MDMC01

Which one of these is not like the other lol Though I did miss Haunt lot more this year, Winterfest was cool too. I've gone outside a few times and thought it was "Winterfest weather" - where it's cold, but not too cold, but you know that it'll get a bit chillier once the sun goes down. Good times! Also, that cookie I made one time lol: I showed some friends afterward and they thought it was funny! Finally, something I had never done before 2019 WF was go in the snowglobe. I remember it was like going into space or something as they had different chambers and (IIRC) you got briefed before going into each one.

That was really cool! Not sure if the video was sped up or the snowplow really moved that fast! Also, glad to see Wicked Twister is still alive (and I never knew the kids area got that close to Top Thrill Dragster!)! I'd love to get up there again at some point...

That's really cool! I was looking at the box for the King Cobra Nanocoaster (as advertised/for sale on Kings Island Gear) and was wondering when that cover picture was taken- does anyone on here know? I'm guessing it had to be pre-Son of Beast as there were trees behind the lift instead of the coaster towering behind it. Thanks in advance.

I'll go ahead and chime in. I think comparing Cedar Point and KI might be like comparing apples to oranges, however, each park has something different to offer. Overall, I think Kings Island has a better overall coaster collection, however, Cedar Point has some unique coasters that KI does not have* (Millennium Force, Wicked Twister, Steel Vengeance, Rougarou, Maverick and even Valravn come to mind). As for entertainment such as shows and the like, KI has the edge overall (I generally like most of the shows KI puts on, including the music reviews and Cirque), although CP has Forbidden Frontier, which was amazing! The only other show I saw at CP was Vertical Impact and that was cool, but it was a bit too much sensory overload. Also, don't forget that KI has Haunt, Winterfest and Grand Carnivale in addition to all the other live shows that go on (I have not been to Halloweekends, so can't give a comparison to KI's Haunt - from what I've seen, though, it looks cool; especially how their Slaughterhouse is near their Barnyard, (insert evil smirk here), plus Blood on the Bayou looks interesting due to the swampy setting). Overall, I think KI has the home park advantage for me (pre-COVID, I was probably going just about every - every other weekend), but I do try to visit CP often to ride their epic coasters that can't be found anywhere else. As a final note, Hersheypark also has a great coaster collection, but I remember being surprised that they didn't have nightly fireworks... guess KI has spoiled me! *NOTE I have not yet ridden Orion. EDIT: To add to what someone said about CP being a concrete jungle: yes most of it is midways and rides, however Frontier Trail (the area where you are walking through the woods) and the adjoining Adventure Island (housed Dinos and Forbidden Frontier) are the outliers that provide a really cool environment to walk through. Other unique areas of the park include Frontier Town (where Maverick and Steel Vengeance are), parts of Gemini Midway and the little beachfront hideaway area where Wicked Twister, Maxair, Giant Wheel and GateKeeper's entrance are (also, that arcade is huge!). What I'm trying to say is, CP has it's own unique charm (aside from coasters and pathways), you just have to know where to look.

That looks really cool!

Personally, I would not count it. (Non-RMC) Wooden coasters usually get re-tracked often and if I counted each iteration as new credit, the list would be longer than it would need to be lol. More to the point, for rides that have have had significant changes (such as the removal of Son of Beast's loop, Mants' conversion into Rougarou or Recar turning forwards again), I would put a note next to the entry saying that I rode the coaster in both forms. It's just my two cents; but, remember, the beauty of counting coaster credits is it's all subjective!

Sounds like fun! I remember seeing KIC Survivor posts (prior to bringing it up in this thread), but I've never participated.

So, there are a lot of parks I would love to get to/get back to (Six Flags New England, Carowinds/KD), but here is my list as of now: Kings Island- Yes, it's my home park, but I feel like it is a great place for an enthusiast in the area to check out. We've got The Beast, Mystic Timbers, Diamondback, The Bat, Adventure Express, Flight of Fear and now Orion. Cedar Point- This may seem like an obvious choice, but Cedar Point has certainly earned its mass appeal. It's got some amazing and unique coasters (Steel Vengeance, Millennium Force, Top Thrill Dragster, Maverick, Rougarou, Wicked Twister) as well as other rides/attractions to keep people entertained. When I go, I usually spend 2 days up there, just to make sure I get in everything I want to on that trip. Hersheypark - This place might as well be the modern day Geagua Lake. They have a amazing and diverse collection of coasters (my favorites are Storm Runner, Lightning Racer, and Great Bear, but most of them are pretty good), a waterpark and even a mini-zoo. This place has it all! Also, if you are in the area, Dorney Park is only an hour's drive from the park! Kentucky Kingdom- While a smaller park, it is unique as it has the region's only SLC as well as one of the closest RMCs. Also, The Runs are great as well! Honorable Mentions include Dollywood and Holiday World.

That is a really cool trailer! I love how the rainforest/adventure elements of the park were highlighted there (Congo Falls, Wild Thornberries, Adventure Express, etc). Also, I still have my lanyard from the 2013 KIC event (I think that was the first time I met some of ya'll in person!) as well as the #decoding2017 paper that had our predictions before the Mystic Timbers announcement. I also have a nametag from some event, but I'm not sure where that is from (maybe Mystic's announcement too?)

