MDMC01

I remember the first time I saw FOF and the first time I rode it. My step dad rode it with the OSTRs back in the day and I remember waiting in line and being too short (and too scared) to ride. I got really freaked out when that empty train rolled into the station! The first time I rode was with the lap bars. I remember being nervous to ride as I'd never been on an indoor coaster before and because it was a limited operation day, I didn't have much choice lol. I must have enjoyed it as I still ride it to this day. I rode it several times during Winterfest and loved the whole "Flight of Cheer" overlay. My only complaint is that it seems rough at times, and I wonder when it has been painted last.

I remember that night. I went after work and it was the most crowded I had ever seen the park. I waited about two and a half hours for Mystic and it was (mostly) worth it.

@ki95: I love the idea of getting rid of Urgent Scare and putting a bigger clown maze back there. It could be themed to an abondoned theater where clowns have taken over. Also, Route 666 could be interesting. I never did it back in the day, but it sounds like an interesting concept. However, there is the possibilty of accidents due to the drivers getting scared, so there's that.

I just want to say that whatever happens, I really hope Chaos comes back next year; I really loved the theme of that maze!

If they have not been claimed yet, I can contribute the following: -2005 Park Map -2010 Park Map -2013, 2014 and 2017 Haunt Maps -2017 and 2018 Winterfest Experience Guides -2017 Winterfest Map -2018 Peanuts Celebration Map -2009 Hallowfest Map EDIT: I won't be sending the 2013 and 2014 Haunt maps are they have writing on them. Also added the year of the Hallowfest Map

I think you are correct; I got a hand stamp for Dragster when it first opened (I think it was around this time; I know I was in Middle School), but I ended up chickening out.

My apologies, @FoF96" and @jtro223, I thought we are discussing Storm Runner at Hershey Park (which does have a dual station) Carry on. EDIT: You are correct, @CoastersRZ; I got the two coasters confused.

Does Storm Chaser not load both sides anymore?

Sorry to hear about your wife passing, @Gannersdaddy. On a lighter note, I've had a great 2018! Though I've shared many good times in the "2018 Memories" thread, I'd like to share some awesomeness about Winterfest: -Overall, Winterfest was great this year and I enjoyed the addition of Flight of Fear (as Flight of Cheer) to the ride lineup. However, I think this may have made me think more about the other coasters that weren't open such as The Bat, Vortex or Diamondback (the latter of which I wouldn't want open anyway, but it still stands closed nonetheless). Despite this, I thought that the perfect amount of rides were open. I also enjoyed the expanded lineup of characters, including the ghosts and Marley (It was also great to see The Tannenbaums as well as the return of Scrooge). Speaking of entertainment, I really enjoyed the Mistletones this year and thought they benefitted from the new stage, which really allowed them to shine. Though most all of their songs are good, I think my favorite was the one about Santa Claus and people swinging (as in, dancing). -Specifically, I think my favorite Winterfest night was that Wednesday night that I took off work to go to. Within the first 15 minutes of arrival, it was a great trip as I saw some parachuters circling the parking lot (For some random reason...), found out that Kings Island sells Pokémon Cards(! At Build-a-Bear) and won and little Santa plush at the Candy Cane game. I also saw a Haunt friend that night (out of character, of course!) when waiting for the train. Last Sunday was also a good way to end the season as I saw The Mistletones, rode Flight of Cheer twice, saw Tinkers, and pet the sheep at Sounds of the Nativity. As for 2019, I have a few trips planned. First, I will probably do a weekend trip to Kennywood in May for Steel Curtain (it's not about football, trust me- that thing looks amazing!) along with Holiwood Nights in late May/June (with a possible Kentucky Kingdom trip on the way back?). In June, I'll be taking a trip to Florida where I'll be going to Sea World Orlando, Disney's Animal Kingdom and Busch Gardens Tampa (yes @electricsun I put BGT back on the itinerary!). I'd also like to get to Six Flags Great America (which I haven't been to since 2008) as well as squeeze another Cedar Point trip in. EDIT: Oh, I also got to play Scrooge in "What the Dickens" one time, so there's that!

I did see one Winterfest commercial on TV recently (maybe it was last Sunday), but other than that, I haven't seen/heard any promotion for it.

