50th Anniversary Updates

[IndyGuy4KI]

15 minutes ago, silver2005 said:

One thing I hope they do with Racer also is completely revamp the queue.  Keep the style, but remove half the queue not used and put in some plants or something, spruce it up.

Then do the same for old man Beast when it turns 50.

With it blocked off for one side access now, half the queue is useless at this point anyway. A revamp is a good idea.

[FUN&ONLY!]

Some days throughout the year, The Racer’s queue overflows and stretches far into the Coney Mall midway. I think Kings Island should reconfigure the queue so that the two separate queues are combined into one big queue.

[CoastersRZ]

I agree, that they should reconfigure the queue so that is utilizes the full queue instead of just half.  They didn`t really modify the queue after they added Fast Lane to it, which is when they stopped using the right side.  I still miss the shaded structure that extended from the main queue to the ramp.  It was nice on sunny days to provide some shade in that area.

[silver2005]

The Racer queue, the Tiques queues, and the Carousel have/had some of my favorite architecture and theming in the park, too.

Also- Racer Radio in the lower queue please.  

[mikejenkins1]

How about a funpix on-ride picture booth for Racer?

[Browntggrr]

On 1/7/2022 at 2:33 PM, robintodd said:

Maybe things would have been different if they stuck with the original plan, but then Gemini would have had to go.

With any major project like TTD, there are numerous concepts from multiple companies.  The current concept was the final that was signed off on.

[PKIDelirium]

Racer queue would be a simple process of arranging the rails so Fast Lane takes a loop around the right perimeter, and the rest is the primary queue with switches to bypass parts of the maze when not needed.

[IndyGuy4KI]

Baynum Painting pics!

 

 

 

[silver2005]

Is Racer being all done this off season or will it take multiple?  I have to imagine a wood coaster takes significantly longer to paint than a steel coaster, especially a pair with nearly 7000 ft of track. 

[johnjniehaus]

On 1/8/2022 at 1:30 PM, silver2005 said:

One thing I hope they do with Racer also is completely revamp the queue.  Keep the style, but remove half the queue not used and put in some plants or something, spruce it up.

Then do the same for old man Beast when it turns 50.

So I think they need to reconfigure The Racer Que to make it all one big que and please make the ques wider... unless you are a kid they are kinda close and uncomfortable. 

 

As for the "Old Man Beast" he needs all the que he can get. I've waited in all that stinkin que before. Not like a million years ago either. Go on a Saturday or get this opening day or the end of the season and that que is packed. Every que open. The Beast is about the only ride in the park I'll wait in all the ques to ride. 

[PKIDelirium]

I fully expect it to be complete well before opening.

[Coasterteam]

25 minutes ago, johnjniehaus said:

As for the "Old Man Beast" he needs all the que he can get. I've waited in all that stinkin que before. Not like a million years ago either. Go on a Saturday or get this opening day or the end of the season and that que is packed. Every que open. The Beast is about the only ride in the park I'll wait in all the ques to ride. 

Part of me wants them to revisit The Beasts queue, it's really in need of some work. The vending machine placement always gets me.

The majority of the times I went to Kings Island this past season, the standby line was usually always, if not about to, overflow into the midway, it just needs more queue! The whole "back row" queue on the station platform has long since been unused. Not to mention how weird the Fast Lane Plus queue is for the ride, it's one of the few coasters that have a really weirdly setup Fast Lane. Bat just has none at all, given where it's placed off of the ground. 

The main thing I guess I'd be interested in seeing is an expanding standby line, whether the overflow goes back behind the entrance building or use the space inside of it, and a better dedicated Fast Lane entrance, so I don't have to squeeze past people leaving the ride in the tight exit walkway. 

[Hawaiian Coasters 325]

25 minutes ago, Coasterteam said:

Part of me wants them to revisit The Beasts queue, it's really in need of some work. The vending machine placement always gets me.

The majority of the times I went to Kings Island this past season, the standby line was usually always, if not about to, overflow into the midway, it just needs more queue! The whole "back row" queue on the station platform has long since been unused. Not to mention how weird the Fast Lane Plus queue is for the ride, it's one of the few coasters that have a really weirdly setup Fast Lane. Bat just has none at all, given where it's placed off of the ground. 

