electricsun

Epic meh. I mean, I wasn't impressed by DisneyQuest in 2012, but I also don't follow the NBA and suck at basketball. So I really couldn't care less. I went there in May with my 2 oldest nieces. It was fun enough...but it wasn't a place I imagined us going to again. Most of the staff weren't what I was expecting after hearing glowing things about Disney team. The simulator rides didn't agree with me at all and there were several things broken. So...with that "glowing" review, it was nice to go and spend the day being with my nieces. It reminded me a Disney themed GameWorks or Dave and Busters.

Wait...that's not a taffy puller? Paint mixer? Niddy-noddy?

I agree; it was the busiest Sunday I've ever experienced. We spent about 30 minutes between getting a parking space (with two very stupid people coming close to ruining the day) and buying my niece a BAF ticket. In the park around 1:45 and left at 6 so I could take her to Akron. Everything had waits that I would expect from a Saturday in July. We didn't get to do much: Eiffel Tower, Cirque Imagine, Viking Fury, and Carousel. It was nice to have her visit the park to see where her grandparents, mom, aunt and uncles went for vacations in the late 70's to mid 80's. She didn't want to ride any coasters as she felt it was weird to ride anything without her sister and cousin - we spent 2-days at BGT a few years ago riding everything together. She loved the Cirque Imagine show and enjoyed just walking around the park.

We were at the top of the Eiffel Tower a bit ago and the lines for several of the rides look to be nearly full queues - Diamondback was using both lower and upper sections. The 3p Cirque is almost at full capacity.

I may...my oldest niece is visiting for the day and is interested in seeing Cirque Imagine and a few rides. I'm waiting for her to wake up and make a decision.

That is interesting - especially as they seem to allow people to take pictures and videos on their rides. If only people would use common sense! On Wednesday, I was on 64 in Virginia when I saw a front seat passenger roll down their window to stick a selfie stick outside to take a picture. It may have been stop and go traffic, but seriously? At Kings Dominion, as my train was pulling back into the Volcano station, a teenage boy had a selfie stick strapped to his wrist (like a Wii remote) when he was told he couldn't use it. The strap might return to the station but if that stick breaks, the debris is going to hurt someone and I imagine potentially cause issues with the coaster. Just enjoy the ride and leave the camera in a safe place while on the ride. Why is that too much to ask?

The Whip ride at Hershey was not nearly as fun as the one at Dorney. I mean, I rode it twice in a row just to verify and compare. It is fun...but not AS fun. It seemed to me that Dorney's whipped me around the ends with a bit more force than Hershey's. And to add to the comparisons for dispatch, at Busch Gardens they don't do anything visual. They have wireless mic and earpiece systems and they have each have some sort of button or foot pedal to hit before the train can go. It's interesting to see the different ways to dispatch.

It's neat to read your report as I had some similar and different thoughts. I was at Dorney on Saturday and Hershey on Sunday (and a bit of Monday late morning). Skyrush was intense and yeah...the pain of the restraint on the thighs was not fun. I realized that it tightened as the ride went along so if I started with it not as snug as any other coaster, it didn't hurt so much. Looking forward to reading your thoughts about Dorney!

"The Smiler is a relatively new ride, all rides have teething problems when they open." Does it need to settle? Break in? Rotate the wheels every 6,000 miles? Oil change overdue? Or just past its nap time? Wowzer! Unbelievable. But in seriousness, to chalk this up to some sort of "normal" expected issues for a new ride is absurd. I've been on several rides in their first few years, and I don't think the parks would have thought two trains crashing into each other as normal and expected. I sure don't. Welp, looks like this teething problem is going to bite them in the bum.

Depending on where you are in Southern Columbus, it's not a long drive at all. I can get from the Stringtown Rd Exit on 71 to Kings Island in about an hour and 15 minutes - no speeding. Have fun!

These are great! Thank you! BB1, I really appreciate the names of the rides and "levels". That really helps. I had a bit of a fail last summer during one of the movie nights. They really wanted to get in the water. After waiting in line and getting an inner-tube, they freaked out as they felt like they were sinking and couldn't hold on to the inner-tube. I felt horrible. I'm just trying to avoid another bad experience.

Here's my challenge. I know how to prepare the niece and nephew for rides and coasters. However, I'm at a loss as to how to prepare them as they get taller for the slides in Soak City. I never went to a water park until late high school/college so my personal experience is of no use. How did you (or would you) help kids conquer the other experiences beyond Splash Landing and Coconut Grove? If it helps, I'll be able to take them for one-on-on time while they hang out with their mom and big brother in the other two tried and true spots. Thanks in advance for any and all tips and tricks!

