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Ah...another Monday is here...and Christmas is only seven days away! 1974 It’s little things in some of these photos that I like sometimes...in this case I like seeing the boy trying to run so he doesn’t miss the train...which i’m sure was a lot bigger deal then than it is today. (Unless you were just heading to Boomerang Bay.) 2011 I think I am on the money with this shot...although I could be off by a couple of feet. With all of the umbrellas & the bushes and the fence it was tough to see much. I based my location on the wooden lamp post in the center which appeared to be original. So where would I rather be today? I don’t think there’s much doubt that the train ride was way cooler back in 1974 than now. (Politically incorrect for sure...but fun just the same.) I do thank the park immensely though for still keeping the train around...it is one of the most relaxing things to do in the park...and a godsend to any parent who needs to sit down while still keeping a toddler occupied.

Since I know Holiday World has a few fellow fans here (and no fansite of its own), I thought I'd share this video I just found. I know I've certainly never seen it before--it's of The Raven in its first few seasons at the park, back when it was the only wooden coaster to be found in Santa Claus. A couple things I noticed: Will Koch looks really young. I didn't know video of the ride's grand opening existed. The most I'd seen were a few photos of Will and Denise Dinn-Larrick in the front seat, with Bill Koch clipping the banner. The Raven had buzz bars?! Ordinarily I wouldn't get this excited/jealous about such a thing, but after riding Kennywood's coasters this summer, I can't even imagine how crazy a fairly new Raven with buzz bars would have ridden. When did the change from buzz bars to individual restraints happen? I want a ride with Santa! Hope you guys enjoy this as much as I did. Finding stuff like this (and standbyme's historic photos, and TombraiderTy's occasional compilations) usually helps the off-season go by quickly. (Note: the reason I put "historic" in quotes in the title is because I frankly don't find the 90's to be too long ago. I'm not that old! )

And then, the PARK may have suffered a similar fate to what was once Seaworld's northern most location when the last owners found that running seasonal parks is a whole different ballgame.

JD - I have to admit that today's set left me disappointed with the 2011 picture - how could you miss the fact that you have the wrong train in the photo? Definitely choosing 1974 as I think the train ride itself would have been much more special then and I like the fact that it is open for people to see versus hidden by all the tables/umbrella's, etc...

The Groove has teen nights. Not sure if they are weekly, or of rarer occurance, but when I was there last year we could not get in because we were not teens.

And, coming from someone who's been to a Winter Jam concert, do know that $10 is an absolute steal for the number of great performers that will be there. I highly recommend it.

Sorry I haven't been active in this thread the past couple weeks - I've still been following the pictures, but I've been failing at interacting much. I still greatly appreciate all the work you put into researching, taking and sharing the photographs though - it'd definitely something to look forwards to every day. To quickly voice my opinions on the last five pictures shared... Monkey Island Although I've always found the Lion Country Safari interesting (simply reference my spotlight of the area ), I don't think the exhibit shown in the '74 picture could really compare to anything available at modern day zoos and animal attractions (like Disney's Animal Kingdom). I do wish I could've ridden the Monorail, but I enjoy Drop Tower and don't mind Congo Falls. So '11 for this one. Parking Lot Trams I rarely ever use the main parking lot anymore and don't have any personal reasons to dislike it or its lack of trams, but I can definitely see the benefits of them. In general though, I feel as though that area could be made more pedestrian friendly with better defined crosswalks and pathways, plus some additional landscaping would do it good. Therefore, with '74's operating tram (and the clearly defined pathway for it), I'd have to go with the older year. Inflatable Theater While the inflatable Kings Island Theater was the main entertainment venue at the park in '74, several other facilities have since opened. Therefore, no harm in losing it, although I wish its replacement (Tower Gardens) was better maintained - the waterfall has been nonoperational for several years, the seating is limited to a circle of benches for smoking and the landscaping is rather lacking. I know that this is the KI nerd speaking, but I'd love to see a KI history exhibit / attraction placed in the gardens. Elsewhere in the photo, I'd rather have the family-friendly Der Spinnen Keggers than an airbrush shop. So '74 wins again. Oktoberfest Pond This one is probably the most difficult choice in the whole thread. The Sky Ride looked very nice and offered some fantastic views, but Viking Fury is a phenomenal family attraction (something the park could use more of). It was a hard decision, but I think I'll have to go with '11 for this one. Side note - Notice the large, vertical banners in this shot? The two on the right are still there, hidden among the trees around VF's exit. Pause and see if you can find them next time you ride. Train While a compact collection of tables and umbrellas isn't anything too exciting, neither is a large, blank plot of grass. But when you consider what the attraction featured in '74, versus its lack of almost anything exciting in '11, I'd have to go with '74. It's worth noting that there were some minor additions made to the "town" on the KI&MVRR this year though. Hopefully that's the beginning of a trend where the attraction is continually updated and enhanced. Thanks again for doing all of this - it's always exciting to see old pictures of the park, and it's even more interesting when you have modern day pictures to compare them to

SeaWorld has a couple of fantastic shows and three or four great thrill rides, but in my opinion it's a lot like Universal Studios Hollywood - an add-on, not meant to be the center of one's trip. That being said, everyone is different. I opt for five days at Disneyland where others might find that repetitive. I can spend three or four at Busch Gardens Williamsburg and feel it was time well spent. I can hardly fill a single day at Cedar Point.

