CoastersRZ Posted July 8, 2006 Share Posted July 8, 2006 I was on the wonderful site CincinnatiViews today. The site has old postcards and pictures from all over the Cincinnati area. Any way, the webmaster over there has finally put up a page on Kings Island. Most of the shots focus on International Street, but there is one unique aerial picture I haven`t seen before. Also an image of the sky ride as seen from Hanna Barbera Land, as well as a picture of the Sunshine Turnpike. Kings Island Views Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TopThrill Posted July 8, 2006 Share Posted July 8, 2006 Those were some nice photos, yeah the one picture of HB side of Sky Ride is very rare. Nice find CoastersRZ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vortex Posted July 8, 2006 Share Posted July 8, 2006 (edited) I wonder how hard it would be to reprint all of the old post cards from Kings Island. They could sell them in a book. When you goto Cedar Point you see alot of books and videos of the park. I just Kings Island gets something for the big 35. Also I know their are alot of older videos still around from 1972 to today. Wonder if they would make a video showing the old park. Edited July 8, 2006 by Vortex Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CoasterKrazy Posted July 8, 2006 Share Posted July 8, 2006 I didn't realize International Restaurant was an addition to the park. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CoastersRZ Posted July 8, 2006 Author Share Posted July 8, 2006 Yep. International Restaurant opened in 1973, a year after the park opened. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Interpreter Posted July 8, 2006 Share Posted July 8, 2006 Too funny! That page references this panoramic view, which it says doesn't show much of Kings Island other than the Eiffel Tower and parking lot. So, what's in it? Drop Zone! Not even a glimpse of the Eiffel Tower!!!! http://cincinnativiews.net/images-2/Kings%...%20Panorama.jpg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TQZ Posted July 9, 2006 Share Posted July 9, 2006 This is also a very large image. It was taken, I think, from the top of the tower at Kings Island. It does not show much of Kings Island except for parts of the roller coaster. It does have a great view of the parking lot. It says it was taken from the top of the tower. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Interpreter Posted July 9, 2006 Share Posted July 9, 2006 Well, by cracky it does. Pardon me while I go back to watching Gunsmoke (sigh!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WooferBearATL Posted July 9, 2006 Share Posted July 9, 2006 Anyone know where the gondolas from the skyride went to? I can't imagine they were scrapped. Very cool gondolas as they had lights on the bottom. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snake Attack! Posted July 9, 2006 Share Posted July 9, 2006 Sorry if this is a bit nieve but what is that big inflatable tent that is red looking thing. Also from where about do you think the picture in Hanah-Barbara was taken from. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steveo3631 Posted July 9, 2006 Share Posted July 9, 2006 The big balloon was a theater located on the spot of Paramount Gardens. It collapsed during a snow storm and was removed. The HB picture was taken just behind the skyride station looking toward the Enchanted Voyage and tghe backside of the HB rainbow. If KI does sell a video of the park, a video of the original Enchantage Voyage would reduce me to a quivering mess! That ride was part of my childhood! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PKIVortex Posted July 9, 2006 Share Posted July 9, 2006 Those are nice pics. I totally forgot that the top platfrom was open, other then a fence. The tower looks darker too, or it may just be the pics. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WooferBearATL Posted July 9, 2006 Share Posted July 9, 2006 The big balloon was a theater located on the spot of Paramount Gardens. It collapsed during a snow storm and was removed. The HB picture was taken just behind the skyride station looking toward the Enchanted Voyage and tghe backside of the HB rainbow. If KI does sell a video of the park, a video of the original Enchantage Voyage would reduce me to a quivering mess! That ride was part of my childhood! A buddy made the Enchanted Voyage music into my phone's ringtone. LOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TQZ Posted July 9, 2006 Share Posted July 9, 2006 Those are nice pics. I totally forgot that the top platfrom was open, other then a fence. The tower looks darker too, or it may just be the pics. Man, that would just freak me out. I am not afraid of heights or anything, but man thats scary. Just think if you made someone mad and they decided to throw you over. Or if someone was suicidal and jumped or something. *spine chills* Also, if you look, there are people on the bottom level too. You can even see people walking up the steps. I think that would be neat. They say they dont open that level up anymore, because they are understaffed. I have a hard time believing that, but who knows. