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Diamondback 1st-a few times if possible. You gotta have that wake you up. Then The Beast (front seat) BLSC Firehawk Racer Drop Tower (as much as you can-given the line) SOB *REPEAT*

...or something like this? Man-that looks intense. I'd think I'd have to start out with a standard 4D before getting on one of those things!

True-but I'd hope they'd preserve the main entrance. The feeling of walking onto IS 1st thing in the morning is always the best...as much now as when I was a kid

I'd love to see a few things-some realistic, some not so much: -The addition of a Stratacoaster like TTD in Action Zone -A return to a more German theme for Octoberfest and the Festhaus -A 'haunted' indoor ride -Something to populate the far end of Coney Mall -A bobsled coaster that goes through the woods -A 4D coaster like 'X' (this would be nuts!) -More shade/trees in Rivertown

Not sure what CP's SkyHawk is called or who makes it...but I'd love to have one of those, and it would fit in that area.

BLSC was more intense than I thought it'd be...not 'worth waiting for three hours intense', but still intense, and fun. It would have fit much better down by Drop Tower though.

Yeah, I saw groups using that line too...but really, if you are able to get on quicker because you don't care who you sit with-then what difference does it make?

That is tough. I'm a coaster freak, but cannot do anything that spins. I've never ridden the monster, and even shake rattle 'n roll is a little borderline. The Scooby ride and the 3D theater are good options-as well as the water rides. It would be nice if they had a ferris wheel or the sky ride (that would be scenic, fun, and practical for transportation).

Got there for the ERT today and went right to DB (worth the trip this past week to get our passes). As my wife and I aproached through Nick-it was amazing how different Rivertown looks. DB dominates the whole landscape now, to the point where it's a litle hard to remember where you are and what was where. I hope that they introduce a little more shade to the area between Nick and DB. I'm sure it was necessary to accomodate the DB, but I really liked the shade and secluded feel back there with the ivy tunnel. The old log flume especially just seems so out in the open now. Hopefully there will be more trees that will grow in to fit with the Rivertown theme. Had to wait less than 5 minutes for our 1st ride. Barely time to check out the splashdown area-which looks just awesome right in the middle there. Loved how the the seats leave your feet dangling and the clamshell is the only restraint. The ride to the top offered a great view of The Vortex. The first three hills truly give the feeling of being shot out of a cannon. It seems like the train lifts off the track and you're thrown out of your seat. The 3rd hill especially seems very steep. The banked sections slammed us into our seats. The 'bunny hills' coming back looked to have the paint wearing out already! The final helix and splashdown are great how close you are to the main drag. Can't tell what parts of the train touch the water, because we got a little spray, even hough we were in the middle of the train. Overall, this is a fantastic coaster, unlike anything that KI's ever seen. Though very different from the MF, it still gave a lot of the same sensations. For our 2nd ride, we were able to get the very back seat, and that was great. Intense airtime and I loved getting whipped over the top of the 1st hill. If there was anything at all that I could complain about, it would be nice if it hugged the terrain back there a little more. Though in the woods-the landscape is a virtual non-feature. I can't complain though..especially the capacity. The line, when we rode later, as very swift. This coaster really ups the thrill factor for the whole park. The quick addition of this and Firehawk is awesome. Thanks CF!

Part of the thrill is feeling unsafe when you are in fact safe. I trust the engineers, and part of the engineering is to manufacture the feeling that you're 'hanging out there'. One reason why I love TTD and MF-no shoulder bars. I imagine that DB feels somewhat the same with clamshells and dangling feet (I'll know for sure on Sunday!).

My understanding is that they're 'brand names' of the respective designers...Not an objective classification. They do seem to both be big, fast, metal, non-looping coasters. With the 'clamshell' restraints...and the focus on negative Gs, I'm sure DB will not dissapoint...especially since it's in my backyard!

I apologize if this has been discussed...but the closest comparison to the DB is the MF in my experience. For those who have ridden a Hyper-how does it compare to the MF? The DB's 1st hill will be a shorter drop, but it seems that it will have more up and down motion-as opposed to the MF that has that big banking turn right after the 1st hill. I'm just curious. Can't wait either...got a Platinum pass for Christmas...few more weeks!

