McSalsa

^ Even the fast laners would have to deal with the RCT3 lag. Which would enrage them... ...I...paid...$50...for...this...fast...lane...ticket...and...it...is...still...freakin'...lagging... (Park management notices the lag) Helbig: Uh-Oh! Better lower the graphics settings to "High Performance"! Me: Hey, the lag went away...but why does everything look 2D and all cruddy? And why can't I see WindSeeker until I am 10 feet away from it? (Another joke- poking fun at the lag in RCT3 that occurs when you build tons and tons of rides and are forced, even on good PCs, to resort to low settings- although on my sister's modern pc I can get decent performance with a KI-sized park running at about 20 fps with everything open and people- but the settings are still only only on "800x600 performance" with the draw distance turned up so I can "see" the rides and stuff).

^ If we are talking RCT3 Sandbox mode...Kings Island would be...FREE. Food? FREE. Drinks? FREE. Parking? FREE. Only problem is that that would draw in MASSIVE crowds. So we must lengthen all the coaster's trains...Diamondback's 9-car train becomes 12 cars per train, and now it runs 4 trains! Beast now has 10-car, 6 seater trains! And we build new rides, too- pretty much everything in the catalog! BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! Nothing can possibly go wrong! (McSalsa shows up at Kings Island for Opening Day 2012) Oh Boy! Kings Island! (Walks in) Huh...wait...a...sec...ond...why...is...every...thing...lagg...ing...oh...crud... (This was a joke post)

Thought about it for a second...(PS: I was also joking a bit in that first post!) My best guess (for the SOB situtation) is that if they did put it on the map, it would have to be huge and stick out, because it does in real life (and did on the old style park maps it was on) and is unmistakeably a wooden roller coaster...then people would wonder why the ride name is not listed. And if they put a "CLOSED" sign over the image of the ride, it would just be humiliating for the park and make a long line at guest relations to ask "WHY IS IT CLOSED?"- though I figure they get asked that every day anyhow, it would be an even longer line... The Crypt, on the other hand, is kind of "hidden" behind Diamondback on the map and I guess you could also assume it is just a building... ^ (AP Fan) It was the same way on the 2011 park map...

Wow. I like it- even if the only real changes are that the ride names are now on the map, and Invertigo's color is updated to blue (wonder how long it took to do that?). However, one weird thing- The Crypt's box is STILL on there. Son of Beast didn't get this kind of treatment, and it still "exists" and is clearly visible...(I do wonder what Son of Beast might look like on this style of park map if it were still open sometimes, actually...especially considering how "exaggerated" some of the rides look!) Anyhow, I also love how much more detailed this map is versus 2011's. Trees! Trains on more roller coasters visible! Shinier! The 2012 park map is just better than the 2011 version, in my opinion.

Well, OK...here's a few things that still scare me a bit on rides I've been on recently... The Beast @ Kings Island: This one does a few things, actually. First up is the slowest lift hill in THE WORLD, where they play music to further build anticipation on a WOOD coaster (and nearly every single wooden coaster has that "IT'S GONNA FALL APART WHILE I'M RIDING IT!" feeling), followed by a large drop into a teeny-looking tunnel. Then you go off, racing in the woods, through more dark tunnels at high speed, until you feel secluded. Then, you catch your breath on the second hill, to finally see Kings Island in all its beauty...only to turn left and drop into the legendary helix o' doom . This ride plays mind games like no other...while I don't find it "super scary" anymore, it is indeed VERY thrilling and I must still mention it here. Drop Tower @ Kings Island: One of only a few rides at KI that still scare me, though it's not the drop- it's going up, and then that "bounce" feature still spooks me every time...It's gonna scare my sister to death when she rides it when we go to KI this year, she has yet to build the courage for it. The Voyage @ Holiday World: When it's running well, this ride is downright terror-inducing. It makes me feel like my head is going to get cut off...at least fifty (or something like that) times! However, when I last rode it, the airtime was much weaker and the whole effect was just lost. Plus it decided to get super-rough for some reason. I hope this ride doesn't become one of those "has-been" rides like Mean Streak @ Cedar Point or Old Texas Giant became...but, my rides on The Voyage in 2010 were epic and will not be forgotten. My 2011 rides...not so much. Used to make this list: Pilgrims Plunge @ Holiday World: The "tilt" on the lift used to scare me, but last time I visited, I overcame it. Scariest Coaster Moment Ever: Diamondback @ Kings Island. The ride doesn't scare me anymore, but on my last ride, the trim brake made a loud "BANG!" noise and I thought my lapbar had come undone. Yikes! (Thankfully, that was not the case, as I "checked" it during the MCBR) But, those 10 or so seconds in between, I was holding on for dear life...

