McSalsa

In addition to everything already posted here, I can offer 1 more tip based on my trips to Holiday World- for a amazing view of the Waterpark as well as Voyage (and now probably Thunderbird- my last visit to HW was in 2013 so it wasn't there yet), while in the waterpark, go to ride the gigantic purple waterslide known as ZOOMbabwe. It is over 100 feet tall, and on the edge of the waterpark, so you can see nearly every other waterslide from there. Also should Legend be running (witch it should unless it breaks down), do note that it passes directly under ZOOMbabwe and when it does the entire structure shakes (same thing happens to the giant funnel slide, Zinga, next door as well as Legend passes by that one too) which can be intimidating. Also after getting the amazing view you'll probably have to ride ZOOMbabwe and it is one of the more intense and scary waterslides they have, given that not only is it huge, but the entire slide is in pitch black darkness. It's fun if you like intense, scary waterslides though.

45 minutes for Vortex!?!? The most I have ever waited is 25, and when that happened the line was out by Juke Box Diner. I'm visualizing a 45-minute wait for Vortex would probably have the line for it go past Dodgem or something.

And RMC Hurler. In seriousness, Cedar Fair is probably gonna watch very closely how the 2 2018 RMC's perform before they build more. I would not be shocked if there weren't any more in 2019, since they'd be spending 2018 watching how Mean Streak & Hurler do over at LEAST their first year. If they are successful, then we'll probably see more of them starting around the 2020-2021 time period. Cedar Fair is not gonna want another WindSeeker fiasco where they build 6 of them in 2 years and then they all begin having problems. This would also give them time to evaluate all the current wooden coasters in the chain, and decide if any of them would benefit from a full blown RMC conversion or not. Also I'll note this on Mystic Timbers (or at least the reviews of it)- most of the negative comments I have read about it online are from Facebook (when Kings Island itself does a post on MT usually) or Youtube...not exactly the best places for educated unbiased reviews. All the reviews I have seen by actual coaster enthusiasts who have actually ridden it have been very positive ("meh" is about the worst review I have ever seen and that was only once or twice out of at least 100+ reviews). It does annoy me a bit when someone who clearly has never ridden it bashes it and calls it garbage just because it's only 109 feet tall and "only" goes 53mph. Those kind of people have to be in the minority though, because from what I've seen and read on the wait times thread Mystic Timbers gets huge waits even though it does have pretty good capacity even on slow days where right across the walkway, a beloved 230-foot tall B&M Hyper is a station wait or walk-on. And by now, people should know what's in the shed, so it's probably not that part getting them to re-ride over and over...unless they are trying to get all 3, maybe more (have heard things from semi-reputable sources there is 1 more), endings but I doubt it.

I can be the 3rd person to vouch for Croakies here (If I recall The Interpreter recommended them as well)- they are very comfortable, and secure my glasses nicely. I never noticed anyone- park staff or other guests- give me any odd looks for them either, then again I have black hair and black Croakies so maybe people didn't see them. Well worth the $6 I got them for at Wal-Mart, considering my glasses are worth $80+.

Oh OK- understood.

Sorry: You weren't 100% clear so I must ask... Do what in house? Kings Island built Beast themselves- they didn't hire an outside company to do it. They also retrack it themselves regularly, though sometimes an outside company like GCI or RMC (they do more than just Iron Horse old wooden coasters- they will also do typical repairs) will be called on to help and do major work. Holiday World didn't build Raven by themselves (they hired the now-defunct Custom Coasters International), but they do partially re-track it themselves often (nearly all parks that have at least 1 wood coaster have teams of employees just to re-track and repair them- Holiday World calls theirs "The Coaster Cats"), but even they did recently hire GCI to do major work on Legend in 2016 (rebuilding the entire first drop and re-profiling the finale).

If GCI had somehow existed in 1979 and designed The Beast (and had all their modern tools) it'd very likely be nothing like the real-life Beast, save the fact both would be wooden coasters. GCI is known for their curved drops, and they try to avoid straight track as much as possible, save for brake runs (For example, Mystic Timbers after the first drop is almost always twisting, turning, or going up and down). The Beast as we know it today has a straight drop that isn't even super steep, and the track straightens out multiple times through the course (likely because it was designed for 4-row PTC trains). Those differences in design philosophy alone would likely result in a vastly different ride. Beast is an oddity in its design and is very unique- and is a product from the late 1970's- so I don't think any of the major wooden coaster companies would design something anywhere near it unless it was demanded from them. They would all probably come up with very different coasters. As to what a GCI on the scale of Beast (height and speed wise at least) might be like, well, at least one exists in China. This is Python in Bamboo Forest (formerly Viper), a GCI which has a drop of 142 feet and goes 62mph... (Basically imagine this but surrounded by trees and you'd get what GCI's "Beast" might have looked like- the video is GCI's official POV)

Good review. Interesting way to point out the mentality of how the ride thrills riders, etc. and why it doesn't work on everyone. It works on me for sure, Beast is my favorite coaster of the few I have been on so far (20+ or so so far). (Aka had that been my review I'd have given it a 10/10 instead of a 7) Also saw your review of The Voyage @ Holiday World, which was also well done much in the same way. Didn't realize the back half of that coaster was actually 100 feet in the "air" versus the station, hidden behind trees and stuff. No wonder it gains so much speed on the return run.

