Kings Island, Sunday July 29, 2012

[Buckeye Brad]

Kings Island

Sunday, July 29, 2012

I was pumped for this day.  My dear “coaster-phobic” wife and 7 year old were out of town for the weekend, so it was just my 10 year old son and I. There would be no kiddie rides, no naptime breaks.  Two years ago he tamed The Beast, and this spring he took a few flights on the Wild Eagle at Dollywood.  So we both agreed he was ready for a full day of big kid coaster mayhem.

We pulled into the south parking gate at 9:00 AM.  No line and a mostly empty lot. Ten minutes later we bought our tickets, again no line to be found.  I like how open the plaza is sans the metal detectors.  At 9:15 we found ourselves on International Street.  I love this place before park opening.  Fountains spraying, sun rising, sparse folks milling about, and a wonderful feeling of optimism for the great day ahead.  

Making our way to the Eiffel Tower, I told my son that when I was his age, we could take the stairs up to the 50 foot level and get a nice view.  I remember doing that on opening day, April ’87. My first real view of Vortex, man was I excited.  Today, locked gates block the stairs to us civilians.  To my surprise, at 9:30 the elevators opened and we took and early trip to the top.  The view from up there never gets old, and it’s fun to look out over the “King”dom and plan the day.  We made it back down just in time for “God Bless America”.  I like this tradition.  Kudos to Cedar Fair.

At 10:00:01 the rope dropped and we were off to Firehawk.  I would not have chosen such a crazy coaster to kick off the day, but I’d seen how long the line can get.  I’d had only one spin on Firehawk to my credit.  It was a rotten one.  Two years ago (my last KI trip) I boarded the train, which then reclined and got “stuck”.  15 minutes of lying on my back gave me a ferocious headache.  That train was taken out of service, and I was offered the chance to ride the other one.  The alternative was to simply not ride that day (long line), so I rode and hated it.  Due to my headache, it was a tainted ride.  Today it was a different story.  At 10:05 it was a walk on, we both loved the ride.  “That was AWESOME!!!” yelled my son.  The whole loading, reclining, and lift hill on my back deal is still very disconcerting.  From the drop on it’s crazy Superman fun.

Naturally we then headed into Flight of Fear.  At 10:15 the line was already out the door.  The “mazes” were closed, so it only took about 20 minutes to get to the train.  Priceless reaction from my son seeing the train ahead of us launch and disappear into the darkness.  As always, FOF was fast and wicked.  We came to a dead stop on the mid-course brakes, which was welcome because I was getting hammered.  I’m no coaster train expert, but it just seems to me that the track gage is rather narrow, and the seats sit high up off the track, resulting in a magnification of every bump and twist.  Despite that, we both enjoyed FOF.  Though my son decided that one ride was enough for today.

WindSeeker was next.  Walk-on at 10:40. My son and I both went into this one with no fear, but halfway up, we looked at each other and said “whoa, we are high!”.  I am normally OK with heights, but the combo of 300 feet plus freakishly minimal seats gave me a healthy fear I’ve not felt since the Vegas Big Shot 10 years ago.  I was taking in the view when my son yelled “Dad, my HAT!”.  I looked down and saw it gently swirling down, down,down....  I was sure it would land in the woods, lost forever.  Somehow though, it landed on a path near the platform.  The Star Trek music paused and we got the "It's illegal to drop objects" announcement that we deserved.  Great ride, and scary high. But remember to hold on to your hats!

Vortex.  25 years (and change) ago I stood in this line on opening day, an eager 12 year old ready for the biggest coaster I'd ever seen.  That day got me hooked on coasters, and it was a big thrill to take my son for his first spin on Vortex.   For my 200 or so rides over the last 25 years, the wait has always been no more than 20 minutes.  Today, same deal.  My son asked for the front seat.  One thing about Vortex: the ride is dramatically different in the front and back.  This is true of nearly every coaster of course, but on Vortex it's night and day.  From the middle of the first drop to the apex of the second, it feels like a FOF style launch in the front.  Besides the airtime, another constant at that apex is the clinking of coins bouncing around the "tubs" of the train.  I was surprised at the big positive Gs going into the loops.  I don't remember them feeling anywhere near that strong in the back, my preferred seat.  In any case, despite the rough transitions and uncomfortable seats (IMHO) Vortex is still a pretty solid coaster.  The trees have filled in nicely over the years, especially near the boomerang.

