Our first trip together 6/25 & 6/26

[harmony29]

Had a really great time for our first trip together as a couple. Jeremy had never been to an amusement park and I was so excited to see his reactions, I was not disappointed. We got a later start than we wanted as I was waiting for my check to hit my account, normally it hits early morning but it didn't until after 6am of course! We had to stop at Walmart for a few items and we left Frankfort KY around 7:15am. We had a pretty smooth ride until about 5 miles before KI where there was some pretty heavy traffic. We made it to the parking lot around 9:45am and had to go get our platinum passes processed. Thank you to those who suggested having your confirmation number ready, it made the process so smooth and we got into the park right about 10am. Because I have a hip problem, there are times I cannot walk a lot so we decided to get a locker even though it was $13, just was easier for me not having to go to the car multiple times. We also purchased the all season dining, which I was really on the fence about, but after having been at the park, I'm so glad we did. As everyone else had said, the food prices are pretty high. For us getting the dining pass was perfect as we plan on taking multiple trips before the end of the season. The one thing I may do next year if they offer it is just get on dining pass, we had enough food to share between the two of us and Jeremy is a big guy.

Our first stop was to Banshee, I was prepared to see a really long line, but to my surprise it was maybe a 10 minute wait. I loved the themeing in the line and especially the SOB eternal flame. This was Jeremy's very first roller coaster ever, I don't think he ever realized exactly how big these rides were, but he was really pumped to get on them. We waited for front row and I'm very glad we did, as almost everyone else has said, this is an awesome coaster, We did give in and buy a photo since it was our first trip together and his first on a coaster, it came out to $15 and some change with our pass discount. Our plan was then to hit The Bat, Flight of Fear and Firehawk, but we didn't stick to that plan. Flight of Fear was still closed, so that was out. We did hit The Bat with about a 5 minute wait. We again waited for the front row, I was a little disappointed in this ride, I had rode this when it was Top Gun but that was so long ago I really didn't remember it. I figured it would be my favorite as I really like Iron Dragon at Cedar Point, but I found it to be rough and my head got knocked around a lot, it wasn't something I wanted to do again. With all the excitement of getting to the park, we forgot to put sunblock on so we headed back to our locker. On our way back to Firehawk we decided to hit Drop Tower. The line was a little longer and it took about 20 minutes to get to the front. Of course right before we got on I started not feeling well, I think it was the sun and heat, I'm not really used to it, I was in a really bad car accident 5 years ago and it has taken a lot out of me, so I really felt it quickly. This was when I knew we would not be able to get on ride after ride without a break as I had done in the past. I did decide to get on Drop Tower and was pretty nervous cause of how I was feeling. I loved the view going up and am grateful for the suggestion of getting a cord for my glasses, that saved me on this trip! The wait at the top seemed like forever to drop but wow when it did, it took my breath away! I have gone on Power Tower at Cedar Point and Dr. Doom's Fearfall at Islands of Adventure but those were tame compared to this. Jeremy was ready for a drink so instead of heading towards the back we went to Festhaus. It was pretty empty and we saw no one at the beer counters. We asked at LaRosa's and they acted like they didn't know what we were talking about, I was not very impressed, as they finally said they didn't have anyone to open it, so I decided to get my souvenir cup filled. I showed the receipt and it was like I was bothering the guy, I told him three times I wanted diet Coke and he kept saying huh. This was one of the very few times the customer service was lacking in the park. So we decided to get something to eat and after hearing about Hank's and how good it was supposed to be I decided to get my first meal there but the door was locked. I know someone mentioned that the stands outside of International Plaza don't open until an hour after the park is open but this was 11:30a, getting around lunchtime so I would have thought everything would be open by then. They did open at around noon and I got my taco salad and chips and salsa, the BEST food in the park that's on the dining plan and it was huge. Jeremy finally did get a beer behind Hank's at the Bier Garten and we enjoyed just sitting there relaxing and people watching for a while. Next we were off to ride Firehawk and the line didn't look all that bad, the sign said a 1/2 hour wait. I should have known when I saw only one train running that it was going to be longer than that, it seemed like we never moved but were pretty much stuck in the line, we waited about an hour and 20 minutes. I really wish I would have remembered how much I hated this coaster when it was at Geauga Lake, would have saved myself a lot of waiting. We were not given the option for front row, so we ended up in the