Kings Island 2016 Discussion Thread

[Creed Bratton]

That's so funny...lol.  Clearly the basketball games are raking in the money.  They don't bother me?  I feel like they should reading all the posts about basketballs on this forum, but all my times in the park...they don't bother me.  What am I missing?

 

They are a pain. I constantly have to move out of the way of a rolling basketball because someone can't handle it.....as upstop mentioned, they get passed on the midway without regard to anyone else around.  

Working at the park and in rides, they were always a pain because someone would always complain their ball got stolen out of the bins....people would bounce them in the station adding to the already loud platform making it hard to hear for operations. If a ball gets loose and lands on a coaster track that's an issue (when I worked at the park) the ride had to be shut down to retrieve said ball. 

They just screw with things. But mostly they are obnoxious.

 

Concerning basketballs.... I've had trays of food knocked out my hand during a full court press on the midway before. I've also been wacked in the back of the head while someone was passing their ball across the midway. I've been pushed, shoved, tripped and nearly knocked down while finding myself in the middle of the "court". ... And more.

Also, there is nothing anywhere stating the smoking area is moving... What if it's not moving?.... Just food for thought

If you look at the pictures of the new stand being built, it's built right over the old smoking area. If it's not moving, I'd like my funnel cake without a side of smoke. I'm sure it is being moved because of state law (having to be a certain amount of feet away from a building entrance).

[SOBwasaSOB]

Hey what's the weather like up there calakapepe? For some reason I can't quote; but I was and still am constantly told by my family how horrible smoking is. It turns out, however, that I enjoy it. I enjoy the social bond you instantly have over cigarettes with strangers (this has sparked amazing conversations), I love an after meal cig, and boy do they go great with that other nasty habit...alcohol! I completely agree that smoking areas should be away from non-smokers and I am very respectful of this even in places it is not enforced. That said, as an adult I know and accept the risks and choose to do it. That may change one day, but trust that I did not make the decision because of lack of intelligence or caring on my or my family's part. Sorry for going on a rant that just rubbed me the wrong way. By the way Calakapepe I am sure we would get along great and I don't mean to single you out we just feel very differently on that topic.

[thegajone]

Diamondback's finale will have a new feature at the end. Free second-hand smoke before the final splashdown..

If that's what the concrete clearing is.

I truly hope you're being facetious and not legitimately concerned about that...

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I don't like to tolerate unhealthy lifestyles.

Especially when they affect other people.

It's not about the immediate affects, but the lifetime of exposure to it.

I don't think it's absurd to be a little concerned about it.

Why shouldn't I be? Genuinely, if I've nothing to worry about, I'd like not to.

Personally, I'm far more concerned about all the people farting in line around me...but that's just me.

I don't wanna smell farts either haha

Buut, I think farts might be a little less harmful.

I'm pretty confident that your second hand smoke exposure whilst riding DB will be non-existent.

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[MrBestDayEver]

Hi everyone. Long time reader, thought it was time to finally get an account. Am I the only one who thinks this is a bad location for the basketball game? It feels tacky under the helix; nor am I a fan of when they kill nice green space in favor of more Cedar Fair style theming (concrete) 

[calakapepe]

I too find it a bit of a visual no-no.. but.. I dont think it's the worst thing

[The Interpreter]

Hi everyone. Long time reader, thought it was time to finally get an account. Am I the only one who thinks this is a bad location for the basketball game? It feels tacky under the helix; nor am I a fan of when they kill nice green space in favor of more Cedar Fair style theming (concrete)

Welcome to KIC!

[KIDB]

At risk of sounding like a grumpy old woman, (I'm only 31, btw) those basketballs drive me nuts as well. Actually, I shouldn't blame the basketball games, I should blame the people who don't know how to be respectful with them in their possession. The bouncing drives me nuts in the Coney area (seems to be more prominent there). I love the idea of an inflation station at the front. I get having the games and winning basketballs, but why the need to have them inflated in the park?

