Kings Island 2016 Discussion Thread

[dragsterguy21]

Maybe the park is hinting that more nostalgia is coming back? One can wish...

Speaking of that, one of my biggest hopes for next year is a 45th anniversary restoration of Racer. New track work, new LED chaser lights running the whole course, and most importantly, restoring the original red white and blue paint job. Perhaps even new trains if the park is willing.

Again, wishful thinking. Been wanting it to happen for years.

I would honestly love to see that happen more than getting a giga.

Also a return of the backwards Racer. If it used to be unsafe then they can design a way to make it safe Six Flags runs their rides backwards.

[The Interpreter]

Six Flags isn't in Ohio where the manufacturer's recommendations MUST be followed.

BUT, the park has said it CHOOSES not to run Racer backwards...for "nostalgia."

[Steph88]

Why not just be honest about it though? Let people be mad at the governing body rather than the park itself?

[APE]

I lost a lot of interest in Racer when they moved it back to both being forward facing. 

[Scottzzz]

I think they should install overhead signs like on highways to make it clear from both directions how to get in.

They should also mark where exits are in this manner so drivers know:

a] not to go in them and

b] not to think people coming out of them at 11 in the morning are cutting in line.

 

Eating lunch in parking lot Friday around 1.  Seen at least 5 cars enter in the exit within 15 minutes.  Security chased down 1 car.  They looked all confused to me other than trying to sneak in.

[Oldschool75]

Wrong Lane on Kings Island Drive Can Cost You $18

http://www.wcpo.com/money/consumer/dont-waste-your-money/wrong-lane-on-kings-island-exit-can-cost-you-18

So let's not fix the problem, we'll just impose a penalty if you go the wrong way. Remember, people have been used to another way for 40+ years. This is not going to turn out good. It will just freak out some of the "less stable" drivers and cause accidents. How about putting some highly visible lit signage. Or better yet, KI security could stand by the exit to head off anyone attempting to come in the exit. Quit being cheap and make it safe. Not impose fear of having to pay.

[OldieButGoodie]

My first thought on the new entrance was, "somebody's gonna die". Once on the wrong side your options are limited and none are good. That needs more/bigger/better signage.

[APE]

I had no problem. It really isn't hard to figure out. 

[teenageninja]

I had no problem. It really isn't hard to figure out. 

You assume that most drivers have common sense.  This is not the case.

 

People are impatient, they see a way they can pass 5 cars at any cost.

[APE]

Maybe it's time to thin the herd by letting them make their own mistakes. 

[calakapepe]

If I somehow wasn't able to turn around, I'd consider just sitting there TBH.
They can take my license plate to make sure I don't park my car if they're so worried.

[Creed Bratton]

I just don't get how someone does t realize all of the cars in front of them are turning right and the cars to their left are going straight. They obviously passed the park and one would think they'd notice the toll plaza. Why else would cars be turning back toward the park?

Sent from the cellphone Zach Morris used in Saved By The Bell using Tapatalk

[calakapepe]

I just don't get how someone does t realize all of the cars in front of them are turning right and the cars to their left are going straight. They obviously passed the park and one would think they'd notice the toll plaza. Why else would cars be turning back toward the park?

Sent from the cellphone Zach Morris used in Saved By The Bell using Tapatalk

Oh, no doubt she wasn't paying attention. I was speaking as though I had already had my moment of being dumb

[Creed Bratton]

I was speaking in general  

[LoraX]

Give it a few weeks and the traffic flow will calm down. Now after being at the park I think that south exit needs to be moved or removed. Maybe that's a long term plan when the rest of the road construction is finished.

Is it possible to exit down the employee exit now? Is that a possibility to turn that area into the south exit. So then we would have a nice north exit and south exit and a nice entrance.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I have seen security stop people from going out the employee entrance. As one who frequently drops off and picks up park employees like she is driving a city bus, your best bet is to avoid exiting that way. It's typically more congested than the other exits. I love road construction.

[BB1]

 

 

Maybe the park is hinting that more nostalgia is coming back? One can wish...

