markr

I think often the waits for rides are highly exaggerated. In the early years of Vortex I don't recall ever waiting longer than one hour and that is when the line was all the way back to the dodgems. The longest I have timed Beast is at 1 1/2 hours with all queues ( the name for the zig zags.) filled and the line all the way to Larosa's. I have timed Firehawk at 1 1/4 hrs from the entrance. ( When the sign there says 2 hours.)

Weekdays at CP tend to be packed just like weekends in July and August. I think it is because CP is more of a tourist destination than KI where people take long term vacations.

I was 11 when the park opened in 1972. I recognize the old bavarian beetle ( the orange coaster in the lower left of the first picture, how I loved that ride, why oh why did they tear it down?), the canoes where the station for Beast is now ( where Jan lost Mike's blue prints on the Brady Bunch,) the old slide, and Haley's comet ( the round up type spinning ride which was by the slide.) and I see the building for the old Enchanted Voyage where Scooby's Haunted Castle is now. Pardon my babbling but what memories that brings back.

Was just at Boomering Bay today. Great way to beat the heat.

I really had a great time at the KI Central event. It would be ashamed for us all to get together just once a year so I was wondering if anyone wanted to get together at CP maybe in September. Holloweekends start the weekend of September 14-16. KI is closed during most of September for the corporate outings so I thought this would be a great weekend to get together for a CP trip. The weather is usually still pretty nice and the crowds have died down plus hotel rooms are real cheap at that time. Anyone who is interested can just leave a message on this board or e-mail me. Hopefully we can coordinate something.

I just don't understand all the complaints about the season pass procedures. Sure its not perfect as this is a transition year of new ownership. But think about it. For just $125 plus an additional $75 ( or $40 if you were a current passholder in 2006 and renewed before the end of the season) you get a whole season of admission to KI, CP, GL and 8 other parks. You get free parking at KI,CP,and GL. On weekends at KI when the park tends to be crowded you get to walk to the front of the line on Beast, Italian Job, and your choice of Delirium or Drop Zone. ( and you can go back for as many tickets as you want depending upon how many Gold Pass members are at the park. ) You get to enter CP one hour early with the Joe Cool Club and the Resorts guests and ride Raptor, MF, Maverick and Dragster. And that is probably less than the cost of joining a swim club for the summer. ( And you get a swim club included with the above price with Boomering Bay for hot days.) You have your right to your opinion but I am getting a little weary of people complaining about how horrible the Season Pass program is. It is your best value for the buck and I think Cedar Fair has bent over backwards to make it well worth it.

If there is a big crowd of gold pass holders, it works out that you will only get one set of tickets because they will run out easily with a big crowd. However there are weekends where the park is not crowded with gold pass holders but mostly people who just do KI once a summer. If such is the case, there will be plenty of tickets left over after you use a set. What is so unfair about getting more tickets if no one is claiming them? I keep reading messages from people who feel guilty about the speed pass perk existing. Why? I have no guilt at all as I am paying for it and the park is willingly giving it to me for being a loyal patron.

I liked the Speed Lane perk this year because they went back to the old system of not scanning your pass when you got your tickets. This meant you could go back as often as you wanted to get more speed tickets until they ran out. This was the system in all previous years except last year when you could only get one set of tickets a day because they scanned your pass.

Shooting Star was my first adult coaster. I rode it when I was 8. One of the best classic woodies ever. How sad that they didn't reassemble it at KI instead if making it a victim of the wrecking ball.

Like PKI Vortex I had a horrible ride on SOB on 7/4. As I was going through the rose bowl I felt like I had been kicked in the chest. It was so bad that I wanted to jump out of the ride. I felt the same way at the bottom of the hill right before where the loop used to be and around the last 2 helixes.(helices?) I felt that the ride was actually worse than it was before the accident. I rode SOB opening night in 2000 and I loved the ride. Over the years I kept riding it. There were some days when the ride was great, others when it was miserable. After the ride reopened last year after yet more work, I tried the ride again and it was horrible. I vowed never to ride it again. The accident happened a few weeks later. I gave the ride its last chance on 7/4 and there will be no more chances. I will never ride it again.

Just out of curiosity does anyone know how long a ride The Beast really is? I have heard anything from 3 minutes 40 seconds to 4 minutes 50 seconds? I would think the time would vary depending upon how fast you are going up the first lift hill. I noticed on the first lift hill that usually you will start off at a slow pace and then speed up about half way up the lift. Sometimes, however, they let the train go up the entire lift hill full speed.

I too was at KI the year beast opened. However the group I was with didn't want to wait in line so I didn't ride it until its second season in 1980. However it appears it was worth it. I didn't know until years later that it didn't have the tunnel in the final helix ( hope I spelled that right.) I cannot imagine that final helix without the tunnel.

During the Paramount years KI constantly showed rides in its commercials that were not at KI but the other Paramount parks. For example they would show Grizzly and Anaconda which are at KD-the latter is an Arrow coaster similar to Vortex only it goes underwater. ( You would always see it coming from out of the water in the ads.)

James stated he did ride Gemini, he just may have overlooked it in his trip report. One of the most underrated coasters, don't you agree? I cannot understand why I never see it on a top 10 list. There is nothing like that dip where it looks like your head is going to be chopped up. And, of course, I love to sit on the side of the train where you can hi-five the people in the other train. I also remember the Gemini being the tallest and fastest coaster for only its first season of 1978. You guessed it, The Beast topped this record in 1979.

I recall earlier this season as in past years, they were using the ink stamp when you exited the park. Recently, they started using the light, similar to the procedure at CP.

I always wanted to ride Goliath at Six Flags Magic Mountain in Velencia, California. That first drop into the tunnel at over 250 feet looks awesome. So, my vote is for Goliath.

I agree that we could use a stand up!! And since we all saw that they still have the King Cobra sign, they can call it King Cobra!! Great idea.

I agree that we could use a stand up!! And since we all saw that they still have the King Cobra sign, they can call it King Cobra!! Great idea.

That's me right in front of Welchce in the first row putting my badge in my pocket so it won't fall out. (Lost cel phone on ride earlier in year.)

How about a B and M hyper stand-up? There is no hyper stand-up that I can think of.

I would love to see some videos of old Coney, especially the old Shooting Star, my very first grown-up coaster.

Anyone ridden Kingda Ka? How does it compare to Dragster?

That's me in the very first row at the bottom on Firehawk, directly in front of you, Welchce. I'm taking a copy of it to the office tomorrow. My co-workers will get a kick out of it. Thanks for the super photos of a super day.

I would call Maverick a dive coaster. It is a 95 degree first drop and you are basically laying on your stomach. On the subject of how can you tell if a new coaster is being built, I don't think it is always possible. It seems to depend upon what type of coaster they are building. Sometimes you will see more than a year ahead of time construction start on a new coaster, such as with Maverick, SOB and Top Thrill Dragster. Other times, they don't start construction until the fall before the next season, such as with Raptor, Italian Job, and Mantis.

I hope my last message was not in any way taken as derogatory by the KI staff. Nothing can be further from the truth as I think you are all wonderful and special. KI is special to me as it is to many other native Cincinnatians. We see KI not just as another theme park but a continuation of the heritage that started with Coney Island. We simply want KI's history and tradition to continue and the only way for it to continue is to maintain high quality. (Remember how close CP came to turning into a housing developement? ) If KI were to ever close, that would be just as tragic if not worse than the Reds moving out of town.