cdubbs727

Very true. But parking close to our car an navigating one row is easier and safer than walking across the whole parking lot at night, especially when you have young people driving like maniacs trying to get to the exit.

Its possible my brain is mis-remembering what the news called it; it was a funnel cloud that never touched down. But it definitely hit Water Works 20-25 years ago, blew the tenting off the top of one of the slides.

So, the discussion about trams earlier got me thinking about a really weird memory I had from KI from probably about 25 years ago or so. I remember we were at the park on a day where it was particularly rainy; we're talking downpours, and I think a waterspout was actually spotted at Water Works. We came out that afternoon to leave the park and go get some dinner, and the parking lot was flooded. It was so flooded close to the park, in fact, that several cars were actually floating. Does anyone else ever remember this happening? (Not that day, but I assume if it happened then it might have been a common occurrence). My grandpa used to have video of it, but I'm sure it was lost to time. Any other weird KI memories you all have?

Kings Island's parking lot isn't huge, and the app alleviates the problem of having to remember where you parked. But I do wish they had the trams. It would make a big difference with kids. It's nerve-wracking to walk with them through the parking lot, especially at night when people are often not paying attention to where they're going and kids have a tendency to run and wander. Also, at the end of the day, us and our kids are usually so tired from walking that a tram would be a great way to ease our legs a bit and restore our energy before the drive back to the hotel.

Honestly, the older I get, the less interested I become in them adding a roller coaster. I'm sure whatever they add will be fun and I'll ride it and enjoy it, but I'm more excited about all the nostalgic things they added this year than anything they've done in the past (and I say that as a big Mystic Timbers fan). In the next five years or so, I'd love to see a lot of attention paid to Action Zone. Re-theme it to something. Tear out Invertigo, Congo Falls and maybe even Timberwolf (I have a lot of Spirit Song memories there, though) and put some fun attractions, not necessarily coasters. A heavily themed, innovative water ride, maybe some really unique thrill rides and a nice outdoor dining area. Other things I'd love for them to focus on in the next few years: * Do something with Fountain Garden, which right now is basically just a really gross, sparse smokers stroll. Maybe make it an outdoor museum of Kings Island history, with models of older roller coasters, plaques and signage commemorating old attractions, even videos of old commercials. I remember loving that area when it was owned by Paramount because it was a nice distraction. Now it's just a place where people go to smoke cancer sticks. * Re-theme and re-open International Restaurant, maybe as a coaster-themed bar and grill. * Gut Boo Blasters and turn it into a peaceful, family friendly dark ride attraction. * Either tear down the old Crypt building or create some sort of immersive indoor attraction in there. Right now, it's just a waste of space except for storage and Haunt stuff. It's not quite the eyesore Disaster Transport was (since that was spoiling lakefront views at Cedar Point) but it's still pretty atrocious. * Won't happen, but close Backlot Stunt Coaster. Raze the ride and make it a collection of flats and family friendly attractions. * Add some tables around the base of the Eiffel Tower, add a few cafe/coffee/drink options to make that a fun gathering place. * Rebuild a campground. Even if it's off-site and you need to add a shuttle service. * Another thing that won't happen: Bring back the trams. The walk from the front gate to the back of the parking lot at the end of the day is exhausting for people with kids.

Reading all these and seeing those photos makes me a bit disappointed we've planned our trip for July 28-29, when this will all be long gone. :-( But hopefully it becomes an annual thing! Really impressive.

I feel like a Charlie Brown-themed dark ride would still be more interesting than the knock-off haunted house/shooter they have now (but again, my kids love it). I liked the idea someone had a few posts up. Enter through a dog house and then have the dark ride just be a year in the life of Charlie Brown and his friends, going through the different seasons. Just a fun, relaxing, happy ride. Yes, it is basically exactly what the Smurfs Enchanted Voyage did, but why not homage one of the park's classics? I'd rather there be something special there than the boring Boo Blasters (and young kids need a quiet, relaxing ride. The Whirlybirds are the only one right now).

Boo Blasters bores the heck out of me, and I always compare it to the better rides that were there (I'm old enough to remember Smurf's Enchanted Voyage and Phantom Theater, both of which I love). However, my kids LOVE it. It's their favorite ride in the park because it's fun/scary to them. My son loves to shoot the ghosts and my daughter loves that it makes her feel brave. There's a part of me that wants to say 'get this ride out of here' and another part of me that would hate to see it go because my kids love it so much. Then again, I sometimes feel like if they'd had a chance to enjoy Phantom Theater, they would also be bored by Boo Blasters. But in the end, it's kind of silly for adults to call for the park to change a kid ride because we're not the target audience for this particular attraction. I'd be curious to know what the ridership for it is ... it always has a pretty good line when we go there.

The smell of The Beast's station on a warm day. The scent of Funnel Cakes drifting out on IS. The acrid stench of cigarettes polluting Fountain Garden.

