BeeastFarmer

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.

It looks like my first coaster rides of the season will happen the last week of March. I am a gold pass holder at Dollywood, and a platinum pass holder for CF. I went to Dollywood twice for the 2015 Christmas event; so I am learning that park. Any advice of cheaper places to stay overnight when visiting this park? This will be my first time at Carowinds, and first time at a CF park that is not KI. Any lodging advice for the Carowinds area, as well as general Carowinds advice? When I say cheaper lodging, I am talking about clean and safe--sort of like The Shaker Inn in Lebanon, OH. Affordable, clean and personable. I am thinking of leaving central KY on Monday, hitting up Dollywood, going from there to Carowinds for two days, then back to Dollywood and back home to central KY by Friday. Thanks in advance!

I choose option #3: Current coasters. The Beast and Diamondback. The Interpreter, please clarify: Is the name of the wooden roller coaster in Rivertown The Beast or Beast? I usually call it The Beast based on the logo, but have noticed that even the park social media often refers to it as simply Beast.

When you feel slightly guilty that the first roller coaster of 2016 will not be The Beast, as is the usual tradition. And you have gotten over the guilt of riding other coasters after The Beast in 2015, as is the usual tradition.

I remember eating food back there and being grateful for the fans...in the 80's...and it was not funnel cakes or elephant ears. It was a meal with the family. I also remember riding WWC with the famdamily, and after getting off, my Dad's tennis shoes were bubbling---Mom had washed them. It was quite noticeable and we were laughing, and some others joined in. He never caught on until Mom told him later. See, this is why people have a love affair with places like KI. Everytime I think about WWC, I can think about those good times so many years ago. And I bet if the same thing happened to a family in 2016, they would laugh about it 30 years later. (give or take a few years.)

Steph88, I can say that Thunder Run really packs a wallup. The RMC retracking really improved it (from the time I rode in 2008, when the former operator barely seemed to care) . Lightning Run is a great coaster and packs a wallup that is very surprising for such a small coaster. Even T3 is fun--my first Vekoma SLC, and I just wanted to say I had tried it. It's reridable and the only rough spot is the turn around to the station.

My high school, which no longer exists after the merge, had no buses either. It was "in town" so they felt there was no need. A private company would bus the kids if the parents wanted to pay. I'd walk to a friends house, or my grandmother's house and wait to be picked by Mom or Dad after work. But back to topic: Maybe I'll contact someone at the merged system at transporting some students to the education days ! ; )

The Louisville Zoo was our senior class trip. No lie. Our senior trip was for 4 hours a little over a hour away from home.

Are Rivertown lockers gone, too?

Of course you can predict what I will say. But let me add this caveat: If you are expecting a KI type experience, you will be let down. The coasters are great, the flats are great and there is a nice waterpark. It is not currently an iconic park. I would suggest getting a season pass because they are still ~$60.00. A wise man told me to go in 2015, and I am in his debt for it. I give the same advice.

They didn't stand, they sat. In a like manner as the ride attendant does before the drop on The Kings Mills Log Flume.

Just out of curiosity--when did KI add the "observation decks" on the first and second lift hillls? I remember as a youngster that they were there and had employees watching from each one, (and keeping us calm when we were "stuck" on the second lift hill when I was in 8th grade). And, too, when did the stop using employees on these observation areas?

Tacos Too was formed in central KY when the franchisee of all but one Lexington area Taco Tico decided to forgo Taco Tico's franchisor agreement. Among many cost cutting measures, computer based scheduling was implemented. I went to the joint once on a late Saturday afternoon and it was packed with only a cook and a manager. This, along with lower quality food, led to the closure. Which is a shame, because Taco Tico was always a favorite and seemed to do great business. I know when I go to Lexington for the day, the one Taco Tico remains and is packed--and has enough staff to take care of the customers,

The Interpreter, have you heard of Tacos Too!? (Punctuation part of the name.) Computer staffing vs. adequate staffing of Taco Tico.

I'm not sure of what he accomplished...I had a great chicken wrap at the Reds HOFG, but I am not sure if that was his doing or not. I just checked my Twitter and yes, Chef Nate had recently posted.

Fierce as in they had standards and expectations. Not as in mistreatment. I closed in the summer months and many nights were spent working hard, but laughing and having FUN. Sharon was the manager who told me once, (jokingly) "I'd write you up for insubordination, if I could spell it!" after I told her she could wash some dishes, too.

I don't know...I worked McDonald's when I was a teenager. We worked our tails off and yet had fun. Our managers were fierce and we knew QSC&V as it was constantly ingrained in us. The food service people this year, while friendly, were mostly moving in slow motion, and at the Skyline Chili location in the area formerly known as Coney Mall, they were leaning on their elbows on the prep table while preparing food. They need more workers who have a stronger work ethic--unfortunately this is a hard thing to find.

Flying Eagles was originally located in the area formerly known as Coney Mall in the spot where Dogem is currently. It came from Coney Island in 1972 and in 1986 was moved back to where the basketball game is near Shake Rattle N Roll/Vortex are now. The original Bat was located where Vortex is now--Vortex reuses the station. Halley's Comet was removed in 1979.