Sportacoptors has always gone the same route.

Photo 66

Paul, as always, thanks for the photos!

(I couldn't resist the jab.)

On that subject, look how many posters on these forums have come and gone over the years. There are several people that used to post very frequently who haven`t been seen or heard from on these forums in years. Life happens, and interests wane as people simply loose interest or develop other hobbies. Such is a fact of life. And the really remarkable thing is that this website has been around for as long as it has. Most park focused fan websites (there was a point in time where almost every park had two or three websites devoted to it) have come and gone. So treasure what you have, while you can enjoy it. (And no this is not to say KIC is going anywhere anytime soon). While you may find KI a great place to visit, there maybe a day when you start to loose interest in it and it doesn`t have the spark that it once had.

Gosh, that last paragraph I just typed was full of melancholy! Sorry to depress everyone. On the bright side, opening day is just over two months away!

Isn't that the truth! Some of us know we can't come to this site without wasting hours upon hours, so we stop! I now have a full-time job upon graduation, and I sure hope that gives me more time to visit KIC, and KI, and other parks!

Paul, as always great photos. Some of these are very interesting, actually all of them are, I loved The Beast vs. The Racer one.

Photo 65

(Close up crop of a 1985 park map)

[Cedar Fair-ed Bat picture]

(I couldn't resist the jab.)

You forgot the red track, yellow supports, huge logo with name ending in -hawk, and obnoxious "TALLEST, FASTEST, MEANEST, SWINGIEST RIDE IN THE ENTIRE CONEY MALL AREA" plastered somewhere on there.

Wow, haven't checked this thread in a while! Awesome job Paul, keep it up, these are fantastic!

This picture in particular I thought was pretty interesting, since this angle has been captured many times from many different time periods. I thought I'd take one of the pictures I took of Planet Snoopy back in June 2010 and tinker with your photo to get a good comparison.

I went on to photoshop and used my picture as a background, then took Paul's picture and used the perspective tool a bit until I got a good overlay of the picture.

I also cropped out Planet Snoopy so you get a side by side comparison:

So yeah. Not much, but I thought it was kinda interesting, and I was bored.

That's like comparing Disney World to Coney Island.

I also cropped out Planet Snoopy so you get a side by side comparison:

So yeah. Not much, but I thought it was kinda interesting, and I was bored.

before someone freaks out about the trees being removed, i think that area between the gift shop and woodstock's whirlybirds and the new seating area look better than the overgrown, needs to be trimmed trees.

(Close up crop of a 1985 park map)

Hey, TOPGUN1993, could you show us the entire 1985 park map? Looks interesting given this small area. Thanks.

Bonus pic 65.5

http://img232.imageshack.us/img232/9112/scan0027s.jpg

http://img4.imageshack.us/img4/2357/scan0026de.jpg

Theirs the two links, there full sized photos, thus why I didn't post the image.

Bonus pic 65.5

http://img232.images...2/scan0027s.jpg

http://img4.imagesha.../scan0026de.jpg

Theirs the two links, there full sized photos, thus why I didn't post the image.

Thanks, TOPGUN1993. Curses, why I didn't I visit Kings Island in 1985...oh wait, I wasn't alive...MUST BUILD TIME MACHINE...or...

Will trade Beam O' Mass Doom for Time Machine!!!

Did Coney Mall used to go farther then it currently does? I know a drawling isn't a very good representation, but it makes it look like Coney Malls goes a good distance beyond The Racer.

TumbleBug (and later Skylab) sat where the basketball game sits now...the boundaries have not changed. Note it was not called Coney Mall on that map, but Coney Island.

TumbleBug (and later Skylab) sat where the basketball game sits now...the boundaries have not changed. Note it was not called Coney Mall on that map, but Coney Island.

I was thinking that, but since I did not exist till 1980 it was hard to comment!

Photo 64

I bet those tunnel-like lighted arches were cool at night

I bet those tunnel-like lighted arches were cool at night

They really were and I miss them so much! I do believe they were located where the seating behind Chick-fil-a is now.

