My Observations From OPENING DAY.

[stashua123]

So while i was there i got to see a lot of stuff.

-The parking ticket booth jam was a lot longer than i expected.

-When i first got there the entry line was non existent but afterwords it got very long.

-It looked like Customer Services was completely overloaded.

-Adventure Express's Themeing was working a little better than last year(Green Lights at night on the beginning portion)

-Action Zone felt very actionless

-The construction signs are extremely nerve racking!

-Flight Deck was closed earlier in the day

-The lines where extremely long!(I think DB's line earlier in the day was about 3 hours)

-Adventure Express' Sign was repainted but i didn't see the idol in the middle of it.

-Adventure Express was a lot smoother this year.

-Flight Decks seat belts where removed I also heard from an employee that BLSC's seat belts where removed(Can anyone confirm this?)

-Flight Deck was a lot faster and a little nauseating this year Also its Soundtrack was working and its props where back up and even better!

-Diamondback felt faster this year.

-Diamondbacks line was so long i had to sit on the bottom of the handrail cause my feet and legs where really tired.

-Diamondbacks had eject airtime over every hill!

-Vortex's lift hill felt a lot louder and clankier this year(I did ride it one hour before it got stuck)

-It was so loud it vibrated the train!

-Vortex's transitions felt a lot smoother

-I saw some blue and orange paint bottles on the ground near the station

The Beast felt alot faster this season(Like 5-10 mph faster)

The Beast actually had a little airtime this season!

-The Trims brakes where all off except for the brake shed brake but even that was a lot less than last year

-The Beasts helix was absolutely amazing a little jerkier but still amazing!

-The Racer was A LOT smoother this season and even a little faster1

-The Racer developed a jiggle on the train this season.

-Airtime Heaven Also its track work has been painted white and its track was painted black for some reason

-Woodstock Express had some airtime

-The midcourse trim brake was off.

-Delirium's cycle was alot shorter this year

-Delirium was alot itense and faster this season

-Most of the flat rides had long lines

-Souvenir Cups are a GREAT value

So those are my observations from opening day

-Joshua

[Original]

I agree The Beast did seem a lot faster.

[jdawg1998]

Yes, Backlot Stunt Coaster had no seat belts. Didn't really make too much of a difference.

I'm pretty sure Adventure Express got a new logo all together. I'm really ticked at myself for not taking a picture of it.

I also thought The Racer was very smooth. Didn't get rattled up like usual.

[IndyGuy4KI]

Nice list put together!

[RomanMaroney]

I got there about 5:15 or so. I had to get my season pass processed. The line was long but moved along well. I thought the workers did a great job of keeping it moving and were very friendly which can be a task after dealing with so many people all day. My gf and I bought Fast Pass Plus passes. I got in line for DB at 5:50 and was off the ride at 5:59. We walked right up and got on The Beast after that with practically no wait at all. The only wait we experienced was for FH which I was a little unsatisfied with because the is one of the rides we paid extra for. However, there was only 1 train running and still my wait was probably 20 min. We ended up riding DB 3x, Beast 2x, FH, FoF, Vortex, BLSC, Invertigo and Flight Deck. We knew it would be crowded and we thought the fast passes would be sold out so we were anticipating getting our passes made and maybe getting to ride DB and 1 or 2 other things. I don't necessarily agree with the idea of Fast Pass, but it made for a great experience with only 5 hours of time. We even stopped and ate in there.

I thought the first time I rode The Beast, it felt really smooth, and I really felt the braking hard in certain areas. The 2nd time it had been raining just a bit, and i didn't feel the braking so much making it feel much faster and a little less smooth. I thought Vortex felt really smooth and the rolls weren't so jerky. DB felt like DB though the last time I rode it when I was going up the 1st hill, my lap bar felt like it could go another notch so i clicked it down. Right before cresting the first hill, the lap bar clicked out and went to the looser notch. I'd be lying if I said that wasn't on my mind over the first 2 hills which added a little wonder/ worry.That bit of uncertainty added just a bit more exhilaration to the usual exhilaration of DB. Not sure why, but they stopped running DB right after that run. Not sure if it ran again the rest of the night. WindSeeker was down. They fixed the 2nd FH train and got it running while we were waiting. Other than that, it was great.

[TheCrypt]

On your Adventure Express note, the green lights in the jungle have been in place since last year.

Could you elaborate on Express and Flight Deck theming a little more?

[stashua123]

The Adventure Express them ring was like the year before except that the lights where working better. Flight deck had the jet added back with missiles too.

[XjoshhyX]

Was AE finally using the hydraulics for the spears in the tunnels? I feel like they worked for a short time last season then died off toward the end.

[Sonofbeast2.0]

FoF had no music or lights on in the actual ride part and still has seatbelt thing. Oh the wait sign for the ride was themed to the ride. I'm not sure if it was that way last year or not?

