2 hours ago, medford said:

That picture made me remember how often we discussed missing that tunnel, now its back (though in a different area)  Still like it better where it was, but I'm glad they added one back when they did Mystic Timbers.

Coincidentally, the King Island History page on Twitter posted a photo of it earlier today. 

I miss the original tunnel. It was so much grander in scale and a great place to find some shade or to hide from the rain. It included some benches and since it was not part of a ride's entrance, you can spend as much time as you wanted in there. The newer tunnel is tiny by comparison. I'm fairly certain you can fit two or three of them inside the older iteration. 

Would anyone be willing to elaborate on why the original tunnel was removed? 

 

I don't know why exactly, but it appears they expanded the building in that area and added seating behind the Chick-F-La building in that area.

Having a tunnel of that size, along a popular path limits the opportunities to sell or entertain along that path, ie make money.  Probably why when they put it back it was used as part of a ride entry.  Wouldn't mind seeing them do something similar on other rides where possible.

I like that tunnel Cedar Point has that goes under Millennium Force that sorta separates the main midway from Frontier Trail. When I went in August 2018, it rained for a good chunk of the day and we hid down there for a little bit. 

annual bump for my favorite thread on this site.  For anyone new around here, well worth exploring.

@medford it means a lot to me that you think so highly of this thread. I was hoping to do another one with some pictures from 1972 that I have for the 50th Anniversary…but life has a way of getting in the way sometimes. I  have just not had a good last 3 years…no real free time what with working tons of overtime, the COVID situation and a death in the family, it seems like something always comes up…but I guess, that’s life. Hopefully I will be able to do it next year. 

@standbyme I would very much look forward to that, but I totally get how life gets in the way of such matters.  Seems like everyone I know is stretched in 50 different directions the last 3 years.  Times are indeed interesting.

Spring is around the corner (despite the snow) and its time to bumpity, bump, bump, bump my favorite thread on this site.  Just in case anyone hasn't seen these yet, or likes to look back on them like I do.

On 12/5/2011 at 2:50 PM, medford said:

thanks again, couple of thoughts...

The Racer looked much better in 1974 than it does today with that pain job, as has been mentioned several times. I wonder the cost premium would be to add the red/blue coloring to the job next time they give it a paint job?

I doubt the lawyers would allow KI to maintain the 1974 fence job, which is kind of unfortunate.

those 2 issues aside, I do wonder if you took 10 steps back in both the 1974 picture and the current photo if today's picture wouldn't look "better". The greenery around the turn is better today than what shows in the 74 picture.

And with the fresh paint, The Racers look as good as every (well except the tunnel at the end, I still don't get why they did that, though I'm sure #reasons)