I will never go to WDW pushing a stroller! - Nov/Dec 2011 PTR, Final? Itinerary 11/18

[afwdwfan]

Earplugs help with fireworks. My older DD used them until she was 6, and the youngest is so used to them that she'll come and ask for them before movies or firework shows.

We're trying to look for something that might work. He likes to pull things out of his ears and off of his head, but he'll pull my hands up to his ears when he want's noise blocked. If we could just find something that he'd leave alone and understand it is there to help him.

And toddlers can be weird. On youngest DD's first trip, when she was 16mo, she fell asleep during Illuminations.


You might get lucky - mine doesn't nap in her stroller at all (or in the car seat, or anywhere other than a quiet room), but she did at WDW on both our trips. And if not, there will be other trips to keep a faster pace.

Yeah, we'll hope for the best and if not... well, we'll be back. We're definitely planning to take those breaks, just hoping that we *might* not need to use all of the breaks we're planning.

I haven't updated my PTR in forever!

I just went and checked it out. It's full of fresh information to me.

Yeah, we tried something like that... Just don't put too much stock in the "trial run" idea, okay?

Full disclosure: I love thrill rides and the "trial run" is a good excuse to get DW to agree to go. We're going with a few of DS's favorite aunts and uncles, so we'll get in the thrill rides that we can and let him ride what he's able to ride. We might try to hit the water park right when it opens, but otherwise, we'll just take it easy, hit the main attractions and try to have fun.

Stick a cow bell on he neck and you're set for the entire night!

Great idea!

We haven't been to our local drive-in a few years. The mosquitos start getting bad right about the time we want to go. Or when schedules do align so that we can go, they're showing horror movies or something.

Well, I know what you mean about schedules aligning and the movie types. We battle the same thing, but it has worked out well in our favor so far this summer. I can help you with the mosquito thing though. We take citronella candles, tiki torches and insect repellant. It works wonders. The tiki torches and bug spray also make for some good entertainment between movies.

 

[afwdwfan]

A Day at Kings Island
We decided that we wanted to take DS to an amusement park this summer just to try things out before our Disney trip. We checked calendars and decided the day to go was going to be Saturday July 23. Unfortunately, we didn't realize that was also going to be in the middle of the most ridiculous heat wave I've ever seen. The plans were made and we were set to go, and in addition to the three of us, we were accompanied by my sis, other sis and BIL and DW’s sis and BIL. Kings Island has a rider swap program, so we took full advantage of it. Basically we had to go to guest services and fill out a card. Then one person would wait with DS, everyone else would ride and as they’d exit, they’d show the card to a ride attendant. They’d then hand me the card, I’d go up the exit, show it to the attendant again and they’d put me right on the ride. It was great because it allowed quick access to the ride, but the downside was that I couldn’t take anyone with me and had to ride alone on those rides. We really only ended up using it on a couple of rides, because not everyone wanted to ride everything, but it is a great system.

I have always loved going to Kings Island and riding the roller coasters, but hadn’t had an opportunity to go in about 5 or 6 years. A lot has changed there in the years since I’d gone so I was looking forward to the “new” rides I hadn’t had a chance to do yet. Our first stop of the day was Firehawk, which is a coaster that you lay down on and it flips you face down as you begin to descend the first drop. I was so excited to finally ride it, but I think I might have hyped it up a bit too much. I was kind of disappointed. The part of the ride about being suspended below the track like you’re flying is kind of cool, but it really didn’t feel like it carried much speed. I’d probably ride it again, but it isn’t something I’d stand in a long line for. We did use rider swap on this ride though, and DS and I sat right by the track while we waited. I’m pretty sure he was trying to tell me that he had every intention of riding it and he thought it was ridiculous that the sign says he’s about 2 feet too short.

Picture used came from: http://www.visitkingsisland.com/_upload/galleries/firehawk_photo_gallery/Firehawk_024.jpg

Our next stop was another “new” ride called Diamondback. Again, I waited outside while we used the rider swap. All of a sudden I noticed they blocked off the entrance of the queue and the ride stopped running. Our group was on the next train to board when they closed the ride due to technical difficulties. I got to wait outside the exit and still didn’t get to ride. I hope this doesn’t start a trend today. Thankfully, Diamondback is close to the kid’s area called Planet Snoopy , so when the rest of the crew rejoined us, it was time for DS to get on his first ride. Our first experience was on Sally’s Seaplane. Basically you sit inside a tube that looks like a Twinkie with wings. I’d compare the feeling inside of it to an oven, but on a hot day like Saturday, that really isn’t fair to the oven. The plane just went up and down in a circle pattern. We started moving and DS gave me “the look.” The look wasn’t saying “this is fun” or “get me off of this thing.” I’m pretty sure that the look he gave me was “Seriously? Is this all it does?” He had a look of complete indifference and confusion on his face, but when the ride stopped, he didn’t want to get out. I grabbed him by the hand and pulled him out the door, but there was no tantrum.

