When did you start going to KI and where did you hear about KIC?

[coastermike]

My very first visit to Kings Island was on August 25th, 1974. My family had just returned home to the Detroit area from a trip to Chicago when my Uncle Stan called to say he was taking his family to a new amusement park near Cincinnati the next weekend, and invited my family to go along. I was 10 years old. It was the first time I had ever been to an amusement park and I was amazed with the place. I've been hooked ever since and have traveled back there almost every year since then including a trip last summer with him and a few of my cousins. You can see scans of the 1974 Kings Island booklet from my first trip in the history-photographs section of this website.

Mike B.

[LongLiveTheSmurfRide]

I first went to KI when I was around 2 years old which would be 1981. I don't remember it, but I have lots of pictures of me there. Since then I've gone every year and had a pass for most of them.

I can't remember if I started visiting PKIC back in 2001 or 2002. I know that in 2002 there was a big re-vamp and everyone had to re-join. I think I'm still one of the first to join back in 2002, though my post total doesn't show it.

[KIRocks]

My 1st trip to KI was opening day 2007 and I loved it. I waited many years to finally ride The Beast! My home park is Cedar Point, but I must say that the atmosphere at KI was much more freindly overall. Don't get me wrong, I love CP, but KI is the 1st other park that I felt was nicer than CP in many ways, especially for the family atmosphere. I'll be back now that I have a Max Pass!

I learned about KIC when I googled Kings Island a few years ago. This is a very nice forum.

[Guest kwindshawne]

My first visit was probably in the mid 70's-not sure of exact year. Have visited yearly, except when I lived out of state the past 15 years or so. I came back in 2004, and have been yearly since. Compared to other parks I have visited coast to coast, this one is the most family oriented one of the bunch-it has a nice atmosphere to it....

[Guest kwindshawne]

Oh, forgot-KIC? Heard about it from a former employee. Read the forums and joined.

[Captain Nemo]

I first came to KI in 1996, I heard about KIC back in the PKIUniverse.com days. I really became a part of the community when I first sent Ryan an email. Infact I still have it!

This email is from December 11, 2004.

I have five good images of the 2005 construction taken from our family airplane. Contact me if you like what you see and want me to get more pictures for you.

That same day he replyed to my email.

Gabriel,

I am definitely interested in seeing more! I appreciate this greatly!

Thanks again!

Ryan

[slyvoxjr]

My first trip to KI was probably in the mid 80's sometime. I came with family and we had a game on the trip to KI (drove from other side of KY) whoever fell asleep first, me, my sister or my cousin, got to pick the first ride. I was about 8 or 9 at the time. I remember we rode The Beastie 4 or 5 times in a row. Back then it was the biggest ride we could ride. Found out about KIC from Google. What a great website. I cannot wait for my son to get to that age where he will want to ride The Beastie, or Fairly Odd Coaster as its present name, many times in a row.

[UncleHenry]

I first came to KI in 1996, I heard about KIC back in the PKIUniverse.com days. I really became a part of the community when I first sent Ryan an email. Infact I still have it!

This email is from December 11, 2004.

I have five good images of the 2005 construction taken from our family airplane. Contact me if you like what you see and want me to get more pictures for you.

That same day he replyed to my email.

Gabriel,

I am definitely interested in seeing more! I appreciate this greatly!

Thanks again!

Ryan

You saved the e-mail? Psh, lame!

[clbehymer]

My first visit was in 1980. My mom was pregnant with me, and I have been to the park at least once a year ever since. My entire family would come to the park together every July 1st. I have great memories of this park as a child and I have continued this tradition with my son.

I found KIC when I googled Kings Island images. I was so happy that I found this site with all of the photos and history.

[Pirate of PKI]

Not until the early nineties did I first go, KIC through PKIUnlimited.com ... I had my posts transfered over when KIC took over. Hence why I've been registered here since November of 04.

[Jeffy]

My first trip to Kings Island was in 1974. At that time the big attraction was The Racers. I've gone back every summer! I've ridden every coaster that has ever been at the park. I can remember the old canoe ride where the 3-D theater now sits. My favorite has to be The Vortex, with The Beast a close second. My favorite trip was during Grad Night in 1981, all of my high school buddies were there, we had the greatest of times. I also loved the Jimmy Buffett concert in the mid 80's, when I went with my fraternity brother Jim Minor, we got way too wild that night! Where are you JIM???

