Captain Nemo

Hello fellow KIC members, I'd like to re-introduce myself to all the new members that may not know me and my story here on KIC. Back in the year 2005 I joined this site as its aerial photographer and moved on to become Moderator and later on general park photographer. I joined the admins on various trips, flights, tours, and other adventures and was honestly the best moments of my life. The past few years my appearance on this site has become more rare and that is due to a number of things but mostly because I have been very busy traveling with my current job. I still from time to time (unknowingly to the mods) continue to update/organize the sites photo gallery. I invite you to once again take a look at a wonderful feature of the site which has since been in the shadows and almost forgotten about. In the photo gallery some of my photos are watermarked as 'Gabriel' so you know which are mine. That being said, I have horded a large number of aerial photos and felt it is only right to upload the complete collection of them. All the photos that I have uploaded have never been seen here on KIC before so consider this an exclusive . This newest update for you includes Various construction photos of Firehawk, IJST, The rework of SOB loop, Great Wolf Lodge, and winter off season work. Nearing almost 300 photos!!! This site has and continues to have a very loyal fan base and you all deserve to see these photos as there is no reason to keep them all to myself. So I hope all of you enjoy and have a wonderful Holiday Season and New Year. The complete collection can be seen here... http://KICentral.com/photos/index.php?cat=25 PS: Expect additional photos in the future to appear in the gallery (including Boomerang Bay construction photos).

I was half expecting the video at one point to say, "A heavily themed, totally immersive, dark ride adventure."

While the park does look at this website, this is not the parks guest services. My recommendation for everyone is to let your opinion be heard about your feelings of this practice at the parks guest services. As a former worker of Beast in 2008 and Diamondback in 2009, I will admit our crew did partake in 'Power Hour'. The thing was my supervisors then always pushed on us that Power hour was not just about capacity, but to go up and beyond our regular just checking of restraints. Some of you may remember "Cowboy Wednesdays" on The Beast in '08. This is just an example of how we did power hours. In 2005 when I worked Tomb Raider, our power hour included what we called tomb raider trivia in which we asked park based questions and gave out prizes for correct answers. I will say that as a worker of both paramount and Cedar Fair I must admit that Cedar Fair pushes more of the crew to hit high capacity numbers, even on the Diamonback crew in 2009 they had us (batteling) the behemoth crew to have better numbers. The managers also would promise us things like free snacks and pizza parties if we hit high numbers. I am all for high capacity numbers but as I have grown I have also grown a deep understanding for safety, something I when I was 17-21 working at the park did not completely understand. This goes for many young park workers, it takes a wise man to understand the concept that they are not working just a coaster but a machine that can potentially harm and hurt someone if mishandled. Thats my two cents of the subject, had to tell my story.

I hope KI takes this opportunity to also upgrade their parking lot during the same time. Love this plan though.

They park is in desperate need of a flat thrill ride. This is where the park lacks. There's not much 'in-between' rides (other than Delirium). Tomb Raider: The Ride was a great addition and really did help fill that void. For me, TRTR was a 'goto' ride, meaning, it was a ride I would not skip as a pass holder. Like Banshee, DB, and Beast, it was a ride I never passed by. Even when it was the crypt (first version), it got rave reviews and the general public seemed to absolutely love it. I think it is because it was an experience that no other ride in the park could replicate and it appealed to the masses because it was a ride that was in-between a small less thrilling ride and a large roller coaster. Also, it was hidden away inside a building which made it mysterious. Most people tend to enjoy the idea of not having any idea of what they are getting themselves into. Personally when KI decided to take out the vertical door to the ride area showed lack of responsibility to upkeep the most simple of things like a rising door. Same when they made the choice to stop using the antichamber door in 2006. As a former TRTR worker, let me say that room was very much needed to help in separating guests. in 2006, only having one associate to separate over 50 people into 3 rows and have them stay in that row, make the 1 minutes announcement, collect large items, and still start the preshow video on time, and return large items at the rendezvous point while still having to load in the next guests into preshow... well, it was exhausting and almost impossible if you were not an expert. Yikes, there I go again on a tangent. Sorry, I just really miss this ride and everything about it.

I actually have that video on my HD. It is an amazing ride experience and one I believe KI really needs to bring back. Both KI and KD version were very different from one another and comparing them is like apples and oranges, they just can't. I'm happy KD still has theirs but still very unhappy about the turnout with ours.

