CoasterKrazy

In this picture of Racer there are two buildings that are no longer present at PKI. One of the buildings is located where Flight of Fear now sits, and the other building looks to be where a small amount of King Cobra track resides. ( The later building mentioned looks almost like a gas station ) Does anyone know what these buildings were used for? ( Also interesting to note, Racer's last hill has yet to be removed in this photo. )

I can't decide if I really want to go to Pass Preview Day this year or not. Last year was a disaster, in my opinion. ( Partially my fault because I'd gotten my hopes up so much ) Of course, there is a magnetic pull that there would be a chance I might get to be on a ride when it breaks down. Last year, we missed Tomb Raider, Vortex, Flight of Fear, and brief Beast breakdowns. Very dissapointing seeing those lucky General Public walking down the cortex lift hill.

Okay, so if the queue went under the current station ( meaning it went under the station when it housed The Bat ) where did the queue come back up and into the station?

So the old queue was under the current station?

I've heard that so many times, and I still can't figure out where that stupid queue was! I've looked at every picture I could find, and I still can't figure out how the line used to be orientated. There are old concrete sidewalk slabs next to Vortex's station, but I can't figure our how a queue would have been placed in there. Can anyone provide any pictures that show how the queue used to be situated?

Is there security at the park at all times during the offseason? I was at the cinema across the street from PKI last night, and I noticed how none of the rides were lit up, and thought how easy it must be for someone to get into the park.

Can anyone ( legally ) park in the drop-off area, and walk right up to the park during the offseason? I know that the quest gates into the parking lot are closed, but I'm not quite sure about the employee entrance.

Why were all these things removed? And were the animatronics saved, like with Phantom Theater?

Can anyone describe the story behind the old animatronic figures that used to be located along the train ride? I have almost no memory of them at all, but everytime I'm on the train I feel like something is missing.

Obviously, Paramount's Kings Island will NEVER be Kings Island 1972. However, PKI can reach that amount of themeing and atmosphere. ( I wasn't born until 1986, so I'm going off what other people have said ) Slowly, the park is being transformed, and we are hopefully only seeing the beginning of it. I do think though, that little things such as Tomb Raiders lighting effects should AWLWAYS be kept in perfect working condition. I understand why a major effect may go down once in a while ( and I stress ONCE IN A WHILE ) but a simple change of a lightbulb should NEVER be overlooked or forgotten. Like people have said before, there is no point in themeing a ride if you don't plan on keeping it in prestine condition. Then it's just an eyesore, like Top Gun and Adventure Express. Run down themeing really leaves something to be desired, and guests don't want to come back to the park if they had an "okay" experience the last time they went.

Scooby Doo and the Haunted Castle, not haunted mansion. Sorry, names are a little pet peeve of mine. Anyway, I agree that the themeing at Paramount's Kings Island is average at best, but like other people have said, they are slowly improving. As much as I hate to admit it, but if they spend all of there money on fixing themeing around the park, they won't bring in guests to make more money. No guests = no money = no more park. It's nice that they are slowly improving the park ( Tomb Raider: The Ride, Boomerang Bay, Bubba Gumps Shrimp Shack, etc. ) but I do feel that it could go a little faster. We should just be happy that PKI cares about its guests, unlike other parks.

Did Arrow ever make an original stand-up? They did convert two of their coasters ( A mine train and a corkscrew ) from sit-down trains to stand-up trains, but both were eventually converted back.

I've heard that too, but not from anyone reliable. It seems that even though several people claim to have seen the B&M logo on the train, no one has been able to supply a picture. As soon as someone provides a picture of the train, I'll accept the fact that B&M was called in, but until then I remain skeptical. It just doesn't make sense to me for Six Flags to call B&M and ask them for help, when Arrow had all the original designs and plans. It seems like another Drachen Fire rumor to me. It sounds possible, and very well could be, but there's always that little voice in the back of my mind saying something's not right.

Kinc Cobra used to have water underneath it? ( Or something to that effect apparently? )

Amazing lighting, which can be seen at such parks as Cedar Point, seems to be non-existant at Paramount's Kings Island. The park at night seems to be lack-luster and dull. In my opinion, there is only one ride in the park where this is exceptable, and that is The Beast. I hope that with time, PKI will pay more attention to the parks night lighting. They have so much potential with the structures they have in the park, but it's just not being used. Son of Beast, Racer, Vortex, Tomb Raider: The Ride, International Street, Action Zone, the Eiffel Tower; All these places/structures and more have great lighting potential. Check out some pictures of Cedar Point rides at night on rcdb.com or guidetothepoint.com and you'll see what I mean.

I have never seen the King Cobra trains either. I'm beginning to think that they aren't visible to riders, despite what several people have said. I seriously doubt they would be stored in the spaghetti bowl ( Possible damage by flying objects ) and I have looked time and again in the brake run, but no KC trains. Actually, I don't think there is even room for the trains to be located along the brake run. ( If you have actually seen the King Cobra train(s) the above statements don't apply to you, but until I see them for myself, I remain skeptical )

A Bat themed coaster won't be coming to PKI. Like said before, there are too many other themeing possibilities that would draw more attention from guests. The Bat was a ride built pre-Paramount ownership, so chances of them bringing it back are about zero. This rumor has been around for a LOOONG time, and I seriously doubt it's going to happen now. And there are enough flat rides supply PKI for the next ten years. Heck, there are so many different flat rides on the market that Paramount's Kings Island could add two each year for the next decade and still have plenty left over to chose from for another ten years.

