MaestroJr

I dont think The Bat, Vortex, WindSeeker, or Boo Blasters will be here in the next 5 to 10 years, though I hope that if Boo Blasters leaves that the Omnimover system stays and I hope it keeps a creepy theme whether its Peanuts Great Pumpkin, or Phantom Theater, or something along the lines. I think Great Pumpkin is the most likely canidate and I would be fine with that. As for The Bat, I just think that its almost ran its course with all the name changes it's had and such. When it was "Top Gun" and brand new, it was always packed with everybody dying to ride it. Now its the ride you go to if you dont want to wait longer then 5 minutes. I love The Bat and always have but I see it leaving soon with Banshee now dominating the area. WindSeeker is always shut down, although I dont know what the park would do with the small space that it occupies. I think it will leave sooner than later due to being closed frequently. With Vortex, I HOPE that it stays, but given its age, and fairly short lines, I think it is most likely to go first before all the other rides, though I hope it doesn't! And possibly even Invertigo, although it always has a long line and is a very unique coaster at the Island, but I could possibly see it go sooner than later. I never want to see a ride go, although I realize that it is inevitable. Just my opinions, MaestroJr.

Very cool to see Woodstock Express in its early days as Scooby-Doo, also very cool to see Racer when its was new. And very nice pictures of Enchanted Voyage, and the old Barvarian Beetle, Ive never seen such good photos from that short lived coaster! Wonderful photos to take you back to a groovy time at the Island! Thanks for sharing! MaestroJr