Well, I had another KI dream last night. In a odd twist, it began with a commercial for the then-new WaterWorks Waterpark in 1989. It was a cheesy 80's commercial where a male kid cheered on his sister while she rode a racing mat slide. Then the commercial ended, but the dream didn't. I was suddenly at Kings Island...in 1989. Riding Vortex, which back then was still very new. It had the exact same layout as it does IRL and everything. As I exited the ride, I looked and it had a huge line. Went over to The Beast- it also had a huge line but I waited anyway, it still had its old skid brakes and everything but most of the ride was a blur in my dream. Next I turned back and headed down the Coney Mall Midway- Racer had no line so I got in line for it, I chose backwards but for some reason still ended up getting the forwards train. The train had no seat belts, head rests, seat dividers or anything- just a flimsy buzz bar. The train dispatched and my dream fast forwarded the rest of the ride (Layout was accurate: it felt smooth and had tons of airtime in the dream). Then a jump cut happened and for whatever reason I was riding the Kings Island & Miami Valley Railroad, and I looked over where Diamondback's turnaround and MCBR are now IRL and there were...DUELING Invertigos!?!? (The old yellow & red paintjob was on the left, and the new paintjob was on the right and for some reason was like 10% bigger) That image must have made my mind go "WTF? Dis not right...ABORT!" because then I woke up.

Wow- I saw the first post, thought up my 6 favorite thrill rides at Kings Island before clicking, clicked the list...and I'd seriously have put those same 6 rides, just in a slightly different order (this is my personal order for those six): 1. The Beast 2. Diamondback 3. Banshee 4. Mystic Timbers 5. Flight of Fear 6. Vortex Though I found nearly every thrill ride I've ever been on at Kings Island very enjoyable, save maybe Invertigo which I think is just OK (it has great forces but it head bangs me a lot), so I'd probably recommend nearly all of them.

Firehawk is a fun ride IMO- the flying sensation feels weird, but fun, and the ride has some neat elements. The loop on Firehawk is probably one of my favorite inversions in the entire park. It can be a little rough at times (though the time it was for me I was in the very back so that might have been why), but it's also far from the roughest coaster I've ever been on. Also beware: sometimes the Sun will get in your eyes on the lift hill, since you are on your back the entire way up. However I have only been on Firehawk twice in my 12+ visits to Kings Island for 1 major reason: it's capacity is crud (it takes a LONG time to load/unload this coaster- from what I have heard this is the case with most flying coasters though), and thus it often builds a much longer wait time than I or others in our group are willing to wait for it. If we see even a few rows in that line full, it's a no-go, because even that means a LONG, slow-moving wait when it comes to that ride, and we generally don't feel like waiting a hour plus for it when other rides in the park are 15 minutes or less. It is worth riding though, if you are willing to either head straight for Firehawk (and Flight of Fear- it can also build up quite a lengthy line itself) when the gates open, since it's not the first ride most people head for (that seems to be the hot new Mystic Timbers this year) you can ride it with little to no wait, and in that case it is very much worth it (just not when the line starts to get huge). Or you could buy Fast Lane Plus (regular does not include Firehawk) if you showed up to the park a bit late and it's already crowded, and you're willing to drop a big chunk of cash.

^ Wow, that is actually one of the best recreations of Son of Beast I've ever seen. Looks accurate to what the real ride was like, at least based on POV's (never got to ride the wooden monster myself before it was scrapped). I also agree 100% on the way the ride looked- it was an amazing looking wooden structure, especially due to how tall it was AND the fact they put that pre-drop dip all the way up there. I have also attempted to make Son of Beast myself in RollerCoaster Tycoons 2 & 3 (not very good at No Limits 1 or 2, at least not enough to recreate a real ride with any accuracy at this point). Here's what my efforts came up with (in RCT3- The trees are a mod BTW but I used the in-game wooden track): http://i772.photobucket.com/albums/yy10/McSalsa/Shot0001_zpsrhqd130r.png~original http://i772.photobucket.com/albums/yy10/McSalsa/Shot0000_zpsfcezhqkg.png~original

