McSalsa

UH-OH. Here comes a poll. This is another simple one- which of Kings Island's current coasters would you like to see some work done on this offseason? This means stuff like repainting, re-tracking for woodies, fixing theming, etc etc. You know, small stuff. This DOES include the line areas. But there are a few coasters at KI that do need it. I did put some that may not need it as much on here, but to be honest I don't think many people are going to choose them. Also, this doesn't mean "add new stuff" to rides, so no new trains or nothing, it's just fixing what's already there. Enjoy the poll. If you dislike, click back. NOTE: Son of Beast needs more than a small fix like this proposes and thus is not a choice for this poll. My choice? Well...it was a little easy. Flight of Fear. The Q-Line needs some work done, and the ride is running a bit rough- perhaps some work on the trains could help. Racer (paintjob!), Adventure Express (theming fixes), Diamondback (needs a new paintjob already, there are some faded sections), and Invertigo (paintjob) were also considered. The others, in my opinion, are good for now.

Well, I read in another forum that Cornball Express is back up. Apparently, it was getting re-tracked and having work done on it and is running great now. No word on LoCo SuMo though...so now 5 of 6 coasters are open, from what I can assume. I'm very happy Cornball is back open, it was one of the main reasons I wanted to go to Indiana Beach, having heard such good things about it. One thing that has suprised me- this coaster, according to RCDB, is a mere 55 feet tall with a maximum speed of only 45mph! Wow. I'm looking forward to see what the "little guy" can do.

Thanks for the tips thus far! If it is up, I am interested in LoCoSuMo for 1 reason: I rode it...when it was still just SuMo, and am interested to see how that great dark ride fares as a roller coaster...though, those sharp turns look crazy...perhaps if the line isn't too bad and it is open, I will try it twice...BOTH directions. Since backwards, you would miss the train at the end...(PS: That train scared the #^!!%!&% out of me as a kid on the original ride!). I will say this: This little park has some crazy looking coasters and flats...Steel Hawg (first drop is beyond vertical, twists and loops, etc etc), Tig'rr (no restraints, sharp turns and drops), LoCoSuMo (Wooden Coaster with sharp turns made from an old dark ride), Antique Cars that are over the water...

Well, a new trip has possibly surfaced for me and my best friend- we are planning on going to Indiana Beach this July, and had a few questions. I have been to Indiana Beach before, but that was all the way back in 1999. My questions? Question #1: I've heard the park has had problems with rides not being open this year- Cornball Express and Lost Coaster have yet to open. Any info on why, and when they might open back up? I really want to try Cornball and Lost Coaster...we're still going regardless, the other 4 coasters and the rest of the open rides are good enough to still attract us... Question #2: How much is food inside Indiana Beach? Curious, just want to know how much food $ might be needed or if we are better of pulling a "KI" and bringing our own...I have heard it is cheaper than Kings Island, though... Question #3: How crowded is Indiana Beach on weekends in July? I know this will be the most crowded time of year for them, but will it be worse than Kings Island Halloween Haunt 2010? Estimated wait times would be of good use...especially for the coasters. If possible, we could go on a Sunday. The date has not been set in stone yet. Well, that's it. Any help is welcome. And yes, no matter what I will try my hardest to have fun...I just hope these new owners haven't run the park into the ground as badly as I have heard...

And yet another CP WindSeeker debut video emerges, this time from good ol' Coasterbob62...who was among first 200 to ride it! I say it before, and I say it again...BEST. LIGHTING. PACKAGE. EVER. I hope Kings Island can get theirs open soon...

The one at Cedar Point is indeed now open- Coasterforce has a video of it running...at NIGHT! Enjoy. (Best...lighting...package...ever...!!!)

I found this very interesting video on youtube, it is old Coney Island footage from before Kings Island made its debut, with a good portion of the video dedicated to the coasters of Coney Island. There is even a partial POV of the Shooting Star, but it doesn't show the "helix finale" of that ride. Enjoy!

OK, poll time, and I think this will be a very interesting one. There is a first time for everything, and this topic is just that- the first time you visited Kings Island. Why did you come? Were you on a family trip/vacaction? See a TV ad? Drawn in by a particular attraction? Just drive by on the highway? Etc? Enjoy the "poll". If you dislike...you should now by now, but for newbies, click back! As for myself, it was a family vacation in the summer of 2000. New that year was, of course, Son of Beast. I still have lots of good memories from that first trip, as I had a great time that day, but it would be 9 years before I would ever return, due in most part to a fear of coasters that The Racer created (I didn't know what airtime was, and as a little kid...you should understand). However, after my sister went in 2008 and Diamondback was announced, I decided that I should try them again and...well, here I am now on a KICentral. BONUS POLL (Optional): ...and what made you want to return? For me, it was The Beast and other great rides...and the fact I realized every time I visited KI, it ended up being fun.

