Raptor Jo

Funny the comparison going on because when Diamondback was 1st announced it reminded me alot of Nitro - and I had so hoped it would be as awesome as Nitro Well-it's totally WAY better! Not to mention its only 1.5 hours from me!! I did notice that the stats of some of DBs and Nitro's elements are exactly the same. I do prefer the seating design on Diamondback as well as the entire train design, and can't get enough of the splash landing! Haven't ridden Behemoth yet but from all I heard it may be worth the drive to check it out. For now, I will just continue to enjoy Diamondback!

What an awesome media day and WHAT a ride!! Nice pic of me in front seat on pic 26! Went again yesterday-Im surprised no one got killed during the running of the bulls! Waited till after 5pm and only had to wait 1.5 hours for another ride. You can bet I will be making way more trips to KI this season!! Sorry Raptor! Diamondback is just as awesome as everyone had anticipated! Expected nothing less from B&M!

Kroger? Yikes now THAT store is a major rip off I worked for them many years ago-dont even get me started with that. I shop at WalMart but when I need just a couple things I run into Meijer. They are not as cheap as WalMart agreed but I get so po'd when I go into Kroger and see their prices Ive even walked out of the store without getting anything. Sorry for the vent---as for the question on this post-the Meijer by me (Reynoldsburg just east of Columbus) had their KI ticket display up 3 weeks ago so I am positive all of them have it. Thought about buying 2 tickets for OD but decided to skip OD-going to have my season pass processed at CP so will have to wait til next week. Im not going to pay to get into KI (and really shouldnt have to) but I dont want my season pass to say KI. I know stupid but Ive had a CP season pass since '98 and don't want to change. Not going OD is my loss I know

You can find cheap hoodies, sweatshirts and jerseys at WalMart. I am a WalMartaholic so I know this Don't forget before transferring anything on any shirt be sure to wash it 1st. If you design it and then it shrinks it can jack up the transfer

Have to totally agree!!! I can remember MANY visits to CP when MF was down for something or another. Since I was on the Raptor crew for 3 years I am well aware of how the coaster is built and the quality put behind it. The only major downtime things I can think of in the past 5 years is when the 1st test train of the season valleyed (or is it vallied?) but was removed before opening day. In '02 ('03?) 2 trains got stuck on the lift hill, then I believe in '05 one of the test trains valleyed (vallied?) on closing day. Raptor does go down now and then but it is never anything that usually isnt rectified within a reasonable amount of time. I think B&Ms are the Toyotas or Hondas of coasters Intamins are the ***** (fill in your own least favorite car company here)

Great pictures! Too bad I'm a Mets fan! ANY time the Reds play the Mets and the Mets win my hubby gets mad at ME. I made the mistake of getting us tickets to a Mets vs Reds game 3 years ago. Mets won and hubby was furious. Wouldn't talk to me the whole way home. When he did talk he was saying things like "well you didn't win by much"...yadda yadda. Can you say sore loser? That was the first and LAST time I ever got us tiks to those games!!! And he doesn't understand why!!!

I didn't read here that anyone said they were going/invited-they are just entering the contest. Tony and Tyler are employees of CP-which translates into CF. They both work in the PR department so based on those 2 things naturally they can go/are invited to media day. I am quite sure they cleared it with KI to run the contest. Media days may sound like fun but if it's for a ride like TTD they can really bite. Thunder and rain in morning, then humid and HOT by afternoon. Ride kept breaking down. My daughter and I got 2 rides in 10 hours. CP was passing water out to people in line to keep them from passing out. They had to extend the lunch times cause most of the invited guests were stuck on the lines and couldn't get to the restaurant in time. That was officially the day we named TTD "No Thrill Dumpster" I was thankful to have been invited-but it was by far not the reride-fest we had hoped for! Thank goodness DB is a B&M and not an Intamin!! Jo

Tony screams like a girl on coasters I've ridden with him before As for Tyler, the lights have a way of going out when he's around (you'll have to ask him about the night the lights went out at CP in '00) Classic! A cool contest none the less!

Dog and horse sitters lined up-hotel reservations made! Hubby and I are so there! "Beast Bash" has always been such a great event-I am sure Ride Warriors going to be just as awesome! Diamondback is going to totally rock-I am sure it is going to knock Nitro right off my fav steel list!

Check your newsletter, they relocated it to another location. Duh that's what I get for not checking ACEs events! Thanks for the info! Hubby and I will definitely be there. It is always a great time!

The walkback WILL continue this year. This year ALL accredited coaster clubs will be invited to join in on the walkback. Everyone in attendance must present a valid, up-to-date coaster club membership card and must sign in each morning. Ryan Thanks for the 411 Ryan. Do you know what happened to ACE SOAR this year? I'm glad to hear that for the walk back will continue and you have to sign in and show proof of club membership. I can't tell you how many times I've overheard people saying to others "they won't ask for proof anyway so you can come" in years past! Also cool GOCC and others are included too ps-yes I know I did the "quote" thing wrong

I suspect you mean "Screamin Demon?" That was the 1st upside down ride I ever rode. All I really remember is a LONG hike up a huge flight of stairs. I remember when we went thru the invert I could see the elephants in the safari area turning upside down. Thought that was pretty cool. Also remember taking the tram thru the safari. Wow that was '88! Yikes!

