dare-to-fly

That's the best way to get lost.

The Flying Eagles aren't really worth much, I agree. To ride good Flying Scooters without venturing too far away, Stricker's Grove has great ones.

Honestly, in a word...both! It's a Saturday on the first day of the season with a brand new coaster. It will have everything to do with the weather, but if it's not nasty out the crowds will be.

I just read your trip report, and I'm glad you appreciated Tennessee Tornado. Why I'm so in love with it has everything to do with the aforementioned tunnel and the first loop. Just for the record - that's why I don't use Google Maps for anything. I get directions from the parks websites and then use the good old atlas. I've never been foiled once.

Hmmm...I'll have to try that this year. I usually go to BBQ Pork Sandwich Land - oops...I mean BBQ USA.

After you get your glory rides on all three coasters, do other things until afternoon. The lines for the coasters seem much shorter later on in the day, including Voyage. Raven and Legend are both great coasters. Raven is a very short ride, so picture about half of a Beast and take the trims off. That's about what you have in Raven. It's 5th drop is great from the back seat. Legend is good anywhere, and I highly suggest riding it in...oh boy, I get to say something unuasual for me...the very front seat at least once. Legend is also a much longer coaster, and has one really good airtime hill somewhere in the middle. The double helix can be a little rough, so I recommend sitting on the left side of the train so you don't wear your thigh out on the hollow seat dividers they have. As for Voyage - find a bad seat, I dare you! And unless they decided to trim it a little at the mid-course again, which is highly doubtful, as they only did that one year due to a problem with one of the curves - there are no trims in the entire park!!!!

Why only 50? I fully intend to break my record of 201.

Personally, I expect fairly lengthy lines but very little downtime on Diamondback. It's probably bound to have a few unforseen glitches, but I really don't expect anything major. Flyer, who just jinxed it.

I'm glad that you liked it as well; it's my favorite shot ever. That one went straight to my Kings Island bulletin board.

This project made me sad. I knew that White Water Canyon was the same age as me, but some of the others were interesting. I must be a bit of a disaster, as Disaster Transport shares a birthday with me. Mad Mouse at Old Indiana was opened in my year...yay, I got to ride it. Z-Force at Six Flags Great America I'll probably ride this year. Skyrider at Canada's Wonderland - eventually. Phoenix at Knoebels was opened in my year as well...can't wait to ride it in May. Now the sad part - Baby Wildcat and Jack Rabbit from Idora Park, which alas, I never got to even see.

I don't have to wait and see - I already saw. Monster Plantation, or rather the new Monster Mansion is at Six Flags Over Georgia.

My plans are always changing, but here are the ones that I know more or less for sure. Ride Warriors Coaster Weekend & 30 other operating days at KI. Stricker's Grove - all operating days. Coney Island Cincinnati - would you believe I've never been? Hersheypark & Knoebels. Cedar Point. Holiday World. Michigan's Adventure. S.F. St. Louis. S.F. Kentucky Kingdom S.F. Great America Beech Bend Park Since I know I'll go to all of these for sure, there will probably be two or three that I don't get to, and probably many more that I don't even see coming.

Correct, he did not. But nonetheless they are redesigning Monster Plantation.

I'm also in the 20-39 age group. I plan to stay in it for the next 90 years.

Okay, now I'll admit, I did get one ride on Son of Beast with no mid-course on the last day of the season; however, it certainly was not off. The other rides were normal strength. Did we both get lucky? As for the AE brake, it was gone for the last two weeks of the season and maybe even three, but I'm not sure. I might also add that in my opinion, it added to the ride. I haven't ridden AE nearly as much as I did during that time. The final trim on Racer just before the brake run was turned off for a couple of weeks as well, but was back on for closing day. I wish it had stayed gone and had taken the other with it. Thanks for giving me an excuse for another trim rant, as you know I love those!!!! Believe me, I notice if a trim is off, or even dialed back. Every time one of the sections of magnets is added or subtracted from any of the sets on The Beast, I notice.

All this talk about Busch Gardens and Kings Dominion combined with good local places to eat gives me a grand idea for a trip. Thanks, guys. I'll put it on the agenda!

Hmmmm...they do have a button that I like to have pushed, though it is a rare treat when it is. The most wonderful and amazing thing happens when this button is pushed. You see, it works like this, you go around the rose bowl, and once you're out of it and come up to the mid-course...nothing impedes your path through the mid-course and you sail right through to the other side with no ride killing devices activated. Then you actually have a slight amount of force present on the second half of the ride. Man, I wish that wasn't such a rarety, but it probably will always be. Flyer, who wishes all trims would evaporate.

Glad you like Tennessee Tornado. In my opinion it is an under-rated gem. I'm not sure why too short has anything to do with it on this particular coaster, as it's in my top ten. I don't mind saying that other loopers are going to have to do some serious work to get my opinion of this to go down in ranks, I can tell you that.

This may be my favorite Kings Island picture ever. http://img223.imageshack.us/img223/5467/kicday083small.jpg

I'll have to remember that for my trip there, which I hope to make later on in the summer.

My favorite ride on The Beast ever was once the park opened the rides up with a single train after being rained out most of the day. The last two rides were in a torrential downpour, and they were fabulous! The world's longest water ride! It's nice that the trains have extra speed to get through - those things I hate. Son of Beast is awesome in the rain and just after the rain imo.

The really disgusting part is that all of the wads of gum had been scraped away for opening last year, and were soon replaced. The complete disrespect of some of the members of today's society is what disgusts me.

That sounds more accurate. So, "how does the park run on rainy days?" It doesn't!

I guess I should clarify...it isn't my POV, but rather one that I found on the internet. Unfortunately, I can't remember where it came from to tell you, but upon doing a google search, there seems to be a bunch more video material to look through about the Screechin' Eagle, so you might start there. I did post pictures on Negative-G, which you can view here. http://www.negative-g.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=2947 I think you can view those even if you're not a member. If not, let me know and I'll see what I can do about posting them here. I still haven't figured out Image Shack very well, nor am I a fan as of yet.

Oh, I hate recommendations, restrictions, and anything that involves politics in the amusement park business. If a park wants to install a coaster with single position lap bars, no seat belts, skid brakes, no trim brakes, and a vertical 6 airhill, they should be able to do it. deedle dee deedle dee dee...doo dum de dum...deedle dee deedle dee dee dee. Flyer, who will someday have a coaster with such statistics in his backyard...someday...oh, yes...he will. Even if it kills him...oops, bad choice of phrasing. Yikes!