Coasterbob62 did a video on Dinosaurs Alive! as well. Worth a look... And he also posted this, which is a more "general" park video but does feature some DA!:

Yeah, they were pretty bad until the rain finally stopped, then the coasters all started running more trains, which really helped most of the lines. Beast, I am told, dropped to just a 45 minute wait when all 3 trains started running.

Kings Island: MAY 14TH, 2011 Ola! It's McSalsa, and I come to you with...no, it's not a poll! A TRIP REPORT! I actually like making these more than polls, believe it or not. Before we begin, as usual, here is the ride rating system: 10=Brilliant 9=Excellent 8=Very Good 7=Good 6=Decent 5=Meh 4=Bad 3=Garbage 2=Poop 1=Superpoop 0=Ultrapoop THE ARRIVAL Our huge group, of which I was mostly with my friend, mom, and friends cousin left Indianapolis to head to Kings Island around 7:30 AM, and we arrived at the park around 10:00AM. I was curious- when Kings Island first comes into view, which will look bigger- Drop Tower or WindSeeker? To my suprise, both rides looked the same size! However, when I saw the parking line, I was stunned- it was raining and I was told Kings Island is not supposed to be crowded when it rains. I don't understand why it was so crowded, apparently it was some kind of school music festival. My mom needed to get a wheelchair as due to a past injury, she cannot walk far at all. We got one, but forgot the special access papers and headed for Delirium. RIDE #1: Delirium Wait: 10 Minutes Delirium had not yet built up a super-long line and we were on quickly. This ride was the first ever test of my "new" glasses strap, and...It worked! My glasses stayed on not only on Delirium, but on numerous other rides as well. $2 well spent. As for Delirium itself, it was its usual fast, thrilling self...with a bonus. This was not just Delirium. This was Super-Soaker Ultra Wet N' Wild Delirium. It was raining quite a bit during the ride, which I actually enjoyed...though my friend and his cousin thought it hurt. Not to me, it didn't! Score: 10/10 After Delirium, it was off to Drop Tower. RIDE #2: Drop Tower Wait: 15 Minutes Ahh yes, Drop Tower- a ride that I once feared. Now, I adore this thing! The ride was the same as usual- stunning views of the park followed by an intense drop. I ended up looking at Flight Deck- which was repainted this offseason and looks beautiful now. The rain had no effect on this ride's performance. Score: 10/10 After Drop Tower, we started heading towards Racer, but as we passed Adventure Express we noticed it didn't seem to have much of a line. However, little did we know... RIDE #3: Adventure Express Wait: 15 Minutes ...The wait was still 15 minutes, because only 1 train was running due to the rain, even though it was starting to back off a little by now. The ride was a bit better than last time, it seemed faster and most of the effects were working (thus this particular ride gets an 8, last time I gave AE a 7). They need to fix up the last tunnel's theming though,some of the aztec dudes arms don't work! Score: 8/10 After "zig-zagging" through AE's line with a wheelchair, we realized we needed those papers BAD. So we got them, and then I learned that when you are with someone in a wheelchair, you can join them and skip most lines! Cool! We headed for Beast, but we found out due to the 1-train operation they were using due to the rain, only 1 of us could ride with mom, and there were 3 (not counting mom). We got hungry at this point, so we headed to the car and ate some food we brought. We then returned and decided to wait for Beast the hard way...and it took 90 freaking minutes! RIDE #4: The Beast Wait: 90 Minutes!!! (Curses, 1 train operations!) After a brutal wait, we boarded Beast. The Beast lived up to its name, and it sure acted like a...well...Beast! The ride was violent, rough, and had VERY strong laterals. Stronger than I have ever felt on this coaster. Where did they come from? And believe it or not, they were not as strong in the final helix. Weird. I enjoyed the ride, as I am a Beast fan and have come to expect and enjoy a ride like this (worth the wait!), but my mother HATED it. Too rough for her tastes. In fact, she vowed to stop riding anything at that point! I would "convince" her to ride more later, however... Score: 10/10 After Beast, we ended up hungry yet again from that giant line and smelled LaRosa's Pizza. The Pizza was better this time than it was during Haunt, it had better sauce and cheese and the breadsticks were soft & delicious. We also bought several of those overpiced large Cokes. Afterwords, we headed for The Racer because during our Beast ride, we saw both sides running and decided that meant shorter lines. We were sorta right. RIDE #5: BLUE RACER Wait: 20 Minutes My friend selected Blue Racer. This 1972 John Allen classic delievered a solid ride, with respectable amounts of floater air (no ejector air here) and that classic woodie appeal. And, as usual, Blue lost. D'oh! Score: 8/10 After Racer, we headed up to check out WindSeeker. This ride looks like it will be awesome when it opens later this year. Then we decided to check Flight of Fear to find the line at 1 hour. Not too bad considered the ride's popularity and the fact it was pretty crowded. Knowing it would be running all its trains, we