Buckeye Brad

This is correct. I still remember going to Vortex opening day 1987, and riding The Beast right after an amazing first ride on Vortex. My friends and I were surprised at the new waterless landscaping under The Beast. Then we looked over at the nearby Vortex lift hill and first turnaround, and figured that their construction must have required some land flattening and subsequent draining of the water under The Beast line and station. I’ve also read that The Beast water was a collector of trash and a breeding ground for mosquitoes, so the park may have been already looking for an excuse to drain it. The water did look very cool though. I’d like to see the mill wheel turned on again and have at least a small concrete pond underneath to restore some of the original theming.

Great points. Another flaw in Paramount’s strategy in my opinion was that the theme park potential of their IP was vastly inferior and rarely integrated into the ride experience. My friends and I were big KI fanboys, and we’re brainstormed the entire Paramount portfolio. The best we could come up with: 1. Indy Jones (taken by Disney) 2. Star Trek (maybe license issues and probably very expensive to do right) and 3. Titanic (awkward and certainly expensive). I do remember seeing a concept that was presented to guests, with an underwater ride option and ghosts. Yeah, awkward. Face Off, Drop Zone, Congo, and others were mediocre movies at best with minimal cultural significance. Top Gun, Tomb Raider, Italian Job, Outer Limits had some juice as themes, and were decently executed. But did they drive much business towards the Paramount studio side? Seems like Disney and Universal had and have far more appealing IP like Jaws, Back to the Future, Marvel, ET, Jurassic Park, Harry Potter, Pixar, etc. I am thankful that Paramount had the wisdom to not mess with the more iconic names like Racer, Vortex, Beast.* * I still miss the real Beastie, my first real coaster memory with its scary paw logo, tunnel, tombstone queue, and scary yellow paint job.

Kenton’s Cove Keelboat Canal for Tomb Raider Sunshine Turnpike and Scrappy’s Slides for Nick Universe Yeah, It seems like there were a lot of removals in a short time, for a park with plenty of space for expansion. The most interesting to me is what Son of Beast’s fate would have been. Since Paramount were the ones who created and invested in SOB, would they have pushed harder to save it/ reimagine it? Or would they have come to the same conclusion that it was a maintenance money pit with ever waning public appeal and chosen a complete reboot.

It’s possible he had an AirTag/Tile or similar tracker on his keychain. Only speculation of course. If I were in his shoes, even if I thought I could find my keys, how would I think I’d get away without being found and probably arrested, which would defeat the whole strategy.

Stopped by last evening for my first visit of the year. An afternoon storm cleared out some of the crowd and left us with sub 20 minute waits for everything. Enjoyed my front and back seat rides on Banshee, front in Racer, back on Orion, back on Snoopy Soap Box, back on Mystic and Beast, the train for a nice break, and a long awaited Smurf(blue) cone. Got to watch my son working at his coaster like a boss, and finished with the fireworks and drone show. My first coaster rides since going on some very tough meds, and I felt great!

One positive is that it does not appear that any riders were injured. No hints of this in any article I’ve read, or conversation I’ve had with someone who would likely know. If a rider has been injured, by now I’d expect a statement from the park like “a rider was reportedly treated for an injury”. Still a heartbreaking situation for so many. It’s amazing how many people something like this affects. Family, responders, ride crew, and more.

I don’t have a specific suggestion, but I think KI would do well to have a few more items that are KI exclusive. Think of the blue cone. For me they are a guilty pleasure. While I’d like to be able to get one at UDF anytime, it’s actually more special that a blue cone is only available at KI. KI should have a few more exclusive items like that. Things with Kings Islandy names but also unique flavors. Butterbeer at Universal is another great example. My family still looks forward to butterbeer as much as the rides when we plan a trip there. Back in the 80’s, KI had these frozen tropical drinks (called Congo Coolers?) back by the Demon and also near the Zodiak. I emptied my piggy bank to enjoy those many times.

All great points Hoeter. Speaking of Coney’s influence, there a neat article about Walt Disney touring parks for research and inspiration when planning Disneyland. Apparently Coney Island was an important contribution to Disneyland, and by extension, the entire amusement park industry. Cincinnati.com article

The log flume “enhancement” at Six Flags over Texas is interesting and encouraging. So many log flumes and water rides have been removed in recent decades, and it’s nice to see one get refurnished, upgraded, and even hyped as a marquee attraction. Regarding Flash at Great Adventure, would be interesting to see the cost difference to add a second train. With all the advancements in “fast track switching” that have come out recently, seems like 2 train ops would be standard equipment on this coaster when installed at larger parks. I could see Holiday World adding one of these in 5 years or so as a “grown up” compliment to Good Gravy. Could even be on the same land.

