Day 9: Lots of Writing

When I planned this Independent Study, somehow it hadn't occurred to me just how much reading and writing I'd be doing. Not only would I be writing the better part of a book on the evolution of amusement parks, but I also had a business plan on my schedule as well as daily blogs. With it comes a lot of reading, since of course all of this requires research. Yeah, it's a lot of work. But the good thing to remember about all of it is that at least it is something that I truly enjoy.

That said, the last few days I've been reading a lot of very interesting books as part of my research. I've been poring over Cedar Point's gift of Cedar Point: Queen of American Watering Places, as well as checking out a few others from my library (pun intended). A few of them have already helped me greatly to fill in a few blanks in my iBook.

As far as the iBook goes, I've been doing quite a bit of work on that too of course. Aside from my reading and research today, I've been reworking several sections to improve its organization. After much debate I've decided to keep a standalone interactive section that uses Kennywood as an example of a classic trolley park. It's one of the creative-writing style pieces from the original project and it does well to serve my ultimate purpose of showing the growth and change in the amusement industry. There was an interactive section that focused on Disneyland as well, but I've changed that slightly and instead demoted it to simply being a supplement to the textual section on Disneyland that had followed it. I've begun writing a section that will focus on the revival of wooden coasters with Kings Island's Racer, as well as the second wind that the industry felt in the 1970's not only with wooden coasters, but also with looping coasters.

Lastly, I've been revising a section that highlights the "coaster wars" beginning with Cedar Point's Magnum XL-200 in 1989. It had been written as a kind of news article to fit into the creative writing ensemble, but I wanted to remove that styling and leave it purely informational for the final product. After some reworking this afternoon, the coaster wars section is finished.

Before I go, I would like to share this "first look" at the project. Here is one page from the first section on the earliest roller coasters:

Tomorrow I'll be continuing to write and refine the various sections of this project. By no means will this be an exhaustive history of the amusement industry, so dont expect it to be a lengthy iBook; I am, however, very committed to making sure that it is of the highest quality. I look forward to continuing tomorrow. After that, it's off to Orlando next week for IAAPA and a few park visits! As always, stay tuned!

-Wynn

Day 8: Home Again

I gotta say, after three great, full days at Cedar Point, it's been kind of quiet working back in Toledo. I started out the day by heading downtown to the library once again. I needed to take stock of my work and figure out what needed to be done. Unfortunately, it was a short day as I had separate dentist and orthodontist appointments this afternoon.

Knowing that time was in short supply, I grabbed a sheet of paper to jot notes as I looked through what exists so far. The book had been divided up into 9 sections: the earliest roller coasters, American trolley parks, an interactive section on trolley parks, an interactive section on Disneyland, a written section on Disneyland, looping roller coasters, the coaster wars, the industry today, and a conclusion summarizing the change in the industry. A few things were obvious from the beginning. As this had once been a creative writing ensemble, some of the too-creative bits would have to be reworked to be more information-based. I also wanted to move around some of the interactive elements and other graphics, as well as add to the existing sections. Related to that, I immediately updated the first section to include a paragraph on the Mauch Chunk Switchback Railway, as well as new photos of LaMarcus Thompson's patents.

I also wanted to see about adding a couple of new sections. Those will likely focus on Coney Island and the impact of the Racer at Kings Island, but I will have to do a bit more research first. I spent the rest of my time gathering books and other information to use as sources, and making touch-ups and minor edits throughout the book. After that, it was off to my appointments - I'll be back at it again tomorrow, however, so stay tuned for more!

See you soon,
-Wynn

Two New Rocky Mountain Coasters

Hello everyone,

I'd first like to apologize for how slow it's been here lately. I've been traveling a lot over the past month and have had almost no time to work on the site. Add that to the fact that it's the off-season now, and you can see why we haven't posted an update in a while. Don't worry though, I'm working on the next Impression already and we've got a few other articles planned as well, plus I'm looking into some new features to upgrade the site. I'll get on with it now:

At IAAPA a few weeks ago, you may have heard about Rocky Mountain's plans for 2013; another full Iron Horse makeover project, as well as an original project, from scratch. We thought it would be fun to try to figure out where those are going.

