jcgoble3

Hear, hear!

Welcome to KIC! Try searching this forum; many people have created similar threads to this in the past, and those threads contain a lot of helpful information for people like you. Being a 5'6", 165-pound guy, I can't really help you with specific advice, but can offer a general thought: Some rides (Diamondback, Delirium, and Banshee) have test seats at the entrance that you can try before getting in line. On all other rides, you can go up the exit and ask a ride op to test fit a seat before getting in line. Many people do not know that this is an option, but it is stated to be available in the Guest Assistance Guide here: https://www.visitkingsisland.com/help/rider-height-safety

I live in Xenia and ordered last Saturday. It arrived today (Thursday).

You're falling into the trap of lowering your expectations to meet what is being delivered. I don't budge my expectations just because they aren't coming close to meeting them. I expect them to improve and meet my expectations. That's why they're called expectations. I don't know where you got those times. For me, Walk to the gate: 0-8 minutes, 8 being if I'm at WindSeeker, the furthest point from the front gate in the main park. But realistically, I'm probably at a food location frustrated with the lines, when I make the decision to leave, and I never bother with Juke Box Diner or Rivertown LaRosa's (don't like the food options at either one), so it's more like 0-6 minutes (6 being from the Reds Hall of Fame Grille). (And if I'm in the waterpark, there's a 95% chance my car is parked at the waterpark.) Running total: 0-6 minutes. Walk to the car: 3-4 minutes, since 99% of the time I'm parked close to the center front of the general parking, near the grass strip. Running total: 3-10 minutes. Driving out of the lot: 1-2 minutes to make the left turn onto the center road through the lot, then another 1-2 to drive to the north exit. If traffic is so bad in the middle of the day that it takes longer, odds are I'm at home. I purposely avoid days that busy. Running total: 5-14 minutes. Driving to destination: 2-5 minutes, since I stick to the restaurants clustered around the Kings Mills Road exit in this situation. Running total: 7-19 minutes. Ordering food: Varies, but rarely more than 5 minutes at any fast food place. Running total: 12-24 minutes. Eating food: 30 minutes or more, since I prefer to take my time on eating meals. Rushing meals leads to gaining weight, and I'm trying to lose weight. I'm going to leave this out of the running total because it's the one thing that doesn't change between eating in the park and out of the park. Drive back to tolls: 2-5 minutes again (see above). Running total: 14-29 minutes + eating. Find a parking spot: 2-3 minutes, because I'm not very picky when it comes to choosing a spot. Again, if the park is so busy that it takes longer than that, it's highly unlikely I'm there in the first place. Running total: 16-32 minutes + eating. Walk to gate through security: 3-5 minutes walking time, plus 1-2 minutes at security. If security is so busy in the middle of that day that... you get the point by now. Final total time lost to leaving and coming back: 20 to 39 minutes, or roughly about the wait time for food at Kings Island on a somewhat busy day give or take a few minutes. And it's NOT all about the time, but quality as well: for that trouble, I get much higher quality food and easier refills on my drink for far lower prices than inside the park, and less frustration to boot. So even if I lose 10 minutes, it's still a win.

Absolutely. I didn't go into more depth because I was packing enough stuff into the post already.

I like just a tiny bit of ice in my cup, so one burst of ice from the machine is usually more than I want. In that case, I will dump a little bit out. However, I do NOT pour a drink and then dump it back out completely unless there's something wrong with it (e.g. tastes like soda water because the flavor syrup is running out). People who dump out a perfectly good drink because they don't want it are wasting the park's water and drink syrup and my time. Uh, 10-15 minutes is what I would accept DURING peak meal times. Maybe. In off-peak times, waiting 15 minutes is ridiculous. 5-10 minutes AT MOST is what I would be willing to wait outside of peak hours. I'm one of that small portion. I love my orange Mello Yello Zero (or orange Seagram's Diet Ginger Ale, if I don't want the caffeine). However, I know exactly how to access it and can do it faster than most people can pour a simple Coke. I get the feeling that the majority of people using the Freestyle machines at the park have never seen one before. I agree with the person above who suggested having the Freestyle machines operated by an employee. I did today. The sign on the gate says souvenir bottle refills, "pre-purchased bottles only", but you can use that gate for the paper cup plan as well. Went smoothly, though with park attendance very light (probably 80% of those at the park were school groups). Will be interesting to see how it works on a busy day.

