Flight of Fear Minor Dethemeing

[bkroz]

And then there's the queue line for our Giant Top Spin, which (without its original "flame torch" lights) is so dark that you find yourself feeling around for the handrails. How that is better than 5 - 10 seconds of darkness in Flight of Fear's line, I do not know.

Seriously? Get over it already.

Uh, get over it? I wasn't griping or complaining about a single thing. I was pointing out that The Crypt's queue is pitch black 24/7, and that I can imagine much more grotesque things happening in that darkness than in Flight of Fear's short intermittent bursts of darkness... My point was that that line was originally designed to have the flickering torch lights to illuminate the way, which kept it pretty well lit. With only the red flood lights on the floor, it's much darker than I'm sure it was ever meant to be, and thus if any line should have inappropriate things happening in it, I can imagine it being in The Crypt much moreso than in 5 seconds of darkness in Flight of Fear.

"Get over it already?"

What a loving, accepting, welcoming community! Why is it we can't seem to keep any new members, and why is it that the "veteran" posters who are the most wise of us all are dropping like flies?

GYK, stumped.

[Gordon Bombay]

For virtually everything there is a reason.

All parks change.

Such is life.

Exactly. Not that I know, but I'd assume that they removed it to open up the area with how crowded it gets back there. Between the FoF line spilling out that way on some haunt nights coupled with the one haunted house line directly across from it and the guests who tried to walk back and forth in between to get to Firehawk and the haunt that's on the trail - they probably needed more room so that more of the haunt's mix of high class, polite and unsupervised pre teen guests could get to and fro without an obstruction in their way.

I don't think you need any kind of radar tower to detect the sarcasm there.

But seriously, that area got crowded.

And then there's the queue line for our Giant Top Spin, which (without its original "flame torch" lights) is so dark that you find yourself feeling around for the handrails. How that is better than 5 - 10 seconds of darkness in Flight of Fear's line, I do not know.

In case you haven't noticed between the "re-theming" and info provided on the ride warriors propaganda site, its clear Cedar Fair doesn't really give two shi......nickels about the ride.

[Dalefan]

Probably so they could have more trash and crap to throw around the queue line of Urgent Scare.

After Winterfest sunk, Kings Island used alot of the old theming from that for The Haunt one year. They even went as far as to have a drunk smoking Santa walking around. Lol.

[The Interpreter]

...Why is it we can't seem to keep any new members, and why is it that the "veteran" posters who are the most wise of us all are dropping like flies?

GYK, stumped.

I believe it may be the country club atmosphere. What was your Q again?

Oh, we have had quite a few new members join and stay...yet it is the nature of these types of forums to greatly increase in new members when a major new addition is added to the park, particularly when that new addition is a coaster. We added tons of people when Diamondback was being teased/announced/built/debuted. And then, as usual, many of them faded away.

Perhaps WindSeeker and what may be perceived as endless discussions bemoaning what once was with the Crypt, posts querying whether one wants to see a midget bleed, etc., don't have quite the same effect?

Terp, waiting for his $11.50 (and wondering why the possibility that the tower was in fact being climbed by guests after all these years has not been considered on these screens)

[Austin]

Terpy, it was enclosed by a fence. No one was climbing it.

[The Interpreter]

I didn't say it was being climbed. I said I was astonished that no one here had posited that possibility. And besides, we know no one ever climbs a fence, right? Um, no. I also did not say it was not being climbed...

For many, many years, no light curtain was needed around the Royal Fountain. And then, it was.

Guest behavior is not what it once was, particularly in the fall.

[markr]

My main pet peeve about the layout and theming when FOF was built was the removal of that final headchopper dip on The Racer before the ride ended. That was one of the most thrilling parts of the ride.

[CedarPointer]

For many, many years, no light curtain was needed around the Royal Fountain. And then, it was.

What?

[standbyme]

Forgive me for linking to Wikipedia, but this gives you an idea what a light curtain is.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Light_curtain

I wasn't aware that the park had these around the fountain until The Interpreter pointed it out in the past.

[coaster_junky]

My main pet peeve about the layout and theming when FOF was built was the removal of that final headchopper dip on The Racer before the ride ended. That was one of the most thrilling parts of the ride.

i thought that final bunny hop was still there when Flight of Fear opened, and if it was, could someone here tell why it was removed later? i thought the path to x-base used to be a service road before anyway.

[Coney Islander]

I've heard that when Kings Island first opened, there was not enclosing fence around the International Street fountain.

I'm not sure this is true... If it is, I wonder how much time after opening day until the fence was finally put up.

[CedarPointer]

Forgive me for linking to Wikipedia, but this gives you an idea what a light curtain is.

http://en.wikipedia....i/Light_curtain

I wasn't aware that the park had these around the fountain until The Interpreter pointed it out in the past.

I know what they are, I just didn't know that the fountains apparently have them...