How's this for an old picture?! (RCDB)

Let's start with the makeover - my personal guess is Colossus at Six Flags Magic Mountain. Colossus is long overdue for refurbishment, so why wouldn't Six Flags go all-out on this one? Given their huge success with the New Texas Giant, it makes sense that Six Flags might be interested in upgrading some of their other woodies. Other possible candidates might include Georgia Cyclone at SF Over Georgia, or even Cyclone at SF New England. Colossus remains the strongest possibility however, as Cyclone just added some of Rocky Mountain's Topper Track, and a full makeover on the compact Georgia Cyclone would be difficult. Not to mention, Magic Mountain is arguably their flagship park. That's why Colossus at SF Magic Mountain may be next to receive the Iron Horse makeover from Rocky Mountain Coasters.

SoB featuring the iconic loop (RCDB)

The second 2013 project is an original coaster, from scratch. For many reasons, I'd say that's planned for Kings Island. Let's face it, Son of Beast probably won't be around much longer, and that would free up a lot of space for another big woody. Could this be the park's second chance at building a sequel to The Beast? I'd like to say that it's coming to my home park, Cedar Point, but I doubt it. With all of the track work they've been doing on Mean Streak lately, I doubt the park would want to upstage it with another large woodie so soon (or hybrid, whatever). No; Cedar Point will wait to see how this works out at Kings Island, and they'll find some other coaster for #18. Kings Island needs a wooden coaster that will make guests forget about their failures with SoB. Given NTAG's success, a Rocky Mountain coaster could be just that. Kings Island is definitely my best guess as the recipient of the first original Rocky Mountain Coaster.

What are your thoughts? Have I missed the mark completely? Join the discussion; post your guesses for the two coasters in a comment below!

The Top 5 Indoor Coasters

Time for another list! This time, I tried to choose coasters that were innovative to the industry in some way. We'll be looking at indoor coasters that take place in some kind of structure that may feature complete blackness.

#5 Flights of Fear - Kings Island and Kings Dominion

Originally themed to The Outer Limits show as well as using 3-D effects, this coaster is notable for being the very first one to ever use the ILM launch system. Kind of shocking, right? You'd think an outdoor coaster would have that glory. The ride starts out in Hanger 18 that contains a giant flying saucer. Then, after being launched through a narrow tunnel, the vehicles rocket into a large steel mess called the “spaghetti bowl.” This makes sense seeing that the ride gives us many tightly enclosed loops and dips. There are four inversions including a corkscrew, cobra roll, and a sidewinder. The Linear Induction Motors were a big deal, but the fact that the ride has a great layout makes it stand the test of time.

#4 Chaos - Opryland

Here's one that's personal to me that you may have never heard of before. Chaos was an indoor ride at Opryland in Nashville. Originally, 3D projections came at you off of two giant screens (seen in this pic courtesy of Thrill Hunter). Later, the lights were turned on, the 3D effects were gone, and a nuclear reactor and a dragon were added. A wonderful trance-like score provided the soundtrack, "Bones on the Beach." After Opryland closed they replaced it with that Gaylord hotel that I was forced to tour. (I was sadistically happy when the place flooded.) Thankfully, I did go to the site of the old Opryland park and found the old raft ride and the ticket booth still standing. Chaos had a sister ride called Revolution that was in Europe until a few years ago. You won't find a whole lot of info about this online, but YouTube does have a few recreations of the ride. Check em' out.

#3 Black Hole - Alton Towers

Now this is an indoor coaster that really used the darkness to its advantage. Being one of the very first indoor coasters in 1984, the experience itself was something new to patrons. As such, guests seemed to make it out to be even scarier than it really was. It didn't help that since this was not the traditional “out and back” coaster, empty vehicles arriving at the station made oncoming passengers turn cold with fear. The lift hill itself wasted no time taunting the riders at what was to come. A spiral of strobe lights and black-lit effects followed you on the way up. Just before you fell down that first drop, there was an astronaut at the top waving as if to say “Nice knowing you.” The strange thing here is that Black Hole was never in a typical ride building. It was in a giant tent, instead. In the late 80's, duel tracks were added, and the ride became known as “Black Hole II” for a while. Sadly, it closed in 2005 with no explanation given that I know of.

#2 Volcano: The Blast Coaster - Kings Dominion

OK, OK, I know I'm kind of cheating here. The coaster is not set completely in the dark, but a good portion of it takes place inside a giant false volcano. The mountain itself was previously the home to a junior coaster, a flume ride, and a flat before it lay dormant for several years. In 1998, however, Intamin built Volcano in its place. Imitating an eruption of lava, the ride is significant for being the first inverted launch coaster. It is located close to Flights of Fear, another record-breaker.

