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Worlds of Fun's Great American Train Robbery


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1. Worlds of Fun is wonderful and really, really underrated. So is Timber Wolf. This doesn't have anything to do with anything. I just had to put that out there.

2. So I went to Worlds of Fun last weekend. I'm currently kicking myself repeatedly. Why? Because I missed out on The Great American Train Robbery, which appears to be live entertainment that interacts with their train (which appears to be very similar to the KI & MVRR.) As tersely described on Worlds of Fun's website:

Back by popular demand, the Great American Train Robbery will delight guest of all ages on everyone's favorite ride, the Worlds of Fun Railroad. This season, get ready for a new twist during your ride as the steam engine named Eli roars around the bend. Just remember to keep your eyes open for any sneaky train robbers.

I know some of the members here have visited Worlds of Fun this year, so I'm curious: has anyone here ridden the Worlds of Fun Railroad this season and experienced the Great American Train Robbery? Any thoughts or comments on it?

As for the rest of us: does this give anyone else here hope that our train could again someday see live entertainment interact with it?

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Although I haven't been to World's of Fun this season, I know that things like this are what makes an already great amusement park train ride even better.

All one can do is hope that this is successful enough at WoF to make the decision easier to add this type of thing at KI once again.

Take notice to what is being done at some of the FUN parks lately......The revival of some of what used to be "key-features" of the whole park and whole family experience.

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"Just sayin'" should probably contain a period somewhere.

Don't start this game. It's no fun for anyone involved!

It might be worth nitpicking instead that our park is apparently an island of two or more kings where, logically, you'd imagine it belongs to a king, or even kings! Yet, it is neither King's Island nor Kings' Island (or is it Kings's Island?). Ah well. The mill of many kings seemed to disagree, which, somewhere down the line, influenced a dominion not belonging to any kings, but containing many? An odd dominion, that. Not worth getting into here.

Apostrophe problems happen to the best of us. For a time, Disneyland's Club Buzz Stage was advertised as Lightyear's Above the Rest!

[ir]regardless, the world's of fun if you ask me!

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We did not ride their train. The day we were there it was incredibly hot and we left midday for several hours and returned later in the day, so we missed a lot.

I loved the park though. I wish they would repave the walk ways and give it some TLC. I was not a fan of Timber Wolf. It gave me a very bad headache. I was told later in the day by Zach it was a smoother ride than earlier in the day, but did not want to chance feeling worse. I can say I have it ranked as my least favorite coaster ever.

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  • 1 month later...

Here's a video I found of the "show":

I'm very curious to know how this show affects dispatch times for their train. For the length of time the show takes, I'm doubting its compatibility with Kings Island's train. It seems like stopping one (or both) trains for 10 minutes would make the waits for the train on the weekend prohibitively significant, as each car usually gets pretty fully on Saturdays in the middle of the summer. Unless there was some way to seriously shorten the show so trains didn't have to stop--which seems problematic, too--it doesn't seem as possible for KI to receive this show as I'd originally hoped.

(Sorry if the train of thought in this post is scattered; I'm really tired.)

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I still enjoy the train, although part of it is nostalgia. I ride it at least every other visit to the park. As much as I walk at the park (got a Fitbit now, so I know I average ten miles during an eight hour or so visit) it is nice to sit for awhile but still have something interesting to look at.

I like to imagine all the little things they could do to make the train ride more exciting again. Heck, even the addition of Pikachu peeking out of the Mary Rose Inn early in the season was something. Just small touches can make all the difference. Last time I rode, the young woman on the mic was giving some different trivia than what I have been hearing most of the season, so that was refreshing. She got off at Soak City though and the young man who took over was back to the same patter.

My biggest gripe at the moment (about things that exist rather than things I wish existed) is the music on the way back from Soak City. I much prefer the songs used out of Rivertown, they go along with the old train better.

So, since I've never been to a KI fall event before (Haunt or earlier), do they actually do anything that interacts with the train at all? I was sort of hoping they did have something in store, I've noticed what looks like an extra platform next to a grassy area along the tracks, and thought it might be used in Haunt. It seems to me like the publicity they got from the Ghost Hunters episode made it natural for them to play off of it, more than a brief mention during the dry train patter.

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In previous years, the train becomes part of the Tombstone Terror-tory outdoor haunt at nightfall. The train stops at the isolated platform you pass on the way to Soak City, and everyone gets off there and goes through the trail, which utilizes White Water Canyon's exit. There is no round trip while that haunt is open; you must get off and go through the trail.

During the day, it's your standard train ride, acting as transportation between Rivertown and Soak City (where the kid-friendly Halloween activities have been recently).

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In previous years, the train becomes part of the Tombstone Terror-tory outdoor haunt at nightfall. The train stops at the isolated platform you pass on the way to Soak City, and everyone gets off there and goes through the trail, which utilizes White Water Canyon's exit. There is no round trip while that haunt is open; you must get off and go through the trail.

During the day, it's your standard train ride, acting as transportation between Rivertown and Soak City (where the kid-friendly Halloween activities have been recently).

Having to have its reputation tarnished by being involved with Tombstone Terror-Tory is a very unfortunate disservice that has been done to our lovely train. Normally I have no real qualms with the mazes. They're not my cup of tea, but people like them, so live and let live. Tombstone Terror-Tory robs me of two of my favorite rides in the park and in exchange we get one of the sorriest attempts at a "maze" I've ever seen.

A linear path with fog so thick you can't see two inches in front of your face isn't even remotely a maze. The only thing it is, is annoying.

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I'm glad you said that.

Given my deserved reputation as no fan of Boo Fests*, I didn't want to be the one who did.

I totally agree.

(*Particularly since 11 September 2001...there''s enough fright from unexpected events in life...the strangest\saddest\oddest weekend of my park life was spent the following weekend at Six Flags Great Adventure in New Jersey, where several close friends\employees had lost family members but bravely were trying to soldier on...I had considered passing...I'm glad I didn't. The black bunting which had been planned to be used for Fright Fest was quickly largely replaced by American flags....)

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I will sat this terp, as an almost 30 year younger person. I enjoy the haunt, because it is frightening but its a different type of fright. I have almost always known the fear of being around me. I was 13? when 9/11 happened. I have lived more under the Global Terrorism Threat than without it.

Being a father: I have so many worries that involve my son: choking, broken bones, being stolen, SIDS, head trauma, etc

Being a homeowner: fire, water damage, tornado, breaking and entering, etc

Not to mention the fear for my self or family members in my life.

I enjoy being scared or having a "jumping" moment because at the end of the day. I can leave that behind. Laugh about it over Skyline or talk about it for years to come "Remember when you were scared by..."

The real world stuff you cant leave behind.

But I agree that I dont like Haunt taking over parts of other rides though.

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We are all different people.

I'm also the type that, when engrossed in deep thought in my cube, a mere spoken word can make me jump nearly through my skin. I was the same way at 2, 22 and 42.

Thanks, but no thanks.

I've been known to go to Williamsburg's Boo Fest wearing a suit and tie. That made me quite scare-immune.

Hmmmm.

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