coastermike

This is so very true. The Microtel, by the way, is right across I-71 near the Beach Waterpark. That's where my group is staying this year. Mike B.

How about here for a description: http://www.abandonedonline.net/index.php?catid=383 And here for the photos: http://www.abandonedonline.net/index.php?catid=384&photos=1 Mike B.

I don't know about it being the fastest, but the rush of speed on The Beast after you exit the tunnel and up to the second lift hill is is awesome for me. Mike B.

Does anyone remember a time when someone's word was their bond? When you could count on what someone said no matter what? Mike B.

Maybe they're getting Demon Drop from CP. Mike B.

Double-check your timer settings. The episodes are not starting exactly on the hour or half-hour. Mike B.

The whole ride late at night. Mike B.

I like both parks but have to admit that I prefer KI over CP, even though KI is farther away from where I live. My first trip to KI was back on August 25th, 1974 when I was just ten-years-old (I still have to park info book, check out the pictures here http://www.KICentral.com/history/photos/th...ils.php?album=8 ). The park layout to KI seems to be an easier walk, just head to the Eiffel Tower and choose your direction, while CP seems to be almost one long continious walk. To me, KI was more of a family park, with CP being more of a thrill ride park, although in recent years CP has really improved itself in that department. Another thing that I like is that KI doesn't charge extra for the waterpark. CP's advantage over KI for me is that I can travel to the park and back in one day, with KI always being overnight. Mike B.

There's always the option of taking a few extra minutes to travel outside the park to eat. Mike B.

I stayed there with two of my cousins during our visit to KI back in May. This motel became a Motel 6 late last fall with renovations taking place over the winter. As of May they still had a lot of work left to do. The lock on the door of the first room they gave us didn't work, and in the second the coating on the bathtub was peeling. Our room was situated on the first floor right by the rear exit. This made for us having to hear the noise being made by other guests as they entered and exited the building, as well as having people who wanted to smoke outside meet and talk right outside our room window, part of which occurred late at night. The room rate itself was cheap ($40) so saying "you get what you pay for" holds true for me in this case. My cost for this trip was one-third of that plus the gas (we used my car so my cousins reimbursed me) plus the price of my ticket and food. All in all, it was a cheap vacation for us, which is why we picked the Motel 6 in the first place. We live in the Detroit area and prefer going to KI over CP even though the distance is greater. The manager stated that the remodel was ongoing but I don't think I'll stay there again. If you want to stay in Mason I'd suggest either the Ramada Inn, which is just north of the Motel 6, or the Microtel, which is located by The Beach Waterpark. All the times that I have stayed at either of these two places have been pleasurable, with both of them offering a small complimentary breakfast every morning, of which the Motel 6 does not. The Ramada Inn has an indoor pool and whirlpool, while The Microtel has neither, but the Microtel is one of the few hotels left that still offers two queen size beds, where most others offer two twin beds or one king size. They even have a small mini-bed on the windowsill of the room if you have a child or a shorter person in your party who wants a place of their own to sleep. Mike B.

Firehawk makes me feel a little light-headed for a few moments afterwards. Otherwise 35 years ago it was Winnie Witch's Cauldron ride. I almost threw up after that one and it left me with a pounding headache. Of course I was 10 at the time. Mike B.

Yesterday I saw 2 girls in their mid-20's in short shorts, bikini tops with tank tops over them, and sandals. This was not at Kings Island. This was at the Frank Murphy Hall Of Justice 3rd Judicial Court building in Downtown Detroit where I was serving jury duty. They were getting off the elevator as I was getting on. Mike B.

I'm 45 and have noticed more and more in recent years that my body has less tolerance for the wooden coasters. I won't ride SOB anymore, and if I ride The Beast I ride towards the front in a middle seat. The only other ride that bothers me a little is Firehawk. Both times that I have ridden it I have felt a little light-headed afterwards, although that feeling only lasted a few minutes. On the other hand, I think Diamondback is a great ride that doesn't bother me at all. Mike B.

I remember quite a few years ago after boarding the tram back to the parking lot listening to the microphone operator saying things like "Welcome to our two week tour of the parking lot. I hope everyone's already been to the restroom" and "Welcome to the only other area where you might see animals beside the Lion Country Safari. I've personally seen Cougars, Mavericks, Pintos and Mustangs roaming free so be careful". Mike B.