^ Due to the 2 posts you made I noticed the error in the OP text, so I edited my first post a bit due to this. I also, just to see if there were any other ride manufacturers Cedar Fair has worked with semi-recently (since 2000) they could "re-unite" with besides Intamin or Mack, looked up on RCDB EVERY roller coaster Cedar Fair built at one of their parks from 2000 on, and who built them (not counting additions to say, Kings Island before Cedar Fair owned them since Cedar Fair wasn't the one adding Son of Beast or Backlot Stunt Coaster). I found a few companies who's last Cedar Fair coaster additions were pre-2010 or so, though do note all of these seemed to add only 1 coaster to a Cedar Fair park, then nothing since...you have Maurer Rides GmbH, Vekoma, and Gerstlauer. I could see Cedar Fair trying to re-establish a connection with some of those, for example Vekoma has shown off some interesting ride concepts recently and maybe Cedar Fair wants to try them out. So that would make 5 possible "establishing a better relationship for more coaster" companies possible versus just the previously mentioned 2. Intamin may have ONE edge- I saw a LOT of rides from them added to Cedar Fair in the early 2000's, so at one point the relationship was clearly very good between the 2 companies, and Cedar Fair's statement may want to rekindle it if Intamin can prove they can make their rides more reliable. (Though if they can't- say the Impulse rumors are true and it opens and it has major issues- I could see Cedar Fair shelving Intamin again afterwards. If Intamin is working with Cedar Fair again, they need to do a good job on this next coaster...)

Hmm...reading this, I thought of the California's Great America proposal thing I saw, where one of the pictures was a Intamin Impulse coaster similar to Wicked Twister- made me think the "returning" ride manufacturer could be Intamin, with one of those next year, which if Intamin and Cedar Fair were to work together again would probably be the type of ride Cedar Fair would get from them- it's a old proven model (they know how it's supposed to work by now), and isn't crazy expensive (though using Wicked Twister's price tag and inflation calculations it would cost around $13 million but that'd still be far less risk than spending $20M+ on a Banshee or Fury 325 sized ride) so if Intamin screws it up, it does hurt Cedar Fair as much as a more expensive ride failing would. Though another possibility would be Mack Rides, which makes sense as I could see Cedar Fair wanting to work with them as they have had success with their rides in Europe and Asia, and don't seem to have any major reliability issues. Plus Cedar Fair has worked with Mack before, I know they built Knott's Wild Mouse Coaster in 2013. (RCDB Link: https://rcdb.com/11074.htm) Though the image in that proposal was still a Intamin Impulse, but... #1- That could have been a placeholder image and Cedar Fair really isn't adding a Impulse to CGA or #2...Mack has their own model of Impulse coaster now, and Cedar Fair just used the Intamin as a placeholder for the image since the Mack version wouldn't have been built yet. This could also be the "never before seen coaster", as it would be a brand-new model from Mack, though Intamin did make it first. If the "mystery coaster" isn't a Mack or going to GCA, then I am a bit more stumped on what else it could be though- RMC T-Rex perhaps? At least we know full well what the 2 "Wooden Coaster Transformations" are though- RMC Iron Horse conversions on Mean Streak & Hurler. This makes it seem like come 2019 and later, Cedar Fair is gonna be building coasters from a lot more than just the usual B&M and GCI options- though I would not be shocked to see more from them as well in the Cedar Fair chain in the years to come.

