Lakota88

Years ago when I was a teenager I passed out while standing in line for a drink at one of the Coney Mall eateries. I mean just passed out cold. Probably a combination of heat and dehydration. I woke up flat on my back on the blacktop with my friend saying "Are you okay?" and everyone else in line staring at me. I got back up, dusted myself off, got my drink, then went right back to the rides for the rest of the day.

That's what I guessed. Still, if they aren't going to open everything they should add an asterisk to the park calendar for those days. But I'd take the light crowd over open restaurants any day, so we still left happy.

Hi, all. I'm the one who started this topic, and based on the encouraging feedback from everyone here I decided to go ahead and take my 4yo daughter to KI for the first time this past week. She absolutely loved it. We spent the entire day there from 10 to almost 8 and she still didn't want to leave. Full trip report HERE.

The big day finally arrived. My wife and I took our four-year-old daughter to KI for the first time. I grew up almost in the shadow of KI and went there a lot as a kid, but I moved out of state almost twenty years ago and had only been back once since. I couldn't wait to introduce my daughter to the park. I knew things had changed a lot and I'd done a lot of research both here and on the official website. I was worried that my trip would be disappointing, just as it was around ten years ago when I went during the Paramount years. I was also worried that my daughter -- a bit of a chicken like I was at that age -- would be too scared to ride many rides. I'm happy to say I was wrong on both counts. Despite all the changes I still felt the heart and soul of KI past. And my daughter turned out to be a little daredevil, riding almost everything accessible to someone of her height. Of all the changes in the park the one I was most worried about was Planet Snoopy. Even though I must say I still prefer Hanna Barbera Land, I was very impressed with PS. The theme is consistent and well-done throughout, and there is a great variety of fun rides for the young'uns. The landscaping is beautiful and the grounds were spotless, and all the employees were incredibly nice to all the kids there. Since we were there primarily for my daughter we rarely strayed from PS. I think she hit double-digits in ride totals for her favorites there, including the Great Pumpkin coaster. And the ride operators graciously gave her repeat rides when the lines were short. But we did venture over to Coney Mall to introduce her to the Scrambler. One of my greatest KI memories from childhood is riding the Scrambler with my mom, bouncing against her on the outer swings of the ride and laughing all the way, so it was so wonderful to be able to share the same experience with my little girl. When it first started up I was a little nervous for her because it seemed a lot faster than I remembered, but she absolutely loved it. She demanded another ride as soon as it was over. At around 2 o'clock we started getting hungry so we made a beeline for the buffet I'd heard so much about here. It was closed. So we headed for Outer Hanks, which I'd also heard a lot about here. It was closed. So we pulled out the map and looked for another spot. "Hey, let's check out the '50's diner." We walked all the way over to Coney Mall to the restaurant. It was closed. This prompted a big "Double-you tee eff?" from me. I can understand a ride or two being closed for maintenance now and then, but how can you call the park open when the biggest eateries aren't? Regardless, we settled on some grub from the potato place in Rivertown and then boarded the KI&MV Railroad afterward as a relaxing ride to let our food settle a bit. This was one aspect of the park that really suffers in comparison to the old days when the train ride was actually an attraction with live actors and neat things to see as opposed to simply a way to get to Boomerang Bay and back. After that is was more PS, and then the thunderstorms hit at around 5 o'clock or so, just as the forecasts predicted. Fortunately many of the PS rides stayed open during the rain and my daughter, undeterred by the showers, kept right on going. Despite the afternoon showers and the inability to try some of the food I had my eye on, it couldn't have been a better day at the park. After almost ten hours of going non-stop she still didn't want to leave as 8 o'clock approached. She loved every ride she tried, and it was such a treat for me to see her enjoy the park just like I did when I was young. The park looked great, the employees were helpful and nice, and we all had a wonderful time. Kudos to everyone at KI for the great work they do. We all can't wait to go back.

That's a bummer. I can understand prohibiting cameras on fast rides where they could become projectiles, but on all but two of the rides*?

The season is just beginning...I am sure that more and more people will show off a photo or two! As for me, I have not made it to the park yet this year...but once I do hopefully I will have something to contribute. I'm heading to KI in a few days and I'll have plenty of pictures for you. I can't decide if I want to take my good camera to get great high quality shots or my smaller, cheaper spare.

