sora_chan

Thanks for clearing that up. I was a bit confused by it. That is why I pointed it out though and I hope Terpy isn't offended, I rather like his responses and contributions here. Don't get me wrong at all. That's just how a city kid might see that. It's sad we even would consider such a thing though and regardless if it's line cutting or cussing another guest... someone should say something about so everyone else won't have to deal with it. That I think we can all agree on. I just try to avoid confronting people I don't know... because as Terp did make a valid point, you never know. City or no. There are plenty of rough folks from smaller towns. But you see what I'm getting at here. I especially avoid saying something directly if they are kids. An angry parent can be worse than a roughian. (I know I didn't spell that right) Maybe they forget to close it or maybe some days they just let it slide. I'll have to be extra nice. If you see me in line, I'm the guy waiting patiently for you to file in if your not already wet. (Though I doubt opening day will merit a WWC ride if it's still really cold) That's awful that some parks would allow such things. I'm all about everyone enjoying themselves. Just not at the expense of other people. I suppose that's what we are really all trying to say. On a side note. It's freezing here... I wouldn't even think of WWC right now.

This is a hard topic... where to start. I've lost a pair of Sunglasses to Firehawk. A pair of keys to The Racers (oddly enough, I had never lost anything on that ride) Some change on Face Off, no doubt easy to do. I have never lost anything to The Beast. Which is the one place I would expect to. Go figure.

- that's because when the ride is really short they allow people to do that. Instead of walking all the way around. On days that ride is slow they do open it and they can close it if need be. Unless I'm horribly mistaken but it's worked that way for quite a while now. In the summer, they keep that gate shut. (though I haven't been in the summer in a while, I'm sure that ride gets busy then) --It's one of those little tidbits they don't tell you. You were wrong in that they were not jumping line. They were however getting in front of you. Which is cutting. They should have been polite... and if they were clearly cutting people off then yea. But I doubt they meant to do that. You also did say they ran, which they shouldn't have been doing. And people running past me in line bugs the crap out of me. So it's not really either. Just remember that they are allowed to do it (when the gate is open), and so are you! = ) That is of course assuming that nobody is obviously walking in that direction. If your not sure, ask the operators and they can let you know for certain. But it has never caused a major problem before to my knowledge. I'm sure if you just explained that you wanted a turn to ride and they could just get behind you, they probably would have still obliged. --Actually, it is a line wherever they start the line. At least logic would dictate such I hope. (so forgive if I'm horribly wrong about that) In this case they loop it so instead of allowing riders to stay on, they have to at least walk around but not all the way. Thus giving maximum ride time on WWC. I know I have rode it like 20 times that way when it was colder out or slow and nobody complained about it ever. So by all means, you should enjoy that while we have the chance. I know I don't like walking all the way around for another go, unless I have to. Which I do. = P --After you enter the queue normally nobody should be passing you. That is the confusing bit about WWC. Cause they open up that section. I was confused at first but, the ride operators knew because we asked right after the first time we rode because we wanted to ride again. I'd say that they assume people are polite enough to let others whom haven't rode get on next. --It still gets that way sometimes in the summer, well not as bad... but still a looong line. Worth it if you got some extra time on your trip and need to cool off. --Most of all, don't worry, be happy! = ) I feel indifferent about your statement. Forgive me for I'm sure you didn't mean to come across as offensive but you did to me. Because some of us aren't locals. And happen to be rather nice people from urban areas, that we moved to after living on a farm and in the Appalachian mountains. Whom detest violence. No, I'm not trying to troll you or flame you, I'm just saying. It came across as very stereotypical and I didn't like it. Not to mention that Kings Island is the most popular theme park in the United States (or at least was for a while there). So at least we know if it isn't, it's pretty up there. So yea, your gonna get a mix of people. No need to get bent out of shape thinking someone is going to mug you over a ride. And if they were to do that you could avoid it and have them removed and/or arrested. That is what security is for. And metal detectors. Gee, I have never heard of KI being that rough. Though I'm glad for the metal detectors. And if someone is giving you a hard time like that, avoid them and tell a security officer. Besides, I doubt you'll see them again. However you are right Interpreter, some guys won't be as understanding as those kids. Honestly if it's some punk kid just grab a ride operator. No need to get yourself into a tiff over it. Hope I didn't come across as too brash.

