When you purchased Kings Island Christmas tree ornaments from the online store late last December, but the gift shop was closed so they didn't ship until early January.  So THIS is the year you get to break them out!

Hopefully not break them out.

Our cat was a specialist at that, as I was as a wee child.

LOL! My mom would overload the Christmas tree with tinsel. I mean, it was on sale for ten cents a box, so by golly she was going to use it all! So, with our chrome "Cousin Itt" dangling literally thousands of invitations for a cat attack, ours, too, was a tree that seldom stayed in the ideal, upright position!

When you actually spend time on KIC because it is your link to all things amusement park related.

I have noticed that I do spend a significantly more time here in the offseason...

In The Loop is a good way to see a good chunk of amuesement park news if you spend a fair amount of time on Youtube also during the off season.

You start putting up the trees, all 5 of them.

When you have to start yelling at people to wait until Thanksgiving is over with before putting up Christmas trees.

When OSU's Theme Park Engineering Group is planning an off-season construction tour of Valravn. 

When it's the perfect day weather-wise (like this past week) to go to Kings Island, and you have to remind yourself that the park's closed.

 

Also when your ride counts don't change for months instead of days...obviously

When you have dreams of going to KI with friends and family. Every night. 

When you start seeing IAAPA ads online! It's almost that time, folks!

When you rode Diamondback on Sunday but you still want more rides on it

When you start to dream about the park. Seriously. Last night, I dreamed I was at the park for what was possibly a preview day-thing. None of the rides were open, but I started in the kids area (don't remember what the theming was) and walked to the front gate and somehow there were elevators right next to the entrance, which I presumed (in the dream) is where the Eiffel Tower was. I then walked towards what is now Action Zone and saw Drop Tower and The Bat off in the distance. I then made a left and went inside the new Congo Grille eatery, which was next to Congo Falls. I didn't try any of the food, but you could order at a semi-circular bar counter and there were some kids "rides" (like in the sense of a motorized rocking horse ride you'd see at the outside of a store- there was a car thing that spun around) in the corner opposite the bar counter. I think there were also at least one TV screen. Overall, I noticed there were a considerable amount of people in the park, even though nothing was open.

When you get off-season blues.

When you are sitting in Skyline, reading the forums. Then, the same music from Kings Island comes on and you realize just how much you miss KI.

Can we have a moment of silence. It has been confirmed that the north toll booth is no longer...

Sent from a signal coming out of the Vega system.

Free Parking For Winterfest!

Oh, wait....

isn't that a pic of the south toll booth? Has it been torn down yet as well?

Nope, that's the north tolls. The tall Kings Island sign (the one visible from I-71) in the background would not be visible from that angle from the south tolls.

When you start planning trips for next year to Cedar Point, Magic Mountain, and possibly Great Adventure.

When you go to the guest pick-up and drop-off at the front of the parking lot, only to discover orange-and-white barrels, piles of bulldozer-moved earth and rubble and realize that a place that you've gone to, across the 43 years of your 46 that you can remember. and you shed a tear, remembering all the times - many, many, many times you went there, just to watch fireworks, or meet friends, or get dropped off/picked up, can only exist in your memory now. It's a small thing, but it's a small thing packed with precious memories, conversations, anticipations, entire pivotal moments; it's beyond words.

And the 'luxury apartments' across the street? Did you resort to looking inn over there?

When its 3:00 on a Saturday, and the parking lot is vacant.

And the 'luxury apartments' across the street? Did you resort to looking inn over there?

I did. It was mostly intact, albeit chained-in and starting to become overgrown. I have a feeling that the property will become a learning and cultural center, perhaps another Crossroads, or an expansion of the ICGC or Temlpe of Sri Baba, and not residential housing as has been discussed.

Or a park and ride..lol

Sent from a signal coming out of the Vega system.

Or, heaven forfend, a pirate parking lot for a nearby amusement park.

See Six Flags Over Georgia.

When you see a billboard for Gulf Oil saying "The Legend Is Back" and realize that Holiwood Nights is still 6 1/2 months away

 

(For those wondering about the billboard, see http://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/local/milford/2015/03/12/lykins-bringing-back-gulf-oil/70227174/ for more).

Geez... I can't believe it's been over a year since I became an enthusiast. I remember my first night ride on The Beast so vividly, me being terrified to go on Diamondback and feeling like I was on top of the world when we hit the brake run. That was last October... And with that, my first full season as an enthusiast has practically come to an end. Two more days left on my part, but offseason is still here because the park that is dearest to my heart is closed for the winter. See you next spring KI.

You know it's the off season when... You see "lots" of construction.

*Don't mind the half cars

Sent from a signal coming out of the Vega system.

Bringing new meaning to the UK term "car park."

I know there are golf courses nearby but come on!