TombRaiderFTW

Just want to put this on everyone's radar: WDTN (Channel 2 in Dayton) just announced they will feature a segment on Halloween Haunt on Monday night's news. It's a Jim Bucher segment, which means we should hopefully get some mildly interesting shots and information (with plenty of talking in the background, too. ) Wonder if they'll give any sort of preview of Madame Fatale's Cavern of Terror.

Favorite: Holiday Horror. I can't even give reasons why I like it as much as I do, except for maybe the experiences I've had in it. What makes even less sense: New Years' Day was often tied with Thanksgiving as my favorite part of it, even though New Years' was easily the weakest holiday of the mix. Least favorite: prepare the flames, because I don't care much for Massacre Manor. I know! I'm sorry. It's not a bad house, but it feels themeless to me. The "progressive pictures of the psychopathic girl" thing doesn't do it for me, because I don't understand what that's supposed to symbolize. They get progressively more intense as the house progresses, but nothing happens because of it. It would be one thing if the scare intensity increased with the intensity of the pictures, but it never has when I've been through it. It's just a house facade with spontaneous gore and a simulated electric chair at the end. I don't get it (though it's been known to have some of the best scareactors in it.) Even less endearing of me to you guys: even though it's the obvious choice for least favorite, I kind of like Mysteria. I don't understand what the theme of that was supposed to be last year, but it grew on me a little because it was so freaking weird. Plus, it wasn't Death Row, which is always to its benefit. Favorite ride: The Beast. Heaven knows I love me some Adventure Express, particularly at night, but it's not what I get excited about at Haunt. The theme of The Beast just fits Haunt, and the fog machines they added last year were pretty stinking cool. Beast is another beast entirely during Haunt, and it's something you can't experience any other night of the season.

I actually think they'll more than likely run the train for Howl-O-Palooza, if the past is any indication. In prior years the train made regular runs around the track on Sundays (and Saturday mornings/afternoons, I assume) without stopping at Boomerang Bay/Soak City. Tombstone Terror-tory, at least in previous years, never really affected the train much; the trail's contained to the exit of White Water Canyon. Year-round, the most you'll see of TT is the "station" it stops at for the haunt, which is a wooden platform with regular old chain-link fencing running the perimeter. Any other non-Haunt day of the year, it passes by that "station" like it's not even there. I'd bet they'll still run the train; it'll just stop at Soak City rather than making the full circuit in previous years. Maybe Don can confirm this?

^ Now now, let's be optimistic. For all you know, they're bringing a Peter Pan-themed ride to Carowinds next year. Yes, I think I will start that rumor. Aquatrax themed to Peter Pan coming to Carowinds in 2013!

TTD-120-420: Glad to see the park's taking advantage of the space it has in Soak City. I've always wondered why it's never been used for either Halloween event in the past.

Thanks for that explanation, KI-ORIG-EMP. I've seen that gravel road (meaning the one jdawg mentioned, there behind Great Wolf and running parallel to Kings High School) many times, but I've never gone down it for fear that I'd end up trespassing and getting in trouble with the park. I know it used to be part of the campgrounds, too, but I never knew it had to do with Lion County Safari--I didn't think it went back that far. LCS must have been huge.

Because they just knocked it over this morning, that's why.

How is that even a record?! Next year's record breaking announcement: we're the world's largest park named Kings Dominion! Regardless, that video looked decent. Seems like KD's kids' area's about to look much more like KI's.

Yup. Definitely feeling nostalgic. That was almost sad to watch. Ironically, that's also the highest I've ever seen Space Spiral's cabin on the tower or the most I've ever seen the cabin move. Go figure.

I've noticed that several rumors start as enthusiast speculation that is taken as fact. Take a look at old posts on sites like PointBuzz, and you'll see that Maverick was all but confirmed as an Intamin Aquatrax back in 2006. Also, did you guys hear they're going to extend Flight Deck and give it floorless Vekoma trains?

