upstop

Wow....just got here....park is PUBAR.....all lines I've seen so far are full, even WindSeeker...

Who would want to leave after going into Halloween Haunt!!!

It would be almost like DT, FoF and WindSeeker were all down on the same day.....lol....

Darn it..... Spirit Song is going on today, might have to rethink coming up....crowds ain't my thang....lol!

What are crowds like today? Thinking about visiting later.

Let's see ...Banshee, Firehawk, Vortex,Beast,Diamondback, the Great Pumpkin, Woodstock Express.... What else is there with a photo op? and will you get your money's worth? I think the price is right for the pass, and of course there is a need for a pass but are there enough photo options?.... Are meet and greets included? Maybe photo ops will be coming back to rides that previously had ops like Invertigo and Adventure Express and Flight of Fear...then it will be well worth it... Hey thinking out of the box.... Wouldn't it be cool to have cameras on every ride and use RFID technology linked to your photo pass that automatically takes candid photos and uploads them digitally to a website for retrieval later? Heck they could even have photo spots for posing using RFID as well. What do you think?

http://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/news/disney-world-will-ban-selfie-sticks-from-its-theme-parks/ar-AAcafZ9?ocid=ansTribune11

I see lawsuits for broken backs and necks cha chinging in lawyers accounts already.

Part 1 I determined that this year I would make the pilgrimage to foundation of every child's dream here in America (and apparently throughout every inch of earth known to man as a matter of fact).... that fun filled bastion of rides, character costumes, and squeaky clean environments with happy, happy employees....Central Florida's play land... The I4 corridor. I started the trip by driving to SC to stay overnight at my sister's house and begin the following day on a six hour journey to Tampa. I must say on Sunday, I95 was nearly empty until I got to I4....then I got to try the Daytona 500 first hand....I4 traffic was driving at about 80mph and bumper to bumper. That was probably the most exciting attraction that I did during my vaca. I arrived at Busch Gardens, Tampa at 10:15. At the toll, I used my BG Platinum Pass to park and got premium parking...good thing I did, because the park was at capacity within an hour. I ventured through the gates and began swimming upstream through the crowds and to the right heading to Cheetah Hunt. I was excited to finally be at the park when I arrived at the ride entrance my jaw hit the faux cobblestone pavement...Cheetah hunt was a two hour wait....so I went onward to Montu...It was an hour wait. Soooooo....I meandered through the crowds back to guest services to get a Quick Queue (why you ask since you can buy them through kiosks near the entrance of the coasters? The one near Montu wasn't working and the one at Cheetah hunt had a mile of customers....I waited approximately 45 minutes and got my Quick Queue. First coaster Cheetah Hunt....what a cool ride from the launch to the treetop twist and through the African Savannah it is an exciting ride. Next was Montu... Got to say, I like Banshee a lot - because it's fun and close, but I like Montu more. The tunnels and close calls to the ground are more exiting to me. Plus the final corkscrew and change of direction is the coolest optical/physical illusion on an inverted coaster. Next I had a brief visit with the African Elephants.....such incredible creations they are!!! I continued onwards to Pantopia. You can see and hear Falcon's Fury from every inch of the park...It is the strangest sound...kind of like a very loud release of air....not quite a fart but close...hehehe... Watching people ride was hilarious. The ride itself seems to begin breaking the instant it is released, but drops very fast. Many of you know that I'm terrified of heights, so I was working up my courage to ride...I decided that it would be the icing on the cake for the day...so I would do it later (a decision that I would regret). I decided to ride Sand Serpent (wild mouse ride...Kings Island really needs one of these...hint to those who might be reading). I headed from there to ride Kumba....It was like meeting an old friend....and then getting beaten up by them. Kumba is fast and furious and has many directional changes....Obviously the designers where trying to fit a lot into a little space...very effective little ride and FUN!!! Next I rode Congo River Rapids. To ride this, I decided to get a locker. I put in my money and twisted the key...the money fell and....no key. The darn thing took my change...I had to get more change and try another locker. I put my stuff in the locker and quickly went to the line. About ten seconds into the line I realized...I didn't memorize the locker number...oh well the number is on the key....except it wasn't on the key....LMAO....Anyways, I quick queued to the ride and quickly seated myself with 10 other people (luckily I had my own seat of two...more