matthunterross

Dark ride. Preferably by boat.

Hear, hear!

^That too.

On our last trip to KI, I ate at Hank's for the first time. Of all the great things Cedar Fair has done to clean up the park - including the new food options - this is the one thing in the park that was truly puzzling to me. I know it's been mentioned on the forums before, but... a southern coastal themed building serving Mexican food in the German-inspired Oktoberfest area? What happened there?

+1

My wife and I went to KI yesterday with Fast passes and we apparently were the only ones using them - walked on every ride we wanted to (with the guidance of a ride-op, of course). Granted, park attendance didn't seem that heavy, but nevertheless, I can't say enough about spending extra for these. Ironically, the Fast Lane passes allow you to slow down. We were really able to relax and enjoy the whole park at our leisure.

Interesting. There are a few you missed (+ in higher resolution) here. I usually only post if I can find the high-res versions + will almost always contact the original source of the image (if I don't personally own it) and give them credit with the image. Nice collection, but at least cite your sources man.

http://masonbuzz.com/2012/06/11/kis-the-beast-makes-roller-coaster-bucket-list/ Full List

Diamondback was running last night at 9:30pm.

Wow - great topic. I was just thinking about this same thing earlier today... (Similar topic here.)

Great addition!

^Thanks!

Just for comparison, here's a proper Soak City theme overlay: The changes here include: Flattening out the entry archways, replacing the shingles with a tin roof, changing to traditional rooflines on the gabled dormers, and adding a "light house" topper (plus adding all the other generic details you see in the new Soak City gate, like basic eave supports and flat column mouldings). I strongly prefer the previous version I posted, but this one would at least match the other gate. See a larger version of this color rendering + the original line art (and again, the full set of this process). Orthogonal view of the entryway coming up next.

Remember when the parking lot was coded by Hanna Babera characters? And the tram to take you to the front gate / back to you car... the good ol' days.

Yes - that would be great, and was the original intent for the sketch. (Read here.) Thanks!

Thanks so much! Funny you say that... I'm working on it!

^Haha - thanks man! I too wish they could make it a reality, and yes, I'm attempting to do this professionally. Cedar Fair, are you looking for Entertainment Designers?

Here.

That's correct. Though the porch area in the center would hopefully be functional.

OK, here's the latest elevation rendering: This is my personal favorite of the quick color tests I did. You can see the others here: Initial test Optional version (resembling the new Soak City gate) Again, you can review the whole process in my Blue Sky: Kings Island image set. One more final sketch regarding the front gate coming soon.

Excellent move!

^Those are better - at least upbeat. But how about this: http://www.themeparkmusic.com/

Here's the next step in the process: (See more of my Kings Island concepts.) Final render up next.

I was a consistent season pass holder in the mid-late 80s and I believe the ticket booths were there then.

The idea was to have that middle section built out, even just a couple of feet - the balcony could be faux, but the intention in the drawing was to have it working. Maybe have park dignitaries or mascots greeting guests from above as they enter (on special days), or even allow those from the IR access from the back for sightseeing, etc. Initially, I was just trying to come up with the best design (that had some aesthetic reasoning - focusing on the park history), that would be a fairly easy and cost effective way to transform the structure. Overlaying a new style (Victorian Second Empire) + adding some faux dormer windows and porch seemed to make sense - the existing rooflines match the mansard roof of the Vic 2nd era perfectly, and the turn-of-the-century architecture matches the themeing of the Carousel and Coney Island historical ties to the park as well. It would just make sense if they were trying upgrade at the lowest cost (as opposed to tearing down and rebuilding a whole new structure). Me too. And like others have said, the true International Theme of the main drag is pretty much gone (along with much of the dedicated themeing that used to exist throughout the park), but wouldn't it be cool if they revived it ( international settings/themeing/food within their originally intended buildings, etc.). Even though the original concept is fading, it's still called International Street, and placing flags across the top to reference this is a great idea. I'll add that to the final comp.