BeeastFarmer

This makes me happy. The Holiday World model, modified, is catching on. Free self serve stations at HW, self serve stations at KK, and now dedicated refill stations at KI, which may also come to other Cedar Fair parks. *Note: Please don't crucify me for the Holiday World model nomenclature, please keep in mind my only parks as an adult are KI, HW, KK, and Dollywood.

Thanks, calakapepe. That was it. When I saw "upper que"--I am talking about the first que section that is normally used. I call the other, rectangular que, the lower que. That's how my mind works.

Refresh my memory: What was in the building that is now the upper que for Diamondback?

This was in another thread last year at Halloween Haunt. I am sorry I don't recall the poster's name, but he posted a video of him and his son at Haunt. In the Octoberfest area, I heard the "old" lifthill music on the speakers. I commented and he replied that it was from the Independence Day soundtrack, but I can't remember the name of the song.

You know, I was soooo close to filling out an endorsement form and paying the fee to the Ohio Board of Nursing today, only to realize: 1. If I worked at KI as an RN, it's only seasonal and I love my current job. 2. If I did get a 2-day a week job at KI, that would be doable, but where would I stay? 3. If #2 was solved, who would take care of my pets and livestock while I was away each week. Sometimes it sucks being an adult!

I had heard that they had the second train last year but never added it. I take that with a grain of salt since I never saw it, or saw where it could be stored when it wasn't being used (like they do with the second train on Lightning Run.) Just another thing to look forward to finding out about. I think that is why I am such an advocate of this park. I went in with very low expectations, and my socks were blown off when those expectations were thrown out the window. But I tend to set the bar low for many things so I end up not being upset.

So I have changed my mind about The Beast music. I think the first lift hill is better without it. The announcement is annoying. I do like it on the second lift and have found my happy place. That means they will probably change it for 2016. Still kind of forlorn about not having The Beast as my first coaster in 2016, but will do Thunderhead so that my first 2016 coaster will be a woodie.

And back to Kentucky Kingdom, the T3 ride operators were great last year in the handful of times I rode. Granted there was only one train and waits were long, but the ride ops were mostly efficient and had good interaction with the public. Lightning Run was consistently average, but really slow about sending vehicles out after the all clear was issued. Thunder Run had some great crews and some terrible crews.

To echo the advice given earlier today: If you are on the fence, go. Had I listened to my internal voice and not gone in 2015, I would not have had some great times with friends and ridden some great coasters. I would not have appreciated the revival of a park that was left to decay in the shadow of SIX. And I would have not had an opportunity to see areas that my home park is strong in, and areas it is weak in. If my 2016 plans go swimmingly, I will have many more parks to compare and contrast to.

I think that the park has surpassed many expectations and that each year it is opens bodes well for the future. It has had two seasons-many said it would not have one. It has a new coaster-Lightning Run, that many said was not impressive. It is. Thunder Run reopened, and gives a tremendous ride. T3 reopened, and it was actually enjoyable (my opinion, and I had never ridden T2). Storm Chaser looks like it will be a hit. The water park gains good reviews. The park has many issues to overcome, and I think they are making some good inroads. All this is coming from someone who swore he would never step foot inside the park again after his miserable experience in 2008. He may also try another SIX park in the next year or two. I honestly think it is amazing that a park that was vacated and given up for dead is as good as it is.

What I would like to see: A modern wooden coaster that is reliable and low maintenance. I really think that a wooden coaster is needed to balance out the line up at Kings Island, and to pay homage to the past. I'd like to see the giant box in Rivertown removed, and this coaster to go in this spot and go back in the woods, but not too close to The Beast. After this installation, I would like the next coaster to be the B&M giga, but in the giant space where SOB stood. Would be a good skyline addition and if done correctly (station entrance near Timberwolf/Invertigo) this coaster would keep adding to the action in this zone. I am easy to please however. I'd be happy to get the Coney Mall sign back, and consistently cleaner/non smelly restrooms. (Note: the wooden coaster that I'd like to see is a larger version of something like Thunderhead at Dollywood, and climate controlled restrooms like at Kentucky Kingdom.)