I think this is a key point. Adults can suck it up and just abide by the rules (but rudeness is never called for). But kids shouldn't have to sit next to someone if they aren't comfortable. We'll be taking my son and his cousins in July and there will likely be times where one of them is riding their first coaster by themselves and want to sit right in front of us. They shouldn't have to compound their anxiety by being placed with someone they aren't comfortable with. (Just like I'd say they should use caution when assigning single riders with members of the opposite sex).

As someone who suffers from social anxiety, I understand that discomfort. But really, I've never minded. Most people, I've found, just keep to themselves. Those who are chatty usually have something fun to say; I've learned they're often the enthusiasts and they love to talk about the ride. I think being paired with kids is uncomfortable, mostly because it's like "am I responsible for this kid if his restraint breaks and he flies out?" But really, I've learned most the time the discomfort is my own and I just need to relax.

I echo the Backlot Stunt Coaster disappointment. Here was Paramount promising a unique roller coaster experience, but it just looks shoddy and fake, and in the years post-Paramount, it makes no sense to have a movie stunt roller coaster in the middle of the park? Why not just at least call it "The Heist" or "The Getaway" or something like that -- none of the theming has anything to do with making a movie anymore, why not just lean into the action? I like BLSC for what it is, but the ads promised so much more. But by and large, aside from the first few years of Tomb Raider, Paramount's hype never lived up to it. The cache of a movie studio brought to mind Universal or Disney, but really the theming wasn't anything special. Face/Off had no theming. FoF had a great queue, but there's no theme to the ride itself. Drop/Zone had no theming, and if you'd ridden "Back to the Future," I don't see how you could be anything but let down by "Days of Thunder." Top Gun had the aircraft carrier walkthrough, which was kind of cool, but it was still just average amusement park decor. The park did much better theming wise with Adventure Express way before Paramount took over. I don't really count the Mystic Timbers ad as bad hype. Sure, "What's in the Shed" was a bit of a letdown (how could it not be?). But the thing that counts -- the ride -- is one of my favorites in the park.

Do we know that they didn't have to do anything? It's quite possible (I have no information or plumbing knowledge) that the pedestals were a maintenance nightmare that would otherwise have to be fully overhauled. But I agree wholeheartedly with @Creed Bratton. And the fact is, even with the new fountains (whether you like them or not), Kings Island still has one of the most beautiful opening sections in any park. And they double-down on its look and feel. Living in Detroit, my home park is Cedar Point. And I love CP for what it is -- a thrill park. But I hate CP's main Midway. Kings Island's International Street sets a great tone and it's a great place to go when you're a bit tired of lines and rides. CP's midway is basically "You're here for the roller coasters. Just shut up and get going."

There's a sense in which KI can't win here with the fan community. The fountain is an iconic piece of King Island; that view upon walking in to the park is the first view we have, and it's what we identify with the park (the sound of the water, for instance, tweaks my nostalgia just as much as the site of it). And there's a sense in which nothing Kings Island could do would please fans because it's simply different from what we're used to. Something has changed. In time, that won't matter, but love for a park is rooted so heavily in nostalgia that even a small change to an iconic piece of park history is going to feel off. That said, I haven't been to the park this year (we'll be getting down there probably in late July). What I've seen, I like. The colors really pop on IS. Those pavers are beautiful. I love that the streets look wider and could be less congested. And even though I miss the pedestals, I like the cleaner look of a show fountain. It's a bit less regal (royal?) but I think it still fits. In a few years, it will feel just right -- and if they incorporate it into a great evening show, all the better.

@Pedro Cerrano and @Magenta Lizard -- Yes!!!! I was searching to remember what they looked like (I couldn't recall if I was thinking of the clear plastic juice barrels school sometimes gave) -- but that picture...yes!!!! Man, that take me back!

Yes, but are the concession wagons going to sell the little plastic barrels of juice? That would up the game from my childhood (I feel like that's what they sold; I could very well be misremembering). Also, it is truly remarkable how much care Kings Island is showing to the park. I've said it elsewhere, but it's so easy to toss in a new attraction to entice people. But to make an investment in nostalgia is truly special. I usually hate the way movies and TV exploit our love for childhood things, but I feel like a theme park is a different matter. You are going to recapture some portion of your childhood, and there are so many little things that have a precise chemical impact on people. A sign with a certain color paint. Music. Beast paw prints. Going to KI is going to bring a lot of people to tears this year.

The campground was great -- it was affordable and a great way to do a cheap trip to the park with friends (we went down to Spirit Song a few years in a row and would camp there). I'm bummed it's gone. We did stay a few years at Morgan's Canoe and Camping, which is about a 15-minute drive from the park. It's a beautiful site -- we camped right by the river. Only problem is it's a rustic site, and getting back to the campground stinky, sweaty and exhausted -- and in the dark -- isn't a ton of fun. In my twenties? Sign me up. Pushing 40? I'll just call a hotel, lol.