Hey guys, sorry it took me a few weeks to get those posted, I tried posting earlier this morning but it erased it, but I had an awesome first visit and I already am about to go back next week! It was a great day with friends, and one of my most memorable visits. Had a blast and rode lots in the perfect Ohio summer day with highs in the 70s, sunny, and smiling faces all around. Here are the highlights and pictures I took, of a great first visit to the Island. The day started off by getting up early and picking up a few friends in Kenton County, Kentucky. Cincinnati was busy, but it was around 11:30 though. We arrived at the Island at Noon, and I really like the new entrance. We were ready for a fantastic, fun day, with beautiful skies all around. I was ready to start a memorable day at the park so we headed for Coney Mall. Our first ride of the day was Flight of Fear, as I always ride it first to avoid long waits later on in the day. It was my friends first time riding, so I told him to watch the operator press the button, and then count to 4 and look forward for the launch! Wait was around 20 minutes and it was a great ride as usual, and helped us wake up for other rides and was a great starter ride. Next, it was off to The Racer, which we rode a couple of times because it only had a 3 minute wait. I rode backseat both times on the Blue Racer, and it was a very fun couple of rides on the Blue train. Lots of bumps, and airtime. Lots of fun even though we didn't get to race the Red train, but still fun as always. I always have loved The Racer, and never get tired of it! Next, we stayed in Coney Mall for a ride on the mighty Vortex! Wait was 5 minutes, although my friend couldn't ride it as he's 6'8", and couldn't get secure enough in his seat. That didn't stop me from riding however! A great, rough ride on Vortex, with lots of airtime on the first drop, and a rough, but awesome ride going up the loops. Great fun on The Vortex! Next we decided to stay close to the area and ride the Father not the Son but The original wooden monster, The Beast! Continuing with the day's tradition that me and my friend made to ride only backseat on everything, we of course rode backseat. It was a fast and rough ride on The Beast. Anyone who has ridden backseat on The Beast knows what I mean. Even though it's probably the roughest seat, you get the most airtime, and g-force, on both of the lift hills. An amazing ride on The Beast, but for all you Phantom Theater fans, the only picture I took while in line for The Beast was of the Flash Powder barrel from Phantom Theater that is still being used over from Haunt, it is still being used, and can be found at the end of The Beast's line heading towards the Ride's Photo Booth at it's exit. I love seeing anything from Phantom Theater being used even though it is just a barrel that was used as a prop on the ride. Most people probably don't even know what it is from, unless they ask me as y'all know I love Phantom Theater, and I hope for it's return. Having ridden Phantom a lot as a kid, I would love to experience again as an adult as I know many on here would as well. Truly a gem, as even an old barrel from it makes me smile and brings back so many memories of me riding on the Phantom Theater many moons ago! Loved to see it still being used after all these years later! Next we headed towards the Action Zone area, and towards the Adventure Express. We waited the shortest line I've ever had on the Adventure Express as crowds were eating lunch mostly. Walk-on pretty much, like a 2 minute wait. A great ride on the Express, and it was nice to see that they gave it some TLC in the off-season, with some new lights and they fixed most of the effects like the spears in the beginning and the final lift hill's forbidden, "Now you will Pay" tiki men looked really good, almost new. And the melting liquid coming out of the final guy's "bowl", (don't know what else to call it), was flashing and looked brand new. A great ride on the Adventure Express as we continued riding back-seat. It seems to go really fast in the backseat. Next we went farther into Action Zone by riding our newest coaster, Banshee! I had forgotten how much I love Banshee as I hadn't ridden it since she opened in 2014. While riding I realized how much and why I love Banshee and we had an amazing time riding, and I couldn't stop smiling and laughing. I was having too much fun! A great ride on Banshee! Son of Beast flame in full effect! Next we headed back to ride The Bat, the line was 5 minutes and we got a couple of rides in and took advantage of the short line. We rode backseat to carry on the theme of the day but rode front seat second time due to no one in line. A fast, fun ride on The Bat as always. I've been riding The Bat since it's "Top Gun" days, and it always is fun, and always brings a smile to my face. I also like the new decals on the front car, kind of a white bat, but looks very cool. Next I though that I got lucky as their was no one in line for Son of Beast, until someone told me that it wasn't operating today, bummer, maybe next time! Cough cough sarcasm cough cough. Next we took a trip to Invertigo, which I refuse to call it that, so to me and my friends its still FACE/OFF, or as I like to call it, The Screamin' Demon on steroids. It was my friends first time riding so he screamed like a baby, I have ridden it before so for me it was a lot of fun. A bit rough, but lots of fun going up in the loops. Probably the best ride I've had on Invertigo. It always has a good view of the park. Next we entered Planet Snoopy/International Street to ride the haunted castle know as Boo Blasters on Boo Hill. Since it was a short wait and had nice cool air conditioning to chill us out, we rode it 3 times in a row. It was nice to see a lot of new effects, and new ghost, but a bunch of things still were broken, the mummy was working, but the tourist is still not, and Boocifer wasnt moving and only said "dance to my phantom mu" before going silent and didnt finish his sentence. The cool thing was at the end of the ride before the skeltons if you look at the floor you can see the infamous fog screen effect that lasted two weeks. You can see Boocifers face on the floor and it does the whole scene where he speaks and then dissapears. Except since there is no fog, the effect doesnt work fully, but it is still cool to see it, and if you look to the floor before the skelton scene you can see his face trying to do the fog screen effect. Our blasters worked ok but I still love Boo Blasters as it holds nostalgia for me as I have ridden it as Phantom,Scooby,and Boo Blasters and it hold many memories for me and I will always love it. It hold a special place in my Kings Island heart and it will always be my favorite ride, and I will always ride it every visit. The "peace" sign from Scooby is still on the Blaster. And when I took this picture, it was dark, but I brighted it up a bit and it shows the main first scene of the ride. This picture is the synopsis at the beginning which explains who Boocifer is, and what a Boo Blasters is. I only took a few photos on Boo Blasters mainly to be respectful to other people riding and to the park employees. A very fun trip through Bleakstone Manor with lots of smiles though! Next we rode Banshee again, and again backseat. Probably the best ride I've had on Banshee so far and I felt lots of g-force, and again lots of smiles and laughs! A great ride on Banshee, then we traveled to The Racer again to race a few more times for the Blue train, and then once for the Red train. A bumpy, rough ride on The Racer, but lots of fun though! Then we rode Vortex one last time as night fell in southern Ohio. A good ride on Vortex, and then we wanted to ride Boo Blasters again and it was well worth it. This was the best ride I've ever had on Boo Blasters. 4 times a charm! Both me and my friend had perfectly working guns, and the cars were moving a little slower than usual and we both achieved Master Blaster and even got a congrats for the ride opperator for getting such a high score! Most of the props worked this time as well. It was like it sprung to life all the sudden and defiantly was the best ride I've ever had on Boo Blasters on Boo Hill! Our last ride was a night ride on The Beast. After watching the fireworks, it was time to ride! It was a great,fast, and thrilling ride on The Beast! You couldn't see a thing, but that made it better! We rode 2nd to front seat, and had a fantastic time on The Beast! Probably my best ever night ride on it and defiantly will be my favorite Beast memory! As the park closed I took 2 more photos of Diamonback, and the Eiffel Tower. We traveled home and bid farewell to the Island, tired, but we were also happy to have a great, memorable visit! Thanks for reading, I had to type it again because the first time it didnt save and it wouldnt let me post it so I had to do it again but I hope you enjoyed my photos, highlights of my visit and let me know if you were there on May 31 as well, and if so I hope you had a great visit as well, and you might have even seen me! Thanks also to the Park Staff for making it a wonderful visit, I really appreciate you guys! Thanks! I look forward to many more fun visits to the Island this year as well as visits to a few other amusment parks throughout this year! Final Ride Count: Blue Racer-4 Red Racer-1 Bat-2 Beast-2 Banshee-2 FACE/OFF/Invertigo-1 Adventure Express-1 Vortex-2 Flight of Fear-1 Boo Blasters on Boo Hill-4 Thanks so much for reading! MaestroJr

