silver2005

What's your point?

To be honest, I really don't want a giga at Kings Island. I am one who likes variety of rides in an amusement park. Regardless of how it may play out in marketing a giga, that type of ride (Intamin or B&M) does too much of what Diamondback already does, mainly having tall hills, air time, and high speeds. I want something different and unique. There are plenty of other coaster types that would compliment KI's collection far better than what a giga would in my opinion. And really, you can't complain about Kings Island having 'small rides'. Just see Alton Towers' troubles in building high, but yet, they still churn out blockbuster rides each time they make some noise. Not everything has to be the biggest and fastest. Most legitimate polls will show you some of the best coasters aren't the biggest.

I think this was originally intended to have the new Timberliner trains but was changed to the PTC's at the last minute. That said, that change may make this thing unridable in coming years. Some of those angles and transitions were definitely made with the Timberliners in mind, especially the high-5 element. While it looks like a great ride, I don't have high hopes for its long term future.

Wasn't a Luminosity type show in the plans originally with Action Zone, but MTV related when Paramount was still around? I think its great to see that concept brought back, hopefully with some perminancy this time. It'd be great to see some more traffic back there. Aside from people in the lines, Action Zone seems so dead.

A few loose bolts on any structure/ machine sounds dramatic, but is not that unusual due to the constant vibration. SoB had SEVERE vibration that not only caused loose bolts, but numerous issues, including contributing to the support failure that resulted in guest injuries.It should be understood- loose bolts will not cause a structure to sway. They are engineered to sway. If there was no "give" in a structure, it would fall down like a house of cards. Even the Empire State building "gives" about 1.5 inches. The antenna on top of the CN Tower will sway 3.5'. I was referring to the fact that the over-swaying of the structure was the cause of the loose bolts. I realized coaster structures need to sway, but no coaster should sway enough to cause the ride to literally come apart. There has to be SOME sort of standard which SOB obviously didn't follow. One thing I was told on The Beast tour from Don was the reason structures like Texas Giant, Mean Streak and SOB become rough. Those curves taken at altitudes topping 100 ft are things a wooden structure isn't made to really withstand long term. There's tremendous forces from a multi-ton train going at 60+ mph on curves that high. Its something John Allen believed in his design techniques. Notice on his rides, high curves are taken at slower speeds. Also, the 2nd tallest hills on his ride have small curves that bleed momentum leading up to them, also to reduce stress on the higher structures (like the humps you see on Racer). Look at how Voyage has needed all that re-tracking these past few years, and its less than 10 years old (not that its a bad ride, just that the structures might be flawed a tad with high altitude curves taken at high speeds). Simply put, wood coasters aren't made to do things steel coasters can do when it comes to curved drops or ascensions. GCI's seem to get away from it as most are only 100 ft tall or so, or have structures that don't go beyond those heights. I would even guess the Intamin pre-fab woodies like El Toro with the high curves it has might suffer eventually, though we have yet to see that since most still ride very well currently (I haven't heard anyone having a bad ride on one lately). Add in the fact that RCCA' structures seem like they were randomly piling wood and the corner cutting Paramount did, and you get the disaster that was Son of Beast.

Didn't a forensics investigator (Rick Schmizze) who looked over the ride after the 2006 incident find loose bolts he could unscrew by hand? I would think that would be a clear sign it swayed too much.

It may be part of the Greater Cinicinnati area, but its not in the city limits.

Uh...Mason is in Warren County, Cincinnati is in Hamilton county. Cincinnati and Mason have little to do with each other. I'm pretty sure Kings Island's mailing address says Mason, not Cincinnati. I for one am hoping for more of an extension of Action Zone out of this. I think there is too much land there just to simply use it for one single ride. A whole new area seems more fitting, maybe with a coaster to anchor it like we saw when Action Zone first came to be with introducing Invertigo and Drop Tower to what was Adventure Village. I mean SOB took up what, 15-20 acres? I know its a bit hilly back there, but I'm sure Kings Island could make it work somehow.

Now I wouldn't say exact, 'cause Nighthawk at Carowinds has corkscrews instead of barrel rolls at the end! But all B & M flying coasters have pretzel loops. All B & M flyers have a curved drop. All flyers have in-line twists, etc. You probably haven't seen this then.

Dixie Chili by a mile. I always head up Monmoth Street in Newport whenever I'm going to a movie on the Levee or a Reds game.

Inside the park- The International Street LaRosa's and Skyline (I love eating on International Street in general), Outer Hanks, Feasthaus only when its blistering hot, and Potato Works. Outside the park- Skyline and Arby's

The train choice kind of makes you wonder if there were any other trains being considered for the 2006/2007 rehab. What if Myrtle Beach Pavillion didn't close that year? Was it just out of coincidence that the current G-trains were chosen?

Did part of the renaming process Cedar Fair had to do in getting rid of Paramount/Viacom brands include the water park? Wasn't Boomerang Bay inspired by the Crocodile Dundee movies (which Paramount created)? I realize there aren't exactly direct links to the movies in the water park, just a thought.