Picture used came from:http://www.coasterimage.com/picture.../other-rides-pictures/42-sallys-sea-plane.jpg
SUCCESS #1!

After that we rode the carousel and spent a little bit more time in Planet Snoopy. We decided it was time to cool off so we headed over to Congo Falls. It is a short ride, but on a hot day it’s just what we needed. While we were in the area we grabbed some lunch for DS and then headed to Flight Deck. I waited with DS while he ate and everyone else rode. I snapped this picture with my phone while I waited.


That is the Son of Beast… such a shame. I rode it when it first opened and was the only wooden roller coaster in the world with a loop, and I’ve also ridden it since the loop came out. Basically it is a wooden rollercoaster that was too big and too fast for its design. They’ve had injuries and lawsuits due to head and neck injuries because it’s so rough and it has been sitting idle for a few years now. I really hope they can redesign it and get it back up and running, because I love that ride, despite the roughness. It just depresses me to see it sitting there. I guess I can at least look forward to riding its namesake later in the day.

Anyway, as we were sitting there, I could hear thunder in the distance. “I sure hope they don’t close the rides.” DS didn’t care, he was still mad at me for making him sit in his stroller and eat when we were 25' away from a roller coaster that kept buzzing by us at about 60 mph. I think he was about ready to flip out because he had to ride Sally’s Seaplane and not something that goes really fast down a big hill. I finally see DW heading my way with the rider swap pass in her hand. I take the hand off and start heading back up the exit when an announcement comes on the PA. The ride is closing due to a storm moving into the area… FAN FRICKIN’ TASTIC.

Next Update: The waiting game

 

[GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes]

We decided that we wanted to take DS to an amusement park this summer just to try things out before our Disney trip.

Good plan

Unfortunately, we didn't realize that was also going to be in the middle of the most ridiculous heat wave I've ever seen.

Bad timing (but still a good plan).

Our first stop of the day was Firehawk, which is a coaster that you lay down on and it flips you face down as you begin to descend the first drop. I was so excited to finally ride it, but I think I might have hyped it up a bit too much.

There’s an amusement park down this way called “Carowinds” (which is also operated by Cedar Fair), that has a pretty decent selection of coasters for its size. One of those is extremely similar to “Firehawk” except that down here it’s called “Nighthawk”. I’ve ridden it several times and actually would give it the same review that you encountered. It’s pretty cool, but not really worth a l-o-n-g wait (there are better coasters in the park)

Basically you sit inside a tube that looks like a Twinkie with wings.

Well at least it wasn’t a Twinkie that was thirty-five feet long, weighing approximately six hundred pounds and being used to represent the amount of psychokinetic energy present in the park at that time.

I’m pretty sure that the look he gave me was “Seriously? Is this all it does?”

At'a boy... Based on that reaction, I don’t think y’all will have any trouble with the rides at WDW

That is the Son of Beast… such a shame.

I hadn’t heard the story about “Son of Beast”. The coaster I have heard of (although obviously never ridden), but I didn’t know that it was idle right now. Sad.

I take the hand off and start heading back up the exit when an announcement comes on the PA. The ride is closing due to a storm moving into the area… FAN FRICKIN’ TASTIC.

Strike two! Hopefully this nonsense doesn’t continue all day.

Sound’s like a good start to the day (save for the heat). Looking forward to hearing about the rest of the adventure.

 

[GoHerd1028]

Great update....you are breakin that boy in good before the WDW trip! I had the same thought when we were in Planet Snoopy about the Sea Plane ride...I tried to stear Lauren away from it so she would not even see it ha ha. I think Flight Deck has a great place to wait for people who are riding...Shade!!! Shari and I took turns with Ethan on it and then keep Lauren occupied in the waiting area...Ethan is a daredevil and actually wanted to do the Slingshot thing! I was not too hip on paying the extra per person fee..ok I am a cheapskate!

