jandyb79

All I'm saying is summer heat, intense body perspiration and a cramped area makes for some discomfort. It's been a long time since riding this, but I'm sure once the ride got going it cooled down or maybe my body heat is higher than most. Of course, you ask anyone what their opinion is on anything and you will get several different answers and varying opinions...

I agree. My mom always wanted to ride the monorail when we'd visit the park and my memories of it are how cramp and humid it was inside. We have several pics in our family photo album of the animals and plants...very few of the rest of the park, however I think there is a charm to vintage/defunct rides that kinda makes those who had never ridden them believe them to have been much more wonderful than they actually were...that is not to say that monorail was not a great ride - it was, just that it wasn't as wonderful as one might believe. Just to prove my point, I never rode Scoobys Ghoster Coaster, but thought it was a great little ride and very fitting for the environment. Unique, novel and a very cool look overall is my perception! However, you ask anyone who rode it and they would likely report that the line was slow, the seats were very uncomfortable and wasn't friendly to the man package. Overall perception - not a great ride! just a thought

We didn't like them either. The khaki shorts were awesome...at least until they switched them out in 97 for a really rough heavier material. The shirts were almost always dirty and we would have to get them replaced pretty frequent throughout the season. One incident that sticks out happened on a hot July afternoon and a patron of about 6 or 7 years old, who was not watching where he was going as he was munching on his tower of Smurf ice cream, smacked directly into me...fun stuff

Oh yes, very much so! Here was an incentive the park instituted in order to...keep order. They were called star cards and for every 10 cards you received an actual star that would affix to your name-tag. Notice that I am being congratulated for being on time...I can almost hear the sarcasm in my managers voice when writing this out to me You're welcome...however, I only wish I still had that slender and tanned figure I once had back in the day...

I thought it only appropriate to post these pics I came across from my personal belongings in this thread. Here is a 1996 Dry Run Day newsletter they used to give us throughout the season called "Star News". I don't know why I kept this one in particular, but I'm glad I did Also, here is a preseason newspaper article from 2002 celebrating 30 years of park history and "waking an old friend". The last photo affords a rare shot of yours truly in my 1996 PKI getup! And yes kids, that was taken with a Polaroid camera!

Mine as well! There is a 16x20 framed print of this in one of the administration offices at Kings Island. I used to pass by it when I worked at the park and would stare at it from time to time.

I did a quick rendering to illustrate what the tunnel looked like before it was sealed off (the way I remember it). The staircase ascended upward like a spiral staircase. I believe the television played some kind of flight training video as well...

For those interested, it worked a lot like a spiral staircase ascending upward from within. A ride op sat at the top of the staircase and told you which cage to stand in front of. Once you made it to the top platform there was only 1 to 2 loads in waiting - avoiding a crowd and chaos...at least that's the way I recall it. When the ride descended to the ground those riders were led to the exit and the cage doors, on the inside of the ride, popped open allowing the next riders in waiting to load. The promo video in the historical section shows what it looked like from an outside perspective, I believe.

This was the first ride I ever went upside down on. I remember putting my hand on the controller, closing my eyes and waiting until I barrel turned over to the other side...I didn't realize at the time that this was far more scary than just getting on a roller coaster where centrifugal force holds you in your seat - FC did not!!!

I was waiting for an update on these time lapse videos, but it appears that the section of footage in question has been deleted...

I happen to be driving by the park with my fiance today and we shot this raw footage, from the drop off area, of the last tower piece being assembled. For your viewing pleasure: http://s26.photobucket.com/albums/c124/jandyb79/?action=view&current=d90a0e1b.mp4

Did someone say Smurfs? I found these in my grandmas old pics. This is from one of our trips to KI in 1985 WOW! Thanks for sharing!!! Very nice to finally associate pics with my vague memories!

Love seeing those old Smurf photos and defunct rides for that matter! I suppose in those older days those of us who frequented the park naively assumed that these rides would always be at Kings Island - never really considering that they would some day no longer exist. Glad that some of the history has been preserved so we can still reminisce on fond memories. On a side note, a few years ago I was visiting my fiance' at her university and we decided to have lunch in the cafeteria. When we walked down the stairwell from the student service offices to the lower level I paused for a moment and smelled a familiar odor...an odor matching that of only the old Smurf ride. For those who never experienced the ride it had somewhat of a fish tank smell - not terrible, but very distinguishable (especially the winter scene room that had the ice scenery). Just thought I'd throw that experience in midst of all the nostalgia...like muscles, your senses have memory!

Those construction photos in that gallery are pretty sweet! I've seen very few photos of the sob during construction after that storm blew threw and destroyed part of the ride. Very neat!

Maybe this is the "additional webcam" view. Makes sense to use what currently exists rather than put up something new.

Wow, that looks like quite the ride! Those old rides were nothing to sneeze at either...I mean, you were practically risking your life in those early days!

To be honest, I don't think that $5 is a lot to get upset over. Some of you are not old enough to recall the Wild Animal Safari ride which cost around $2 to ride the last year it was in operation. Considering inflation, since the early 1990's, I would have expected KI to charge around $10 for this WORLD CLASS attraction. Sorry, but this is a pretty common occurance for an amusement park - we should all know this by now. I was there the first year that Xtreme Skyflyer opened and people went nuts when they learned that it would cost $20 per person (money most threw down without batting an eye)...and that was in the mid 90's. Just my 2 cents.

Very neat! I love blue prints of coasters/attractions (and vintage toys). I can't imagine the Tower being built at Coney Island - the original site planned. It would've looked a little weird, in my opinion.

That blows the ride time on The Beast out of the water! LOL! I was thinking the same

You're right. It was no more than a sit and fall. I would estimate it to have only been about a 2 ft straight section and then a complete freefall from there on. I was more concerned about my trunks ripping once I hit the bottom than I was getting down there Still one of the more thrilling water rides I've been on...less on the pleasurable side, however. And I do remember the Nestea banner from the 1990 season. When working at KI we all called it "the plunge" as well...what was its actual name? ~Josh

And the issue that proceeded after doing so was having no way to fix your...unmentionables down at the bottom without everyone seeing! At least the Cliff at the Beach has a pool at the bottom for fixing ones "issues". I agree with you though, once you would reach the top it looked (and felt) like your were headed straight down! You almost had to be dared to go through with it

No offense to those who like it, but I have never been a fan of Delirium. For me, it is painful seeing images like this one and knowing what was...is no more. I know change is a part of life, but sometimes it's just hard to digest.

I do not believe that this is part of the Mall area, but rather the ride pad itself. In terms of circumference, I don't think we are considering the size for both the tower and the device holding the swings. I may be wrong, but I believe this is what is going on... And consider the size/scale of the rides top section by comparison to the above depiction:

That is an excellent video! There's no chance I would ever get on one of those again! My spinning rides days are long long gone. It's all fun and games until someone barfs in your lap...or until your barf in your own!