#1 Space Mountain - Walt Disney World

Oh, come on. You knew this was coming. Now, I admit, there have been many coasters that have improved on Space Mountain's concept since its birth in the 70's at the Florida park. Space Fantasy Coaster at Universal Studios Japan just might be the very best themed coaster ever made. X: No Way Out at Thorpe Park has used many indoor effects, and it was the very first indoor backwards coaster. But, Space Mountain is the granddaddy of them all: the very first indoor roller coaster ever, and still one of the best. The track layout consists of two wild mouse coasters (nicknamed Alpha and Omega) that duel side by side as mirror images. The building is shaped the way it is because one track had to be a few feet longer than its partner. Due to this, it would be impossible for the 300 foot building to be more spherical. Sharp drops of 39 degrees zip under hanging supports that are probably too low for comfort. As a kid, I was afraid that I might be so tall as to have my head knocked against them.

The queue line is set in a long tunnel themed like a space port. This was done on purpose so that the rider wouldn't simply walk into “space” from the real world outside. This area is actually risen above the last section of coaster track. Projections of meteors on the ceiling flow over riders heads, and tunnels that look like worm holes were the first of their kind to have a special soundtrack that was in sync to the vehicle's movement inside. The designers even teased riders for a while by having a two-way mirror at one point containing mannequins that were hanging upside-down from coaster cars. Since these moved right along with your vehicle at a fast pace, many riders bought into the illusion that they were really traveling upside-down.

Four siblings have been spawned from this old timer, but the only one to properly rival the 1975 original would have to be Space Mountain: Mission 2 at Disneyland Paris. Themed to the Victorian sci-fi story, “From the Earth to the Moon,” a “cannon” launches riders up into the dome.

Well, hope you enjoyed this as much as I did. I'll be back next week with...Well, I'm not sure yet. They haven't told me. Whatever it is, hope to see you then!

-Reese

Amusement Park Accidents and Incidents

WARNING: THE FOLLOWING POST MAY CONTAIN FRIGHTENING/GRAPHIC INFORMATION, VIDEOS, AND PHOTOS!

So, it is a part of life: getting hurt; but that doesn't mean it should happen on an idle Tuesday as you enjoy your favorite amusement devices at a local amusement park or vacation-destination; but it does. What this post is offering is a look at some historical ride accidents that have led to INCREASED SAFETY PROCEDURES around the world. My goal/intention is not to scare you (although some things that follow may do just that) or get you to become afraid of your favorite rides, it is merely to bring light to that fact that this industry is becoming one of the safest out there and even as rides get more intense, the chances of you dying on a roller coaster are becoming smaller and smaller, and, as of this posting, you have the following chance of dying on a roller coaster: 1 in 300 MILLION! So rest easy you worriers, you're golden!

Coaster in the Netherlands that was evacuating riders as the ride continued moving.

Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom (Defunct)

I am not ignorant enough to believe that this park closed due to this incident, but, in 2007 a young girl boarded Superman: Tower of Power: an Intamin Drop Tower when the cable snapped at the top of the tower and severed the girl's feet. See the video below which contains a news report with live witnesses. This incident caused sweeping investigations of rides of this type as they were shut down across the nation/world to ensure that the ride was not predisposed to this type of malfunction. It turns out this was a freak accident.

Six Flags Magic Mountain

In the photo below, you will see the roller coaster Ninja, where in 2008 a 20-year old man entered a restricted area below the ride and was struck and killed by the coaster train. You will see in a later post how this is a serious concern for parks and why fencing and signage is extremely important in maintaining guest safety.

Ninja @ SFMM

Six Flags Over Texas

Roaring Rapids is the SFOT version of the amusement park staple water attraction of a river rapids ride. Until this incident in 1999, these types of attractions had been relatively accident-free. In 1999, a raft flipped over in 2-3 feet of water injuring 10 and killing one 28-year old woman. Since this incident, the rubber surrounding the base of each raft has been reinforced and the likelihood of a repeat of this accident has been significantly reduced.