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WooferBearATL Posted July 9, 2006 Share Posted July 9, 2006 Those are nice pics. I totally forgot that the top platfrom was open, other then a fence. The tower looks darker too, or it may just be the pics. Man, that would just freak me out. I am not afraid of heights or anything, but man thats scary. Just think if you made someone mad and they decided to throw you over. Or if someone was suicidal and jumped or something. *spine chills* Also, if you look, there are people on the bottom level too. You can even see people walking up the steps. I think that would be neat. They say they dont open that level up anymore, because they are understaffed. I have a hard time believing that, but who knows. It was no big deal having just the fence up around the top levels on the tower. It really was not a big deal. The 50' level on the tower was always cool. I used to just go up there and sit to watch folk walk by. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Outdoor Man Posted July 9, 2006 Share Posted July 9, 2006 Wow, going back to that first picture... there wasn't much to the park then. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Nemo Posted July 9, 2006 Share Posted July 9, 2006 My how PKI has changed since its opening. It is always cool to see our park in its old state and form. The only thing I wish there were more of are construction photos. I have seen a few construction pics of the tower and of Vortex but they are very rare to find. I also remember seeing a Top Gun (Thunder Road) construction photograph a few years back. The 50 foot platform when it was open I believe was able to be gone to by just the stairs (which are to either side of the elevators). They are used now for the lights for the tower. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Interpreter Posted July 9, 2006 Share Posted July 9, 2006 Those are nice pics. I totally forgot that the top platfrom was open, other then a fence. The tower looks darker too, or it may just be the pics. It's not just the pictures. The tower was almost an olive green. I, for one, think it looked MUCH better that way. And yes, there really wasn't much park. But we didn't have anything to compare it to and thought it quite huge and grand. I'd love to have the ability to go back to the original Kings Island again, or, for that matter, to visit Riverview and ride the Bobs, to go to Crystal Beach and ride the Cyclone...sigh. It's enough, I suppose, that I got to go to Coney Island in the pre-Kings Island days and to ride the Shooting Star and visit the grandeur that was Coney Island. I only wish there had been consumer video cameras back then. Heck, I might have used one! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jzarley Posted July 9, 2006 Share Posted July 9, 2006 I remember that first time I visited KI (I believe it was about '74) and I was six years old...I remember thinking it was the most incredible place I had ever seen. I don't have any specific memories of what things looked like...I just remember the feeling of what it was like to be there. I'm still convinced that the Enchanted Voyage is the thing that has fueled my lifelong fascination with themed entertainment That's why the parks mean so much more to we enthusiasts than to the GP...we have a real emotional attachment to them. Interpreter...were you ever at the Buckeye Lake park east of Columbus? My parents have always had tons of stories about great times there, and I've seen some pictures that make it look like a great traditional boardwalk type of park... Unfortunately, it was gone by the time I came around. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Interpreter Posted July 9, 2006 Share Posted July 9, 2006 Nope. The Internet has fundamentally changed things. I didn't even know there WAS a Buckeye Lake until after it was gone. Same for Euclid Beach. I didn't get to Kennywood, or even know anything about it, until the early 1980's. I knew of Cedar Point only because they advertised in the back of comic books: The World Famous Blue Streak, largest wooden coaster in the world!!! And back in the late eighties, it took two years for me to find ACE's address! The Internet has, indeed, changed things forever! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WooferBearATL Posted July 9, 2006 Share Posted July 9, 2006 I remember that first time I visited KI (I believe it was about '74) and I was six years old...I remember thinking it was the most incredible place I had ever seen. I don't have any specific memories of what things looked like...I just remember the feeling of what it was like to be there. I'm still convinced that the Enchanted Voyage is the thing that has fueled my lifelong fascination with themed entertainment That's why the parks mean so much more to we enthusiasts than to the GP...we have a real emotional attachment to them. Interpreter...were you ever at the Buckeye Lake park east of Columbus? My parents have always had tons of stories about great times there, and I've seen some pictures that make it look like a great traditional boardwalk type of park... Unfortunately, it was gone by the time I came around. jz, we're the same age? I'll be darned! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jzarley Posted July 9, 2006 Share Posted July 9, 2006 I just turned 38 a few weeks ago... High School class of '86...my 20-year reunion is in August! Jeesh...how did that happen so fast? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WooferBearATL Posted July 9, 2006 Share Posted July 9, 2006 I just turned 38 a few weeks ago... High School class of '86...my 20-year reunion is in August! Jeesh...how did that happen so fast? I wouldn't trade it for the world man. I once had someone in their 50's tell me (when I was in my 20's) that it gets better every year. It really does! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steveo3631 Posted July 9, 2006 Share Posted July 9, 2006 Those are nice pics. I totally forgot that the top platfrom was open, other then a fence. The tower looks darker too, or it may just be the pics. Man, that would just freak me out. I am not afraid of heights or anything, but man thats scary. Just think if you made someone mad and they decided to throw you over. Or if someone was suicidal and jumped or something. *spine chills* Also, if you look, there are people on the bottom level too. You can even see people walking up the steps. I think that would be neat. They say they dont open that level up anymore, because they are understaffed. I have a hard time believing that, but who knows. It was no big deal having just the fence up around the top levels on the tower. It really was not a big deal. The 50' level on the tower was always cool. I used to just go up there and sit to watch folk walk by. KI History...now here is something to sink my teeth into. Tower was darker originally. It does look better in the lighter color. The 50 foot level was a nightmare. Not only was it not accessable for guests with disabilities, it was a safety hazard. It was easy to climb the legs and get onto to the roof, as at least one suicidal guest tried. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Interpreter Posted July 9, 2006 Share Posted July 9, 2006 Suicidal? I'm not so sure about that. Drunk out of his mind? Doubtless. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WooferBearATL Posted July 9, 2006 Share Posted July 9, 2006 KI History...now here is something to sink my teeth into. Tower was darker originally. It does look better in the lighter color. The 50 foot level was a nightmare. Not only was it not accessable for guests with disabilities, it was a safety hazard. It was easy to climb the legs and get onto to the roof, as at least one suicidal guest tried. I disagree. There's really no issue with the 50' level of the tower. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Interpreter Posted July 9, 2006 Share Posted July 9, 2006 Really? Does the elevator stop there? Can it? If not, the Americans with Disabilities Act alone would require it major modifications before it could be reopened. And we haven't even talked about today's guests dropping stuff on the heads of their fellow guests (one of the major reasons why skyrides have disappeared left and right...) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WooferBearATL Posted July 9, 2006 Share Posted July 9, 2006 Really? Does the elevator stop there? Can it? If not, the Americans with Disabilities Act alone would require it major modifications before it could be reopened. And we haven't even talked about today's guests dropping stuff on the heads of their fellow guests (one of the major reasons why skyrides have disappeared left and right...) The elevators are unable to stop at that level. There are no elevator doors. The only way to get up there is the steps and I'm certain that it would be grandfathered in, much the way that the International Restaurant does not have an elevator for guests. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PKI_Diana Posted July 9, 2006 Share Posted July 9, 2006 Those are nice pics. I totally forgot that the top platfrom was open, other then a fence. The tower looks darker too, or it may just be the pics. Man, that would just freak me out. I am not afraid of heights or anything, but man thats scary. Just think if you made someone mad and they decided to throw you over. Or if someone was suicidal and jumped or something. *spine chills* Also, if you look, there are people on the bottom level too. You can even see people walking up the steps. I think that would be neat. They say they dont open that level up anymore, because they are understaffed. I have a hard time believing that, but who knows. thats not the reason... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Interpreter Posted July 9, 2006 Share Posted July 9, 2006 Neither is grandfathered in, as it is no longer in use. Reopening it would require compliance. If it had never closed, it CURRENTLY would be grandfathered. But, the day is coming, and relatively soon, that corporate owners of facilities are required to modify existing facilities. Personally, I bet this ends up being changed, but current law has this day coming soon indeed. I know this is a major issue of industry concern. Also, the elevators were just rehabbed. Paramount put major money into doing them. I think they still cannot stop at that first level, though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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