second car, not that I think it really mattered. I felt like I was thrown around everywhere and it really was hard on my body, Jeremy didn't like it either so we never went back to it. We walked around a little more but I was pretty shaken from Firehawk so we didn't do another ride for a while. I needed to cool down as my face had turned bright red after that ride, so we walked around the arcade in the coney mall area. Jeremy wanted to ride the monster, so I let him do that alone. I was thirsty so we got a cherry icee and headed towards Planet Snoopy. I wanted to do Boo Blasters, as I remember as a kid when they had the scooby do ride, It was not a long wait, maybe 10 minutes. I liked that it was cool in there and we could sit for a little while, I beat the pants off Jeremy and said we need to do this again! By this time I was finally feeling a little better so we headed towards Diamondback. The wait was posted as 45 minutes and I could have kicked myself that we didn't hit it earlier in the day. Jeremy suggested we spin the wheel to see if we could get front of the line passes, on my first spin I got it! The second spin we got a coupon for the boutique at Planet Snoopy. We had a lot of luck while at the park, I won at the age game, she guessed 31 and I'm 44, Jeremy won also, they guessed 31 and he's 37, so the luck continued at the wheel. We got right on Diamondback, wanted front row but we ended up with the two seats that are on the sides in the front between middle seats that are closer together, but it was an awesome ride. This coaster is right up there with Millennium Force in my opinion. We headed back to Boo Blasters for another go round and I again beat Jeremy! I was getting pretty tired by this time and we started to make our way towards the front to get dinner. We again tried the guessing age game and won myself a raccoon tail, just what I needed! We stopped at LaRosa's in the International Plaza to get our second meal of the day, this is where we had our other encounter with a not very nice employee. I wanted the Italian sandwich and it was like I was bothering them to ask for it as there were none out in the case. I also wanted a refill on my soda cup and again it was like I was bothering them. Jeremy ordered the pizza and breadsticks and we went and sat by the fountains to have our dinner which was really nice. I took one sip of my soda and about gagged, I didn't know what was wrong but it definitely wasn't right so Jeremy took it back to see if we could get something else. When he came back he said that there was no carbonation in the orange, well that's really stupid when the other stands in the park have it for the Fanta orange, made no sense to me. Once we were done with dinner we decided to hop on the train and take a ride. It was really nice as it wasn't crowded and it was just starting to get dusk, we didn't get off until it came back to Rivertown, it was nice just to relax. We were still pretty warm so we hopped over to Red's bar for a drink and to cool off in the A/C for a while. I loved this place, the food smelled amazing and I wish I would have tried something but I was still stuffed from my sandwich. We made out well here though as there was a special on draft beer so we saved a little money. After that we headed over to WindSeeker, I was really apprehensive about this ride as I just can't seem to do anything that spins, it was not even a 5 minute wait and we were on. I loved the view from the top but the spinning did get to me a little, but not too bad. We then headed over to Backlot Stunt Coaster, I really loved the theme of this ride, probably because I loved the movie The Italian Job. I figured this would be a cute little coaster to ride, I was really surprised when it took off, it was much more than I expected. I was disappointed to not see the special effects but was prepared for it after having read others reviews. We then headed over to ride the train, I loved seeing the old fort on the ride, I was even more thrilled to know that there is an old house inside there that is supposedly haunted and that Ghost Hunters have been there, now I need to see that episode, I'm really into the paranormal and used to be a tour guide for haunted ghost tours, so this was right up my alley! By this time it was starting to get dark and we wanted to get our last meal not to waste it (for lunch we only used one of the meals as it was so big, so that's why we still had one more to use). We walked over to Hank's and was surprised that at 9:15pm it was already closed as was the Bier Garten. It looked like all of the food stands were already closed which I guess I had just assumed if the park is open, they would be open too. So we decided to call it a day as we were both really tired and sore.

We stayed at the Red Roof Inn in Blue Ash for $59.95 for a superior king room, I have to say for this being a budget motel I was pleasantly surprised. The room was quite clean and newly remodeled. The only negative I would say was that the bed was really hard, but I can't complain for the price. We got up early on Thursday as I wanted to make sure we got to the park before it opened so we could take advantage of having the season passes. We had a quick breakfast across the street from the Red Roof at Bob Evans, I was in heaven as I have not been there since I left Michigan in January 2013.

