Hi all!

Some of you know me, many probably don't because I dont post like I did in year past.  Let's just say KI and I go waaaaaaaay back.  I have had a love affair with KI since I first heard about The Beast in 1979 and since I first attended in 1981 when the (original) Bat was new!  Well, I have managed to keep tabs on the park for decades now.  I was an avid coaster enthusiast for years, but my passion found it's birth in my early visits to KI.  Throughout all my years of visiting the park, I collected souvenirs, collectibles, and other physical things.  However I also amassed a lot of pictures (including rare, behind the scenes construction pictures), brochures, park maps, media kits, Press Releases etc.

After years and years of sitting on a 4-drawer filing cabinet full of them, I finally decided I was being selfish by not sharing.  So that's exactly what I am doing.  I have created a FB page called "Sit on It."  (It's a play on a slogan taken from a sign that used to hang in The Beast, and Racer stations.  I loved the sign and always said if I were to create a site dedicated to my love of KI, that's what I'd call it!)

So... I'd like to invite all of you to visit @SitOnItKI on FB.  It's a work in progress... and I've only just begun to upload the hundreds of pictures, videos etc that I have dating back to Kings Islands opening years.  All I ask is that you help me by giving credit to the page if you re-use one of my pictures, that will help promote it.  Also, I welcome your nostalgic pictures and posts as well.

I hope this isnt breaking any KICentral rules - I would have loved to contribute them - but frankly there's so many.  My intent is to celebrate the wonderful park Kings Island has always been by looking back at it's past... and it's future!

https://www.facebook.com/SitonItKI

Can you post a link, I'm having a hard time finding it on FB.

^Well, that was quick. Thank you kindly.

Awesome start! I had forgotten all about that sign until I saw it again, but I love it! Following and will share as well

edit: just checked it out a little more, and your shots of Phantom Theater alone are absolute gold for me!

 

38 minutes ago, Shaggy said:

So... I'd like to invite all of you to visit @SitOnItKI on FB.  It's a work in progress... and I've only just begun to upload the hundreds of pictures, videos etc that I have dating back to Kings Islands opening years.

https://www.facebook.com/SitonItKI

From a quick look, it seems you have a lot of great photos there already!

 

35 minutes ago, Shaggy said:

I would have loved to contribute them - but frankly there's so many.  My intent is to celebrate the wonderful park Kings Island has always been by looking back at it's past... and it's future!

If there's ever anything you want to contribute to KIC directly, send me a PM.

We'll soon be launching a reworked KIC website, and community-generated content will be most welcome (and will be credited appropriately).

This is great! Brings back lots of memories.

Wonderful pictures and history!!  I'l definitely be keeping up on this KI Facebook page! 

Neat. That's something I'll look forward to popping up on my timeline. 

Sorry, when I first saw this thread title, my mind immediately went to.... 

 

 

3 hours ago, Shaggy said:

Hi all!

Some of you know me, many probably don't because I dont post like I did in year past.  Let's just say KI and I go waaaaaaaay back.  I have had a love affair with KI since I first heard about The Beast in 1979 and since I first attended in 1981...

 Can't wait to start looking through all your content. Very excited and THANK YOU for sharing this. 

Just a heads up - you may want to watermark some of these with "Facebook.com/sitonit" to help promote your project as well as maybe protect it a little from an internet bound with trolls and others who will take it, use it as click bait, and then not credit you. 

Hi, WCPO!

Thanks for posting this Shaggy.  I enjoyed seeing all of the Phantom Theater pics.

Thanks for posting Shaggy.  Those are some wonderful pictures.  Brings back lots of memories (especially King Cobra).  

As Malem said, if you want to contribute some of these to KIC, we would be more than willing to accept them (with proper credit).  

Keep the pictures coming!

Good stuff spanning a ton of years. I believe I remember seeing that cargo net used for Son of Beast's announcement on top of The Crypt/Madame Fatale's building during the Mystic Timbers announcement. I remember the Tasmanian Typhoon construction and I love the Son of Beast drawing you made. Also, I'm loving those King Cobra pics; I remember seeing it prowl around Action Zone until the great windstorm we know as Delirium took it's place.

EDIT: I didn't know the same fence that Tomb Raider: The Ride used for construction was reused for King Cobra's deconstruction.

So much good stuff here; thank you!

Thank you for this! I've never seen pictures if King Cobra from a perspective in Action Zone facing the tower or a wide shot of the entrance.
My only memories were from sitting outside the Adventure Express enteance too so... lol it was cool to finally see

You may not post a lot anymore Shaggy, but when you do it was well worth the wait. Thanks for sharing all those amazing memories!

The Phantom Theater photos are great (as are all the others)! Thanks for taking the time to post them!

I can't get on Facebook at work.

Was that the sign that almost looked hand painted that had a dude in a red shirt upside down while riding a coaster and a guy with a blue shirt standing up next to him?

Yep

Thank you for doing this! I love seeing aspects of Kings Island that I never got to experience myself. 

Wow, thanks for sharing.  Liked the page and look forward to following it. 

Shaggy, great pics from back in the day. I am a former KI alumn and graduated right next door from Kings High School. I can't tell you how much I enjoyed these pics.

A question for you (or anyone that can recall)...what was the little house (building) behind Zephyr used for? I don't recall it there in the 70's unless it was the old Coney Disco stage where they had a DJ (Duke Edwards I think) from WOKV. I could be WAY off. 

There's been a few things there through the years... FOF Souvenir Stand, VR coaster, games etc.  I'm not sure which exact picture you may be referencing.

Awesome page. I love the history of Kings Island and the photos on there are amazing. You got a like from me and I invited some of my friends to like it too.

6 hours ago, Shaggy said:

There's been a few things there through the years... FOF Souvenir Stand, VR coaster, games etc.  I'm not sure which exact picture you may be referencing.

Here is a screen capture from Google Maps but it's the closest I can get for you. I think Zephyr was added around 1986 and the 1985 Park map shows the Mat Racer slide just about where Zephyr is currently at the bottom of Racer's first drop. Also, IIRC, I believe the Coney Disco was further down the midway right next to Zodiac.

 I know you can't really go by park maps for obvious reasons, but the curiosity is killing me. If you look really close, the building material and roof are an exact match of the ride operator's little covered stand just to the right, so it must have something to do with Zephyr after all. One would think that a wave swinger wouldn't need any machinery/mechanicals that large just to operate...I dunno

That is the mechanical/electrical room for Zephyr.  It is likely where the hydraulics are located for the ride.  I believe that there is a metal plate in the concrete that leads from the ride to this building, for easy access for maintenance should something spring a leak.

^^ Thanks, CoastersRZ 

 

Awesome look back at the park's history. My first visit to the park was back when they had the Safari ride, so I was raised on both the antique cars, King Cobra (which I will still claim wasn't that bad as a TOGO) and the single rail suspended coaster in Hanna Barbara, but never got to see the Demon or any of those older rides....

Long time no see Shaggy..   

Met you a couple times at KI events.

I love the old nostalgic KI stuff as well.   Life long resident of Cincinnati and been at KI since they opened.   My dad used to go to Coney Island for company picnics till they opened KI.    I remember driving on a dirt road along The Racer when being built.    Lots of old memories from this park (including canoes where Beast resides).....

I had a chance to finally actually spend a few minutes on your FB page and it is awesome. Thanks so much for sharing with us. I look forward to seeing many more Sit On It posts!

They are really nice pictures. 

Bout cried when I seen the KC destruction pics, though. 

Great page! I have started following. Thanks!!