jbeast

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.

I was just looking at the webcam a few minutes ago. It's probably just me, but I get a little nervous seeing that crane extended out over the first drop. Hydraulics don't fail me now...ha! Still, it's really amazing how that drop is turning out and alot of fun watching it being built. Also from that view, you really get a good estimate on how big Diamondback really is!

That curved drop is looking wicked good! This coaster is going to be such a blast and It's alot of fun watching them put it together on my split screen at work! Those construction workers at the top of the framing right now are braver than me!

What a great addition to the park! I love GCI coasters and I agree, being low to the ground hauling butt over the terrain is always a winner. Like I've said before, I always wanted to see a coaster go back out there and it's finally happening! It's really a dream come true for me. And a nod by the park to The Little Miami River with the shed. It's beyond cool to see that since my coaster I drew up years ago for that area I named Little Miami Scenic Screamway. Great minds think alike...ha! I found it disheartening and incredible the negativity on Facebook (and some coaster sites) about the ride...just shows how uniformed the general public and spoiled people are about these rides. They act like KI owes them something and don't realize what a great park it really is. And Cedar Fair likes to make money....go figure. Do people forget how much of a debacle and PR nightmare Son of Beast was? I figure we'll see that Giga over on the other backside of the park in a couple years, so let's enjoy this! A new, modern twisty, fast airtime popped coaster through the woods...and instead of just rolling into the station, there's a surprise at the end...what's not to love?

I too remember the brakes! I rode this contraption with my oldest when he was little time and time again because he loved it. I learned the special braking position for a male adult real fast after the first ride.

I'm thinking RMC (I hope), named Wildcat with a height around 120'-150'. Although I'll be just as happy if it's a GCI.

I really like some of those names Thrill_Biscuit. I created a mock up drawing just for fun a few years back of a crazy, air-time filled wood coaster in almost the same place in the park and named it Little Miami Scenic Screamway. It's a long winded name, but it was an homage to Kenton's Cove Keelboat Canal (one of my all time favorite rides) and the the Little Miami River. It's so exciting to see at least part of that dream maybe coming true. I cannot wait for the official announcement!

Yep, I know...but, If we were allowed to snap the 2nd set sure. It's really just were I envisioned them going if and when we received a new set, way before we saw the install in Planet Snoopy. The new flyers we currently have are fun, but just a pale comparison to the Flying Eagles.

Those are some amazing photos! Brings back a ton of memories of being there as a young kid. I love the park now of course, but it was such a different place back then.

That video is great! Well, it seems from all indications that a new GCI is coming our way, which makes me very happy! Just so pleased that KI may finally get an updated wooden coaster. With the first set of teasers, especially the kitten looking up at the fence, I wonder if the name Wildcat, or some version of that will be the name? I think KI will get a giga once Fury has that top spot for a another year or so. I can envision a new record breaker way on the other side of the park, out behind The Racer. Maybe as part of an expansion back by Firehawk or Flight of Fear. Seems like a logical placement to me. And while they are at it, put a snappable set of new Flyers on Flight Commander's old pad...I always dreamed of a great set of Flyers up there since they took it out and didn't put Drop Tower there. One can dream...

Hmm...Interesting to say the least. Could my dream of a new modern wooden GCI or RMC running rampant along the wooded backside of Rivertown actually come true? I'd take an 80' terrain hugging new wooden coaster in a second. There's alot of excellent wooden coasters out there around that height. Even as short a ride as it is, I imagine most of us would love to have The Raven in our home park. (Although is fits the park it's in now just perfect). So anything like that is a major plus in my view. If that blueprint is correct, which is up for major speculation, there's alot of wooded, steep hills over there that could make it very, very fun!

I finally got to ride Stormchaser last Saturday. What a fantastic coaster! The airtime on the 2nd hill is nothing short of amazing! It keeps it's speed up throughout with a little slow down near the end, but it's paced perfectly! Loved the first drop too! I'll say once again, I'd love to see a coaster like this at KI, whether it's RMC or GCI. This was my first visit ever to Kentucky Kingdom (I always past it on my way to Holiday World so many times), so it was Stormchaser that finally convinced me to check the park out. I was very pleasantly surprised. The park was clean with lots of shade in the back section, ride ops/employees were very friendly and mentioned how happy they were to see us from Cincy. The ride selection was great, especially Lightning Run...neither me or my ten year old was expecting that first drop! Wow, just wow does that coaster haul with a ton of airtime at the end. Also, at last, and had I known this I would have went before, I was able to get real snaps on a set of flyers again! That made my day complete! Got passes this year, so we will make a point to visit as much as possible this summer.

Being around since the early days of the park, and watching it grow into the wonderful place it is today, I am always happy with gratitude that a new attraction is on it's way, whatever it may be. Especially if it is indeed a new coaster. Heck, I remember as a wee kid looking at The Racer and thinking that's as big as a coaster could ever be! I love The Beast and Racer, but I have been wanting to see a terrain hugging GCI or RMC on either side of the park for years now. With all the steep grades and rough terrain, my imagination runs wild at the thought of a new, updated airtime machine rampaging through it all. A 300' plus steel monster is a ton of fun of course, so , if that's the case I'd be more than happy. But, there's just something about the crazy twist, drops and turns on modern wooden coasters that I absolutely love!

I think the coaster and the trains look great. I'm just so happy to see a really fun looking RMC close to home!