RaptorGuy

After riding Son of Beast for the first time since its "re-birth", I thought, they should have just given it a new name, as making it a reference to The Beast really isnt appropriate any longer. Also, with all they did to it, if they would have renamed it, I would have felt justified and making it a new coaster on my coaster count list. If anyone has any cool names that they think would be cool, feel free to respond. This is just for fun, I'm sure it won't get renamed, but if they did, what would you like to see it called? I think a good one would be Rolling Cyclone. As that is what it feels like you're riding when riding it! Also, our friends in Jersey may find that amusing

Honestly, if they cant run this thing consistently on a daily basis everyday the park is open, they should just discontinue the ride altogether. These types of operations just do them a disservice. Think of how people come from far away to ride it, and get there to find it closed. The park can't even tell them if the ride is open or not. If this is the only way to operate this ride, it would be best to just take it out and use the land for something else at another time. This ride has never been at the top of my list, but without the loop, it just looks downright boring, and I've never enjoyed a coaster on Gerschlauer Trains. Well, I guess we will have to wait and see what happens here. I wish them luck on it!

I say "TAER" it down! Be a good spot to build a nice western themed Intamin coaster! Get the hint?

Yes, Tomb Raider is definitely the worst ride Kings Island has ever put over on the public. They really need to take it out, as its so messed up. Nothing works in it anymore, and the ride itself is in bad shape. I will NEVER ride it again. I havent ridden it since 05, and I only rode it once then. They could build a really nice coaster in that place, or perhaps a great water ride, or a combination of both! hint, hint, hint.

It's funny, when I first rode this coaster in 2001, the first thing I said when I got off was, "That's NOT how a coaster was meant to be ridden". Now, I like it ok. I think the Horshoe turn is the best part, because you feel like like you're flying like that guy in the comic book!

This is very true. I've only eaten once at KI this year and that was because I was staring after waiting all day for Firehawk to open so I was so hungry I didn't mind paying $10 for a bacon cheeseburger and a drink. The past 2 times I left to park to go to McDonald's and Frisch's, respectively. Every other time I've packed a lunch and ate in the parking lot. And this is one of the major reasons why Cedar Fair is looking for someone to invest in them. They are hurting for money because they have priced themselves almost out of the market. People are bringing their food more often to the parks, because they can't afford $4 drinks, as they are at Cedar Point. They can't afford $15 buffet meals at Kings Island, especially when the quality of the food is less than superb, which also is a problem with Cedar Point's buffet. Instead of going out and trying to find someone to buy them out and let them keep ehancing these problems, they need to listen to their customers and solve the problem accordingly. They would make a lot more money if the product they were presenting was much more affordable. Heck, Holiday World doesnt charge at all for drinks, and you don't hear about them hurting for money!

I wondered why they closed Drop Zone. Wow, thats bizarre that it would get all bent in like that! I havent been to the park in quite sometime, but I heard it closed down. That's just really wild that a pole would get all messed up like that!

The Flying Eagles and Enchanted Voyage 1, definitely the most missed.

Yes, Line Jumping is shameful and definitely NOT a sporting event. The other day at Cedar Point, we had a line jumper on Maverick. This lady was saying she had to get to her family, and she cut all the way through the line to the station to get to her family. Everyone in the line was yelling, LINE JUMPER! LINE JUMPER. Unfortunately, I don't think anything happened to her, as she showed up at Millennium Force causing trouble there, too!

As the Assistant Rep for ACE in Southern Ohio, I am officially announcing that Beast Bash this year will be September 29th. We always like to coincide it with opening night of Fearfest. This year, that is the date for opening night of Fearfest. More details will come later when we have them worked out, but mark your calenders for that date. Brian

Last week, during the ACE Coaster con, The Raptor Guy(ME) swooped in from Cedar Point to be a games operator for the morning. I got to work the Whack A Mole game for the ACErs who were participating in the summer Con Olympics. I must say, I had a great time kicking those little black boxes around. I want to give KOODOS to a young man named Shaun Shepherd from Texas. This 17 year old kid knew his Whack A Mole! We had some contests after the Olympics, and he along with his mother competed against each other, and when others played, either him or his mom would win the game. I really enjoyed my day at Kings Island that day, and getting to have my first experience as a games operator!

