Avatar Posted May 27, 2008 Share Posted May 27, 2008 Topic Title Explanation; often when large ships are put to sea they are given a thorough “Shakedown” consisting of running the ship at high speeds and maneuvers much higher than what the standard of ship operations would call for. They do that to see what the ship is capable of withstanding and to check for any imperfections the ship may have before it sets sail. When thinking about the large crowds on Saturday May 24, 2008 at Kings Island on the first weekend of regular operation, it struck me as a amusement/theme park shakedown. Trip Report Introduction: My Wife and I from Indianapolis were planning to attend another event in Indianapolis, but when Robbie Knievel was announced I considered not going to our other obligation but decided that would be selfish so we could not come. Well Kings Island announced even more activities for that date which would make this Fanboy weak and unable to resist the temptations of such a historical day, as what true self-respecting Fanboy could. I mean I think Kings Island could not have planned a better agenda of activities for me. Note; I knew the park was going to be busy and I just wanted to take my time enjoying the extra offerings so no rides were ridden today. Introduction Continued; I often plan a Kings Island trip with a basic plan but Kings Island had so many special activities planned that I would not be following my plan but one that Kings Island put together. So I felt it was best to change the style of this trip report to not tell about what we did and when but about the extra activities Kings Island planned and how we felt about them. I also felt still pictures could not portray the mood of the park so more videos will be used in this report. Report: We arrived at Kings Island around 10:30 AM and were handed a special guide that offered important information of special activities, where to find them and the times to expect them to be available. Before we could read the booklet we were drawn to the fun jazzy sound of horns and drums. The sounds were what I was hopping for and I knew instantly that this had to be the Clown Band. It was and I will just stop here for a moment to let you reminisce for yourself. First video Rooolll Em….. I noticed at first that many guests stopped to listen and those walking by wiggled to the tunes and I felt this set a fun tone for the guests to start their day on and I could not think of a better way to start mine. Some random photos I noticed some of the families of the youthful past Clown Band members were in attendance to watch their family member having fun playing as a group (who would have guessed) one more time in the park. One such fan told me that some of the members now play as a band called “Blu Stone Ivory” and can be found at this web site. http://www.bluestoneivory.com/ I will finish this part by sharing a little longer video of the Clown Band. I have several more videos of the Clown Band and will share more if asked. Next up was a trip over to Kings Island Theater to meet some of my beloved Hanna-Barbera characters and on our way over I was recognized by an old family friends of ours “The Johnson’s” we have not seen them since 1975 and I’ll just say they have not changed much and Misses Johnson still has her grove going and the stamina to go with it. They were just so great I asked them to pose for a picture to update my album photo of them. The DJ was blasting out some of the best new 70’s music I really liked how Kings Island went into great detail in putting this event together to even go so far to hang giant gold disco balls below the theater signage. The characters seemed to really be enjoying themselves as they were smiling and trying to include the very receptive audience passing by. From there I walked over to the Timber Wolf area to see how things where being set up and quickly snapped a couple photos of Invertigo as the angle was unique from behind the gates. At this point I ran into Don Helbig I shared some thoughts on our day so far he shared how they came up with the concepts of the events and how they would have like to done more but time would not allow them to pull it off. He was very nice to talk to and I was surprised that he talked to me as long as he did as I knew he must have been incredibly busy. A very nice sincere conversationalist who took time with this guests – Thanks. As I left Don I ended up right in front of The Clear Channel Music Stage and 3 Degrees was just taking to the stage We found a curb and listen for awhile. We really enjoyed their music selection as others around us did to, apparent from them singing and dancing. I keep thinking about how nice it was to see everybody enjoying themselves on such a crowded day, I then turned my attention to taking some pictures and video of having a live band in Action Zone with the rides in the background. After 3 Degree was finished we decided to go to Boomerang Bay to sit and relax a bit to get away from the large crowd. Side Note: On the way over we rode the train most guests linger back and the line backs up towards the back of the train so when they open the gates most guests crowd in the last 3-4 cars and the front 2 are usually pretty empty, plus when the train pulls into the Boomerang Bay station, exiting is a crowd free breeze. The water park was nice the water a tad bit cold as to be expected and we only went around the Lazy River. A few new items I noticed at Boomerang Bay were some new lounge chairs mixed in with old ones and also new clear tubes, they had the standard size and the double tubes too, but a nice surprise was some tubes that had a larger hole in the middle of the tube for those that may need more room. Also I took a picture of the new Life Jacket Station. At this point we started to make our way over to the Jump Site but on our way we ran into the crew from KICentral and had a great visit with everyone. If you ever get the chance to see these guys take some time and say hi, they are some of the most dedicated and interesting group of guys you'll meet. You’ll be glad you did. We walked over to the Jump Site with the KICentral Crew then said our good-byes and went our separate ways, for us was a great grand stand seat. I have learned through the years that it is wise to pay a little extra to see and do some activities and this was one such event, we were guaranteed a grandstand