Watched the POV yesterday as well as this morning. It looks alright and seems to combine other RMC elements (Lightning Rod's upward twist before the brakes - Iron Gwazi has two - as well as elements of Twisted Timbers and Steel Vengeance) to make a unique creation. Though I mostly thought it looked middle of the road, the one standout element is that barrel roll drop/twist thing - that looks insane! Also, as others are saying, POVs don't tell the whole story. When I305 and Intimidator (at Carowinds) were announced, Intimidator seemed to be the better of the two. However, it turned out that I305 is now the more talked about of the two as it's one of the most intense coasters out there (I haven't ridden it yet, but I've heard...) and has many fans. So, I guess the point is, we won't know until we ride.

Our tree is already up (not yet decorated, but up). Yeah, some of us do Christmas early around here... lol Also, while working one day (I work from home), I saw a neighbor across the street that was putting some of the lights on his roof already (this was probably about a week or so ago).

I chose Diamondback. Although the "wing" seats were a cool feature when it first opened, I now wonder how Diamondback would be with standard 4-across trains. Maybe they could keep two trains as is and bring one standard train in as an experiment. Also, non-KI related, Skyrush. I think that ride would be an instant Top 10 for me if they just fixed those thigh-crushing restraints! I mean, I get why they are there due to the intense forces of the ride, but a maybe something similar to a T-Bar (Millennium Force) or even Maverick's newer vest restraints could work.

What a cool video! I didn't get to go the park this season, but I did support the (Ohio Cedar Fair) parks by buying a Beast face mask and a Millennium Force T-shirt - the latter of which was my way of celebrating Millennium Force's 20th anniversary as I wasn't able to get to The Point this season. Hope to come back to visit KI in 2021!

Good to hear! I feel like night rides will be even better now with smoother track!

Good point lol! I know how brutal those lines can be. I once waited in a long line, in the RAIN for Slaughter House one year - of course it was totally worth it! Also, wonder what line that maze was for (which incarnation I mean, I know it was Delt... er Sorority House and before that Massacre Manor). Also, I'd likely not be in that line at all as (if not for COVID) I'd be scaring those that went through those long lines mwahahaha!!!

I think from a historical perspective, looking at how KI and other parks are handling (in the future, it will be the past tense of handled) the COVID-19 pandemic will be valuable information to future readers. I have quite a few Time Magazine issues that I'm planning to keep around for purely historical reasons (such as the Blackout that occurred in 2003 or information on the SARS pandemic). Also, I think there are lessons to be learned from past events; hindsight is 20/20 after all...

...and the only one (of the 3 original Flying Dutchmans) still in its original location! From pictures it looks like it's out in the middle of nowhere (as in, removed from the rest of the park) like Firehawk was.

Interesting choices! I know these are just guesses, but I would love for KI to get Great America's V2 or Scream from Magic Mountain. Also, that would be unfortunate if Great Adventure's Top Spin (Twister) got the axe as I think it's one of the few that are still around (In fact, until a few days ago, I thought it had already been removed from the park). On the flip side, I could see Flashback or Goliath getting removed at Six Flags New England; why have two boomerangs?

That is great news; still looking forward to it! Thanks for the update! Is it known where the book will be sold (online, in the park, at Barnes and Noble, etc.)?

I think it could work if they only use the entrance by Afterburn for the event (According to Google Maps, Copperhead Strike is entirely in SC).

That is correct. Spiritsong (and I think some Music in the Park events?) are the only things held in Timberwolf these days. It would be great if they would bring back concerts to KI like they had back in the day. Then again, I only went to Spiritsong there for a number of years (I think my first was '01 and I went all the time as a teen: my last visit for a full day experience was 2018; and my last SS visit was 2019 only to see Crowder), but it would be cool to have other music groups perform there!

That day was a blast and probably one of my favorite days at the park! Saying goodbye to Vortex was bittersweet (I got emotional when I sat down for my last ride in row 11), but the rest of the day was jam-packed with awesomeness! As for Vortex memories, there was that one midnight close a few years ago where I got some really cool foggy night rides on both Vortex and Beast. Also, there was a small window of time during the 2019 season where I would ride Vortex up to three times in a row (it was usually a one-and-done for me most days)- and that was before I knew it was closing. Also, great pictures, Brad! And yes, that is me being my super excited-self in those two group pictures

The Blackout building would be perfect for a year-round Haunt! The theming might have to be updated to fit the AZ retheme, though... On that note, I really like AZ as is, but I agree the theming is a little mish-mashed. You have the spooky elements (Bat/Banshee) along with remnants of the Adventure Village and (Paramount) Action Zone days (Xtreme Skylflier/Congo and Drop Tower/Delirium). If it had be re themed (as eventually it will), I say go retro and do an Adventure Village 2.0. Drop Tower, Delirium and Invertigo (if it makes the cut) can be re-themed to fit this jungle aesthetic (Bat and Banshee fit the theme as there are bats in the rainforest as well as ghosts/spirits; also Delirium could be re-themed to a giant wind/rain storm). Heck, maybe they can even include Adventure Express like back in the day. An entire spooky theme could work too; like a year-round version of Haunt.

Good stuff; thank you for posting! I never realized how far back the ride went (like, as you look over going down into the Rose Bowl, you can see FoF in the distance- that's mind blowing). That thing was truly massive. The Rose Bowl was (IMO) easily the roughest part of the ride, especially the bottom part when you first go into it. I remember enjoying the drop, loop and the twisty sections after the loop before the brake run. I also remember riding after the loop was removed and being disappointed when we came to that part and there it wasn't there.