Hello everyone! I went to Kings Island yesterday (April 22nd) and as usual, here is my trip report. First up: my rating scale so you'll get my ratings for each ride. (I have decided to just give how fun I thought each ride was- I'm ditching the intensity and roughness ratings from my last TR). I'll also be going back to a 1-10 scale, which I used in my older trip reports... 10: Incredible. One of the best rides I have ever ridden anywhere. 9: Excellent. A fun ride from start to finish, well worth riding over and over. 8: Very Good. Would happily ride this again. 7: Good. Worth re-riding, but not if there is a huge wait. 6: OK. Worth a ride if the line is short, but not if it's 30 minutes or more. 5: Meh. Really only worth it if it's a walk-on. 4: Bad. Not really even worth a walk-on. 3: Very Bad. Would not ever ride again unless something changed. 2: Terrible. Why did they even consider building THIS?!?!? 1: Garbage. I have no other words for how bad this ride is. 0: Ultimate Garbage. HOW DID YOU BUILD SOMETHING THIS BAD!?!? OK, let's begin the trip report! My sister had gotten us tickets through her college, which was having a trip to the park yesterday and she could bring 1 friend. Since the date of the event also happened to be my birthday, and she knew I loved Kings Island and wanted to try Mystic Timbers, she chose me. We arrived at her school campus around 7:30AM, and by 9:00AM the buses left. We arrived at the park at around 11:00AM and my sister used her phone to check the wait times, Mystic Timbers was only 15 minutes according to the app, and since we wanted to ride that, we headed for it. As we headed down I-Street, we heard the new international music and it was awesome. We got a locker and paid $10 to have it the rest of the day (this was very useful and I would recommend it if you are gonna bring stuff you need to store, the disadvantage is you'll be running back to the same lockers a lot depending what you leave in there though). Then it was finally time for... Ride #1: Mystic Timbers Wait Time: 15 Minutes The app was about correct, and we waited 15 minutes or so for the newest ride at Kings Island. It is very well themed, and I love all the small details the park put into this ride. The Millennium Flyer trains are amazing, and the ride is buttery smooth. It's pretty intense, with lots of airtime hills (all of which give air, though it comes in different varieties depending what hill it is) and twists and turns. The trick track near the end is a awesome element and my favorite part of the ride. I liked the shed- though it is a little troll-ish, it's a nice way to end the ride since essentially it is also the final brake run. While Mystic Timbers didn't become my new favorite roller coaster (I've only been to a few parks, but I have already apparently been on some of the best in the word so such a feat would not have been easy anyway) I still liked it a whole lot and think this was a great addition to Kings Island, one I will ride over and over again in the years to come. Score: 9/10 After Mystic Timbers, we decided to go ride another of those amazing coasters I had already ridden before...since it was also wooden, and I wanted to compare with Mystic Timbers fresh on my mind... Ride #2: The Beast Wait Time: Walk-On!!! Beast was running AMAZING yesterday IMO (it had rained the night before and it was cool out which apparently really helps woodies). The trim brakes didn't seem to have nearly as much of an effect, and even if they did sap speed, it was quickly re-gained. The ride was a bit bumpy, but I'll admit for this one, I like it that way. The 2nd hill after the first drop, for only the 2nd time I have ever gotten this, had some actual airtime, although it was weak. The final helix, as usual, was utter chaos and I loved it. I was laughing like a giddy schoolgirl by the final brakes- Mystic Timbers is pretty awesome, but Beast is still my clear favorite ride in the park. Score: 10/10! If you looked at my wait time for Beast, you saw something rare. Yep, it was a walk-on. It was pretty cold, and the forecast was calling for rain (which NEVER CAME!) so at least for the first few hours, the park was dead- it picked up later though. We then exited Beast plaza and saw Diamondback was ALSO a walk-on, so we headed there next. Ride #3: Diamondback Wait Time: Walk-On!!! With no wait, we jumped right into the very back seat, climbed up the 230-foot lift hill, and dropped 215 feet with airtime the ENTIRE WAY DOWN. And it was like that on every single hill! It was awesome. You could also really tell the ride went 80mph because it was in the low 50's, so it felt crazy cold with the wind. The splashdown- usually only a event for non-riders- even made a louder than usual splash, scaring us a bit as it was a little like a explosion of water. An incredible ride on yet another incredible coaster. Rivertown has become crazily OP in terms of its roller coasters now! Score: 10/10! We then were hungry (had last eaten around 7:30AM) so we ate at Tom+Chee's, since it smelled good and was nearby. I got the Chicken Bacon Ranch Sandwich and it was good, but they screwed up my sister's order by forgetting her chips. D'oh! Afterwards, we headed up and walked towards Vortex, which had been broken earlier but began testing when we were in "line" for Diamondback. By the time we reached it, it was open, and... Ride #4: Vortex Wait: 10 Minutes Vortex HAD A BIGGER LINE THAN BEAST OR Diamondback. And due to this, I actually couldn't get either 5-1 or 7-1 (my seats of choice) and had to go for 3-1. From this seat, Vortex drops from quite awesome to...pretty average. There was not much if any airtime on the 1st drop, and it was noticeably rougher. These 2 things took a lot from the ride IMO. Still decent, but I'd perfer to ride Vortex from the 2 seats I listed above if possible. Oh, and the 30th Anniversary banner they had was really cool. Also a Bat apparently tried to perch on the Corkscrews, but it flew away when it sensed the train coming- considering what ride USED to be here, and what we saw in the shed earlier, that was pretty cool. Score: 7/10 We then tried to ride Flight of Fear, but it's line for whatever reason seemed to just stand still for 10 minutes (during which point a 2nd Bat flew into the que area and went into the metal roof overhead), so we got out and headed Banshee, but we wanted to also hit The Racer and Adventure Express while heading that way. When we got near The Racer both sides were running at first, but when we got in line, Red Racer broke so we had to ride Blue. Ride #5: Blue Racer Wait: 10 Minutes (Due to capacity suddenly being cut in half when Red broke) We boarded Blue Racer and rode near the back, my sister sitting in the row ahead of me and me in the middle car. The ride was pretty fun, though a bit on the rough side. Decent airtime though nowhere near Mystic Timbers (and pathetic if compared to Diamondback). On the way back to the station, a empty Red Racer train came over the lift and "Raced" past us, so it was good to see it begin testing. And when we left the ride, Racer was racing once again, always a welcome sight. Score: 7.5/10 After Blue Racer, came Adventure Express. Ride #6: Adventure Express Wait: 5 Minutes Adventure Express was pretty fun this ride- pretty smooth by AE standards, and decent forcefulness. We got a good look at "Indiana Jones"- he apparently wears glasses, which my sister thought was new but we may have just never noticed. The music & spiel in the final tunnel seemed to be off, but the drum dudes worked, and the screech at the top also did. A fun ride on a fun mine train coaster. Score: 8/10 After "paying" Adventure Express a visit, we then headed into Action Zone and we reached Banshee. Ride #7: Banshee Wait: 5 Minutes The crowds were starting to build by this point, but Banshee's insane capacity kept its line to the stairs. We boarded the purple train (which my sister always seems to get) and climbed the 168-foot lift hill. One scream later, we dropped at 68mph- it was still cold so BRRR...