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[The Interpreter]

...to serve as advertisements to get others to play the highly profitable games.

That's why.

Not unlike the huuuuuge stuffed animals toted around the park.

[CoasterOhio]

I would prefer a human sized banana to a bouncing basketball.

[Tanna]

That's so funny...lol.  Clearly the basketball games are raking in the money.  They don't bother me?  I feel like they should reading all the posts about basketballs on this forum, but all my times in the park...they don't bother me.  What am I missing?

 

They are a pain. I constantly have to move out of the way of a rolling basketball because someone can't handle it.....as upstop mentioned, they get passed on the midway without regard to anyone else around.  

Working at the park and in rides, they were always a pain because someone would always complain their ball got stolen out of the bins....people would bounce them in the station adding to the already loud platform making it hard to hear for operations. If a ball gets loose and lands on a coaster track that's an issue (when I worked at the park) the ride had to be shut down to retrieve said ball. 

They just screw with things. But mostly they are obnoxious.

 

Concerning basketballs.... I've had trays of food knocked out my hand during a full court press on the midway before. I've also been wacked in the back of the head while someone was passing their ball across the midway. I've been pushed, shoved, tripped and nearly knocked down while finding myself in the middle of the "court". ... And more.

Also, there is nothing anywhere stating the smoking area is moving... What if it's not moving?.... Just food for thought

If you look at the pictures of the new stand being built, it's built right over the old smoking area. If it's not moving, I'd like my funnel cake without a side of smoke. I'm sure it is being moved because of state law (having to be a certain amount of feet away from a building entrance).

I suspect, at least I hope so, that the smoking area will be moved a little further back from the walkway. As I recall, The smoking area by Lost Parents got moved further back and away from Lost Parents, perhaps its a trend going throughout the park.

If they kept both things in the same place, it would be like sitting in the 'bum chairs' of a New York diner.

[KIDB]

I've always wondered what people drove to the park to take those huge stuffed animals home.

Bottom dollar, makes sense. I nearly hear that bouncing in my sleep after long days at the park.

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[TheBeast1116]

You just read my mind! I've always thought that when I see people with huge stuffed animals they won.

[The Interpreter]

I suspect at least a few get abandoned in the parking lot when they prove not to fit the chariot.

[ohioparksrock]

I am the unlucky owner of a giant ring toss prize gorilla. We emptied out the trunk of my Lexus sedan, took out the spare tire, shoved the gorilla's head in the well, and bungied him and the trunk hatch. We proceeded to drive to NKY on 71 at 50mph. Wish I would've abandoned it in the lot but hey, it was a major award.

[The Interpreter]

So where is it today? And why?

Terp, who likes to ask questions.

[ohioparksrock]

Still here due to a 9 year old and her love for stuffed animals.

[The Interpreter]

The best answer of all!

[upstop]

I once saw a giant polar bear stuffed animal that was split at the seams and emptied of the styrofoam beads. They left the head full of beads and sowed the head shut. After a little adjustment of the hide to flatten it out, it was sown down to carpet backing and turned into a stuffed bear rug.

[bjcolglazier]

Has anyone here won one of those big ole lawn/camping chairs that you win on the rope-ladder game?  I really want one of those.

[upstop]

The trick to winning that game is to climb like a cat... Watch how a cat walks. It's balance is dead center. If you try to climb one limb at at time, your center of gravity is all over the place... Left hand right foot, right hand left foot you will remain centered on the ladder. (Easy for me to say... Lol)

[The Interpreter]

So *****-footing around helps....

[jcgoble3]

The trick to winning that game is to climb like a cat... Watch how a cat walks. It's balance is dead center. If you try to climb one limb at at time, your center of gravity is all over the place... Left hand right foot, right hand left foot you will remain centered on the ladder. (Easy for me to say... Lol)

 

If you ask and they're not busy, the attendant will usually be happy to demonstrate the proper technique and how "easy" it is. (I suspect that being able to consistently pull it off is a requirement to work that game.) Actually pulling it off to win the prize, though, is really, really difficult. I've never been able to do it.