Roaring Rapids @ SFOT

Six Flags New England & Darien Lake

Both of these parks have Intamin Hypercoasters with the Superman/Bizarro theme and similar layouts. In 2004, the SFNE version had an incident in which an oversized park guest was ejected from his seat and killed. It was determined that the man was too large for the T-bar restraint and it did not close effectively. This tragic mishap has led to increased safety precautions that have been nothing short of controversial. You may have seen signs or read blurbs in park maps/brochures that explain "guests of exceptional size may not be permitted to ride." This is a precaution that parks have implemented to avoid the chance that another guest lose their life or become injured due to their size making it difficult to restrain them. This is controversial because some guests believe this to be discrimination based on their size. This is where I disagree. Is it controversial to increase a safety measure? No. Is it controversial to put limitations on riding a ride if the nature of the ride permits it? No, and I will explain why. If an overweight guest were to be injured on a ride, they might file a lawsuit. The park is protecting themselves AS WELL AS the guest. And, let's be honest, if you are too big to ride a ride at an amusement park, step on a scale, subtract about 50-100 pounds and then WEIGH THAT. Sorry if that is harsh, but it's your life and your health, and your REALITY, deal with it.

At Darien Lake, there was an incident on their Superman coaster this year in which an Army Sergeant, who was a double leg amputee, fell out of the coaster to his death. This incident was determined to be the cause of operator error as the safety guidelines of the ride include all riders must have BOTH legs in order to ride. As a result of the accident, parks across the world have stepped up safety guidelines in this arena, making sure to protect the safety of their guests and ensure another tragic loss like this doesn't occur again.

Superman: RoS @ SFNE & DL

Cedar Point

Cedar Point may have been voted the "Best Amusement Park in the World" (Amusement Today) 14 years in a row, but the park isn't immune to incidents! In 2007, the Magnum XL-200 had an accident in which 2 trains collided in the station at about 10-15 mph. No major injuries were reported. Also, on two separate occasions, the Wildcat coaster had train collisions, the most serious one occurring in 2008 and sending 9 people to receive medical treatment. The incident involved a train/car rolling backwards down the lift into the station.

Top Thrill Dragster, plagued with mechanical issues its first two years of operations (2003-2004) experienced its most severe malfunction in July of 2004 when, during the launch, the metal cable that pulls the train to the end of the launch track and releases it up the Top-Hat, frayed and sent shards of metal and hot oil into the faces of 4 riders. this incident is important to note because this was the first and less severe of this type of incident to occur as you will watch later in this post.

Magnum XL_200 @ Cedar Point

Top Thrill Dragster @ Cedar Point

Six Flags Magic Mountain

Colossus is a wooden racing coaster famous for its iconic structure featured in many movies and TV shows (National Lampoons' Vacation, Step by Step, et. al.) but, in its inaugural season (1978) the coaster had a double down that was infamous for its sharp, ejector airtime. That season, a park guest was ejected from the coaster and fell to their death. After the incident, the park took drastic action and reprofiled the coaster to remove the double down (one drop that actually is compromised of two) as you can see in the pic below. The train is traveling over the section which is now straight, but you can see under the reprofiled section where the double down used to be. It looks as if the red train is floating over the track.

Colossus (reprofiled) @ SFMM

Kings Island

Kings Island suffered a great loss in 1991. On June 9, 1991, dubbed "Black Sunday," 3 people lost their lives in the park. A guest jumped into a pond to retrieve a lost item and was electrocuted by a malfunctioning water pump. A friend saw this and jumped in to the rescue and was electrocuted. Finally a park employee jumped in to the rescue and was also electrocuted. Ironically, and unfortunately, the rescuers were both killed but the original victim survived. Later that night, a woman boarded Flight Commander (a fun Intamin Pilot ride...see photo) with a Blood-Alcohol-Level of 3.0 (or as I say, 3.WHOA!). As the ride began, she lost consciousness and slipped out of her harness and as her carriage inverted, she fell 60 feet to her death in full view of spectators. The ride closed the remainder of the season and reopened in 1992 and eventually closed due to low ridership (as a result of the fatality) in 1996. (I rode this ride many times and loved it, however.) It is thought that, when the park banned the sale of alcohol in 1993, it was a direct reflection of this incident, although it was never stated as such.