The main thing I guess I'd be interested in seeing is an expanding standby line, whether the overflow goes back behind the entrance building or use the space inside of it, and a better dedicated Fast Lane entrance, so I don't have to squeeze past people leaving the ride in the tight exit walkway. 

My idea is they basically go back to how it was before. The Beast's plaza used to go beyond the fence to the right of the current entrance and the exit would be on the other side of the station by where Slaughterhouse is. I believe they had a little mining shop in the red building once.  

[PKIDelirium]

The mining shop was in the building removed for Diamondback's primary queue.

[FUN&ONLY!]

1 hour ago, Coasterteam said:

Part of me wants them to revisit The Beasts queue, it's really in need of some work. The vending machine placement always gets me.

The majority of the times I went to Kings Island this past season, the standby line was usually always, if not about to, overflow into the midway, it just needs more queue! The whole "back row" queue on the station platform has long since been unused. Not to mention how weird the Fast Lane Plus queue is for the ride, it's one of the few coasters that have a really weirdly setup Fast Lane. Bat just has none at all, given where it's placed off of the ground. 

The main thing I guess I'd be interested in seeing is an expanding standby line, whether the overflow goes back behind the entrance building or use the space inside of it, and a better dedicated Fast Lane entrance, so I don't have to squeeze past people leaving the ride in the tight exit walkway. 

The Beast has a pretty short queue line, but the station queue is still used if needed. It was open numerous times last year on busy days, but even with the station queue, the line can overflow pretty far towards the arcade.

[KIBeast]

For one, Cedar Point and Kings Island do not draw a lot from the same demographic of guests. Yes, I'm sure you know some people that attend both parks, but it's not generally true for the average park attenders. 

I'm betting the Orion lift was not 300ft since the drop could be accomplished without having a lift of that height, thus reducing the cost and utilizing the terrain. The Beast does the same. That is money that will be spent elsewhere in the park or on future attractions. I would like to see something go in the spot where Vortex is sooner rather than later, but who knows now that the pandemic pushed back plans by at least a year. 

I'm loving all of the TLC that The Racer has received and now The Beast is receiving. Should make longer lives for those iconic coasters. 

I was a little torn about the ornamental fountains on I.S. As much as I loved those, it was past time for an upgrade. Sometimes change is hard for me to deal with, especially with a park that I have been literally attending since the age of 1. Some of the changes have been great and some not so great. All in all, nothing that has changed swayed me from attending or sharing my love of KI with my kid.

[Coasterteam]

3 hours ago, KIBeast said:

I'm loving all of the TLC that The Racer has received and now The Beast is receiving. Should make longer lives for those iconic coasters. 

Same! Now if only we could get a bathroom in Area 72...

[robintodd]

28 minutes ago, Coasterteam said:

Same! Now if only we could get a bathroom in Area 72...

It has one.....Actually 2. (Or are you being sarcastic?)

[PKIDelirium]

Yeah, couple of family restrooms on the Canteen building. Better than the nothingness that's been annoying since 1996.

[flightoffear1996]

That bathroom is almost in use.  Its nice to have but when you have kids when you gotta go you gotta go so these often dont always work for us.

[robintodd]

1 hour ago, flightoffear1996 said:

That bathroom is almost in use.  Its nice to have but when you have kids when you gotta go you gotta go so these often dont always work for us.

I've taken my grandkids in there several times.  They are set up as family restrooms (urinals and a toilet).

[KIEagle33]

They will need much bigger restrooms if they are to expand Area 72.

[Coasterteam]

On 1/10/2022 at 7:32 PM, robintodd said:

It has one.....Actually 2. (Or are you being sarcastic?)

Meant to reply to this sooner; like a non-family bathroom, normal I guess.

Something simple; a walk-in bathroom similar to the ones by WindSeeker or Backlot. 

 

Moving on, I really hope they reroute the Flight of Fear line, for both standby & FLP. For FLP, I always find it spilling out of the building and blocking the normal exit. For standby, they rarely ever use a good majority of the inside anymore for the line, so if it's a hot day I'd stay away from that ride if you don't have FLP.

[super7]

Let’s be thankful Paramount didn’t destroy the beautiful queue building of Racer.  At Kings Dominion they bulldozed it, and then built the most ridiculously long, unshaded and HOT I’m the summer queue ramp they possibly could.  