Beast.  At 11:00 am, the line was at the pop machines near the plaque.  In the '80s this was a working food counter called "Beast Canyon" or something like that.   20 minute wait.  My preferred seat is the second to the back.  Best Beast ride I've had in years, thanks to much needed trackwork this year.  I suppose it feels a bit "tamed".  But I love the uniqueness of this ride, and its so fundamental to the KI experience.  One of my favorite coaster moments will always be sitting in the back, cresting the second lift hill, and gradually building up speed towards that tiny hole way down there, i.e. oblivion.

Diamondback.  20 minute wait.  For the past two seasons, my son would not shut up about this one.  2 years ago he was 54.001" tall, but chickened out.  I can't blame him. Heck,  I chickened out of Loch Ness Monster at his age, and have always regretted it.  Today was his chance for redemption.  In my opinion, D'back is coaster perfection.  Not THE perfect coaster, but A perfect one.  Suble difference.  I love the fast line, the minimal and comfy trains, the terror of the first drop, and the HUUUGGGEE feeling airtime filled arcs at the top of nearly every hill.  I never tire of watching the beautiful splashdown.  The only flaw in my opinion is the way it transformed a quiet, serene Rivertown.  Walking around Diamondback plaza, it's hard to remember the lake, the planter, the photo stand with the huge King Kong hand, the picnic grove where we ate our Potato Works, and the seclusion I felt in this once shady backwoods corner of KI.  But everything has a price.  At least the coaster is fantastic.  My son loved it as much as I did.  We rode in the dead center, his new preferred seat.

We hit the Skyline on International Street for lunch.  To my surprise, at noon on a Sunday, it was deserted.  So much for the lunch rush. I suspect the location has something to do with that.

Flight Deck.  Of course, nearly a walk on.  Of course, a great view and ride in the front seat.  Love the nearly inverted swoop to the left (following the first drop) and the near collision with the mysterious wooden structure back there.  I do wish they would paint the track red, as it once was.  Use the same paint as Firehawk, I don't mind.  The current colors are just so...bland.  

Adventure Express.  Line was actually almost to the entrance sign, but took around 20 minutes.  Always a bit jerky, but otherwise a perfect family coaster.  Lives up to its name.  I can get over the non-moving spears, but I really miss the fog effects.  Every coaster can use some fog, and the first leg of AE into the spooky foggy mist was fun.  Come to think of it, I remember Flight Deck/Top Gun had fog too, in the station.  Oh well, they must be saving all the fog for the Haunt.

Now it was time for the low point of the day, Ed Alonzo's Psycho Circus of Magic and Mayhem.  With a name like that, I should have known what I was getting into.  I'll summarize: deafening heavy metal music, too much potty humor, and the dancers were, in my opinion, too often and too suggestive for a family show.  We were in the second row, so everything was magnified.  Maybe I'm too old fashioned, but I hated it.  I saw no humor in the "Anna-Rexia" bit.  The actual magic was fun though.  Everyone else in the crowd seemed to love the show.  Not me.

Racer. My first real coaster (in 1982) and my sentimental KI favorite. It feels overbraked and incomplete without its last dip (removed in '96?).  But I still love the simple layout and the feeling of rushing out to the end of the park and back.  I also like how the first drop leads to a pair of "bunny" hills, as opposed to most coasters which go immediately into a large second hill or loop.  Love the opened up station, and the always short line.  Don't love the plywood walls on the brake run and the long wait on that brake run.  But anytime they make an effort to race the trains, like they did today, I'm happy.

Next came the second low point of the day: Vortex ride number 2.  Front seat again.  Long story short, great ride but when we hit the brakes I was sure was about to perform a protein spill in front of the whole train and all the folks in line. Earlier it day my son asked "what happens if somebody...".  I told him about the hoses and the wind powered dryers.  Ironically he was about to see firsthand.    We could not get back to the station fast enough.  I nearly ran over my son and found the trash can near the Fastline entrance.  Thankfully, I didn't have to use it.  My son asked, "do you have that feeling too, dad?". I used to marathon Vortex when it was a teen, and I'd never gotten nauseous on a coaster before.  Getting older stinketh.  