- and began flipping. It was, as usual, one awesome inversion after another, ending with the awesome "slow roll" and helix. There was a noticeable vibration (though not painful at all) and slight shaking though, and I did feel a little dizzy afterwards. Still an amazing ride though. There were also 2 huge Falcons/Hawks flying in the woods over Adventure Express. Score: 9.5/10 After Banshee, we were getting a little thirsty. When we had eaten at Tom+Chee earlier, we bought a souvenir bottle, but afterwards we had put it in the locker...near Mystic Timbers. We decided to ride Bat and Delirium, then we would go get it. Ride #8: The Bat Wait: 5 Minutes After so much "Batty" stuff earlier in the day, how could we not ride the actual coaster? There was a minimal wait, then we boarded and rode The Bat. It didn't slow on the lift like it has done on nearly all my other rides on it, which was a bit odd, and you could smell what was apparently chain lube. We were in the rear of a car, and it was a bit bumpy, so I kept smacking my kness into the seat in front of me. It wasn't very painful, but it was a bit annoying. Still a very fun, though short, ride though. Score: 8/10 As we headed up back towards the main area of Action Zone to ride Delirium, I asked my sister to check to see how bad Invertigo's wait was, and she said it was broken. So we headed up, planning on riding Delirium and getting back to our locker. Ride #9: Delirium Wait: 5 Minutes Delirium only had to run once, and then we got on. It was the usual high-speed spinny-swingy action, though it was also quite cold due to the 76mph speed. A fun ride on my favorite flat ride at Kings Island. Score: 9/10 As we exited Delirium, I spotted Invertigo running, so it had been fixed since the app updated. We checked the line and there was none, so we got a quick ride on Invertigo in. Ride #10: Invertigo Wait: 5 Minutes During our short wait, as we watched the train before us run, I spotted something black-ish fly out and hit the rocks with a THUNK. It was someone's expensive-looking phone, and I saw the ride op get it and hand it back to them with a DESTROYED screen. Poor dude- but that's why YOU DO NOT take loose articles on roller coasters. Thankfully, it didn't hit anyone. As for our ride on Invertigo? It was OK. Nice forces and stuff, but a HUGE amount of head banging. I tried my best to avoid it, but nothing seemed to work. If you asked what roller coaster at Kings Island I enjoyed the least (excluding kiddie coasters)- Invertigo is the one I'd pick. Score: 6/10 After Invertigo, we had ridden most of the major rides at Kings Island we wanted to (due to the cold and stuff, we decided not to do Drop Tower and WindSeeker) besides BLSC and the X-Base rides. We then headed to Rivertown (cutting through the Festhaus and catching some of the 90's show...good stuff...also saw Don Helbig again there but he looked busy so we didn't bug him), got our cup, and drank some soda. My sister played the "Spin the Wheel for a Fast Pass for a ride" game, and we got...Vortex. We decided to save it for later. Then it was time to relax a bit, and you know what ride is good for that? Ride #11: Kings Island & Miami Valley Railroad Wait: 5 Minutes (for Train to Show Up) With Mystic Timbers now built and open, this ride's 1st half gives you more than just trees and White Water Canyon to look at. You great great views of the entire new GCI woodie, as well as Diamondback. The Bear gimmick the train ops did was kinda funny, and there were gophers near the turnaround point and geese living in the old western town, their nest on the roof! It was a fun, relaxing way to waste a few minutes. Score: 7/10 After the train ride, we had some time to kill before a 5PM check-in (yes, all that and some of the below were from 11AM to 4PM...it was not very crowded) so we headed for Backlot Stunt Coaster, which had a short-ish wait and had re-opened. Ride #12: Backlot Stunt Coaster Wait: 10 Minutes Backlot Stunt Coaster, I feel, is one of Kings Island's more underrated rides. This ride gets hated on a LOT since it replaced the Antique Cars & Flying Eagles, and yeah a lot of the theming from its Italian Job days is gone. But the ride has a good launch, forceful helix, some decent airtime and forces, cool fire effects, and a great tunnel finale. It's capacity is also better than you'd think as while it has small trains they dispatch quickly. I really like this little coaster. Score: 8/10 After BLSC, we went to I-Street and did some shopping- we got fudge, the Mystic Timbers "What's in the fudge"? flavor. We also did some shopping but eventually went to Coney Confections since they have everything for $10 or less, found some nice shirts and $1 fridge magnets. Since we were in the area and had time to kill, we did a few rides... Ride #13: Red Racer Wait: 5 Minutes Red Racer was rougher than Blue, but ironically I found it the more fun of the 2 sides since it also had a bit more airtime. Some of the airtime also felt weird, like it would pause or bump in the middle of it then resume instantly. We started out ahead of Blue Racer by a car or two, but by the brake run, Blue had caught up (I think it was due to the smoother track) and won. D'OH!!! Score: 8/10 We got in line for Monster, but it had become 5PM, so we had to ditch and go check-in with the group at the Eiffel Tower. We did so, and we hungry again, so we headed to Reds Hall of Fame Grille...and then left because it was super slow, so we went for Skyline Chili on I-Street instead. The service here was pretty fast, and the food was also pretty good and filled us up nicely. After that we tried to wait for Flight of Fear again, it didn't move (again) and then a bunch of people began leaving saying it broke down. We decided to abandon X-Base for the day after this, since FOF was clearly not running well and Firehawk always has a slow, agonizing wait. We wandered around for a bit, headed back to Rivertown for some of our stuff, then decided to spin the wheel of Fast Lane again...I did it this time, and won...DODGEM. Well, since we had 2 tickets now and they were in Coney Mall, we headed there to spend them. (They saved us little- the waits for Vortex and Dodgem were both very short) Ride #14: Vortex #2 Wait: Used Prize Ticket This time, we rode from my usual seat, 5-1. And boy, was it better than it was earlier. The ride went from little air to lots of it on the first drop, and the ride was noticeably smoother than before. Seat selection sure makes a difference on Vortex. Score: 9/10 After Vortex, we cashed in our other ticket for the Dodgems. Ride #15: Dodgem Wait: Used Prize Ticket Well, at least the ticket had me get on a ride I had never ridden before. Dodgem was pretty fun, but sadly the ride is a bit short- it stopped just as I was really starting to like it. Score: 6/10 (too short) After riding Dodgem, we were waiting for 8:00PM so we could get in line for Beast (app was saying 45 minute wait and we were expecting it to be accurate and we had to be ready to leave around 9PM and wanted to squeeze a night ride in). We decided to let the Wheel of Fast Lane decide a ride for us, my sister spun it....Backlot Stunt Coaster. Hey, not too bad, it's a fun ride and it actually had a line so we did get something here. Ride #16: Backlot Stunt Coaster #2 Wait: Used Prize Ticket See earlier ride review- same applies here. After re-riding BLSC, we boarded the train for a 2nd ride. Ride #17: Kings Island & Miami Valley Railroad Wait: 5 Minutes (for Train 2 show up again) Again, see the prior review, as this was mostly the same save it was now sunset. And then it was around 8:15PM, so we got in line for Beast at last, expecting a 45-minute wait which would get us a night ride...but... Ride #18: The Beast #2 Wait: 15 Minutes (App was 30 minutes off!) We got a sunset ride instead. Regardless of this, Beast was still crazy fun, and felt even faster than it had earlier as it was more broken-in by this point. I got weak airtime once again too. Also the tunnels were pitch black by this point as well. My sister tried to get a cool on-ride photo, but failed. Score: 10/10! It was now around 8:30, and with nothing better to do, we decided to try for the on-ride photo again, so... Ride #19: The Beast #3 Wait: 15 Minutes Now it was closer to night, and the sky was dark-ish but not quite, so I'd call this a Quasi-Night ride. It was just as fun as before, and in the middle dark tunnel, I looked to the right and shockingly was able to see the trees through the tunnel's cracks somehow (probably due to the speed, and my brain putting the images from the cracks together). The final helix was chaos for a 3rd time. Riding Beast once is great, but twice in a row is even better. My sister failed at her photo yet again though. Score: 10/10! In an ironic twist, as we left Beast for the 3rd time, we STILL had some time to kill for 1 more small-ish ride. The ride we picked was... Ride #20: Shake, Rattle, and Roll Wait: 5 Minutes Shake, Rattle, and Roll looks amazing with its new paint job and lighting package. The ride is also pretty fun, and disorienting with its spinning wackiness. A fun way to end the night. Score: 8/10 After SR&R, we headed out down I-Street which was beautiful and exited the park, and boarded the buses to go home. It was an awesome day- 20 rides in 1 day is very good IMO. It was also probably the most fun I have had on my birthday in years. I hope you enjoyed this trip report. In finale, here are my pro's and con's: Pro's: +Nearly all rides were running excellent +Mystic Timbers is a great new wooden roller coaster with awesome theming +Ride crews were doing a great job with sending out trains so little or no waits were common +Though the crowds were also small most of the day +Food was pretty good, though not the greatest +Coney Confections has some great stuff for cheap (compared to other shops in the park IMO) +Lots of wildlife was out and about Con's: -Tom+Chee's forgot my sister's chips -It was brutally cold most of the day -Flight of Fear apparently didn't want us to ride it today Anyhow, thank you for reading this. In finale, here is a picture my sister took for you...have a nice day! (Comments and Questions Welcome)