At Paramount's Kings Island, there are several places where a guest can notice old structures and paths. I've notived a few, and I would like to know what they were and why they were removed. Thanks for your help! 1. )On the right side of Internation Street is the very first entrance to Hanna Barberra Land ( Where Scooby Doo and the Haunted Castle is ) If you go to the exit of Scooby and turn around, the Scooby building is to your right. Follow the very far right side of the path, and you will run into a store. There is what appears to be an old path that leads to a now sealed brick door. Did a door used to be in this location, and if so why was it taken out? 2. ) Again on the right side of Internation Street. Go past the entrance to Hanna Barberra Land and just past the very first store. On your right is an old staircase that is fenced off. Did guests used to be able to go up this staircase and over the stores below? If so, why was this closed off, and is there anything else up there for anyone that can remember? ( This staircase is located just before a sculpture of Don Quixote ) 3. ) Go behind the E. Tower and follow the path down towards the garden clock. Take the path to your right, which will lead to the tropical drinks stand, the old antique cars station, and eventually RiverTown. Just after the tropical drinks stand there is a path that seems to lead directly into the lake. I know for a fact that a path used to be there ( from looking at old maps of PKI ) but I want to know where it led and why is was removed.

For those of you who work at Fear Fest, or know how operations work, this question is for you: If there was a guest who was going through one of the haunted houses and he/she "broke down" for lack of a better term, would the employees drop character and help the person get out of the attraction? I wondered what kind of training employees go through and what they are told to do if there is a problem with a guest, such as someone being so scared that they can't continue. I realize that this wouldn't happen often, ( the haunted houses in my opinion are more amusing than scary ) but in case it does, what are employees told to do?

Homecoming dance at my school is pretty much pointless, so a friend and I decided to go to PKI for Fear Fest instead. We left home at 1 PM and got to the park at 2 PM. The parking lot seemed crowded, but the park was perfect. I guess people don't carpool anymore. First stop once inside the park was Scooby Doo and the Haunted Castle. I don't know what PKI was doing on Saturday, but ALL of the lines were as fast as I've seen them. I think my score on Scooby was 1260. Still a great ride, but I miss Phantom Theater at the same time. Next was Tomb Raider. Again, very short wait. Every other torch is lit up in the "monkey soldier" room now for some reason, and the lights don't go out in the movie chamber. The giant statue is lit up with red lights and you are able to watch the screen come up out of the base of the statue. I don't know which I like better, the pitch blackness, or watching the screen rise out of nowhere. The ride was the same as always, but it seems that the effects get slightly worse each time I ride. Getting onto the ride, you're able to see the themeing, and a few of the lighting effects ( Giant statue getting mad, eyes lighting up, etc. ) are very slight. The sparks are now nonexistant very little fog appears at the end of the ride. But I'm not complaining Vortex was next on the list. I think I had the best ride I have ever had. My head didn't touch the restraint once, and the entire ride was smooth as glass. Plus the GREAT pops of airtime at the beginning of the ride. Possibly the best Arrow I've ridden, and top coaster in the park, in my opinion. Keep this one for a few more decades PKI! Flight of Fear came after Vortex. This is a great ride too. I can't help but love the fast paced elements and abrupt stop at the end. By this time it was about 4 PM, so my friend and I decided to try Curse of the Crypt. She's not too fond of haunted houses, so that wasn't the best choice in the world. Anyway, it was an okay walkthrough, but I wonder how it compares to others at other parks. That was our last Fear Fest attraction of the evening. We then ate at Wings and headed to Action Zone. A quick trip on Adventure Express took us to our first ride of Drop Zone for the night. I could ride DZ all day long, and I really could have that night. The line was moving fast. It is now a priority to hold out my hands in front of me while on the ride. If you don't do this, try it sometime, it really adds to the fear factor of the ride. You can't grab ahold of the restraint once you fall though! Half the fun is keeping your hands from shooting back up to that restraint. Top Gun was next, followed by another trip on Drop Zone. The rest of the night was taken up by walking around the park, taking in the Fear Fest themeing. There seems to be A LOT less themeing this year for Fear Fest, but this may be attributed to this being the first weekend of operation. Lets hope so, because I plan on going back, and I hope they get more of the decorations up. Overall, a GREAT night, and an awesome substitue for Homecoming dance

While I'm not quite sure if Son of Beast has ever had a rollback, it is possible. The right conditions, such as cold weather, high winds, and a light train load can and probably will cause a rollback sometime in the future.

Yes, a valley and a rollback are the same thing, with a few exceptions. For instance, Top Thrill Dragster at Cedar Point can have a rollback, but is not considered a valley due to the design of the ride. ( One big hill in a continuous loop ) Generally though, a rollback would denote a valley. Unless, of course, the laws of physics decide to change, but I think that would be a little more serious than a roller coaster...

Where are these Fear Fest attractions? I asked this question this time last year, but I still was unable to find most of the haunted mazes / walkthroughs. Detailed descriptions would be nice. -Curse of the Crypt -House of Darkness -Maze of Madness ( Last year, I believe this was in one of the wooden coaster department buildings. ) -Route666 ( I know this is at Antique Cars, but is it a walkthrough or do you drive through? ) -Psycho Path ( I looked for this maze last year judging by directions given on this site and was NEVER able to find it )

A group of friends and I are going to PKI on October 4th for Fear Fest ( We have yet to decide what time we are going. ) One of my friends has a 2003 season pass, but he hasn't had it processed yet. ( I know, I know, he bought a season pass and never used it. Dont ask me why, I just found out today. ) Anyway, with his un-processed pass, will he still be able to get into the park for free?

A steel coaster of Son of Beast's size would not have cost $25 million. Well, at least it shouldn't. I'd say that the cost would range from $12 to $17 million. As a steel coaster, Son of Beast wouldn't have anything really new or innovative to merit a $25 million price tag.