LoraX

I have gone to to KI for years so trying to recall first visit is really difficult. I vividly remember Zodiac scaring me. It looked like a creepy mutant robot octopus. Enchanted Voyage was incredible. I watched (again) an old video of it and that song just gets stuck in my head. The Banana Splits characters were pretty awesome back in the day. It would be wonderful to have a throw back weekend where they bring back the different characters throughout the years. There are hundreds of memories over the years. I think I have had as much fun experiencing the park with my children. Like celebrating my sons 6th birthday at Kings Island and he was terrified of going in Phantom Theater. The years of visits where I had to hear Princess Sparkles cry, "I want to go ride! I am not a baby!" To the sheer joy of her first ride on The Beast - which remains one of her favorite rides.

Goble - I will be at the park tomorrow and will see if I can find out show times. Magenta Lizard - thanks for hanging out with me while we waited. It's always great seeing you. The show blends the old show with new things. I know last year they changed things throughout the season, and expect the same this season. Regardless, the show does not disappoint. Here are a few pics: You have to love the clowns in this show. They are the only clowns I like. I was hoping they would allow Trevor to do more stunts/tricks than last year. I guess when you have a great thing why mess with it. The gal that was in Hand To Hand last year, is possibly more impressive this year on the ribbon. She may be better than the gal on the rope last year which I thought would be impossible. She was simply amazing. The new act, well I won't put too many spoilers out there, but I think they possibly steal the show. Without a doubt there is tremendous amount of talent in this show. The strength the women show is incredible. Not that the men are weak, but the gals really are dynamic this year.

I hope they serve S'mores again.

I have rode them more than probably most people. I have never heard a complaint about snapping from anyone. In fact, people ask how to snap even with younger children. One of the last rides last night a mom and her daughter were on with us and they obviously loved the snapping even though they weren't doing it. I do try to be mindful if there are parents on with smaller children or young children because i don't want to scare them - however manufacturer guidelines and the park say it's ok. I have to give props to the crew. They really are a wonderful group. Miss seeing Jesse over there. I suppose he's back at Banshee.

Congratulations Magenta Lizard. I heard that you were one of the top 3 and was hoping you would win.

Congratulations. I knew you'd get it.

I am hanging out with friends in Planet Snoopy (they have a 3 year old). Lines aren't horrible right now, a couple cycle wait for most rides. WG is many cycles. BBoBH is 45 minutes.

Have you tried the Funnel Cake fudge or the Jelly Donut fudge? Both are delicious. I've not tried the Red Velvet this year, but it looks delicious.

Have you been to the new Sweet Spot? The newly renovated area looks amazing. You can watch the guys and gals making delicious confections through out the day. One of the brand new products brought to you by the fine folks at the Sweet Spot are bite sized iced sugar cookies. $3.99 for a bag of 8 ultra soft, delicious cookies. (Prices are subject to change).

It takes a little practice, but they are definitely snappable.

I like the gliders. I remember the old ones and recently rode them at Carowinds. The older is strongly preferred, but the new ones aren't bad.

Old lady bones made me giggle. While I doubt you you will regret either park, I would choose KD over Carowinds. You might plan your route to also include Dorney if you go to KD. it is not a huge park, but definitely worth a visit if you want to get more out of your pass / trip if you have the time. Carowinds is not a bad park by any means. It is easily navigated, nicely landscaped and very clean. I have been twice and would go back as long as I had help with driving. I think they might be experiencing growing pains at the moment. Last summer it was a much slower paced park. Now it's packed and from what it seemed they were a bit stressed over the crowds.

Looks like Carowinds is a happenin' place for KIC people. I am very happy with a lot of what the park has done. It is a huge contrast to what it was last year. It definitely has a Cedar Point vibe at the entrance which really isn't a bad thing. I am glad the plantation house is gone. Fury 325 is an awesome ride. I rode 4-1, but really wanted the back row. Lines were 3 hours long last Friday from what I was told. Now they need to give Worlds of Fun some TLC.