 

[PirateKate]

I love Kings Island, but I can't stand Firehawk. I always feel like I'm going to fall out.

It sounds like you have a future thrills rider on your hands. I bet you can't wait til he's 40 inches.

 

[afwdwfan]

Good plan

Bad timing (but still a good plan).

We all know by now... nothing ever goes completely according to plan anyway.

There’s an amusement park down this way called “Carowinds” (which is also operated by Cedar Fair), that has a pretty decent selection of coasters for its size. One of those is extremely similar to “Firehawk” except that down here it’s called “Nighthawk”. I’ve ridden it several times and actually would give it the same review that you encountered. It’s pretty cool, but not really worth a l-o-n-g wait (there are better coasters in the park)

Yeah,I'm sure they're probably very similar. I've heard of the Superman coaster that is at Six Flags and is supposed to be really good. I'd like to try it sometime, but only if the comparison between it and Firehawk is limited to the face down part. I forgot to mention too... I've had knee problems before and it really hurt my knees being pinned in at the angle that the restraints bend them back. I got off the ride with a nice limp.

Well at least it wasn’t a Twinkie that was thirty-five feet long, weighing approximately six hundred pounds and being used to represent the amount of psychokinetic energy present in the park at that time.

Well done!

At'a boy... Based on that reaction, I don’t think y’all will have any trouble with the rides at WDW

We still have a few months, and things change by the day, but I'm feeling somewhat good about it.

I hadn’t heard the story about “Son of Beast”. The coaster I have heard of (although obviously never ridden), but I didn’t know that it was idle right now. Sad.

Sad indeed. I might steal a trick from your TR and go a bit off-topic about this subject in a later post.

Strike two! Hopefully this nonsense doesn’t continue all day.

Me too.

Sound’s like a good start to the day (save for the heat). Looking forward to hearing about the rest of the adventure.

Thanks!

I had the same thought when we were in Planet Snoopy about the Sea Plane ride...I tried to stear Lauren away from it so she would not even see it ha ha.

Well, we were limited to just a handful of rides even in Planet Snoopy so we tried it. That first ride was between Mom and Dad, so maybe he didn't really get the full sensation of it. Later in the day, we were waiting for someone near that ride and I saw them loading. I took DS over and let him ride right next to the door. I don't know if he could see better, or the little girl behind him yelling got him into it, but he was clapping, yelling and waving at everyone standing outside.

I think Flight Deck has a great place to wait for people who are riding...Shade!!! Shari and I took turns with Ethan on it and then keep Lauren occupied in the waiting area...

Yeah, I like the fact that it's out there in the woods away from everything. The isolation was fantastic for setting the theme back when it was Top Gun... and actually had a theme.

Ethan is a daredevil and actually wanted to do the Slingshot thing! I was not too hip on paying the extra per person fee..ok I am a cheapskate!

I can't disagree. I don't want to pay that kind of money after I already paid to get in the park... especially for something that isn't going to last very long. I've done the skyflier thing once before, but it really wasn't worth the money.

I love Kings Island, but I can't stand Firehawk. I always feel like I'm going to fall out.

I can understand that! It definitely does give you that sensation when it flips you over.

It sounds like you have a future thrills rider on your hands. I bet you can't wait til he's 40 inches.

Yes, but he reminds me of myself when I was little. I remember when I'd always get upset that I was too short to ride Vortex. Then once I was tall enough, I wanted nothing to do with it. I finally came around and rode it though and I've loved it ever since.

 

[Shannon84]

The first coaster where you are lying down, that looks pretty interesting!! I have never seen one where you are positioned like that, but sounds like a disappoinment otherwise, that stinks!

Awww poor Sally Seaplane...I can see where the lack of excitement comes on that ride...good for sitting down and relaxing

I am not too sure about that wooden coaster having a loop...doesn't sound like a good combination I remember the first coasters I ever went on were rickty old wooden ones...I remember it was a good ride when you felt like you had whiplash after

 

[GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes]

Sad indeed. I might steal a trick from your TR and go a bit off-topic about this subject in a later post.

Topic? What’s a topic?
I say have at it! I’d like to here more about that coaster (or anything else you care to ramble on about).

Yeah, I like the fact that it's out there in the woods away from everything. The isolation was fantastic for setting the theme back when it was Top Gun... and actually had a theme.

