Gordon Bombay

Thanks, @Shaggy! Always love your insights into KI history. So interesting to hear about aspects like this.

I’ve always heard about this, @Shaggy, but didn’t know it was a real thing. How was CP able to lord this over KI, but not Six Flags Ohio/Geauga Lake?

KI got lucky as it seems their version of the ride aged the best out of all three. Also, @CoastersRZ, where you at! What’s up with that weird structure on the roof???

A few other Italian Job/Backlot things came to mind that I need to put out into the world. 1) The weird “fence thing” atop the station roof. (@CoastersRZ, looking at you here for your architectural expertise) (P)KI and (P)CW’s versions of the “Italian Job: Stunt Track” debuted in the same year, 2005. They were so similar that even their budget cuts were identical. Both feature this weird, steel structure that looks similar to a fence atop their stations. (P)KI: (P)CW: I’m not sure what purpose this part of the station serves or if it was meant for something else. If anyone does know, though, I’d love to find out. Interestingly enough, when (P)KD got their version of the ride the next year…the weird, fence thing wasn’t built: WHAT IS IT!!!! And hey, while we’re talking about the Kings Dominion version… 2) Remember when Paramount announced it as “Italian Job: Turbo Coaster” but later changed the name to “Italian Job: Stunt Track?” Event after they changed the name on the billboard, turbo coaster was still mentioned… And ultimately it was just the same ride anyways.

Given the reviews of Camp Cedar and the state of The Beach the last few years, they seem like they would’ve been a match made in bankruptcy heaven.

A relocated TOGO from Vegas.

I mean, even if it had EVERYTHING promised in the promotional artwork and video, it still would’ve been a mid tier short ride for that regime. How they didn’t place an action movie themed ride in the area of the park known as “Action Zone” (who’s loose theme was action movies and sets), will always boggle my mind. Also, reading back a few pages, CBS gets a lot of flack for that ride being “budget cut,” but I believe CBS wasn’t fully in charge until early 2006. And IJ:ST would’ve been in planning stages a bit before its 2005 debut. I think Paramount/Viacom was just always cheap.

They even had a lift hill announcement: “Gillette Mach 3 hopes you enjoy your ride.” Also, when they redid that billboard at some point (it originally showed a Corsair 2 on a carrier deck I believe), they added the image you shared, @disco2000. It features land based F-15 Eagles from the USAF which are not carrier capable nor used by the Navy. In regards to Backlot’s billboards—I think the idea of doing sponsors is super creative, but I think it’d be better if you let the person behind the “ads” on Kings Mills Antique Autos re-do them. Could be nice Easter eggs.

That, my friend, is a very cool and unique souvenir.

I wouldn’t put any thought or reasoning into what’s posted in that “article.” “Only In Your State” is purely and simply click bait garbage designed to get ad revenue from digital impressions.

Oh man, that magnetic sign brings back memories. Thank you, @TOPGUN1993.

@CoastersRZ Was it CBS who sold the campground and purchased the GWL stake or was that Paramount Parks before the Viacom/CBS split (thus having CBS inherit the stake)?

It is gone. Closed at the end of the 2014 Kings Island season, was demolished in early 2015: https://ronnysalerno.com/queencitydiscovery/2015/02/last-guests-of-kings-island-resort.html

I think you’re right. Come to think of it, they may have been the old loading gates.

I believe there were, for a time, discarded queue rails under there as well. They looked different than what was used in the 90s-present (a little bit more ornate and unique looking) and I believe they were stacked up in piles. From my understanding, these were set aside like that after the lower queue house was disused. @teenageninja, am I remembering that properly?

Isn’t it technically a hyper at KI?

Is the Giga coaster they mentioned what became Orion?

Agreed! @Shaggy, is your “sit on it” FB page now defunct?

Hard disagree. Where's their abandoned strata coaster?

Wasn’t there a bell once too? Way back when.

fingers crossed for a relocated SLC

Per some reviews by fans on Reddit, Timberwolf is the same old dump:

I believe this was due more to a lack of properly trained “sandwich artists.” It’s hard to get an apprenticeship these days in the cold cut arts.

Is CF's "Fast Lane" system finally a proper "virtual" queue system that even Six Flags once figured out or is it still the "wristbands + just hop on whenever you want" amateur hour they introduced in 2012?

A quick clarification to point out: that map is actually by a very talented man named David Cole. His “Metro Cincinnati” concept (and the associated website) were part of a thesis project he did where he (in great detail) envisioned a full fledged regional transit system for the area. As for the actual plan (known as “Metro Moves”) in 2002—it would’ve differed quite a bit from the map above. Cole’s plan envisioned heavy rail and infrastructure based on the Washington D.C. metro system. Metro Moves would’ve been light rail and while it was ambitious and could’ve served the whole region—the original proposed funding mechanism would’ve been focused solely on Hamilton County. I.E. Had it passed and been implemented to full vision—there likely would’ve been other political hurdles in order to have trains running out of Hamilton County into places like Warren to serve Kings Island (which most likely would’ve served the Kings Mills highway exit area rather than the park directly). It’s also important to note that this plan called for expanded “hub and spoke” bus service. I.E. The idea was that instead of the downtown-transfer centric bus system we have currently, buses would connect to regional nodes (imagine going from West Chester to Kings Island without going all the way Downtown first). Some of those ideas have been carried over to the “Reinventing Metro” plan currently in planning.. I could go on for days and days about the history of this whole project, but I’ll end on this fun fact: In the original vision for Metro Moves, the first line to be built would’ve been a downtown circulating streetcar that would share tracks with light rail vehicles bound for the nearby neighborhoods and suburbs. What’s today known as the “Cincinnati Bell Connector” modern streetcar is based heavily off of the original Metro Moves plan (with some changes made to accommodate how Downtown/OTR grew compared to how folks thought they would grow in 2002). The Connector actually uses light rail vehicles currently and its existing tracks could accommodate future light rail transit if a plan were to come about.