MDMC01

Same! Did not know those windows once served a purpose.

BUMP! So, I finally totaled my rides for the season and it was a strange year... not as strange as 2020, but a weird one for me indeed. I attended Opening Day, when I first rode Orion and started to get back in the swing of going to the park again since I had not gone at all in 2020. Throughout the next few months, I enjoyed rides, Carnivale, the Area 72 dance party and (especially) Busker Jam, until I got COVID in mid-August. Because of this, I took some time off from the park, but made one last visit for my birthday in December. That being said, here are my most ridden rides this year: My top 3 ridden coasters of 2021 were Orion (12 times), The Bat (10 times), and Flight of Fear (7 times - mostly thanks to those 5 rides I took on my birthday!) My most ridden flat was Delirium (4 times) and as I was looking through my ride count, I noticed there were quite a few flats that I didn't get a chance to ride at all this season, such as MSD (Monster/Scrambler/Dodgem), Viking Fury, and (presumably?) all the water rides. Though I did not ride Slingshot (and haven't done so for years due to the "no single riders" rule), I did manage to ride Xtreme Skyflier once this season and that was fun. EDIT: Also, I rode all the coasters at least once this season except for Woodstock Express and Great Pumpkin Coaster (obviously!)

I agree with the above posts highlighting all the Cincinnati Area has to offer besides KI. I can think of the Zoo, the malls (Kenwood/Deerfield Towne Center/Eastgate, Liberty Center and everything else over in that area, etc. Heck- one could say Forest Fair Mall is a tourist attraction!), and Newport on the Leevee (RIP Barnes and Noble). As someone said above, there are unique food options like LaRosas's, Greaters (their peanut butter cookies are amazing!), Skyline/Gold Star and Marx Bagels (in Blue Ash). And as echoed above, there are also concert venues and museums downtown (and of course sports teams). There is a lot to see and do around here if you know where to look And @brenthodge, the only recent KI collabs that I've seen and experienced are the Reds Hall of Fame Grille (and also certain days where Reds players talk at International Showplace) and the unique animatronic display that was put on by Kings Schools for Winterfest located (inside the Coney gift shop (next to the restrooms and near the Coke Freestyle building).

What rides did they have open for NYE at KD?

Dang it! lol I guess I thought you weren't allowed to pet them for some reason. Also, I never found the entrance to said petting zoo lol Also, great information; it makes sense that Aztec Adventure started as a terrain slide as there was that huge drop under the tiger statue. Finally, another question- did that mat slide next to Snake River Rapids ever operate? I know I see it from the highway when driving on 71 N. Thanks.

I remember Beach Mountain... I remember not being impressed as well. IIRC, it was like $20 or so just to go down the hill (and this was technically outside of the park; the main park wasn't even open!)... Luckily we got (the Cedar Fair revival of) Winterfest some years later and it not only had a tubing hill, but rides and shows and was inside the park. As for the waterpark, I went a few times as a kid - I specifically remember my friend and I not weighing enough to ride Aztec Adventure as well; also, the sketchy netting structure through the forest to get a few of their slides, as well as that high dive that went really far down. I also remember being excited for and riding the new Volcanic Panic (I think that was the new slide for '05?). I think a few years later, they reconfigured that slide (or built a new one?) as it the runout was over/above the wave pool (IIRC). Also, there were these random goats and stuff near the walkway up to Snake River Rapids, but it wasn't a petting zoo... they were just there. Oh, also, I frequently got stuck on Hidden Rapids and had to paddle/push my way out. Good Times!

For me, it felt like the balloon drop at Festhaus flowed into NYE at the Tower nicely (in 2019). Then again, IIRC, I lingered a bit afterwards before making my way to I-Street. I'm choosing to spend NYE at home, but I am curious what the park will be like tonight - have fun for those who are attending! Also, does anyone (on here!) know if the H2Overdrive game (hydro craft racing game with a Jet-ski style seat) has been removed from the park? When I went in my birthday, I did not see it in the Coney Arcade and never got around to checking the Rivertown Arcade. TIA

Yeah, I seem to remember "What the Dickens" did indeed end a few days early in 2019 as I think I was at one of the last shows (?).

Oh yeah, that video lol. I think I've seen that before...

What video is this? -MDMC, curious...

