sharondbond
2019-06-03 00:17:41 UTC
Trip Report: Kings Island
June 2, 2019
We finally got a day to go down to Kings Island. Matt broke his leg the day of gold pass preview day, so no visit then. The list of rides that they will let you go on while wearing a cast or brace is very few, so we waited until he was officially un-booted (no cast, just a walking boot since the break) to go down.
We got in during the gold pass entry time and headed down to Mystic Timbers but it isn't on the early ride time list yet. Both MT and Diamondback had lines, but Ben wasn't crazy about riding MT, and the DB line would suck more people in faster, so we went there. DB was good and it might be a bit smoother this year than last year. Some of the roughness we were experiencing last year seems to have improved. It mainly was rough in the low spots. Still lots of air time when riding in the back seats.
Next we went over to MT but Ben chose not to ride. We had a bit of a wait but not bad. It's running about the same as last year. The theming is aging nicely - pretty soon it won't look like a lot of new wood masquerading as an old lumber mill. And once again, we got the vampire bats. I'm 5 for 6 in getting that video.
Beast was next, and Matt chose not to ride. He's wearing a small ankle brace, and I think he just wanted to rest for awhile, so Ben and I went on. It was almost a walk-on. The nostalgic color scheme was nice but the orange is more like a dark yellow. The ride is just the same as usual, nothing really has changed for this year.
Then we headed over to the object of the visit - the Antique Cars. While Matt and I waited in line, Ben got 2 rides on Windseeker, and could have got a third, because the line is very slow. They had 12 cars on the track, which is located between the Racer and the Shake-Rattle-and-Roll and Vortex. The platform-o-death (old Flight Commander pad) is gone. The station is reminiscent of the old station, but the old station was painted white and had some more decorative touches, and the new station is a cream color.
The track is probably about a quarter mile long, as they stated during the ride announcement. You leave the station, slowly curve around the western end, and then down toward Windseeker, then curve back around 180 degrees toward Coney Mall, then a short section, then back around 180 degrees, and after short drive then it's a curve around back to the station. Lots of greenery and trees, a water feature, an old-style service station, and a covered area which is supposed to look like a covered bridge but there's no actual bridge.
The have put in lots of little touches to evoke past and current rides. The service station and many billboards advertise Zodiac gas and oil. As you begin the ride, you pass through the Zodiac service station, and there is a display of oil cans with 3 different brands/logos. One of them is Mystic oil. Another was Zodiac but I wasn't quick enough to catch the third. One billboard advertises Racer radios. One billboard advertises a wild animal safari. The covered bridge has a name like Kramer on it, which probably has some significance. We only took 1 ride, so I couldn't quite catch all the references.
They are obviously catering the ride toward families - there is a large stroller parking area in front of the station. And the families are loving it. We waited about 30 minutes because the line is so long. It's the same situation as the re-opened Flyers.
The line moves slowly because there is a stop sign about 30 feet before the station, and then the ride attendants take over to control your car back in. The cars were getting backed up. There's no brake in the car, and it's a little bit of a downhill as you approach any traffic jam, which means that you could end up bumping the car in front a little. Yep, that was me.
After the Antique Cars, we went up through Coney Mall, getting 2 rides on the bumper cars. I think they took something out out to the east of it. There's now a Coca Cola refreshment station in a large, circular paved area, and I don't remember it being such an open path back around bumper cars in the past. But I can't remember what might have been there.
When Ben was riding Windseeker he got a better view of the area they are clearing out to the north of the Flight of Fear building. They are clearing a very, very large area, which goes along with the rumors of a new coaster.
After bumper cars Matt and Ben went back to ride The Bat while I got stuff to drink. Then we were done with the day and headed out. We had some other things to do that day. We headed back to Centerville to do the Sinclair Faculty and Staff picnic, and then bought Ben a car :-)
Sharon
June 2, 2019
We finally got a day to go down to Kings Island. Matt broke his leg the day of gold pass preview day, so no visit then. The list of rides that they will let you go on while wearing a cast or brace is very few, so we waited until he was officially un-booted (no cast, just a walking boot since the break) to go down.
We got in during the gold pass entry time and headed down to Mystic Timbers but it isn't on the early ride time list yet. Both MT and Diamondback had lines, but Ben wasn't crazy about riding MT, and the DB line would suck more people in faster, so we went there. DB was good and it might be a bit smoother this year than last year. Some of the roughness we were experiencing last year seems to have improved. It mainly was rough in the low spots. Still lots of air time when riding in the back seats.
Next we went over to MT but Ben chose not to ride. We had a bit of a wait but not bad. It's running about the same as last year. The theming is aging nicely - pretty soon it won't look like a lot of new wood masquerading as an old lumber mill. And once again, we got the vampire bats. I'm 5 for 6 in getting that video.
Beast was next, and Matt chose not to ride. He's wearing a small ankle brace, and I think he just wanted to rest for awhile, so Ben and I went on. It was almost a walk-on. The nostalgic color scheme was nice but the orange is more like a dark yellow. The ride is just the same as usual, nothing really has changed for this year.
Then we headed over to the object of the visit - the Antique Cars. While Matt and I waited in line, Ben got 2 rides on Windseeker, and could have got a third, because the line is very slow. They had 12 cars on the track, which is located between the Racer and the Shake-Rattle-and-Roll and Vortex. The platform-o-death (old Flight Commander pad) is gone. The station is reminiscent of the old station, but the old station was painted white and had some more decorative touches, and the new station is a cream color.
The track is probably about a quarter mile long, as they stated during the ride announcement. You leave the station, slowly curve around the western end, and then down toward Windseeker, then curve back around 180 degrees toward Coney Mall, then a short section, then back around 180 degrees, and after short drive then it's a curve around back to the station. Lots of greenery and trees, a water feature, an old-style service station, and a covered area which is supposed to look like a covered bridge but there's no actual bridge.
The have put in lots of little touches to evoke past and current rides. The service station and many billboards advertise Zodiac gas and oil. As you begin the ride, you pass through the Zodiac service station, and there is a display of oil cans with 3 different brands/logos. One of them is Mystic oil. Another was Zodiac but I wasn't quick enough to catch the third. One billboard advertises Racer radios. One billboard advertises a wild animal safari. The covered bridge has a name like Kramer on it, which probably has some significance. We only took 1 ride, so I couldn't quite catch all the references.
They are obviously catering the ride toward families - there is a large stroller parking area in front of the station. And the families are loving it. We waited about 30 minutes because the line is so long. It's the same situation as the re-opened Flyers.
The line moves slowly because there is a stop sign about 30 feet before the station, and then the ride attendants take over to control your car back in. The cars were getting backed up. There's no brake in the car, and it's a little bit of a downhill as you approach any traffic jam, which means that you could end up bumping the car in front a little. Yep, that was me.
After the Antique Cars, we went up through Coney Mall, getting 2 rides on the bumper cars. I think they took something out out to the east of it. There's now a Coca Cola refreshment station in a large, circular paved area, and I don't remember it being such an open path back around bumper cars in the past. But I can't remember what might have been there.
When Ben was riding Windseeker he got a better view of the area they are clearing out to the north of the Flight of Fear building. They are clearing a very, very large area, which goes along with the rumors of a new coaster.
After bumper cars Matt and Ben went back to ride The Bat while I got stuff to drink. Then we were done with the day and headed out. We had some other things to do that day. We headed back to Centerville to do the Sinclair Faculty and Staff picnic, and then bought Ben a car :-)
Sharon