Which ones exactly. Only ACE or also will Great Ohio Coaster Club be included as well? Other ones that might be of note? Florida Coaster Club? WYNCC? MACC? I would like to know please, if you have the info on that. So I know if I need to bring credentials and what not. Thanks in advance. ~Sora

Sorry for starting up a very dead topic but I rode this ride when I was quite young on more than one occasion. Indeed the ride is MUCH bigger than what is now The Wild Thornberry's River Adventure (aka Kings Mill). It was a very great ride and I miss it terribly. This ride, The Smurfs and the ferris wheel stick out in my mind. One could only wonder what it would be like to be able to re-live these rides. But some of us will never forget.

I could see the webcam just fine. Not much to see as there isn't a station yet. Cool that the webcam will be near the station. It looks that way. I'm sure I'll see plenty of you there.

I agree, I don't care much for the whole "Diamondback" thing. I don't know of any other coaster, though someone mentioned one. Hrm... I can already tell opening day is gonna be busy. I think I'm making a special b-day trip to ride this one.

Indeed, what an awesome report, I'll have to try to do as well with mine. Hope I can find my digital camera! = / Just wanted to give you Kudos for that, you have one up on me, I've only been going since it was regular Kings Island ... that was in 86'. I think it's great they are focusing on the essential things for KI, getting it cleaned up and now, very obviously building a new ride. There is no doubt about it from the pictures, something is going there! I hope it's great. Keep posting. = )

OK. the animal rights activist is stepping in now. I'm not really happy about such a post without confirmation. If you have hard evidence then fine. The Cincinnati Zoo would never allow such a thing. (I am pretty sure if I remember correctly they really did work with them) And if KI was having troubles keeping those things up, then I would think it was corrected by removing the shows/safari anyways. Meaning, someone did the right thing ANYWAYS, EVEN IF THAT'S WHAT HAPPENED (which I doubt). I don't want to argue this too much, I'm going to call the ASPCA and ask them to get me records of the animals conditions. Since I send them money, I'm sure they won't mind at least telling me where to find them if they can't. If they came from the Zoo, there are records and someone would have been in big trouble over it. I'm a member of the ASPCA and even if Kings Island did hide it, the authorities and probably every animal rights organization in the country would have been ready to give KI the shaft. I am not so sure they would still be open after the lawsuits and boycotts that would ensue. IF THEY DID HIDE IT, WHY DID YOUR FAMILY MEMBER NOT REPORT IT? Because they thought they might lose their job? I wouldn't want to work for a company like that. And if your family member didn't report it, that's just wrong. BY THE WAY, how could you STILL support KI after such an awful thing. That reflects poorly on your character as well. But I don't know the whole situation, SO BEFORE YOU FLAME ME THINK ABOUT WHAT YOU ARE SAYING.

Indeed. You know I thought the shows at Universal Hollywood were really good. I enjoyed them! A lot of parks you go to these days have crappy shows but good rides. I would be most please if KI works to improve the entertainment dept.

I'm looking foward to seeing some shows. I haven't watched one in a while. Opening day though, it'll be all about the coasters for me. Maybe if it's not too busy I'll have time to watch some shows too. I've been meaning to try out the wings diner too. It's just so expensive. I'm picky about my food, so I hope it's worth it. (Especially when I'm paying that much money for it.) I will allow myself that. Looking foward to Firehawk and SOB (which did start operating again last year toward the end of the season in case anyone missed that part) not to mention The Beast, which should go without saying. I'm also looking foward to blue ice cream and hopefully seeing construction signs and/or comming soon signs!

