troymello

True but not true, Some B&M Tracks are filled with a sand mixture inside so the noise will be limited to a hum, but some B&M are loud not annoying loud but sorta like a roar EX:Chang at SFKK you can hear it from across the park, In fact the name "Chang" is actually the name of a ancient Chinese dragon and the roar Chang makes sounds like a Dragon Roaring and was named after it. The press kit for the opening of "Chang" states that the name was chosen because of its Chinese translation meaning "long." In regards to the International Theater, it does look a little "naked" in the back. I thought maybe they could plant some new trees... maybe some evergreens... something thick to help separate the stage and coaster... and buffer the noise a little.

Thanks for the comments! I just noticed I sat aside all prejudices when I drew The Bat... I have passengers of all colors! Today, I can draw pretty well... I can hold a pencil very well. Unfortunately, as a child, it was cooler to hold a football or a basketball. Of course, holding a ball wasn't much of a problem... it was the goal that was the problem! I had completely forgotten about the Tumblebug. It was great seeing the drawing because I remembered how much I liked it. I was much older when I realized that there was actually two observation decks on the top of the Eiffel Tower. My drawing seems to confirm I wasn't exactly sure at that time. Thanks again for comment... have a great day! Troy

If anyone has a few minutes, visit my website to see three drawings of Kings Island rides from 1982. My mom gave me some of my old drawings from my childhood and I found some cool stuff that I had long forgotten. Troy

PKI Delirium: Thanks for mentioning The Racer lights. I didn't think I head dreamed them up. Honestly, my strongest memory of the (lengthier) lights is from a picture or a postcard... would be great if I could find it. BoddaH1994: As odd as I thought Panda Express was in the Festhaus... I did eat there... and it was good! I didn't mean to come down so hard on the Festhaus. It was still a good place to chow down and relax for a while. Also, I completely forgot to mention, as one of my PROS, the return of entertainment to the Festhaus. Good stage and good performance! Thanks for correcting me on the floral date. When I returned home (Louisville), I only remembered the clock... I guess I just wasn't paying attention. Very glad it's still there! I'm a big classic rock fan, too. Holiday World has a decent soundtrack as well... lots of Beatles... I was told Wil Coch like the Beatles, so that explains it! Elmer Fudd: When I told my friends at work that my ride on The Beast was the roughest ever, they told me that I was older now! Say it ain't so!!! Thanks for the good info, guys!

