jbeast

I could see a dive there too! Here's a quick Photoshop rendering I just created looking from the midway. It'd be awesome having that drop face the midway! Whatever goes there, I'll be happy!

So many things! Definitely our old Eagles. After riding them at Carowinds last summer, a ton of memories came flooding back and they are so much more fun than the set we have currently. Snapping was so much fun! I miss that ride terribly! I'd also love to have the original Bat back too and King Cobra. Kenton's Cove was a fun ride in the trees too...miss that ride! And, finally...the long, curved shaded walkway. That was an amazing place to take a breather in the shade on a hot day and also the way it was lit up at night was just special. I love the park and always have...didn't always agree with removals and certain additions, but it's still my favorite place in the world!

I drive past the park to and from work everyday. It's been amazing to watch this coaster being built. That first drop is going to be insane! I got to ride both Fury and Intimidator 305 this past summer. That drop looks comparable to both of those. I'm beyond happy that we have own own 300 foot drop at last!

Being one of the people who began to enjoy KI back when Racer was the big boy in the park, I've felt the pain of loss of quite a few good rides. Saying that, I think Cedar Fair is doing a fantastic job with the park. I was not much of a fan during the Paramount years though. I miss The Eagles and original Bat the most. The Eagles are still my favorite flat ride ever. Absolutely love them and like I've said before, I still have a hard time walking past that stupid and annoying basketball game knowing what was once in that spot. The Bat, in the first year, was a wild ride at the time. Especially going down off the second lift hill through the trees...I remember it well. Not being designed correctly made for a wild swinging ride when it first opened. I really miss Kenton's Keelboat's too as well as the original Enchanted Theater. Also The Demon...walking up the stairs as the train going along the track rattled the whole structure is a fun memory. Son of Beast was impressive to look at, but I certainly don't miss it much. Banshee in that spot is light years superior in my opinion. Kind of miss King Cobra. It was such a groundbreaking style of ride when it was opened and I did get a bunch of rides on it through it's years. Being a little older, I've seen quite a bit come and go at the park to say the least. It's still my favorite place in the world through it all.

Wow! Vortex will be missed for sure! I have not ridden it in a couple years though. Between it's tough transitions and my getting a bit older...it's just not for me anymore like it used to be. But, of course, I remember fondly of The Bat that stood there too. I was way more upset about The Bat being dismantled at the time. It was such a new style coaster back then and I absolutely loved that ride. I'll surely miss The Vortex, and I'm hoping for something great to take it's place since it is/was such an iconic piece of KI's landscape.

That is a good point about the flooding at Coney. A really nice, big and exciting place was built in Mason due a lot to that very issue. It's too bad some type of flood wall system around the area of the park couldn't be created...not sure if there are any flood walls close to the park.. Maybe some of you all know more about this? I truly hoped one day we'd see another smaller, but amazing coaster installed there. I remember seeing something on here in the past about that and a coaster going along Lake Como. That would have been amazing and maybe that would have generated more revenue on the rides side...maybe, but we'll never know. As a guy who had the pleasure of visiting Lesourdesville Lake/Americana a bunch and sincerely loving every second of those visits ( miss the Screechin Eagle so much!), this is as sad to lose a part of Cincinnati amusement park history again. Reminds me of how I felt when KI lost the Eagles...luckily, I had the pleasure of finally embracing my love for snapping them this summer at Carowinds...that was a good day!

Wow! I'm at a loss for words. My family and I really enjoy the ride side just as much as the pool and slides....maybe more even. So sad and disappointed by this news.

I'll be there around 7:30 with my girlfriend. Cannot wait. Wearing my new vintage Bat shirt for the occasion!

Gotcha Hawaiian....I think it's funny when others use the term budget....$20-$30 million is an awful big budget! Can't wait till tonight!

Less on our project??? Cedar Fair is spending quite a few million dollars installing this new addition. I cannot be more excited at the love they show our park. Not trying to sound condescending or rude at all. Just be thankful that we get the additions we do and will get in the future. KI seems such a better place since CF acquired them.

Wow! This thread has really taken on a life of it's own. Do I think we will see a giga in that spot...sure. Will I be happy? You bet! Do I care if it breaks any existing records? Not at all. KI has broke records before...some great installations, some not so good (I'm looking at you Son of Beast). Funny thing is, I remember people on here (and all over) not being happy when Mystic Timbers was leaked/announced. And guess what? It's not the tallest, fastest, longest anything. But, it's a fantastic ride all the way through. A great addition to the world class coasters we are lucky enough to have at our home park. I can and have ridden MT all day and evening...cause it's fun and a great ride! And, if Banshee were just a bit taller to break a height record...what difference does it really make? It's perfect the way it is. I'll be happy with anything over 300' in that cleared spot, if that's indeed what's to come there. And if it's not, then guess what, I'm going to be thrilled that Cedar Fair loves KI enough to put in another great coaster when they could have just skipped over us. I guess I come from a different time and era, where we waited till things were announced and then enjoyed the hell out of whatever it was...it's supposed to be fun, right?