[super7]

On 1/3/2022 at 7:35 PM, JimParker85 said:

Kings Dominion has the perfect International Street, at least to me. The updated one at KI is still beautiful, and it sets the tone every time I'm there for a great day and then a great end to the night when we walk out. I miss the larger trees and lived in atmosphere that Dominion has, but I hope I never take it for granted. My home park of Canada's Wonderland's International Street feels a bit less special but still beautiful. The bridge over the water near the mountain is great. 

Kings Dominion has the most beautiful entrance area of all theme parks.   The large mature trees and the landscape islands make it absolutely gorgeous.    I like how the islands separate the seating areas from the main walkways.  Kings Dominion I Street fit Winterfest is soooo much more immersive with lights all above everything in the high trees    
 

KD I Street was even better when the Eiffel Tower was totally surrounded by trees.  But some insect or disease wiped those trees out.  
 

That was the failure of the Kings Island I Street renovating.    The single row of trees and lack of landscape iislands.   it was probably done for parade purposes but it feels much more linear and boring than KDs design. 
 

The other fault of the renovation is the hideous exposed light poles.  Although those exposed light poles do make Let It Snow work great. 

[BeeastFarmer]

The linden trees were likely at the end of their service life.  The Autumn Blaze Maples will eventually grow in and provide shade and add beautiful fall color to IS, vs the linen trees which held on to the leaves much later in the season.  But honestly, the smaller trees fit the scale of IS much better.  KD does have a lovely IS, but it feels tiny and cramped in my opinion.  And the concrete dividers were one of the worst KECO decisions--cold and stark.  The seating on IS at KI is much, much improved over those tacky concrete pours.

The  ash borer has decimated trees at both parks, but I think their tower looks better without them.  The ornate shrubbery and evergreen trees at KD are lovely and KI could take a hint from them.

[IndyGuy4KI]

14 hours ago, BeeastFarmer said:

The linden trees were likely at the end of their service life.  

Is that the official statement? That line made me laugh. 

I think I am most excited about the repaint of Racer with all we have learned so far about the 50th. What about the rest of you?

[Born_in_'72]

It's the work being done on The Beast for me.  Can't wait to ride it!!!

[BeeastFarmer]

12 hours ago, IndyGuy4KI said:

Is that the official statement? That line made me laugh. 

I think I am most excited about the repaint of Racer with all we have learned so far about the 50th. What about the rest of you?

No, not an official statement, but likely the truth. These trees can live for hundreds of years, but the area they were planted in was harsh--hardscape, very compacted soil and a small area for so many feeder roots.  In addition, linden trees attract aphids and have to be sprayed with insecticide frequently.  Aphid "honeydew" (poop) makes for a big mess and attracts ants, bees, wasps and all other kinds of insects. 

If this site exists, and if Kings Island exists in 25-30 years, there will likely be a discussion about the removal of the Autumn Blaze maple trees.  And probably complaints about all the solar panels in the parking lot and buildings, and my panels will be at the end of life--as will I!

 

[purdude86]

On 1/10/2022 at 2:37 PM, Hawaiian Coasters 325 said:

My idea is they basically go back to how it was before. The Beast's plaza used to go beyond the fence to the right of the current entrance and the exit would be on the other side of the station by where Slaughterhouse is. I believe they had a little mining shop in the red building once.  

I would honestly like to see the whole Beast plaza redone. Rerouting the exit to it's original path would open up the other side for additional construction and paths behind the arcade/Vortex plot. But I would tear down the Crypt ride building  but leave the rest of the covered queue to be themed as a mine, and add in a Screamin' Swing with it exiting out into this new plaza area instead of the other side that it used to. Next, move the petting zoo from Planet Snoopy back here with a farm/western theme like the one at CP, I think this little change would make a big impact on that area and not just be a dead end at The Beast queue.

I also like Coasterteam's idea of using the queue building to extend the standby line. Maybe even  close in the section next to the building too. Give it some light theming to a mining workshop or saloon. Could have little story bits/hints of The Beast legend and accounts of sightings in the area and warnings. Be kind of a mix of Orion's queue building and the sort of light theming of Mystic Timber's queue. I would add some more thematic elements (small minimal ones) to the second "queue house" of the line as well.