I ordered my Dollywood Gold pass online, and processed when I went back in November. It was quick and painless. The thing about Dollywood is that compared to KI, the gold pass seems more expensive, but...I was also able to get in two visits in 2015, and may be able to get one in 2017, depending on the weather. Dollywood will be the first park I visit this year, and even though it is further away than KI, it is more of a destination than KI. So I may stay in the area and do more things, whereas when I go to Cincy, it is usually only to go to KI.

When the park posts a photograph and states that The Beast trains are back on the track and ready for opening day, and you breathe deeply and all seems right with the world for a moment.

I never went to Geauga Lake or any of its' incarnations. In my optimistic mind set, I hope that the land will be redeveloped and Cedar Fair will restore the roller coaster and open up a very small, nostalgic park that would appeal to the locals and heal some of the wounds. I don't see that happening, but one can always hope.

When this ride was Twisted Twins, did people throw solid or liquid objects at it?

This is just observation only on my part, with no measurements to back it up. The sidewalk is right on the street, there is no utility strip. The fence is actually fairly high, I would *guess* 10 feet tall. It would be very hard to hit a train moving at what I assume is at the most fast section of the ride by standing on the sidewalk. That being said, I hope there are plans to spruce up this area. The times I went to the park last year, it is very run down and the barbed razor wire looks bad, but it does add safety.

RE: Parking tolls and passholders: How does it work at Carowinds?

I just want the Coney Mall sign back.

I love your countdown pictures. This one is EPIC! Thank you for making my day!

Which, as I've said before, would be alright if they'd set the park up to be forested again one day. Instead, they replaced the dozens and dozens of mature trees around Swan Lake with a handful of dogwoods around Diamondback. If they'd re-planted some real trees – and a lot of them – we would already be well on our way to returning to that historical picture. Instead, 50 years from now, that'll still look like a concrete trough with a finely manicured lawn and a few small trees scattered around it. To be Fair, many of the trees are ash trees and the emerald ash borer has devastated this population. If you look at the forested sections you can see the dead trees. I'd like to see Kings Island plant for the future. I have watched the ash trees die out in the park over the last few years, especially the ones between Diamondback and the RHOFG and between BLSC and the restrooms. Finally, it was a dead ash tree that fell on the track of Diamondback last summer after a storm.

I will say that I was satisfied in 2015 with my dining plan. Food service speed, not so much most times.

Thanks for the tips about Nighthawk--I don't think I'll be riding this one. I rode Firehawk for the first time in '15, and while it was a fun ride, I don't like going backwards. Anything is possible thought. Up until '15 I had given up on looping coasters until one day in July I decided to ride the mighty Vortex, which lead to Banshee. Firehawk didn't make me nauseous, I was just disoriented and had some tachycardia and diaphoresis after the ride.

Well, that's the thing. I'm trying to plan the most efficient ways to take my season trips. I am from the Lexington area, so I had originally planned on going on 1-64 to Camden Park (briefly) then to KD-Cwinds-Dollywood and then back home. Looking into it, it may be more efficient to to DW-Cwinds, and Camden-KD-BG as weekday trips. (I work every Saturday and Sunday, so I think these are doable in 5 days) There are so many parks, it seems, in the PA area-Knoebes, Kennywood, Hershey, Conneut Park and many others that escape me-not to mention a Six Flag park or two, that would be "close"- so it seems that if I take a weekend off (a week for me) that would give me 12 days to explore the PA-ish area. Of course, there is KI and CP, so those will be weekday trips. And last, several visits to Kentucky Kingdom, too.

My CF parks I plan on visiting are: KI, KD, CWinds, Dorney and CP. KI visits will decrease this season. I'm not familiar with the geography of the Virginia/PA area, so I appreciate all the help there, too.

I hope to make it back to Carowinds later in the season, too. I am actually going to take a week off of work and make a northern trip (Kings Dominion, and PA parks, but have not decided which ones yet). Looking forward to learning lots and riding lots this year.