Flight Commander @ PKI

Son of Beast. Sometimes just saying the name can induce pain and panic in some individuals. That would be the case with my brother, who rode the ride at 4:45pm with me on July 9, 2006, when the ride had the largest malfunction in its 6 year history. The ride's structure cracked during the first helix as it was descending into it and caused a severe jolt to the left and then immediately to the right during a section of relatively straight track. As someone who was on the ride I can tell you that this is one painful ride, but this was not normal. As we were dropping into the helix, the jolts loosened my hands from the lap bar and I ended up hitting my hands in my face and caused a bloody nose. My brother held on tightly but, during a quieter section of the ride he screamed, "Stop the ride now!" Upon stopping my brother was crying, a sight I was not accustomed to. He could not get out of the train without my assistance. I carried him out and asked for a park employee to assist him but none could; they were busy helping those who couldn't move at all, due to back or neck injuries, get out. Medical assistance showed up at the exit and my brother was taken to first aid and later the hospital where X-rays revealed a broken rib. I did not seek medical attention. I was one of a handful who were able to get off the ride with minimal injury and who did not need medical attention, save for some water and a tissue. I was lucky; 27 others, were not. I can honestly say, that the removal of the loop on this ride was pointless. The loop was the smoothest part of the ride and did nothing to address the structural integrity of the helix section of the ride, where the accident took place.

The ride reopened to the public one year later without the loop, only to close in 2009 when a woman complained of injuries. The ride has been closed since...thankfully.

Knott's Berry Farm

Xcelerator's cable frayed in 2009, just like Top Thrill Dragster, however; there is POV video of the incident, taken from on-board cameras that capture video of your experience for purchase after you ride. Be warned, the video is terrifying.

Derailments

I have provided some photos of roller coaster derailments...a rare occurrence on coasters. The first is of a stand-up coaster called Fujin Rajin II in Japan at a park called Expoland. The incident happened in 2007, and the park closed in 2009 due to a lack of customers following the incident. Japanese culture takes great issue with things like this and the park management never could recover.

Fujin Rajin II @ Expoland

Expedition GeForce @ Holiday Park (no injuries)

Wild Thing @ Valleyfair (no fatalities)

Inflatables

More injuries are reported on inflatables than ANY coasters at ANY park! Check out the video below to see what happens in a gust of wind to these inflatables. Be careful when using these devices and please supervise your children closely!

I hope this post hasn't scared you into avoiding coasters, rides, or amusement parks. Just be informed, be safe, and pay attention to any and all posted or communicated safety guidelines. They are there for YOU not for them.

Fast Lane Analysis

Kings Island announced the Fast Lane just the other day, as the only line-skipping program at any Cedar Fair park. Guests can pay $50 per person to gain unlimited front-of-the-line access to 10 rides: Diamondback, The Beast, Drop Tower, Firehawk, Flight of Fear, Windseeker, Backlot Stunt Coaster, Delirium, Boo Blasters, and Log Flume. This brings us back to the controversial debate of fast-pass type systems.

While many complain that charging extra for such passes is unfair, I personally don't have a problem with it. I had a great time using my Flash Pass at Six Flags New England just a few days ago. It enabled me to ride everything I wanted in just a few hours, which allowed me more time to enjoy the rest of the park. I've also been on the other side of the equation, though, and it annoys me when other people can skirt ahead of you after you've already waited in line for a long time.

So how fair are these passes? Here we come back to the price - for many people, $50 is way too high. That's just three dollars shy of a one-day ticket at Kings Island. Six Flags parks use the Flash Pass, where they provide several different 'tiers' of passes, ranging from approximately $30-$90 at most parks. This gives guests the option to choose how much they are willing to pay, and their benefit will vary with that. Additionally, Six Flags includes more rides than Kings Island's new Fast Lane pass, and the limited hours on the Fast Lane make it look like the Six Flags Flash Pass is a better deal altogether.

Still, are these passes fair? Is it right to provide people special privileges simply because they can afford it? Disney uses a free Fast Pass system, which would be ideal if more parks were willing to forego the extra income. The fact is, Cedar Fair most likely wont. I personally think that the Fast Lane is a good idea, but I wish it had more options like the Six Flags Flash Pass. I don't really have a problem with Cedar Fair implementing a skip-the-line system (assuming they add it at more parks), but I understand those that do.

What do you think about the Fast Lane system? Is it a good idea, or on the right track? Would you prefer a system more like Six Flags or Disney, or should these systems be eliminated? Let us know what you think about this hot button topic in a comment!

