The Grand Carousel is always first on opening day for the family, and the last ride every visit after that. What I dearly miss is the organ, the 1918 Wurlitzer Duplex #165. I used to have a link that had an audio play list of the #165 roll, but I am not at home and I can not find it on this pc.

http://www.wurlitzer-rolls.com/appendix.html (Very interesting appendix.)

I love the old Wurlitzer music.

BTW another great thing about opening weekend at Kings Island is; the taste of the first bite of an Elephant Ear! Better yet seeing the reaction of your children getting that first bite.

i get to go on feb 14th i have an audition and interview....but unfortunately im not getting to ride anything opening day cant get here soon enough

I really wish someone had a recording of that.

Oh, someone does. Unfortunately, you can barely tell what it is unless you know it by heart or turn the volume all the way up. (From the backstage tour of The Beast on KIC Day: The Second Coming)

my biggest thrill when i went for the first time in forever last year was walking in and the general smell of the place...and the sound of the fountains....gave me chills....i honestly thought "im home"

For the record...that's poetry. It also truely captures how I feel about KI. I was blown away by the royal fountains on my first visit to Kings Island, and have been impressed by them every trip since.

You're all right! There is something to that one spot of ground that makes it the most magical place on the planet. I'm ready to be back again for the atmosphere, for my first campout on The Beast, for the first lap on each side I make on The Racer, for the first Rose Bowl and hoping for no mid-course on SOB, for the first drop on Vortex, and for my first inventory on how many trim brakes there are. Just being in the International Restaurant was refreshing, but I can't wait for the first day! How fast it will go by!

Was that verbose enough for you?

my biggest thrill when i went for the first time in forever last year was walking in and the general smell of the place...and the sound of the fountains....gave me chills....i honestly thought "im home"

For the record...that's poetry. It also truely captures how I feel about KI. I was blown away by the royal fountains on my first visit to Kings Island, and have been impressed by them every trip since.

You're all right! There is something to that one spot of ground that makes it the most magical place on the planet.

Seriously, poetry for sure. And yeah, walking in and hearing those fountains ... it really is like nothing else. I hadn't been to KI for about 3 years before this past season, and walking in to the fountains and International Street just brought all the great memories rushing right back. There's no other park on earth that can compare to the park that's been my home park for as long as I can remember.

i feel rick roll.... errrr i mean train rolled...

haha i opened this forum thinking it had something to do with the cincinnati reds, whos opening day is my favorite holiday..

grr i should have known better. haha

i for one am very excited about just getting back into a park in general. i miss my coasters so much!!!

hey look...its one day closer to opening day...the only thing good about waking up at 5:30 on a monday morning.....one day closer to KI opening...

More people in line for Diamondback=less people in line for Firehawk!!!!

^Thats what im hoping for....this way i dont have to wait in such a long line

I have gone to Kings Island before on crowded days and just rode the shake rattle and roll and nothing else, because that's never a long wait, and it's just so nice and relaxing, aren't we lucky Paramount, in their infinite wisdom, didn't remove this one.

Yeah, but thanks to CF's seatbelts (not present on CP's troika, btw!), the line is a wee longer due to the slightly slower load time.

That doesn't bother me, I'm never opposed to seatbelts, nothing wrong with a little extra safety, If it goes up in the air I like to have a seatbelt.

One of the great things about going to Kings Island on opening weekend and is often overlooked by many, which is too bad because it only come around once a year.

The Tulips around the Royal Fountain.

I highly doubt it will be overlooked by many this year, with debut of Diamondback.

The frenzy that everyone is in to ride Diamondback. If those tulips were in the way, they'd probably get trampled!!!

I'm excited to just be in the park and done with winter for a while! As funny as it may sound the park calms me down when I'm worred and stressed out. I love it.

^ Same here. It seems to be just in another world and with Diamondback if anything is in the way it will be trampled. I plan on getting to the park nice and early but I am not running to the ride. One the gate drops I will walk ot the ride and glady wait whatever line meets me there. I have a season pass (I don't want to wait 4 hours) I dont mind wasting a day to ride it. I am sure I will have many other times to ride it with less than average wait so it will even out! Nothing like riding a new coaster for the first time.