Now it was time for a needed break.  I hadn't planned on doing the Dino walk, but a quiet shady walk away from the masses sounded great.  The ticket kiosks were a challenge because I literally could not read them.  Too much sun.  After much squinting and body blocking the sun, our tickets popped out.  I feel bad for the lady taking the tickets.  I asked her if the clatter of The Racer tearing by every other minute got old.  Her voice said "oh, yes", her eyes said "kill me now".  I don't blame her.  Anyway, I liked the walk.  It was much bigger than I'd expected.  My only critiques: the format of the signs got very repetitive, and I'm not sure that millions of years ago every Dinosaur really sounded like Godzilla.  Then again, who's to say they didn't?   The price was right, and the lack of crowds back there was even better.  I think we saw 2 families the entire time.  We followed up with the 3d movie, which was fun and had great sound and picture quality.  Sadly, I was overstimulated and still woozy, so it was time to exit KI for awhile.  My son did not object.  All we really wanted to still do were night rides.

We hit the road and ended up at Firehouse subs on Fields Ertel.  The food was good, the tv showing the Reds beat up on the Rockies was even better. 

Around 7:30 we returned to KI.  Another fabulous ride on Diamondback (25 minute wait), and a spin on the Flying Ace Ariel Chase (30 minute wait).  One of the ride ops there was asking KI trivia questions over the PA.  He claims the longest ride timewise at KI is Boo Blasters.  I say the train.  Lemme get my stopwatch, buddy.

Around 8:50 we arrived at Firehawk.  My son desperately wanted another "flight".  The posted wait time was 60 minutes.  The attendant advised that it would indeed be an hour, and we resigned that we would not likely get our coveted night ride on Diamondback.  But sometimes you get lucky, and at 9:40 we were off and speed walking to our favorite coaster across the park.  Half an hour later, we boarded the second last train of the night.  We love Diamondback, and it was even better flying over those hills with only the moonlight to show the way.  The rush and the cold air were fantastic.  

With that, our day of awesomeness came to an end.  We were exhausted but happy.

A few notes: 

I really miss the music they played when I was a kid.  I still remember classical music on International Street, banjo music in Rivertown, etc.  It made KI feel like another world instead of just a big park 20 minutes from my house.  The constant pop music piped everywhere, all day long, has no such magic and got really old.,

Maybe I'm old fashioned, but what is with the abundance of ugly t shirts?  I'm talking about downright crude words and images.  I love the liberty to wear what you want, but I also love the idea of wearing something tasteful to a family place.  Lets try to elevate each other, not add ugliness.  Ok, rant over.

We did not bite on Fastlane (not needed today) but many did.  An interesting idea, but I hope they don't forget about trying to keep the lines moving for everyone else.  I like going to Disney and studying how little things make a big difference: for example the loading setup on The Alladin carpets: multiple gates instead of one.  

Thanks for reading.  I can't overstate how great it was to spend the day with my son, at the amusement park I grew up in.  Well, it isn't exactly the same park, but it's close enough, and we made some great memories.  

[TheCrypt]

These are memories that you will cherish forever. When you look back, you'll always remember them fondly. Thank you for sharing your day with us, and I'm glad you had a great day at the park (and multiple fang-tastic rides on Diamondback )!

[ohiocolts]

Excellent trip report! Glad you were able to have a fun day!

[Colonel_SoB_fan]

Very great trip report. Your trip report is the first trip report that kept me interested through out the entire story.

I also feel the same way about WindSeeker. I can ride Drop Tower all day without ever holding on to the restraints, but WindSeeker has me putting a death grip on the restraints.

[jdawg1998]

(No offense to everyone else's trip reports) This is the first time I actually read a trip report this long!

Great trip report!

[Original]

Kings Island

Sunday, July 29, 2012

Now it was time for the low point of the day, Ed Alonzo's Psycho Circus of Magic and Mayhem. With a name like that, I should have known what I was getting into. I'll summarize: deafening heavy metal music, too much potty humor, and the dancers were, in my opinion, too often and too suggestive for a family show. We were in the second row, so everything was magnified. Maybe I'm too old fashioned, but I hated it. I saw no humor in the "Anna-Rexia" bit. The actual magic was fun though. Everyone else in the crowd seemed to love the show. Not me.

Same here. I liked the disappearing acts/ other magic. But it just was not very appropriate for my little brother (7).