I found out about KIC on a web search a few years ago, researching for a new ride to put in a park I was designing for Roller Coaster Tycoon.

[fbama73]

I first went to KI in the mid 70's (1975, I'm pretty sure) I, too had never seen anything remotely like it, and I was completely awestruck. It became a family tradition to go for a day every year, and that day was the highlight of my Summer. Bavarian Beetle was my first coaster ever- I rode it with my dad, who is gone, now. A couple of years ago, my daughter was tall enough for her first coaster ride, and I took her on the Galaxi at Indiana Beach (a coaster identical to the Beetle)

I waited four hours in line to ride The Beast in it's first year, and still don't regret it! I got to ride The Bat, and have ridden every coaster that has ever been in the park, up to FoF. I haven't been in a few years, but my daughter is now over 48" tall, so we'll be taking her multiple times this year.

I heard of PKIC (now KIC) when I got to talking with a guy in the smoking area at Holiwood Nights (Holiday World) last year. It was Ryan. I promised him that I'd dig out some of Dad's old skool KI pictures, and Ryan, I still plan to make good on that!

[Lauch]

I'm sure my first trip to KI was in 1974, the year I was born. My family would go down every summer about three or four times. I still remember driving down 71 waiting to spot the Eiffel Tower and getting so excited to be there after 45 mins of driving. Back then..45 minutes was like a lifetime.

I just moved to Mason in December, so I was excited that KI would be in my backyard. I wanted to find out what had been added and/or subtracted from KI, so I did a Google search, and here I am. KIC has been the best thing for me to get my fix.

My step-daughter says I'm a freak about Kings Island, and I am. I love watching the park from afar, and I'm excited that I'll be able to go for a few hours anytime I want.

[kinserman11]

I first visited Kings Island in 1983 as a 1 yr old infant. Obviously I do not remember this trip, but I remember The Vortex's first year of operation, my first ride on The Racer with my grandpa in 1988, and my unforgetable first ride on The Beast in 1990, again with my grandpa. I have cherished memories of the park as a young kid, that I will never forget. I first heard abor KIC in 2003 when I stumbled across the website while surfing the net.

J.W. Elliott

[SwampFox]

I first heard of Kings Island in 1979 at a family get together in South Carolina. I was 7 years old and I had some family from Indy that could not stop talking about "The Beast". Even though I was only 7 years old, I already was given my nickname I use online now from sneaking on Family Kingdoms Swamp Fox Coaster in 1978.

My cousins told me how awesome this new wooden coaster (Beast) was and how terrified they were when they saw the 100+ foot lift hill! I was in awe and thought one day I was going to travel up there and ride this coaster.

On Opening Day in 2007, I arrived at the beautiful front entrance of KI for the first time, and walked straight towards the Coaster that has been calling my name for 28 years. Yes it was more than I ever imagined it could be! I have been to KI this year 5 times since I moved to KY from SC, and now call KI my home park.

Swampy

[markr]

I have been going to KI since it opened in 1972 when I was 11 before which my parents took my sister and I to old Coney Island. ( For those of you too young to remember KI was built because of flooding at Coney Island regularly.) My dad used to take me to KI about once each summer until I was in the sixth grade after which I started going with my friends. My dad loved roller coasters and I remember him taking me on The Racer and us both loving it. Unfortunately my father had to stop riding coasters after having open heart surgery in 1988.

I just came across KI Central by accident after surfing the internet. I am so glad I did as it has been a blast exchanging our two cents among ourselves. Also I got to meet some nice people at the event on 8/4 who hopefully will become good friends in the future.

[Mighty Mouse]

I have been going to Kings Island since the mid-seventies. I can remember riding Gullivers Travels and Enchanted Voyage. My first roller coaster was the Wild Mouse (How many remember that one?) It had the grab bar in the front and I was young enough to not know to hold on. I would have flown out of my seat if my mom hadn't grabbed me. Scared me so much I didn't ride another coaster for about six years!!

I just joined KIC a couple months ago. I saw it mentioned on the Dayton Daily News website.

