TombRaiderFTW

^ Yeah... alluna asked just that, so I answered as such. And why shouldn't it be included? I mean, the park clearly doesn't mind adding in structures that are serving no purpose. That's why that wooden thing behind Days of Thunder is on the map, too. (Oh, wait...)

^ Confirmed. The park announced it via Twitter.

Something I thought was cool: the @KingsIslandPR Twitter just updated its photo a new 40th anniversary KI logo. I love it! EDIT: So has KI's Facebook.

I think the park's made it pretty clear that they're hopeful the Timberliners will run in 2012*, but they aren't making promises. One of the most prominent things I noticed about the video with Chad Miller from The Gravity Group and Dan Koch was that they never explicitly confirmed which trains will be running in 2012. I personally believe that, given the fact that they entirely rebuilt half the spaghetti bowl, they're more optimistic than ever that the TLs will be on this year. Unless I'm mistaken, one of the reasons they did it is that they wanted to reduce the variance in the track gauge. If they weren't confident the new trains would be on the track this year, why would they go above and beyond the usual retracking just for this season? Unless the ride was really just so poorly designed or maintained that it became necessary, something I'm not prone to believe when it comes to The Gravity Group or Holiday World, it seems like the best time to finally let the public experience the new, "smoother" trains is when the track's in its best shape since opening (i.e., this year). And, on TGG's side of the deal, I keep imagining that, if Holiday World suggested an extensive retracking, they'd suggest it happen when they're most confident their product will be ready to go. The better shape the track's in, the better impression the Timberliners will make on their first genuinely large-scale coaster. And really, isn't that all the trains have left to prove for themselves at this point? Some of TGG's biggest promises with these trains were improved/lessened maintenance costs, exceptional dynamic capability, and compatibility with existing rides. Two of those things have been proven by 2011's rides (Wooden Warrior and Twister); the last is currently depending on these trains making their public rides on The Voyage. I'm sure they'll want to showcase their product in the best light possible. (Millennium Flyers on Hersheypark's Wildcat keep coming to mind here... A great ride in the right seat, but the way those things jerk around on that track and rattle is unsettling. Sit in the wrong row, and it's right up there with Son of Beast. It's an incredible contrast to the Lightning Racers just down the midway, where those trains glide much more smoothly.) *In my head, this sounds like I'm snapping at you. I'm not! I'm just saying. EDIT: I also have to say: I love seeing photos like that from PTC. They have very interesting albums on their Facebook page! I'm also very, very happy to see Mean Streak's train(s) getting refurbished by their manufacturer. Those things have been in pretty poor shape lately, and PTC did a wonderful job on one of Blue Streak's trains last year.

Yeah, I'd say that's pretty much it. It's like if, when making the second Back to the Future movie, they said, "Hey, people really liked that moment in the first movie when they thought Doc had been shot by Libyan terrorists but was actually wearing a bulletproof vest! Let's make an entire movie where Doc is shot by terrorists. It'll be great!" For Christopher Lloyd haters, it might have some entertainment value, but for several people, it doesn't do the first one justice. (And then you have people who didn't like the original, and so on.)

Diamondbacker, I don't think anyone's arguing that wooden coasters shouldn't be rough. It's that many thought SoB exceeded their roughness tolerances to the extent where it just wasn't an enjoyable ride. I myself can enjoy rough rides (such as Mean Streak or Corkscrew at Cedar Point) if there's more to the ride than being jackhammered. (The last time I rode it, Mean Streak's recent retracking restored forces I never knew that ride had, including airtime. I liked it considerably more afterward.) Part of why I suggest people dislike Son of Beast is its layout--beyond the first drop, there's really nothing that happens besides wide, lateral force-less turns and heavy positive vertical G's in various helices/turns. In other words, there's nothing to "distract" you from the rougher parts of the ride. It's a mildly interesting pre-lift section, a long (and LOUD) lift hill, an awesome first drop, and then a series of elements that really don't provide any forces besides the same positive vertical force pulling you down into your seat and (in my opinion) the feeling of being in a jackhammer simulator. There's no real break in those forces--it's constant through the first double helix, then there's the break run, then an airtime-less drop to where the loop was, an airtime-less jump over the bump where the loop was, and then more prolonged vertical forces and jackhammering till the final brakes. That's a good 70% of the ride. And I'm not saying this hatefully, because I do think the ride was really good at what it did right (and will gladly go on and on about it.) It's just how it was. The Beast, on the other hand, doesn't expose you to minutes of prolonged vertical force, and it's got things like tunnels and scenery to enjoy if it is rough--which, in my opinion, it was last year. There's the first drop, the wide left turn, a drop to the ground and a jump back up, a wide right turn, etc. In theory, it doesn't sound that different, but it's done much more gently. People tend to attribute most of The Beast's roughness to its double helix--and I'll agree there--but the double helix isn't most of the ride, unlike Son of Beast, which has two. The Beast's helix is a theatrical ending to the ride that compliments the experience; Son of Beast's helices are the ride. There's just more to The Beast than its roughest parts, which is more than its son can say. If you liked the ride and didn't find the ride rough, fine. No one's going to flame you for it. It's just that enough people, including the park's general manager, found it too much so, so that's where the widespread distaste for the thing is coming from.