^ That may or may not have been me, as me and my sister were at the park yesterday and rode Mystic Timbers for the first time. I don't have as much roller coaster experience as some others here do (I have been to Kings Island, Holiday World, and Indiana Beach many years ago) and as such it was my first GCI, but I can compare it to the other non-GCI wooden coasters I have ridden (which were made by Kings Island themselves, PTC, CCI, and Gravity Group). This is the best themed coaster I have seen at any of the 3 parks I have been to so far, edging out Flight of Fear for that title. I loved all the little details packed onto the station, que, and even the trains themselves. Millennium Flyer trains are also as amazing as I expected- the PTC trains on every other wooden coaster I have ridden so far are blown away by them. They are so comfy! Also in part thanks to them, the ride is crazy smooth- I thought Banshee was rougher yesterday, if that puts that into perspective! The ride itself was non-stop action from start to finish, with several nice pops of air and many sudden directional changes. The trick track at the end was my favorite element of them all. Then came...DA SHED. (DA DA DUM) I liked it, in a "OMG SO CHEESY" way- it wasn't super crazy or anything, but I did like all the props in the shed, and the visuals on the screens were nice. The music was funny IMO. Hence why I compared it to AE, which has a similar cheesy ending. I only got to ride once (line looked too long when we came back but apparently it was only 30 minutes so I'll have to consider that next time) but I really enjoyed Mystic Timbers. However, I can't say it's my favorite wooden coaster- I rode Beast a few times yesterday, and it's still the clear #1 in my book, and I'd also say I still like Legend & Voyage @ Holiday World better as well (Mystic Timbers does slightly edge out Raven though). Granted the 3 woodies I would take over MT are all also considered world-class by many, so I am probably already spoiled rotten when it comes to woodies. I am looking forward to riding Mystic Timbers again whenever I return to Kings Island, hopefully I can get the other 2 shed versions (I was semi-spoiled a bit on the shed before I rode, sadly).