ROTF. You guys are awesome. This is too much. I like them both, Star Wars more so, but I don't have a burning desire to have a theme park that is all about "special effects"... I have been to both Universals, Disneyworld and honestly... the "special effects" usually aren't all that. Not to mention the insane amount of money it would cost someone to build such a park. I like some effects but coasters are more my thing. (especially after seeing Universal Hollywood which has a great backlot but okay rides... except of course the Jurassic park one, cause I've never been on an enclosed waterfall ride. (The Mummy was okay *sighs* ... it should have been better HOWEVER the effects on that ride were VERY NICE, so this isn't always the case) Though seeing a scaled replica of the death star fighting the enterprise might be interesting. I would like to see that. It would be awesome. It could be "The Greatest Sci-Fi Show Ever: Star Wars VS. Star Trek", it would be epic. It would cost billions to build what I am imagening. Nobody would ever do it. Gosh, I sure can dream though.

Well, I will always love The Racers. I think it's a novel idea to turn the roles of the tracks around, one back and one foward, just on opposite sides. I would say it would be a tall order to get them to change their mind. Even still I'm not sure it is going to happen. I may try to petition them but how many people could I get to sign? Or maybe it's just one of those things that can't be helped. It would take alot of people to get them to do that, if it can happen at all. When they cancelled my favorite anime in Japan about 2,000 people in the US .said they would buy it if they would release one final episode. The petition was sent to TOEI animation studios and it changed nothing. That still wouldn't have been enough to cover production costs and well, it just wasn't working out for them. We can always hope though. I will still ride it because I don't want them to get rid of it. I also plan on becoming a member of ACE soon. It's about time I conquered the coasters at Busch Gardens cause when I went there I was younger and not all that avid about them. (I think I might have rode one, Kumba, but I'm not sure about that) Top Thrill Dragster WAS the tallest and the fastest. I know that King Da broke that record(Six Flags Great Adventure) is taller and faster than TTD. It is 128 MPH and 456 ft tall. *cringes* Wow. That is impressive. This is posted in several places: Coaster Grotto (http://www.coastergrotto.com/) and also About.com (http://themeparks.about.com/) as well as Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_roller_coaster_records) And I'm sure people have posted this on coaster boards plenty.

so if it wasn't for Firehawk you wouldn't be looking forward to opening day? Okay okay, so I would be looking foward to it anyways but duely noted. Just to clairify... I really am looking foward more to Firehawk than anything. I just like it alot. The Beast is always my favorite. I just like wooden and classic coasters better... but I have been on it like 100 times. However, I have only rode on Firehawk twice, so I look foward to riding it a couple more times. And my b-day is on the 24th. I just miss the old days of the smurfs and that big weird tree that told stories. I miss it being hanna-barbera land instead of nick, though I'm not complaining about the improvements. When I bring younger family at least I know they have something to do too. (in fact, way more than I did) Gosh, I just wish I could ride the smurfs one more time, or that HUGE log flume that felt like you were gonna fly out of the water. OH OH! and the Ferris Wheel. Gosh, I really do have alot of memories there.

Actually I have no clue about this matter, obviously other than the fact that it seems pretty set in stone. I LOVED the backward racer and I'm glad I rode it while I could. Here is another weird tid-bit of info. I noticed on the backwards racers something odd the last time I rode it during Halloween Haunt. I got a slight pinch in my shoulder, as did the person riding next to me in the front seat of the backwards train. Maybe it was a technical issue that was corrected by doing this? I believe others have had this same theory, I am aware. I have never had the last bunny hill into the covering right before the station seem rought like that (it was the finally part of the last hill going up before it changes to flat track again), but then agian sometimes I get bruised on The Beast and sometimes I don't. Wooden coasters seem to be tempermental at times. On a positive note, the backwards racers gave me an incredable view of fireworks at closing one night. It was fun in the rain too.

Precisely.

