StormChaser97

Unacceptable on so many levels… I would hope something would be done in terms of accountability but I never count on that lol

Really happy to see the Cedar Fair font and branding are sticking around. It’s always been some of my favorite branding in the amusement park industry!

Picture perfect day at the park today! Just gorgeous. If the weather could be like this everyday of the season, I would be a pretty content coaster nerd.

The show was great but didn’t really change much up other than a few new drone formations. Still a nice end of day treat. I watched it while I was riding Diamondback and I have to say the addition of the drones to the firework show has made it my new fave night ride. Watching the drones as you fly over the hills is really special. Plus, right as we came out of the splashdown and hit the brakes, we looked back and the Diamondback logo formation popped up with perfect timing. It was a lovely end to the night!

Here now, it’s wild how much is closed!

If you have to choose, I would recommend Carowinds. It’s a much better overall experience. I love Twisted Timbers and P305 is as intense as they come (so much so that I usually have to take a break after a few cycles, which isn’t true for pretty much any other coaster I’ve been on. Fury is a better ride in my opinion because it strikes that delicate balance of extreme intensity and reridability just perfectly) However, KD feels so much more disjointed as a whole. Plus the operations at Carowinds are miles ahead. I visited both parks last month when I went to see a friend at UNC and KD was running a single train on their Backlot Stunt Coaster, which tells you all you need to know lollol I guarantee you’ll feel like you got more out of your day and trip if you go with Carowinds.

Some other photos from the evening. Such a great night. The park was running the best I’ve ever seen. There were two trains on lightning run and their dispatches were spectacular for this park’s standards. You are really starting to feel Herschend’s fingerprints in the atmosphere, reliability, employee morale, and the park’s overall charm. Most of the ride ops were interacting with guests and very friendly, clearly happy to be there. Something that was almost nowhere to be found under Ed Hart and previously, Six Flags. I’m so glad Kentucky Kingdom landed in an operator’s lap who seems to recognize this park’s potential despite its limitations. They are playing up the park’s strengths very well and I see nowhere but up for Kentucky Kingdom if it stays in Herschend’s hands and the exponential improvements in quality and value year over year continue into the near and distant future.

It’s been a long off season but I’m finally reunited with my fave ejector airtime machine in the Ohio valley. Great night here at the park for season pass preview from 5-10 PM. Beautiful weather and can’t wait for some night rides!

Loved reading your thoughts! Here this morning for the season pass preview day and can’t wait to experience it myself shortly

The Muffuletta sounds yummy!

This is cute! Nice little touch

Kentucky Kingdom has added Thursday evenings to the Pumpkins at KK event this fall. So now a 4 day weekly event for the entirety of October!

Things were kinda rough but I had a great time! As a pass holder who goes biweekly, I expected the park to be off its game a bit. I would never recommend someone who only goes to Kings Island once or twice a year to go on opening day. However, if you go regularly and have that itch after a long winter, it’s worth it to just see the park alive again and get a couple laps on your favorite ride. I’ve been to way worse opening days in the past and I’m sure the park will be humming like a well oiled machine soon enough!

Update: squeezed in a front row ride on Diamondback at 8:58 that was spectacular! Once it finally reopened in the last hour it was running great! I thought Banshee was also running better than previous years today and was definitely one of the more reliable staple coasters along with Mystic Timbers. Orion was running well but down every now and then. Overall a decent opening day with the usual setbacks! I like this chilly, breezy weather so couldn’t complain there. Can’t wait to come back in a couple weeks!

At the park right now and just got evacuated from The Beast’s final brake run about an hour ago. We were first stuck on the second lift hill for about 20 min. The train behind us was evacuated from the first lift hill lol Diamondback closed as soon as I got here at 3:30 and hasn’t opened since. So the opening day hiccups are not in short supply haha On the bright side, it’s a beautiful day and the park looks great. Making the most of it! Def gonna get some blue ice cream after I get off Orion here soon