I love all the TLC that Cedar Fair is showing Kings Island this year. It's an easy solution to toss a new roller coaster in the park and bring in new people. It's a different beast (no pun intended) altogether to spend a year acknowledging the park's history and the role that nostalgia plays in bringing many back to the park. I get excited for a new coaster like anyone else. But to see a glockenspiel on the Festhaus, The Beast prints on the ground, the return of the Antiques...there's an almost chemical response that hits the same feelings I had when I was a kid in the '80s attending the park with my grandparents. This is what makes me want to come back year after year with my kids and why even though Cedar Point would technically be my "home park" (I live in the Detroit area), I go to Kings Island every year and haven't been to CP in about five.

Congrats! Third month, at least she probably won't be miserable walking around the park. But there's not a ton to do for pregnant women at Kings Island. A few years back, my wife was pregnant with our second child and we made the trip to KI from Detroit when she was eight months pregnant (we would have cancelled, but this was for my son). She could ride Boo Blasters, the carousel and the Eiffel Tower and...that's about it. We even tried to head to Water Works so she could do the lazy river; nope, she got kicked out of that, too. Add to the fact that it was hot and, oh yeah, she was eight months pregnant, at it was pretty miserable. But! At three months, the discomfort is usually not as high! And if your fiancee is okay sitting out rides, there's still so many shows to see, places to eat, things to do. Should still be a fun trip (just don't be the jerk that I was and run off to ride a few rides while she sits by the fountain eating LaRosa's.)

I like it. New pavers, new colors on the buildings, really classing the joint up. If they take the pedestals out of the fountain, I'll miss them, but I'm fine with them doing something new. Some things I'd love to see, some of which have been mentioned here: * Tables with umbrellas along the fountains * Some sort of show with the fountain * A new orchestral score (in recent years they've at least pulled back on the pop music) * There used to be European style kiosks around IS with announcements for new shoes and attractions. I guess in a day of digital signage, those are unnecessary, but it still leant to the feel. * I'd love see some of the IS shops/restaurants pulled back from being nostalgia stores/standard souvenir shops and sell something unique (I remember when they had a glass blower there). It won't happen, but it would be nice. * I doubt it will happen this year as we'd have heard by now, but I'd really love the International Restaurant to be re-opened. It was a great way to take a break and enjoy the view. That real estate just sits empty, a shame they're not using it. I used to love going up and looking at all the news clippings on the lobby wall (turning this into a Kings Island history-themed bar would be nice)

The building's Rivertown placement never bothers me, because I feel like it's in that transition area from Rivertown to Coney. What bothers me is seeing it on the skyline. That said, I don't know that the building bothers me as much as the old Crypt entrance, just sitting there dormant. The building could get lost in the background; the queue entrance to nowhere is distracting.

I never understood why Reds was in Rivertown; it never really fit the theme, whereas this looks like it could be more in line with it (at least the logo looks kind of country-ish). I'm from Detroit, so the Reds didn't mean much to me (aside from the plaque for Sparky Anderson) but I always liked going there, and the food was decent. I feel like it would be an ideal concept to try and port to Coney Mall, Action Zone, or International Street -- heck, maybe re-open the International Restaurant as Reds.

This is exciting! That location is always my favorite place to eat at Kings Island; it's air-conditioned, and the food is always pretty decent. I don't know that it will ever be as good as it was when it was a BBQ chicken place (I think even before it was Wings), but this sounds really promising. The menu sounds fun, and I love that there will be a place to go get some local brews (because after a few hours with the kids, I usually need a drink, lol). I love the new BBQ place in Coney Mall, and this sounds like another interesting addition. I feel like between this, the IS renovations and the re-installation of the Antiques, Kings Island is going all in on honoring the park's unique identity. I've always loved KI; I feel like we're seeing a shift to make it even more special.

Oh, I beg to differ. I'm 40, so probably too old to have an opinion on Boo Blasters (but I have one: I'm not a fan), but my 7-year-old son loves it. It's his favorite ride at the park. He rides it about five times each trip and talks about it all year (we live in Detroit, so Kings Island is a one year thing). He talks about it in the way I talked about Smurfs Enchanted Voyage when I was a kid or my brother talked about Phantom Theater. You eventually outgrow what's there and something else (sometimes inferior, in our eyes) takes its place, but those are the experiences that kids hold to and ultimately create lifelong fans. I'd say it's working pretty well.

I don't think it's unfeasible so much as it is unnecessary. Kings Island's an extremely walkable park. It's so easy to make that circuit starting with Planet Snoopy, through Rivertown, over to Coney and then ending in Action Zone, stopping off on International Street when you need to. It makes it easy to organize the day and I never feel like I'm walking too far without coming across something that I want to ride. But I could see them being helpful for those who might, say, want to head from Beast/Diamondback over to FoF or Racer without wasting too much time (although if the lines for the Skyride are long, it might be quicker just to make the walk). At Cedar Point, I'm often thankful for the Skyride because, unless I'm going to hit the Raptor or Wicked Twister, that main Midway is just a hassle. Easier to jump aboard and then when you get off you're closer to all the rides you want to hit.