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HodgePodge: Week of July 10, 2011

Busch Gardens Williamsburg
According to Screamscape, Mach Tower has been testing. They report that while the lift was being taken very slowly, the drop seemed to be at full speed.

Darien Lake
According to the local news, Darien Lake will not face any charges due to the death of a man on Ride of Steel last Friday. The man died after he was allowed to ride despite the fact that he had lost both legs in Iraq. The death has been ruled an accident.

Kings Island
After the Darien Lake incident, the media really seems to be jumping on park stories - particularly the negative ones. Forbes reports that Vortex's lift chain broke, and a replacement link has been ordered. I don't quite know why this was Forbes-worthy...

Hersheypark
Keystone Thrills has an update on Hersheypark's new coaster. Rumor has it that the coaster will be called "SkyRush." Interesting name - for now, check out this construction update.

Photo from Keystone Thrills

Mirabilandia
What's this? An international update?! All kidding aside, Screamscape has dug up some interesting rumors about 2012. This ride is supposed to be the highest of its type, and the largest investment in park history. We'll be following this closely...

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Kings Island, A History

To go along with our Kings Island Park Impression, I thought I'd showcase a bit of their history. Basically, these will showcase maps, brochures, photos, and more of the park in its early days. I'll go light on commentary - it's more interesting to just see for yourself.

Opening Year Park Map, 1972. From themeparkbrochures.net. Click for larger image.

Park Map, 1989. From themeparkbrochures.net. Click for larger image.

King Cobra, 1984-2002. Photo from kicentral.com. Click for larger image.

Coney Mall, date unknown. Photo from kicentral.com. Click for larger image.

International Street, date unknown. Photo from kicentral.com. Click for larger image.

Hope that was at least kind of interesting. I may do more of these in the future - they're kind of fun!

For more on Kings Island, view our Park Impression or park photos.

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Impression: Kings Island

Kings Island really is one of my favorite amusement parks. While Cedar Point is my true home park, Kings Island is as good as such, and I often wonder which of the two I like better. While I love Cedar Point's humbling history, there's something about Kings Island's "big park" attitude that I really like. I like that it was built from the ground up to be, in many ways, an impressive park. What has emerged is an atmosphere that is perfectly suited to the park, yet I can't describe it. To me, it simply feels right.

We set out for Kings Island on Memorial Day weekend, as I was itching to get my Platinum Pass and to get back to the park. Despite the fact that I live only three hours away, I had never visited Kings Island until last year. I was very impressed with the park, mostly because of its atmosphere. Their ride collection is, honestly, nothing to rave about - besides maybe the Beast and Diamondback, it's a pretty average collection of rides.


We left very late in the day on Sunday, and just made it into the park for about an hour before it closed. We knew that we'd only have time for about one ride, and we decided to hit up Diamondback. We had originally planned on the Beast (night rides are the best), but it has a bad habit of closing for the park's fireworks show. We got out of line and ran back to Diamondback, to find a half-hour line that we hopped in immediately.


Not wanting to prolong our wait, we hopped in any row - somewhere in the middle, I think it was. We ascended the lift, and away we went. My thoughts: a very good ride overall. I love the airtime on these hills, and the drop over the midway is exhilarating, to say the least. My favorite part of the ride, however, is the splashdown. There really shouldn't be anything particularly exciting about a long straight stretch of track, but I love the feeling of speed as we fly over the water. This is what every coaster should feel like: unrestrained, nothing but a lap bar holding you loosely in your seat as you glide over the track with the wind whipping past you. I have yet to find another single moment on a coaster that feels as good to me as this does.

That said, the ride is really starting to get a bit of a rattle. Coming down some of those hills, it starts to get quite bad. Last year it was noticeable, but it could easily be overlooked. This year, however, it is much more intense. Also, the trims after the hammerhead seem to slow the train down even more than last year. I'm sure all of this is natural for any coaster as it ages, but I did not expect to see this so soon.

Cut to the next morning, we got to the park around 11 am, and headed into the "Action Zone" section of the park. We started the day on Flight Deck (I don't know who made that decision), which fortunately had no line. It was not bad for an Arrow Suspended, much better than Iron Dragon at Cedar Point. It had a few nice drops, and a lot of fast turns, which I really enjoyed. I found myself riding for a second time not long after I got off my first!



