BeeastFarmer

Got all the rides I wanted/planned to do. Very satisfied with ride ops. Food service is still sorely lacking, but the server gave me enough food to feed a small army. Time to turn in, gotta be up in five hours for work. Ya'll have a great opening day!

Wow, I never really noticed how the K looks like a Kroger K.

I'm calling it. They are moving Congo Falls out of Action Zone into Rivertown. This goes with the river theme, gets all three water rides closer together, and opens up room in Action Zone. Of course I jest, but it would be nice to have them close so you can get really wet, then dry off and resume your day rather than transversing the park in wet clothes.

Well now, that brings up a point. I upgraded from gold to platinum well before the deadline, and have used the pass at Carowinds. Does this count as a renewal or is it a new sale? I dont want to drive all the way up yonder and not get in...

When I went to Carowinds two weeks ago, the Best Western almost literally across the street from the entrance was a great hotel and was in the $70 range. Probably more expensive in the summer though. I'd recommend Kentucky Kingdom, too! Storm Chaser looks like a great coaster and the other 4 are lots of fun, too. Can't say anything about the water park, as I avoid water parks. I've got a platinum pass, too, and I can't wait to visit so many new to me parks!

Seems they learned a few things from last year, but are repeating some mistakes. In looking at CP and CW's events, more features are available. Meals, ERT etc. There is a good cause in the end, but I will give the equivalent to another charity. Since it's on a weekend, I can't go anyway, even if I wanted to.

Looks like they are releasing info earlier about the event this year, maybe it will be a better attended event: https://www.visitkingsisland.com/events/things-to-do/events-and-promotions/Coaster-Campout-7-28-15-45

I went for a night during the State Fair, as my last visit of the season, and to see what the park was like after dark. No lines, one train ops, and about the same dispatch time as normal KK operations. I set my expectations low when i went to KK and was pleased and actually impressed with what they have done. They have come a long way and have a long way to go, but the coasters are fun, the employees are average to good (and of course there are those that fall outside the curve, on both ends) and the food was good and not expensive.

Night POV of Storm Chaser. Don't know if the darkness was planned, or if just the way it is, but it looks like it is very dark in some great places. Too bad it will be state fair time until it can be ridden in the dark, with their early close times. Wish they stayed open later. Edit: Source is www.youtube.com. Direct link places actual POV in the dialog box. Edit #2: Just a comment on my commentary: On rereading my post, it sounds strange. Of course, since it is a nighttime POV, the darkness was planned. What I was trying to say was the placement of lights and the lack of lights other places. I had worked too many hours, and my writing was not very clear.

A little bit of a cross thread here, but after leaving Louisville, we went to eat at Bob Evans in Simpsoville. We had a server who couldn't have been 16 years old. He looked like Bobby Brady in the Brandy Bunch episode where Bobby was the hall monitor, went to rescue a cat in a vacant house, dirtied his suit, tried to wash it and filled the Brady house with suds. Anyway, he was an awesome server! This is what the food service department needs at our dear Kings Island.

I took my folks to Louisville today and we visited my uncle in the hospital (he's waiting for a heart transplant). Drove by Storm Chaser afterwards...unfortunately, they were not testing. On the Crittenden Dr. side, the landscaping that was done was ornamental grass with pine straw mulch. Looking good!

Just thought it was odd that the newer attraction (Cabellas) had a more prominent sign than the older and much more economically-impacting attraction (Carowinds.) It was interesting that my GPS pronounced Carowinds and Carrywinds.

The Carowinds sign (with the stars) appears to be the original entrance sign to the park--it is overshadowed by the Cabella's sign that is taller and in front of it. So much so, that I missed the turn off to get in to the park last week (it was dark, and my GPS took me to the campground/employee parking entrance), I was looking for a tall sign like at KI. The second sign is in the entrance plaza of the revamped CW entrance. It is used as a hangout/focal spot. While not in that capacity, I could see this type of sign at the new parking toll entrance location.

Formerly being in the green industry, I know that landscape is often the last step in the construction process. Then, it takes a while to fill in. One of the worst mistakes commercial and residential folks do is overlandscape for a good first impression, only to have to rip and replace a few years down the road (ie, tract housing with McMansions.) Heck, even with a huge budget for Fury 325, the landscape is sorely lacking at Carowinds--grass was very thin, sparse shrubbery etc. But, my first ride on the coaster, on my way down the first drop, I noticed plenty of ballled/burlapped large trees qued up for planting.

I didn't particularly enjoy The Legend, was too rough for me. I like The Raven better.

That didn't happen with me. I left the park mid afternoon to go do some homework at the hotel, re-entered with my pass and got another receipt. I even got a "wow, a platinum pass holder, thank you and enjoy Carowinds" at almost every point of contact when my pass was used. Talk about human touch!

I was interested to see how the toll plaza at Carowinds worked. KI's version seems to be the same, except larger. Carowinds toll plaza was not automated in any lane. And for some reason, they give a reciept, even if you are a pass holder.

I'm trying to decide if I want to drive 2-3 hours for 2 hours of riding The Beast. That is not a hard decision. I wish I didnt have to work at 7am the next morning.

Last year, they didn't scan my gold card. They just looked at it and waved me in. There was no one at the toll booths either. Heck, I could have parked in preferred parking as there was no attendant and only about 5 cars parked there.

Sometimes in life, things happen to change your views. This can be for the good, or for the bad, I have said many times that KI needs a great wooden coaster, like Thunderhead or The Raven. Nothing too big, but something twisty and thrilling. While I still think that should happen, I am jumping on the gigacoaster wagon after riding Fury 325. Everything about this coaster excites me...the sight, the sound (I have NEVER heard a coaster that sounds like--almost like a jet combined with a Flash Gordon sound), the fact that at night I had to close one eye or it would dry out, the sheer size. If KI were to get something like this (But please, do not alter the entrance scale to the park) I would be very happy. I have never written a trip report, but I am tempted to, as Carowinds is my first non KI CF park, and only my 4th as an adult.

I had a dream last night that the former PR people for KI (Jeff Siebert and Maureen McCormick?) bought the rights to operate KK from the Ed Hart group and announced plans to move the park away from the airport. Then, I remembered this video:

I have to say that I have never seen such dedicated ride ops crews as I did today on Fury 325 and Intimidator. They were safety keen and dedicated to speed, and got the crowd to buy into it. One was literally running back and forth and entertaining the crowd after the safety check and before the all clear. These employees are to be commended. (Yes, I stopped by Guest Services and actually spoke with a Rides Manager.)

The park put up a pretty nifty video on the Facebook page today. I'm on too much of a Fury 325 high to say much more than that!

Where is the outrage for the blue and purple colors on Scrambler? jtro223, crossthreading from Carowinds

I used it last year on the preview event.