Well, on my Youtube suggested videos, these came up a day or so ago. They are more classic WCPO Beast videos, and some general park footage from 1979. (All Videos are from WCPO's Youtube Channel- there are probably more, if you click the link to Youtube button and click their page) I think WCPO got some years wrong though, I'll link the videos then comment further on that one. The Beast Construction, 1978 Kings Island Footage from 1979 (1980?) Aerial View of Kings Island in 1979 (1980?) Riders on The Beast in 1979 (1980?) I also think some of this footage is from 1980 though, especially the "Aerial View of Kings Island" one- The Beast has all its current tunnels (the helix tunnels have been added and the 2 short tunnels mid-ride have been combined), Scooby Doo/Beastie has its tunnel (which was also added in 1980 from what I have read), and the Sky Ride & Bavarian Beetle, both of which were removed after 1979, are both gone. That kinda screams "1980" to me, based on what I have heard about the park that year. Also seeing how Carl Eichelman just hopped onto Beast, sat down, pulled the lap bar down and was dispatched almost instantly without even a lap bar check made me LOL. That would be so no-go in 2017.

Oh dang. At least the riders seem to be safe (from the stream I am watching), hopefully they are rescued soon. Doesn't seem any major injuries will come from this though, which is always a good sign.

Seeing MT Test via the webcam for the first time, I have made these observations: #1- This coaster looks pretty dang fast! As Silver2005 just said, it flies over the 2nd hill, and if you watch the Diamondback cam and can see the train it looks like it flies over the rest of the track to boot. #2- They are sending out trains very, very fast. I don't know how fast dispatches will be once the ride opens for real to the public, but if they are anywhere near this, this could be the wooden version of Banshee in terms of capacity! And that'd be amazing. #3- Mystic Timbers apparently has the "slow down lift near the top to build suspense and let other train into shed" feature some other rides have. Seeing all this stuff, my excitement levels have at least doubled. This ride is very likely going to be amazing.