boarded. RIDE #6: Flight of Fear Wait: 60 Minutes Wow, this ride does need some Q-Line work BAD. The coaster itself is still awesome, even though they have increased the brightness of the lights so you can see the ride quite a bit now. On my last FOF ride (in May 2010), I was brutally beaten by this ride. This time? The ride was a bit rough, but nothing crazy. And thus, Flight of Fear still earns very good marks in my book. BUT FIX THE LINE!!! Score: 10/10 After Flight of Fear, we tried Firehawk...then ditched it, for the usual reason (Super...Slow...Line). They really need to do something about this. Soon after, I was riding Monster. RIDE #7: MONSTER Wow! Monster even packed a punch on this day, with extra spinning and twirling. Needless to say, the rides were running GREAT. Score: 8/10 After Monster, we headed for Vortex. RIDE #8: Vortex Wait: 15 Minutes Still a line muncher with only 2 trains! Excellent work, Vortex! My friends decided to let me ride by myself this time, a first- I have NEVER ridden a coaster without a friend or relative somewhere else on the train. However, having ridden numerous other coasters and Vortex before, I did it and it went quite well. I chose 5-1 again, and it delievered yet again...and now, there is the "OH MY GOD WE ARE GONNA HIT WindSeeker!" moment that was not there in 2010. Yet another ride that gets a 10/10! This was going quite well... Score: 10/10 With 8 rides down the hatch, I talked to my momma. She was still thinking about how rough Beast was, but said she was not scared of it, it was all roughness that bugged her. A group of neighbors who live with my friend said Diamondback was a short was in the single-rider line, so we checked it out. My friend, who barley fit in Diamondback in '09 and was "stapled" in and thus did not enjoy the ride due to the pain, tried the test seat. He has lost around 20-30lbs since '09 and now he fit! I convinced my mother to ride it, promising her that Diamondback was NOT rough at all. Using her wheelchair pass, we boarded with NO wait! SWEET! RIDE #9: Diamondback Wait: 0 Minutes (Line Pass HO!) My first ride on Diamondback had kick-butt airtime. My second did not have so much. And now, it was time for #3...and Diamondback has redeemed itself. Yes, it is still a bit of a one-trick pony, all it really has is airtime. The hammerhead turn is not much, and the splashdown is a visual effect for non-riders. But it pulls that one trick off so well, and is so comfy, it still rules. In an oddball note, Diamondback has a few sections that seem to need painted now, and has roughed up just a little bit since its rookie year. It's still very smooth, but no longer "buttery smooth". Even B&Ms age, I guess. Score: 10/10 After Diamondback, we decided to go across the park and ride Flight Deck. Long walk. But we got there and I used the line pass again, as I know Flight Deck isn't very rough either and thus would not bug my momma. RIDE #10: FLIGHT DECK Wait: 0 Minutes (Line Pass again) Wow, she be purdy now...but, the Q-Line area here needs some work to match the coaster itself in "cleanliness and quality". The ride still runs the same as before- fast and furious fun. And it's still short. Ah well, a good ride...that ended up being our last. Score: 9/10 After Flight Deck, we headed up to try Delirium again, then we planned on a Beast night ride. But wait, Delirium was CLOSED?!?! Then we looked towards Planet Snoopy, and ominuous black clouds were coming. We knew what was coming, and left the park. No night ride on Beast this time, which is a shame because Beast was running great. 10 rides in 10 hours...yeah, it was a bit crowded and we did waste quite a bit of time just sitting and enjoying BEING at Kings Island. Overall, this was a great trip, in spite of the numerous problems we faced. And now, as usual, a summary: THE GOOD STUFF +Brilliant Rides. Nothing we rode on this day earned less than an 8. They ran great on this day. +Great Staff (Mostly). The Beast crew did all they could with 1 train, and tried to entertain us to help the long line. The Firehawk crew must learn from them! +Good Food. LaRosa's was DELICIOUS today. +Clean Park. Nuff said. No trash. THE BAD STUFF -Rides closed/not ready. Son of Beast and WindSeeker drew my eyes to them more than once, as they are both beautiful rides that look epic, but neither was open. At least WindSeeker will eventually open, but what about SOB? -Food prices...but you already know that. -Some Q Lines and Theming on Flight Deck, Adventure Express, and Flight of Fear need work. -They need to learn how to run more than 1 train on coasters when it rains...ugh. Long lines. FINAL WORDS I really enjoyed this visit to KI. I am still kinda sore, a lot of the rides were a bit rough, though it was mostly "added up" and no 1 ride did me major damage. I am happy my glasses strap worked so well and I had a blast with my friends, family, and compadres. Even if it was ended early by a freak thunderstorm. Now, if you will excuse me... (Gets out Beam O' Mass doom) TAKE THIS, YOU FREAKING THUNDERSTORM!!! (Blasts Thunderstorm into Oblivion) UPDATE: OOPS! This is a 2011 trip, not 2010. Sorry, Typo! UPDATE #2: Made this easier to read by fixing errors. This TR was originally written after a long, fun but exhausting day at Kings Island so please forgive me!