We arrived to the park about 8:15am, which I soon found out was way too early lol. There were two cars already waiting so I just shut the car off and waited. The one plus to getting there that early is that we got a close parking spot which was nice later in the day. By the time they opened the gates at 9:30am the lines were pretty long to get in. This was the first day of the Spirit Music Festival and I figured the crowds would be heavier but I didn't really know what to expect. I have to say the one complaint I have with KI is that they need some more signs cause at times it can get confusing if you've not been to the park much. With my hip injury I really try to walk the shortest routes and save myself a little. We had walked a good distance once getting in when we got to a rope and they said we had to go the other way, why couldn't they have directed us at the front gate? So we finally made it back to Banshee and it was a walk on. We decided to just ride in the middle this time to see if there was a difference, I really didn't see much except that I like being in front better, seeing where I'm going. We both really wanted to get on Diamondback again so we headed over that way, although I knew we couldn't get all the way back there as it was not 10am yet. We waited with about maybe 40 others for the park to open. We got on within 5 minutes of the park opening and this time we had front row, I'm so glad we did, I loved it and sitting right next to Jeremy. After our ride I wanted to take a few pics in Planet Snoopy as I just think it's such a cute area, so we did that and then figured we were there we might as well ride Flying Ace Aerial Chase, Jeremy barely made the cut off for height that was posted but they never checked when we got up there. I figured this would be a cool little ride, NEVER again, it was so rough and just bounced my head around, neither of us liked it. We headed over to Surf's Up as we tried to ride it Wednesday but it was closed. I was pretty anxious to ride it as I saw the one that opened at Cedar Point, Pipe Scream. OMG I could not get off this ride fast enough, it seemed to last forever, I liked the up and down motion but the spinning really got me. It was at this point I knew I probably would not be able to ride Delerium since I got such a sick feeling on this one. We again did Boo Blasters and finally Jeremy beat me! It was extremely hot and seemed more humid than Wednesday and it was really tough walking around. I tried to stay in the shade as much as possible as I'm pretty sensitive to the sun. We were a little hungry so we headed to Hank's, they again weren't open yet but it was only a matter of minutes. We again just shared a taco salad with the chips and salsa and sat at the Bier Garten patio. I love people watching so we did sit there for a while. We didn't have a plan on what to do next so we headed towards the back and got some pictures of Vortex, Jeremy wanted to try it but I told him it was a pretty rough coaster and he would have to do that one alone, he opted not to do it. We wanted to see Soak City so we took the train over there and walked around for a while. The heat of the day was getting pretty bad and the crowds were really heavy when we came back from Soak City. We both agreed next time we would bring swimsuits so we could enjoy Soak City. I was bummed as Johnsonville had tweeted that the big grill was going to be there Thursday - Saturday and I really wanted to see it, my dad was a meat cutter for 45 years so he got me really into meat! We could not find it and asked around but everyone said it would only be there Friday and Saturday, oh well that's ok. We headed back to the park and wow the crowds were getting really heavy. We tried to get another ride on Diamondback but it was packed so we headed towards The Beast. I had never ridden this coaster and was a little intimidated as I knew it was long and pretty rough and with not being able to see much of the ride I had no idea what to expect. I have to say I was pleasantly surprised, we opted for a row more middle to the back of the train hoping that would help with the roughness I really liked this coaster, it was not nearly as rough as I had expected, the only part that got me was when it slowed down on the second big hill, once it came down and went into the left turn it whipped me pretty good and I felt my back crack, but still nothing like I thought it would be. I snapped a couple pics from the loading station and was waiting for the next train to take a pic of it on the tracks. It was just ready to take off when they made everyone get out and back on the loading platform, someone had gotten sick on our train in the front car, oops! We walked around Rivertown a bit and headed towards Coney Mall to check out Racer, but we never did get on it, the line was awful. We instead went to the Eiffel Tower and spent about 20 minutes up there enjoying the view and taking pictures, we got the best picture of us ever up there! We then headed towards Extreme Sky Flyer and I let Jeremy take a stab at it. I honestly don't know how he did it, I would be terrified but I got it on video which was pretty cool. Since we were right at Banshee we decided to ride again. I was prepared for a long wait but it was maybe a 15 minute wait, not bad at all! We again did the front row, I think that's the only row for me on this ride! I wanted to do Diamondback again so we again headed that way. The wait was posted as 45 minutes, so we decided to try our luck again on the wheel, first spin and I won front of the line. Took my second spin and I got it again! I wanted to do Banshee again but I was getting pretty tired and sore and didn't think I could make it back there again. There was a group of four teens standing there and I asked them would they like my other front of the line pass, it was the best thing I did, they were so appreciative and couldn't say thank you enough, it was so sweet. We got right on and had the front row again, another awesome ride. We decided after this that it was time for us to head home, as we were both tired and had puppies waiting at home for us. We stopped at LaRosa's and got pizza and a sandwich to take home and left the park about 8:30pm.

