5/16:

-Meeting a KIC group for the first time since Media Day!

-Riding with KICers on Adventure Express, Racer, Vortex, BLSC, and The Beast

-Having a train all to myself on Vortex for the first time since 9/26/2010!

-Another fireworks ride on Vortex

-2nd ever night ride on The Beast

-short lines!

-got a pretty good number of rides in (7 total) in only an hour and a half!

Today 5/22:

Great parking spot.

Short lines.

My first solo visit to KI since 2011.

My first time in the Reds Hall of Fame Grille.

11 rides on Banshee, including 1 in the front row and 3 in the back.

Not being at work!

I went up Tuesday (5/20) afternoon/evening and had a good time. Highlights included riding Banshee twice (my first and last rides of the day), having the best ride on The Beast thus far this season because I didn't get a wheel seat (I was in the 1st car, 2nd row), enjoying the Train and riding Invertigo (which was great, but Banshee is still better!).

EDIT: I almost forgot the amazing bread from Chicken Shack and I walked onto Vortex.

**Banshee line stayed relatively short all day yesterday (23rd). I heard one person comment that this was probably because the line is fast, plus one doesn't have to "pay" to ride other rides.

**The weather was absolutely perfect.

**They are now handing out official flyers to those who have the season-long meal plan. The flyers tell you what you can get at each place.

5/23:

-Rode Banshee for the first time since Media Day

-Saw Beastie1980, momofbeastie1980, LoraX, Katie.Greg, ohiocolts and UnrealNightmare again (and I waited in line for Banshee right behind Fire-Beast-OF FEAR!)

-One of my rides on Banshee was a twilight ride (and my very first twilight ride!)

-Line for Banshee moved very fast the second time I rode it

-Lines for some rides (including Vortex) were really short; I was able to marathon/power-ride Vortex and get 3 rides in before the fireworks!

-My very first fireworks ride on WindSeeker! It was incredible!

I braved my embarrassment and rode Surf Dog. I was seated next to a couple cute and talkative 5-6 year old girls. The one nearest me told me that she doesn't like Surf Dog because it is scary. I didn't press her on why she was riding it then.

About halfway through, she started repeating "I want my mommy." She looked at me to see if I was scared too, and I think for reassurance (I'm probably older than her mommy).

I was a little worried for her, but she wasn't squirting any tears, nor did she look truly frightened, just a little unsure. She continued chanting "I want my mommy" for most of the rest of the ride.

Then when it finally stopped, she enthusiastically told her friend "let's ride it again!" I think that is a future coaster enthusiast in the making!

++met some awesome people while in line for Diamondback. They asked me a question about the park. After that, we talked for nearly an hour. We were waiting after a lightning delay.

++ate my first meal at The Chicken Shack

++was able to stay until the park closed

++was really impressed by the work ethic of one of the managers at Skyline on International Street. I didn't deal with him; I just noticed how "on the ball" he was.

5/27/14

-Rode Banshee 16 times

My last visit was not actually entirely special.

My NEXT visit is the one I'm hoping will be the most memorable visit of the season (perhaps even moreso than Media Day).

I am excluding Coasting for Kids in that listing, because that event is so awesome and special that it's unfair to compare anything else to it.