Or the ACE Beast Bash or anything else that Paramount (and Jeff and Maureen) used to do for us Dont know about The Beast walk back in the morning, suspect we will be saying ba bye to that too.

I remember waiting on The Bat the 1st year it opened. My b/f at the time and I waited 3 hours. That was back when they still sold beer at free standing carts in the park. The line for the ride was clear back by The Racers. People were screaming like they were having a great time....... After waiting that long and riding the thing I came to the conclusion the people were screaming because they were saying "I can't believe I waited 3 hours to ride this thing" Many people were impressed...me? Not so much And for those youngins who missed it--don't sweat it it really wasn't all that great. I seriously enjoy Top Gun -- or what ever it is now is more fun!

A co worker called me a couple weeks or so ago all excited on her way to Kentucky and said "you will never guess what I passed on a flat bed on my way to Kentucky! The new Kings Island sign!!" I thought that was pretty funny! That was much better then the sad call I got several months ago from someone who passed Dominator on a flatbed in Solon heading to KD. Bummer

OMG there is this annoying woman in my unit who brags about how many Flyin J's and Walmart parking lots they have slept in during their cross country trips in their 1972 "RV" No one would try to rob them or anything, it is obvious by their RV they have no valuables

During the year when I make or win $$ in my horse shows I save up that for next coaster season. Unfortunitely no matter how much we THINK we will need we ALWAYS go over. This year we made an unplanned trip to Holiday World not to mention all the new CP stuff I just had to have The gas and the hotels is the only thing that really eats away at our coaster budget. We only stay at hotels if it is an overnight event or too far to make trip back same day. We easily go to the parks and don't eat there unless it's a special event and we paid for it so food isn't an issue. Since KI is 100 miles from us and CP is 129.5 miles there is no saving on gas. Usually around April when show season starts again our coaster $$ gets used up for the horses or some cowgirl things I think I need. But when cash runs out or gets low thank goodness for our Discover Card! We have proven it does pay to Discover!

http://www.aceonline.org/ http://gocc.coasternewsnetwork.com/ There is nothing I can see on their websites about age restrictions but I could have missed it. Back to the CoasterEXT discussion-- Wondering if such a good idea if KI has it the day after CoasterMania? Reason being to have EXT at GL after Mania was only an 1.5 hour drive from CP, that made sense. I am not so sure alot of people are going to be willing to drive the 4+ hour drive from CP to KI. I hope KI is aware of the (lack of) crowds who even bothered to go to GL the day after. I for one was ALWAYS there (LOVED Dominator ) and there were a few regulars but by far nothing like the crowd at Mania. I personally think a separate event on a separate day. Any one else's feelings? And I sure hope that both parks do an actual Mania/EXT t-shirt for us. GL always had the most awesome EXT t-shirts for us. Last year CP did a combo CP/GL/KI shirt thanks to Con but they were kinda lame (sorry Bryan) and by far not what most of us had in mind.

I have been an ACE member since 1998. I signed up just for CoasterMania. The following year I signed up for GOCC and have been a member since. I still stay an ACE member but specifically for the exclusive KI events years past (ACE SOAR and Beast Bash) But since the rumors are flying we may say ba bye to those events (and knowing Cedar Fair I don't doubt it) I don't see any reason to spend the $$ for ACE when it won't benefit me any more than GOCC does. JMHO

Hey thanks so much! Don't know why I waited so long to register since KI is after all my home park! I think the party went really well (being 5 minutes from my house didn't hurt either!! ) The place was a tad squished, but the company, the food, the speeches, the door prizes and all the presentations were great. My CP buds and I sat in the back and of course caused the most trouble! I know we did have alot of fun--if anyone was at the ACE Holiday party last week it was a bit....hmmm...not as much fun. It was very nice actually seeing someone from KI present (Ryan too) In previous years it was rare (if ever) a KI rep would show at one of our get togethers or even ACE's as far as I can remember. We usually had to go to KI to hear from them. I had seen Ryan many times during the KI ACE events but had never met Don before last night. There were alot more ??s I meant to ask and naturally didn't. It was a pretty good time I would say! Especially when they showed our wedding picture in front of Raptor!

Long time lurker, 1st time poster! During the GOCC Holiday Party this evening it was confirmed by KI PR that Tomb Raider isn't going anywhere. The only thing changing is the name. Of course I've never even stepped foot on the ride ever. The most I've ever done is last year walked thru the queue during Beast Bash just to see what the queue looked like. Way cool. The ride itself never interested me.