Thrill_Biscuit

BLSC and AE have their dumb elements, but they're pretty fun to ride. I haven't ridden anything in my life that was both dumb AND boring (so, of course, I never rode Crypt).

I like how huge it is, and how it very nicely compliments the skyline of the park. I wish it was not SBNO.

If you were born in 1998, you're really only 9 years late.

^^^Some of Queen's stuff from the "Highlander" soundtrack was pretty good, imho; especially "A Kind of Magic. Deacon lays down one of the sweetest bass riffs in music history!" I missed the 80s shop my first trip. I'll check it out tomorrow. Ought to be a treat.

I take it you know all the words to the "Hut Sut Song", eh? Thank goodness for Brian Setzer, or some of us might not have made it through the 1980s!

I like that idea of just building a steel coaster that goes in and out and around the existing structure! Just punch a bunch of holes in SOB and build a coaster that looks like a giant, alien cybersnake coiling itself around the old wooden coaster, and build aesthetic design elements along the track that gives it the appearance like it's about to constrict and squeeze said coaster into a mound of splintered rubble.

"Up, down, up, down?" No, no, no! That's not the Diamondback I know! Diamondback: Gulp back the palpable agita of fear mixed cruelly with delight and tremoring anticipation as the steady, cool, efficient steel lifting mechanism carries your serpentine car ever skyward toward the precipice of sheer exhileration that awaits. You hear the ubiquitous, carnivalesque din fade more and more as you become one with machine and sky. You begin to doubt your own bravado -- putting on your best, defiant face as your beating heart begins to adjust for the coming drop into red-metal madness -- the view begins to distort just a bit; vertigo sets in; the geometry of the structures below seem warped and exaggerated, like a wild dream from an M.C. Escher drawing. Then the trademark silence as you and all the other riders at the mercy of this maniacal masterpiece draw one last breath before.... whew! This is going to take too long. Ok I like your description better! Maybe there's a whip chart somewhere that shows crowds/wait times across a linear calendar...? I'm sure someone analyzes that kind of data somewhere. It would be kinda useful to gauge best visit times, imho.

You might expect some waiting in lines, but the rides are well worth the wait. I hear The Beast is tracked to its former glory this year. Enjoy!

The first hill, as viewed from the second lift hill into the double helix...?

I don't want to be among them. I plan on losing 30 lbs this year. Part of my plan (back, you zombies!) anyway, is to visit during low-attendance times and marathon back and forth among my three favorite coasters, Beast, Vortex, and AE. I find that to be an enjoyable way to 1. Avoid my habit of snacking and instead enjoy the zero-calorie indulgence of coaster joy (( )) and 2. Burn off all the stored fat and stay hydrated with zero-carb, sugar-free drinkage. Then, once again, I can enjoy my other two favorites (DB and BLSC) without being mercilessly stapled in. My first wakeup call was being diagnosed with Type II Diabetes. My second was the dreaded "click.... we need two more.... grunt.... click..." Wish me good fortune, my friends.

Gray. It matches my shoes. I like the droid-ish, pseudo-steampunk design, and gray adds an almost Art Deco quality to it.