We walked right past Invertigo, Drop Tower, Delirium, and Adventure Express, all of which we had just ridden at the end of the last year. We instead headed to The Racer, where I needed to ride the second of the two tracks. It was surprisingly fun, and not too rough either, which made for a good ride. There wasn't much airtime, but it was still a pleasant little coaster.

It was into the X-Base next, as I wanted a ride on Flight of Fear, and
maybe Firehawk if I had time. It turned out that Firehawk had a ridiculous 90 minute wait, so we hopped into Flight of Fear's more moderate 40 minute line. It went fast enough, and the building was nicely air conditioned, which helped a lot. The ride itself was as good as ever. The launch was very forceful, the maneuvers just how I like them - fast and intense. The more I think about it, the more I realize that it's one of my favorite roller coasters in the park.

We started to get hungry at that point, but we put off lunch until we had stopped by Windseeker. We got a quick look, and enjoyed watching the workers take a very long lunch break. You would think they'd be a bit more eager to get the thing open, seeing as it had already been delayed for more than a month, and didn't end up opening until just a few weeks ago...


Anyway, we decided to skip the walkthrough portion of Dinosaurs Alive!, instead opting to watch the 3D movie. The movie itself was kind of fun, but nothing extraordinary. Anyway, we needed to keep moving, so we headed to LaRosa's Pizzeria after that. It was good, but nothing that exceptional. After refueling with some pizza and breadsticks, we headed back to find a 30 minute wait for the Beast, which we joined promptly.


Although I truly love Diamondback, the Beast really is still the reigning champion of the coaster collection. Simply put, there's no other coaster like it, and it's not all because of the ride itself. The ride experience is so amazing because it doesn't start when you board the train, or even when you enter the queue. It began in 1979, when the coaster opened to mass media attention. At that point, coaster enthusiasts across the country began anticipating this ride. I myself heard about it at a young age from friends and through books. This anticipation helps gives the ride the reputation it has, and it is part of the reason I was so excited to ride it.

Back to this trip, the line moved quickly enough, and we soon boarded the train. I didn't bother to wait for the front row, and instead I opted for the middle row of the second car - not too far back, and not over a wheel. One thing I really like about the Beast is how the chain speed varies. Again this builds the anticipation, by speeding up near the top but slowing down again as we crest the lift. The ride takes off, straight into what seems like the most impossible tunnel, before we once again speed out of it and to the left, up a small hill. From there, we take on the ride's biggest drop, before hurtling to the right through a series of turns and maneuvers. At this point, my mind starts hurting as I try to figure out what we've just done at the same time as I try to figure out what's coming next. Before I know it, we fly halfway up the second life before the chain takes over. The trim brakes on the following drop can be forgotten due to the unique feeling of a drop that seemingly never ends. You rush into the helix, somehow completely banked at this point, struggling to keep yourself in your seat while also trying to protect your back from breaking. Soon enough you're out of the helix and flying into the break run.

The Beast currently sits near the top of my favorite wood coasters list, second only to Knoebels' Phoenix. The Beast may be a little rough, but the experience is what really makes the ride in my mind. Back in the forest, there's nothing like that feeling of total helplessness. On any other coaster, you can look back and see where you came from, and look ahead to see that you'll return to the station safely. On the Beast, you have none of those assurances. All of these factors make this a truly excellent ride.

I suppose I should stop rambling about the Beast and move on. We headed towards Diamondback after that, as we wanted one last ride on it before the day was over. The measly 20 minute wait flew by, and before long, we were "clear and out-of-here". We made sure to take the front row for our last ride, and we were not disappointed. Dangling over the drop, I pondered my sanity before we plunged to the ground, straight towards the midway. It was up and over the next hill, and then the next, and it continued like that until we hit the splashdown. Front-seat rides are the best on Diamondback - there's nothing like flying across that pond for me.

We ran up back towards International Street after we paused quickly to look at our pictures. We decided to end the night on the Eiffel Tower, because I really wanted some good overhead pictures. We didn't stay up there long as it was pretty windy. I got my shots and we headed out. From there, it was off to IKEA, which is another adventure entirely...

Overall Park Rating: 7/10 Stars
Click here to view all Kings Island photos.

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Photostream: Kings Island, May 2011

Hey guys,

While you're waiting for my Universal Studios and Kings Island Park Impressions, here are the pictures that I took at Kings Island a few weeks ago. They're completely unedited, and there's a lot of them! Click on the image below to see all of them.

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