I definitely like this move. Its a well deserved expansion of the water park and it shows that Kings Island and Cedar Fair are still interested in developing it. I definitely think we'll see more slides at some point in the future, just not all at once.

I got my gold pass last year for less than $50 during P&G Dividend Day last year (2010, my dad works for P&G and I go about every year for that event). They were about as low the year before.

Its definitely a lift. You can barely make out the lift feed on the track in the rendering, and there is a catwalk to go along with it.

I went to Kings Island last Thursday. There is something in this later that I want to bring up, as there was one bad spot in my trip. Anyways, I went for an all day trip, starting at about 11:30. I started by heading over to Vortex for a few rides to start my trip, as this was my first trip after it opened after the chain fiasco. Rode twice near the back and once in the front. I did read here and take the advice to try the 5th and 6th cars, and of course, was blown away at how much better they are. The 5th car is pretty comfortable, but the 6th is equally as good with some better forces in spots. In the front, I don't know if any of you noticed, but the new chain's color matches the violet-blue of the track. Kind of weird. I then went back towards the front, riding Blue Racer near the front. I don't know what it is about it, but I seem to like it better and even feel like it rides better at the beginning of the day. I always seem to hit it early on most of my trips. That done, I headed into Action Zone. I skipped Adventure Express for the line was almost out to the midway (a bit long for my tastes), Delirium had a big line, and Drop Tower and Invertigo were down, so there weren't a lot of options. So I went for Flight Deck. This wait kind of surprised me. Usually, for the days I've been to KI earlier in the season on weekdays, FD's line was short, at least not quite to where it was Thursday, which was about halfway between the station and SOB's old switchback queue. After that long wait, I got a bit warm, so I went for a nice refresher at Congo Falls. It was definitely cooler that day than most, but it still feels great, especially not having the waits WWC often gets. After that, I ate at Stunt Crew Grill. I walked it off heading back towards the end of Coney Mall. I usually carry some things I need with me, so I had to rent a locker for the next bit (I have some medical issues which I have necessity items a bag). What I usually do is use a locker for WindSeeker, Firehawk and Flight of Fear at the same time. I for one like WindSeeker. I don't pay attention to the hype KI had for it and just ride it for what it is. Now came the short little bad part of the day. I went from there to X-base to ride Firehawk. I got in the line, which extended just outside the small building prior to the main queue switchbacks. As I got to the building, this woman came out of nowhere and just started to jam her way into the line (line jumping). She did so past at least 4-5 employees (it looked like a shift change or something). I remarked this to the guy working the head of the line (the guy with the stick measuring smaller people), and he gave me a rather surprising and disturbing response. He actually defended the line cutter, giving her the excuse of what the rules state not to do, like to go out for drinks, bathroom, food, etc. I followed by stating the actual rule stated on the park map, but then he really ticked me off, saying that 'he made the rules' and even threatened to have me ejected for 'annoying him'. He even refused to let me talk to a supervisor. I realize employees can't catch every line jumper, but its really bad when they miss them in plain sight. A few visits back, I reported an incident to the crew at Invertigo. They only really told the people cutting not to do it and didn't even send them to the back of the line. They even said it was a myth that you could be ejected. Is it just me, or is it more of a problem this year than most? Maybe I'm just seeing more? Still kind of bothersome. I did report the staff to Guest Relations, and even wrote to KI and got a nice response back. Hopefully it sticks. Anyways, after Firehawk I did Flight of Fear in the front. BTW, they don't really assign seats on Flight of Fear, at least when I was there (or Beast for that matter). They just ask you to pick an empty seat as the next cycle loads. I for one wasn't too bothered by the fast passers either. I found a few lines more efficient as a matter of fact (Beast's especially, loving not having the crowded stations). I do hate that Flight of Fear comes to a complete stop on the MCBR, especially on the front cars with that weird hang time. Does anyone know why they made it do that and does KD's do the same thing? After FoF, I got my stuff and headed into Rivertown. Did Beast first in the second seat. Afterwards, I did Diamondback in the second seat as well. Both turned out great. While in the area, I did take the opportunity to ride Woodstock Express as well. I wanted to ride it for some nice nostalgia, but it kind of surprised me. I haven't ridden it since it was still named Beastie, but for what it is, its rather fun. I rode it near the back, and the drops had some nice pops of air. It also made everything else seem huge in comparison, which was kind of nice. I went back to Action Zone to finish up riding things there. Rode Invertigo, Drop Tower, Congo Falls a 2nd time, and Delirium in pretty quick succession. Delirium's line was about cut in half to what it was earlier in my visit. Also took the time to hit up Adventure Express as it was reduced to a walk on. By that time, it was about 8 pm, so I decided to do head back up to the back. I always try to catch Beast at night, and with 2 hours to spare, I killed time with a few other rides. Rode Racer and Vortex again, and by the time I got to Diamondback, it was pretty dark. I rode it for the first time at night. I have to say, its really thrilling at night. At the top of the first hill, its like this big black void where all the track should be, which kind of made me loose some prediction as to guessing drop sizes and things. It felt way faster paced and unpredictable as well. I also love how lively the queue and station are at night. Its really festive! So, I finished up riding Beast in the 2nd seat at night. Overall, aside from the thing at Firehawk, I had a pretty decent day. It'll probably be my last for a while, though UC Football is going later this month, and I'm in the UC band which we usually do a gig for that. My dad also works for P&G so I'll be going on P&G Dividend Day. Not sure about a Haunt visit as UC football wears you out if you're in the marching band. I haven't done it in a while, so I may try hard to go back.