My most missed rides are Flying Eagles by far, and then Enchanted Voyage 1, and last but not least, Yogi's Ark. Those were just the rides that made my Kings Island experience really worth while!

I think Demon Drop needs to take a "Nasty Fall", if you get my drift! Sorry Corndog!

I wonder if that had never happened, if Flight Commander would still be operating at Kings Island today?

6.5 For Flight of Fear opening day. They were only running one train, and it kept breaking down. I got in line at 12:30pm, and they said it would be 3 hours. We started waiting all the way down in front of what was then Days Of Thunder Theater. All the way up Coney Mall and then once we got passed The Racer, they had a temporary que building set up that's long gone now. That's probably the longest I've ever gone without a bathroom break!

Well, its quite a shame that you didnt get to ride Maverick. That is truly the best coaster on the planet! I rode it 19 times last week, and it got better every time! Cedar Point picked a winner with that one! I have to disagree on thinking that The Bat was like Iron Dragon (aka Dragon Iron). Those coasters were nothing alike. The only similarity is, the 2 lift hills. I also have to disagree about Kings Island's games being better. Honestly, games at any amusement park are a blatant ripoff, but at least at Cedar Point, they dont scream to the top of their lungs on the microphones like they do at Kings Island! Actually, if you want to go to a park where games are a good value, try Kennywood in Miflin Pennsylvania. You can play 3 games there for the price of one at Kings Island! Its a shame you missed Magnum, too. I think they are getting it back up to par after its little tiff last week. Its a great airtime machine. Probably one of the best coasters Arrow has ever put out there. It was once my number one coaster for a long time. Mean Streak is not that bad. You need to ride in the front seat, a great view and good airtime. If you really hated it, be glad you didnt ride it about 3 years ago. They've done a lot of work on it. It used to be worse than Son of Beast, which is saying something! I actually like riding it now. I skipped about 2 years on it earlier in the decade, though. I don't know what you meant about riding it in a fetal position. Its not any different than riding Beast or Racer. The lapbars actually give more room than Beast or Racer, although the seat belts are useless on it. Finally, yea, Raptor is an awesome coaster. Best B&M there is! Its tied for my number one coaster right now. Although, the onride cam is another rip off. My friend Kyle from Michigan bought one and said not to waste your money. I can see his point. POV would be better, not watching yourself ride a ride and not really be able to tell what exactly you're doing. Raptorguy Brian who says, "See YOU At The Point!"

Although, I'm glad they no longer play that Paramount music, I really don't care for the music they replaced it with. It is suppose to be International Street, they should play some music from other countries and stuff. Sort of like the old days of when it first opened! Cedar Point does a small mix of New Age music into their genre, so I would think they would do at least some of that at Kings Island.

That's the Kings Island I remember and loved as a young kid! Those were the good old days. I miss the Enchanted Voyage, and some of those good rides.

From Gamesguy's post, parks like Dollywood, Wild Adventures, and of course Disney World have no problems with timing to transfer from Halloween to Christmas. Its all in planning. Fearfest takes place in Coney Mall for the most part, and some of Rivertown. Winterfest was mostly International Street. The train was easily transfered, because during Fearfest, you got off before the area they were building the Winterfest stuff, so you didnt see that going on. I think you can easily do both events. Its all in what Cedar Fair wants to do. Lately, they seem to not want to do much, as they are sending all their potential profits over to their competition across the street to The Beach!

The King Cobra was my very first stand up coaster (maybe because it WAS the very first stand up coaster) that I have ever ridden. As much as I think Cedar Point is the greatest place on earth,I have to say that King Cobra was a much better and more fun ride than Mantis! Since it has not been operational in 5 years, chances are that it will NEVER be operational again. It is sad. Look for all of its brothers at the other parks to leave in the next few years as well. I don't feel this way about King Cobra, because it was fun, but as for Skyrider and Shockwave, its time for them TOGO!