homestar92

That structure isn't new. That structure is what holds up the sign. It was there last year when they took down the sign. You'll just have to trust me on that.

I think it is certainly a diversion. They're anticipating more Flight Deck riders next year, so they're DIVERTING the path of the queue to fit more people.

Don't feel too bad, I had the same thought as you the first time I went to Haunt and noticed the sign gone.

Almost everyone I know uses them interchangeably. It drives me bonkers.

All in all, it's still better than what happened on Demon at Six Flags GAm circa 1998. That would have been horrible and was very much newsworthy.

Edit: stupid mobile double-posts...

I used Opera briefly, but changed back shortly after. The Phantom has yet to get his revenge on me.

For many of us, that will show nothing but an error page. For me, it will show lots of theme park info, Haskell reference material, Doctor Who fansites, and my school's webpage.

I'm kinda guessing, but perhaps the Eagles?

He probably doesn't care a great deal one way or the other because Rip Ride Rockit is not an Intamin.

Diamondback doesn't seem too bad to those of us who ride it a lot. But if you compare to its 2009/2010 looks, it has faded drastically and the splashdown pool is... well, nasty, to be polite. Though the paint doesn't look as bad as Invertigo pre-repainting, and the water in Diamondback's splashdown doesn't smell as bad as the water on Congo Falls did last year. And maybe this year too, I honestly haven't ridden it this season.

I really hope it has that classic B & M roar like Raptor. That would just fit the name of the ride that much more! I personally hope it roars like Mantis! But apparently most people find Mantis's sound annoying, so I'm probably a minority...

Now Jonathan, I resent that. Surely you can't say that my most recent Instagram picture sucks! I think it captures the spirit of everything Instagram is about! (Interpret that statement however you wish)

KI is not even close. They'll be second in the standings after Banshee, but in terms of actual inversion count, you're right, they aren't even close. And to contribute to another ongoing discussion, the most I've ever marathoned Vortex was 6 consecutive times, during its brief stint as an ERT ride. I could have kept going, but someone lined up for my row.

I've noticed that there is a setting that allows you to customize the color of the forums, which is cool, but I use three computers regularly, two of which run two different operating systems. This setting seems to be on a per-browser basis (probably a cookie, but I'm only guessing). Is there any way for the server to associate this with our user account? This is a very minor thing, and not probably worth any time investment, but it would be cool if my dark green forums could appear on every computer I use.

But to fake an entire website, but put it somewhere very difficult to find seems a bit cryptic just for a red herring. Then again, it's Don, and he isn't exactly known for being upfront with his teasers. It took me months to figure out that the teaser saying it would be like "Christmas, Fourth of July, Thanksgiving, and Halloween all at once" was in reference to Holiday World, who once had a ride named Banshee.

I don't think the intent of The Bat site was to be a diversion. As a programmer, I really feel like The Bat page was just a layout test for Banshee's site. Diamondback got its own domain after its announcement, so they could test that offline. But since Banshee needed to be able to link to and from the main site, as well as using its templates, etc, it would need to go live for some period of time to make sure everything works. By changing out all the details with alternatives that don't spoil anything, they are able to test their layouts without giving anything away. That way, in the worst-case scenario that it is discovered (as it was), the secret isn't out. But maybe I'm wrong.

Wait, so the inexplicable rectangular building between the exit path of The Racer and the silly basketball game used to be the queue for the Tumble Bug? Huh. The more you know. Somebody should compile a comprehensive list of all the remnants from past attractions. I'd do it, but I haven't the experience necessary. I just made a topic where we can share exactly that information!