I agree with the above statement. I think that there might be more to it than that. I do think it's worth considering. I have seen some ride operators at some parks who seemed, well... not that involved in their job. At CP and KI, I haven't seen that trend. Everyone seemed pretty involved. A problem with the cable though, that doesn't make sense because how could the ride operators know? I feel like they are missing the REAL issue here. What in the you know what happened to the cable? How often was it inspected? When are they going to release the rest of the intel and let us know if it was a freak accident or neglect? I guess time and a pending law suit (is it still? sorry, I'm sure this is somewhere here but geez this topic has a LOT of posts) will tell. I think SFKK has been on the decline for about 9 or 10 years. And it's not like they have room to expand much either.

I personally DO NOT like the safety record of the park for one. I'm sure alot of people are uneasy about it but there are still those who like it. For two, I have seen more techincal problems and people stuck in loops of rides there than at any park in my whole entire life. What reason do I have to believe it got better since I went there, after all a few years later someone gets their ankles cut off. Albiet I don't think the public knows for sure if it was a freak accident or what. I certainly don't want to question it that much. Especially if the public doesn't know. At least I know what happened on SOB. I have been visiting theme parks for 22 years. Not just KK. Everyone is entitled to their opinion aren't they? Why can't we agree to disagree? I would def. go to other six flags parks, but not KK. Not in a million years. I saw first hand how well the maintence at that park was and it isn't enough for my liking. I am aware people have got hurt at KI too, but irregardless, I have experienced less announcements about tech difficulties and safety issues from KI than KK. I hope you can understand that I don't feel like being injured and I'm going to take what I think to at least be a SAFER path. Of course it always comes with a risk. (some of the stuff at KI was from people being stupid or freak accidents, but AT LEAST, there is some understanding of what happened) I personally, try to be aware of the risk, just like with skydiving and para-sailing (God, that is sooo fun!). So I choose para-sailing cause at least I can fall potentionally into the ocean instead of the ground. Before you flame me at least consider that I have legitimate reasoning for my feelings. Maybe the park has gotten better but I wasn't impressed then and I'm not really impressed now. BTW, I generally ignore flames. On the other hand, feeling like I was really flying might be nice. Maybe when I've done more with my life I'll feel like risking it skydiving. Sorry, that's way off topic. I MIGHT go there for a mouse coaster, just because.. well read my sig.

Ok, so... here is what I'm hoping for. For the blue ice cream to NOT taste like crap, maybe it was just me but it didn't taste right. You have no idea how much I LOVE that stuff. If it weren't for that, no matter how great their rides were, I don't honestly know if I'd go. After all, I'm trying to expand my coaster experiences to other parks, perhaps soon in other countries as well. (Japan and Canada... but that may be a while on the Japan part) I hope that "Halloween Haunt" which is actually the "diet Coke of evil" (sorry for borrowing this media director type person) and made fearfest into some kiddie show. I guess because too many people were brining their kids?? I dunno. Their wasn't the enthusiatic attitude from preformers like when I went to fearfest and the gore, well, wasn't gory enough. (though even I prefer a limit to the gore) I went through quite a few of the haunted houses too. Maybe I just went to the wrong ones. (though I went to most of them) I will ask for ultra gory this year. Sometimes I like getting scared. (isn't that the point of a haunted house??) No offense to anyone who worked there, I had a great time and some of the people did a good job. The magic, it just, wasn't there. I got the bejesus scared outta me at fearfest. I was really scared. I especially liked the haunted house with the animatronic body (in the big barn by Flight of Fear) that popped out and the optional crawl space in the haunted house by The Racers. Hopefully they can improve some stuff this year. I'm and being patient with them keeping in mind too that they just recently bought all these parks and goodness that is a TALL order for any one company, regardless of how many millions you have. I think we could look foward to a new coaster by 2009, but I will have to see for myself. I agree with anyone who said anything to the extent of: LOOK FOR LARGE FENCES WITH BIG SIGNS ON THEM WHEN YOU GO THERE. This is what they have always done as Paramount and it's what they had been doing at CP from my understanding. (Of course Cedar Point had a bigger challenge being in the middle of Lake Erie (where you can see lots from a boat ) and some of their rides are friggin' huge. I don't see how they hid some of them. = P Then there is this rumor about no backward racer. I really hope that isn't true either, that's another of my favorite things to do there. That would be like the tearing down The Beast... probably not too smart. I know a TON of people who love to ride it backward and I'm sure if enough get together we could convince them otherwise. (Especially regulars and pass holders, after all I'm quite sure without us there is great finacial loss... I believe they want us all to be happy, it's just alot of different suggestions to listen to, so I imagen they have to go with what will OVERALL make the best change) HOWEVER, we have to be patient no doubt as many of you have said. If we give feedback someone will hear about it sooner or later. Even if they don't take our advice we can at least know we did something and let them know we want our money's worth. Believe me though with the addition of Firehawk, I'll def. be there this year. Ah, and the service I got while I was there, that is in the food booths, maybe work on that a little too. (during "Halloween Haunt" it wasn't so well, the other time I visited, it was really good) Sorry if that's alot. I don't mean to seem mean or condensending. I have been to MANY amusement parks in the US from east coast to west coast. (my list is getting bigger slowly but surely) Some of them I didn't ride any roller coasters at so if you look on my profile, please by all means ask me about other parks or types of rides. Hope to see a new coaster in 09' *let us hope!*