seat and had a much more relaxing time because of it. I did take a picture from our seats which also had a glimpse of the Jump Site music Stage and of the Eiffel Tower. I half to admit I enjoyed Robbie’s jump more than what I that I would, we got pretty nervous more and more with every practice speed test he did. I will just show a picture of Robbie as he addressed the crowd before the jump. After the Jump we had dinner at Wings which is far better than it was in the past, although you could tell they had been very busy but the staff still seemed up beat and even made a few jokes at their own expense, we will frequent there more often. The last special event was the Expanded Fireworks Show, so we got to a great spot early and people watched so we would have great seats. While we were waiting I had the privilege to speak to several guests about their day. No one complained and they mostly said they had a good time and felt the park was busier than any time they have ever seen in it in the past, but said the lines moved well. The Fireworks were great and had virtually no pauses in the display; I noticed no music was playing during the show. Here is a video of the fabulous finale. Was the Shakedown Successful; from my point of view as a guest and after talking with so many other guests and hearing nothing but positives and witnessing many employees working long hours but never complain or showing signs of wearing out, I would half to say an absolute YES! I think the management at Kings Island did an awesome job planning and executing such a huge event in a short amount of planning is astounding. Have said that I think they would have failed if they had not had the support from all department planners and most important the seasonal employees, you could tell they were working hard but they hung in there and showed class, that is a major difference that I have not witnessed in a long time. I found it to be even more remarkable that they did it on one of the busiest days I have ever seen. Team work is an amazing thing to see when everyone is doing their part. Final Thoughts; I felt this day was designed for me and I am glad we went to see such a historic day, the park had a magical feel to it and I hope we see more days like this one. As I drove home I though about how great it was to witness my home park at its best and just wanted to say this Fanboy is very proud to call Kings Island his home park! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest kwindshawne Posted May 27, 2008 Share Posted May 27, 2008 Great report and video. I missed all the festivities, but heard all of it. Whoever came up with this had a great idea. The park just felt the way it used to in the 70's, and even though it was rough for me, I wouldn't have missed it for anything. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BoddaH1994 Posted May 27, 2008 Share Posted May 27, 2008 It was great seeing you at the park on Saturday! You'd better give me a call sometime soon!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dane Posted May 27, 2008 Share Posted May 27, 2008 This gets stickied as the best trip report ever. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kawana Posted May 27, 2008 Share Posted May 27, 2008 Thanks for the great TR. I do have one question. Did the clown band wear clown makeup and full clown costumes back in the day, or did they just dress up in weird clothing? For some reason, I want to say they wore clown makeup and all... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Avatar Posted May 27, 2008 Author Share Posted May 27, 2008 Of the years I watched the Klown Band I never seen them with make-up on and yes they wore outfits that where bright but kind of classy clown like outfits. I found a site that talks about the Clown Band at Kings Dominion and at the top shows what they looked like. Kings Island Klown Band looked very similar to that. below is the link to that site. http://www.kdcbok.com/portfolio/design.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rollercoast19 Posted May 27, 2008 Share Posted May 27, 2008 I knew I saw you in the grandstands. I was a little bit farther down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Interpreter Posted May 27, 2008 Share Posted May 27, 2008 Wow. What an incredible trip report from a man who knows how to have good fun wherever he goes! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Avatar Posted May 27, 2008 Author Share Posted May 27, 2008 Interpeter – Thanks Rollercoaster19 – I wish you had said something I always enjoy meeting fellow KICentral members so next time feel free to do so. Another member recognized me Saturday too and introduced their self and I really like having that face to face conversation as you tend to get a greater respect for that member and know where they are coming from. I did not mention the member in the report because he/she was working and I usually will not mention them by name out of respect for them and the park itself unless they say something first. I hope you had as good of a time as we did. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordon Bombay Posted May 27, 2008 Share Posted May 27, 2008 Avatar, excellent trip report. You take great photographs, maybe its time to invest in a new camera .It was so awesome walking up from Action Zone and running into you guys! You better come back soon! I really wish the clown band would come back all year round. Saturday was definitely one of the best days I have ever had at the park, the park had such a great atmosphere to it. Blue Stone Ivory is playing in Fairfield in July, I'll have to go see them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest kwindshawne Posted May 27, 2008 Share Posted May 27, 2008 Avatar, excellent trip report. You take great photographs, maybe its time to invest in a new camera .It was so awesome walking up from Action Zone and running into you guys! You better come back soon! I really wish the clown band would come back all year round. Saturday was definitely one of the best days I have ever had at the park, the park had such a great atmosphere to it. That's the way it was in the 70's-at least to me. It takes a lot of effort to pull that off successfully, but I think it went without a hitch. I would like to see a lot of that in the future if it can be done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Avatar Posted May 28, 