks without seeing a drop off in their per cap spending?

Just because there wasn`t any major track work or progress back in October or November, does not mean that there was not any work being done on the ride.

I have to wear my glasses. I start to get headaches if I take them off. I have a strap that I attach to my glasses for the more violent rides and coasters, just in case they start to slide off.

The Cedar Point commercial, in my opinion, wasn`t all that bad. The Geauga Lake commercial, on the other hand, yikes!

I hate to burst your bubble, but Dolly Parton did not design the Tennessee Tornado. That ride was designed by Arrow Dynamics and was among their last standard looping coasters that they designed before they eventually went bankrupt and were acquired by S&S. Some consider the Tennessee Tornado among Arrow`s best coasters they ever designed. I have to admit that ride is an incredibly fun ride, but like Flight Deck, incredibly too short.

I HIGHLY doubt that El Toro has caused shirts to come off of people from just riding the ride, if the shirt was being worn properly. There is a reason why parks warn guests to secure all loose articles. In addition to guests becoming mad for loosing their articles on the ride, the objects could be come projectiles on the ride that could injure other riders. And in the State of Ohio, which has rider responsibility laws, failing to abide by all posted and verbalized warnings (including those related to loose articles) is in violation of the law.

What are you talking about? And check the correct way to spell "queues".

Beast1979, I believe that they may now be installing the final roof (or at least preparing to install) for the Diamondback station.

Except for the fact that in addition to a fence along the property line, I`m sure that Kings Island has security patrolling the park year round, and 24/7 to make sure no intruders enter the park.

Thanks for sharing those photos! Its amazing how much the trees have grown up at the park, especially by the train station!

April 29th, 1972 was the official opening day for Kings Island. Daily operation would not begin for a few weeks after that date, just like the seasons now a days.

By the time the leaves come onto those trees, Diamondback will be all but obscured from that photo with the house in it. And yes those houses were likely built in the 1990s, so they really have no right to complain about noise.

Another awesome picture! The back end of Coney Mall was not completed (along with the connection to Rivertown) until 1975 when Shake Rattle and Roll and the Zodiac were introduced. See the Haley`s Comet ride? The Super Round Up ride painted in red? See that large sign that it sports? That was actually the old sign from the Shooting Star, that was moved from Coney Island and renovated for the Haley`s Comet ride. Just another little tidbit of history I thought I`d share. And if you notice, the crowds were rather sparse on that first day of operation on April 29th, 1972. That was because it rained most of that day!

Fair enough. I typed the wrong brake in my above post. (But I did mention the correct form of brake as well in that post). There is no excusing the fact that I said the wrong form of break. Except for when I took a brief respite and made a few posts on KIC during my break, I have been deeply involved in my thesis project. I have spent all day working in AutoCad and Sketchup for my thesis project, so I`m not quite as sharp as I normally am, since my mind is fully involved in my thesis project.

Well, with the exception of the supports for the actual break run, they have all the supports up for the helix. In addition, they have the track for the break run ready to be put into place. It should be only a matter of days for the all the track in the first helix and the brake run to be completed. Same goes for the second helix. I wouldn`t be surprised if they completed or were nearly complete with placing all the ride steel by next Friday. Of course, that depends in part to having weather that permits them to place steel.

Well, if the end of last summer is any indication, Coney will need all the help it can get! From early to mid August, we were short staffed in the rides department almost every weekend that I worked! We even had volunteers helping run the kiddie rides, and were still short staffed! Coney`s rides always start the season fine staffing wise, but as colleges start to go back in August, and local schools start back at the end of August, it becomes harder and harder to fill all the positions, even on weekends.

I can`t find a link to the article on Cincinnati.com right now. However, in today`s print edition, the Enquirer had an article updating the progress of the mortgage talks with GE Capital. The deadline has been extended to January 23, with interest rates retroactive to the previous deadline date of 6.5%. No update was provided on how close they are to reaching an agreement.

Its called they temporarily moved the sign when they were doing heavy lifting, so as not to damage it. Rest assured, that it will be moved back into place by the time opening day rolls around.

Don has updated the Diamondback photo gallery with ten new photos.

Or even before that, Adventure Express used to have mist right before the first tunnel.

The brake run on the ride (comprised of a series of magnetic brakes and finally some pneumatic brakes is enough to slow the train down on its own. The water splash down effect (when there is water in the "splash down" area) will just slow the trains down slightly, causing the magnetic brakes and the pneumatic brakes to do less work to stop the trains. In other words, the water effect will slightly slower the speed of the train before it hits the true braking system. And I imagine that they will do several rounds of testing before they put any water in the splash down pool.

Well, if the park is not generating the attendance levels or revenue to justify those rides operating, then closing those rides and attractions can save on labor, maintenance and utility costs for the park. It is merely a cost savings move, in part likely justified by lighter attendance numbers.

What about some Carousel music from the old Wurlitzer Duplex Band organ? I have some mp3 recordings of that. In fact, there is an album on iTunes that features several tunes from Kings Island`s old machine.

Well, library cards (at least Hamilton County Library) don`t have pictures on them. School IDs, driver licenses, etc. would work. But really, as long as you know your name, we will be able to confirm that you purchased a ticket to the event. If you`re concerned about it, you can send your name in a PM to one of us moderators, and we will be able to confirm that your name is on the list of having paid.

I wonder if this rehab will include the Rockin` Space Mountain, like the renovation of the ride in Disneyland resulted in, when it reopened in 2005 from its extensive refurbishment. I love Space Mountain at WDW and find it a fun and thrilling ride. It provides a rather long ride experience, with some moments of speed and quick turns. The excitement is heightened by the fact that you can barely see anything in the building, and the fact that you can just make out the pencil thin supports whizzing by your head. Keep in mind, that the Tomorrowland Transit Authority people mover ride (that provides a glimpse into the Space Mountain queue and loading area) will also be shut down for a portion of the Space Mountain rehab.