The EV was very amazing. As a kid it was a little scary at times, but incredibly cool. I'd like to see some more pics of that ride...My folks and I always looked forward to the snail at the end. I giant TV, that sucked you in with mushrooms growing all around it...no wonder I turned out like this!

What makes MF and TTD great is the fact that since you don't go upside down, you have only a lap restraint. This will also be the case on DB, which will make it awesome. I have felt like I'm going to fall out while going up the hill on MF, and I'm sure DB will create the same sensation...I'm curious to see how long it will take to reach the top. I expect it to be fast and smooth with lots of negative Gs...I really couldn't ask for more. My biggest selling point to people who won't ride a given ride is, "Look at all those people getting off the ride...don't they look happy?!" Most often, this is the case.

I suppose a lot of it is personal preference-and individual experiences. For me-the movie themes were unecessary and gaudy. An amusement park (IMO) is a real-life place that should have an identity of its own-not have movie themes forced upon it. I also did not care for the very limited beer policy, and all of those annoying TVs. Being an adreneline junkie, I'd wait every year for a big thrill ride, and was usually dissapointed. FoF and SoB were quality additions-but still not of the order of several CP coasters. Plus, I always thought it silly to install another big wooden coaster, when you already have THE BEST wooden coaster ever (maybe a little biased) on the premises. I'll admit that DZ is amazing. But most of the additions seemed to be kid/family oriented, and neglect the thrill seekers. I always felt that their emphasis was on kid stuff and movie advertising, as opposed to providing thrills. This seemed a shame given the physical size of the park and the potential that comes with size. In the short time that CF has been in charge, they've installed a flying coaster, and are building a hyper...now that's more like it! As mentioned, the place feels much more like the KI I knew growing up. If they keep up the pace of installing great coasters, KI will reach the point where the lines are never too long because there are so many great rides. I'm sure my view would be a bit different if I were a SP holder or an employee...but that's just the view of one coaster fan who was turned off by PKI-and is ecstatic that CF is in charge. KI is a big, beautiful place, and it has enough room for families, kids, and adreneline junkies.

My last trip before yesterday had been 3 years ago, and severely soured my taste for the park. The years of lameness, product placement, and lousy ride additions that Paramount brought to KI came to a head that Memorial Day 2005. It centered around the new Italian Job ride. Basicly it was having trouble running-just like any new ride, but to make matters worse, you had to have a special ride ticket just to stand in line-and they only gave out a certain amount of them each day. We got different stories from the staff every time we tried to ride it, and it just got old. We left early and frustrated. Since then, my wife and I had been to CP a few times and were convinced that they had it all over KI....but yesterday's experience gave me a brand new sense of optimism about the park where I practically grew up, and have many great memories of. First off, I never liked the movie themes, so that was not missed. I also liked the re-introduction of actual music throughout the park. Here are a few other great highlights/observations from yesterday: Lines: There basicly were none. Kids going back to school goes a long way. We had to wait 3 or 4 cars for the front seat of The Beast-and 2 minutes (maybe) to get on Firehawk. Firehawk: 1st thing we rode. This thing was wild. Totally different than anything I've ever ridden. You really feel like you're going to fly out of that thing! The second time we rode it I left my hands free and that made it a lot smoother. Beast: There really is nothing like the front seat of this coaster. Bracing yourself around turns and holding on tighter at times makes it really feel like your are 'riding a Beast'. It is a true classic...I've ridden it since I was a kid and it still just as great. Xtreme Skyflyer: Thanks for the tip on the $5 ticket! I'd never pay a boatload for an extra attraction like this, but totally worth $5. I did it solo cuz the wife was chicken. It was very exhilirating and I honestly could do that all day. Boomerang Bay: I hadn't been to the waterpark since the days of MTV's Grind on Friday nights. The $8 locker was a little steep, but worth the peace of mind. The park itself was great. We really loved the Koolangatta Racer with the foam sleds and the holes in the tube that let the light in. They made a very neat effect of speed. Really unique. The funnel slide was also very cool and different. Unfortunately, the snow river rapids was closed, but I imagine they've got some slim staffing nowadays. Back Lot Stunt Coaster: It was great to finally ride this-even though it was closed for much of the morning. We got the front seat, and nearly blacked out on that first launch up the mini-helix. Wasn't expecting such a rush so quick! The rest of it was pretty cool too-especially the portion in total darkness. I felt-like another rider-that it was definitely 'better than I thought it would be'. Delirium: This was fun, but also made me a little woozy. I rode the one at CP with no ill-effects, so who knows what the deal was. It felt like it could have ended a little sooner and I would have been fine. Oktoberfest: I'd really like to see more emphasis on the Oktoberfest theme. The Festhaus used to have a much more German feel-and now they do country shows there? Just a few more quaint, secluded places to chill and drink beer-a few more girls in Bavarian dresses, and a German band and some sauerkraut and sausage and we'd be good to go! Yesterday reminded me though-what a pretty place KI is. We really didn't mind criss-crossing the park all day, because the walks are very pleasant. While CP has the coasters, they will never have the real estate to be such a beautiful place like KI. There are just so many neat 'nooks and crannies' and nice shady places to rest or people-watch. Not to mention the overall ambiance of certain pasrts, especially Int. St. and the fountains...I'd forgotten about the Don Quixote bust on one of the storefronts...just too cool. Overall, it was a great visit and a great day. It made me very happy to see that my 'happy place' as a kid is now in good hands and will continue to grow and appeal to 'children' of all ages...the Diamonback construction loomed large as well-and made me very happy that I live a mere half hour from the park! Thanks again for all the help!

