Trip Report: 8/23 - 8/24

[Cormaster]

Well Me and my girlfriend decided not to do the Kings Island wedding. Decided it was too expensive and we ended up doing a really nice wedding in her parents back yard last weekend. Instead of doing a full blown honeymoon, we got some 2 day passes to KI and we stayed one night in the whirlpool suite at the Great Wolf Lodge.

I knew it was going to be hot as I was following the weather all week. I mean it was STUPID hot! like 96-98 degrees! at first I saw rain in the forcast for thursday but it disapeared as thursday got closer and in its place was extreme heat. Either way with school starting and the extreme heat I figured it would work to our advantage. And I was right.

The park was completely dead. There was no line on almost all the rides! Italian job had a little bit of a line, and Firehawk had about a 1/2 hour wait but that was it! Heres the run down of what we rode:

Son of Beast x5: We started and ended our 2 days with the Son of Beast. Taking out the loop didn't hurt the intesity of the ride what-so-ever. Its still an awesome ride, but almost too intense in the back. We found that we were ready to go again after riding in the front, and ready to take a break from rides after riding in the back. Don't get me wrong the front does its fair share of beating you up, but the back is a bit too extreme. Either way I love the ride.

Vortex x3: This coaster never gets old, but unfortunatly while i normaly ride it 5 times per day, the SOB being open kind of stole its spotlight.

Italian Job x4: Even with a little bit of a wait the loading's so efficient on this ride that you can't help but ride it a bunch. May not be all that intense, but it definitly has the fun factor! this ride in my opinion is what the Adventure Express was supposed to be!

The Beast: only rode this once. I've found the SOB kills its father for one reason: the nicer cars. My wife was able to get on this time thanks to her cheating and telling the staff the bar already clicked twice, but she didn't enjoy it much. And even for me, my height was a problem. I'm sorry but its time to give the father some bigger cars. Those old trains are outdated!

Racer: Still love this ride, but just like The Beast, needs some updated trains. backwards racer wasn't running.

Flight of Fear: Did they weaken the intensity of this ride? I swore i remember it staying fast the whole time and not stopping in the middle. Also seemed a lot brighter. Needless to say, though disappointed at it not being what I remembered, it was nice to take a break from the heat and get inside an air conditioned building.

Adventure Express: Not too big on this ride as i've said before, but I rode it once to say I rode them all in one visit.

Face/Off: rode once, right up front. Would of loved to ride it again, but it made Jackie sick and she wasn't up for it again.

And finally last but not least:

Firehawk: I was kind of upset because it wasn't running on Thursday. I started joking around and calling it "The Bat part 2" because last visit I came it kept breaking down. Today as soon as i got to the park I went to it. Some guy asked me "you going to Firehawk?" I was thinking "oh great its going to be closed again" but no he was like "It's F***ing awesome!" I'm like "you mean its open? SWEET" so I got a locker and put my stuff in and got in line. It was about a half hour wait but it was totally worth it. Never rode a flyer before it was an absoloute amazing experience! I think this type of coaster officially outdates the Inverted coaster. It really feels like flying!

Thats the extent of the KI trip. BTW the staff was awesome. Everyone was really friendly and helpful. Oh and the great wolf lodge was worth every penny spent on it. the staff was all friendly and very helpful, the food was delicious at the restaurants (best breakfast buffet I've ever had), the room was amazing, and the waterpark was awesome! We spent plenty of time in the waterpark, rode every water slide, walked through the kiddie area (hey its for kids but its still fun), went around the lazy river several times, rode the waves in the wavepool and relaxed in the hot tub for a while as well.

In the long run we only acctually stayed at the park 5 1/2 hours the first day, and only a mere 3 1/2 hours the second day, but as you can imagine when theres no wait you don't need a lot of time. Would of loved to stay longer but my wife isn't quite the trooper I am and the heat was getting her sick. But needless to say between the park and Great Wolf Lodge, overall best Kings Island trip ever! Probably going to go back for yet another visit during fearfest in october. This park never gets old!

[The Interpreter]

Congratulations to you and your wife! I'm glad you all had a great time at Kings Island...I would be remiss, though, if I didn't at least mention that you should not be pleased that your wife snuck on The Beast without two clicks on the restraint. Parks have safety rules for reasons.

[Cormaster]

I'm kind of suprised that an employee who works at the park and sees where the lap bar rests in the 2 click position all the time got fooled by it honestly. I was kind of worried and I was willing to skip The Beast but she insisted.

But yeah those old cars just need replaced. I'm maybe 20 pounds overweight but I'm also 6'2 and my height made me feel kind of like I was in a sardine can. The 2 click position was kinda tight on me! While the SOB's Hurricane 5 cars aren't exactly a caddillac they are much better designed for taller and wider people!

I also noticed the newer rides start clicking constantly as you push the restriant down while the older ones don't click untill the restraint is over half way down.

[The Interpreter]

It's NOT the age of the PTC trains. It's what Kings Island has done to those restraints over the years. What is two clicks at Kings Island on Racer and Beast is more like four at any other park in the USA with PTC trains.

[Cormaster]

Well The Racer they only require one click on. She had no problem riding it, but like me was rather uncomfortable.

[The Interpreter]

They are SUPPOSED to require two clicks, and always have when I have been there....

Sigh.

[TOPGUN1993]

random.... ^post 4444

[The Interpreter]

Shhh...someone would want to know what that post was for for for for?

[kjkjkj]

I personally think the trains are fine the way they are. I dont really like SOB's trains that much, I actually think they are less comfortable.

[Cormaster]

please lets not make this a Defend or attack the cars thread. I've said what I have to say about them and I'm done.

