Kings Island 2019 Discussion

[LuvingKI]

Good video

[Seeker441]

Anyone else notice the sign for X-Base is gone now. Maybe the 1 piece of Fire-Hawks loop will be the new decorative piece for the sign. A friends idea not my own. If you have gone on WindSeeker or Racer you can see the extra piece laying out still. Thoughts?

[flightoffear1996]

Maybe they are planning to auction it off on eBay to help pay for the new rumored coaster. Lol

[LondonFreak]

51 minutes ago, Seeker441 said:

Anyone else notice the sign for X-Base is gone now. Maybe the 1 piece of Fire-Hawks loop will be the new decorative piece for the sign. A friends idea not my own. If you have gone on WindSeeker or Racer you can see the extra piece laying out still. Thoughts?

I could see them using it as a sign piece. I could also see them using it for a Haunt decoration (maybe the ride graveyard). There is a reason that they saved just that one piece and the rest of the track has been cleared out...

[Pagoda Gift Shop]

Maybe they will send it to the roller coaster museum, along with a train.

[JubJester]

12 hours ago, flightoffear1996 said:

Maybe they are planning to auction it off on eBay to help pay for the new rumored coaster. Lol

Wrong. The new restroom. 

[Jiddle]

I think they will use the funds for a new drink stand that will never be open.   

[Magenta Lizard]

A new addition to this year’s merchandise, embroidered patches. I need them all. 

[Pagoda Gift Shop]

Adventure Express, Backlot, and Invertigo don't get a patch....but King Cobra does. 

[thekidd33]

I still think of King Cobra when I think about going to KI. I never rode it but I will always remember seeing it and being sure all those people were about to die. It had a very intimidating presence.  

[HandsUp]

1st visit this past Friday..just a few thoughts:

-Had a minor mis-hap with our passes not working. While it looked to ultimately be our fault, the staff (girl's name was Cayden) was great at helping us through the process and making sure we made it in the park.

-Love the retro KI lettering on the merch. They will sell a ton of it and it's the 1st time I've considered a KI hoodie.

-The new brewhouse is nice, open, better beer, better food, and still a nice place to chill and watch baseball-Win.

-Love The Beast 40 additions. My son just made 48'' so it was great to finally ride with him. It may be me, but it seems more fast and rough than before--absolutely ripped. 

-They got rid of the best deal in the park-the 25 cent Runts machines--lame!

-I'm torn on the new I-street. On the one hand, it opens up the sight lines and allows you to see more from different vantage points. Especially noticed this while leaving through the walk by Boo Blasters (where the caricature booth is)...you could see straight through to the Festhaus and everything in between. Added a lot of depth and you could see more activity--you see the same effect in casinos. The buildings also look great. On the other hand, up close to the fountains it now lacks the majesty and ambiance you had with the trees. Big trees make a space seem bigger and the shade and size of the trees gave the areas close to the fountains an urban park feel which is gone now-the light booms are also obnoxious. In all-No change was going to be without cost, so I get it. This update improves the space from a distance at the cost of the up close....and those new trees will grow too. 

Overall, a great 1st trip-can't wait for many more, especially since my son can ride so much now!

 

[GigaG]

Anybody know if Racer's Blue side trim was removed or not? Hurler CW was de-trimmed after its recent GCI retrack, and I'm wondering if the same goes for Racer. A friend of mine says that red is consistently dropping first but the trains are finishing in sync, which could either mean the retrack is causing Blue to run faster due to profile smoothing (as happened apparently to Coney Island Cyclone) or Blue's trim is gone.

 

(For those unaware, both sides of Racer have trims entering the turnaround.)

[BeeastFarmer]

Anybody know if Racer's Blue side trim was removed or not? Hurler CW was de-trimmed after its recent GCI retrack, and I'm wondering if the same goes for Racer. A friend of mine says that red is consistently dropping first but the trains are finishing in sync, which could either mean the retrack is causing Blue to run faster due to profile smoothing (as happened apparently to Coney Island Cyclone) or Blue's trim is gone.
 
(For those unaware, both sides of Racer have trims entering the turnaround.)

The ride has done this as long as I can remember.

Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk

[radishman]

Been lurking for a few weeks now, so I guess I'll report in.

I went to KI for the first time this past Saturday. Wanted to go last week, but the rain scared me away both days. Past few years I've been trying to convince myself to get a gold pass, but never got around to it. This year I moved really close to the park (literally 5-10 minute drive) so I decided to make the plunge. Don't really have anyone to go with and decided to go solo. Was quite pumped as I hadn't been to a theme park since 2010 when the family last went to CP.