I guess I should explain a little bit about myself in relation to how I go about park visits now. Also, please keep on topic, I could use some heads up info on things like what kinds of waits to expect, some good tips as to how I should plan my day, etc. I don't want all your gripes messing with what I want out of this trip. I like to take in everything parks have to offer. Whether it be the rides, shows, food, atmosphere, staff, etc., I like to soak it all in because I'm about experiencing parks as a whole. I've been to Kings Island, Cedar Point, Kings Dominion, Hersheypark, Dollywood, Six Flags Great Adventure, WDW Magic Kingdom and EPCOT, and Universal Studios Florida, of which, Dollywood is my favorite as a whole in relation to my tastes and expectations. I appreciate everything in what parks offer for entertainment and how they present it. I wouldn't count out spending 2 days at Holiday World, mainly because I want to soak up all of what both the dry park and the water park have to offer. Part of why I do that is due to the fact I could very well not be riding coasters at all, or heck even be here due to a few past circumstances (which I would like to keep to myself, at least not through posting, I'm ok with explaining it through PM or whatnot, I would like to get to know some members of this site as I live in the Cincinnati area). That experience kind of changed how I look at parks and rides as well as being knowledgeable though working for another site and the research on things I've had to do for news, blogs and such. I just wanted to give you guys a heads up on my tastes, expectations, and such when it comes to parks. Hopefully, this will give you guys an idea on gearing suggestions to fit how I'm planning this trip. Thanks for those who've given suggestions so far! BTW, I'm still up in the air about making it 1 or 2 days. Most of that decision stems from other things going on.

Ok, I need some help in planning for a park trip. I'm trying to fit in a Holiday World trip this summer, but one thing has me pondering a lot, and that is whether to make it a 1 day or 2 day trip. I am interested in hitting the water park, but I need to know if I can hit that and do a lot on the dry park as well. I'd also like to know other things to check out there besides the three woodies. What other attractions are worth doing and can I fit that, the water park and the 3 woodies in 1 visit? The decision from 1 and 2 days also affects my travel plans, for if I go 2 days, I will plan to stay near Santa Claus for a night and come back to Cincy after day 2. I could really use help in figuring this out, for I'm finding myself busy this summer and I need to see when I can go if 2 days is what I ultimately decide to do. Any help would be appreciated.

I'm guessing you guys haven't seen this video yet on what high winds will do... Skip to about 1:30 or so.

May I ask why are there half a dozen WindSeeker topics? Its kind of hard to keep track of any discussion when there are so many branches from the main topic.

I didn't really get a lot of bugs on either Tuesday or Wednesday when I rode it. I was more worried about pulling a Fabio and getting a seagull to the face.

It does close a lot for high winds as well.

I would like to share some first hand experiences I had as I got on WindSeeker the night it opened. It probably opened at about 7 pm as that's when the call went out around the park and the ride operators relayed it to guests. I was in line for Dragster at the time, so the line was extending past Wicked Twister at by the time I got around to it. I had about a 1.5 hour wait, plus a breakdown, but all they did was run a cycle without riders. Don't know what it was, but it got back up and running none-the-less. The lights look excellent at night, though they kind of get trippy if you look at them for too long. Its almost mesmerizing when you're that close to the lights. I don't know if the other 3 will have this, but CP does have a speaker with music playing attached to the ride carriage, which actually works rather well. As for the ride itself, its rather enjoyable. Its comparable to Zephyr or a typical swings ride in terms of the forces you feel. With Cedar Point's, its great being seemingly swung over the lake, which is a much improved view in the day. I felt that the thrill comes from the actual altitude as well as being hoisted up there so quickly. Its kind of a weird feeling looking down, plus its nice having nothing but a lapbar, making for a bit of a feeling of a lack of ride car, also kind of neat at 300 ft. As for re-ride-ability, I probably wouldn't wait for it unless it looked short, kind of like Crypt. Even if the queue switchbacks are full, it does chew through lines pretty well for what it is. Watching it in action kind of helps pass the time. All in all, I'm really glad Cedar Fair went with adding them.

There are apparently grey pieces at the plant in Batavia that are alleged to be for Thorpe Park's B&M wing walker (similar to Raptor at Gardaland), and I do recall Krake (the new dive machine at Heide Park) was made in Batavia as well. Heck, Hair Raiser (that yellow B&M floorless at Ocean Park in Hong Kong) was made there as well.