Hmm- while I can't fully answer this question until Mystic Timbers opens and I get to ride it for myself, I guess I can speculate. Mystic Timbers is probably gonna be a excellent wooden roller coaster- it'll be fast paced, promises a LOT of airtime, and also boasts a wooded setting (same as Beast offers) with non-stop action from the moment you leave the lift to the final brakes and shed. All of these are things people probably usually look for in top-rated wooden coasters, and Mystic Timbers should have them. However, if you try to judge Beast like that- and many probably do- Beast falls flat. Beast isn't non-stop action with no chance to grab your breath (you actually get several spots where you can), it lacks airtime (save maybe on one hill- if you're lucky as I only got air on it ONCE), and it has sections of long straight track and long curves that aren't super forceful, and it has several trim brakes. But it does offer good speed (well, when running good and with a decently loaded train- it can feel a bit slow sometimes), an amazing wooded setting that makes you feel like you aren't even at an amusement park (though you are very reminded of that fact with possibly the best view ever atop the 2nd lift), and it builds up to the amazing double helix finale. It is a very unique coaster- there simply aren't any other rides quite like it, save maybe The Ultimate @ Lightwater Valley in the UK but even that is pretty different since it is a steel coaster. So really, Mystic Timbers vs. The Beast is comparing a more "mainstream" answer to "What does a great wooden roller coaster do?" to one that challenges that very notion with a weird layout. I think in most polls and stuff like that, Mystic Timbers is probably gonna rank higher than Beast, since most GCI's at other parks already have. As for me personally, I am gonna wait until I ride Mystic Timbers for myself. I adore Beast though, so beating it is gonna be a tall order. I'm also a bit grateful that Mystic Timbers is in the same park as Beast, so unless time is running down and I need to pick ONE to ride before closing, I'll be able to ride both and not have to choose every time I ride KI (given that both are working and not broken whenever I visit). If Mystic Timbers night rides are even half as good as Beast's though? I'm gonna wanna visit a lot more during Haunt since then you can get a bunch of night rides in and thus do both easily...

I think (95% sure) that was 2011, which the chart doesn't even show. Vortex was supposed to be ERT that year, along with then-new WindSeeker, but I don't remember that combo actually running that year at all together since WindSeeker had a delayed opening and then Vortex's chain broke, so Beast & Diamondback were the ERT rides instead (as had been the case the 2 previous years- 2009 & 2010). Vortex was down around a full month or so, and its ridership dropped quite a bit because of that.

AT LAST! The trains have arrived...hopefully we see them on track testing them soon. Uh-oh. I know my computer isn't the best (laptop with Core i5 and integrated graphics), but a full-sized park like Kings Island, with guests coming in, starts running at like 10-15fps in RCT3 on it (it's fine if you have the park closed and keep it daytime though). Mystic Timbers (and everything else in the park- dear lord WindSeeker would get awful frame rates due to having to render the whole park below plus its lights at night) would be awful if it felt like that IRL...hopefully Kings Island has upgraded their system specs to the latest Core i7's with 128GB RAM and 4x GTX 1080 Tis in SLI. (And knowing how RCT3 is, it would probably still lag)

I agree with this sentiment 100%. If anything, one of thing Mystic Timbers could use IMO is more tunnels.

I really like Vortex (I'd rank it as my #5 favorite at the park) and usually ride it at least once per trip- it's also my go-to ride for when the park is crowded since it is never more than a 25 minute wait even on busy days. If it were up to me 100%, Vortex would be around for years and years to come. Alas, I alone do not decide the fate of a roller coaster, and Vortex is slowly losing popularity with more and more claims of insane roughness. If the coaster ends up needing a major, expensive repair (IE metal fatigue starts to kick in or something and a entire section of track needs replaced) I don't know if the ride is still popular enough to justify it. The park may also decide that area in the back of Coney Mall could be a great spot for a future attraction which would be a bigger draw than Vortex, and thus end Vortex's run. Though I will also add this: Vortex has had a incredible run already, thrilling millions of guests over the past 30 years. Should Kings Island replace Vortex, the new ride will have very big shoes to fill. I'd also make a serious effort to be there on Vortex's last day, to try and get some final rides in (and would probably buy a on-ride photo from my final ride).

Oh wow- this I didn't expect. Best of luck to you in whatever comes next Boddah, and as others have said, feel free to visit every now and then. KICentral is an awesome site and you were one of the reasons why. I'd say more, but basically everyone else who posted above me kinda already said everything I'd want to. So I'll leave it at this: farewell for now Boddah, but hope to see you on here again from time to time at some point in the future.