My wife and I, after about 3 seasons away, decided (upon hearing the wonderful news of Gluten-Free menu options) to return to our beloved, hometown park. It was about 5 PM when we cleared Season Pass Processing and headed for the gate (well, we got there at 4:30, so don't panic). I was a tiny bit relieved to hear that the way-inappropriate hard rock ambiance was replaced with at least some modern pop. Still, something by John WIlliams, Erich Kunzel or Jerry Goldsmith would have better fit the pleasant visual experience of approaching the now-metal-detector-free entrance, in my humble opinion. But still, this is KI, so on with the show! Observations about Invertigo: Are the colors they used in this repainting the [ahem] inverted colors of the original color scheme? Just wondering. It looks like what might happen when clicking on any of those preset options in PhotoShop. I guess that's all relative. Anyway, it was good to hear the all-familiar mechanical "chunk!" and scream of this now classic favorite as we waited in line for our SPP. Gluten-Free Pizza! and the Pop Droid: We were bounced around a bit, searching for this, until we finally landed in Festhaus. My wife asked one of the employees if she could have gluten-free pizza; the employee (bless her busy little heart) said, "Free? Do you have like a ticket?" She finally figured out what we were asking for and directed us to the right place. The pizza was really enjoyable (for Mrs. Thrill_Biscuit). Me: I had some black pepper and Kung Po chicken with noodles. Tasty! We then bought one of those new re-fill cups that looks like something out of the movie "Metropolis," or "Sky Captain." Very art deco. Filled it with Diet Coke. Were never thirsty the entire evening! Great stuff. Adventure Delayed: Wanted to start off with the drop-less - yet - marvelous AE. Having grown used to short, quick lines, I thought it would be a walk-on. (Well, it was, I guess, if I wanted to plunk down a couple of Ulysseses for that little white wristband. Having showed up so late in the afternoon, we decided to just go the old-fashioned way and, like zoinks, Scoob! I never saw so many people in line for AE, nor have I seen the line go so slowly. [WARP!] So we rode in the front, and this young lad, being so originally clever and innovatively entertaining, began screaming like a girl. No, really a small, frightened girl! I mean, wow, kid, get the Improv on the phone; with such clever originality as that, you'll go places! ...the ...whole ....ride. But the monkeys all worked and it was fun. ON to the next thing! Dinosaurs Alive! It was well worth the $5 each to go through this pleasant, relatively quiet little path through the shady woods. The dinosaurs were neat. I think the one with the round, bony head looked like he was trying to pound out "Benny and the Jets" on a Steinway, but they all were interesting to look at. I really liked how the dinosaurs get progressively more interesting as you go through. The big, Chinese one was one of my favorites, as was the T-Rex (the really, really big one near the end). Very cool addition to our beloved park. We then checked out the free 3D offering in Inertia Theatre (benches?). It was worth the $0 we paid to get in, and the air conditioning was a relief. The guests needed to ...leave! (They were all unsupervised, sugared-up juvenilles who ALSO had very original, cunning and never-before-seen comedy routines for us all to enjoy.) "Thanks for helping out!" ...morons. 3-2-1.... Ok, 5-4-3-2-1... One more time... Well, summing up: It's great to be back. The park was clean, bright and as friendly as ever! We enjoyed some blue ice cream, some Boo Blasters (nice touches since we last saw the dark ride), some peanut butter fudge, and a stroll through the short-circuiting Starlight Spectacular (a lot of the lights weren't working, but that didn't dampen our enthusiasm). We took one last ride on BLSC before heading for the gate. There was a nice touch letting a young guest "launch" the FWD. Funny thing, only one rocket went off, and for an uncomfortable 60 seconds, there erupted a torrent of impromptu 'countdowns' from a laughing crowd. Poor kid who got to "launch them"... anyway, they finally went off and it was cool to hear about 3,000 choir kids singing Katie Perry as we cleared the gate and headed home. Tired feet, full bellies. It was a classic and fun visit!

They'll be locked in a room and forced to listen to Celine Deion/Geddy Lee duets?

My wife and I set out on our quest for "Glutton-Free" Pizza [sic] on 5/5, and were almost disappointed when a survey taker at the front gate said she had no idea Kings Island was offering gluten-free pizza. She recommended trying LaRosa's on International Street, so we went there, and they told us to go to Festhaus. Ooh, sweet appetite! So we went there and they directed us to the biergarten (!), where we were finally able to order the illusive, 12" delicacy (the price of which was delightfully surprising!) My wife thoroughly enjoyed it; one of her great loves of visiting Kings Island restored!

Fast or slow, I just love being launched into a ride. I could do without the chopper/fireball scene unless it's operating as designed... which I guess was kinda lame anyways, so, ok I guess. Anyways, it's a fun coaster for its size, but it lacks the 'soul' of the other coasters in the park.

In all of my life's experiences, none compares to the exhileration of being ON Vortex during one of southwest Ohio's trademark summer deluges. It's something not to be missed, and should be among any ride enthusiast's bucket list items at least twice.

Vortex. I used to be able to stretch my long legs out in the front car; but then they added some kind of wall there a few seasons back, and it's been the "flippy sardine machine" ever since.

[EDIT]

...Which makes me think of "Time Stand Still" by Rush for some reason...

clever! :-) Welcome

Hey, I can't make it there today... someone please let me know what kind of background music they're playing over the Main Gate and/or International Street (It's a thing...) Thanks and have a great time today!!! -Eric/"Tb"

^ Well-found, Dwight! A most perfect exhibit of the coaster's original Scoobiness!

I thought about that, too, but that was built in 1998 according to the History page.

He probably heard a lot of people refer to it by its original name, much like people still say "Drop Zone" and "Face Off" these many years after their names changed...?

I, as one of the KIC ancients, can truly affirm from first-hand experience that said coaster was, in fact, called the "Scooby Doo!" (They even had a whole parking row named after it!) Welcome!