Speaking of Son of Beast, a certain change was "added" to it making the thing that made it unique, it's loop, gone. Even no loop on it, it was still special for it's height but even that and new trains couldn't save the Son. I remember in like 2008 on my first visit back since the loop was removed, I was like where did it go? My point is that The Beast's layout is special, it always makes me feel like 1979, and always feels like a new experience every time I ride it. When riding it a few weeks ago, last ride of the night, at 10:00, in the pitch black darkness, with a 2 hour wait, I thought of how special and fun it is, and even a friend I took, who had never ridden it before said it was the best thing he'd ever done. When the Son of Beast lost it's loop, it lost it's trademark. In my opinion, besides new trains which wouldn't bother me, The Beast should be left how it is not only for me and it's fans, but for future generations of people who will enjoy it's wooden terrain and dark and fast atmosphere. The only change that I wouldn't mind is new trains, beacuse that doesn't change the ride itself, just the things you ride it in. The Beast is a great experience, I was talking to a guy in line who hadn't ridden it in 15 years in pitch black darkness, and he said it was his best ride ever. The Beast is an experience that my parents, me and my family, and millions of others have enjoyed since 1979 and I look forward to many more rides in the future. In my personal opinion I'd leave it how it is, but even if it changed I'd still love it, kind of like the "Special Editions" of Star Wars for those of you who know what I'm talkin' about. I still love those versions, but I prefer the original theatrical version of the Star Wars Trilogy, but now I'm going of track so I'll get off my soap-box now, I hope The Beast stays the same, but even if it changes I'll still love it as I always have since my first ride on it, it never gets old! MaestroJr

Also, not sure if this has been mentioned, but the picture of The Bat on the Kings Island app shows a picture of The Bat from Canada's Wonderland which is a completely different coaster. The Bat at Canada's Wonderland is actually very similar to Invertigo at Kings Island. Just thought I'd point that out as I noticed it the other day while I was browsing the Kings Island App.

All I can say is WOW! I have never heard of that happening before. I wonder where on Boo Blasters she dropped it at? If it happened at almost 9:30 she probably could have got it back in about half in hour right? Banned from Carowinds for 5 years and could've also gotten seriously injured. Unfortunate mistake by the woman. What a crazy incident, thanks for the post! MaestroJr

Very true Terp, they are defiantly Boo Blasters. Although these days there's not much blasting on Boo Hill as the blasters dont work like they used to, I like to refer to the ride as Boo on Boo Hill, or simply just Boo. If our blasters dont work we cant protect Bleakstone Manor from Boocifer and his ghosts. There may be blasters but they have seen better days. MaestroJr