I would greatly renovate the Oktoberfest area and add three small family/thrill rides, bring back the bridge over the lake, vastly makeover the AE Entry plaza area, add a new sit down restaurant, refurbish the Festhaus, add new paths to connect areas, and lastly bring back the skyride (building it in the current AE entry area). I made a map below to further explain my idea. Makeover would likely cost upwards of 15 million and almost double the size of Oktoberfest. -Ride area 1 would help fill in the ugly side view of Festhaus and bring new life to the already great corner connecting AZ and OF. -Ride area 2 would finally use the unused outdoor area in front of the Festhaus which currently is only used for patio seating and an old claw game. Plus allow the paths from that area to behind Fury to be connected, all while building a new entry for Fury on this new path. -Ride Area 3 would make use for a great overhaul of the AE entry plaza. Allowing for a new entry way to AE, and new flat ride, and for a skyride station to be built and once again connect two parts of the park and bring back a nostalgic ride. -Festhaus would receive a long overdue restoration, and the ice skating rink would return with a show and free skate. -On the other side of Fury, a massive new Lakeview restaurant serving renaissance food. -Tower Gardens would mostly stay the same as a nice rest area but would be expanded upon with jumping fountains, beer and beverage spots that would change throughout the season, and other things to expand upon. -A new sign arch to the area when entering from International Street. -Lastly bring back the bridge, nuff said http://www.scribblemaps.com/maps/view/dxijYMa5Sq/ I guess I redesigned an area than a ride... oh well this is what I want.

Whoops, I guess I was thinking of the Disney Sea ride at the time.

Adventure Land opened up their mini WindSeeker today called "Storm Rider" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lzBrtgDiJj0

Delirium... which is not a choice

I just hope that the Oktoberfest lake is here to stay, as it is the LAST lake to still be in the park. I'm still pretty broken up over swan lake

It may not be the best, or smoothest, or most thrilling, but it still stands as one of my favorite rides in the park. I ride it almost every time I am at the park.

I'm fine with the no loose article policy; however, something needs to be done about all the flip flops being stored on the unload side of the station. Like some have said in this topic, there's a lot of space to build some sort of storage bin for flip flops and keep it all organized.

Quick, monetize it!

I have always thought of it as a werewolf... A very large werewolf.

I enjoyed the show emmesnly, it really is something different for the park and the crowd (and myself) were eating it up. I think they could have used a few more tech rehearsals to prepare for opening day but that's just my technical side coming out. The show it self was great, had a few awkward (nothing is happening) moments but overall I left the show happy and wanting to see it again. I personally hope that this and last years magic show is a sign of things to come for the entertainment department!

They did flatten the land and add markerswhen I last rode Beast, sounds legit to me. Even if they are not adding a haunt attraction it is apparent something is happening.

Before they do any of that, they need to put some air wicks in the building to get rid of the awful smell.

This guy stole my F5 logo, what a loser!

Just quoting part of the reverse POV here, censored the quote since it did use some adult language. I couldn't help but smile at that reverse POV when they said, "We ******* Did it". Just the look of success of their face to having achieved a coaster they had been working so long on getting. I hope to get the 'chance' to ride it, it looks like a great coaster. I have to issue with the restraints, can't judge by looks alone but I think they look very comfortable. I don't care about swinging my legs around, just as long as I can put my hands up I am happy!

For an up charge the crew can buy a water bottle, yes they can fill it up before their shifts.

Got my chance to ride it last Friday (loved it) and with no lines, I found myself riding it over and over again. Easily my favorite ride in the park. I think the crew made it a little more exiting too, they were pumping and working hard from when I first saw them during ERT, to hours later when the park was going into the closing hours. While stacking does occur, I found it was not an effect of them being slow but other causes which for me is totally acceptable. HOWEVER, (Here it comes you guys) I feel I need to speak out on one negative thing I found out while in line for the ride. It was coming to my last ride before leaving the park and I noticed something that the Banshee station was missing that all other rides had, water for the crew. You have seen them before, the big orange barrels. As a former ride op I remember these things as gold and being the only thing that had me make it through the long hot days. So I had to ask one of the workers (in this case the separator), about it and his answer completely bamboozled me. The managers believe having those barrels would look to "Tacky" in the station and their greeter so they opted out of having it (and with it water for the crew). I am sorry but this is completely outrageous, to not allow water because they are more concerned with the look of the ride than the crew that runs it! This is a very hard working crew and when it comes time about a month from now when the humidity comes, I don't see how anyone will be able to work more than an hour without H2O. End rant, my only negative thing. Please KI, reconsider this before someone passes out! Edit, apparently they don't have water at their greeter position, not the station.

SOB and Voyage still to this day are my favorite wooden coasters. Now I have not been on Voyage in a long long time so I don't know how it is now but no matter the roughness, I still think it is a better terrain coaster than Beast. PS, TRTR was the parks 2nd most expensive price tag. Shame my two favorite rides in the park had to be taken away.

You must of had no TV or a lot of blackouts in your area to not have heard of the Flintstones or Jetsons!

My favorite line from the video in regards to keeping the original characters and nostalgic charm from the then Media guy, "It's really important to know that the old Kings Island is still here, were just enhancing the product and expanding to the park. Everything you know and love about the park is still here" I still wish we had Hannah Barbara! Cedar Fair came in and it was very apparent they wanted everything changed. More than was needed.