[TheBEASTunchained]

Kings Island

Sunday, July 29, 2012

Now it was time for the low point of the day, Ed Alonzo's Psycho Circus of Magic and Mayhem. With a name like that, I should have known what I was getting into. I'll summarize: deafening heavy metal music, too much potty humor, and the dancers were, in my opinion, too often and too suggestive for a family show. We were in the second row, so everything was magnified. Maybe I'm too old fashioned, but I hated it. I saw no humor in the "Anna-Rexia" bit. The actual magic was fun though. Everyone else in the crowd seemed to love the show. Not me.

Same here. I liked the disappearing acts/ other magic. But it just was not very appropriate for my little brother (7).

They should start putting signs outside the show or telling people about how appropriate it is for children before they go in.

[jdawg1998]

There are. It says something about loud noises and suggestive humor.

[Colonel_SoB_fan]

I do not find it that inappropriate. The "Anna-rexia" joke is the worst part of it.

[jdawg1998]

Edit: I got rid of this post right after I posted it; I just felt like writing out my feelings.

And I don't want to start an argument.

[TheCrypt]

I haven't seen the magic show, but this is directed towards everyone who says it's inappropro:

Have you filed your complaints with Guest Services? Battling it out online where one would hope that it is seen by Don gets your complaint nowhere. If you have such a problem with the show, talk to Ed, talk to GS, talk with Don, talk to someone of authority! If you don't, everyone will assume that you love the show and nothing will be changed. To the people with kids, do you believe in the old rule that states "If a woman is wearing anything above the knee-line, it is considered inappropriate."? To me, it appears as such.

How much leg is exposed? If it's a hair shorter than you-know-where, then that should be changed. If it's mid thigh, it's fine.

[Buckeye Brad]

@theCrypt

Good point. I did debate about talking with guest relations. I may take your advice and send them a message. To be fair, I did see the "warning" signs on the way out. But the sum total just seemed out of character from every show I've seen at KI. Maybe I'm just a square.

Whether something is "appropriate" depends on so many factors, including my fickle mood at the time. ;^)

Actually, my comment had more to do with the choreography and less to do with the hemlines.

At the very least, the music could have been turned down.

@ Colonel_SOB_fan

Funny that you have no issues with Drop Tower either. My feelings exactly! I think the big differences are that on Drop Tower we:

1. Are attached to a rigid structure, not a freely swaying arm

2. Cannot see the tower. Watching the WindSeeker tower swirl and swirl made me dizzy.

I still loved the ride, and I think it did exactly what it was designed to do: be mildy insanely thrilling. ;^)

[Hank]

Read your trip report. It's a good thing you can't see my green face! Fabulous day - one for the record books!

[The Interpreter]

What an incredibly well written, great trip report. Your son will always remember Sunday. Thanks so very much for sharing your day with us!

[Titan]

Very nice trip report! Some of my best memories at the park were with my family. I wish I could get my parents to go again, but my dad just had hip surgery so it may be a while. But thanks for posting!

[TheBEASTunchained]

I just said the above post because everyone else was talking about how bad it was for children. I haven't been to Ed's show yet and I don't really know what its like.

[Original]

Its a fun show. But I wouldn't recommend it for youngsters. Personally I wouldn't go back to it. It made me feel... "dirty".

[jdawg1998]

Its a fun show. But I wouldn't recommend it for youngsters. Personally I wouldn't go back to it. It made me feel... "dirty".

What? Dirty?

Sorry, I won't start again.

[jcgoble3]

Great, nay, awesome report! Those are memories that will last a lifetime. Here's to many more days like that!

[KI-ORIG-EMP]

So you take offense to the show with the kids present but you have no complaints about the dress of the ladies over at Soak City, where kids can see the scantly clad women.

[The Interpreter]

People have a right to feel the way they do and make their own choices based on those feelings. If something makes a person feel "dirty," they have a right to those feelings, and don't owe anyone an explanation. It's an amusement park. One is either amused or not.

[Tanna]

That is going to be a day talked about for a long time. There's nothing like riding with your dad.

My mother was the hoser downer on the Viking Fury one year. Glad that didn't happen on The Vortex.

[standbyme]

It sounds like you had a VERY special day with your son...I am sure it was a day neither of you will ever forget!

[KIfan1980]

Loved reading your TR - brought back special memories of days with my boys. Thanks.