electricsun

Congrats Magenta Lizard! The kids really like to see how many steps we hit when we visit the park so I thought I'd share - Saturday was 25,646 and Sunday was 22,114. This is likely low as the few steps to walk forward in queue aren't normally counted. With my short height, that is just under 20 miles. The nephew had a great time (as did I, but the focus was on him this weekend). He really enjoyed the behind the scenes moments and the ERT. He was super pumped that he won another basketball - which we promptly walked out to the car. It was interesting to see him react to experiences that are new to him - being there as the park slowly wakes up, hearing rides being tested, going behind the scenes, and being in a park with everything closed except for three rides. While waiting for BLSC ERT, we heard someone say over a speaker "Good Night Coney Mall" and that made me smile. Poor kid was dragging a bit at times as his very structured sleep schedule so did not happen. He crashed in the car on the way home yesterday afternoon. I really appreciate all the work that went into this weekend and experience! freaks76 - I'm sorry. I get it as I've done it myself often and am planning my June trip around this idea. This weekend was a good release for me.

The cars were still on the ground yesterday afternoon on the other side of the fence. That led me to assume that this is a temporary situtation.

Can I out someone else's guilty pleasure...that there is only guilt on my end? My nephew now loves Firehawk more than any other ride. We rode it together 2 times yesterday, 3 times today and he did one solo ride. I rode it more in one weekend than I did the last two seasons combined. Where did I go wrong? Mine? Wild Mouse coasters shouldn't make me giggle so much and give me such a flip in the stomach at each turn. But it does and I love it.

Have a great run!

I think it's a personal preference. I'm often a single rider and I don't feel bad anymore about picking a particular row or seat. Banshee is great as you typically get an outside seat - I just like to ask first so I don't get sandwiched between two strangers. I will pick the even numbered rows on Diamondback so I can ride with someone or someone can ride with me. I just ask the person first before assuming - some folks would prefer to ride alone. I've also had parents ask to have their child ride with me while they are riding with a another child in the next row - apparently I'm way more approachable to children than adults! So...well, really, lots of options. Unless there is appropriate etiquette and I break every.single.rule.

I've only been there once during the CP Math and Science Days - we were freezing and didn't get out beyond where we were working. The crowds seemed much lower than a normal summer weekday. But that was also at least 7-years-ago.

I've found the KI Education Days to be pretty nice days to attend. There may be more groups of middle and high school students but they tend to walk as a group and hang-out more than being super focused on riding rides. There might be a lot of buses outside, but the lines aren't too bad from my past experience.

Had my demo tape, was working and saving money so I would be able to move...then life happened. I had to stay in Central Ohio which is not a market you break into right out of college if you want to be a reporter. Then I wanted to stay in Central Ohio...then we had to...and now, while I don't have reasons to have to stay, I don't want to enter the field. I'm at a point in my life that I want to have a stable career and life that isn't at risk to the whims of a new GM or ratings. I have a few friends that are still in broadcasting and the things I hear make me sad. It isn't what they signed up for...but it's the nature of the changing business. I'm just not willing to jump into that fire anymore.

And this is one of two reasons why I'm not in the field of my degree. I do believe that there is still good journalism out there. It is just harder to find in the world where station/network owners are focused on the profit and not the message.

Hmm...this will be a TBD for me. It might not be a bad thing to rest at the hotel with the nephew and come in time for fireworks and grab ice cream before heading back to the hotel. It's a rare treat for me at the park so I try to take advantage when it's a $1. Magenta Lizard - as I'm clearly oblivious, holler at me if you see me and I don't say hi first.

I second Terpy. I stayed at both the Blue Ash and Mason Red Roofs last summer and hated them both. While the Mason one is marginally better in that it has inside corridors, the property has not been kept up. It is dirty, allows pets, and attracts a not so nice crowd. The one in Blue Ash is downright awful. Outside corridors, shady area, poorly maintained, not a lot of stuff around it that's still operating when the park closes. The Interpreter - that is not acceptable. I can't even comprehend. I feel paranoid doing it but I will either lock my suitcase or bring my electronics with me. I don't want to assume one way or the other but it's not worth the risk. Clearly it has been a while since I've stayed in any Cincinnati area RRI - from 2004-2006, it was a nice stand-by as they were well under our work travel budget at the time. I can't remember if it was Blue Ash or the Mt Carmel Red Roof Inn where I received a call from the hotel office asking me to not leave the roof as there was a police situation on property. Traveling alone for work and hearing the police shout at the person in a room a few doors down from me for several hours. Not quite the best of evenings. Gabe - that is really disappointing to hear about the Mason one. It was really nice as a Clarion and one of my friends would stay there all the time. He loved it. I stayed there once when we were traveling together for work. I was impressed...but that was under different management.

I stayed in that Microtel years ago before the brand was bought by Wyndham. It's been a while since I've stayed in one but Microtel's are a bit quirky and seem to be designed to maximize the limited space. Mirrors along the wall to make the room look bigger and tv mounted up high so it doesn't take up desk/dresser space. My personal favorite is the padded window bench; it's the perfect space to curl up with a good book.

