Magenta Lizard

I saw a different blimp last year over KI. I don't remember what was printed on it but I'll see if I can find any pics I took.

I've got another very few have seen, from the 1978 employee yearbook. I hope that is an employee's kid and they didn't just let guests wander into the station construction site...

I enjoy it a lot more since I've learned it is the only coaster I /want/ to be stapled into. Getting the ride-op to click the lap bar at least one more than I can do on my own makes the actual ride much more comfortable. Before I would sort of rock back and forth and it made it hell on my shinbones. But being locked in as tightly as possible stops that and I can enjoy the ride. I've been riding it much more often now. Yesterday I even got a zen ride on it, that was interesting.

When I was at the park yesterday evening, the first sign I had of there being a power problem again was in the arcade. I walked in to check the Wizard of Oz coin pushers, and the people who had been playing them were standing around powered-down machines looking a little panicked. The guy from Elaut (the company that makes and services the machines) was reassuring that the machines should still show the credits that were on them when they were powered back on, and that he would make sure they were all taken care of properly. He said that "power surges, like we just experienced, are really bad for the machines so we had to turn everything off for now to protect it." He said it in such a way that it sounded like the surges must have caused effects that would have been obvious to the people there at the time (I'm assuming the lights in the room flashed on and off like nhimes90 mentioned). I really hope this is something the power company can get under control. Things are only going to get worse when summer comes on full force and all their customers are pulling power for their air conditioners.

In the fall, after they closed WWC, they built a temporary road across it (to aid Mystic Timbers construction) by filling in the channel with dirt. This would have had to be removed and placed somewhere, again.

Somebody had mentioned hearing Rocky Top on the train earlier this season, and now I have too! Although the music on tap during the ride is the same selections as before, they have some new songs playing while waiting in the station. Actually, they have new ones moving too! Part of the "beef: it's what's for dinner" symphony, some banjo song I don't recognize, Surfin' Safari. Then Rocky Top, and on the way into the station a remix of the talking and ambient music from Mystic Timbers' queue line, ending with a reminder not to go in the shed

^"unnatural texture" makes me think they've probably gone to the same food-service burgers they serve over in Picnic Grove and had at Planet Snoopy Grill last year. I hadn't tried Jukebox's burger previously, but the texture of the others I've had at the park are certainly unique.

A friend was showing me hers, and the videos show as blank spots in the app, can only view through the website.

They didn't have it anymore last year, either (and it was the same stuff only with added coloring). The Rivertown Funnel Cake stand has a Mystic Timbers soft serve, which appears to be chocolate/vanilla swirl with green food dye added.

I want to make a note that the bar area behind Hank's is no longer the Christian Moerlein Biergarten, it has been rebranded to the Budweiser Biergarten. Stupid me didn't take a pic of the new signs but I can Monday.

The order of these can't be considered ranking of either my favorites or thrill levels, because my comparative feelings change all the time (my favorite is always the one I'm riding, especially when I didn't have a long wait ) 1. Banshee. The smooth intensity of this ride still can take me by surprise. 2. Drop Tower. Even among coaster enthusiasts, who are used to heights, this comes up often as the ride they are still afraid of. Nice adrenaline buildup during those moments between the "clank" and drop. 3. Vortex. Gives a completely different experience than modern steel. The difference in the support structure makes it seem less stable (although in actuality it is perfectly safe) and that first drop is among my favorite moments on any rides at KI 4. Mystic Timbers. Just doesn't let up, from the exciting first drop through those last couple tosses back and forth on the turn up to the shed. I like to ride with one hand holding the back of the seat in front of me, because the separate articulation just adds to the out-of-control feeling! 5. The Bat. I probably don't ride this as often as I should because I often forget how much I love it until I'm actually riding. Surprisingly intense, I find myself catching my breath as I swing back and forth on the brake run. 6. The Beast. There's just nothing like it. Dropping down past the ground level on the first drop, to the helix, with its crazy sounds and forces.

Also, if you haven't, stop by lost and found and see if your pass was turned in. You would think they would inform people if their pass is found, but they don't. There is a large box of turned-in lost passes, separated alphabetically. I've turned in probably a dozen that I have found personally.

I got the grilled chicken sandwich at RHoFG last visit. Being alone, I liked being able to just put in my order and grab a drink to sip while I waited for my food. The system with the paging disks wasn't working, so someone came from the kitchen and asked what my order was, then went back in to get it. The sandwich was pretty good, and the whole thing didn't take too long (I was there not long after they opened for the day). I think once they get the system working properly, it is going to be a great improvement. I already didn't go through the typical rigamarole of arriving around the time they supposedly would open only to be turned away indefinitely because their servers were late/hadn't showed.

The lights overhead swing and the sawblades in the shed bounce away from the walls, in "reaction" to what is going on "outside" the shed. The lockers on the right side shove out from the wall as things on the screen "go by" it.

^ correct, on Media Day/First Riders Auction, the tvs in the wood shed were turned off. The security monitor videos were hard enough to hear then, so I definitely think FunTV is competing against the story being told.

The official KI Food Twitter account posted about the International Restaurant today, and I replied that I wished it was opened to the public again. The response was quite encouraging! Go let them know what you'd like to see!

Yesterday when I went by Chicken Shack, they had both sides open! I wondered why the line wasn't longer when the park was as busy as it was, and that was why. The Freestyle machines in the Train Station were also open at least part of the day. So far, I've really been enjoying having the disposable cup drink plan. The park was quite busy but I rarely had much trouble finding a short line to grab a drink.

Welcome to KIC Saerenzea!

After riding a bunch more times yesterday, I have two small complaints about Mystic Timbers' restraints. One is that the seatbelts need to be wrapped around the t-bar and connected for any seat without a rider, presumably because they don't retract and the metal ends could hurt someone if allowed to just flap around. This slows down loading (for those having to unwrap a previously unoccupied seat) and restraint checking (because it takes time to do the wrapping). Second is that the t-bars are top heavy and move very easily. So, if they "down bar" while you are still fumbling with the seatbelt, the chances of getting smacked in a knee by the center bar of a falling restraint are surprisingly high.

I mostly like Banshee's restraints, but if I ride too much, it starts feeling bruisy on my collarbones.

Either they changed it, or my memory was faulty (chances are!) but after I rode a bunch more times yesterday, I believe the version of Can't Take My Eyes Off of You actually /is/ the "disco version" linked to by @upstop The segment used avoids the more clearly disco sections of the song. Apologies!

They haven't been routing through the Crypt since opening weekend, that I've noticed, so they've been sending ERT traffic to the first right after Graeters (by Boo Blasters). Diamondback is also on ERT.

Ok! (I can't wait either)

^ welcome to KIC! We all occasionally misspeak, unfortunately.

Bearded dragons would be way higher if I made such a list. This little charmer tried really hard to go home with me last time I went to buy cat food but I can't risk him /becoming/ cat food, so no lizards for me.