I hope this is allowed here...

I am posting this to give serious KI collectors the chance to own a piece of Kings Island History.  I have had the pleasure of owning "Tag" the dog from KI's original dark ride "The Enchanted Voyage."   This piece is in original working order and operated in the ride from 1972-1983.  Since his time with me, he's been in storage, because I simply do not have room in my home to display him.  I'd rather him go to a fellow KI enthusiast that can enjoy him so I have listed him on FB Marketplace.  I'll link below.  The amount I am asking is due to my desire of ensuring that whomever buys him will respect his provenance.  I live in Louisville, so any interested parties would need to travel here to acquire him.  Its a fun, piece!

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/1497403075519022/

I grew up with the original location in Fairfield, but never made it out to the newer Eastgate location until this past weekend. While there, I came across these two 1990s style stock cars on display:

If memory serves (and there’s no guarantee that it does), these vehicles (or similar ones) were once on display in Fairfield…and I’d heard that these vehicles might’ve been purchased from/relocated from Kings Island not long after the Days of Thunder attraction closed.

Before “Action Theatre” was discarded as a haphazard haunted house and dinosaur cash grab, the attraction had some really cool stuff back there. Debuting as “Days of Thunder” at then-Paramount’s Kings Island, the ride’s queue featured several stock cars of the era on display and painted up to look like the vehicles in the film. They *may* have even been used in the film, but given that Paramount built three of these attractions, I don’t think that was necessarily the case. 

Anyways, the notion that those display cars were relocated to Jungle Jim’s and slapped with new paint was something I always heard about in KI lore, but not something anyone had ever really “confirmed” or “proven.” I.E. I don’t doubt that’s where these cars are from, but I don’t know for sure.

So, I figured it might be fun to ask here: anyone know for certain?

Only other bit of info I got is that when I was nearing the end of my time at the park circa 2011-2013, another similar stock car was always wheeled out for the haunt. It had been re-painted to look a destroyed police car and was used as a thematic element in some sort of zombie apocalypse attraction (Translation: supposedly one of the old Days of Thunder display cars had been quickly covered in spray paint and then dinged up to look like garbage).

And as a bonus question (since I don’t hail from the Eastside), can anyone tell me if this beautiful sign now on display at Jungle Jim’s Eastgate is formerly from the short-lived “Cheeseburger in Paradise” restaurant that existed out that way?

I've seen the pieces that were in one of the books from 2022, as well as some of the ones posted here on KIC. Whether you can help gather pictures, links to websites, concepts that were proposed, concepts that changed, and/or things that were officially built — anything and everything will be greatly appreciated. Older pictures, more recent pictures, or pictures from the Paramount era, I'm a visual learner.

Feel free to also share existing topics and other pictures here on KIC that I probably missed in my search. Much thanks!

I’ve a contacted the former employee who fabricated the Hanna-Barbera costumes, including the gloves in 1974/1975, and a few other Kings Island collectors, though we all agree that an estimate on what they’d be worth is near impossible. Thoughts?

I've been doing some extensive research on KI memorabilia, my main focus has been items from the Hanna Barbera era. With that being said, I've seen online that people have found the original park signs scattered around the Cincinnati area. Does anyone within this forum have any idea how I can get my hands on one of these signs if any are even available to be sold? I've only seen the few online and would love to own one. Maybe someone within this forum may have one for sale perhaps? Let me know!!  

Much appreciation for any answers you all can provide!

Time frame: 1979-82 (estimated)

There was a novelty shop in the buildings on the left side of International Street (as you enter and face the Eiffel Tower).

They sold typical teenager impulse buys and Spencer Gifts-type items, many of them with a pirate or Halloween theme - plastic swords, rubber masks, etc.

As a traffic-stopper and a come-on they had a blank mannequin head near the doorway. A film was projected onto the head, making it look as if it were speaking.

The film ran in a loop and lasted about 30 seconds in which a bald-headed pirate delivered a dramatic Treasure Island spiel involving, well, piracy on the high seas.

One line I can recall: 'We collected our booty. 25 Spanish gold doubloons!' (I may have the number wrong)

Goofy bored preteens that we were, we managed to memorize the speech after a few viewings. We entertained ourselves and annoyed those around us the rest of the summer by reciting it verbatim.

Which leads to the following questions if anyone knows or remembers:

-What was the name of the shop?

-Does anyone remember the pirate-head film?

-Did anyone happen to work in the shop or the park at the time who remembers it?

-Going for broke here, did anyone have an involvement with the production of the film or setting up the projection display in the shop?

It's just one of those things you remember vividly.

thx.....

If you're interested, have access to a good phone or camera, and find yourself at Kings Island on a day where you can take some good pictures, then join the project! Submit your photos to KIC (linked below) and feel free to post them here as well. I will have a second post with suggestions below this one, including some KIC albums that look like they may need more up-to-date pictures. 

KIC Photo Submission: https://KICentral.com/kic-photo-submission 

Photo Examples: 

@KIfan73 Photo of International Street, looking north. | July 5, 2017 (from the "How to upload photos to KIC" topic)

@Dane Photo of Vortex, looking from The Beast. | https://KICentral.com/photos/Vortex#5752 

Kings Island | Photo of the Island Smokehouse in Soak City. | https://www.visitkingsisland.com/dining

I don't remember much about it. I'm assuming they served wings? What I recall most is at one point, the diner actually played the movie on TV screens, and I always thought that was cool. I dunno, of all the Paramount properties they could've picked -- Star Trek: TNG (Ten Forward), The Godfather (leave the change, take the cannoli), Cheers -- what they went with was a b&w silent film. That fascinates me. 

I'm wondering if anyone has pictures or information about the Shady Maple Picnic Grove that existed just outside of the front gate circa 1994? I just found it on a picture of a 1994 park guide and am now really curious. The map has it located either where Invertigo's queue building is or on the other side of the tree line closer to the parking lot. There was an Iam's Pet Day-Care Center between the shelter and the Kings Island Theater as well. 

Thanks for any and all info!

You will see Son of Beast, Invertigo and Delirium's old paint scheme, When you click around the parking lot you'll get some neat action shots of the rides and just the overall vibe of that time.

Just figured I would share this. I kinda love that this is frozen in time.

I’m wondering if anyone on this forum would have any photography or videography of the attraction that they may have taken (whether it be of the attraction itself, haunt displays, or anything else). 

A current main searching point for me currently is audio files for the queue, either the turntable or full Maestro audio (~10 minutes of maestro’s is posted to YouTube but it was likely closer to 30-60 minutes). I also haven’t been able to find the video or audio for the talking portrait projections, but I believe those to be completely lost after speaking to the creator. 

Anything shared would be greatly appreciated! If anyone else is looking for something specific from the attraction as well, I can see if I have it. Thanks!

He makes a brief appearance here in the 20th Anniversary parade (as well as the KI Clown Band): 

The mask for the character eventually found it’s way into a Fearfest display in front of the Action Theater in 2005 (per the photo gallery): 

Pretty cool stuff!!

This is a few of our pictures of the original Bat in Coney Mall that Vortex now occupies.  A prototype suspended coaster made by Arrow Dynamics which opened in 1981 closed in 1983. Feel free to post more details if anyone has them. I have added the fully gallery of pictures of the original Bat on the now Bat's page at the bottom.  https://kicentral.com/the-bat/