KIfan73

^That is true, but I think an understatement, especially comparing now vs. then. Diamondback, a very large, very major, very expensive cutting edge rollercoaster gave 1.7 million rides. In 1986, nearly the same amount rode White Water Canyon. In 1976, nearly a million people rode Shake, Rattle & Roll, for crying out loud.

I don't think us "younger" members on here can probably imagine how popular some of the early rides were. According to visitkingsisland.com, the KMLF's biggest year was 1973 with 2,267,188 rides given, or 414,357 more than Diamondback did last year! I also can't imagine a year (1982) where over 1.5 million people rode Viking Fury. I really don't think anyone can complain about any lines at KI in 2010.

The PUN and only?

Well, I've ran a few 5k runs, and have been on the bike a lot, so I'm hoping to participate in May! About 6 more weeks to get ready...

Thanks for posting that. That is just awe-inspiring. That also looks to me like possibly the "peak" year or so for the park.

What year are these photos from? 1991?

Wow, GREAT pics. Thanks for posting them!! BTW, get ready to defend your position on the flying eagles!

Great TR. I so want to go to KD. Looks like I'm going to have to do it!

Wow, I rode something similar to that at our local county fair last summer. THE MOST violent ride I've ever been on.

http://www.caranddriver.com/features/10q1/just_how_quick_are_roller_coasters_-feature

When I see pictures of CI, it looks like something out of a movie. The trees, the landscaping, even the signs on the attractions (I really like the Skee Ball one).

Wow! Thanks for posting those! What an awesome looking place. It had to have been devastating to so many people when they found out it would close down!

First of all, thanks for this (and many others!) interesting post. I find this part of the park during this era fascinating. I even have purchased old GAF viewmaster reels showing this part of the park. I just can't believe that something like that was really at Kings Island. On a side note, my parents took me to Kings Island when I was 2 in 1975 (and we rode the monorail), and I, of course, have no recollection of it. However, I always remember having dreams about a beautiful, grassy place as a kid, but I never could figure out what I was dreaming about. Fast forward to the early '90's when I made it back to KI for the first time since that first trip. I remember having this very strange feeling of deja vu. After looking at old pictures of the park, I think my dreams were of that first Kings Island trip. I think this is what has made me so interested in Kings Island as an adult. To this day when I walk around the park, I get this feeling-can't say it's happy, or excited, or what-but the only place I get it is at Kings Island. I've heard people say that we have an "inner child", and it's like somewhere deep in my brain, it "remembers" those old parts of the park that I saw as a really young child.

This sounds promising, but I hope it happens faster than the website re-do!

I am sure that I am in an extreme minority, but I don't think that the food prices at Kings Island are that much different from any restaurant, including McDonald's.

Yeah, now it might just be the fun and ONLY.

Hopefully it won't lead to less fun in their parks.

I recommend to anyone, especially KI fans, to check out Coney. I went for a few hours last year before a two day trip to KI with some friends. It's so interesting to walk around there and think of all the history. They have a huge "flood gauge" showing how much flooding occurred during different years of the park's history. They also have some neat things in the souvenir shop.

Does it flood all their buildings (food stands, shops) at that level?

It's been really neat for the last couple of years to see all the old Hanna-Barbera cartoons from my childhood on the Boomerang channel. I think it would be neat if Kings Island would-oh, wait...

Being an adult, all of those names at least make sense because I didn't grow up with Nickelodeon. Having said that, I feel bad for all the kids that grew up with Nick and Nick Central/Universe.

That area of the park really amazes me, too. To think of all the details. What is that building next to Screamin' Demon in the lower right hand corner of the third picture from the top of this thread?

One of the answers mentioned the amount of guests per year. I understood this to be "secret" information. How does that figure compare to earlier times in KI's history?

You should write a book!