in a minute.....). We sat at the end of the conveyor for quite a while then we drifted slowly into the river. As we rounded the corner, I was listening to the conversations when I looked up to see a gigantic stream of water headed straight towards my head....I quickly ducked over into the empty seat and a man and woman to my left caught the entire stream...LOL!!! I figured that my turn would be coming soon as we bounced down the river we would start to turn to where I was sitting, then bounce off the wall to turn the other way....I didn't get too wet...but the couple to my left got EVERY dip and drench along the way...after the tunnel there is a waterfall and you guessed it, they caught that too. The most wet that I got was at the end where the get pushes the inner tube either left or right and that got me good. Now since my key did not have a number on the end, I had to "try" lockers...that was embarrassing...finally found my locker and retrieved my stuff. Next I visited the tigers. The enclosure for the tigers is really neat...nothing like standing within a couple of feet of such a big kitty cat. They are just beautiful. I then continued into Stanleyville. I Quick Queued the Stanley Falls ride...that is one fast flowing flume ride and I got completely drenched. I was beginning to get hungry so I decided to eat at the Smokehouse....all I can say is wow....I had a Barbecued Pork sandwich with coleslaw and fries, with a slice of carrot cake with a soft drink and water. I sat near the Sheikra splashdown and was enjoying watching the sprays of water. About halfway through my meal, an announcement over the loudspeakers said that all attractions would be temporarily closing due to weather. I looked into the sky and all I could see was sun and clouds... It was quite puzzling....until....BOOM! Lightning...we were instructed to take cover. Those little "tent" shops do not hold that many people, and that is shoulder to shoulder. The locals were calming the crowd with "eh this is Florida weather...it'll be over in a few minutes and all the rides will start up again...about 45 minutes later...the rain stopped...so I queued up for Sheikra. I was loaded into the fourth train to dispatch. All seats were checked and all thumbs were up when....BOOM! Storms again....I went into the little shop next door and checked out the wares. Finally the rain stopped again...I rushed over to Sheikra. Finally I was strapped into the middle row and off we went...Such a fun ride!...So much fun that I rode it again from the back row. After I exited the ride it started raining again. I decided to head on around the loop towards the aviary. I walked up to the enclosure right at feeding time. The birds were so beautiful! I whistled a couple of times and a dozen or so beauties flew up to the net structure and perched....I actually got to lightly pet several of them...such bright colors. I continued around past Sesame Street onwards. I stopped to view the flock of flamingos. They were all beginning to rest for the night and were resting on one leg. Now was the time to start all over. I went back to Cheetah Hunt and rode Montu two more times. I then headed back to Pantopia. I rode Scorpion (fun ride!!)...then on to Falcon's Fury...BOOM lighting...park was ready to close...Oh well next visit. Doesn't seem like I did much that day, but time flies when your having fun. I left the park to my hotel, Travel Lodge which is right across the street and third world country clean...Yuck. However, it served it's purpose. I woke up the next morning and headed to the Magic Kingdom!!! Part two to come tomorrow night...

All main support arms appeared to be attached when I left last night.

I liked it better when it was the Whippersnapper. (With no over the shoulders, circa 1976)

Hey guys! Crowds are here but lines are light.....just had a snapping good time on Woodstock Gliders.....so if you are in the area, come on down! You too can have a snapping good time!

Actually, they are free for the posted wait time plus a 20- to 30-minute buffer. I wondered how they figured such an odd number of minutes.

Wow... I hope everyone is ok and healing....I know lots of folks rag on the mandatory lockers, but they are necessary. I LOVE Universal Orlando's fingerprint lockers....convenient to use and free up to 1hour 40 minutes, after that you pay. Scan a finger, get a locker number, put stuff in locker, press lock button, ride ride, scan finger to unlock, retrieve stuff move on.....and they are all over the parks. Last sat on Banshee when we went through the heartline roll, the person in front of me lost some change... it hit the sole of my shoe and...darn it, it did hurt!!! Fortunately my shoe slowed it down because it then richoeted upwards and beaned my friend on the forehead. Luckily he was wearing sunglasses! Also back in may on Sheikra, on the second drop into the tunnel, a small stream of water was falling as the train went under it and hit me smack in the right eye.... I couldnt open my eye or see straight for a while....not fun....