I didn't stay too long. I got there at opening and headed back home around 2. I rode most of the coasters, although Invertigo was down so that'll have to be another day. I gotta say I LOOOOOOOOVE the app. Marked my spot helped me a ton. I'd probably still be searching as we speak if not for it. It also helped me locate the rides. Although I suppose as I go more often I'll look at it less and enjoy the scenery more.

I liked Backlot, Diamondback, Banshee, FOF, Bat, and Vortex. I did ride Mystic, Adventure, Beast and Racer but thought they were just okay. I think Mystic was good up until the shed so that kinda soured me on it. It wasn't even the disappointment inside so much that it felt like we were waiting forever to go inside. Not sure if that was the normal part of the ride or if there was an extra delay. Gonna see if I like them better the second go round.

Also rode Delirium and Drop Tower. Those were really fun and gotta admit I was kinda scared sitting at the top of Drop Tower as we waited to go back down. Caught me by surprise as I was totally not ready. Ate twice once at Jukebox and then had a Cinnabon as I exited the park. It was an enjoyable 4-5 hours to be sure. The fastlane helped somewhat I think, but I'm not sure if splurging for the season-long one was worth the price since I'm so close to the park and can go whenever. Did get asked about it when I sat next to a few people on rides, so that was cool.

[IndyGuy4KI]

Welcome to KIC @radishman! Looking forward to hearing about more of your trips as you get more familiar with the park. 

[BoddaH1994]

Not sure how long you were in the shed, but it’s normally not enough time for it to be ridiculous. Maybe something was up. Just wait until the weather warms up and Mystic is jammin’. You’ll want to marathon that thing.

Since you mentioned the app, what else did you find useful besides the map and the car locator? Also, was there anything on your “wish list” for the app that they don’t have? 

[Joshua]

14 hours ago, BoddaH1994 said:

Not sure how long you were in the shed, but it’s normally not enough time for it to be ridiculous. Maybe something was up. Just wait until the weather warms up and Mystic is jammin’. You’ll want to marathon that thing.

I was stuck in the shed for over five minutes last year. Something was going on with the ride that morning and it was taking longer for them to send trains out. I ended up hearing both "Total Eclipse of the Heart" and "Cars" play out. 

[Rainstormdx]

Can't wait for my visits this year. Last year gave me some great memories at the park, and I'm hoping this year will do the same.

[LondonFreak]

On 4/29/2019 at 5:57 PM, radishman said:

Been lurking for a few weeks now, so I guess I'll report in.

I went to KI for the first time this past Saturday. Wanted to go last week, but the rain scared me away both days. Past few years I've been trying to convince myself to get a gold pass, but never got around to it. This year I moved really close to the park (literally 5-10 minute drive) so I decided to make the plunge. Don't really have anyone to go with and decided to go solo. Was quite pumped as I hadn't been to a theme park since 2010 when the family last went to CP.

I didn't stay too long. I got there at opening and headed back home around 2. I rode most of the coasters, although Invertigo was down so that'll have to be another day. I gotta say I LOOOOOOOOVE the app. Marked my spot helped me a ton. I'd probably still be searching as we speak if not for it. It also helped me locate the rides. Although I suppose as I go more often I'll look at it less and enjoy the scenery more.

I liked Backlot, Diamondback, Banshee, FOF, Bat, and Vortex. I did ride Mystic, Adventure, Beast and Racer but thought they were just okay. I think Mystic was good up until the shed so that kinda soured me on it. It wasn't even the disappointment inside so much that it felt like we were waiting forever to go inside. Not sure if that was the normal part of the ride or if there was an extra delay. Gonna see if I like them better the second go round.

Also rode Delirium and Drop Tower. Those were really fun and gotta admit I was kinda scared sitting at the top of Drop Tower as we waited to go back down. Caught me by surprise as I was totally not ready. Ate twice once at Jukebox and then had a Cinnabon as I exited the park. It was an enjoyable 4-5 hours to be sure. The fastlane helped somewhat I think, but I'm not sure if splurging for the season-long one was worth the price since I'm so close to the park and can go whenever. Did get asked about it when I sat next to a few people on rides, so that was cool.