^ That one I knew about. Saw a TV special about the entire "transformation" when I was a kid about 10 years ago, shortly after it happened. I remember those old TV shows that used to play on the Travel/Discovery channel, learned about a lot of rides from them...weird fact- I once thought Magnum XL200 and Millennium Force were in two different parks. My jaw hit the floor when I learned ONE park had BOTH those awesome-looking rides...then, if THAT wasn't enough, I saw an Ad in a magazine for Top Thrill Dragster in 2003.

^ Just checked it- thanks for the heads up. I had no idea Kennywood actually "upgraded" and basically built a new coaster out of an old one...

Coastergeek101: I'm pretty sure as long as Kings Island is still around, Beast will still be operating, unless one of the park owners decides to be a complete idiot and removes it or there is a horrible accident (ride crashes, fire, tornado etc etc). There are tons of wooden roller coasters that are very, very old- some nearing or past 100- that still operate to this day. Here are some of the noteables: Leap The Dips @ Lakemont Park- Opened 1902, world's oldest operating roller coaster. Jack Rabbit @ Kennywood- Opened 1920, continues to thrill riders to this day. Thunderhawk @ Dorney Park- Opened 1923, Cedar Fair's oldest operating roller coaster. Giant Dipper @ Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk- Opened 1924, a favorite of many wood coaster fans. Giant Dipper @ Belmont Park- Opened 1925, another west coast favorite...with the same name as the last ride I listed! Racer @ Kennywood- Opened 1927, one of the world's oldest racing coasters. Cyclone @ Astroland- Opened 1927, the world's most famous roller coaster, numerous "clones" made. I think the point may be proven...here's the FULL list, sorted by age: http://www.rcdb.com/...page=1&order=10 Kings Island may well have Racer, Beast, and Woodstock Express (or whatever they call it, more name changes could be in store) for years to come...all KI has to do is stay open, and maintain them, and they will continue to thrill guests for possibly centuries.

^^ If I do, I would be over 120 years old...hey, people have lived that long before, and with the advances in medicine... But, considering Beast will be a 100-year-old wooden coaster, unless it gets a lot of re-tracking or something, I will need to stay FREAKISHLY healthy to even attempt to ride it at my old age...

^^ Umm...74gibson,I know: A 300-foot Arrow Mega Looper would make Son of Beast seem like a great alternative. A 300-foot B&M Mega Looper could work, but the inversions would need to be MASSIVE to prevent excessive g-forces... I was thinking B&M Gigacoaster (similar to Leviathan at CW). Just named Anaconda and with the same logo as Kings Dominion's Arrow Mega-Looper. It would also follow Canada's Wonderland in adding a B&M Giga but keeping the "theme" of naming the Giga after the hypercoaster. Leviathan & Behemoth were both massive biblical monsters. Diamondback is a type of snake...an what do I think when I think "huge snake"? Anaconda. Another possible name: King Cobra. Yes, Kings Island already had a ride with that name, and it was quite famous. But a King Cobra is a huge, venemous snake...bigger and deadlier than a Diamondback. And it could, in a way, be a tribute to the old ride- use the old logo (I think the park still has it), and paint the ride the classic green & yellow...just don't make it a 300+ foot tall stand-up coaster (possibly even worse than the Arrow Giga Looper plus 3 Sons of Beast and 2 Crystal Beach Cyclones put together )!