I've only seen that ride with a short (as in less than 15 minutes) line once in four seasons (with at least 10 visits per season). I've heard it gets short lines first thing in the morning, but honestly, you're probably just going to have to bite the bullet and wait in line for it. The best suggestion is to do it on a cooler day, as that line gets brutal when it's hot outside. The line moves very slowly due to the ride's capacity, so, for comfort's sake, don't do it on a hot day.

It's because Gordon Bombay posted some of his photos in it. Chrome's got unfounded beef with his website (where his photos are stored.) Don't worry, it's safe.

I heard somthing around 20k or 40k per machine( seems a little high but that's what i heard.) I live in Kentucky and there is a FireHouse subs in Nicholasville and they have a Coke Freestyle. I do suggest that Sprite Strawberry is great!They cost a bit I know that much. I truly hope they up their game on the food tho. According to Bryan Edwards at a Cedar Point winter event in December, Cedar Fair's soda company contracts are up for renewal in 2012. He hinted Coke and Pepsi would be sending "gifts" to try to entice CF to enter a contract with them. I'd bet the price KI and CF would pay for the Coke Freestyle machines, if your estimates are correct, are a fraction of those prices, if that.

(Bolded for emphasis, italicized for extra emphasis.)Cedar Point has free all-day Dinning, too (with park admission.) It usually gives me a pretty nasty headache, though, so I make sure I ride in the front row. (I much prefer Michigan's Adventure's free Dinning.) On topic: Can I just say I love this idea? I don't know how well it will work in practice, but it would be so nice to go to KI and have at least one meal included.

^ I always got the impression that they chose The Racer so the rider capacity drop wouldn't be as noticeable, much like how Cedar Point's primarily relied on Gemini the years it's done CFK. Then again, Dorney and/or Worlds of Fun and/or Valleyfair (can't remember which) used their Morgan hyper for the event, so who knows. Now that I think about it, it could also be the fact that those parks don't have racing coasters with one side to reserve for the event. In that case, I'd imagine those coasters probably have the highest capacities in each park, sort of like how Cedar Point's event last year also included Magnum for part of the day. So, I suppose Diamondback at least being included isn't totally out of the question.

If we're counting rides that have been removed, then Tomb Raider: The Ride wins, hands down. There was nothing like it when it opened, and there's been nothing like it since. (Y'know, if my username wasn't enough of a giveaway.) When I was younger, I also very much liked the Flying Eagles and Antique Cars. If not, I've got a very soft spot for Adventure Express and Viking Fury. When The Beast is running well, it's also one of my favorite aspects of Kings Island.

I've only been to Kennywood once in my life, and I have no clue what that ride used to be. I love dark rides very much. When I rode Garfield's Nightmare, I'm pretty sure the only things I genuinely liked were the ride's outdoor theming and the novelty of a boat-based dark ride. Everything else ranked, to be frank, somewhere around watching grass grow. The "nightmare" theme wasn't too bad. It was the fact that they used Garfield to do it. The ride was entirely silent, save for a few random sound effects. And half of those sound effects were Garfield saying something in his dull monotone. If it were any other cartoon character, it'd be a lot easier for me to overlook and chalk up to theming effects presumably not being maintained. As it were, the fact that the ride wasn't too exciting by itself combined with Garfield's voice, giving the impression that the ride's just as bored with you as you are with it. With some extra effects (like a soundtrack), the theme would work much better on a dark ride/shooter system like our BBoBH, but it just doesn't work well with Kennywood's boats.

^^ and ^: I know nothing about economics and politics, but I can say that I love the New York City and Washington DC subway systems. Incredibly convenient (even if the NYC cleanliness leaves something to be desired) and pretty great value. I'm sure they present plenty of their own issues (security and maintenance come to mind), but if some sort of equivalent could appear nationwide, I'd be very excited and apt to use it.

^ If you're on Delirium, look at the ground, towards Adventure Express. If you're on Adventure Express, look at the ground in the direction of Delirium. There are several concrete pads as well as square footers on that ground from KC. If you're in line for AE, there are several tall footers near that area lining a maintenance road. I think those are either from King Cobra or the Wild Animal Safari monorail, but I'm not sure which. I'm sure someone else here can say for sure.

Great! I decided before the 2011 season ended that I'd do it this year. I've been working on a few ways to raise money, and I can't wait to get started.

It's pretty easy to see some of them from Delirium and Adventure Express.

Did anyone else get the impression that the writer of that article thinks Cedar Point is open during the winter?

As far as I'm aware, you do not have to go through the processing line if you've already renewed, as long as you purchased the renewal in person at the park.

^^ I think that's reaching a little far, though I suppose it's not impossible. Sometimes a paint job just means new paint, guys. Let's appreciate the fact that, in the past two years, KI's addressed two paint jobs that used to be some of our biggest complaints about KI.

Isn't the pop in Rivertown Junction self-serve? I'd guess that's where we'll see the Coke machines installed.

^ That was you?! I've always been curious who thedoorsfan71 was. That Solid Edge giant top spin model looks like a real pain the butt to create and animate.

Perfect! Thanks!

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/imamcajBEJs" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> Oh, wait.

So, just to summarize: that was Disneyland, and there were kids there.