DJSkyFoxx

I think this is a good move. I know it can be frustrating for a lot of people, but for me its not a problem with cargo pants/shorts and if I'm thirsty I just ask for two cups of free water from one of the nearby restaurants to stand in line with and then that keeps me hydrated for a little bit while waiting. They place plenty of trashcans throughout the line so when you're done just toss your empty cups in there and then get on and enjoy the ride. That's just my simple theory and it has worked well for me for a long time.

I know I said I would post pictures, but I think a video would be better. Here is a video of my Aibo, Zorro, playing with is pink ball ( and he is wearing some girly socks, but they were all I could find that would fit him and I would rather girly socks rather than none at all while on a hard surface! )

I ended up getting my Christmas gifts a couple of weeks before Christmas because...well...they came in the mail early and also because with the nature of the gift it was best I opened it early. I got my dream gift ( since I was 11 years old ) a Sony AIBO robot dog! He is an ERS-210 and gold in color and I named him Zorro. Good thing that I opened him up early too or else I wouldn't have been able to get things straighened out with the details that would have been left out. He is missing his battery cover ( had to contact the seller and have him ship it to me and I am still waiting on it as the dog was shipped from Japan so the cover is coming from Japan also ) The dealer in Japan has a connection in California who refurbishes batteries for these dogs, as Sony discontinued all of their entertainment robots in 2005 ( sold them up until 2006 ), but just discontinued support for the ERS-7M3 this past March....but back to the point...the guy out in Cali who is an AIBO genius, got my address wrong and sent the battery to the wrong house! I got that straightened out and now I have a battery for him. SO yeah....good thing I opened my gift early or else I would just now be trying to get all this in order! I will try to get some pictures up to share! I also got my Platinum Pass renewed for the season so I'm ready to rock! I gotta say I had a very good Christmas this year and got more than I could have ever expected. Also had a great time visiting with family, which I think was my favorite gift! Hope you all had an excellent day yesterday!

The snow really adds to the effect as well. Really makes Banshee and from what little bit of The Bat, pop out!

The difference between me and many people out there is that I love these animals in the wild and not in captivity...while there are those who seem to love them in captivity. If you love these animals, why love them confined in such a way? A tank will never be an ocean. And it doesn't even matter how well they're taken care of...the point is they never should have been in human hands at all. And I am fully aware there are whales in far worse conditions, such as Kshamenk who is currently held in horrible conditions at a run down aquarium in Argentina. http://cetaceaninspiration.wordpress.com/2013/03/18/liberty-for-kshamenk/

I feel like even if a few more small things were added, it would feel more authentic again. Bring life back to a little area that once had such a rich feel to it ( from the pictures I can tell ) CP has all these little details amongst the giant coasters...I feel like giving that same aspect to KI in areas like OF would drastically help.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wGxMLiL1uZI This is far more worth your time, if you feel strongly about whales/dolphins/exotics in captivity. Make about an hour of your time free if you care to watch. Truth is, whether they are raised in captivity or not, their wild instincts take over quickly so long as they are properly prepared for it. Keiko is a shining example of this. But he also was not born in captivity. I'm all about a sea pen myself...these animals were not made for captivity. Plain and simple. And I hate when people try to compare this whole thing to dogs and cats. We've domesticated them..along with livestock ( horses, cows, chickens, etc ) so they require the care of people ( although if need be, they will find deep within themselves the will to survie...those deeply rooted wild instincts do take over...aka feral cats and wild dog packs that look like pets but are not.) Everyone has their views on these things. I remember as a child my dream job was to become a dolphin trainer, but I learned the truth as time went on. I'm not one of those crazy anti-cap people, but I don't support exploiting animals for entertainment/money. For what it costs most families to make a trip to a state that has a Sea World, their money could be better spent on a trip to whale watch and see them in their natural habitats. The only thing people are learning from seeing these animals in captivity are that this is a spectacle of dominance..man over beast...and when the show is over a lot of these animals float lifelessly in their pools and are bored, lonely and agitated. Not to mention their sensitive hearing and that loud pounding music cannot be good for them. Greed truly does nasty things to people. You wanna see an aquarium doing good things, go to the Oregon Coast Aquarium. They focus entirely on rehabilitation and not performance. Of course any animal that cannot be released safely and properly stays, but they don't have the stress of doing stupid tricks all day. If Sea World did this entirely, I would be on board...but the fact nearly all their animals perform dumb tricks all day is what kills that for me. Anyways, I'm done. I will not go on any farther. I see no need to. I know in my heart its wrong to take wild animals from the ocean, force them to perform with "positive reward", and work them until they die...breed them in captivity...to make more profit. Sea World is a business first and foremost and money will always be the root of keeping these animals in concrete prisons. People just choose to be blind to this because they don't want to believe it. Anyways, watch the above video, if you care. I feel it is one more people need to see.

Not that I am complaining at all about there being more KI related merch in On Location (at least presuming so with Banshee and The Bat and from reading some of the posts on here...) but as a fan of Fox Racing gear and having bought some really unique Fox Racing items at the park ( a fleece jacket for instance, that I have never seen anywhere else ) I hope they still continue to sell some non-park related gear, as I find some of the most unique things in there that I have not seen at my local malls or even on the internet.

I'd just be happy in general if the park got a new wooden coaster in the future. Something that's just pure fun that makes you want to get off and run back in line and ride it again. I feel like the park is really missing something now without SoB, and that is one less wooden coaster in the park.