Happy B-Day, Beast. Good to see you still going strong at 33. Hope you make it to 133 (which could be quite possible since wooden coasters do last really, really long...boy, will Kings Island have changed by then though!)!

I like what they appear to have done with Invertigo's station. They seem to have added some new color to it, too, and I approve- it was in dire need of some "charm" and now it has a little (not too much, but a little). Though it still lags far behind Beast and Vortex's awesome-looking stations (then again, many of KI's rides besides those two do). As for the coaster itself, wow. When they announced the ride would be changing colors to blue, I was worried the ride would lose the "LOOK AT ME!" appeal it had when it was bright yellow & red. Those fears are gone- this ride still screams "RIDE ME!" as much as ever before. I actually like this new paintjob more than the old one, even when it was in its prime.

Well, I figured this would be fixed eventually, but they got it pretty quick. Good job by the Cedar Fair IT team. It was funny while it lasted, but the "error" can still be read in the first post. And if Kings Dominion is gonna get rides called Diamondback & The Beast, does that mean Kings Island will get an "Anaconda" (300ft+ green B&M Giga Coaster, anyone?) and "Grizzly" (Could be anything, really...)?

WOW. I must share this...I find it funny. http://www.kingsdomi...CFSgTNAodxE7UWQ For those who don't want to visit that site and look for this, here is what I read that was so funny: Things To Do Prepare to feel the presence that will make your senses come alive with excitement - a presence that goes beyond breathtaking views, beyond hair-raising adventures, beyond the awesome power of Beasts and Diamondbacks -- the presence of Kings Island. From the moment you enter, enchantment begins and the fun never ends. This would be fine for Kings Island, but this is on...Kings DOMINION'S web page. They need to fix this- they just copied Kings Island's page! (I checked Kings Island's site and yep, the exact same text!) And, to showcase how hilariously bad I think this is...

I have found something VERY interesting that SOB fans and those who have never ridden it (like me) may enjoy. It's a POV video of Son of Beast, apparently officially taken by the park (or maybe some old TV show) because it is a mounted camera. And it is from SOB's opening year, 2000 (King Cobra standing & visible, Crane standing near ride, etc etc), so it features the original trains and loop. Here it is, enjoy: WARNING: YOU MAY NOT WANT VOLUME AT 100%...the chain lift is super loud! They do skip past it quickly, though...

Well, now that I think of it that way...it is kind of a carnival, but it's a carnival that has been given a tremendous amount of steroids. And pretty much the only one I would even consider a 5-hour drive to go to...although their tickets are cheap at $24 ($21 with discount) and they didn't seem to have any lines. I'm also guessing Cedar Point is a large reason this place adds so many rides (competition even though CP is closed, or just giving guests tons of rides because that's what CP does?)

Coasterbob62 posted another video recently, and well...I had no idea this place even existed. And it's open right now. Here's the video: What a flat ride collection... Weird schedule though, only open from March-Mid April...park is located at the I-X Center in Cleveland, Ohio.

^ Oh...well, perhaps it is not destroyed...but they may have damaged it while taking it out or something, you never know.

^ Impossible trade, too. Our Crypt hath been destroyed. Kings Dominion probably will not trade us for thin air...will they?

^^ Uh-Oh. Do not ride Delirium any time soon, or risk being flung into the air by a massive B&M Inverted (Added that part because of Kingsrattler's post right above mine) Stand-Up Coaster rising from the ground really fast. And, to make things worse, when you come down you're going to crash into Son of Beast.

