KIfan73

I was on the fence about buying a pass for next year, but a little bit ago I went ahead and bought one online. Now I am pumped. Bring on April!!!!!

Kinda sad when you see how it used to look...

The only time I ever went to Cedar Point was in 1996. Its such a sore subject. We drove 4 hours and got motel rooms for two nights. We got up, rode Corkscrew, got in line for Magnum, and they shut everything down due to rain. The only thing we got on was I think DT...did it used to be themed to something like a bobsled? Anyway, with it being the only thing opened we waited like 3 or 4 hours...what a trip...

On Kings Island's website, they are actually advertising a Christmas celebration in Mason. The Beach has a holiday event, and now even a hotel (practically) in their own parking lot has one. Too bad they can't pull something off.

I quit buying coffee in the mornings, and started packing my lunch every day as a way to pay for my KI trips. It made it easier to give up the coffee on those cold mornings when I thought about being at KI on a hot day, and having the spending money to go.

I hope there's another event next year. Didn't get to make it to this year's.

I'd like to be able to buy Kings Island gear online. Especially now at the holidays. I saw on Cedar Point's website last year you could buy Christmas ornaments. That would be really neat.

Looks like its a Lexus event: http://www.tasteoflexus.com/eventlocations.asp

Does any one know why they don't build any rides over water any more? Is it just a cost thing, kind of like how they don't build as elaborate queues, either?

I bought a piece of cake at the Festhaus last year at FF that you literally couldn't stick a fork into. It wasn't frozen, but had dried out to the consistency of a piece of wood. I traded it in for something else, but, sheesh. But I, like everybody else, go back every time and eat, anyway. Thats why I think they're in no rush to change the food selections. If I could get almost 4 bucks for a piece of crap, I probably wouldn't be in a big rush, either.

Does anyone remember the inline skate shop on International Street? This would have been in the early '90's. I rememeber I bought a T-shirt there. It was in a shop on the right hand side of I-Street, past LaRosa's.

Who says "welcome back riders" at the end of TG? Actually, I think they did away with that this year, if I remember right...

Wow, I would LOVE if KI had regular operating days open at that time. ^

I think a much scaled down Winterfest could fly. I've often thought that, over the winter, if they just had some shops set up, a couple places to eat, and some Christmas lights strung up, it would be worth it for me to take a trip there. It seems like such a loooong winter, that I would just like to see the park once in the off-season.

I've also noticed with the rides built, say pre-Vortex, (although AE is like this) that the ride itself is not visible from the queue. I think that with the older rides they were much better at building in some "suspense" before the ride, and I think it makes a difference (yes, The Racers are visible from the park, but think about when you're getting ready to get on; you really can't see the circuit). I thought about it this summer in the burning heat while I stood in line for Firehawk. There is no real suspense. I honestly don't think The Beast would be what it is without that element of suspense. I also think people's opinion of SOB would be completely different if it had it.

I always think its a little sad when you look at the pains they went to on the older rides. All-wood, covered queues. Lots of little ornamentation. Heck, even on Congo Falls they went to the trouble of making a design out of the wood that holds up the wooden hand railing. The new rides are awesome, but then they're just thrown down with some pavement and an aluminum handrail.

True, but think about how unique an amusement park is. You can go to Kings Island and still experience things built in '72 (and all the years in between). You can't go to a Chevy dealership and test drive a '75 Chevy. When I go to Kings Island, as you walk around different parts of the park, its like walking through a different era as you look at different things. Its neat to ride the new stuff like Firehawk. I also think its kind of fascinating to think about The Racers or Viking Fury and how they were the 'hot thing' when they were built (Sorry, I had to throw VF in there. For some reason, even though there's not much left, I'm a little partial to Oktoberfest).

I had some rough rides a few times this season, so I'm not sure... I read on here after the accident happened about the wild rumors about SOB. Well, a friend and I went to HH with a group of kids in their teens. I was stunned when they started talking about the people that had been killed on The Son of Beast!! Wow, do rumors go crazy. Took me awhile to explain to them, but I'm still not sure if they believed me.

Do Cedar Fair's other parks' signs have any "standardized" look to them?

I rode it several times with the loop, and twice (once in spring, once during HH) post-loop, and I see no difference. I plan on avoiding it from now on. It wasn't a ride, it was a beating.

Thanks. The long lines are OK. I just would like to lock into that price, and get the free parking. I'm not really even worried about the jacket (of course I'll be glad to get it, if it works out!). Thanks again.

Actually, I just was talking about a pass for KI. If I purchase a KI pass online now, I was trying to figure out if I needed to make a trip to the park to have it processed, or if I could just have it processed on my first visit to the park next spring.

If I purchase a pass online, do I need to a make a trip to the park to have it processed before next spring?

Don't forget, the people that are in line for the ride you don't like won't be in front of you in line for the ride you do like!

Sounds like a good match to me! http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20071103/lf_af...re_071103181816