Interesting. We also have a coaster down this way that was originally called “Top Gun”. They’ve since renamed it “Afterburner” but I still refer to this ride as “The Gun”. I wonder if the designs of these two are similar as well? For me this one is still the best ride at Carowinds, but I think most folks now gravitate more toward the new “Intimidator”.

 

[afwdwfan]

The first coaster where you are lying down, that looks pretty interesting!! I have never seen one where you are positioned like that, but sounds like a disappoinment otherwise, that stinks!

It's a great concept and it is fun. The drawbacks are that it is very slow to load and once you get going, it really doesn't feel like you're going very fast.

Awww poor Sally Seaplane...I can see where the lack of excitement comes on that ride...good for sitting down and relaxing

They say you have to crawl before you can walk, so I guess he has to start somewhere. He was just a couple of inches short of that 36" mark that would have let him do some of the "bigger" little kids rides like the little roller coaster.

I am not too sure about that wooden coaster having a loop...doesn't sound like a good combination I remember the first coasters I ever went on were rickty old wooden ones...I remember it was a good ride when you felt like you had whiplash after

Well, SOB was a promise of whiplash. Unfortunately it was a bit too much for some. I actually loved it... maybe for the novelty as much as anything. It really was pretty cool, but the loop was only there a year or 2 before they removed it. I'll put some pictures of it on here in my next update.

Interesting. We also have a coaster down this way that was originally called “Top Gun”. They’ve since renamed it “Afterburner” but I still refer to this ride as “The Gun”. I wonder if the designs of these two are similar as well? For me this one is still the best ride at Carowinds, but I think most folks now gravitate more toward the new “Intimidator”.

I did some googling on that subject. They're a little bit different. KI's Top Gun is a suspended coaster, but doesn't go upside down and isn't floorless. It is a short ride, but it is one of those coasters that is just fun, smooth and feels faster than it really is. Here's a pic I borrowed from my Google search.

 

[afwdwfan]

A Day at Kings Island… The Waiting Game

We made our way from back in the woods out to the Action Zone to confirm our fear that the ride shutdown was for virtually all rides that aren’t on the ground. We had decided that we wanted to grab a bite to eat after riding Flight Deck anyway, so we decided to join everybody else in the park and cram into Festhaus for some delicious LaRosa’s Pizza. Is it just me, or does anyone else find it a bit odd that a restaurant has a German name, but serves pizza and Panda Express? I had pushed the stroller to the restaurant and once we were through the door, I handed it off to DW and told her to find a table while I get in line and get some food. The only tables available were up near the stage and they were getting ready to start a musical show called American Country. She and one of my sisters held down a table for us while the rest of us obtained food while the show began. I arrived at the table to find DS fully reclined in his stroller… asleep. How? I have no idea. I tried to ask DW how she got him to sleep, but the music was so loud that we couldn’t even hear each other. After the show ended I asked her how she got him to sleep with all that noise. She told me he must have fallen asleep on the stroller ride, because he was out when I handed him off to her. He fell asleep riding in the stroller?????

SUCCESS #2!

We finished our lunch and talked about what we’d do next. We were sitting near an open door and never saw any rain or nasty weather of any sort during the time we were indoors, so we ventured outside to see that… the rides were still not running. We were certain the Flight of Fear was going since it is an indoor coaster so we headed that way to see how long the line was. 2 hours? No thanks. We decided instead to head over to the area around the Beast so we could ride it once they started everything back up. Unfortunately we didn’t get there soon enough and we had to wait about 20 minutes to ride, but as always, it was well worth it. We didn’t have to use our rider swap pass because DW doesn’t do wooden roller coasters. She took DS to find AC while he continued to nap. She probably made a great decision, because I don’t think the Beast has ever been as rough as it was Saturday. I could have sworn we were going to fly off the tracks and go careening into the woods on one of the curves. It was really only 1 section of track that felt that bad, but they’ve re-done part of it recently and hopefully they’ll get that rough spot taken care of during this off-season. Either way, I love the Beast, always have, always will.

