I remember when Main Street was a street, with a curb that you had to step up onto. My first visit was in August 1974 (the map section of pkiconnection has jpegs of the info booklet that was given out at the entrance - that's my mom's handwriting that you see on a few of the pages). I was 10 years old at the time (do the math and you'll know how old I am now). I got to ride the canoe ride that was there before The Beast. It wasn't much, just a bunch of us paddling the canoe with a guide telling jokes. I didn't ride The Racer that year, as I had a fear of fast rides at the time, which I overcame not too long after. I've been to King's Island almost every year since then, but didn't make it down there last year. Hopefully this year will be different.

coastermike

Does any one remember, Bavarian Beetle, Rainbo Backerei, when the The Beastie was red, when the trian had hold up's, the double decker buses the would take you to the King's Island Inn, Star Trek Charchters, and when the park had two Picnic Groves?

I had not herd of some of those things, but may Mom remember's them all.

I don`t know, but was The Beastie ever red? i know that it was yellow in the mid to late `80`s. It was then painted blue in the early 90`s followed by its current shade of purple. I have not seen pictures or heard of it being painted red before.

Ivy tunnel??

I'd have to nominate the old Ivy Tunnel for the "Best Transition Between Two Themed Areas" All-Time award....

I've been out of the area from 1988 to 2003, but I have very vivid memories of the Ivy Tunnel from pre-88. From the moment you enter the archway of the tunnel, the noisy insanity of the HB land would slowly ease away, and the cool shade inside was like a cave, protecting patrons from more sunburn...

By the time you would exit on the other side, you were in an entirely different mind set and an entirely different world. The perfectly placed Wheel of Fortune was spinning and turning off to the right... logs splashing down in the chute of the Kings Mill... And, hey, when did they remove the spectacular Rib Pit that sat right in the middle of that whole area... Mouth watering ... the smoke was everywhere... a blazing fire cooking up hundreds of barbequed ribs and chickens... yum...

But without the Tunnel, and with HB Land invading over the line, Rivertown isn't quite the same as it once was...

E. Beast

Agreed^^^^^^^^^

Here is a picture when The Beastie was red. http://home.fuse.net/brock/KI81Misc.html

beastie RED? Dude its Yellow.....

beastie RED? Dude its Yellow.....

Sorry the colors on my comp. are messed up.

YEs But Does anyone know what The Beasties REAL name is............. he he he he he

According to an earlier post, the website http://home.fuse.net/brock/KI81Beast.html not only has pictures of The Beast, but also of Screamin Demon and The Racer.  Unless I need some more sleep, I can not seem to find these pictures of The Racer and Screamin Demon.

Heres the link with all the pictures on it,

http://home.fuse.net/brock/KI1981.html

Did you notice the blacktop wasn't so black? It was painted red! That is so cool, that is what use to make Kings Island so interesting. I doubt paramount would ever do that. -adam12

QUOTE (FoF @ Mar 21 2004, 05:09 PM)

QUOTE (CoasterRZ @ Mar 20 2004, 11:26 PM)

According to an earlier post, the website http://home.fuse.net/brock/KI81Beast.html not only has pictures of The Beast, but also of Screamin Demon and The Racer. Unless I need some more sleep, I can not seem to find these pictures of The Racer and Screamin Demon.

Heres the link with all the pictures on it,

http://home.fuse.net/brock/KI1981.html

Did you notice the blacktop wasn't so black? It was painted red! That is so cool, that is what use to make Kings Island so interesting. I doubt paramount would ever do that. -adam12

Gotta keep this post going! It is soooo interesting! -adam12

You really need to stop posting twice in a row... it's really nice outside today, go do something!

ROFL! You are right, I'm at work, I surf the net while deploying software. BLAH. Gotta keep my cool some how! -adam12

YEs But Does anyone know what The Beasties REAL name is............. he he he he he

Scooby Doo

Who knows the main difference between the Scooby Doo /Beastie and the Sea Dragon at Wyandot Lake? Actually I can think of three worth discussing...

Who knows the main difference between the Scooby Doo /Beastie and the Sea Dragon at Wyandot Lake? Actually I can think of three worth discussing...