^^ In terms of the whole experience (from queue to exit), yes. As is Backlot Stunt Coaster, essentially. You could toss our Eiffel Tower in there, too, if you like. In terms of the physical roller coaster itself, Flight Deck has the same layout and specs as Vortex at Canada's Wonderland, and Flight of Fear's layout (sans the MCBR brakes) can be found at Six Flags Fiesta Texas and Six Flags America, as well as a park in China. There are several clones of our Invertigo around the world. Firehawk has Batwing, also at SFA, as its twin, though Nighthawk at Carowinds is somewhat similar. Several KI flat rides can be found in various other locations as well.

My notion still stands. It'd be neat to have a Luminosity stage up near the Delirium fence, though. Imagine a Luminosity show with Delirium swinging overhead.

Nitro (SFGAdv), Maverick, Diamondback, Top Thrill Dragster, Mystery Mine (Dollywood), Cornball Express (Indiana Beach), Phantom's Revenge (Kennywood), and Shivering Timbers (Michigan's Adventure). Each has its redeeming quirks, but I don't go crazy for these rides like the enthusiasts at large.

Best Amusement Park: Hersheypark Best Theme Park: Of the ones I've been to, Kings Dominion or Six Flags Great Adventure. I'm inclined to believe that the Disney or Universal parks are more deserving of this title, but I was in a stroller when I last visited the Magic Kingdom and can only recall being terrified of the Jaws ride at Universal when I was in elementary school. Best Value Park: Holiday World Best Wood Coasters: The Voyage (HW) and El Toro (SFGAdv) Best Steel Coaster: Intimidator 305, Kings Dominion Best Flatride: Noah's Ark, Kennywood Best "New" Ride: El Toro, Great Adventure Best New Ride: From looks, Leviathan. I've only ridden Wild Eagle in the 2012 coasters, and as much as I like it, I imagine the B&M giga is better. Best Park Food: DOLLYWOOD. Oh my goodness. Most Beautiful Park: Dollywood or Kennywood Best Water Ride: Wildebeest, Holiday World Best Waterpark: Splashin' Safari Best Park Staff: Dollywood Best Kids Area: Of the parks I've been to, I'll honestly say that I liked Kings Island's the best. I'm willing to bet there are other parks I've not been to that have better ones, but KI does the best, in my experience. Best Park Show: ...I've just realized how long it's been since I've actually watched a show at an amusement park. Uhh... the first five minutes of British Invasion were decent? Cleanest Park: Holiday World or Dollywood Best Halloween Event: I've still only been to KI's Halloween Haunt, but I'm more and more inclined to believe the Universal parks throw the best Halloween event. I'll have to check out Halloween Horror Nights one of these days.

^ Except Magnum is better than them... Just teasin' (though I do think so, but that's just a matter of opinion.) It's disappointing that something as big a deal as the Golden Tickets is just a competition to see who can purchase the most advertising space. It'd be nice if a system as balanced as Mitch Hawker's poll got the attention the Golden Tickets gets, but that's life.

September 22nd will likely be far, far less crowded than October 27th. Even though both are Saturdays, the second is much closer to Halloween. By the later date, the scareactor count will, if the past is any indication, be at its lowest of the Haunt season, but the lines will be at their longest. I highly suggest September 22nd.

^ THIS. There's no better way to say it than that. Nothing gets under my skin at Haunt more than being trapped with a herd of people--of any age, really--who go out of their way to announce they aren't scared, then try to either scare the scareactors or deadpan and then get in the scareactors' faces in an attempt to intimidate them. You're at an amusement park during Halloween, for goodness sakes! On the other end of the spectrum, I get a kick out of watching groups of people/couples where one person is terrified, but all members are still having fun. It's not like they're making fun of the scared person, because the scared person is still laughing, too. That's the point of a scary Halloween event for me.

If we're talking about coasters wobbling, then let's throw this for a loop, shall we? FTW, not making a Son of Beast pun, actually. All structures do that; our perception of it just depends on what force is causing it and what its magnitude is. There are videos of tall Japanese buildings swaying widely during the earthquakes in 2011.