I'm glad I have the Festhaus Glockenspiel mp3 so I can at least listen to it. What a shame if they don't restore it. Mike B.

I'm 5 years into the 40-59 group. Mike B.

I have my Commodore 64 computer put away in storage. As for the 5 1/4 floppies, I still have the disk notcher I bought at a computer show to turn single-sided disks into double-sided disks. One of the things I remember most about my early days of computing was attending the latest computer shows to swap bragging tales about what new programs I had just successfully copied (I mean acquired). Anyone ever hear of the Fast Hack 'Em Program series of disk copiers? Mike B.

I downloaded these Kings Island mp3's from that site: 1-Adventure Express - Station with Station Master 2-Adventure Express - Rainforest 3-Adventure Express - Finale Tunnel 4-Enchanted Voyage 5-Festhaus - Glockenspiel 6-Flight of Fear - Inside Saucer 7-Flight of Fear - Hanger 8-Flight of Fear - Ride 9-Nickelodeon Parade 2005 10-Phantom Theater - Ride 11-Phantom Theater - Queue 12-Scooby Doo 13-Scooby Doo - Techno 14-Scooby Doo - Graveyard 15-Scooby Doo - Ride 16-Spongebob 3D Queue 17-Tomb Raider - Antechamber 18-Tomb Raider - Antechamber (Door Closing) 19-Tomb Raider - Antechamber (Door Opening) 20-Tomb Raider - Loading Drumbeat 21-Tomb Raider - Main Show 22-Tomb Raider - Main Show (Music Only) 23-Tomb Raider - Preshow (Ambiance) 24-Tomb Raider - Preshow 25-Tomb Raider - Preshow (Music Only) 26-Tomb Raider - Tunnel 27-Tomb Raider - Queue 28-Tomb Raider - Vertical Door Closing 29-Tomb Raider - Vertical Door Opening 30-Top Gun - Intro 31-Top Gun - Highway to the Danger Zone 32-Wild Thornberry's 33-Wild Thornberry's - Monkeys 34-Wild Thornberry's - TNT Barrels 35-Wild Thornberry's - Snakes Mike B.

Does anyone know if Cintas has ever done this? I know someone who works for them and he mentioned that they are a supplier to Kings Island and that their main headquarters in located in Mason. Thanks Mike B.

I'll be there on Saturday along with my nephew and two of my cousins. It's about a 3 1/2 to 4 hour drive from Lincoln Park, MI. I'll be wearing a white "GET VERTICAL MOUTAIN DEW" shirt and a baseball cap that says "TECHNOMATIX" on it. Ironically, we picked October 6th because we thought the weather was too hot in August. Mike B.

Do you mean Zephyr? I was terrified of rollercoasters until I was 18 when my brother and sister virtually dragged me onto the Rebel Yell coaster at Kings Dominion. I had all this fear and anxiety going up the first hill (which seemed to take forever), but after we reached the bottom my first thought was "That's what I was afraid of? This is so cool! Let's go again!" I had the same feeling the first time I rode a looping coaster, which was the King Cobra. Again, after coming out of the loop my thoughts were the same, and I've been a coaster and thrill-ride fan ever since. Mike B.

From my house in Lincoln Park, Michigan, approximately 236 miles. It's usually about a 3 1/2 hour drive.

My very first visit to Kings Island was on August 25th, 1974. My family had just returned home to the Detroit area from a trip to Chicago when my Uncle Stan called to say he was taking his family to a new amusement park near Cincinnati the next weekend, and invited my family to go along. I was 10 years old. It was the first time I had ever been to an amusement park and I was amazed with the place. I've been hooked ever since and have traveled back there almost every year since then including a trip last summer with him and a few of my cousins. You can see scans of the 1974 Kings Island booklet from my first trip in the history-photographs section of this website. Mike B.

I've got a great idea for a log flume ride called the Keelboat Canal. They could get rid of TRTR and build it there. Mike B.

I was going by the 1979 copyright date inside the book when I submitted it, but I'm not sure if the book was purchased in 1979 or 1980. I do know that the 1974 book was acquired at the park in 1974 because that's my mom's handwriting on the inside page with the date that my family visited (it was our very first time, on a Saturday if I remember) as well as on the back cover identifying where we parked. I'd like to thank Ryan for posting my submissions so prominently on PKICentral.com and for the recognition. Mike B. "Coastermike"