Closing the Season Out 10/29/2010

[Creed Bratton]

I decided to travel to the park to close out the season. I didn't really know how to feel about this trip. I was excited yet kind of sad. Here's how the night went.

We, my friend Kari and I, got to the park at 6:30....got directly to the ticket booths and waited maybe 10 minutes in line. I went up and paid for my pass then stood in a 5-10 minute line for processing. By 7:00 I was walking through security, to my surprise my friend Adam was the one checking our line! Finally getting through the front gates we headed over to Wolf Pack.

Wolf Pack was a no wait. It was weird being in the SOB station again, yet I couldn't really tell where we were. There were some great scares and people hiding. The set up was kind of cool, yet confusing on which way to go. I wasn't happy that they made us take our picture at the beginning of the line. I give this haunt a 7/10 overall.

We then headed to Club Blood. Club Blood was interesting. I'm not quite sure how to explain it. I'm not a fan of tons of fog inside of a maze. This one had way too much fog. The scare-creators were really fun and entertaining. I've heard a lot of people say this one was really sexual I didn't really feel like it was. I give this one a 8/10 overall.

We rode Adventure Express. I forgot how weird it was at night! So trippy!

Keeping up with Haunts after a little break, it's not even 8:20 yet, we go over to Massacre Manor! The host was really cool and funny. We entered the house and I remembered most of it but I kept getting scared! It was quite funny! There was a bit too much fog but I overlooked it. *Spoiler alert* I was the lead person in this one, we went down a hallway and it used to be filled with fog, well this year they had fabric hanging down and two scare-creators threw it on my head making me lose them! We got out of the maze and I was just impressed. I give this one a 10/10 this year.

We decided since we were next to them we'd jump on the dodgems. Those were fun! It seemed like there were too many young kids on them though....guess parents don't really care what their kids are subjected to anymore! So I definitely targeted the kids instead of other adults and teens. Haha! After Dodgems we went over to Beast. Here I was a bit disappointed. The line was spilling out onto the midway. At one point I wasn't even under by the vending machines yet and the line was wrapping around the games up to Larossas. As I moved forward I noticed why, none of the queues were open. The lower house definitely was not and then the queues by the ramp were not open. Someone from a random group finally opened that one, as I was on the ramp. I'd much rather go through queues than wait in a line outside of the ride area. We got to the top of the ramp and those queues were not even open! It was okay because since we only had 2 people we got asked if we wanted to go next because the other people's group got screwed up. I tell you what...Beast on a 30 something degrees night is COLD!!! The ride was perfect though. Didn't get a wheel seat and it was so smooth! The fog from the park and the element by the 2nd hill made this ride ultimately just foggy. It was perfect. Kari was giggling the whole time! We got off The Beast and had a friend call to say we needed to wait up for them. We waited up by the train. At this point we noticed that Diamondback was testing. Must have went down or something. So we sat there and people watched.

I noticed a lot of people in "costumes". Yet as I got to the park I saw a friend who had a green wig on (in which he's been to the park before in during haunt) and he was told he couldn't come in with a costume. Finally my friend Lauren and her friend Rick showed up and we did Tombstone Territory.

Tombstone Territory I did it at the beginning of Haunt. It was more fun this time. Scare-creators followed us more this time and it was just hilarious seeing the others in my group just get scared! I wasn't a fan of waiting after the train drop off but did get to see a guy I used to work with! There wasn't a whole lot of theming for this one. It was okay overall. I give it a 7/10.

**EDIT** We then headed over to Urgent Scare. Another friend and his friend met up with us. Urgent Scare was really lame this go around. They combined our group with another, kept trying to push us through. I was not a fan! They then decided to bring another group in the holding room. For the claustrophobic, aka me, this was not a selling point! We went into the elevator and they jumbled all of us up. They then were pushing us out the door, but I wasn't about to leave without my group. We got out....there were hardly any scare-creators around. No one was really jumping out at us at all. There were a few rooms where there would be someone in there and they were bland...they said stuff but it was very bland.....bland it was....get it? The scariest part of this was being forced to take our picture. Oh so happy! I do not like to be forced to take a picture, especially if it's to remember a haunt....because this haunt this time around was very sub-par. I give it a 4/10. The last time I visited U.S. was at least a 8/10. **

We then rode the Zephyr. It was fun and goofy. Such a simple ride but it was fun! I realized that if my hips were any wider I would not be able to ride. We got off of that then Josh and his friend had to leave. So we said our goodbyes and headed toward Trail of Terror.

Trail of Terror had maybe a 20 minute wait. We sat there and just talked. It was nice. We got to the entrance and got combined with another group yet again. The group in front of us was okay because it was like 4 teen-aged boys, however we had pre-teen girls behind us. They were annoying as all get out. But anyway...we went through the attraction....there were some good scares at the beginning. Some scares throughout weren't the greatest because you could see them. The guys in front of us kept getting scared and I was dieing. They were getting so scared! I was unhappy getting sprayed with cold water on a 30 something degree night. I enjoyed this Haunt pretty well. I hated it though when I got string hanging from trees in my face. I would give this Haunt a 9/10.

