There have been some interesting posts in the last few days on the KI insider blog if you haven't read it lately!

there just been one long post

I really was excited about this line. "Many of you have asked when our 2012 operating calendar will be available. We should have it posted on our website soon."

That'd be cool if they released it sooner, because I'm curious if they'll go back to opening the third-ish week of April (i.e. for 2012, that'd be April 14 or 21). Then again, that does remove part of the excitement that usually comes in January...

I'd rather it come on April 30 again. The weather in early to even mid April is cold and rainy. In my opinion it's not really time for an amusement park to open. I think of amusement parks operating during summer...(besides Halloween Haunt).

^ Yep, which is why I'd like it to come mid-April again... The first few weeks used to be a lot more empty than they were this year. Of course, this year wasn't a great time for anything to be open. I think it rained every day in April and May except April 30th.

Best bet would be to find someone who works for Cincinnati Financial and see when their buyout day is.

For several years it has been the Sunday after opening day.

Best bet would be to find someone who works for Cincinnati Financial and see when their buyout day is.

For several years it has been the Sunday after opening day.

Good point, it has been closed for a private event the first Sunday it is open for several years now. I wonder how far back they have been doing that?

Yeah, the calender is STILL not up! SOON should mean a few hours not a few mounths LOL. And yes I wonder how long the private event Sunday has been going on, probably like 10 years at least 2. I'm hoping more mid-april instead of late April, i'd like the 14th or 21st.

This off-season, much more is uncertain and/or subject to change than in years past, what with the head honcho exiting, sort of, stage left!

Terp, not to be confused with that H B Cat.

Not to mention that the calendar doesn't usually make its appearance until January or after, and I think I remember the site saying "soon" before that time last year, too...

Just looked up the definition of "soon","In or after a short time". Well, how short is that "short time"? Well, guess i'll be waiting for January . But we can easily predict 21st or 28th opening day.

Totally different management this time. What was in the past may not have anything to do with what's to come. Or it may.

I would like to see the park open early may daily.

If anything, under the new management, I could see them opening earlier, but not any later. But what do I know? Well quite a bit actually, but nothing pertaining to the mind of the new CEO to be.

I'm eagerly awaiting KI's schedule. Dollywood's is up, which is understandable since they open in March, & Holiday World's is up (although only 4 of the 11 US SF parks have their's up at this point).

I'd like it to be earlier than it was this year, because if it's the last Saturday of April again, I'll have to miss it for the first time in years because we'll be attending a certain KIC member's wedding that day (why did you have to schedule it for that day Stalkerchick?). And if I can't go the following day instead because of the park sellout, that then causes me a dilemma in my tradition of going to HW's opening day, which is always the first Saturday in May... do I go to HW or KI that day? Please, please, please go back to opening earlier this year!

Very interesting post added today, especially for those into KI history!

That is a nice post. I learned something today!

Obviously, Flatt wasn't the first person to set foot on the site where Kings Island resides. It was most likely a farmer in search of land.

... because for some reason the Native American tribes that inhabited the region for hundreds of years before avoided the 1600 acre parcel of land.

^Obviously they knew that this was where The Beast roamed, and thus avoided the area.

^I cannot like that statement enough!

http://www.visitking...des_in_2011.cfm

The Beast continues to thrill riders, giving 1,118,631 rides in 2011.

Impressive, This will probably be the only year Vortex has less riders. (Until it's removed, that is)

Anyone on here have the prior year capacity's?

From the same blog post comes this:

A number of rides have come and gone over the past four decades at Kings Island. If you could bring back any past Kings Island ride, which one would it be? E-mail us your answers at kingsislandgr@visitkingsisland.com.

I think there is a thread (or ten) around here about that, although I have to admit, I'd be hard pressed to pick just one

FYI, here is the answer in the more recent blog update.

In the last blog update, I asked if you could bring back any ride from the past which one would it be. We received more than 700 responses. The three most popular choices were Flying Eagles, Phantom Theatre and Antique Cars. Rounding out the top five were King Cobra and Enchanted Voyage. A big THANK YOU to all who participated.

KICentral was mentioned in the blog on New Years Eve.

^^

I find it very interesting that, in spite of comments on the park's Facebook page, none of the top 3 rides are roller coasters. They're all family rides. That should work out well in Ouimet's style's favor.

^^

I find it very interesting that, in spite of comments on the park's Facebook page, none of the top 3 rides are roller coasters. They're all family rides. That should work out well in Ouimet's style's favor.

It probably will. I just wonder what rides were going to get, probably some indoor dark rides, as thats what Disney has.

Was the last "smaller" ride installed in the non-kids' part of the park Zephyr?

Zephyr was added in '86. In the years to follow, the "smaller" rides outside of the children's area were:

'89 - Water Works water park with lazy river, children's area, etc.

'90 - Rushing River, a family raft ride in WW

'91 - Adventure Express, a family coaster (and keep in mind it originally had a 44" height requirement)

'94 - Days of Thunder simulator (I'm counting this thanks to the stationary seats in the theaters)

'97 - Wave pool

'04 - More water park expansions as part of Crocodile Dundee's Boomerang Bay

'05 - Italian Job, marketed as a family coaster (despite the 48" height requirement)

In terms of flat rides, Zephyr would've been the last one. But there may have miscellaneous other family attractions added in the twenty-five plus years since.

With the new website, came a new blog. Hopefully we get some off-season updates there!