That is my plan for my trip. I might leave my cell phone in my car but since it will be my daughter's first trip to KI I can't leave my mini video cam behind. It will fit nicely in a Ziploc in a velcro pocket in my cargo shorts.

/facepalm FAIL I must have typed that email before my first cup of coffee. Sigh...

$7 for a locker?!? I think I'll bring a backpack.

I'm making my first trip back to KI in ages soon, so it will be my first BB experience. Are there locker/changing rooms anywhere in BB or do you have to use the lockers at the front gate for storing clothes and such?

Awesome pictures. Thanks for sharing! Now that's the KI that I remember.

Like yellowkorn says, a lot of phones and other mobile devices have wi-fi capabilities. I was wondering about wi-fi availability myself because I was thinking of streaming some video from my BlackBerry. Streaming over 3G is painful -- like watching a slide show.

Look about 9 posts up.

Yeah. I remember that nice little cruise through the treetops on the way to the drop. That was a terrific ride.

That's it! I remembered the name Kenton's Cove Keelboat Canal but I couldn't remember if that was the larger one or the smaller one that's still there. Thanks!

Am I crazy or weren't there two log flumes back in the late '70s and '80s? I see by the park map posted here that one still exists (renamed Race For Your Life Charlie Brown) but I don't see the other one. The other one had a much larger drop, IIRC. I can't even remember if both were still there when I went in the mid '90s.

The whole episode is available on YouTube as well (in three parts). Good quality too. I discovered it just last week. I watched it straight through first, then the second time I watched it I kept pausing at different shots to look at the park. It's sad how many of the rides and features are no longer there. Unfortunately there are no good shots of Hanna Barbera Land, but you get a good look at most of the other parts of the park. Part 1 Part 2 Part 3

Great pics. Thanks so much for sharing those.

Thanks for all the great feedback, everyone! I decided to go ahead and plan a trip to KI at the end of this month (during the week before the big kids' school year ends). I'm sure she won't remember it all, but I'll take lots of pictures and videos for us to watch later! In all honesty, the trip is as much for me as for her, but I wouldn't take her if I didn't think she'd have fun. I'm anxious to visit KI again after all these years.

Oh, I'd never think of forcing her on a ride. No way. But when it comes to things that I know aren't scary (but just seem scary to her) I try to reassure her and talk her into trying it. I really don't think she'd do any of the rides solo, but she probably would with me or mommy. Thanks for the link to the Snoopy rides,frisbeefan. Am I crazy or is "Race For Your Life" the old log flume?

I'm looking forward to introducing my daughter to KI soon, but she's only four years old. Do you think that's too young for a first trip? My main concern is that she's a big chicken -- just like I was at her age -- so I'm not sure how many rides she would try. I haven't been to KI in ages so I don't even know what the former Hanna Barbera section is like now. Can parents ride with kids on most of the rides?

That's the one that has been stuck in my head! Thank you! I couldn't think of the name of it. Now I just need to mix that with the sound of a large fountain and a crowd milling and I could close my eyes and go back in time., Now I just wish I could get some of the others. Interpreter, thanks for those links, but there isn't much pre-Paramount (which I should have specified) info in any of those.

Does anyone have a list of (or know off the top of your head) the classical pieces that used to play on International street back in the 70s and 80s?

I spent a lot of time at KI in the 80s, and I remember the excitement of going back twenty or so years later. Unfortunately I was disappointed. Everything seemed old and dirty to me. Maybe I'd just become too old and cynical, or maybe I was foolishly hoping to recapture the carefree feelings I had when I went to the park as a kid. Who knows? I've heard that Paramount neglected the park for a while during the time period in which I visited and that things are much better now, so I'm hoping to go back soon. I'd like to introduce my daughter to the place that gave me so much joy as a kid.

I remember the Enchanted Voyage like it was yesterday. Well, bits of it anyway. I started going to KI in the late 70s and went multiple times a year throughout most of the 80s. The awkward first step onto the revolving platform to reach the boats. The goofy snail just outside the tunnel entrance saying howdy and goodbye. The welcome blast of cool air that hit you on a hot day. The HB characters in all their cheesy animatronic glory. Even the giant teeth someone mentioned earlier that opened and closed as the boats exited the ride. And yes, I was entirely too angry when they ditched the HB theme for the Smurfs. I still rode it occasionally because it was a nice relaxing way to cool off, but it was never the same.