We headed toward The Racer. Of course they were only running the red side. Red is definitely my favorite side! It was so much fun! I love night rides on Racer! I forgot how hilly it was! My stomach kept going up and down. We then were going to do corn stalkers but decided against it when Lauren's brother got off of work a bit early. We waited for him. At this point it was close to midnight so we decided to go check out "Half Pint Brawlers". I do admit I was very against them coming to Kings Island. I don't like wrestling period...but this show was just hilarious! I heard some great stories about the midgets from my friend, Gabe, who works the tech for this show. I kept laughing at people during this show they were freaking out and couldn't believe "the fights" that were happening. I saw a dollar bill being stapled to a cheek, tongue, forehead, to junk, etc. It honestly was a great show and I retract my previous statements and think this was a smart move on Kings Island's part! I give Half-Pint Brawlers a 8/10.

We then decided to ride Delirium since it was right there! This was a walk on! Oh my gosh this was soooo cold! It was fun though we got people in line laughing at us as we'd swing down past the line. I wish I could have taken a picture of the parking lot from the top of Delirium. It was soooo foggy!

At this point the it was getting awfully close to 1 am...so we headed to Diamondback. We ran through the Festhaus and through international street stores. It had gotten so cold. We got to Diamondback and stood in line maybe 5 minutes. We rode in the middle. It was so great to see my friends working! We got right back into line. They announced there was going to be two more trains to run. And we were on the last train! Kari sat this one out because it was too cold! What a perfect way to close out the season! We all rode and held out legs up because it's just fun that way! Getting the last ride possible for me on Diamondback was just great! I gave hugs to those I knew working and headed down the ramp *insert tears here*. We then headed out of the park.

Kari and I headed to Waffle House by Fields Ertle and met up with Gabe. We had a nice "dinner/breakfast" and got to talk about the Midgets, Danishes and other random things (including our waitress who had a costume on that looked like she didn't have any eyes.) This waitress was funny. I tried to get her attention but she couldn't hear me. Gabe mentioned it was probably because she couldn't see me.

It was a very bittersweet experience going to the park for the last time in 2010. I'll be back my sweet Kings Island! .

[StalkerChick]

see!!!! *tries not to say i told you so* the midgets weren't that bad lol i will even admit it was kinda entertaining and they are funny! I LOVE what they do to The Beast. I had never gotten the chance to ride it during Haunt so it was kinda nice to see that. btw did you get a chance to go through Urgent Scare? I know its not the same without me and alyssa

[Creed Bratton]

We did do urgent scare...see the edit in original post!

The midgets were wonderful! Beast was pretty rockin this year!

[fighting31irish]

Agreed. Beast was, well, a BEAST during the Haunt!!! A few of us were lucky enough to get to ride The Beast after the park closed on the 31st, as a "thank you" of sorts, I guess. They took us by surprise and had the fog turned on back in the woods. I will never forget getting that smell in my nose and just as I realize where it seemed familiar, we were consumed in a cloud of white. Man, what a ride...

[Jasper]

Agreed. Beast was, well, a BEAST during the Haunt!!! A few of us were lucky enough to get to ride The Beast after the park closed on the 31st, as a "thank you" of sorts, I guess. They took us by surprise and had the fog turned on back in the woods. I will never forget getting that smell in my nose and just as I realize where it seemed familiar, we were consumed in a cloud of white. Man, what a ride...

It was quite the ride, as I remember I thought I spotted THE Tower Johnny in the woods, and it turned out to be an e-stop light. That was the first time for me that I have ever seen the fog on in the second tunnel, it was quite the experience. Even the devilish figure propped beside the track was quite the addition.

[fighting31irish]

Don't worry everyone, only (approx.) 15,354,600 sec until ERT starts on April 30th.

or .4866 years

or 25.39 weeks

or 177.72 days

or 4265.16 hours

or 255909 minutes

[The Interpreter]

Oh, the Georgia Cyclone will be operating again long before that!

[Creed Bratton]

All I know is, this offseason better go quick!

[TheCryptRaider]

That was honestly my favorite Haunt of the season. Seriously hanging out with you all, and also Alyssa (TrainedBeast for those of you who don't know her) at the exit of Wolf Pack.

Lines were pretty short too! I ended up doing Slaughterhouse (which was seriously the most fun experience I've had in a Haunt), Massacre Manor (twice in a row due to no lines), Carnevil (longest wait of the night), Urgent Scare, Wolf Pack, and got two rides on Flight Deck without getting off all in about 3.5 hours.

It was an AMAZING last visit for me.

Me and my friend Anna (who was with me that night) video-taped us walking out for the last time and we look back on that video and have tears come to our eyes. Yeah, I'm a nerd.

[The Interpreter]

Those were the days, my friend

We thought they'd never end

We'd sing and dance forever and a day

We'd live the life we choose

We'd fight and never lose

For we were young and sure to have our way.....

*

Terp, who remembers...sometimes with a twist....

[Creed Bratton]

Lol Terpy!!