I agree 100%. Flight Deck be all purdy now...

Well, as my next KI visit approaches some people who are coming with us started talking about Kings Island. They said "What ride should we do first?" "Let's do that huge wooden looping coaster, Son of Beast!" I had to tell them the truth. And they got kinda mad about it. But then, they remembered all the other rides, and all was well. May 14th cannot come soon enough! PS: These guys have obviously not yet visited in the Cedar Fair era. They were stunned by Diamondback when I showed them a park map, and called all the rides their old names.

A lot of people seemed happy with this past offseason, with the additions of WindSeeker and Dinosaurs Alive (even though NEITHER of those are open as I type this) and the general park enhancements that were installed. And thus, I thought up this poll. Even though 2011 has just begun, what would you like to see next year? A huge new coaster? A smaller coaster or large flat, plus enhancements? A bunch of small flats and enhancements? Those are just some of the choices. Enjoy the poll. If you dislike, click back.

OK, as some of you have known, me, my family and friends have been planning a trip to Kings Island on May 14th, 2011. However, I just checked this website to see what the weather was going to be like...: http://www.weather.c...027:20?dayNum=8 (I am well aware this is 8 days in advance and could change quickly) It says that there is a 60% chance for rain, but no thunderstorms (yet...the moment it says that, we reschedule!). I am a bit concerned- what happens if it is raining all day? -Will ANY rides be open at all if it does rain all day, even if they are running 1-train operations? (I am 100% sure of one that won't be running at all- Firehawk. While I enjoy it, it's not exactly a must-do, however...) -Does a 60% chance of rain even mean "rain all day"? -If the park will still be open, will there be less crowds? I have been to Kings Island before, and it has rained a bit on those days, but I still have questions since I have never been on a day where it rained ALL DAY. Thanks for any advice.

I hope crowds are this light when I visit in about a week(May 14th)! Or at least not too much heavier. Wonder how long the lines for Diamondback, Firehawk, Flight of Fear, Beast, Drop Tower, and Delirium are...too bad the DB cam no longer moves, it used to show the Q-Line and how crowded it was! UPDATE: NEVER MIND! I just found a part of the line on the webcam and...well...Diamondback HAS TO BE A 10 MINUTE WAIT OR LESS TODAY!!!

Wow. So...many...webcams...not that it's a bad thing!

OK, it is now poll time! (Those who dislike my polls, click back...umm...NOW!) Everyone has a favorite INDIVIDUAL coaster, but what is your favorite TYPE? A list of various types for you to use as a guide: http://www.coasterforce.com/coasters/coaster-types (Didn't realize Coasterforce enhanced their web page recently...I like it!) My favorite type? Wooden, does not really matter what sub-genre. But, if it has to be, Wooden Terrain Coasters. Of my top 5, 4 are woodies and 2 of those make heavy use of terrain: #1-The Beast @ Kings Island (Wooden Terrain Coaster) #2-The Voyage @ Holiday World (Wooden Out & Back Coaster. Does make use of terrain in some areas.) #3-The Legend @ Holiday World (Wooden Out & Back Twister Coaster) (Starts like an out & back, but ends in more of a "twister" fashion) #4-The Raven @ Holiday World (Wooden Out & Back Terrain Coaster) (Starts like an out & back, turns into a terrain coaster in the middle!) #5-Diamondback @ Kings Island (Steel Hypercoaster) (Only steel in my top 5!) Please note: I have only been to Kings Island, Holiday World, and Indiana Beach (long time ago for IB). You don't need to use a Top 5 list, I was just using it as a guide for why I picked wooden terrain... Enjoy the poll. If you for some reason dislike, click back.

That webcam just now happens to be on Kings Island's website, along with the IS and DB cams now.

OK, now it seems Diamondback cam has returned and WindSeeker cam is gone. Or it could feasibly return, and we could have 3 webcams...which, to be honest would be cool...

I just found this: http://www.visitking...bcams/index.cfm I like it. It's a new webcam, this time at the front gate of Kings Island. Cool Dinosaur there too...