I'm not sure I'd rename all the rides, but I do know that I'd rename/re-theme Banshee to "High Voltage" (the name being a reference to a Linkin Park song of the same name (as Action Zone was built around the turn of the millennium)). In addition to the name change, I'd re-paint it silver with Green rails. While this would be the most important change, I could also see myself renaming Congo Falls to Amazon Falls and re-theming Adventure Express to "The Dark Forest Express" featuring Pokémon such as Shiftry, Xatu and other rainforest-esque Pokémon*. Vortex could also be renamed Whirlwind and the song of the same name from Skillet could play in the station. Whirlwind would change from the Blue and Orange to all turquoise track, but keep the same trains (with a different logo on the front). *It would never happen because of the 11th Commandment () and also I like Adventure Express as is.

I have a question that I've wondered about for the past few Winterfest visits: Despite the coaster being indoors, has Flight of Fear ever been repainted?

... I think you mean Mountain Dew lol. -MDMC, who does not drink alcohol, but can get hyper on Mountain Dew

As in, I don't drink.

So, a dance party in the International Restaraunt for New Year's*? Sign me up!!! Between this, Flight of Cheer, and Winterfest in the same night, New Years is gonna be amazing! *Hold the alcohol, please!

What are these things you speak of? I'm intrigued!

First off @kingsislandfan1972, congrats on winning that contest! In terms of what to do, there is lots to do, so these are my suggestions... - Ride at least one of the two coasters open... it's surreal to be riding a coaster in December and they are both good rides (and if you do ride Flight of Cheer, pay special attention to the queue line theming). -Play some games if you want- both Arcades are open as well as some of the themed midway games (Center Ice was a blast when I played last year) -See the shows- You won't see them all in one night, but if you only have one visit, I'd reccomend Tinker's Toy Factory, Four Drummers Drumming, The Mistletones, and Charlie Brown's Christmas Spectacular (while that last one is not my personal favorite, it is a nice Broadway-style show and it's a heated building). What the Dickens is another good choice too! On a final note, the Petting Farm is now "Sounds of the Nativity", where singers intermittently sing Christmas songs. -Interact with the characters- there will be plenty of roaming characters throughout the park and you may see a familiar face or two! -Go Ice Skating- I did it last year and it was really cool. -Finally, have fun and make sure to pick up an Experience Guide at the entrance! EDIT: Also, make sure to take in all of the light displays.

I second this! If they had a KI coaster shirt series similar to CP’s, I would totally buy Bat and Flight of Fear* shirts! *On a related note, can we have some Flight of CHEER merch? I feel like this is a missed opportunity; I would gladly buy a Flight of Cheer shirt if it was available.

Steel Vengeance (4) vs. Maverick (1) The Beast (2) Vs. Banshee (3)

I had heard about the ice on the track as well, but yeah, it could most likely be due to Mystic's startup temp. I was also there last night and had fun despite being tired from walking around at the zoo earlier that day. I really enjoyed seeing The Mistletones, who really benefitted from having a seperate stage as opposed to last year, where they shared the stage with Jingle Jazz (each group rotated out on the half hour). This really gave them a chance to shine and because of that, I enjoyed their show a lot more this year. I also saw the Charlie Brown Christmas Spectacular, was slightly better than last year (still not my cup of tea, though...). In addition, I got my picture with Schroader (finally!) and said hi to Mr. and Mrs. T. EDIT:Also, Everest may want to see an optometrist...

RE: The Star, when driving towards the park the other night, I could see the lights from miles away, while the star wasn't as visible. I agree with the idea that the star should be brighter.

Oh dang, down to 8 now... sadly Valravn took his bow a while ago... Millennium Force (1) vs. Maverick (2) Top Thrill Dragster (1) vs. Banshee (2) Steel Vengeance (2) vs. Magnum XL-200 (1) Diamondback (1) vs. The Beast (2)

I actually think that whole album (Alien Youth) would work, with the exception of the last song (“Come my Way” doesn’t fit the rest of the album’s industrial rock style). EDIT: Another good coaster song (that makes me think of Cedar Point specifically) is “Fad of the Land” by Newsboys

I think Flight of Fear’s theme song should be “Vapor” by Skillet.

Agreed, Sam; ham is delicious. Let's just agree to disagree on that whole bacon thing lol -MDMC, not a fan of bacon