Magenta Lizard

I don't recall this ever happening before but it happened twice today and I'm getting pretty grossed out. People who get on rides with bleeding wounds. I really don't want your blood getting on me. Please visit first aid and get a band aid. Also, Banshee ride ops who "help" you out of your restraints by standing directly in front of you watching as you push it up, blocking your ability to get up. Thanks, your times would be better if you weren't standing in the way of me getting off and the next group getting on.

This morning when I was waiting for Delirium some girls behind me were discussing Drop Tower. "I only rode it once. Unwillingly. After I heard about that guy whose leg got chopped off, I'm like 'No thank you'. Seriously, you're riding anything at a park you think is still running a ride that removed an entire limb? During normal operation no less?

Teenage boys who flip off the ride cameras. Just rode behind one on Diamondback who didn't know where the cams were so just rode with his middle fingers up the whole time. Wow. You're such a rebel. Nobody else has EVER thought to do that before. Yawn.

FoF (and Shake, Rattle, and Roll) are both closed again today per the sign. I've gotten to the point where I'm really itching to ride again. Hopefully for the July 7th event.

I think it should stay as a way for KI to make money off people willing to pay (each time) for the benefit, personally.

I didn't realize the bike dragon had been injured. I'm glad he's better and will be back next time I see it (probably Tuesday).

Back at the end of the school year when it seemed the Miami Valley was reporting a bomb threat at a local school nearly every other day, my husband (worrying about me going to KI alone) asked if you ever hear about threats like that at amusement parks. I told him that most (if not all) the school threats were from copycat kids trying to get out of going to school because the threats shut down the school, and no one wants to not get to go to Kings Island (or another amusement park). Guess I was wrong :-/ I don't really get the idea of bomb threats anyway. If someone was nuts enough to plant a real bomb what possible purpose would a warning serve to their lunatic cause? I mean, I understand why every one has to be taken seriously and a search needs to be made, but I wonder how often, if ever, actual bombings and/or planted explosive devices come with a warning beforehand.

Sounds like everyone is all right. Glad to hear that. Surprised the shut down was so brief, but glad to hear that too.

http://www.wvec.com/home/Busch-Gardens-closed-locked-down-due-to-bomb-threat-265128511.html (via Coaster Crew on Facebook) Is it actually legal for them to prevent people from leaving?

People who block the ride entrance while having their child measured or other assorted long conversations with the employee waiting there. Employees who don't make any attempt to move such conversations out of the way of the entrance. The bottleneck caused by bag carriers and the ensuing discussions (always in the way of traffic flow) is often nearly as long a wait on Banshee as the actual line. At least it feels that way.

On Delirium, not only do they not stand on their numbers (which I hate because otherwise I forget, I have a goldfish's memory for numbers), but they typically wander about a foot into the pen and stop, and those behind them are hesitant to push past, so everyone else ends up in a wad behind the operator shelter. Also, whoever is standing in front of the gate is never paying attention, so they have to be told like five times "push on the gates and go to your assigned seats." I've taken to maneuvering to the gate myself if no one else is standing on their numbers (especially if someone is on mine so I can't stand on it to remember). Another pet peeve for me is people who stomp on the seat as they're getting off a coaster. Bonus points if they've just gotten off Congo Falls or WWC and goosh dirty water all over the seat. Edited: thought of another one. When a rider thinks it is funny to repeatedly shout "clear!" when the ride ops are doing their scan or whatever it is called. This has invariably been an unsupervised boy when I've observed it.

The Bat is definitely more intense than Iron Dragon, too. They seem pretty similar, but if you have ridden Iron Dragon often, The Bat will come as a bit of a surprise. Sharp transitions vs a mostly gentle soaring flight. Even though I rode both often in the past, having ridden Iron Dragon more often in recent years, it was a bit of a surprise for me when I rode The Bat again this year. It's surprising how intense it is for not being very tall.

I didn't ever think it was overpriced, I just was trying to nail down what the heck Don was talking about, because it didn't jibe with anything that had been said before. Now that I know that apparently all but $10 of the registration cost is going to pay KI for the lunch alone, it is an even better deal than I thought. I'm quite impressed with the Coaster Crew organizers of this event That $6 processing fee is just silly. At least if you're going to be buying several tickets or passes, it's only $6 per order. That's the nicest thing I can say about it.