[Erosarrow05]

Ever since i worked on Beast ive thought that the two clicks thing was bogus. If the restraint is going to fail, its going to fail regardless of one, two three four or five clicks. And yes interpreter, parks do have rules for reasons - however, as im sure you know, some are a complete joke.

I HIGHLY doubt PTC mandated the "two click" rule...

[Cormaster]

Yeah I kinda hear that. Honestly though at first I thought it was rediculous, but in light of all the incidents that happened, I'm glad they have seatbelts now. the clicks really aren't going to matter if the restraint fails.

Anyway I don't hate the park because of it either. KI has enough coasters now that if I can't ride The Beast or Racer, I can still have a good time. I just find it funny that say a new coaster thats a lot more intense like ie; Son of Beast or even Firehawk, is a lot more forgiving of people who don't weigh 95 pounds and have a height of 5'4, which seems to be what roller coaster designers design their cars for.

I was really impressed acctually with Firehawk's harness. I really was worried about my wife fitting on it and she actually fit with room to spare! I was acctually completly comfortable on it, didn't feel crammed at all.

Anyway interpreter, yeah on The Beast they go out of the way to make sure you have 2 clicks, while on The Racer they just run by real quick and lightly touch the bar to make sure its secure. I was assuming it s because they didn't have the 2 click rule on The Racer, as its not nearly as intense as The Beast. Guess I was wrong

[The Interpreter]

But you are right about something else. Coaster and restraint designers design primarily for a 5 foot, 10 inch, 170 pound male. Then Kings Island came in and for some reason lowered the restraints further on Racer and Beast's modified PTC trains. So, it is almost exactly as if the restraint is designed to fit a 95 pound, 5 foot, 4 inch person. Which is part of the problem. That restraint system as it now is attempts to protect 70 pound, 48 inch tall people as well as larger ones. Other parks don't seem to have a problem with this. Of all the parks I have visited, Kings Island, and ONLY Kings Island, seems to have lowered the individual lapbar restraints on the PTC trains. Cedar Point didn't. Geauga Lake didn't. Six Flags over Georgia hasn't.

They also had added the larger, higher seat dividers, and the padding on the tops of the sidewalls of The Beast trains that isn't on The Racer.

(They tried this some years back with the Over The Shoulder Restraints (OTSR's) on Flight of Fear, and even the then chief of ride operations didn't fit the trains. They were quickly restored to their original positions.

[Cormaster]

I knew something was up. My dad and my brother had been able to get on The Beast before without lying or cheating, and they are bigger than my wife. When she went in 2005, before we had met, she apparently was bigger than she is now and had no problems getting on The Beast. So yeah its pretty obvious its been modified.

[The Interpreter]

Oh, but the modifications to lower the restraints on the PTC trains on Beast and Racer were made some years back. I am not aware that they are any different than they were in 2005.

[Cormaster]

Anyway it was the best trip to KI I've ever had. First time I've gotten to go to the park 2 days in a row, first time I've gotten to stay at a resort with a full blown indoor waterpark in the process, and first time since 1994 I've gotten to ride every single roller coaster! Firehawk was the only one down during the process, luckily it was open and running smooth on day 2.

Now I'm sad because looks like I won't be going back until next year. jackies getting surgery done on her leg, and she just pushed it forward 2 weeks, so now it seems she'll be unable to walk during all of fearfest. But she's hoping to loose enough weight that next year the rides won't be a problem anymore.

Can't wait to return, and I also hope to be able to visit Cedar Point and Great America once again next year

[BoddaH1994]

Did you actually talk to someone about having a wedding AT Kings Island?

[Cormaster]

We talked to Kings Island they said they have no problem with us having one but that they don't host weddings therefore they couldn't block off an area so we could have one. Our first trip back in June the whole idea behind it was to scope out the park and plan. Well it turns out we found out that it just wouldn't be feasible and way to expensive. turns out the best place to hold a wedding is in that paramount garden thing...and honestly I could see it being gone next year since that was paramounts thing.

For financial reasons and convenience we decided "why wait" and had a very nice back yard wedding and had our 2 day honeymoon at Kings Island. think it worked out pretty well acctualy

[hauntguy]

Hey, you can't beat a goold ole' fashioned wedding right at home! Congrats!

My fiance and I are still looking around for possible wedding locals... even have all the info about a Disney Wedding! Haha... we're crossing our fingers! -Hauntguy

[BoddaH1994]

Hey, you can't beat a goold ole' fashioned wedding right at home! Congrats!

My fiance and I are still looking around for possible wedding locals... even have all the info about a Disney Wedding! Haha... we're crossing our fingers! -Hauntguy

I've heard figures as high as 35 grand for Disney weddings.

[Browntggrr]

^ Depending on what that includes, $35,000 does not sound that bad.

Back on 2000, mine was about $29,000 in Erie, PA, which did not include the honeymoon.

The honeymoon (6-10 to 6-24), ironically enough, was two weeks in Disney (Port Orleans). With a one day stop at BGA and two days at Universal/ IoA.

Now if hotel, airfair, limo, etc. are not included; then at Disney $35,000 is crazy.

[Monroe]

Disney actually has sponsored weddings for some of the employees. The director of building operations for the main park had his wedding there and the public was invited. He was getting hitched to one of the actors, don't know who, but they did it during the parade. They made 100 wedding cakes and passed it out to all who wanted some. I know the bill was over $100,000. I have also heard about some of the cakes they make costing $5,000 or more. On topic: Cormaster, I have been married for 30yrs, the only thing I have to say is…….Yes Dear…..I mean enjoy your time together and it does get easer as time goes by. And Hauntguy, crossing your fingers looks like it would be hard with those stringy fingers of yours. Also, I can get you a good skin cream to clear up that orange complexion if you want……….Oh that's a costume, my bad.