2008 Author Share Posted May 28, 2008 I agree with you Kwindshawne Saturday’s atmosphere at the park was similar to the old days and I always found it hard to describe how it felt back then. Back then they had even more street shows and the food was cooked on site with the smells lofting about. Well Saturday was great and I did enjoy the live bands too. Ronny – Running into you when we did could not have come at a better time it seemed like we were all just chilling out before getting to the jump site. Thanks again on the photographs, in truth I would like to invest in a HiDef camera and video recorder. I do have 4 digital cameras one older SLR digital camera and two pocket camera and one point and shot 9 pix camera. I usually just take the smaller ones as you can see I like to take a lot of pictures and those are easier to lug around. After you guys left the wife made a comment “those guys are pretty serious about there photography did you see those big cameras?” “They looked like military guys with all those bags and stuff hanging off of them” LOL, if she only knew. Let’s hope KI sees the interest of the Clown Band and the mood they helped build in the park and bring them back for good. P.S. Ronny I really thought I might go to the Fairfield event, if you are serious about going or need someone to go with, well that would push me over the edge on deciding to go. Just let me know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CoastersRZ Posted May 28, 2008 Share Posted May 28, 2008 Yes, I second the sentiments about the Clown Band. Great clips of it Avatar! I really hope that Kings Island can bring this type of entertainment back to the park. It really adds a lot of excitement and fun to the atmosphere of the park. That is part of the reason why I was sad to see the Nick Parade not continue at KI. As you can tell from those clips, the live entertainment on the park midways really adds a lot to a guest`s overall experience of the park. Can you share the other videos you have of the Clown Band? I would love to see them! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Avatar Posted May 28, 2008 Author Share Posted May 28, 2008 Hey Robbie first just let me say I really liked the angle you got of the jump. As far as the Clown Band I took 37 pictures and 8 videos basically spanning over their last set plus the end of their 2nd set. I will put up a couple more photos and pictures but I think I am going to but a link to my Phanfare album of Saturdays pictures and videos, so that members can see all that was going on and so that the photos are not just sitting in cyber space with no views. I like this second one but i tried to tie the towwer in and turned the camera. so the player needs to be adjusted a bit, and i will do that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CoastersRZ Posted May 28, 2008 Share Posted May 28, 2008 Yeah, thanks for the kind words on my angle for the jump. I spent two hours ontop of the Tower for the jump (6-8pm)!! It definitely is a unique angle to see the jump from that angle. And, I had to film it without a tripod, a swaying tower, and a wall of people all around me (not to mention a camera battery that was on the brink of dying). Again, excellent videos and pictures! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Justin_M17 Posted June 11, 2008 Share Posted June 11, 2008 The last special event was the Expanded Fireworks Show, so we got to a great spot early and people watched so we would have great seats. While we were waiting I had the privilege to speak to several guests about their day. No one complained and said they had a good time the felt the park was busier than any time they have seen in the past but said the lines moved well. The Fireworks were great and had virtually no pauses in the display; I noticed no music was playing during the show. Here is a video of the fabulous finale. Sounds like you had a great day at KI! I think I actually saw myself in one of your 70s pics >.< Lol. But that firework finale was so awesome...I was in line for The Vortex with my friend (Last ride of the day) As the display started, and by the time we were partially through the ride and turning the corner to go into the drop that leads tothe double loops, that's when the finale started. It was such an awesome view seeing the finale from that high of a view point, it felt like the scene from Final Destination 3 all over again Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Avatar Posted June 12, 2008 Author Share Posted June 12, 2008 Thanks we did have a great time in fact I am still reminiscing that day. Phan-fare changed their public albums settings back to the old ways (thank-goodness) so here is a link to view the rest of the photos and videos I took that day for those interested. http://albums.phanfare.com/isolated/BR16VeQT/1009485/1996215 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KIBeast Posted July 17, 2008 Share Posted July 17, 2008 I can't believe I didn't notice this trip report before. I guess I'm not used to TR's getting stickied in here, but I have to solidly agree that this is the best ever. A lot of great photos and video to boot. I am also hoping that one day, I will meet some people from here, including yourself. Maybe at a future KIC event. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Interpreter Posted December 7, 2008 Share Posted December 7, 2008 Bump! About time our new people got to see this wonderfulness! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Avatar Posted December 7, 2008 Author Share Posted December 7, 2008 Thanks Interpreter for the words and bump. Yeah that day was a historical day for the park, I mean they could have just offered the Robbie Knievel jump but they didn’t, they had bands and a lot of extra activities. We will be talking about that day for a long time. Also since then I have heard a couple mentions (Dipin Dots Guy) that the Clown Band could come back. I think a live playing band really helps set a mood for guests and I love roaming street performers. I think the Clown Band is a great way to encompass both. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tanna Posted July 11, 2011 Share Posted July 11, 2011 I miss the Klown Band! My cousin was tenor sax in '87. I always enjoyed when they came around. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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