I'm a decent size guy...6'4" 230 and I didn't have any issues with the restraints either this past Saturday.

I personally like the updated/old look of International Street. The colorful buildings, pavers, nicer seating areas and open format remind me of being a kid when the park first opened. Also I visited for a few hours this past Saturday and the fountains were shooting up nice and high. Change is good in my humble opinion.

Just like everyone else on here, the hope for a new giga in that area sounds amazing. However, looking at it in person on Saturday...I'd sure love to see a custom RMC in that spot with some terrain hugging and long tunnels. That would be just as, or even better maybe.

It's going to be a really fun couple of days for sure. Cannot wait!

My vote goes for The Eagles with Phantom Theater a close second (of course, I still remember riding Enchanted Voyage too). I agree that the scooters we have now pale in comparison to the original Eagles. The Eagles were by far my favorite non coaster ride because of the truly wild rides you could get. I rode them as a kid on and as I grew up they were still a favorite! They were such an adrenaline rush! As I've said before, it's tough walking past that 3 point challenge knowing what was once there.

I love reading about all these past rides. Great job Shaggy! I was fortunate to get quite a few rides on the original Bat. It's too bad the initial design was so flawed, but I got lucky I suppose with the rides I had during the first year or so. It wasn't the fastest thing around, but it was a wild ride in it's inception. The descent off the second lift flying through the trees was my favorite part. Just watching the train swing through along the track was mind blowing as a 12-13 year old kid. It was such a new concept at the time. And I loved all the commercials for it and The Beast on TV back in the day. I still have a pennant the the original Bat, Beast and Screamin Demon logos together...it's one of my most loved souvenirs!

Having the original Eagles back would be a dream come true. As they were my favorite non-coaster ride ever, I would be beyond happy! I agree Shaggy, it was one of the most perplexing moves I have seen as far as the park goes. Such a loved ride with so much Cincinnati historical background from Coney to KI. Sometimes, I still hearing the cables snapping in my head as I walk by that stupid basketball game.

Well, it's time to get up to The Point again next summer...that is one amazing transformation of a coaster that sorely needed it. RMC is just blowing it out of the water with this one! After riding Outlaw Run and Stormchaser, I cannot wait to ride this monster!

Can't wait! I'm really looking forward to some nighttime ERT on Mystic Timbers! I still have not got a night ride in.

KI has a total winner with this ride! I've only been able to ride it once so far this past Friday afternoon (luckily I showed up at 2pm and only waited 20 minutes after the park opened), and I absolutely loved every second of it. It's such a beautiful coaster...I cannot wait to ride it again. It sure feels faster than 53mph with all the quick directional changes and pops of air. MT is the coaster I've personally wanted to see KI build for a long time and theming it to The Miami River Lumber Co. is a huge plus! I had to have one of the new shirts with the 'it's all good in the woods' slogan on it...way too cool! It seems the powers that be have learned all sorts of lessons from Son of Beast and their additions in the past few years have been reliable and stellar! I'm a firm believer a wooden coaster doesn't have to be the biggest to be exciting and a ton of fun and Mystic Timbers delivers that and then some! As far as the shed...I didn't go in over hyping it myself and I found it a fun way to end the ride with a nod to KI's wonderful past. It's pretty much what I expected, so no disappointment from me. Also, it's so nice to see the powers that be bring back some of the old lure to the Rivertown area. Reminds me a lot of the very early years where the rides matched the theme of the area for the most part anyway. I cannot wait for Coasterstock for some ERT night rides!

Thanks Shaggy for sharing your wealth of knowledge about the park. I always look forward to your posts! I too grew up in the early years of KI and those photos and your insight bring back a lot of memories. I wish I would have been better at documenting all of it through the years. Showing my age a bit, but I can remember passing by Fields Ertel and only passing a White Castle and Shell station (and that was it!) on our way out to the park. I love the park with a passion, but back then it always felt like going another world. Something about being an excited kid and the aura of the park when it first opened and especially after The Beast was announced. There was kind of a supernatural feel once The Bat and Demon came along...It was awesome! I would hover around the TV, just waiting for that awesome Beast and Bat commercials to play...ahh the days before the internet...Ha!

The more I see of this beautiful coaster, the more I like. It's going to have a great combination of floater and nice intense airtime. Something, as I've said before, I've been wanting to see at KI for a long time on a up-to-date wooden coaster! I absolutely cannot wait to get on this thing as it looks extremely re-ridable. I agree that renderings and videos of this coaster are not doing it the justice it deserves. Of course, videos rarely do for any coaster for that fact. C'mon Spring, get here fast!

As I said in another thread regarding this ride. Neat concept, but atrociously slow line. And, even though my oldest at the time loved it, it was not adult friendly....at all. Especially when you're 6' 4" and 225lbs...not much wiggle room. And ouch, that abrupt stop at the end hurt in a special place. Don't miss it that's for sure..ha!

It's always sad to see a classic coaster fade away and demolished. It was a true gem in it's operating years. I absolutely loved the ride and thought it was probably the best coaster they had at the time. Between this one and The Screechin Eagle, we've lost two really great classic wooden coasters.