I think the lines for Diamondback are going be long but I think the lines will move rather quickly. And with everyone waiting for Diamondback rides that usually have really long lines won't be as bad! (I'm trying to stay positive.) lol.

^ As long as the ride is open (which Firehawk wasnt) and moving fast I don't mind. I think I wanted 5 hours for Firehawk and maybe 20-30 minutes of that the ride was open on opening day. If you get there early and there are no problems with the ride I dont see whyh you would need to wait more 2-3 hours.

I love the old Wurlitzer music.

BTW another great thing about opening weekend at Kings Island is; the taste of the first bite of an Elephant Ear! Better yet seeing the reaction of your children getting that first bite.

I forgot to add how amazing this looks. I just had all four of my wisdom teeth out and really want something besides jell-o and mashed potatoes haha.

I really wish they would ENFORCE a rule about not running to rides when the park opens, it's not really fair, you get in line for the gates to open early and then you either half to disrespect everyone else running over them, or fall way behind in line from where you should be, this always is the case at Cedar Point when I get in line for early entry at the Breakers entrance and want to head over for the Maverick, you can't be respectful and get good place in line.

^^From what I've seen, CP welcomes the ROTBs, and mgm't almost encourages by doing a 'ready, set, go' that I've seen a few times!! (this is all by the Magnum entrance, btw)

^^From what I've seen, CP welcomes the ROTBs, and mgm't almost encourages by doing a 'ready, set, go' that I've seen a few times!! (this is all by the Magnum entrance, btw)

One of the least utilized entrances to the park and the best for getting to the big rides quickly, I also frequent the entrance by Good Times Theater, although a little more dificult to enter from.

^^Well....not when you're with a lot of other resort guests!! Thankfully, most people participating with me during the ROTBs (to Maverick) foolishly start their run on a 400 meter pace...DOH!!! At close to a mile from that entrance to the wooden bridge, you'd have to be that Bolt Olympic runner to keep that up!! By keeping an 800 meter pace, I pass by the carcasses around the train tracks!!

I really wish they would ENFORCE a rule about not running to rides when the park opens, it's not really fair, you get in line for the gates to open early and then you either half to disrespect everyone else running over them, or fall way behind in line from where you should be, this always is the case at Cedar Point when I get in line for early entry at the Breakers entrance and want to head over for the Maverick, you can't be respectful and get good place in line.

If everyone followed the rules....... a dream we can all dream about!! I have been pushed and moved to the back before because I just dont run....

maybe they should just put little trip wires in the park...if you run...obviously you wouldn't see...and trip...and feel dumb...if you walk...you'd see it...and calmly step over....

maybe they should just put little trip wires in the park...if you run...obviously you wouldn't see...and trip...and feel dumb...if you walk...you'd see it...and calmly step over....

I would love to see that! One time I saw someone in a bright pink shirt running from security... yeah, he doesn't stand out at all...

thats funny.....i laughed for a good minute or two

something about a dude in a bright pink shirt makes me think he deserved to be caught....

thats funny.....i laughed for a good minute or two

something about a dude in a bright pink shirt makes me think he deserved to be caught....

Must have been back in the 80's !!! LOL

I love the old Wurlitzer music.

BTW another great thing about opening weekend at Kings Island is; the taste of the first bite of an Elephant Ear! Better yet seeing the reaction of your children getting that first bite.

I forgot to add how amazing this looks. I just had all four of my wisdom teeth out and really want something besides jell-o and mashed potatoes haha.

What the heck is this thing??? I have never seen one of these before. and where do you get one. boy it looks good

Its an Elephant Ear. I never ate one at the park so I am not sure where to get them or how much they are. They are very good!

Correct it is an Elephant Ear and to be honest I can not believe there is someone who has never eaten one or even knows what it is. For the record it is a thin piece of dough that is deep fried then brushed with butter and sprinkled with cinnamon sugar.

You can find them at the shop called “Worlds Greatest Funnel Cake” #42 on last years map. It is located next to the White Water Canyon entrance and has covered seating to the side.

The picture below shows the menu from last years opening day, and all,the items and prices they offered at that time.

I thought about something you know how we keep getting seat belts on rides well I'm going to make a bet that one of these days the Grand Carousal will have seat belts built onto the horses.lol