[KIfan73]

We all like to complain about things like the bouncing basketballs, and the silly games.  I really don't think they're all just completely sinister, high-profit generators for the park, either.  Most people that visit the park enjoy these types of things (and they probably don't participate in Internet forums discussing the intricacies of every square inch of the park, either).  If it weren't for these people, there would be no Kings Island.  

 

For the record, for anyone that has read my posts for years know which camp I fall into...but I still can appreciate those people that aren't Kings Island analysts.  Luckily, the people I usually visit the park with fall into the latter category.  But, if needed, I am able fill them in on more details about Kings Island than most sane people would want to know  .

[jcgoble3]

I'm generally fine with most games. For those who want to spend money on them, the games are there for them. For people like me that would rather keep their money, they can be easily ignored for the most part (aside from the attendants with microphones, but occasionally that can lead to some humorous banter as well).

 

The only complaint I have about them are the stupid bouncing basketballs. Literally: that's it. I try to ignore the games, but the bouncing basketballs just can't be ignored, and they are incredibly annoying. Eliminate the bouncing basketballs and I would not have a single complaint about the games.

[upstop]

Grinch agrees!!!

[Magenta Lizard]

When I was little, I really loved stuffed animals (still do). I also loved playing the games. I always imagined when I was old enough to date, a guy would win one of the giant stuffed animals for me. The games I'm any good at/enjoy generally don't have them as prizes.

When we had season passes in high school, my sister and I eventually traded up to a giant bear wearing a propeller beanie, from playing bowler roller. Since she was much better than me at the game and had won more of the times, the bear was hers. (Oh, and since it was roughly proportioned like a human being it wasn't too hard to fit it into the car, strapped into a seat with a seatbelt).

Many years later, at a local festival, I won enough tokens to get a giant stuffed lizard, playing a quarter dozer over the course of a weekend (some may have been carried over from the previous year, I forget). Even though it was nearly as big as me, I had to carry it quite a ways to my car, by myself, and fit it into the backseat of a two-door, which was no small feat. Many years later, my husband is still trying to convince me to get rid of it every time he sees it, so I have it stored somewhere he rarely goes

[KIDB]

I'm generally fine with most games. For those who want to spend money on them, the games are there for them. For people like me that would rather keep their money, they can be easily ignored for the most part (aside from the attendants with microphones, but occasionally that can lead to some humorous banter as well).

The only complaint I have about them are the stupid bouncing basketballs. Literally: that's it. I try to ignore the games, but the bouncing basketballs just can't be ignored, and they are incredibly annoying. Eliminate the bouncing basketballs and I would not have a single complaint about the games.

I totally agree. We aren't game people, my kids don't even ask anymore. It's just the basketballs.

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[electricsun]

My oldest nephew has played the basketball game three times and won twice. Not quite sure how as he is as coordinated as I am. The last time I told him that we would have to walk the ball back to the car as we were not spending the rest of the day with that ball.

There are times when I will give the kids $10 to spend as they wish. But if they want to play the water shooting game and want a specific prize, they have to pay for the other kid (or me) to play and if that person wins, we give the toy to the other person. If you time it right...and the person running the game realizes what you are doing, you can be the only two people playing so it's a guaranteed win.

[Tanna]

I was grateful when on my first KI date with the guy that ended up being my husband, he won a 4" tall pink elephant in a birthday hat.

I was so glad that it was something that could fit in my pocket, and not a big huge monstosity we'd have to fuss around the park all day.

[Creed Bratton]

I'll never forget leaving Cedar Point one day a couple of years ago and seeing a Giant Stuffed Gorilla being bungied to the bed of a truck. The gorilla was sitting against the cab facing the back of the truck bed. It was quite humorous. We caught up with the truck a little further on 250 and got stopped at a light. Guess what happened next? It started to downpour. Hopefully they didn't have a far drive because I couldn't imagine smelling a huge wet stuffed animal a few days later.