Yet Another KI Trip Report

[RingMaster]

Today marked the first time I went up to the park this season, so while everything here is old news to the lot of you, it was all new to me!

I was there from a little after 10:30 in the morning to about 7 or so, so a review of the Starlight Spectacular is out of this particular report. Also, the group I was with wasn't particularly interested in the shows they had available to offer (and the ice show was off today), so reviews of them are out as well.

Anyway, on to the report...

....the first thing I noticed upon arrival is the new queue rails stationed in front of the ticket booths. Instead of simple ropes from previous seasons, these are permanently fixed into the ground. A sign detailing where the line actually begins is nice, too. Now if they would only give the GR associates speakerphones so that people can hear when the next booth is open.

We grabbed our tickets (as part of UFCW today was their Member Appreciation Day and tickets were only 30 bucks per person) and proceeded to the metal detectors...which were turned off. I knew they were off when my cell phone and my wallet (my Rolling Stones one from 2005 with the metal chain attached) didn't go off.

Seriously? Even though it was essentially a slow day at the park (lines for us never reached past 45 minutes), normally the detectors are on and remain on all day, every day. At least, they were last season up until after the 4th of July. But since they were off this early in the regular season I would assume they've been off for quite a while. They didn't even bother checking my bag even as I motioned to give my bag to the security guard standing at the opposite side. If they're not gonna have them on from time to time or if at all during the season, then get rid of them. Having them just sit there turned off gives me that false sense of security when I enter the park, saying, "Oh hey, if the metal detectors are turned off and they're not checking bags, then they must not care that much about guest safety."

.....okay, rant #1 over. Back to the report!

I absolutely LOVE the new pavers on International Street. I literally took a step back and did a Keanu for a second. The fact that they also had them go all the way up to Planet Snoopy from both sides was really neat, too.

Speaking of Planet Snoopy. WOW. Just WOW. I personally think it looks WAY better than Nick Universe did back when it debuted in 2006, and I really liked what they did with NU. But Snoopy just blows it out of the water. This is reminiscent of Toon Lagoon at Islands of Adventure, what with the pop art, bright colors, and warm atmosphere. Gone are the slime green and orange that was everywhere, replaced with shades of blue...that are everywhere. But it's okay with me. The character flags on the post are simple, yet effective, and even though the new PS sign is still undergoing construction, it looks massive in person. I can't wait to see what it looks like when it's finished. Some highlights:

• Surf Dog - I got a kick out of the big lifeguard chair with Woodstock on top. The new design on the car itself makes it stand out a lot more than it did with Avatar (I guess considering the fact that a giant 2D billboard no longer sits on top of it).
• Great Pumpkin Coaster - The giant mural painted on the front of the former Enchanted Theater looks incredible (did I mention it was GINORMOUS?) in person.
• Snoopy vs Red Baron - I love how the old Dick Dastardly planes made a comeback, and I like the Snoopy/Flying Ace statue on top of the infamous red doghouse.

If there are any drawbacks to Planet Snoopy, it would be that most everything does, in fact, have Snoopy in the title. Considering the legacy of the Peanuts, it's a shame to see the majority of characters get put aside just so the dog can have all the glory (although this is Snoopy we're talking about). Also, the same complaint I had about the overuse of green and orange remain, though now it's blue. A LOT of blue. It's...a bit too MUCH blue for one area. But those are minor complaints.