[hauntguy]

I've been going to KI literaly every year of my life (20 years)... I remember the Enchanted Voyage, the dolphin show, the old zoo monorail, etc. I can't remember when I heard about KIC, although I remember going to PKIU for about a year then too KIC. I've been a member since... Jan. '04. So in 2008 I will have been here for 4 years. Wow. Where does time go? -Hauntguy

[K.I.FAN]

I started going to Kings Island back around 1987. I really did not hear about KIC. Since I am station outside the US. I subscribe to DDN online and I just came across it that way.

[beastrider97]

I started going in 2000 and found out about KIC when I was searching Kings Island forums!

[derek9312]

First time i believe in 1997 then yearly since 1998. Heard about KIC searching on RCDB and decided to just see what the site was all about and fell in love with it. I cant pass a computer anymore without at least checking the forums on the site that is how addicted to the site am.

[Changmanky]

Id have to say the first time i went to KI was with about 15 of my family members. Im thinking it was 1987 cause Vortex was only about five months old. I was scared of it, King Cobra and Screaming Demon. I was tricked onto The Beast and i thought id never let my uncle live it down but man what a ride it was then. As far as the rest, Rivertown had to be the best part of the park back then cause i loved the wild west theme. I remenber when the water was underneath the queue in The Beastline. The log rides were awesome and i really miss when they had actors on the train ride. Im not sure if WWC was biult then and i cant remenber when it opened. I loved Hanna Barbera land and The Beastie was my fav. Oh and having to go under those "Ivy" covered tunnels was neat. But all in all the one thing i dont miss back then was those long,long,long lines. Man I remenber only being able to maybe ride six rides in a day cause ive seen the queues of Racer back then be all the way full plus a line stretching halfway down Coney Mall. the only regrets i have are not being able to ride Flight Commander, Skylab, and Screamin Demon before they were taken out. It was as fun now as it was back then, except now im able to ride as many rides as i want and sometimes twice.

P>S> Oh forgot about those "bubblegum trees". LOL

[Changmanky]

I heard about KIC last year and had to come be with the rest of the KI goers.

[Raptor66]

I've been coming to KI since 1992, when I was only 1 year old. I don't really remember where I heard about KIC, I think I was just having coaster withdrawals during the off-season and was googling stuff about KI and found this site.

[Guest faceoff]

My first trip to Kings Island was at the age of ten. My first rollercoaster ride was The Racer. I loved

the ride and have been obsessed with amusement park's ever since. I will ride any coaster and flat

ride built. I will be riding till my last day and then come back and ride in the afterlife. Why give

up something i love?

[Texas Giant]

My first visit to Kings Island was in 2000, just a few years after moving to the midwest. Now I make it out to the park a few times a year.

I can't remember when I first discovered this website, but I became a regular reader last year while following the SOB accident/Cedar Fair buyout/Firehawk construction.

[Stewart32]

I began going to KI sometime in the mid-80's, probably about '86. First time was with a bunch of guys from college (WKU). I remember that we tailgated in the parking lot for lunch. Been going ever since then albeit sporadically.

I think I first saw this website when it was another url. I wanted to do a little research/reminisce before the first trip after a long hiatus, probably about '03.

[Dvo]

I've been going to the park since about 1987 as well. I remember Enchanted Voyage, the potato-sack slide, Skylab, Screamin Demon, and the ivy tunnels. Not to mention a GOOD Winterfest. I didn't really hear about KIC. I posted on Cedar Point Forums for a while, and then the thought occurred to me that there was probably a similar site for KI. Hooray KIC!

Also, does anyone remember the battleship game in Kiddie land? I remember there being a thing where kids could pay money to drive small boats with tennis ball cannons around a small pool, and people on the outside could pay money to shoot tennis ball cannons at the boats. I thought that was really funny.

[Coasterfan]

I've been going since the late 80's/early 90's. We first got a season pass around '95 or so and have had one every year since. I don't remember to much about the park from then, except riding Skylab with my Dad and some of the old Hanna-Barbara Land.

[KIBeast]

I would guess that it was my parents that heard about Kings Island. I was really young when it opened and we started going.

I think I found this site linked from another KI site that is no longer in existence. It wasn't PKIUnlimited, although I was a member there too. Can't remember the name.