LOVE the video. Raven is my #1,#2,or#3 coaster at HW (but never #4!)... depending on my mood and how they're running. Safety standards, manufacturers recommendations and parks fear of litigation have gotten... crazy?! It's odd to think that they must consider how to avoid someone being able to willfully hurt themselves or someone else. Have you seen the video of the guy crossing a chute the chutes track to get his hat. How many fences were installed because someone got hit by a B&M invert. I'm sorry but, how do you let yourself get in the way of a train that freaking huge and loud. I feel horrible for the kid but... OFF SOAPBOX

I will say this much: I had a very similar trip, though more aimed towards Universal. I would always, always, always suggest two or more days at Universal. I am an avid, rabid fan of Disneyland in California, and have been to Walt Disney World on nearly a dozen occasions. Still, I find Universal to be a far superior resort to the Florida Disney one. Disney World is fantastic and immersive and spectacular and grand, but I suppose I'm old fashioned: I like Disneyland and Universal Orlando for the comfort, closeness, and interrelatedness of the resorts. They're small and delightful and unique. And I can say (as I probably said in the other thread) that Universal's Islands of Adventure goes above and beyond anything you'll see at a stateside Disney park as far as themeing, immersion, and thrill. It is, without a moment of hesitation, the best theme park I've ever been to (and that was before Harry Potter came along). Universal Orlando Resort uses the close proximity of the parks probably better than any other resort I've visited. You enter into Citywalk (which is free and open to public access). CityWalk is horseshoe shaped. Universal Studios Florida is at one end. Universal's Islands of Adventure is at the other. I like the setting that that creates, because you immediately choose whether to head towards the Universal globe and studio arch (Universal Studios) or the crashed seaplane and lighthouse (Islands of Adventure). It's a cool notion. As far as CityWalk, it's much like Downtown Disney or any other entertainment district: shops, karaoke bars, "clubs," theaters, and restaurants. Others can probably give you better advice on which are the most fun, but it's not something you'd plan a day around. If anything, you'd probably just stroll into a restaurant after you leave the park, go to the Burger King Whopper Bar for lunch while you pass between the two. The parks are not busy in January or February. It's one of the slowest times to go. The thing that caught me off guard is that both Universal Studios parks closed at 6:00. It seems odd, but by 5:00, every single ride was a walk-on, so I could understand why. Just check the parks' operating hours and factor that into trip planning. A 10:00 to 6:00 day is 8 hours. That's much different from a 9:00 to midnight day, in which you have 15 hours in the parks. As for the Disney Parks, it's a tough choice. I'll say that, on my trip, we used a one-day park hopper to get as much done as we can and chose to visit all of the parks except The Magic Kingdom. That's because we were returning visitors. If you have little exposure to Disney World or have never been, The Magic Kingdom is basically essential. My favorite of the parks is Disney's Hollywood Studios, and it has its fair share of un-missables (like Tower of Terror, Rock n Roller Coaster, Voyage of the Little Mermaid, The Great Movie Ride, Muppet Vision 3D, and Star Tours). Animal Kingdom is also a really incredible park, and Epcot has a few really awesome attractions too. I can say that if I could construct a perfect limited-time visit to Disney World for myself, it would be three days: a full day at the Magic Kingdom, another at the Studios, then a day split between Epcot and Animal Kingdom (despite those two being the largest parks, they can be tackled from a "thrill seeker" point of view fairly well in five or six hours apiece). Also remember to factor in transportation. At Disney World, you should plan at least 30 minutes to get between parks because of the transportation system. To get from the Magic Kingdom to Epcot, for example, you must take a monorail to a connecting monorail. From Hollywood Studios to Epcot, a boat is usually easiest. To Animal Kingdom, you must take a bus. And if you're staying at an off-property, non-Disney hotel and not renting a car, figure out the hotel's shuttle schedule. For example, my hotel's shuttle went to Disney one time at 8:00 AM and returned one time at 9:00 PM, with the pick-up/drop-off spot being at Epcot. That meant that, by 9:00, we had to be back at Epcot, and that's something you can't miss. Even if you're driving, consider a hotel shuttle to save $14.00 on parking if it works in your schedule. If your hotel is near Universal Orlando, it's a pleasant walk along the waterfront to the parks, or a brisk trip through the massive parking deck with moving sidewalks - another way to save $14.00 a day. The areas around the resort are built for pedestrian traffic from nearby hotels. The dolphin swim package is great at Discovery Cove, but if time (and not money) is your only issue, know that you'd honestly be hard-pressed to spend more than a few days at SeaWorld and stay engaged. It's a beautiful park with much to offer, but even at a leisurely pace I think you'd be just about finished at the close of day two. Everyone's different, but I understand that you're looking for a more thrilling, fast-paced trip with a teenage age range, so in that case, SeaWorld is certainly a full-day attraction, but not something you'd want to visit for three, four, or five days. Again, that's my opinion. Wow. I just typed a lot. Sorry!

Meh. What happened to being innovative