They don't want people not coming because they think it looks too busy. Once you're there, you're more committed.

Thanks Tim! I think the registration cost for this was very reasonable, and I thank you (and any others) for putting such a cool event together for us! Really looking forward to it!

That it is. I got the $26 from the registration page, and my PayPal receipt for the payment I made (well, $31 because I added a $5 Banshee purple lanyard).

It's odd that The Boys Are Back performers were lip syncing when you saw it. When I watched it, it was painfully obvious they weren't lip syncing. I could tell they individually were good singers by their solos, but when they sang together it was discordant. It sort of defeats the purpose of a "boy band" which typically refers to a often-manufactured (by a producer, rather than fate) group of singers brought together specifically because they sound harmonious together. I felt bad about it, but I only made it about five minutes into the show, and considering how hot it was that day, it took a lot to get me to leave the A/C. I think lip syncing to an actual harmonious track during the non-solos would be a great improvement to that show, if the performers are unable to learn harmony otherwise.

Well, considering our registration for the event was $26, not $15.99, that only makes things less clear. I'm just going to assume the $15.99 is part of the $26 and that I'll get my picnic meal ticket at check in for the event on July 7th in the morning, until told otherwise. If it's not, I think a lot of people are going to be quite upset that day. There has been no opportunity to buy a picnic ticket to "present their picnic meal ticket at check in" as you say we need to do. I'm also going to assume "or season pass" because otherwise that sentence makes no sense.

If riding together is not important enough to the group to either stick together before entering the line or to leave their own place in line to wait with the newcomer, why is it important enough to displace everyone else in the line who have nothing to gain from it? Granted it is only a little inconvenience for everyone else, but all those people also are not the ones that are "gaining" something. If you are the one who wants something special, expect that you may be the one who needs to be inconvenienced. That doesn't seem ridiculous to me. I don't throw a fit about it when it happens, because if one fights every time someone is rude or breaks the rules, one is going to end up angry and a lot more inconvenienced. I do think it needs more enforcement by someone paid to do so, though, because as it stands pretty much every group that does it thinks "oh, it's just one person, it's not really line jumping, those rules don't really apply to us". Yes, it is line jumping, and you should really appreciate all the other people who don't call you on your rudeness, rather than just expecting them to step aside because you want something. (This is directed at the oblivious line jumpers, not LoraX's post. I can tell LoraX sees it as a kindness, not a privilege if people let you ahead, which I don't have a problem with either).

This year is the first time in 15 years I've been able to ride coasters much, because I finally decided to stop waiting for people to go with me. I've been enjoying it immensely. Going alone isn't in any way as bad/sad/scary/lonely/whatever I thought it might be. My husband and I are practically joined at the hip ordinarily, so it is unusual to spend hours apart. We both work at home for his business, so we spend most of our waking hours (and sleeping hours for that matter) together. So, it was a big step for me to go do this by myself. But, as I said, my fears were unfounded. I think I've had my best times at the park, ever, this season, because I can do whatever I want whenever I want without having to worry about someone else's desires. If I want to ride Beast seven times in a row, I can. If I want to stick around an extra hour just to watch another set of the Kings Island Five, it's not tiring anyone. I wouldn't want to spend this much time with someone other than my husband (one of the reasons I've not tried too hard in past years to find a coaster-riding buddy), but it's actually been kind of nice to have so much self-directed time.

Ah, ok. I think I get it now. Not that I think anyone assumed they could just glom on to the event activities without registering. I guess clarity is king.

You mean the picnic meal is included in our $26 registration fee, I assume? If it was/is a separate charge, this is the first I'm hearing of it.

I have an iPhone (4s), and it didn't cause any scrolling trouble on it before or after the edit.

And the group that is farther ahead coming back to join the missing member isn't a solution why, exactly? They can still have that ride together, and aren't displacing people who have also been waiting but aren't gaining any "family ride together."

I think they must just enjoy yelling at people.