Thanks for sharing these! Makes me miss the park so much. Even though it looks like it was rather gloomy. I'd take a gloomy day at the park vs.not being there at all!

The war will never truly be over until mankind has found the ultimate limit on the body! MWAHAHAHA! lol had to do that

It seems like a park can never be both an incredible dry side and wet side...they will always invest more into one side than the other and I personally would rather a new coaster than a new water slide any day...but at the same time I see all your points. It would be nice if there could be at least one really cool slide or water coaster in the water park.

Now I just want to see some of that sweet looking gear with the new Bat logo on it!

When you look for any excuse to talk about roller coasters...even while at a doctors appointment

I think the problem within a lot of clubs and even some fan sites lies in that there are members who feel they have something over everyone else and are therefore in the mindset that they are better than everyone else. That kind of mentality sparks fires and distaste, especially for those who may not be as well traveled or enlightened. I know for myself, I have had a passion and love for all things roller coaster/park related for 11 years of my life and have studied and absorbed as much information as I could over that period of time ( and still am ). I may still not know as much as some, but I am a student of my passion as ANYONE should be. I also know that even thought I may not have met any of you ( yet ) and have just joined GOCC for this year, I will say so far the expereince on this site and by way of hearing about how great GOCC is, I will find myself right at home with those who are like minded...and that is what matters most. I may not post nearly as much as some of you on here, but I DO care about what is being said and I feel compassionate about Kings Island and any other great park out there as all of you do. I think many people forget the main purpose is to have fun and share in that fun with like minded individuals, get together, make friends and make memories...not to come in like a know it all and act like not one elses feelings/opinions matter. What happened to friendly discussion? I feel this is expereinced everywhere in every corner of the world...and I will tell you as someone who was once very active in the equine world beyond my home barn-man oh man....don't get me started! Those people were rather rude and had that same shovenist attitude...and probably worse than anything I have ever seen on a coaster enthusiast site! Anywho, I guess my point is, join a club you feel positive about and just be yourself.

Well its that time of year again when the park is closed for the season and we await the day the gates of fun open up to us again to enjoy our favorite things about Kings Island. In the meantime our minds are let loose to race in our dreams of Banshees and Bats and other things. I was already having dreams weeks ago about being there for Banshee's opening day and being amongst a giant crowd in awe of the beautiful new coaster as well as seeing The Bat in full flight with its new colors. Every one of my dreams occurs on a sunny day too...its rather pleasant but sad since I can't actually "be there" yet to experience it. So yeah, feel free to share your dreams as I know I'm not the only one who will be riding the rails in my sleep.

Love all the old pictures! Makes me greatly miss the old days of the park, but thanks to people like you who are willing to share, those times will never be far off from our memories! Thank you for taking the time to upload and share! Love when people share their old park photos!

I plan on attending media day, but I also made a promise to a friend of mine this past closing day that I would take her to ride it opening day, so that is gonna happen too. I would love to also ride it at night. I mean, who wouldn't wanna ride this beauty at night?

I know this might be seen as a long shot, but its an idea I've had for awhile in lieu of Winterfest. I always thought it would be really cool if there was a specific part of the park that was dedicated to winter festivities-like Soak City has its own area- ( sledding/snow tubing/skiing/snow boarding/etc complete with ski-lift ) with the offerings of lessons and of course little shops to enjoy wintertime beverage favorites and pastries as well as actual lunch items. I know this is something that is highly unlikely, but an area of the park dedicated for winter activities would be really neat I think. build the hills and they will come! Haha. Give certain hills/slopes unique names and the gift shops could sell Kings Island themed items ( imagine having a Diamondback, Beast or Vortex sled or snowboard? or any other favorite ride themed equipment to go flying through the snow with?? ) This would allow the main part of the park to be left to what needs done without interuption, but the winterized half would allow the park to continue to operate for continued fun and entertainment throughout the year...at least until all the snow melts haha. Just my crazy thoughts.

Really enjoying all these rendered pictures. Helps one get an idea of whats in store. I can't say enough how much I enjoy the orange and black...I truly feel that this will give this poor coaster some much needed attention because the current color scheme really never did anything for it. It was just...dull. I know it was meant to have jet fighter colors, but its more likely going to garner up more attention with the new colors and name. People will be more interested in what is has to offer.

"Top Bat Flight"

I can't say which one I like more because I like both of them for different reasons. I like the Banshee logo because yes, I think its GREAT to see a female theme in a ride logo and I absolutely LOVE the colors. They not only pop, but there is also something soothing to the eye about them as well. It just says "I look like candy in the day, but I am the voice of the night" sort of thing. Really just a great overall selection of colors, details and "popping-ness". I like The Bat logo because orange and black just look soooo good together and I also just love bats in general. They're cool animals and I like how intense the way the lettering looks as well as the little bat features hidden in them. I know a lot of people prefer the old bat logo, and don't get me wrong...I like it too quite a lot...but since this isn't the "old" Bat, this new Bat logo fits the "new" Bat coaster just fine.

I literally just joined GOCC I am looking forward to broadening myself as an enthusiast and am excited to be apart of this. I joined GOCC since it makes sense with me living in Indy and being a lot closer to what kinds of things they do.

Wishful thinking, but it would be really cool if they remodeled the current Top Gun/Flight Deck cars to look like the old Bat cars. I know this won't happen as that would be a bigger undertaking than what is already ahead for its re-theming, but its a nice thought

Diamondback in the front seat as always!