I would love to see boats and water return as well, as that really helps see the theming of the ride and helps you pay attention to every detail of the ride. This was done greatly in both Enchanted Voyage, and The Smurfs. But I doubt Kings Island will do so as it would be pretty expensive, and the omnimover system has been in place for 24 years. The advantage of the omnimover system is that anyone pretty much can ride, it especially is good for people with certain disabilities as the cars are close to the queue line, and the cars close up to make sure that everyone is safe. Really what I think the ride needs for now is new blasters, as these have been in place probaly since Scooby's Haunted Castle opened up back in 2003. 13 years is a long time. Back then they worked great, like the first time I rode Scooby when it opened, I was amazed how accurate they were. But things have changed and while I do hope for an overhaul soon, for now I just want blasters that actually work more then 5% of the time! I think its obivious that people are disapointed with Boo Blasters, but if certain things were fixed on it, (like the guy getting chased that hasn't worked for like 3 years and the blasters), I think people would like it more. I always wonder in 20 years what kids who grew up with Boo Blasters will think of it looking back. It has decent theming, and it is a fairly spooky ride. It has nostalgic factors for me as everytime I walk in Boo Blasters, I always gaze up at Maestro's balcony just like I did the first time I rode Phantom Theater, but for Boo Blasters problems, they need to be fixed. Sorry for the little rant but I just want to love this ride so much, every time I ride it I want it to work but it just doesn't. I will admit that I personally enjoy riding Boo Blasters and it is great for families, but I always find something missing about it. Hopefully the park will listen and help fix these issues to help make Boo Blasters a good ride that people will love to ride every time they visit and be proud of. That'll be all! MaestroJr

Disappointing to hear that Boo Blasters is still pretty much the same as it was at the end of last season. I really wish the blasters would get fixed! Was really hoping to hear improvements, sigh.

Hope everyone that went today had a great time. Just curious but did anyone ride Boo Blasters today, and if so, is everything fixed or just the same? I'll defiantly ride it when I go as it is a tradition for me.

Glad you had fun, and glad that you got to accomplish some first time things. Adventure Express used to have lights like that and alot more theming then it does today. I remember riding it back in the 90s and early 00s and it was far better then it is today. Hopefully though those new lights mean that some TLC has gone into the ride as it defiantly needs some care. And yes, The Beast is awesome at night! Can't wait to visit myself! Thanks for the report! MaestroJr

Phantom Theater by far was the worst mistake to remove. Sure Phantom was costly, and required heavy care and maintenance. But I think the main reason why it was removed was to keep with the current rides that Paramount wanted. I rode Phantom Theater in 2002, and many things on it needed desperate TLC, (like the furnace guys arm falling off that I saw one time). Instead of repairing, they went with the cheap fix of just replacing it with a ride with far less things that needed constant care. Also all the other Paramount parks were installing similar Scooby-Doo Haunted Castle rides, so I think that Kings Island just wanted to keep up and continue with the status quo. If Paramount never owned Kings Island, who knows Phantom might still be around today. I loved Scooby-Doo 's Haunted Castle as well but Phantom is my favorite and defiantly should have never left as it was far superior and much more creative. Hopefully though in a short while we will see something similar to Phantom be brought back to the severely lacking dark ride department. But I guess a dark ride is better then none at all! MaestroJr

Greetings fellow forum members, I would like to wish everyone a happy Kings Island opening day 2016, the off season went by so fast and I can't believe that the park opens in three days. I hope everyone is doing well and hope that its a great season this year. Safe travels for all who go Saturday, and it looks like it should be a great day for weather as well with temperatures in the 70s and sunny. I just wanted to start a thread on the current dark ride at the park and hear some peoples opinions on certain things. I really just want to hear what the community thinks so here it goes! First off, do you think that it will be the last season of Boo Blasters, and if so what do you hope for in 2017? Second, do you think that on opening day Saturday that all the props and blasters will be working like they are supposed to or do you think that they will be the same as the end of last season? Third, what do you think will happen to all the Boo Blasters props and animatronics when the ride is retired? And lastly, how long do you think Boo Blasters will run this year if a new ride is concieved? Do you think it will run all year, or get shut down in the middle sort of like what happened to Phantom Theater? Any opinions or predictions are welcome and I greatly appreciate hearing the communities input on our current dark ride Boo Blasters. I think alot about these issues concerning the ride and just want to hear what y'all think? I myself have enjoyed Boo Blasters and had lots of memories on it but I am aware of its probems, mainly the blasters in my opinion. Thanks for any comments and I look forward to a great 2016 at Kings Island! Thanks! Cheers, MaestroJr