I can think of 2 of hand

-They are mirrors of each other, and Sea Dragon doesn't have a tunnel

Heres the link with all the pictures on it,

http://home.fuse.net/brock/KI1981.html

Did you notice the blacktop wasn't so black? It was painted red! That is so cool, that is what use to make Kings Island so interesting. I doubt paramount would ever do that. -adam12

Ooooh!!!! I LOVE these old pics of Kings Island.

MORE! MORE! MORE!

Please folks...if you have pics of the OLD K.I., pretty please with sugar on top could you share them with the rest of us?

That would be soooo cool!

Memory Lane via Kodak,

MommaBeast

Gotta keep this post going! It is soooo interesting! -adam12

adam12 --- yes, this *IS* interesting!

Did you notice how LUSH and GREEN the park used to be? Look at all the trees! Notice the lack of cement/pavement/blacktop. Unbelievable, isn't it? Gazillions of flowers, too.

Wow...I miss the old Kings Island....

Forgot about the tunnel...

Momma - Do you absoutely have to make everyone so emotional all the time...

Don't you wish that Action Zone would have been built back where FoF was built, and that the Wild Animal Safari area still around...

Remember the pathway from Germantown into Wild Animal Safari... There were several bridges in the area, all with rope and net sides adding to the Jungle theme... When Screamin Demon was built, it was almost non-invasive to the theme - it kind of "lurked" back there because of the way it only made noise at the launches... Was it me or did you have to go under something to get all the way back to the entry to the Monorail... ahhhh the air conditioned monorail... miss that too..

And how about that constant wild bongo "music" that never stopped back there...

Momma - Do you absoutely have to make everyone so emotional all the time...

Haahaaahaaaa, friend! No, I don't HAVE to, but it sure seems to work out that way!!

I was literally *stuck* for an aimless hour reminiscing as I looked at the old pix provided by some of the posters here. Brought back a rush of old feelings.

And I agree with what you said....I think it's much better when the RIDES are non-intrusive with their SURROUNDINGS, i.e., landscaping/trees/flowers/bushes.

*sniff-sniff*

More pix! More pix! I need to see some more old photos.....

I have some old picture's from the 1990's, if you wont to to see them, email, IM, PM, or just tell me here, and I will send them to you.

hey man i want those pictures send at me at carpetarson@juno.com

Ok... here's the trivia answers for the differences between Sea Dragon and Beastie if anyone cares...

-Sea Dragon has flanged wheels - the wheels fit "around" a metal rail, eliminating the need for internal side wheels...

-Sea Dragon still uses manual braking

-Sea Dragon loads on the curve instead of the straightaway

The flanged wheels provide one of the smoothest coaster rides around... We got to Wyandot for the first time on our way back north from PKI last year and really enjoyed the Dragon...

Since there's alot of people with picture memorabilia following this thread, I'll ask the question that most burns me up: Does anyone anywhere have on or off ride video of The Bat in operation...? I've got Screamin' Demon footage from the old Vincent Price Roller Coaster video, but I have never found a Bat video...

Skipper and Dolly!! Wow I had forgotten their names. Always wanted to get picked in that show, never did and my parents would never sit down close enough to get wet

I miss the old enchanted voyage - before they ruined it with those god-awful Smurfs!

There was a kiddie ride in HBland where you sat in little cars that whipped you around the ends of a small loop - what was the name of that? It's a wonder all us kids from that generation didn't get brain damage on that thing.

Anyone else remember the canoe rides? Or when there were "real" indians that attacked the train?

I miss the toy store on International Street that always had the hugest stuffed animal in the world in the window (back before everything in the park had to have a logo of some kind or another on it)

How about that old theater that looked like a giant balloon - there was some type of kids show inside - I vaguely remember puppets......

Wow! That stuff goes WAY BACK! I think I might start a collection of old PKI stuff.

-adam12

Does any one have any pictures of the DS? I miss the PT days! Here is a good PT website. http://www.dafe.org/attractions/darkrides/...tom/phantom.htm

Those PT pics totally ruled! I love seeing behind the scenes stuff when it comes to things like! Did someone say earlier in this thread that there is video of Demon somewhere on the web? I rode that ONE time, my eyes closed the whole time!

Dafe Did a Farewell thingy for PT...and they toured SDATHC when it was being built they have Pics of SDATHC on there to! MAN I CANT WAIT TIL I GET TO RIDE SDATHC!!!!!!