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So there may be an event opening day/night with some symbolic name change? They played a video of SOB crashing down at the start of Banshee's announcement...

Which doesn't fully give insight on what Kings Island would do if a Racer train was stuck on a mid-course anti-rollback run. Was having the chain still attached enough of an encumbrance to warrant removing it? Perhaps they found that when the trains were switched to the current heavy heavy hippos (compared to the trains with the old style of restraints), that there was nevermore an issue with clearing the hill?

This image I found shows what looks like a little chain return thing under the ride: http://www.coasterimage.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/racer051.jpg ( http://www.coasterimage.com/portfolio/racer-pictures-2/ ) Hmm, maybe I just remember it from a long time ago when it did have a chain.

Suppposing a train gets stuck on those anti-rollbacks, how do they make it resume the course?

On a few of the hills on our Racer, there is a little section of lift chain at the top. Even if they are only utile when the train is extra sluggish, would those be able to be considered lift hills too? (I think the third and fifth hills have them.) The way some people talk about how far the ride originally went up The Beast's second lift hill before the chains kicked in, it almost seems like the same concept.

Consider that BGW does not have a wooden coaster, and 3 of the 4 Kings Dominion wooden coasters are clones of Kings Island/Carowinds rides. I have not been to Canada's Wonderland so I will pass on offering an opinion on them. Those two parks (as well as a Hershey/Knoebels trip or Six Flags near Atlanta) are very good selections for wooden coasters within a day of driving.

The picture on the actual cup looks like a coaster with wood supports. Unless there are different images? The dining page seems to be the same as last year, but with the new Chef dude they will surely have something new I think.

Is it a picture of Gold Striker?

The 'Merry-Go-Round' is still functioning, and is currently at the base of the Brooklyn Bridge in NYC. Although it has since been delisted, it was the first carousel to be on the National Register of Historic Places.

Thanks. Your post is far more informative than the entire official website.

Are the chicken tenders not breaded? If they are breaded, wouldn't that also negate any gluten-free status for the fries that are cooked in the same oil?

A ride that is quite dynamite... you might be able to see it from 'Big Droppy Thing'.

I think this program will make me even more likely to visit the other place instead. // That sounds exactly like the Marauder's Map that is in Harry Potter.

Google Earth shows a ground elevation drop of somewhere around 60 feet from the top of the second lift down into the helix. I found it showing 743 feet down to 683 feet, while the first lift hill has a steady elevation (between 740 and 750) from top to bottom. If the first hill drops 136 feet, and the second drop is 141, then I don't think the second lift would be taller.

I think we feel it a few degrees more, with the reclined seats. Is the angle of reclination public information?

I put my ballot in. Zippin Pippin and Phoenix are my top two. Racer has my highest rank in KI. I wonder if any others will have Boulder Dash as third favorite within Connecticut.

Can you explain this a little more? The way I am reading this is you suggest that Louisville has no major tourist spots, but is still one of the top 20 travel destinations in the world? Do you mean because of the horse race?

rcdb.com lists these wooden coasters built within this country between 1965 and 1971: Skyliner (Fair Park) Jumper (West Point Park Hurricane (Playland Park) Swamp Fox (Family Kingdom) Cannon Ball (Lake Winnepesaukah) Little Dipper (Hillcrest Park) Wildcat (Fairyland Park) Sidewinder (Legend City) Shooting Star (Legend City) Zingo (Bell's) These United States (Sun Fun) and about 5 different wooden Wild Mouse coasters

The picture they show has seating similar to a Drop Tower by A.R.M. http://www.armrides.com/ More abrupt of a drop than the Kings I. drop. (edit to add): The tower is am thinking of is co-produced by Larson and A.R.M. Same thing as Waldameer and Knoebels. http://www.larsonintl.com/pages/super-shot/super-shot.html

Well, this coaster looks fun. // More than just 2 close competitors: Stricker's Grove, Camden Park, Kentucky Kingdom, Columbus Zoo, Holiday World, Indiana Beach, Cedar Point... all just within the OH/NKY/WV/IN area.

From May last year. I think they have closed the door:

Before electric devices were used for such signals, wooden balls would hang from 'high' above the track. (Lanterns were used at night.) These balls would tell whether it was clear to proceed. This was an alternate method to using live humans, flags, revolving disc thingies that swung out over the track, or any other engineering devices.

The last ride of the season for me was on the coluber constrictor foxii. Another year of not visiting the final weekend for me, and not enough throughout the season :/

Diamondback: Row 2 or 16 Racer: 1-1, 1-3, 5-1 are three highest preference, sitting on the left side (cargo pants have a zipper pocket on the right side of my leg, so if I sit on the right side, the upward connecting portion of the orange restraint smashes my pocket) Vortex: 7-1 Beast: 6-2 or 6-1. 1-1 is good, but the extra wait is a deterrent. Flight Deck - Front row others - no preference

The park was teasing us that The Bat would be returning, so it put the idea into our heads. Bats and Banshees are thought to be spooky, and both start with 'ba'.