silver2005

Pretty sure you're preaching to the choir on this one, considering what website this is.

As for actual advice, KK is kind of set up to do whatever at you leisure. I spend time wondering around and riding whatever I felt like and still got a lot done including hitting the 4 main coasters multiple times (sans T3, not that great a coaster IMO). Just try not to traverse the bridge too much. Lots of climbing involved, though, there is a crosswalk below it. Also be forewarned- the water park side of the park makes no sense from a logical path point of view.

The blimp has been around KI, but I think it was during the time of year when the tennis tournament is going on across I-71, not necessarily for KI, but you could at least see it from the park.

Or you could do what I did and pull in at a random gate and drive the big circle around the expo center.

Duke is apparently fixing it already. http://local12.com/news/local/problem-that-caused-ride-shutdowns-at-kings-island-reportedly-identified-fixed

I'm going to the other 3, just not this one. Got my fill of Banshee ERT on its opening year.

I've had the fortune of never being evac'ed. silver2005, furiously knocking on wood.

BTW Beast was down for the first hour after the park opened. It's been a weird day for ride operations.

Did the park decide to stop working after I left? As for the slow ride ops at nearly every ride, I caught on that a lot were new trainees, hence the slow day despite the school group apocalypse.

Just relaxing by the fountain until 3:45, leaving for Newport then.

Drop Tower is stuck with riders about 200 ft up.

Just to give you guys an idea of how many school groups are here, the entire lot made for buses is filled with buses for the school groups. It feels like a slightly less busy Sunday. Starting to feel a bit jealous of malem and pianoman, though I get Dixie Chili and an awesome movie later.

I don't think it was ever open so far today.

Food lines are atrocious. CM Skyline is past Scrambler, Juke Box and RT LaRosa's are blocking the midway. Come on Kings Island!

There's a big difference between the lines on rides. Vortex, Bat and Racer are short, more popular rides are quite longer.

^But there are more school groups than what normally show up.

There are a lot of school groups here making lines longer. Banshee, Beast, DB and Timbers with 20-30 minute waits.

This Mother's Day at KI, AKA- malem's worst nightmare.

^My (obviously) failed nickname for Mystic Timbers. Sigh....

Probably Beast, Diamondback, Banshee, Mr T, Delirium and Drop Tower.

May weekdays are probably some of the slowest days at the park in terms of crowds.

Iron Dragon also has a much cooler station (much like most of CP's coasters) plus the 3D logo adorning the front cars are a nice touch.

^But not only are they adding a loop to it, they're increasing the launch speed. Other than the G forces that might be a bit on the high side, its a bit of an improvement from a certain point of view. Rarely do launch coasters get to have their launch speed increase.

I found something where I couldn't really place this nicely, so I decided this would be a good opportunity to try and get an international park thread going (however brief and however many times we'll need to blow the dust off it). Anyways, a park in Japan known as Fuji-Q Highland has a coaster known as Dodonpa. It is essentially a perfected design from what KD's defunct Hypersonic XLC achieved- using the compressed air that S&S Power uses in its launch towers on a coaster. While Hypersonic had a short lifespan, Dodonpa has enjoyed a longer run. It is among the fastest coasters in the world topping at 106 mph, getting there in under 2 seconds making it the fastest accelerating coaster in the world and (previously) 5th in the speed category. Here's what the layout used to be like for reference to what is going on with it. So Fuji-Q decided it needed an update, so they're taking out that 170 ft vertical hill and replacing it with a 160 ft loop. Furthermore, they're bumping up the speed to 111 mph. This to me sounds like a bad idea in terms of G-forces unless they put plenty of trims before the loop. It does look like it'll be a rather long circumference which might help lessen the G-forces, but even 2-3 G's sustained for a while can cause problems. It does have a bit of track prior to the loop, and though it will not take the loop at 111 mph, it'll still be doing at least 90 mph methinks. Photo taken from Reddit.

This is for information regarding toll roads, construction, and driving through certain cities. I'm aware of how to avoid the Ohio Turnpike, but Google Maps is giving me 3 options to get to Muskegon, one up I-75 to I-96 and skirting Detroit, another I-75 option is cruising through South Bend, IN and Kalamazoo, MI via I-496 and I- 69, and one up I-70 to US-31 through Indianapolis. I'm assuming Google Maps is keeping me off of toll roads since when I punched in directions from Muskegon to Sandusky, it kept me off the turnpike. Anybody with Michigan and/or Indiana travel advice? At this point, that 2nd option I listed looks to be the best considering it lets me avoid both Indianapolis and Detroit. I've been to Detroit several times, but each time was up I-75 so I'm somewhat more familiar with that route. I am flexible in changing my mind though. EDIT: Found out that all 3 of the routes have 0 toll roads.