Speaking of that, one of my biggest hopes for next year is a 45th anniversary restoration of Racer. New track work, new LED chaser lights running the whole course, and most importantly, restoring the original red white and blue paint job. Perhaps even new trains if the park is willing.

Again, wishful thinking. Been wanting it to happen for years.

I would honestly love to see that happen more than getting a giga.

 

 

I agree with everything you were talking about until the LED Lights. Racer definitely could use a bit of an upgrade in the nostalgia department. The paint job would be a great idea, and would set The Racer apart from the Midway as it has more color than just white. Keep that nostalgia with classic chasers, if it works, it works, don't make me loose the classic warm glow of chaser lights. To add on top of that, maybe a train upgrade to make it actually worth my time, and possibly the unleashing of The Beast with less trims!

 

Also in light of the 45th anniversary, maybe, just maybe, the classic Log Flume will become classic yet again with a retheme?

[BlondyRidesOn]

Repainting and restoring The Racer would be the top of my list. I think Thunderhawk at Dorney, which just got a bit of restoration done this year, was also painted with lead based paint, so it can be safely done from what we've seen. A Grear Coasters International retrack would really help the ride immensly. Are there any wooden coaster manufacturers that allow their trains running backward? Because that would increase the ride's already large popularity extremely.

If RFYLCB is staying, I'd honestly prefer if they annexed it back into Rivertown where it belongs. I feel it would help bring back the area's theming a little more.

[Pagoda Gift Shop]

What's wrong with Racer?  I had some of the best rides I've ever had on it last summer.

[kikid74]

We were at the park and went through the new entrance for the first time this year last weekend. As someone who comes of I-71, it seemed like a LONG drive to the gate and felt like a lot of backtracking to get back to the parking lot. I'm not complaining, it just felt weird of decades of using the entrance nearest the waterpark. I did like the self scan gold pass lanes.

[Haru-Kun]

And just to reiterate, Gold Pass holders can use any open lane. The Gold lanes are there mainly to prioritize Gold Pass holder entry during peak times. 

[BlondyRidesOn]

What's wrong with Racer?  I had some of the best rides I've ever had on it last summer.

Nothing really. It just needs a bit of love.

[Infinity]

I'll be at Kings Island tonight for the Passholder event. I'll be wearing a black Cincinnati Elder Panther quarter zip jacket. Feel free to say Hi if you happen to see me. But you might not be able to see me at all as I'll be in and out of Blackout!

[JCoaster25]

I work with lighting equipment a lot for my job, including LEDs. They can be almost any color you want them to be, even incandescent yellow. You can do that through either the light itself or by disguising it with a colored bulb cover.

LEDs last WAY longer than incandescent bulbs, so they're the more practical choice.

[The Interpreter]

And they use far, far less electricity.

[selective]

I just noticed they changed "Flight Deck" to "Bat". I haven't been in the park to see this change, so could someone tell me if The Bat flies into an aircraft carrier or did they remodel the aircraft carrier to look like a bat cave?

 

Also, the coasters should have been made all black, and with the same bat design on the front coaster as from the original bat coaster.

[The Interpreter]

The aircraft themeing is essentially gone.

Black coasters are now identified with the chain that numbers its flags. Especially when named Bat, Man.

Cedar Fair wisely saw no reason to pick that battle.

[selective]

If someone could take some pictures of the new themeing for the "Bat" coaster station, (aka Top Gun/Flight Deck), I would like to see how they changed it. I went through it when it first opened as Top Gun in 1993, and a few years after it opened, they already started gutting the themeing from the coaster station. Since then, it has been pretty much just an empty shell of what was supposed to look like an aircraft carrier.

[freaks76]

Yea, still looks the same.

[The Interpreter]

And the floor below station level was largely removed, as was the public access to it.

[Pagoda Gift Shop]

There are pictures in this thread which were taken when they were removing things.  The pictures at the bottom of that page show what it largely looks like now underneath.    

 

http://www.KICentral.com/forums/index.php/topic/28430-activity-underneath-flight-deck/page-9