I'm someone who couldn't and wouldn't ride Mantis. It just physically hurt too much between the standing and the head banging. I rode it very few times the last few years, mostly as a "if I try the tricks people mention, maybe it won't hurt?" Haha. Nope. I rode Rougarou twice on Friday night and really enjoyed both rides. The first ride was 1st row as I became a group's 4th and the second ride was 7th row solo. I was worried how the restraints would feel and was preparing myself for lots of head banging. That really wasn't the case for me until a few sections near the end. That alone was an improvement! It's just a more comfortable ride which allows me to focus on the elements and experience instead of "ugh, please let this be over soon!". I enjoy the change and the ride has turned from something I avoided to something I will likely ride every visit. Just an FYI, they do stop Rougarou for Luminosity's fireworks. I was on the last train before that and it was around 9:45p. There was an annoucement in the station as they were checking restraints. They will let you get in line and will start the ride back up after the fireworks.

Do you think the jokes are unbearable? (electricsun who can't help but giggle at almost all puns and play on words)

That terrifies me with my youngest niece and nephew. This is the main reason that their first ride (or two) on the bigger flats and roller coasters has to be with me, not their big brother. I know that if they start to show signs of being scared or freaking out, I can distract them enough to get them through it. Also, it lets me make sure they know how to ride it properly - such as keeping hands and arms inside the car and not hanging off the side.

At this point, it appears as though it is going to get a whole lot worse before it is over. Thinking through the seemingly little I know about coasters, this entire situation shouldn't have happened. As more is discovered or comes to light, I can't help but think of the long lasting impact this will have on those injured and the witnesses. The information will give them answers but it isn't going to change their situation.

It is a very good thing that the Eiffel Tower isn't equipped with water guns, dump buckets or water spouts. Imagine the fun you'd have with that!

There are many comments that have already expressed my thoughts on this. Every child and adult is different. A smart and aware adult knows how to gauge their kids. With my three youngest nephews and niece and my best friend's son, there have been four different approaches. My best friend's 14-year-old son refuses to ride all major coasters and rides at Carowinds. No amount of guilt-tripping, cajoling, puppy-dog eyes, or science/technology facts will convince him to ride. I've tried them all and no dice. He just doesn't like how the rides make him feel. That may change as he gets older...but if not, that's okay. I convinced my oldest nephew that it was a rule that you couldn't visit KI without riding The Beast. Also, hearing that his favorite uncle first rode it at a younger age may have sealed the deal. It took many visits for him to get up the courage to ride Diamondback; I compared the sensations and height to other rides. Science, a touch of guilt trip (you're going to make me ride alone?!) with a side of double dare tends to work for him. The youngest nephew has absolutely no fear and would ride everything now if he was tall enough. The niece takes some gentle coaxing and quiet encouragement before, an arm around her during the ride, and praise/hi-fives after. I know her mode of "escape" for rides and how to work around it. I haven't forced any of them to ride anything. If we go to get on a ride and they change their mind, they get to wait in the "cage" or sit outside the exit until we are done. No drama, no "I'm disappointed", just a quick "are you sure" and "okay, wait for me at the exit". We watch the rides and talk about what we see and I encourage their questions. None of them have started or ended their rides with tears. I watch them closely and encourage them as needed. So far, my game plan has worked. The two youngest talk about how tall they are and which rides they can now ride...and how many more inches until they ride XYZ. The oldest is looking forward to getting the all clear for a CP trip. If things change for the kids, I will change my approach. For now, this works.

The only one I know of that likely still has a shuttle would be the Super 8 across the highway.

Oh my goodness, I almost had a heart attack. I read your post really quickly and saw "The Beast and Diamondback had 65 minute waits." I thought that the world was ending for a second...rides at Kings Island on a Thursday before Memorial Day weekend, before school is out, in 50 degree weather have hour long waits??! Oh yikes! I would have been a bit cranky if there were 65 minute waits today only because my goal was to ride a few rides before I was going to be stuck driving for 10 hours. After getting some rides in and a stress relieving drop, I was good to go.

Wait times were pretty minimal this morning; most waits were in the station waiting for a train or two. A fair amount of buses and students but no real lines. Got in Banshee, Drop Tower (longest wait), The Beast and Diamondback in about 65 minutes. Grabbed food from my meal plan and out in a bit more than an hour and a half.

Didn't see anyone post this so...welcome back old friend!

Haha jcgoble3! I'm normally pretty methodical in my solo trips and that would drive me bonkers!

Wowzers! That is impressive! I hit 21,000 by 5p a few Friday's ago at KI only because I had to make 3 round trips to behind-the-scenes...followed by a quick walk to ride Banshee and The Beast after working. And I did have a moment of panic at the end of Flight of Fear yesterday when I felt my watch sliding - caught my Fitbit just in time! It would be fun for another thread to discuss the options to maximize steps while exploring the park.

The Columbus Zoo found a way to increase the price of a ride from $1 to $2-3 as well as seeming to drastical increase ridership. Whenever we were at the zoo, there was a decent steady line for the ride. I wasn't sold on it but I also realize that I'm not the target audience for the experience. I'll just be over watching the Asian small-clawed otters play. The youngest two still enjoy DA and we normally make at least 1-2 trips each season. It's a really nice break from rides while still allowing them to be active instead of sitting still. I've seen one of the dinosaur companies in the vendor hall of previous conferences but I've never paid much attention to their rental/purchase price. Knowing the running cost of other exhibits, it's not a small investment but I'm curious as to the ROI.