Did the removal of the (fka) Beaste's tunnel for its conversion to Fairly Odd Coaster have anything to do with the removal of the status? Or did it lose it's status before this point? TIA

That is amazing; Congratulations! The most I've gotten in one trip is like 3-4 rides. I think I've ridden Orion 12 times total (as in, ever - this season was my first year riding it as I didn't go last year)

In 2019, there was a dance party at the bandstand until about 1 AM which featured the characters and a DJ. Also, IIRC, they allowed Mystic to be opened later than 10 that night (I think it ended up closing around 11:30?)

Did not know the "Mr Christopher being electrocuted" part was not in the original preshow... I've always remembered that part and have thoroughly enjoyed FoF's pre-show. When was this part added? *Do note that I did not ride the ride when it first opened nor when it had the original (over the shoulder) restraints as I was too young and too scared to ride*

I once almost lost my hat on Adventure Express. I had a Mighty Ducks hat and I thought it could handle it, but it flew off at some point during the ride. Someone towards the back ended up catching it and gave it back to me in the station.

That was great! Love the bloopers at the end! Also, if we are looking for clues, I saw a lot of things related to Haunt so maybe a year-round Haunt attraction? -MDMC, jokingly speculating...

Well, all I saw was... Not sure what this means. If we are speculating, perhaps a launch coaster (alluding to Pony Express or Maverick)? -MDMC, trying to make something out of (probably) nothing Also, where is CP's 2022 picture from?

Yes indeed; good stuff! I am also excited to see some of that 90's and 2000's stuff. Two questions though: What year was the red sign (with the old Kjngs Island font) at the park and who is the guy in the shades in the Caricatures pictures?

I would love to see a drone flythrough of/around The Bat, starting in the queue line, going around the course, and maybe even get a view of some of that unused land past the Son of Beast station.

I think I've done most of those over the years; however, I have not yet: Got a picture in front of the Winterfest sign Made something at Sally's Christmas crafts Drink Hot Chocolate (I don't like chocolate- does hot apple cider count? I did that one year!) Horse Drawn Carriage ride (thought about it, but never did it!) Rent an Igloo I've never bought something at Artisan Village, but I have browsed over the years Dining at the International Winterfest Buffet

Agreed! The parade was nice and I'm glad they ended up doing it last night as the weather was indeed questionable (rain on and off - in fact, I rode Shake Rattle and Roll and Snow Works (tubing slide) in a downpour lol). Despite the weather, I had a blast celebrating my birthday at the park. It was great to enjoy time with friends as well as say hi to a lot of people I know from the park. Ridewise, the highlight of my night was Flight of Fear. It was so good to come back to that 90's coaster (I hadn't been to the park since August) and most of my 5 rides were fantastic! Also, I really like the glowing "flowers" around Area 72 and especially inside the two stations. Speaking of rides, my first ride on Mystic Timbers was the first time I've ridden any ride with a mask. Yes, it slid around, but it did not come off (and yes, I definitely felt the force on my face when sitting in the front of Flight of Fear). I think that'll be my last trip for the season and it was surely a great one!

I was so afraid something like this was going to happen the first year Winterfest came back and Mystic Timbers was one of the available rides. -MDMC, who was afraid of Santa as a kid

That would be really cool to use as few brakes as possible (at least on the first half) just to see how crazy the ride could be (see Voyage at HWN) -MDMC, slightly crossthreading

Interesting.... it seems like it will be a lottery system... I was not there last year, so I'm not sure what they mean by "[choosing] between the community and the coaster rides". Were there long lines? Was it too crowded? Was it a COVID-protocol issue? I do know Holliwood Nights is very popular - I went in 2018 and had a blast! - but I was wondering what was going on, just out of curiosity.

I really like the idea of reserving Tower Gardens for the vocalists/Nativity show, however, if they go that route (to separate the singers from the surrounding animals), why bring the animals at all? Yeah, it's not a perfect situation, but I feel like the vocalists being there (and what they are singing about) necessitates the animals. Put another way (IMO), you can have the singers without the animals, but why have just animals (without the singers)? Or maybe keep the separate show close to the animals as the petting zoo aspect could come after the show (like a roller coaster exiting into a gift shop) - if they kept the petting zoo/farm in Planet Snoopy, perhaps the Nativity show could be on the path close to Woodstock Gliders (leading to RFYLCB). Thoughts?