Google randomly sends me alerts that it has created an enhanced photo, or album, etc.  I have over 10,000 photos uploaded on the Google server, so it's always hard to tell how old the pic would be.  Today, it send me a panorama that it had created from my photos...it looks like opening day 2008.  Anyway, it turned pretty cool, thought I would share!

 

Hey Reptar... er, Flying Ace is still green!

No Dinosaurs..... No 301 ft. towers.....

No Banshee and a certain Son was still their and operating....

 

Cant believe it was that long ago!

Operating? It did that? Really?

Terp, only 43 percent kidding.

In my heart, it stopped operating after the initial accident

Operating? It did that? Really?

Terp, only 43 percent kidding.

I just got terpyed.   

2008 was a great season at the park.  That was the summer the Full Throttle truck used to park by the entry gates and pass out free drinks.  My wife (girlfriend at the time) visited there quite a bit that summer and we seemed to time it perfectly, to be there the same days the Full Throttle truck was.

 

I'll never forget opening day of 2009 though.  We arrived early, before the gates opened, to try to get in line for KI's brand new coaster Diamondback.  Another thing I'll never forget is the line that wrapped around the park.  Even though we were there before the roped dropped, by the time we managed to get to the end of Diamondback's line, we were all the way down by the LaRosa's near The Beast.  That line went all the way up and around by the Eiffel Tower, then wrapped around through Nickelodeon Universe.  For those of you who'd like to relive 2009's opening day, here's a video I put together of some pictures and video I took while waiting in line:

 

 

I enjoy looking at pictures of past seasons.  It's fun to relive those memories and it's interesting to look back and compare just how much the park has changed.  Thanks for posting!

Refresh my memory:  What was in the building that is now the upper que for Diamondback?

I'm a little confused by how you said it's the upper queue, but... maybe this? Check out the description.

I may be wrong, but I'm thinking the Rivertown Mining Company is actually where the Diamondback store is currently.  If you look at :23 seconds you'll see the water game that is still currently there...the  game to the right of the screen was removed for Snake Pit. Just my thoughts, may not be correct. Lol. 

Edit- Well it looks like the water game will be gone this year to become a Coca-Cola Refill station.  See source for more info.

Edited March 2, 201610 yr by chugh43

Operating? It did that? Really?

Terp, only 43 percent kidding.

It moved, and violently. Kinda like that big box. Well until June '09 LOL

Sent from a signal coming out of the Vega system.

I may be wrong, but I'm thinking the Rivertown Mining Company is actually where the Diamondback store is currently. If you look at :23 seconds you'll see the water game that is still currently there...the game to the right of the screen was removed for Snake Pit. Just my thoughts, may not be correct. Lol.

Edit- Well it looks like the water game will be gone this year to become a Coca-Cola Refill station. See source for more info.

The one with the white tower on the left of the facade is pictured, and that's the same one that was demolished. I was confused about the angles at first too.

I think, unless it was structurally unsound, Kings Island had a missed opportunity to simply put the queue inside of that building. Roughly the same amount space, prettier to see than canvas coverings, more western inmersion, could've had some theming or Diamondback factoids inside.. just a thought.

 

I may be wrong, but I'm thinking the Rivertown Mining Company is actually where the Diamondback store is currently. If you look at :23 seconds you'll see the water game that is still currently there...the game to the right of the screen was removed for Snake Pit. Just my thoughts, may not be correct. Lol.

Edit- Well it looks like the water game will be gone this year to become a Coca-Cola Refill station. See source for more info.

The one with the white tower on the left of the facade is pictured, and that's the same one that was demolished. I was confused about the angles at first too.

I think, unless it was structurally unsound, Kings Island had a missed opportunity to simply put the queue inside of that building. Roughly the same amount space, prettier to see than canvas coverings, more western inmersion, could've had some theming or Diamondback factoids inside.. just a thought.

 

You are so correct! I didn't look at the panoramic shot that actually showed the tower portion of the structure. The other picture I looked at was more covered by trees. 

Aw I miss them. 

I agree with you! Missed opportunity. 

Legal and architectural factors often make infeasible those things that may appear to be wise to the casual observer.

But when there's a will there's a new, but similar way.. and there's also the easier way to deal with it.

 Thanks, calakapepe.  That was it.  When I saw "upper que"--I am talking about the first que section that is normally used.  I call the other, rectangular que, the lower que.  That's how my mind works.

But when there's a will there's a new, but similar way.. and there's also the easier way to deal with it.

As was often said on "What's My Line?":

Sometimes.

Building codes can and do change.  What was once up to code in the 70s may not be code anymore.  And the building likely was not configured to meet the amount of people that occupy the queue area.  Multiple means of egress, and even the construction type of the building could have necessitated additional modifications, such as a sprinkler system to allow the assembly use group.  

 

The likely easiest way to enclose that queue would have been to tear down the building anyway and build a new building.  Which likely was not in the budget.

^^^ A big old example of that is the International Restaurant above KI's entrance.

Which was remedied this past year, when they installed a public elevator that services the International Restaurant (it is located in the stair well right next to the Spot Light Souvenir shop.

Wow I did not know that, I guess I never noticed! Thanks for telling me. 

It's kind of hidden...you have to actually enter the IR stairwell to get to the elevator. 

Speaking of Diamondback construction photos, here is one of my more amusing ones.  Who remembers the "garden" for the beginning of the 2008 season?

 

https://www.facebook.com/DaretoFly121/photos/a.1577794702545325.1073741828.1566761846981944/1587831241541671/?type=3

I remember that. As I recall they did similar things with other footers.

There were three on the Rivertown midway that had a flower pot sitting on them.  I have pictures of all three.