Thrill_Biscuit

Arrr! Speakin' o' Waterrrr, ye riders of ye olde White Water Canyon bewarrrre! Fer ye Cap'n Thrill Beard be approachin,' and I be bringin' me pieces of eight fer the Geysers, and there be much soakin' in storrrre! ... arrr!

It's pretty easy, and they get you through the process quickly, so even the longest lines flow through in like, 20 minutes (lots of associates at lots of 'stations,' very efficient.) If the line is long, watching the people reacting to riding Invertigo can be quite entertaining, helping the time pass quickly.

Blown-glass souvenirs. Although Wayne doesn't make them at Kings Island anymore, the first time I saw blown-glass works was at Kings Island, and, on a special trip in 1978, my mom bought a 7•UP bottle, the neck of which was stretched to over 5 feet long (seriously! that's the kind of things you'd find at Kings Island in those days!)

Then all we'll need is an animatronic Chris Pratt, doing wheelies on a motorcycle in the Velociraptor section.

It is a nice, big attraction full of shade trees and interesting, life-sized replicas of fascinating animals. You don't have to stand in long lines to enjoy it. You can spend as much time in it as you like (as long as the attraction remains open), you can take pictures, it is relatively peaceful, and it rarely seems to break down. I like it, and hope it stays around for a while.

I edited my post above for clarity. I was referring to the ride op, and not to the poster. Sorry for any confusion. -Tb

Ooh. Big faux pas by the ride op! That's a huge no-no! I understand, especially from recent memory of things (during 'Starting to Decode 2014') that the park takes its own trespassing rules very seriously; so, for an employee to announce that guests can "come back" when the park closes, joking or not, seems dubious if not irresponsible.

Nothing gets rid of the solo-visit awkwardness like a handy cell phone and a map. Just really be talking on your phone 'cause if it rings in the middle of your fake convo, everyone's creep-dar gets thrown into maximum ping mode! Naw, it's all good. ...and welcome!

I think it's a rather bright present in the coaster world myself. I'm amazed at the variety that exists now. Future possibilities are fun to imagine, though, and consistently, over the last 40 years, I've seen coasters that continue to defy mine.

I don't think it is. Something must have looked good on paper, but something's missing on the consumer dynamics side of things.

What is the basic widget in the analysis of "hitting the number" in the amusement park industry? Is the performance portfolio revenue measured in dollar share vs. the competitive market? If so, where do Souvenir Cups fit in? Is there a category manager feeling the heat for lagging cup sales, and does she have the latitude to suggest, or apply 'trade spending' to installing bins at non-bin coasters? This is all really fascinating to me, really.

When I read the thread title, I thought there was some kind of surge in Banshee ridership due to some special programming, like some kind of late-hour reduction in Fast Lane wristband prices or something. I never imagined it would be the practices mentioned above.

^Or Dinosaurs Alive... [EDIT] (hilariously) unintentional double post. Sorry

^Or Dinosaurs Alive...

For what it's worth, The Cincinnati Kids episode airs today at 1 PM Eastern on MeTV.

Welcome to KIC! As for the overall feel of the park, though only one acre smaller in overall size than the mighty Cedar Point, Kings Island's terrain and surrounding natural landscapes give a dynamic, unique feel at several different places within the complex. Its family of coasters provides different, exciting experiences at every turn. While Cedar Point is surrounded by the epic views of a Great Lake, Kings Island is surrounded (ironically) by rolling landscapes of forests to the back 160°, and a mid-to-upscale, semi-verdant (that's nicely landscaped) suburbia within the remaining 200°. The massive parking lot and I-71 add kind of a buffer between the park and the 'outside world'. The front entrance here has no needle-threading, flying coasters going through it or anything, but the iconic Royal Fountains/Eiffel Tower view is really much more memorable in person than in any photograph (provided the song blasting through the speakers isn't too moody). For an awesome view from which you don't have to drop, the Eiffel Tower lets you stay up at 265-275' for as long as you want (as long as the attraction remains open). It's a neat view from up there, and on some days, breezes that feel 10° cooler than at the surface make for an amazing, refreshing respite from all the action below. The view towards and beyond WindSeeker, Vortex and The Beast is quite lovely, no matter the weather or season! So welcome! Have a great time!