Ah Son of Beast. I was there when they were building it up, and there when they were tearing it down. It scared the living daylights out of me when I was little, but its legacy and memories that I have of it will last a lifetime. I even have a bolt from it on my bookshelf. I remember the first time looking up at it and seeing and hearing people scream going down the 200+ ft drop and thinking "I'll never ride that". The thing I remember the most is the sound of the chain on the lift hill. Going up the lift hill on Adventure Express, and looking up at them climbing SOB's lift hill forever changed me on how big and fast roller coasters could be. Still though, I miss it. My memories of Son of Beast are very happy, but I do love Banshee. MaestroJr

Hey guys not much to say, but I thought with Banshee entering her third season of operation, I would just post a few photos I took of the ride back in 2013 during construction. Not much else to say. Enjoy! Early construction, before we even knew what it was going to be! Early footers as well. Couple of more showing lift hill completion without loop, taken Haunt 2013. Well I hope you enjoyed that little step back in time. Just a couple of pictures of Banshee's early life. Defiantly loved watching it be built, and certainly love riding it. Can't believe it's already been three years! Thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed! Thanks, hope y'all are staying warm. MaestroJr

Since I never ride Delirium, or EXtreme Skyflyer. I'll just give you some coaster advice. First off, with Firehawk, being a grown man, in my experience with it, it really gets tight and squeezes your midsection. It's still a very fun ride, but dont be surprised if it gets a little uncomfortable in a certain region. And with Drop Tower, (I still call it Drop Zone), my advice would be to look up and not towards the ground. You go higher then anything in the park, but when you drop its so much fun!! Before you drop though, I would look either straight ahead, or up. Looking down for me makes me more nervous about the drop. And lastly with Banshee, you may want to first ride The Bat if your not used to that type of coaster. The Bat is really fast,and right behind Banshee, and will let you know if you want to step it up to its neighbor. Honestly, first time riding Banshee, I was nervous as hell. But once you start flying, and dipping, and looping. You'll want to ride it over and over again! Also on Banshee, since your doing so many loops, and going really fast, you really wont be nervous on what lies ahead beacuse you wont be able to see it. Banshee is loads of fun, and my guess is that after you ride it once, it'll be one of your favorites. It certainly is for me! But in the end, I hope y'all have a great time! Kings Island is the place to make many memories. Have Fun. MaestroJr

Also I remember feeling unsafe on it my first time riding the Ghoster Coaster. It seemed to be so high and I remember my brother was so scared that he tried to free himself of the restraints and then he grabed on to me. Ah, memories. Still I remember enjoying it after I found the courage to ride it. Same with Phantom Theater, once I became aware that Maestro wasn't real, I really enjoyed Phantom. Also along with The Beastie, Scooby's Ghoster Coaster was my first roller coaster. I remember also my first time riding Adventure Express how fast I thought it was, and going up the first lift hill and looking up at Son of Beast, I remember how scared I was of Son of Beast. Cheers, MaestroJr

You are right, that is the Fast Lane sign. That picture was taken more recently as I posted that picture just to show one of my favorite rides as a kid. None of my family took a picture of Adventure Express back in the 90s when I was a kid, so I took a picture of it more recently and posted it on here just as a tribute to one of my favorite rides as a kid. Every other picture was taken in the 90s/early 00s except the one of me sitting on Son of Beast's remnants a few years back. Good observation!, and good question!, MaestroJr

Being born in the 1990s, I loved the Paramount years the most because the first time I visited Kings Island, Paramount theming was in full force. I remember riding things like Phantom Theater, and The Beastie, Scooby's Ghoster Coaster, Adventure Express, when it actually had great theming, and all the effects worked. And I remember all the hype about Son of Beast. All my friends back in grade school would talk about how they conqured the mighty Son of Beast. I grew up looking up at that ride, which is why I was so sad when they removed it. It was like watching my childhood being ripped to the ground. I personally love the Paramount years the most. Thats when I had the best memories at Kings Island. But I can see for people who grew up in the 70s/80s why they dislike those years because people generally love and look back fondly on their childhood and not someone elses. I personally love the Paramount years at Kings Island the most, and I am very fortunate to have been there in the 90s/early 00s. I'll always cherish the memories I had at Paramount's Kings Island and always will be happy and grateful of the time that I spent there as a kid. Thanks, MaestroJr

Thanks y'all so much for all the comments and memories of your own, sorry it took me so long to reply to this forum. I figured people who grew up or were born in the 90s and the Paramounts years of Kings Island like me, would enjoy some of the pictures from mine and your childhood. I hope everyone had a great Christmas, and hope that y'all enjoy the rest of the holidays and have a happy new year. Only about 3 or so more months until Kings Island reopens. Look forward to seeing y'all then. Best wishes, happy holidays, MaestroJr.