Woodstock Gliders. One cycle wait.

Diamondstack is stacked and about an hour long.....I've resigned to the fact this ride will always run at extra slow capacity....oh well, onward and upward!

Probably......come get your rides while you can! As soon as Soak City closes for the day, watch out!

Banshee 5 min wait... Racer no wait....Bat no wait.. Congo Falls no wait.. Drop Tower 15 minutes.... Delirium 5 minutes.. Invertigo 30 minutes.. weather hotter than he**...

Maybe they will find a way to adapt it to load all of the seats at the same time too!

Maybe Mr. Hart can petition the state to lease the land.... : p

Just curious, but is there a reason for the road that cuts the park in half? Seems to me that when you enter the west gate you could technically go straight after paying the parking fee and still get to the parking area rather than driving through the park. There is a lot of space that is being taken up by the four lane entryway.

What an exellent project and so cool!!!

totally horrifying!!! http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3107569/Two-carriages-Alton-Towers-Smiler-rollercoaster-collide-16-people-board.html

As I recall, some did say mark of The Beast ... and it resulted with many of the queue line signs to be removed in the following years. An example of a sign that I remember... "All is for The Beast". The only remaining sign that I have seen is "you may lose loose articles to The Beast" and it can be seen hanging over the storage boxes. Some people even went as far as protesting the name of the ride as well.... glad that change never came to fruition.

^^ I like that....how about this synopsis for a Triotech attraction... The past.... On July 16th, 1890, I was visiting a friend in Kings Mills, only a short distance from the Gunpowder Factory. From my friends house we could easily see the railroad switch-backs near the powder house. It wasn't unusual to see at any time several empty cars being backed into the open tracks in order to connect additional cars, however, something seemed strange. As an engine pushed two empty cars backwards, there was another car on the opposite track and it was loaded with full gunpowder barrels. When the empty cars continued backwards down the tracks it was easy to see that the switch had not activated. From the distance, the cars appeared to tap together rather loudly and in less than a second a blinding explosion occurred. Men, woman and children clamored and struggled to escape the burning powder house. Surely many had died in the horrendous explosion. My friend and I ran towards the destruction to assist the injured pull them to safety. The explosion had created a crater that was huge and deep. We began dragging the injured away from the site to a location further away, when my friend stopped in his tracks and pointed towards the smoking crater. In the smoky, mangled and twisted metal jutting from the crater we heard low and guttural growls, as if there was something alive in the rubble. I know that I distinctly heard the sounds of chains being pulled taunt with a tense metal twang. As the supposed chains continued to be furiously drawn, the growling and howling intensified. Suddenly, there was a sound as if a chain snapped followed by another growl and a snap. My friend an I listened intently to discover just what this creature was and wondered just what was released during the explosion. Suddenly from the smoking hole, there appeared the claws of a creature unlike anything either of us had seen. The metallic claws of this Beast dug into the ground surrounding the hole and began to pull the creatures body forwards. Suddenly a second explosion occurred as billows of smoke escaped the hole, blocking our view of this thing. The smoke was so thick that all we could see was the lower extremities of this huge monster. As it pulled away towards the woods we could hear the klang klang klang of the chains being dragged away. Was this creature real? Was this some man-made invention or something released from the depths of hell to wander the woods of the Little Miami Valley? To this day neither my friend or I have seen any glimpse of this creature and as far as we know it still wanders the woods along the river. The present... Legend has it that a Beast was unchained many years ago and wanders the woods in the back property of Kings Island. Tracks were discovered in 1979 and the creature has appeared on occasion to frighten those who challenge it's territory. It has been known to be destructive and has destroyed many of the attractions at Kings Island including Flight Commander, TR:TR and has even destroyed it's own Son. We need to be vigilant and help confine The Beast in it's gaping crater. Are you brave enough to challenge The Beast and confine it to a deep dark crater before it destroys our beloved park? If so, sign up at the local expedition building in Rivertown today!