Since 1974 (I was 2 yrs old.), I have visited Kings Island approximately every 3 years. However, I recently managed allow the passing of 6 years without a visit. Of course, I was very excited to return because (1) I had my eyes on three rides that were new to me and (2) the recently new ownership. CONS: 1. Though tasty, I found it very odd a Panda Express was in the Festhaus. If a place is to be themed, it should be all or none. Poor choice of locations for Panda Express. Also, I hated to see so much of the architecture inside the place was hidden and painted over with white (or off-white) paint. (It may have been this way on recent visits... I can't remember.) I would love to see this building restored to its original condition. 2. Firehawk: Wait time was too long. Of course, I expected this somewhat for obvious loading/prep reasons. Though there were many cooling fans in the queue, it would have been much better if KI was a little more generous with the random covered areas to provide shade from the sun. (Probably isn't a big issue on a cooler days.) 3. SOB: I was anxious to try it, post loop, but was disappointed. I could probably say the roughness has improved, but only slightly... still too rough for me. Note: I am comparing front-seat, first-car experiences. 4. The Beast: Very upset... as if I lost an old friend. At any visit, I usually take a front-seat, first-car ride... once during the day and again at night. Now, during my last visit, I noticed the skid brakes had been replaced, but for the most part, the ride was still a great, enjoyable experience. For this visit, in the same seat, the ride was extremely rough... very comparable to SOB. I can't figure it out. Was there lighter people in the car? Heavier? Something must have been different. Since I was a kid, the ride was always rough, but more of an aggressive massage. This experience was a heavy, up & down pounding. I didn't ride again at night... just wasn't up for it. I will certainly ride again in the future to see if the ride (for me) is more enjoyable. 5. When exiting the park, only one lane was open through the security gate. This bottlenecked the crowd and I almost waited as much when leaving as I did when I was entering. 6. Those TVs while waiting in line... those are in rough shape. The picture quality was horrible on all. I am assuming the park is tucking away a little money for a total replacement in the future. PROS: 1. FOF: This was probably my favorite ride of the day. I have always loved this ride and even more so when the OTSR were taken away several years ago. The launch felt faster than ever (of course, I'm sure it was really no different). I did notice, as others have, that the train is almost completely stopped at the MCBR. Still... a fun, smooth ride. 2. Though I tend to get a little nostalgic and like things to remain the same, the colored lights shining on the Eiffel Tower was very nice to see after the sun was history. It complimented the fountains very nice. 3. This was my first time to experience IJST. Though stripped of "IJ," the BLSC was nice. I tend to enjoy any launched coaster. The road signs in the queue were funny, too. 4. Nick U: I completely understand why KI gets the golden ticket every year for best kids area... it's incredible! It's not comparable to Disney World. Nick U isn't so much a "fantasy" land as it is its own amusement park for kids who want rides, rides, and more rides! 5. Some friends had recommended Avatar in Nick U (they rode it with their little girl). Now, I don't have any kids, but it appeared I wasn't the only childless adult in line for this thing. This was a great ride! It "teetered" on the edge of being a thrill ride, but held back a little. It was a good way to relax... like a porch swing... but much more fun! 6. I was glad to see the return of souvenir Eiffel Towers return to the gift shops. 7. The soundtrack pumping out of speakers all over the park sounded great. 8. It sure was nice getting to see Diamondback construction in person for the first time! 9. Though it is a short ride, it had a very short line all day: Flight Deck. I've never thought it was a scary ride, but it is still fun. QUESTIONS: I saw the floral clock, but did not see the floral date. Is the date gone or did I just miss it? The lights on The Racer ran up the lift, down the first drop, and ended there. Didn't they used to run the length of the coaster (inner side)? Thanks for reading... have a great day!

If I only had one day to live, and had a choice to spend it at HW or KI, I would certainly go with KI. (Though, I would give HW heavy consideration.) Some of my opinion will repeat a few others: HW Pros: The Voyage (for me, it is the first woody that I have ever liked equal to The Beast), friendly staff, clean park, and free parking. The free drinks are worth a million bucks on a hot day. With fair skin, the free sunscreen gets a lot of brownie points, too. The water park is THE best that I've been to. The fact that is is family owned is nice because it creates at atmosphere that I can feel. Obviously, it's a stronger feeling when I bump into Will or Pat, but even when I don't, I still get the feeling. It almost feels as if you are walking through someone's hobby that they are very, very, proud of. HW Cons: Though food choices and places to eat have been expanded, they need way more. The food lines have been very long every time I've been there. The front gate needs a complete overhaul to handle the larger crowds that visit now... it's pretty congested as is. I'm sure more rides will come in the future, but the number of ride choices is still a little small. Now, a visit to the water park will fill up a day, but if staying in the "dry" park the whole day, it is easy to ride everything in a short amount of time. (Of course, as the park grows, it may loose that family atmosphere... I suppose that would be a trade-off that I would accept, but I sort of hate to see that.) KI Pros: Rides, rides, rides!... enough to easily fill up a day. The International Street atmosphere is fantastic! Better theming. Better coaster choices - at KI, I can be launched, be inverted, be suspended, go backwards, and go upside down. KI Cons: Though admission may be less expensive, at the end of the day, I think KI will cost more money. I'm only 1.5 hrs from HW... it takes me 2.5 to get to KI... no that bad, though. I enjoy HW very, very much. But in the end, for me, it's all about the rides. The Voyage is a real winner, but KI offers a much better compilation. KI would be my pick.