The Fastlane is worth it if you go on a Saturday in June or July. But splurging for all season? That depends on what you ride, how often you go, and if you go on a crowded day or not. Also, if you are planning on going to the waterpark, there are a few things on the Fastlane Plus there as well. Like I said, Fastlane is great for some, but bad for others. It is a know when you are going to be going and what you want to ride to make that determination! 

[MDMC01]

On the topic of KI Merch (I would've quoted @Magenta Lizard, but most of the post was a picture ), I finally got that Son of Beast pin last Saturday and interestingly, I noticed it just says Kings Island (as opposed to Paramount's Kings Island- I know it's not owned by Paramount anymore, but I thought that it was still interesting). I also have a better opinion of Brewhouse- when I went on Opening Day, I thought the theming was lacking, but since going to the bar, the restaurant has redeemed itself theming-wise. Fun Fact: Shirley Temples (and basically any non-alcoholic drink that you can get on tap at the bar) are on the drink plan- Yeet!

Finally, for those that are fans of local bands, there is a fantastic band in Festhaus called HiFi Honey. Their shows are 2, 3:30 and 5 every Saturday for the next 3 weekends (I'm guessing until the country show starts up). They do a lot of country/classic rock/pop covers and the lead singer (Jessica) and the drummer (John) are really cool! Also, they have a website if you'd like to see their other local shows: https://hifihoney.com/

EDIT: Also, the (alcoholic) drinks at Brewhouse are creatively named- there is even one named after Chef Major!

[TombraiderTy]

On 4/27/2019 at 1:48 AM, Pagoda Gift Shop said:

Adventure Express, Backlot, and Invertigo don't get a patch....but King Cobra does. 

To be fair, I don't think Adventure Express has had a piece of standalone merchandise since the mid-1990s 

[Seeker441]

10 hours ago, LondonFreak said:

The Fastlane is worth it if you go on a Saturday in June or July. But splurging for all season? That depends on what you ride, how often you go, and if you go on a crowded day or not. Also, if you are planning on going to the waterpark, there are a few things on the Fastlane Plus there as well. Like I said, Fastlane is great for some, but bad for others. It is a know when you are going to be going and what you want to ride to make that determination! 

My experience from living in Indy I used to love going to KI as a kid and knowing that I probably won't be back again for a long time would lend me into buying the Fast Lane pass. Yet having a Platinum pass I think i'll pass on the almost $900 worth of Fast Lane. 

[Pagoda Gift Shop]

2 hours ago, TombraiderTy said:

To be fair, I don't think Adventure Express has had a piece of standalone merchandise since the mid-1990s 

I know, and I don't really expect them to at this point.  I just like to point out the irony of the situation.  The nostalgia is strong at Kings Island.  I'm surprised they haven't ventured further into it by making more merchandise for other defunct attractions (although they would obviously be limited by Hanna-Barbera license restrictions).  

They have Zodiac signs all over the new car ride, and I bet 95% of the average guests have no idea that is a nostalgia reference.    

[LuvingKI]

My 6 year old rode Vortex Saturday, also her first loop and couldn't find a Vortex T-shirt in the park... Disappointing  

[Magenta Lizard]

I think I saw a new Vortex shirt in the Emporium but I wouldn’t swear to it. If I see one tomorrow I’ll take a pic. 

[Creed Bratton]

1 hour ago, LuvingKI said:

My 6 year old rode Vortex Saturday, also her first loop and couldn't find a Vortex T-shirt in the park... Disappointing  

There is a basic Vortex shirt in Emporium by the hats,

[LuvingKI]

1 minute ago, Creed Bratton said:

There is a basic Vortex shirt in Emporium by the hats,

We couldn't find it, we must of missed it. We was all over hunting

[Creed Bratton]

52 minutes ago, LuvingKI said:

We couldn't find it, we must of missed it. We was all over hunting

To be honest...it's really basic....they have several shirts for different coasters....looks almost like a jersey in the design...I think it has the name, park name and the year it opened.

[Magenta Lizard]

Here’s The Vortex shirt. I folded up the top one on the stack to show the rest of the design which goes below The Vortex name, I didn’t want to wreck their stock to show the whole design at once. They have this sort of design (name and date) for each of the major coasters

 

[upstop]

I’ve never understood why the park hasn’t taken advantage of selling ride related products near the exits of rides. I would think a small kiosk near the exits would make a lot of money. The Beast used to sell T-shirt’s etc at its exit. Diamondback does and Banshee used to. Even during Haunt they should be selling Haunt attraction related T-shirts.