jcgoble3

Looks interesting at a glance, but can you please add paragraph breaks? My eyes can't follow a giant wall of text like that. Thanks!

The thread is listed in my cache, but on clicking it, I get this:

From that: Disclaimer: The following is purely speculation, based on the above quote. According to this, there were 5 "technical service" people in the control booth. Now, I don't know what kind of lingo Alton Towers uses among its employees, but "technical service" sounds like what we would call "maintenance". If there were that many maintenance people in the control booth, then that brings a few thoughts to mind. One, that as discussed earlier, the ride may very well have been in maintenance mode, which in turn may have been the cause of the block system not working properly. Two, that I think the blame for this accident is more likely to fall on the shoulders of someone (or two) in "technical services", rather than on the normal ride operator. Three, that they obviously knew something was wrong with the coaster, yet apparently sent a loaded train anyway with safety systems quite possibly still disabled (see point #1), and thus I would not be surprised to see criminal charges against the person(s) responsible.

Not having leaves on the trees is a function of the time of year, not the time of day.

^ Keep in mind the park has changed ownership since then. Under the new owners, I have not seen any such behavior at that pool. Yes, there are kids in the pool, but they are generally well-behaved and/or supervised. Give it another try; you might be surprised.

Interesting report so far. "Nightmare in Buena Vista"? I'm wondering what that refers to.

Okay then. If your SIL can get there before opening, then she can get in early and claim a good seat, then you can meet her in there at 10:00. There are indeed picnic tables next to the parking lot, but as I said, food prices are very reasonable to begin with, and your SIL can get an additional 10% off with her pass. So consider the possibility of simplifying things a bit and eating in the park, so you don't have to do as much prep work or haul as much stuff.

Indeed. There's a picture near the bottom of this page: http://www.thebeachwaterpark.com/rides-attractions/real-thrill/ EDIT: Yes, don't expect large crowds. The size of the parking lot will be your first clue to that when you pull in. I've never waited more than 5 minutes for anything except Big Kahuna (the water coaster) or The Cliff, and never more than 10 minutes for those. It's really a half-day park because of how quickly you can get everything done. Consider the possibility of starting the day at KI's Soak City, riding everything there before crowds start to pick up (you can get walk-ons or nearly so on virtually everything before about noon to maybe 1:00 or so), then packing up your stuff and moving to The Beach for the afternoon.

Shade is not something The Beach is really known for. There are a few lounge chairs that might be in the shade of a tree or something, but the vast majority are in the sun. However, it's not like Soak City where all the good chairs (or even all the chairs period) are taken rather quickly; at The Beach, there are usually plenty to go around, especially on a weekday. I would suggest getting there at gate opening (10:00) for best choice, but know that season pass holders get in 15 to 20 minutes early, so a few of the best seats may already be taken by the time you get in (very few people show up that early, though). A few other tips: If you need a locker, they're reasonably priced (I believe $5 plus a $5 key deposit), but I typically use the trunk of my car instead, which is fairly easy to do. The back section of the park (Big Kahuna and Riptide Rapids) doesn't open with the park; usually it opens at 11:00 or noon. Know that Big Kahuna requires exactly two riders per tube, and that single riders are not allowed; this will be strictly enforced. The same may be true for Maui Wowie (it was supposedly a rule on Maui Wowie all last season, but was inconsistently enforced, and I wasn't told of the rule until the last human-only day of operation). Food is very reasonably priced, so don't be hesitant to buy food in the park. Let me know if you have any other questions.

Never rode a Rotor, but I think it is similar to a Gravitron ride. It sounds like fun getting "rinsed". Nowadays parks wouldn't be able to "rinse" like that, because too many people would be carrying cell phones, iPods, or other devices that could be ruined by the water.

I've seen two Hawaii plates in my lifetime. Both here in Ohio.

I'll bet there's a good mixture of license plates at Carowinds.

The last paragraph of that is a bit shocking. Merlin, the park's owner, is actually recommending that the injured guests sue them? I don't get that at all. I know the British legal system is different from the American system, but I can't fathom how that could be a good thing for the potential defendant to say in ANY legal system.

The amusement industry just can't catch a break this month.

Actually, they are free for the posted wait time plus a 20- to 30-minute buffer.

Last season the bar on the back side of the burrito shack had mixed drinks and frozen concoctions as well (usually my go to) I have yet to go this season so I'm not 100% sure it is sti there.They still do. I ate a Hank's burrito at that bar last month so that I could watch ESPN while doing so, and I watched the bartender prepare several mixed drinks while I was eating.

What do you mean by IROC rules?

Just to point it out, and be fair to Mr. Hart and company, no park is completely immune to having a ride opening delayed. Consider Cedar Fair in 2011, when NONE of the first batch of WindSeekers opened as originally scheduled, and indeed KI's was not even fully constructed on the park's opening day. We don't know the full reason why T3 is being delayed. It might be out of their control (e.g. there could have been delays on the train manufacturer's end, or in shipping, etc.) I wouldn't start pointing fingers at KK for the delay unless we get evidence that it is indeed their fault (and even then, one could argue that KI and the other parks receiving WindSeekers ought to possibly take some of the blame on that for starting construction late). In short: I give the park a pass on T3. KK has several legitimate problems that have been discussed in this thread ad nauseum, but IMHO the T3 delay doesn't deserve to be lumped in with those. Now, if Twisted Twins is delayed next year, then we may have a pattern that warrants pointing a finger at the park. Otherwise, it's a simple case of "nobody's perfect".

They were doing that on Wednesday also. I heard the announcement about the free water cups several times while in line for White Water Canyon, and a few times in other places as well. Come to think about it, I haven't ever heard them advertise the free water cups before, not even on the hottest and most humid days.

More has been added to the fence timeline: (from CPfansite Facebook page) (from CPfansite Facebook page)

Alternatively, if you have a Platinum Pass, you may be able to buy a souvenir cup at the park for the online price (I know this has been the case the last two years). Call the park to verify this, though.

A friend said on Facebook that she rode it this morning, and I believe it was open yesterday evening also (not sure on the latter).

According to the Coaster Crew's KIfansite Facebook page, Kings Island is now selling selfie sticks in the park. Pic provided by said page: Words cannot express my disgust.

Here's the photo I took shortly after the evacuation was completed (which might be the photo Magenta Lizard is referring to): As you might possibly be able to see under the fan, the last car was barely on the hill.