Oldiesmann

The splashdown area was dug out specifically for the ride. There used to be another pond in that area though, with a lot more trees. It wasn't used for any rides, though there were swans in there. I have no idea what happened to the birds when the lake was drained though.

Keep in mind that CP has not officially announced anything regarding StR at this point. It would be weird for them to remove it from their website while continuing to remain silent on the status of the ride otherwise. Also, as far as the Dorney Park link goes: that's the mobile site (which is likely completely separate from the main site) and I can't even find a link to that in any of the rides categories on said mobile site.

I'll be doing Holiwood Nights for the second year in a row. I highly recommend it, especially if you've never been to Holiday World.

Can't read the article via normal means without registering an account, which I refuse to do. So I instead opened Firefox's Inspector and read the article through the source code. That's what sites like guerillamail.com are good for I just looked at that, but all I got was a link farm and a message saying that the domain may be for sale. Mis-typed the domain. Two r's, not one.

When you're looking at ferry schedules trying to plan how to visit the islands in Lake Erie near Sandusky and hope that the weather cooperates. Right now I'm thinking the daytime island-hopping cruise would be a good way to see Kelleys Island and Put-In-Bay. The ferry to Middle Bass Island from the mainland leaves from Catawba, which would give me an excuse to go by the lighthouse again...

I loved the description of the scenery along I-71 north of Cincinnati. You have to go up towards Wilmington to get that kind of scenery along I-71 now.

Can't read the article via normal means without registering an account, which I refuse to do. So I instead opened Firefox's Inspector and read the article through the source code. That's what sites like guerrillamail.com are good for

We recently came across a 1968 issue of Cincinnati Magazine at my grandpa's house, which has a great article on Coney Island (which I plan to post as soon as I get a chance to scan it in). Unfortunately, Google Books' archive only goes back as far as 1971, but I figured while I was browsing I'd see what I could find, and I found a great article from a 1972 issue on Kings Island. Enjoy! https://books.google.com/books?id=l-sCAAAAMBAJ&lpg=PA41&dq=%22kings%20island%22&pg=PA38#v=onepage&q&f=true

At least as far as giant flume rides go... Maverick is a hit, though I believe that's partly due to new restraints last season.

They haven't officially acknowledged anything regarding that ride one way or the other. However, Winter Chill Out is next weekend so I'm sure we'll get some sort of confirmation, official or otherwise, then.

I still wish I'd gotten a chance to ride it last summer, but I never did figure out where the entrance was and ran out of time.

I've always loved the "Not as rough as last year" sign on that Tickler photo. The sad thing is there's very little in that area that would indicate there was an amusement park there. Just the "Chester Park campus" for Cincinnati Water Works and a small side street called Chester Avenue. I can only imagine what that area would be like today if Chester Park had survived - especially with I-75 being so close.

Does anyone know of a coaster called The Tickler ever existing at Coney? I found this image online last night but the only reference I can find to a ride/coaster named Tickler in this area is one that was at Chester Park.

Rivertown was a much different area pre-Diamondback. I miss those days.

I'd imagine it doesn't, but I'd call the park to be sure.

Corkscrew may not be thrilling by today's standards, but it's kind of a classic in the long scheme of things as that was a fairly new (and innovative) model at the time. It's also amazing to see how quickly things changed in the 11 years between it and Vortex.

I think I only rode it once as TRTR back when I worked at the park in 2005. I wasn't quite as much of a thrill junkie at the time (my experience with the park up to that point had pretty much consisted of annual family trips to the park each summer), and didn't like the part where you were held facing straight down, so I didn't ride it again for years. I finally rode it again after the change to The Crypt and loved the new program, only to have it neutered halfway through the season. I really do wish I had ridden it more, but I only worked at the park for part of the 2005 season and didn't buy a pass for several more years. It's still amazing that a seasonal park in Ohio managed to get something of that caliber. It's just a shame that it had to end the way it did.

Might partially explain why it failed. Let me just say.... location, location, location.... and thats NOT a location I would voluntarily put myself. Which is what the "partially" is hinting at. The area has really declined even since the time lasting memories started forming for me (in about 2000). These days, I will only pass through that section of Lafayette Road closest to the mall and all of 38th Street from 65 to 465. Even then, there's only a few places east of 65 on 38th Street I'd visit: IMA, the Fairgrounds, and possibly Crown Hill (despite its status as a cemetery, it has become quite a popular park for pedestrians and bicyclists.). The Saraga international grocery seems interesting, and the Walmart shopping complex actually is a lot better than the rest of the area, never really hear anything happening there. Other than those things, I tend to avoid those areas. Lafayette Road north of 65 and 38th Street west of 465 are generally decent areas. Wouldn't want to live in them, but I would be fine going to those areas. Hell, one of my favorite Mexican restaurants is at 56th and Lafayette Road and my eye doctor is at that Methodist health complex. The area directly surrounding Lafayette Square is the worst though. And as for the mall itself, I don't see how it's even survived. I guess if Forest Fair Mall/Forest Fair Village/Cincinnati Mills/Cincinnati Mall/whatever they're calling it now can survive all this time with fewer than 5 stores, now 2 or 1 (did Bass Pro Shops move yet?), then Lafayette Square has another 5-10 years, unfortunately. Speaking of that Cincinnati mall, I'm sure Kohl's is actively looking at new locations. I heard a rumor a while back that they were going to be moving across the street and down the road a bit to the old K-Mart spot. I haven't heard anything else since then. And Bass Pro has not moved yet. According to the Journal-News (a local newspaper/website covering Butler County and specifically Hamilton and Middletown), construction hadn't even started on the new store as of December 21st.

I feel especially sorry for the family of the boys who were killed. Losing twin sons to a tragic accident that could have easily been prevented. I cannot imagine how hard that is on their parents.

I haven't been since around 2009, but yes, that weekend is one of the busiest of the season for the park.

KI had a HUSS enterprise for a while. It was removed after the 1997 season due to mechanical problems. Also, that's not what most would consider a "calm" ride.

KI just got two new family-oriented flat rides last year though...

KI already has a Troika and a Wave Swinger. I wouldn't mind having one of those other rides though.

Slingshot is a fun ride in my opinion. The harnesses are snug but not much more than typical over-the-shoulder restraints on coasters. You also have a seatbelt that latches to the restraint and one that goes around your waist. After you're latched in, you will fall backwards as the giant springs in the cage behind you are pulled up. A few seconds later, you'll hear a click and will go flying up into the air. You will bounce and flip a few times while you're up there, then will slowly be lowered back to the ground. My best advice would be to stand and watch the ride before you get on it so you'll have a better understanding of what it does. There are also videos of it on YouTube.

If that's the case then the park could be trying to cover their behinds and avoid a lawsuit. Either way, someone clearly wasn't thinking here.