Another interesting method is using air pressure. I saw a video years ago about the "Skyscraper" ride (usually in tourist areas like Dells, Pigeon Forge, Branson). The main element of the ride a rotating long, slender steel beam with seats at each end. Obviously any crack in the beam could be catastrophic. The video highlighted how they pressurized the steel tubes with air, and the ride system electronically monitored that pressure to detect even the smallest leak instantly. Not practical on large coasters unfortunately, but I thought it was a clever approach.

I saw a news interview with Mr. Wagner where he said the the first employee he told (nearest) was an “elderly gentleman “ parking lot attendant They were presumably within line of sight of the crack, and this employee told Mr. Wagner that he could not see it. Seems unreasonable after watching the zoomed in video a dozen times, but it might be quite reasonable depending on this employee’s eyesight, cleanliness of his glasses, lighting at that moment, etc. Mr. Wagner then proceeded to guest relations, where the 4th employee he talked to (unclear what transpired with the previous ones) asked him to airdrop the video and then walked away to tell someone. Which does indeed sound quite reasonable. On one hand, I can see how the park employees would respond skeptically at first, as a cracked support is very unlikely . On the other, Mr. Wagner’s daughter could have been riding Fury at that moment (she stayed the park), so any reaction short of a immediate E-Stop would seem unacceptable.

KI is my home park, and I am super thankful that we have Orion. The first drop is spectacular, the theme is fun, and overall is a fine addition. That said, here are things that I prefer on Millennium Force: 1. The narrow and minimal train design feels scarier and faster. Every seat has basically “air” to the left or to the right. This is especially awesome ascending the lift hill, sitting left. Nothing but a lake 300’ down next to your lap. 2. Tunnels. They increase the speed perception. 3. The queue flybys at the end increase the excitement for those waiting in line 4. Directional changes. Granted, they are not exactly rapid fire, but they are more in number and intensity than Orion 5. The sprawling layout makes me feel like I’ve travelled further. The views change more dramatically. Even the smells change (Asian food to petting zoo in seconds). 6. Station vibe. Cant put my finger on it, but the arrival of empty trains, the retro future music, and the fast dispatch as the lift cable yanks the train increase the excitement for me. Still very happy to have both giga coasters in my home state!

Kings Dominion has, in my opinion, made the perfect choices to improve their two adjacent wooden coasters. Hurler turned out fantastic as a full blown RMC steel conversion, complete with inversions. Grizzly looks like another Gravity Group resurrection, that's both faithful to the original, and spiced up a notch. Different, but appropriate solutions. Likewise, Kings Island has made the appropriate improvements to Racer and Beast in my opinion.

Your Toronto Skydome comparison is a good one. I watched a game there, and while it a cool structure, it’s huge and impractical for a theme park. Am alternative might be to build a huge coaster outside as normal, but build a sleeve or tube around the track to protect it from the elements. Think if the tube around the launch hill of The Incredible Hulk continued over the entire run, or at least the areas that are high or stick out. Granted, a “tunnel” at 300 feet is one more safety risk and thing to maintain. But certainly cheaper than a Skydome. Many indoor waterparks use a similar strategy where part of the tube slides extend outside the building, yet are still sheltered. Less square footage of climate controlled interior sure required. When I was a kid I thought it would be ideal if The Vortex had a zip together tent like tunnel that would be attached along the entire track run every winter to allow Winterfest rides. A bobsled coasters like Reptilian (Avalanche) at Kings Doninion is halfway there. Just construct the half of the track and you have a “tube coaster”. Protected from the the elements. And faster ride due to less wind resistance.

My favorite guests are ones who laugh on coasters. For example, my wife is not a fan of big scary coasters. But on a family ride like The Racer, after a brief gasp going down the first hill, she starts laughing. Huge ear to ear grin. All the way through. It’s a beautiful thing. When the entire train joins in the laughter, it’s magic. Pure innocent joy with strangers. Rare to find these days. :^)