For being my first trip to Kings Island in 20 years, this was an awesome trip! I really enjoyed seeing Jeremy experience everything for the first time and I loved riding the coasters with him. I felt the park was really clean and a huge difference since when Paramount owned it. For the most part all the employees were very kind and helpful except for the couple isolated incidents. There was one that really stood out though, Leah, at the Bier Garten was so nice and friendly, going above and beyond, she even remembered us from Wednesday. I had hoped to check out Cirque Imagine but we never got there. The only show we saw was part of The Boys Are Back. I give people a lot of credit for being able to get up there and perform in a packed house with lots of noise, but this show was just not very good. They were lip synching and it was really obvious, I even heard other people complaining about it. We had been there when it had started pouring rain on Wednesday, which everyone else had the same idea. I am really glad we had changed our dates, just seeing the crowds Thursday compared to Wednesday, it was huge. I know we didn't ride nearly the rides that a lot of people do but for us we had a great time. We know we are going back after our wedding so we have time to experience the ones we didn't get to on this trip. I have to say I am really glad I live close to KI now and can go more than once a year!

[jcgoble3]

Glad you had fun despite the crowds!

Regarding the Fanta, the only places in the park that you can get carbonated Fanta are the Coke Freestyle machines. All regular fountains that have Fanta serve it without carbonation, and it's been that way for years.

As for food locations being closed, I was told by Guest Services earlier this season that most food locations outside of International Street open one hour after the park and close one hour before the park.

[ThatGuy11]

Good, long, and very descriptive trip report! It sounds like you had lots of fun!

But may I ask why you chose to use Comic Sans MS as your font?

[Magenta Lizard]

It's odd that The Boys Are Back performers were lip syncing when you saw it. When I watched it, it was painfully obvious they weren't lip syncing. I could tell they individually were good singers by their solos, but when they sang together it was discordant. It sort of defeats the purpose of a "boy band" which typically refers to a often-manufactured (by a producer, rather than fate) group of singers brought together specifically because they sound harmonious together. I felt bad about it, but I only made it about five minutes into the show, and considering how hot it was that day, it took a lot to get me to leave the A/C. I think lip syncing to an actual harmonious track during the non-solos would be a great improvement to that show, if the performers are unable to learn harmony otherwise.

[BB1]

Woah Woah Woah, maybe it's just my resilience to rugged coasters but front seat on TB rough? Back, sure it could be argued, but I could marathon that like no tomorrow in the front seat.

[harmony29]

Thanks for the replies! I had no idea about the Fanta Orange, but I can tell you that the Bier Garten did have carbonation so I had no clue not everywhere had it. I just had diet Coke the rest of the times I was thirsty, it's just an odd taste without carbonation. We did have a really great time and I guess I am getting old since some of the rides affected me where it doesn't you guys but I like to relay my experiences for others cause there could be someone else out there that has the same issues. Having this hip injury has really put a damper on my roller coaster riding unfortunately. BB1, not sure which ride you are talking about front seat on TB. As for the font, are we not allowed to change it? I apologize it's just my favorite font.

[malem]

As for the font, are we not allowed to change it? I apologize it's just my favorite font.

This forum allows users to pick a font.

It's just that Comic Sans is a remarkably bad font (for most purposes) that's difficult for many to read, especially on mobile. See http://www.comicsanscriminal.com

[harmony29]

I'm so sorry, I'm going to change it right now, see old eyes like mine it's easier! lol

[BB1]

TB=The Bat

[harmony29]

Sorry, not sure why I didn't get that! Yeah I really did think The Bat was rough, Jeremy said the same thing but since he didn't have much experience he may not know any better. I did hear a few others saying the same thing though. It truly could be that I'm just more sensitive due to my car accident and the injury that resulted from it. Next time I'm at KI I will go on The Bat again and give it another try.

[Magenta Lizard]

The Bat is definitely more intense than Iron Dragon, too. They seem pretty similar, but if you have ridden Iron Dragon often, The Bat will come as a bit of a surprise. Sharp transitions vs a mostly gentle soaring flight.

Even though I rode both often in the past, having ridden Iron Dragon more often in recent years, it was a bit of a surprise for me when I rode The Bat again this year. It's surprising how intense it is for not being very tall.