So now we come to the real reason we were in Planet Snoopy - Boo Blasters on Boo Hill Boo Boo's Blasters. Whoa. This was very...interesting to ride. It's not too terribly different from Scooby's Haunted Castle, save for the last half of the ride, but that doesn't necessarily mean it's a BAD ride. However, some of the effects weren't on at the time of my riding. For instance, the famous fogscreen of Boocifer halfway into the ride was completely off, and a good three to four scenes had no lights on (the black lights), which was very weird. The skeleton scene, however, was working to its full extent, complete with that ear-piercing scream that scared so many kids (I'm assuming it was turned down a bit, but it's pretty loud when I rode it). Some complaints I have with the ride are the same complaints I had back when it was Scooby's Haunted Castle (and no, the 3D glasses being sold for a dollar aren't one of them, even though I didn't buy any). Several targets are positioned very far away from the cars as well as a few of the bigger scenes. It feels like I'm not completely immersed in the experience in the same way I was when I rode Haunted Mansion for the first time at Disneyland (or, for that matter, Phantom Theater in its heyday). And as a sort of double-edged sword, the guns (least the one I had) still don't function properly. Half the time I have to lean out of the car just to get a hit on a target that's literally a foot away from me! And then not even halfway into the ride, my gun won't register any of the targets I'm aiming at. I guess that's also due to the fact that I still can't see the individual laser beam at all. I think a more powerful beam should be implemented so as I can see where exactly I'm aiming at without guessing. Also, I think it's time they did away with the small targets and actually do what Men In Black Alien Attack does with their targets and actually have the whole ghost be the target (Alien Attack does this by embedding the target inside the alien so that when fired at, it registers as an actual hit). But other than that, it's a very fun ride and is much more detailed now than before.

Some other small things I want to touch on before I end this report:

• Backlot Stunt Coaster - I knew about the cars being stripped of their MINI license, but actually, that didn't bother me in the least. Cars used for major stunts are usually stripped to the bare essentials (mostly interior, but you get the point) to function properly; it kind of makes sense now that I have seen them with my own eyes. What's weird though is the fact that the rear taillight covers are still on the cars whereas the front headlights aren't. The helicopter now just rotates on its axis about 45 degrees horizontally, and the main rotor has been slowed down quite a bit (the rear rotor still spins at its normal holy-crap-it's-the-blender-from-Heck speed). But the ride still packs quite a punch and the helicopter scene is still amazing. I would suggest getting new (empty, of course) gas tanks to put by the flame effects; the ones they have now have DEFINITELY outstayed their welcome. Oh, and all of the water in the aqueduct is gone. WHA?! I was shocked to see no water in it, but then I realize most aqueducts these days are mostly dry (though I'm surprised that it isn't somewhat filled up thanks to all the torrential rain we've been receiving the past couple days).
• Flight of Fear - The on-ride photos are BACK. I missed the giant flash of light as soon as you launched out of the station. I know it's really meant to be a camera taking your picture, but to me it's another awesome way of saying you've gone into the next dimension when looking at it from the actual station (the flash is also a LOT brighter than before). Not to mention the ride spiels and the innocuous bass of the saucer itself pumping throughout have returned to further enhance the experience the ride has to offer. Today's ride reminded me of why Flight of Fear is my favorite ride in the entire park.
• Firehawk - Despite waiting the longest for this ride, it was a surprisingly short wait compared to other times in past seasons. I guess the ride is finally being good to its handlers.
• Son of Beast - Yes, it's closed. I know that. However, even though the entrance to the ride is cut off at the front by where Flight Deck's entrance is, access is still possible down further by the overlook where all the switchbacks are. I hope the park looks into that and blocks that off, as it would be real easy for someone to just hop over the fence and walk up to the station at their convenience (they could do the same thing towards the front but then there would be too many witnesses).
• Outer Hanks - I'm not that big a fan of the new doors. Detracts from the overall aesthetic the building has to offer. It wouldn't be that much of a bother if the front of the facade WASN'T COMPLETELY EMPTY. Everything is gone, including all the benches and I believe the few big planters that were also in front of it (I think the mailboxes are gone as well, but I wasn't paying too much attention to it as I was more inclined to riding Racer at that particular time; someone correct me if I'm wrong here).
• Cleanliness - The park is very clean. VERY clean. Despite not seeing a huge amount of yellow shirts milling about, the park remained spotless the entire time I was there. And no, I'm not just saying that because I was once a Park Services employee, it really was spotless the whole time (and to further prove the point, the regular park trash cans remained empty, whereas the Food Service cans remained full ).

Okay, NOW I'm done with my report. Thank you for your time.

[The Interpreter]

Last time I was at the park, not that long ago, the mailboxes were still there...and looked very out of place in Kings Island as it currently is.

I love seeing the park from others' perspective. And I liked your very different trip report very much...

[IndyGuy4KI]

Loved your detailed comments in your report. Can't wait to read the next TR from you!