There are several amazing places to hike. There is a trail that will take you to a place called Abrams Falls. It is listed as a moderate trail (I found it far more difficult than moderate) that leads to one of the most breathtaking waterfalls you can ever see. It's along the Cades Cove loop. Clingmans Dome is cool, too. On a clear day you are supposed to have an amazing view. I strongly suggest if you go there you take a jacket because temps drop rapidly even if the temps are very hot in the area. I did say it was cool. As you go through the park, there is a rest area that has a state line sign. Make sure you get a pic on both sides of the marker. One side says Tennessee / North Carolina state line the other reads North Carolina / Tennessee state line. Nothing major, but just a point of interest. Comedy Barn is silly, but very clean and family oriented. The last time we visited the area all the shows offered discounts for other shows. As far as Dollywood goes, I love the eagle sanctuary. It is really neat being up really close to eagles.

Princess Sparkles and I had the privilege of doing the second room at ETRC. Both rooms are fun, neither are super easy and if I were really trying to get art work back from the mob, I would be swimming with the fishes tonight. Can't wait for the next room to open up so we can return.

On almost every coaster I do not like, it boils down to restraints. Any kind of coaster that has restraints similar to Vortex at Kings Island I don't typically like. I hate the head banging. I am short and it's very uncomfortable. I know how to push myself up, but that makes for only a slightly improved experience.

Annoying kids can become food for wolves.

While at an amusement park I had no idea being fashion conscious was a prerequisite. I not only wear cargo shorts, but at times I wear Crocs when it's raining. As you can tell I am quite the fashionista.

I think cargo pants are awesome. I tried to use a runners belt type thing a couple of seasons ago and felt on rides it was not as comfortable as using cargo shorts.

The really cool thing with this whole event was how different people were able to help at different points of the game. It really was a team effort. I knew we'd impress Boddah with our brillance. One thing the Escape Room The Challenge is they offer team building services. I think this would be one of the most fun and creative ways to actually work on team building. The naked Russian thankfully did not make an appearance. It would add a very disturbing level to the challenge if he had been there.

That was hilarious Boddah. Before I saw the picture, I thought you read it on Facebook and were being sarcastic or just jealous.

A few other shots:

Eat. She gets whiney if her sleep is disturbed. No one wants her to be a cranky Princess.

She likes peas. [emoji12]

Sunday morning I woke Princess Sparkles up by asking her if she wanted to go to Dollywood. I have never seen her get ready faster in her life. We had not been to Dollywood since 2010. It was a very overdue trip to say the least. Dollywood is one of my favorite parks. It's beautiful and the customer service is always excellent. Back in 2010, she was so cute and sweet. 2015, still cute, sweet is pushing it a bit. On a serious note, she's a great kid. The first ride we rode was Thunderhead. I guess since it had been so long since riding it, I forgot how much I really enjoy this coaster. It found it smoother than the last time we were there. Taken from the train: Our next ride was Mystery Mine. Mystery Mine is one of my favorite coasters. The 2nd hill / drop is one of my favorite parts on any coaster. I can say one very strange things that happened is getting a text from a KICer bragging about being at Dollywood when you, yourself, are standing in line at Dollywood. Next we rode Wild Eagle. I was not sure what I would think about this ride. It's similar to Gatekeeper, but smaller and in my opinion a superior coaster over Gatekeeper. We rode it 5 or 6 times. The crew for Wild Eagle is nothing shy of phenomenal. We rode FireChaser next. While I can say this one is not an exciting coaster to me, it is a wonderful family ride. I love how they repurposed the props from Adventure Mountain. Tennessee Tornado is my least favorite ride at Dollywood. I absolutely hate the restraints. The main reason I usually do not like coasters is typically because of the restraints that are like Vortex at Kings Island. I do love the theming of the ride. After the park closed, we met up with friends that moved to Gatlinburg several years ago. It was great getting to see them. For this to be an impromptu trip, we had a lot of fun.