I like the new window signage for the 80's shop and signage for "Creative Glass," as well as the shirts marth555 mentioned, and the cool, 8-bit Kings Island Coasters shirts, which, though blocky, are cool in their own way. I chatted with Wayne at the glass shop; told him I 'miss the torch.' Wished him luck this Mothers' Day weekend, which he said is a big week for the glass. Great, very colorful day at the park! One more thing - the caller at the Three Point Challenge is amazing! I actually sat and watched a few players give it a go, just to listen to him keep up with the action; kid's got mad pro play-by-play skills!

I sense a lag in souvenir cup unit movement; as I received several pitches to purchase another cup today. I'd have loved to have helped out, but, alas, I am, for the moment, a solitary biscuit.

I spent nearly 2 hours in the queue for White Water Canyon. -The exit queue, that is! I had a bunch of extra laundry quarters in my Kings Island fanny pack, and it was weighing down a bit, so I decided to go straight to the geysers. One of the best, most memorable Kings Island trips resulted as, for no reason, I started talking like the captain of a pirate ship, and had folks laughing and joining in for what became the most hilarious session of the "Squirtillary Battalion" ever to grace the banks of WWC! Made a few trips to the change machine, too. It was the best $25.00 (that's 2,500 cents, cross-threading) that I've ever spent at Kings Island. Not just for the thrill of being able to control part of the theming; nor for the happy screams and laughter coming from the tubes we all so brutally soaked; but for the instant friendships and joy that came from the whole experience. (If anyone was on that ride between 1 and 2 pm, and you got blasted by the guy with the white-rimmed sunglasses, who sounded like 'Captain Barbosa,' that be ye Thrill_Biscuit!) The line seemed to move reasonably quickly, and there were lots of watercraft full of (too-dry-to-resist) guests, just begging for a geyser bath, and the pace was very steady.

The cheap motels in Mason are extremely so (and I don't necessarily mean 'price'). You'll save money, and the people running them are friendly, but you'll see why they're so cheap quickly! (I've been to two that have cigarette burns in the bed covers, mold in the ceiling panels, and ... hair... I'll just stop there.) The neighborhood is relatively safe, though, and well-patrolled at both "ends" of the town (by that I mean the Fields-Ertel end and the Kings Mills end). I'd recommend spending a little more for the quality of the overall experience. Avoid the ones that advertise their weekly rates up front! Also, be aware that "nationally-advertised, brand-name" chains do not necessarily denote quality! Trust me. Conversely, chains whose names might lead you to believe that they're cheap because they're small ("micro"), might actually be of higher quality than you might expect. Check on-line for their rates.

It also depends on your physical ability to keep your body under control against the various forces you'll encounter. If you're, let's say, a 270-pound, 6'2" 46-year-old coaster fanatic who hasn't limbered up, nor stuck to his pre-season preparation diet very well (hypothetically speaking, of course), then even the mildest of category 5 coasters might have you doing the involuntary Chicken Dance for, say, three or four days (again, hypothetically speaking). The more in shape I am, the safer I feel.

It looks like an angry pretzel with legs. ♥

Very well done! Love the sweeping camera shots and score (who did that music?) Very nice!

It's a beautiful day here at the park today! Lots of people in line for BLSC and AE. Both rides awesome as usual. Haven't made it over to the big guys yet. Oh, and I got in some good walking -- two laps at DA (I love hearing all the attempted pronunciations of the dinosaur species as I stroll by. My favorite today: The "Faque-a-bow-OCK-o-saur... oh, 'Facebook-o-saurus.") I am not kidding! On to my fave landmark... Getting on the elevator to the Eiffel Tower, we guests were entertained by two very vibrant, colorful people in their 50s or 60's, loudly trying to decide whether to get on or wait until later. We began speculating whether they were paid performers, because they almost looked like they were reciting (very funny) lines! It was a man and woman, who sounded like "Archie & Edith Bunker" in tone and accent. As the doors were closing, the man laid down on the pavement to take a picture of the tower. We were about ready to bust out laughing. On my way off site now for lunch. I might come back for some Beast action; probably DB, but it's an 8-close, and I don't like riding DB on chilly days.

Go easy on her. After all, she really cares!