Okay,I have to ask.What tv show featured Avery Schreiber and the chicken on The Racer?

Same here...although I am guessing that most of the kids are asking who is Avery Schreiber!

I had to Google to find out who Avery Schreiber was. Of course, growing up in the 70's and 80's, once I saw his picture I knew exactly who he was!

Okay,I have to ask.What tv show featured Avery Schreiber and the chicken on The Racer?

Same here...although I am guessing that most of the kids are asking who is Avery Schreiber!

I had to Google to find out who Avery Schreiber was. Of course, growing up in the 70's and 80's, once I saw his picture I knew exactly who he was!

I remember Avery Schreiber-he and his comedy partner, Jack Burns ( He replaced Don Knotts in Andy Giffith ) used to have a variety show together. They were both really funny together. I also remember Avery Schreiber doing Doritos ads.

Photo 63

^I like that Racer photo...mostly because just looking at all of the passengers it reminds me of a simpler time...although I am probably just remembering it that way.

[i remember Avery Schreiber-he and his comedy partner, Jack Burns ( He replaced Don Knotts in Andy Giffith )

Nobody could replace Don Knotts.

I'd love to see The Racer's get the retro paint scheme. But then again, I don't think it would look very good with the WindSeeker.

What are the small things with the white roofs in the distant background?

I'm going to take a guess, to me it looks like the monorail for the Wild Animal Safari.

I'm going to take a guess, to me it looks like the monorail for the Wild Animal Safari.

The same one that's over at Jungle Jim's?

I believe so.

On the subject of Sportacopters - they have always traveled the same route. It's actually much longer than you might think. The picture posted above was taken prior to the Nick expansion after the 2005 season, during the period when HB and Nick co-existed, which might be why it looks odd.

Compare these two maps - top one is from 2005, bottom from 2006 (both from themeparkbrochures.net):

Although the 2006 map scan doesn't include the ride key, you can see the changes if you look closely...

Rides removed:

Baba Louie's Buggies - #53 on 2005 map (approximately where the umbrella ride is now)

Boo Boo's Baggage Claim - #44 on 2005 map (just to the right of the entrance for the helicopter ride)

Dick Dasterdly's Biplanes - #47 on 2005 map (about where the kiddy whip is now); brought back in 2010 as Snoopy vs Red Baron

Jetson's Jet Orbiters - #43 on 2005 map (in front of the bumper cars, about where the Snoopy statue is now)

Scooby's Ghoster Coaster - #46 on 2005 map (station was approximately where the north end of Surf Dog is now)

Rides moved:

Huck's Hot Rods - #50 on 2005 map, #34 on 2006 map (rethemed to Go, Diego, Go! for Nick Central, now Peanuts Off Road Rally)

Kiddy whip - #45 on both maps (was located near the fence about where the south end of Surf Dog is now)

Okay,I have to ask.What tv show featured Avery Schreiber and the chicken on The Racer?

Same here...although I am guessing that most of the kids are asking who is Avery Schreiber!

I had to Google to find out who Avery Schreiber was. Of course, growing up in the 70's and 80's, once I saw his picture I knew exactly who he was!

I remember Avery Schreiber-he and his comedy partner, Jack Burns ( He replaced Don Knotts in Andy Giffith ) used to have a variety show together. They were both really funny together. I also remember Avery Schreiber doing Doritos ads.

I remember Avery Schreiber from the Doritos commercials and game show appearances when I was a kid.I still wonder what he was doing on The Racer with a chicken.

^I like that Racer photo...mostly because just looking at all of the passengers it reminds me of a simpler time...although I am probably just remembering it that way.

I am with you standbyme when I watched the video below of my family riding Blue Racer I almost said the same thing as you about things seemed simpler back then.

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After thinking about It I would say it was simpler back then and that is because back then I did not need to worry about work and all the stress associated in taking care of and providing for a family. I think now that most can understand way so many of us youngster back then fell in love with Kings Island during its early years.