Argh... actually everyone I know that goes there loves the backward racers... especially me so much for my 22nd year at the park and my like bazillionth ride on The Racers... I really hope they change their minds.

Everyone is looking foward to opening day... well almost everyone. I know I am. (Thanks to Firehawk) I'm considering planning a b-day trip on opening day. I have heard many of the rumors circulating, but I will always remain skeptical to them until I confirm with my own eyes or from a press release or some such. I've always waited patiently for new attractions and considering Cedar Point just took the park over, I think they will be looking to improve and no doubt, EVENTUALLY expand. If they don't, they would stop making money. You can't just expect people to build a coaster over-night or to listen to you if you nag and argue with each other. For those more constructive types I have written this post... I have a birthday comming up... but besides that it is my 22nd year of visiting the park. (since I was 2) Sometimes I visit once, sometimes two or three times. Sometimes more. Sometimes I get a season pass. It depends how happy I am after my initial visit. (Probably a bunch this season cause I really like Firehawk) I have been to Cedar Point and I must say their staff is really good. (During FearFeast last year, I was not very impressed with the hanuted houses and even less so with the service I got... something I still haven't complained about due to the park being bought out. I know these things take time, but cut me a little slack for being disappointed.) I imagen you can see improvements (of some kind) in 2008 and I wouldn't be surprised to hear them announce something near the end of this season. But for now, what do I do about my birthday. I want to do something special but they don't seem to be offering much yet. (I could get a large group to come up there, but then again... why would I go through all that trouble if it's just a normal trip?) I want to do something that will make my birthday, out of the ordinary. I know it shouldn't be too busy, possibly being cold, on a sunday and not open late. However, I may change the date so there is more to do at the park. The show line-up doesn't seem to be changing much (as of now) and I'm hoping that changes. Also when Paramount had the park they didn't start showing anything until later in the season. So, lots to consider. What I'd really like is something. Something that would make this trip stick out. If I don't find it soon, I guess I'll just go out on my birthday like I normally do, but certainly there is something that they have for such occassions. (even though the people there said there wasn't) There is a restaraunt near the hotel I'm thinking of staying at. I could just have cake and such there after my day at the park. Also, I might wait until the following weekend and go two days. I just dunno. I don't like people to be unresponsive. Especially because I have no particular reason to be hyped about going this year. Not many new things. I figure the least they could offer is something that I can purchase, a package or tour... something. Any ideas? Jeez, I didn't think it'd be that hard to find such information. *sighs* back to the drawing board for now.