Summer 2018 Trip Report

[MIAParkman]

I had the chance to visit KI last summer, it was the first time I've been to the park since 2003/04 and it was nice to be back. Although the trip report is almost a year old, I still do have some notes down plus I remember it fairly well, combined with me making my account recently, I have decided to post it here. 

What made this trip different is I had limited time, since I was coming back from a business trip. Thankfully for what I do, visiting parks is part of the job but this was the one off from the trip. So I only rode Diamondback, Banshee, MT, Flight of Fear, and The Beast before I took off. I stayed at the park for a few hours and bolted right after to keep driving. I wanted to ride The Bat, but since I've ridden Vortex at wonderland, and The Bat being a smaller clone of it, I skipped it. 

1. Diamondback (2x front row, 2x row 7, 2x row 8): I've always heard that this was one of the best hypers out there and it was hyped up for me, but honestly Diamondback was average. It's still a great ride, but the airtime isn't the strongest and it has that darn rattle throughout the whole ride. Strangely enough, I always get more airtime in the front than the back on the B&M 2nd-gen hyper trains and Diamondback was no exception. I do feel this hyper is overrated, especially compared to hypers like Behemoth, Shambala and even Mako for example. Final rating: 7/10

2. The Beast: (1x front row): I'm not the biggest fan of woodies yet here I am riding one anyways. I rode this when I last visited the park and I enjoyed it. It's a fun and classic terrain coaster and still pretty smooth compared to other woodies. Fun ride but not the best at the park. Final rating: 6.5/10

3. Mystic Timbers: (2x second row): This, in my opinion, is the best coaster at the park, surprised me too considering it's a family thrill coaster. Really loved the pacing, the airtime and how out of control it felt. Again, I'm not a fan of wooden coasters at all, yet I loved this one. The whole "what's in the shed" stuff was possibly one of the dumbest things I've ever heard as well (sorry), but there's a reason why it gets mocked often. I definitely see rides like this more popular at KI and a better fit for the park. Final rating: 8/10

4. Flight of Fear: (1x last car, front row): I just love how intense these spaghetti bowl Premier Ride coasters are, especially in the dark. Quick, fun and intense, just like I remembered it. Final rating: 7/10. 

5. Banshee: (2x row 1, 2x row 8): I remember seeing the announcement video for this ride and was blown away, four years after, was it worth the wait? yes. It is a fun ride, I love the drop and the non-stop inversions. It isn't intense like the old B&M inverts but it's still fun and I especially love the hang time on the inline twist. With that said, the back row had a rattle/vibration that kinda killed it for me. It makes me wonder why KI's B&M's all have rattles compared to other parks, especially since they're not that old at all. Final score: 7.5/10. 

KI is a fun park, it may not be my favourite in the CF chain but it's still a top-notch park and I should hopefully be back again in 2020. I also hope that I stay for at least two days as I do at other CF parks, as I also want to take hold of the ambiance and feel for the park rather than rushing on all the rides and go in and out. 

[IndyGuy4KI]

Thanks for your trip report and welcome to KIC!