^ You didn't just call a coaster type that you have never been on "weak", did you? You can't really guage forces from watching POVs. There are a ton of coasters that look "weak" in POVs, but when you actually ride them...they turn out to be very, very forceful. And there are also rides that are quite the opposite. For those interested, here is Coasterforce's recently posted Wild Eage Left Side POV, a Wing Coaster. This is the real ride, not an animation: Looks pretty darn good to me. As for what park this new green wing rider could be heading for, there are so many possible locations it is dizzying. A small list of parks in this region that I think could possibly get this ride, with pros/cons of each: Kings Island The Good: It's about time for something new in the coaster department at Kings Island, and these wing riders seem like they will be popular attractions. It would mesh with the current lineup well. The Bad: The park may want to deal with a certain mountain o' wood first. Though this could replace that, but wouldn't the woodie have begun demolition by now if that was the case? Cedar Point The Good: Maverick is 5 years old. Something new has got to come to Cedar Point, and soon. This would fit the bill and help the park defend its "Roller Coaster Capital of the World" title. The Bad: Is there room, or will Cedar Point have to axe an older ride to make room for it? If this ride is headed for CP, does it spell disaster and doom for Mean Streak or Disaster Transport? Holiday World The Good: Holiday World needs a steel coaster with inversions, and this fits that bill. Plus, the Green could go well with a brand-new St. Patrick's Day Area! The Bad: Bluegrass Boardwalk is going to take some serious cash if they are going to open it. Is there still room in the budget? Plus, this does not add the "mid-level family coaster" the park needs for those who need to work their way up to Raven. Bluegrass Boardwalk The Good: With Chang gone, if this park is to re-open, it needs a signature ride. This could be that ride. The Bad: It would be a waste of time and money if this ride gets installed, but then it turns out BB is a failure and can't open or closes quickly. Although someone else could buy it used from them then... Six Flags St. Louis The Good: This park could use more coasters. They have some fine wood, and a few good steel, but that's about it. The Bad: Not for the park, but this would be a bit of a drive for me from Indianapolis...and for this park, a huge steel coaster (B&M or Intamin Hyper) would probably work better here. 99% CHANCE THIS RIDE ISN'T GOING TO THESE GUYS... Six Flags Great America: X-Flight. Nuff said. Dollywood: Wild Eagle. Nuff said. Indiana Beach: No room! And do they seriously have enough for this? Of course, this ride could also be heading for a more distant park- Kings Dominion, Carowinds, Six Flags Great Adventure (if they add this, their coaster collection will be ridiculous!), Six Flags Over Texas, Six Flags Over Georgia, and many other parks could also take a B&M Wing Rider and add it to their lineup. Sorry to ramble, if I did...I was just thinking of possibilities.

Invertigo. Big "lump" in the back of your seat doesn't exactly feel comfortable. And back seats on Vortex also stink, I'm ok with the front though. Now, I will also comment on the most comfy of Kings Island train designs...Diamondback. Last time I rode it, felt like I could easily take a tap in them if they weren't attached to a 230' roller coaster.

Someone already mentioned this in the "crowds" topic, but I felt this deserved its own topic...oh heck, let's make a poll! Kings Island has revealed the "expanded" lineup of rides for Gold Passholder ERT. It's a long list. Early rides include: Diamondback, Invertigo, Eiffel Tower, Flying Ace Aerial Chase, Woodstock Whirlybirds, Boo Blasters on Boo Hill, Linus’ Launcher, Great Pumpkin Coaster, Charlie Brown’s Wind Up and Surf Dog. Sadly, a ride that has been ERT for many years now, and in fact is my favorite ride in the park, is no longer on that list...Beast ERT is no more. (A second poll has been added to see the reaction to this) I do like the fact they are giving the kids more rides, though. What do you think about this "new" ERT lineup?

Well, it's McSalsa poll time. And this one's a simple one: do you have a KI season pass, and what type of season pass is it (an option is also there for other Cedar Fair park platinum passes that would get you into KI). This one's really easy... Enjoy the easy poll. If you dislike for some reason, you may click back. Or, if you dislike and refuse to click back, you will be forced to ride the 300-foot tall wooden coaster I built out of toothpicks and glue. Not super glue, just plain ol' glue. And I only spent 45 minutes building it and have yet to test it. After riding this, you will beg for Son of Beast.

Uh-Oh. It seems someone hath made McSalsa clones. Soon, there will be 1,000,000,000,000+ McSalsas. Kings Island will be reporting record business. The wait for Beast will be several months.