Hi guys, a couple of weeks ago I posted a Scooby Doo's Haunted Castle or Boo Blasters on Boo Hill blog and I just want to thank everybody for their opinion and honest responses. I of course chose Scooby Doo's Haunted Castle as my favorite. But I also mentioned that I would post some of my pictures of the Paramount years at Kings Island. Well, this whole story of mine will contain pictures of me and my family riding rides during my childhood and also the Paramount years at Paramount's Kings Island. Most of these pictures were taken during the late 90s/early 2000s. I hope you enjoy and I hope that if you grew up in the late 90s/ early 2000s like me then you will enjoy some nostalgia from a shared Kings Island past. Enjoy some memories! Please excuse the pictures quality, I have to take a picture of the picture and then upload it, so it isn't the best quality. First off will be pictures of Scooby's Ghoster Coaster (which was removed for expanding the Nick Universe part of the park) Me and my Brother on Scooby's Ghoster Coaster. Mom and my Sister Me and my Brother again Me and my brother, Im the one on the left in the light blue shirt Me and my brother with Flintstones characters Me on the old Flintstones Bumper Boulder ride Adventure Express sign Me eating La Rosa's pizza Im a triplet by the way. The three of us on the swing ride. If you notice the blue buidling in the background, that actually is Phantom Theater (its exit door) If you look close enough, you can see Phantom Theater's exit door sticking out of the buidling. Next is one of my favorite pictures. Its me and my brother with Scooby Doo, in front of Scooby's Haunted Castle. Who else took a picture with Scooby and the Mystery Machine as a kid at Kings Island? Us at FearFest Hard to make out, but this picture is actually the gas tank that explodes on what was then the brand new Italian Stunt Job. And the Eiffel Tower. Ice Cream place at Kings Island, think it's called Ralph's Ice Cream Me in front of Son of Beast. And lastly, a modern picture of me on Son of Beast after the tore it down. Thanks so much if you read this, and thanks for letting me show you some of my favorite memories as a kid. Ive always loved Kings Island and always will. I will always cherish my memories as a kid at Paramount's Kings Island. And I hope that if you remember some of these rides from your childhood that you get a kick of nostalgia. Thanks so much, Cheers!

Also, I really like your KICentral username.

I would imagine that probaly the building was constructed first and then the insides of the ride were built. That makes the most sense to me.

Remember back in the day when King Cobra lost its greenish-yellow color and turned into kind of a white/swampy green color?

This is an issue that has always interested me as various members have always had different opinions. My question is this, which Kings Island dark ride do you prefer?Scooby Doo's Haunted Castle or Boo Blasters on Boo Hill? My favorite has always been the Scooby Doo version of this ride. I think it worked better, performed better, and was defiantly superior to the modern day equivalent. And also I seem to remember the blasters on it working. I rode Scooby Doo's Haunted Castle in 2003 when it opened and defiantly had high expectations considering that I was used to Phantom Theater. I thoroughly enjoyed Scooby Doo's Haunted Castle in its first years and while I agree that it wasn't as unique as Phantom Theater, it was great for kids and also seemed to fit right in with the Hanna-Barbera Land theming that was present at the time.While I LOVE Phantom Theater, in my personal opinion Scooby Doo for me was always a close second. At the time Scooby's Castle opened until the time it closed I loved it and I will always cherish my memories of it and my hundreds of rides on it. In my books it has a special place in my heart as the late 90s/early 2000s was and always will be my favorite time at Paramount's Kings Island. But I want to know your opinion which ride for you is better? Scooby's Haunted Castle or Boo Blasters on Boo Hill? Thanks for any responses. Sincerely, MaestroJr P.S. Maybe I'll look through my personal scrapbooks and find some pictures of the Paramount Days at Kings Island and also I may have a few pictures of Scooby's Haunted Castle somewhere in my collection. Also I have a few of Paramount's Kings Island cups that I may post pictures of. Thanks again!