^ You say this like they don't have the "buy one wax museum haunt, get one free" deal at your local Sam's.

Something else I've just noticed: the scare zones have been revamped! Nightmare Alley, formerly in Planet Snoopy, has been moved to the path between the front gate and Action Zone. Action Zone's scare zone--whose previous name escapes me, if it even had one in 2011--is now Grimm Boulevard. Cemetery Drive is where it was last year (International Street.) Finally, taking the place of Nightmare Alley in Planet Snoopy is Freak Street... which sounds suspiciously similar to Nightmare Alley, at least in theory. Nightmare Alley's 2011 boxes as of Labor Day have already been installed in Planet Snoopy, so perhaps Freak Street will (more accurately) claim Nightmare Alley's "haunted carnival" theme and Nightmare Alley will get a theme more appropriate for something called "Nightmare Alley." Or maybe it will become a catch basin for the roamers that don't really fit any other theme, like the bush monster (which would blend in really well in the bushes along that path, by the by.) I don't know. Also, maybe it's just how they made the map, but Mysteria's marker is now over the Coney Mall arcade down by Vortex/WindSeeker. I wonder if they're moving it there. Then again, Racer's lift covers Mysteria's 2011 building on the map, so maybe they put the marker there just to give a general idea of where Mysteria is located.

^^ Err... What misery is Urgent Scare under? It's consistently been one of the higher quality haunts since its introduction in 2008. Same goes for Club Blood since it opened in 2007. ^ Yes! I'm excited for you. With the way you were staying mysterious about it, I was starting to think you were going to be in the new house. Blood Drums sounds very interesting, and I'm curious to see how they do this in Action Zone. If it's under the water tower, I'll be glad--that spot's had the same old bloodied alien animatronic for the past few seasons, with wiring in full view. I'm also very intrigued by Madame Fatale's Cavern of Terror. That's not the theme I was expecting of the old Crypt building, but it's got some real potential. Heck, the name alone is, with all due respect to Slaughterhouse, Holiday Horror, etc., better than any of the new attractions in recent years. Consider my hopes heightened. EDIT: I also have to point out that the lady they used for the MFCoT photo is one of my favorite scareactors. She's been at Cemetery Drive (both when in Tower Gardens and in International Street) and (I think) CornStalkers in previous years, and she really gets into her roles. I hope she's back this year.

I wonder how much influence KI's Labor Day sale prices had on that. I know I've never seen so many people eating blue ice cream and coneys as I did on Labor Day. Obviously, it more than likely isn't making up 4 of the 5 percent revenue increase (or something like that), but I do wonder what the percent increase would have been without the sale. Here's hoping it showed them something about the effects of reasonable pricing on in-park spending.

^ The one at the front gate.

1. Kennywood's Thunderbolt 2. The Raven 3. The Beast 4. Kennywood's, KI's, or CP's carousel 5. Adventure Express 6. Liberty Launch 7. Michigan's Adventure's old Falling Star 8. Stricker's Grove's flying scooters 9. Kings Dominion's Dominator 10. Either Cedar Point's Giant Wheel or Great Adventure's ferris wheel With more options, I'd also toss in Demon Drop (or some generic S&S Drop Tower) and either Race For Your Life, Charlie Brown or Frightful Falls.

All of this makes me very, very happy. The last time I visited KI, even less theming than usual was working, and I swear on my pass there was a flat spot on the wheel I was riding above in the last car. Sounds like they've given my favorite KI coaster some love it was needing. And yes, Adventure Express is a wonderful night ride--especially during Haunt! I've never seen (or at least noticed) green lights between the station and first tunnel. I do hope the lights you noticed on the second lift aren't just the emergency floodlights that occasionally get left on, because with the way the lights (until my recent visits, anyway) were being repaired, it was doing the ride wonders. I think I've officially descended into AE fanboyism.