I'd love to do this, but unfortunately I'm already committed to a Newport Aquarium trip that day with a group from my college. For those that get to go, have fun!

So close. I will hopefully be at KK on June 3 on my way back from HoliWood Nights.

A chance of thunderstorms is actually excellent weather for the park. It keeps crowds away, and even with losing time to thunderstorm shutdowns, you can get more rides in on those days than you can on a day with no chance of rain. It's extremely rare for a chance of thunderstorms to turn into a total washout. Just go get something to eat when the storms approach and enjoy the dead park after they pass.

The train? How in the world does one manage to lose something on the train?

I think they're just testing the site. I'm not seeing any changes from last year, and the menus at the top contain all of the same things found there on the main website, including things that make no sense on the Haunt website like Education Days. It looks like just a CSS skin plus three extra pages (home page linked above plus the attractions page and the calendar). Definitely a test.

I was not referring to the shipping charge, which was fair. I was referring to the explicit "PAYPAL FEES" charge, which was not in compliance with the PayPal User Agreement. Thanks. I have now ordered my shirt.

That is exactly it. I've driven past that sign many times, and it indeed refers to this accident.

I was going to buy a shirt immediately, but backed out when I saw that you are violating the PayPal User Agreement by charging the PayPal seller fees to the buyer. This is a clear violation of the "No Surcharges" paragraph here: https://www.paypal.com/us/webapps/mpp/ua/useragreement-full#accepting-payments I won't be buying a shirt until this illegal surcharge is removed.

Basically identical for me, except that I live TWO exits away from U.S. 42 on U.S. 35. Oh, and I've never bypassed I-71. And yes, that 50 mi/h speed limit on 48 is routinely ignored by most drivers. I myself don't understand why it's not at least 55 mi/h, though I suppose the large number of traffic lights could have something to do with it.

Yeah, they just removed the seats entirely and left us to sit on the benches that were behind the seats. I think those benches were previously used for storage of loose articles during the ride.

Exactly. I once heard someone describe it as "radioactive goop". Perhaps it was you?

Exactly. Literally the only sub at Subway that I don't have toasted is the tuna.

Well, MY home park just got nothing but yet another overpriced restaurant with slow service, and I don't think for even an instant that said home park (otherwise known as Kings Island) is getting the shaft.

The train change (which caused the loop removal) was to fix the issue that led to the July 2006 accident (namely the heavier trains putting too much stress on the structure). They didn't just make a change because they felt it might make it last longer. The change was effectively forced on them.

Nope. Diamondback construction was underway by the start of the 2008 season, so it was planned out by 2007 at the latest, the year SOB reopened without the loop. They could not have guessed at that time that it would be permanently closed in 2009, nor that it would be demolished in 2012.

That's not likely to happen, at least not on a scale that would seriously hurt KI. KK and KI may be physically close to each other, but they draw different audiences. KI draws people in for over a dozen big coasters, large flat rides, shows like Cirque, and such. KK is more of a family park with a bunch of small flats and a few coasters, but the waterpark is the main draw, very much like Holiday World (which I would say is KK's most direct competitor). Because of the height restrictions, it's difficult (but not impossible) for KK to build anything that can make a noticeable dent in KI's attendance, so I wouldn't count on it.

Many fountains offer at least one flavor of Powerade. Freestyle machines have multiple flavors of it.

The runway 17R approach line crosses Crittenden Dr. just west of the park at the intersection with Huron Ave. I would guess that height restrictions likely get higher the further east you go in the park, and the further north (but moreso to the east). The runway 17L approach line (on the east side of the airport) is probably not a significant concern for the park since it lines up with I-65, east of the entire fairgrounds property.