In another topic recently, LordSkippy suggested that we make a compendium of knowledge relating to all remnants of previous attractions that currently exist. Wait, so the inexplicable rectangular building between the exit path of The Racer and the silly basketball game used to be the queue for the Tumble Bug? Huh. The more you know. Somebody should compile a comprehensive list of all the remnants from past attractions. I'd do it, but I haven't the experience necessary. And so, I've decided that we should give it a shot and see what we can come up with. And hey, since KI is still open for a few weekends, we could even get photos! I'll start the list with every remnant that I know of: 1. Son of Beast's station still stands, and is used for the Wolf Pack maze during Halloween Haunt 2. Crypt's building still stands and is used for the Cavern of Terror maze during Halloween Haunt. Additionally, the Durga sculpture still adorns the wall, and The Bat demon thing still Haunts the antechamber. 3. Until very recently, there were a few footers from King Cobra standing near Adventure Express's queue. I believe those were removed a couple months ago. 4. Flight Commander's queue still stands, and can be seen behind the sports games booths in Coney Mall 5. According to the quoted post, Tumble Bug's queue has been converted into a storage facility for games prizes. No verification on this other than that post, however. 6. Bat's Station and queue are used for Vortex 7. The cars from Thunder Alley can be seen next to the maintenance path near Firehawk. They are very visible from the lift hill. 8. The souvenir photo booth from Kenton's Cove Keelboat Canal can be seen as you are walking out the exit from Cavern of Terror. 9. Some chains from a previous coaster (presumably King Cobra) are present in Flight of Fear's building. 10. Don't quote me on this, but I BELIEVE that at least one of the old cars from Flight of Fear (with OTSRs) is being stored inside Flight of Fear's building. Feel free to add to the list, or correct me if I'm wrong. I'll try to keep up with this and edit it as information arises, but I can't make any promises

I once had someone tell me they dislike Gemini because they aren't fans of wooden coasters. Tongue firmly planted in cheek, I asked them how that was at all relevant to Gemini, and they looked thoroughly confused. I don't understand why people have such a hard time grasping that Gemini, Mine Ride, Adventure Express, and the Texas Giant aren't wooden...

So what's abnormal? OH SNAP BURN! Lol, I'm just kidding. I think we all kinda look stupid in the pic, but that's what roller coasters do to people, in my experience. At the very least, people usually have a stupid grin. Or a look of utter horror. Whichever is apropos for their degree of coaster enjoyment.

Banshee will affect Vortex's popularity. But at the same time, it won't. Vortex's ridership numbers will not likely drop by much, if at all. In fact, if Banshee brings new customers into the park, they may even go UP. Now, Banshee WILL affect Vortex's popularity in that Vortex will almost certainly drop one position on the "most ridden rides" list. I believe Vortex is currently third (in terms of 2012 figures). Banshee will almost certainly drop it to 4th. Or a better way to express it: if(!rideName.equals("Banshee")) { ridershipRank++; } homestar92, who's wanted to do that for a while, and is probably opening a door for malem to point out some flaw in his pseudocode.

And if you want to be among the first in the general public to ride it, be there on opening day. Who knows? Perhaps it will be an ERT ride. If so, you can get a gold pass and show up early. ERT crowds are generally light. HOWEVER, if a new coaster is to be opened AND it is ERT, then expect record-breaking ERT crowds.

Also, the supports that jutted into the crypt's queue fit in better being tan. Oh, wait... Nobody ever waited in that queue after 2008...

I second (or maybe third, I've lost track) the notion that marathonning a coaster is a perfectly valid form of entertainment if it's something you enjoy doing. I have met Gary Coleman, and he is one of the kindest people I've ever had the honor to meet. Very friendly and outgoing, and you can tell that he legitimately loves Diamondback and Kings Island as a whole. We had a long discussion on why we like our respective favorite coasters, and while each of our favorite coasters is near the bottom of the others' lists, it was a very insightful conversation. Everyone loves the things they love for a reason. I could ride Vortex all day. I'm probably somewhere around 100-150 rides on it and I still love it. This is partially because I love the Arrows and always have, but it was also the favorite ride of my best friend and long-time coaster buddy. When he passed away in a car wreck back in 2011, the mandatory ride on Vortex every time I visit KI gained new meaning for me. I ride Vortex as a tribute to my late friend. Our rides on Vortex are among the fondest memories I have, and while it is a very bittersweet ride for me because of the events it reminds me of, I have a special attachment to that ride specifically that I only hope nobody else can understand. I fall squarely in the camp who believes that if riding a roller coaster brings someone happiness, then who are we to complain? It's better than drugs or alcohol, and it can't possibly hurt anyone except perhaps the person doing all the riding.