Not sure how budget you mean. I hope this will help. The Red Roof Inn on Fields Ertel Road used to be a Clarion hotel a few years when I last stayed there. It was a favorite of my team - inexpensive but nice ($60-$70 a night), It's been years since I've stayed at the RRI in Blue Ash but it looks as though it was renovated. I second malem about the Comfort Inn on Fields Ertle Rd. I'm staying there now; it has been renovated since the last time I stayed and it's nice and clean. A king room with AAA rates was about $76 before taxes. I would recommend double checking TripAdvisor before booking anything. Just read them with a healthy dose of reality as some people are expecting a Hilton experience but staying at a budget hotel.

I was wondering that too. It's like using one credit are to pay another credit card. You are still in debt and the money has to be raised somehow to pay it all off. How is that going to happen? And how did they get a loan with the amount of outstanding debt? I get that business loans are different from personal loans. However it still doesn't make sense to me.

I saw something that looked like rolls of fencing on the ground near the track. But I don't know anything other than that observation.

I've done that in the past and the kids think of it as a great treat. The little place at the base of the Eiffel Tower works but their popcorn was often burnt last year. Also, the place silver2005 mentioned will refill it. There is at least one other place but I can't remember. Any of the places that have popcorn or cotton candy will fill it.

Thank you for posting that TombRaiderFTW! It is a good reminder that we have the opportunity to make a positive moment in someone's day. It can be as simple a smile or just taking a moment to give someone your total focus and attention. It's big. Without getting too personal, I read this - http://sparkspace.com/whenyouredead/ and it hit me hard. Our lives are never as long as we want. We have say about our interactions with others and can leave happy memories behind...even with strangers. I'm glad that this family has these memories as that is what will help pull them through the hardest moments.

They ran an empty train at 4:50ish today. I wasn't in the area long enough to see how many more trains ran.

I don't really remembering ever feeling afraid or cautious. We spent most of our time in Hanna-Barbara Land when I was little as I was short and had a younger sister. Between ages of 9-16, we didn't go to any parks. I went to Cedar Point and Kings Island with outside groups in high school and CP with a date in college. But I just remember going with the flow and having lots of fun. I didn't really not want to ride anything. What I do remember is watching my oldest nephew get over those "milestones" as his first visit to KI was when he was nine. I took him to Jungle Jack's Landing at the Columbus Zoo as a tester before taking him to KI. He loved all the spinning rides while I discovered that I couldn't handle them anymore. We rode Sea Dragon and he loved it so much that we came back to it and he rode it three times in a row with a group of middle school boys that were also riding it over and over again. With that, I knew I would be in good shape to get him to ride at KI. I think we rode Flight Deck (now, The Bat) first. The rest of the rides we just looked at, I described and we tried it. I didn't give him a choice about The Beast as I told him he couldn't come and not ride it. We could test different seats on each of the rides and would have lots of compare and contrast conversations. It took him a year to get up enough courage to ride Diamondback. His reaction after was "WHOA! Why did I wait so long?!" Yeah dude...I tried to tell you! Almost four years later and he is asking about going to other parks. I may have created a monster.

I'm sorry. I have a very intimate knowledge of hospice and it really stinks (to state it "G" rated). The experience of watching someone you care about die is one of the hardest things to do. While the end may not change, the hospice process (at least in my single experience) provides the person and family with such great support...both during and after. I'm glad the park provided you with some relief and time away. Thinking of you and your family during this time.

Outer Hanks had just one side open and was to the door when we got there. After waiting and checking out, it was outside and several people deep as it curved around towards the Eiffel Tower. That line stayed pretty steady as we ate at the picnic tables outside. According to the receipt I asked for and received (under $10 purchase) that was after 1p. The lines in Planet Snoopy didn't seem abnormally long. I didn't pay attention to lines anywhere else.

There are few times when I exert my grown-up power and force the kids to ride something in a particular order. Today was that time and the ride was, of course, Woodstock Gliders. My oldest nephew had been on the flyers at the Columbus Zoo so he was familiar with it. The other two watched it but didn't fully understand how much fun they were about to have. With it being their first ride, the youngest nephew rode with me and the niece rode with the oldest nephew. The youngest nephew wanted to move the rudder and did for the first swing around and then said, "you do it!". We got a bit twisty as did the other two in front of us and there was lots of giggling and laughter. They really enjoyed it and asked if we could ride it again. I call that a success! As for load/ride/unload time - it was pretty consistent between 5-6 minutes. That doesn't bother me much but I must just be used to the longer load/ride/unload times in Planet Snoopy after the last few years. There is no "short" time on Flying Ace Aerial Chase or Kite Eating Tree. I'm just glad that the ride seems to slow down faster than the set at Cedar Point.

And there's Texas Toast, and coleslaw, and Cane's sauce...ahhh. Sorry, I have a bit of an emotional connection to Raising Cane's. I relate to it as comfort food for really crazy stressful days.

I had no clue how the rest of the park was until 12:30 when we left Planet Snoopy for food. Planet Snoopy ride lines were quite long for a Sunday and the kids were...well...not having it. We didn't last much longer as during the off-season, they apparently forget any sort of personal space/line etiquette and that I don't accept horseplay as appropriate park behavior (worst aunt EVER!). The parking lot was quite full when we left at 3ish with cars still pulling into the lot.

My only tip from my early May visit years ago would be to pack for all sorts of weather. Early May in Sandusky is not the same as early May in Mason. The day I was there, my friend and I were freezing in our work polos and sweatshirts and buying hot chocolate to try to keep warm. The breeze can be awfully cold!