[markr]

My main pet peeve about the layout and theming when FOF was built was the removal of that final headchopper dip on The Racer before the ride ended. That was one of the most thrilling parts of the ride.

i thought that final bunny hop was still there when Flight of Fear opened, and if it was, could someone here tell why it was removed later? i thought the path to x-base used to be a service road before anyway.

If I am not mistaken, the bunny hop was taken out for the forward side and stayed on the backward side of The Racerwhen FOF first opened. Several years later, they took the bunny hop out of the backward side as well.

[The Interpreter]

The final hills were both still on each respective side when Flight of Fear opened. They were removed later, in the order you suggested, but it had nothing to do with Flight of Fear, but rather with a new, longer brake run...I believe the two removals were only a year apart, however.

http://www.KICentral.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=10036&st=0&p=166123&hl=+racer%20+removed&fromsearch=1entry166123

[CoastersRZ]

You can see the posts in which the sensors for the light curtain are mounted positioned around the fountain. They are particularly noticeable in the corners.

Here is a question. Why have rides like The Racer not received any magnetic trim brakes to slow the trains down before they get to the standard pneumatic brakes? The Beast uses the magnetic brakes to slow the trains down considerably before hitting the pneumatic brakes, not unlike what Diamondback does. It would seem logical that these magnetic brakes would reduce the wear and tear on the ride and the trains. I know upfront cost is likely an issue, but the magnetic brakes also create a smoother, more gradual stop as well. Flight of Fear could also benefit from these brakes as well. (Backlot has magnetic brake as well, right after the trains pass under the bridge that houses the entrance and exit.)

[calakapepe]

Yeah, Flight of Fear, and Firehawk both have really aggressive stops... I don't think you could help Firehawk's with it being so short. But yeah it'd be nice, but I don't find it all that important from a guest's POV.

[The Interpreter]

Stopping, slowing down, failing to stop...all always important from a guest's point of view. Think several things...rain mode, safety policy, mid-course brakes, what happens if a coaster train does not stop...and on and on. Most guests never think of any of these things, until they are affected by them.

[teenageninja]

And how often do they not stop? I don't want to hear the amount of times there has been a collision, minor or major, but how many times there hasn't.

[HTCO]

Probably so they could have more trash and crap to throw around the queue line of Urgent Scare.

I literally laughed out loud, when I read this.

[Guest rcfreak339]

I've heard that when Kings Island first opened, there was not enclosing fence around the International Street fountain.

I'm not sure this is true... If it is, I wonder how much time after opening day until the fence was finally put up.

1972:

1986:

I would say the fence was put in sometime around the mid 90's...not that long ago.

[CoastersRZ]

The bottom picture is NOT from 1986. That image clearly shows the seating areas closest to the shops on International Street. That only lasted a few seasons I believe. In part, because there was a sidewalk and the actual street had a curb, which was a major trip hazard.

See this photo from 1984, which clearly shows the new trees (notice how small they are compared to now) on the left side of the fountain, closer to the fountain.

[The Interpreter]

At least here, CoastersRZ, your photo is not showing up...

[CoastersRZ]

Gosh. I spent all that time trying to find that photo and forgot to paste the link. I'm on my iPhone now, so can't easily find it. I'll get it tonight. My bad.

[Jasper]

I am assuming that when the light curtain is triggered in the main fountains that all it does is shut down the fountains and alarm security. Am I correct here?

[The Interpreter]

As in many security matters, I won't be commenting....it's really not a good idea to publicly post about such things.

[KIfan73]

Actually, I think that shop employees are ordered to run to the person that fell into the fountains and try to sell them a Kings Island life preserver...right after Keyhole photographers catch the "once in a lifetime" moment...

[Tanna]

Certain guests could not keep their hands to themselves during the darkness. After numerous guest complaints, that portion of the video was sadly deleted.

I wondered why that was missing. I innocently thought that some old bat complained about how dangerous the darkness was, but not in that way.

When I've ridden FOF recently, there's not been wait time enough to get a load of the video anymore.

I always like the Hangar 18/Wright Patt connection though.

[standbyme]

Actually, I think that shop employees are ordered to run to the person that fell into the fountains and try to sell them a Kings Island life preserver...right after Keyhole photographers catch the "once in a lifetime" moment...

So that's what it takes for a keyhole photographer to get the fountain in your photo!

[Guest TombraiderTy]

To add to the list of removed themeing, I noticed something today...

As you can see in the red boxes, there are flag poles alongside the entrance to X-Base. I don't think I ever noticed them in person (and it took having that picture as my desktop to finally spot them), but I'd assume they once held Department 47 (Flight of Fear storyline) or American flags. Seems like a simple something that could've easily been replaced (although, honestly, I never noticed the poles in how-many years, and I doubt most guests would notice new flags).

Obviously not something I'ma lose sleep over, but I found it interesting

[thatbandguy8807]

actually i do remember seeing those flag poles but i dont think i have ever seen a flag on either one of them.....but i could be wrong.....i never paid too much attention exept that i noticed it was a flag pole