It was a bad decision when Paramount added all those TVs in the lines...and got rid of the Icee both in The Beast line. The distance from the Icee both to the train gates was just enough time to down a cherry smash before riding. Over-priced soda and commercials on the million TVs was depressing after I'd spent a childhood with Icees and rocking tunes to help ease the wait to ride The Beast.

The wife and I are making our 1st visit back to KI in a few years and wanted to get some tips from you guys so as to make the trip as good as posssible. I'm new to this site, and it has been great reading everything-especially the history Here goes: -We plan to get there at opening and ride Firehawk. It's right by FoF right? So I'm thinking the most direct way way to get there from the main gate is past the carousel? (we won't run-promise!) -Is back lot stunt track worth riding? -How much $$ are extreme sky-flyer and slingshot? Is one way better than the other? -We want to do the waterpark. Is there anything over there that is a 'must-ride'? Thanks for the help!

I always liked the Keelboat Canal and the Log Flume, not because you got wet, but because it's a unique feeling. Floating down a flume, through the woods is very much in line with the Rivertown theme. It would be cool if they made a longer, more intense flume ride that went through the woods but did not leave you drenched. A launch coaster like TTD would be amazing as well, but the ultimate would be a 4th dimension coaster like X. Anything that utilizes the terrain though is a definite plus. I'm not sure if the property borders the river, but to utilize the river would be great. I doubt if it would be possible, but the ultimate 'haunted' ride or coaster would have to use the old munitions factory. My uncle used to live in Kings Mills, and that place always creeped me out as a child...the fact that it was abandoned and in the woods, along with the architecture made it really spookey.

The SOB is fun, but rough-you really need to have room to move around so that you can brace yourself and shift your body. I only need this one once a day. The Vortex seems rougher than it used to be, but it is definitely a classic.

I'd imagine that it creates a pretty cool sensation in that it'll seem like you're heading right into the water, when you 'spalsh down' you hear the water splashing..yet you don't get wet.

If you're into car racing, I'd compare the Millenium Force to NASCAR, and Maverick to Formula 1. The MF is very fast, smooth, lots of airtime-and the main movement is up and down-with big banking turns. The Maverick is also fast-and pretty smooth, but much more twists and turns, and inversions crazy acceleration and you feel like your contantly changing directions in 3 dimensions. I love them both, but the Diamondback will be much more like MF. This is really what KI needed. I wrote them a manifesto of sorts a while back after a stinker of a visit (in the PKI days)...the main point was that they have the real estate and need to use it...primarily by putting in a long, fast, steel coaster that goes through the woods. It took the park changing hands-but I feel like my plea has been answered!