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Dane, been having problems with forums off and on all morning. Still doing maintenance?

I am going to guess a possible merger of KICentral with a new official KI site (I am assuming Cedar Fair is working on this to update pki.com). This would be similar to Cedar Point's fansite linked from the official site. That would be cool. I am guessing more closeness with the new PR guy also. Perhaps also maybe a KICentral and ACE special park visit as many of you have been asking for.

Overall: not impressed. I think SOB will fail at being a success. New trains are a plus! This makes it much more comfortable to ride. I can now fit and move around a little instead of being pinned. I think being able to move around a little allows you to absorb some of the jolts. I like the lap bar too compared to the ones on Beast and Racer. SOB is still about as rough as it was before. You would think they would have worked that out, especially where the accident occurred in the first helix. The first part of the ride is very very rough still especially in the helix after the first drop. The second part after where the loop was is surprisingly pretty smooth. I was a bit surprised by this. Now if they could get the rest of sonny to ride like this. The coaster is still new though somewhat with new cars. Like all wooden coasters it will only get rougher as time goes by. I think SOB will see the end of its day soon at this rate. It has already lost its reputation after everything it has been through and I would have thought it would be much better than this. It seems like it was a cheap easy fix for Cedar Fair. Good try, but I don't think it will cut it for SOB and there are no more chances left for SOB.

If SOB doesn't work with the new cars, it will have lost all of its reputation of being a good ride in the eyes of the public. When SOB first opened it was rough and has been rough ever since. The restraints are very uncomfortable with the old trains. I and many others hated the ride for those reasons. Then you add the problem of it almost killing people (in the eyes of the general public) at least injuring them. The public will remember this, it will take a long time for SOB to gain its respect as a good ride that it tried to when it opened, yet never happened. I would bet most of the general public won't ride it or will at least wait till it starts gaining a good reputation again. If the new cars fail to work this time and the ride is still rough, then I bet its over for SOB. Its reputation will be down the toilet, who would want to ride it then? It would be a waste for KI to invest so much money into a new track if people already feel the way they do about it. I don't think coasters work like baseball - 3 strikes your out?? Naw, I think SOB already had its warning and is now on probation. Lets see if he can redeem himself. I hope I am leary the new cars will be anymore smooth, but we will see.

I've noticed the commercial running more and more now. Is it the same commercial now as was discussed in this topic in April? I am still trying to figure out what most of the rides are in the commercial, certainly NOT ones at KI. Any of you other more diehard fanatics than me figure it out? (I just don't have as much fun time available as some of you)

Though it may be polluted, it is still a natural river flowing through the center of the city. I don't think you can say it is landlocked. The Salt River is man made canal through Phoenix, dries up. The Colorado is nowhere near Phoenix. I could say Atlanta ... the Chattahoochee doesn't even go through the city. I was just curious where you got the information in your statement because it did not seem accurate to say Indianapolis is the largest city with no major body of water near it. Sounds like this is just your personal opinion and feeling and not factual.

Where did you get that information? Not true ... try Phoenix. Also Indianapolis has the White River.

Thanks welchce So the parking lot opens at 9 and the gates including international street at 930? So the shops are open on international street as well at 930?

This was discussed back in April in a previous thread, but was never fully answered. Is there a specific time the gates open before the stated opening time on the calendar? In years past it was an hour or half hour and International street would be open until the rides opened at the stated operating time on the calendar. I am planning an early visit Wednesday with friends and would like to get there earlier than 10 if they open the gates to International street. Does anyone know how Cedar Fair is doing it this year? I could not find any information on the website of course. ** side note: I really hope they update their website better with lots of useful information like Cedar Point's **

I tried to ride Monday, they kept trying to get a 2nd train running, it kept breaking down. Also the new rain policy kept the ride from running in the evening, so I never got to ride it was too long of wait. I did notice that it kept breaking down in the 2nd station (closest to brake stop, stairway side). They kept alternating trains, yellow and red, either train seems to work fine in the 1st station, but the other station seems to have the problem the seat raising mechanism. At one point they moved all the riders from the broken loading dock to the other side behind the already filled que lines. Many people were ****ed that had been there waiting first to go after the pulled them back off the train. Then they just put them behind a bunch of people, I would be mad too. A few of them got out of line and started yelling at ride ops, LOL. Wow that would be great if they had the lowering/raising mechanism on the hill and stop brake! Too bad we won't see it at KI. I really have had very bad luck in trying to ride this, I hope they get it running more efficiently soon before I start hating KI like I did the last year of paramount ownership when I didn't buy a pass nor even visit

I reread, my bad Actually this reporter at WCPO reported from another reporter in the Cincy Biz Journal, which was much more acurate to the CF press release. Bad journalism

clarification .... the CF press release does specifically mention that attendance for the memorial day weekend was down 5% from past year. This of course is all of CF's parks, so it could be very well that KI was up and others down, we don't know.

Interesting to note they opened several parks late, cutting operating expenses and increasing revenues. I don't think KI was opened too much later than the others. Yes you are correct, news reporter got it wrong! Those numbers are for all CF parks. Someone should email her, addy in the WCPO link. Unfortunately, I can't from work. That headline is very misleading. "Numbers down at Kings Island"

Oh I love how local news skews stories ... perhaps the WCPO article spawned from this CF announcement ... http://www.cedarfair.com/ir/press_releases/index.cfm

http://www.wcpo.com/news/local/story.aspx?...9d-b55c93f4ba05

Flying Eagles, the most. I still vision them sitting there every time I walk by IJ, and yes I agree there was still room to leave them. Paramount decided to make it a kiddie ride at Carowinds. I guess they didn't like enthusiasts snapping the cords as it was meant to be since they tried to make it more of a family park. I disagree, it was already a family park, why take something out that soo many enjoyed. There was always a line. I miss the big slide in the potato sacks too (forgot the name). That was so much fun, a classic. SunShine Turnpike. Wow I remember enjoying this so much as a kid. I never was around for screamin Demon, but I heard that was one of the best rides according to my elders

A 3rd train would also mean that there is always a train waiting at the stop. Laying on your back with a head rush is not the most comfortable thing and if there is a station delay or the ride goes down and you are laying there for awhile with your legs up and head down, that is not comfortable. I would really like to see them get both trains running efficiently on each side.

I don't know what the policy is exactly, but when I rode MF and TTD I had a small camera in a bag that I slung over my shoulder and under my other arm. It rested at my side, the ride ops never said anything to me.

I noticed it too the couple time I have ridden this year. Someone told me they think they train is too fast to the first mid-stop or the loading, unloading is very slow at the start of the season. But did you notice when you are up there stopped the track sways a bit? That was a little freaky.