[dare-to-fly]

I just have to comment to this. Pretty much every opening day, some of the sections to the trims on The Beast are removed as the trains are still breaking in for the season. Trust me, they were not all off. Likely there was one missing from the second hill, two gone from the brake shed, and either one or two off the helix, with none gone from the first drop. That's the typical pattern, though it does change some...and it's certainly not new.

Also, the ones you claim are faster/smoother can probably be attributed to the recently re-coated wheels on the trains.

[XjoshhyX]

They should recoat the wheels constantly then!

[The Interpreter]

I rode Beast Saturday morning. Magnetic brakes are either present or they are not. As dare-to-fly said, sections can be removed.

There was noticeably less braking going into the helices. Otherwise, I saw little difference from past years. Rain does not appreciably affect magnetic braking stopping power.

The coaster itself was VERY smooth.

[Sonofbeast2.0]

Anyone in line for Fast Lane (at least what I seen) was ran before anyone in the normal line which made the wait MUCH worse on FoF and DB. (only two rides I got to ride). We were next to get assigned a row on DB and their was a steady stream of FL and everyone went before us which added right around 10 min more of waiting. it was probably 5 trains full of FL before we got a assigned row! I hope it doesn't stay this way all year!

We were just barely out of line queue for DB and waited 2 and 1/2 hrs!

On the flip side FL would of been worth it, opening day!

[The Interpreter]

Strange. There was a long line of Fast Lane people being held at Diamondback's entrance while the standby line was open. I saw this numerous times Saturday. I saw no one with a Disney Fast Pass being let on.

[DontWantToWait42mar0]

Fast Lane was worth it. I rode Diamondback so many times that I lost count. Who knows, I might be the all time leading rider for DB!!

[The Interpreter]

A gentleman is closing in on 8500.

[stashua123]

I know Gary Coleman because the friend i was with yesterday is dating the son of him! So i see him very often. So its awesome.

[The Interpreter]

He's also a very nice man. A minister, too.

[XjoshhyX]

Never met him, but heard so much good about the guy. Hopefully sometime this year I can have the honor of riding with him.

[Sonofbeast2.0]

Strange. There was a long line of Fast Lane people being held at Diamondback's entrance while the standby line was open. I saw this numerous times Saturday. I saw no one with a Disney Fast Pass being let on.

I came to KI at 4pm and FL was empty, their was a 5 min wait at most I seen for FL for both DB and FoF. they were getting run though the line constantly.

[The Interpreter]

They paid mightily for that privilege...

[Jr for Birdy]

I observed the first rider on The Beast must be pretty fast,he was by himself,front seat.I thought I was going to make the first train but ended up on the fourth.

[benred23]

The Adventure Express them ring was like the year before except that the lights where working better. Flight deck had the jet added back with missiles too.

When we rode Adventure Express, The Side access door going up the hill was wide open letting daylight in and the Majority of the Lights in the tunnel werent working...

[NoChickens]

The lack of the seat belt connection on FD did cause MrsNoCHickens some anxiety, and we both thought it felt faster. The Beast flowed better than it has in years with the lighter trim brakes, though my big belly is still sore from having the lap bar to tight, lol. We actually thought the #'s were down quite a bit for Fast Lane riders. We even discussed that maybe they had found the limit for cost vs. worth. The Vortex breakdown kept us out of line, instead we wandered off and road The Racer again, 15 mins from line entrance to off ride. And then to FD, walk on ride, and letting people stay on ride unless someone happened to be in that cars queue. AE was also a very short 30 min wait even though the queue was nearly out to the main pathway.

[lebeau]

Strange. There was a long line of Fast Lane people being held at Diamondback's entrance while the standby line was open. I saw this numerous times Saturday. I saw no one with a Disney Fast Pass being let on.

I had a pocket full of Fast Passes. Next time, maybe I'll try to use one. I wonder if a Star Tours FP will get me to the front of the line on FoF...

[lopan]

The Adventure Express them ring was like the year before except that the lights where working better. Flight deck had the jet added back with missiles too.

When we rode Adventure Express, The Side access door going up the hill was wide open letting daylight in and the Majority of the Lights in the tunnel werent working...

they have a bad habit of leaving that door open. quick someone ask Don to put a "for real, close this door at park opening" sign on it :-)

[dare-to-fly]

Reminds me of a few seasons ago when maintenance was constantly leaving the lights on in Beast's tunnels.

[The Interpreter]

Like they did opening day morning this year...

[Guest Department47]

-Adventure Express' Sign was repainted but i didn't see the idol in the middle of it.

The idol wasn't part of the sign before either.

Was AE finally using the hydraulics for the spears in the tunnels? I feel like they worked for a short time last season then died off toward the end.

Those things haven't worked in years. We're probably nearing a decade now.

[dare-to-fly]

Like they did opening day morning this year...

Some of them (I still can't remember for sure which ones - I'm thinking the helix) were finally put on a timer to keep that from happening. Okay...to shut people up. I've noticed that there are some mornings that they haven't timed out yet. lol I remember that being consistent with one of them during ERTs, but they were always off by about 10:30 or 11. Sigh...it has been too long to remember exactly.