Off-Topic Warning: As I’ve said before, I love rollercoasters, and the Beast is, to me, the ultimate rollercoaster. When I go to other parks and ride a wooden rollercoaster, I always get off of it disappointed because none of them are as long as the Beast or as fast as Son of Beast. It isn’t a fair comparison, but it is one I can’t help but make. The Beast is a 4+ minute ride and it is the longest wooden rollercoaster in the world which is a record it has held since 1979. It is built back in the woods so you can’t see anything but the top of the lift hill from anywhere in the park until you’re strapped in and along for the ride. What I love about the Beast is that it goes through the woods, whipping through the trees while it follows the contour of the terrain. It follows the terrain so well that a lot of the ride is spent basically at ground level as you pass between trees and dart through the tunnels. I mentioned in the last post that the Son of Beast has been down for a few years. It opened in 2000 to complement the Beast and basically make Kings Island home to 2 record breaking, epic wooden coasters. It isn’t “themed” as well since most of the track is visible and it doesn’t use the terrain as well as the Beast does, but it was built to be the tallest, fastest and only looping wooden roller coaster in the world and it most definitely accomplished those objectives. I really loved riding the Beast and its offspring for the first few years, and I only hope that sometime soon, I’ll be able to do it again. The “rumor mill” seems to indicate that management feels they’ve spent too much money on various “fixes” for SOB already. One rumor is that they’re going to do one final major overhaul to have it back for next season as part of their 40th anniversary celebration, and another rumor is that it is time to cut their losses and it will no longer be standing this time next year. They’re both rumors so for all we know it could still be idle with no visible change next year, but I’d love to be able to ride it again.

This first picture is a view from the top of the first lifthill of the Beast. You go straight into an underground tunnel and out into the woods for the first part of the ride. What you see in this picture is the second lifthill and the double helix that then leads you back to the station:

Picture used from: http://cache.rcdb.com/n8k1figvh008f011g00cv1.jpg
An overhead picture of Son of Beast from its operating days and when it had a loop:

Picture used from: http://www.coasterimage.com/picture...on-of-beast-pictures/sonofbeast01.jpg_920.jpg
A layout diagram of Son of Beast:

Picture used from: http://www.ultimaterollercoaster.com/coasters/new00/pki_sob/img/sob_layout.jpg


Time to go back on-topic… we exited the Beast to find DS running up the exit towards us. He had enough sleep and was ready to play. He ran around for a bit while we decided what to do next. My BIL, who has lived about 45 min from KI his whole life and is a pass holder to the park tells us he’s never ridden White Water Canyon. Are you kidding me? He said he didn’t even know where the entrance was!!! “Do you remember making fun of the ‘Family Dryer’ that costs $5 to use when we saw it this morning?” “Yeah, why?” “Because it is about 10’ from a huge sign that says ‘White Water Canyon’ on it!” DW didn’t want to get wet so she took DS to Planet Snoopy for a pirate show with Peanuts Characters. The rest of us ventured deep into the woods to brave the rapids in an inflatable raft.

We got sufficiently soaked, yet my BIL still felt the need to yell at the guy in the tower controlling the cannons taunting him to make sure he finished the drenching process. He succeeded in doing so and we left dripping wet, yet very comfortable in the heat. A phone call to DW indicated that they were in Planet Snoopy riding some rides. She informed me that DS not only tolerated the characters and the show, but he LOVED it! As excited as he gets seeing Mickey come on the TV when he watches Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, I really can’t wait until we get to meet him on our trip.

SUCCESS #3!

We spent a little more time in Planet Snoopy letting DS get some more rides in. He fell in love with a car ride where he got to sit in a car and turn the steering wheel.

Due to the fact that there was zero line for this ride, he got to get out of his vehicle and into another one and go again as each ride cycle ended. Once the rest of us were ready to move on, we convinced him to leave without too much of a fight. Now we just had to decide what we’d do next….

 

[Shannon84]

Wow that really is one massive wooden coaster Not sure I would be riding that one!!

I have never seen someone so happy to be driving a car, too cute

 

[GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes]

Is it just me, or does anyone else find it a bit odd that a restaurant has a German name, but serves pizza and Panda Express?

Nein... sind Sie richtig. Das ist merkwürdig.

The only tables available were up near the stage and they were getting ready to start a musical show called American Country.

Now that’s the kind of thing that one should expect to find in a restaurant that has a German name.

we ventured outside to see that… the rides were still not running.

Boo… Hiss…

We were certain the Flight of Fear was going since it is an indoor coaster so we headed that way to see how long the line was. 2 hours?

Boo-er… Hiss-er…

We decided instead to head over to the area around the Beast… …it was well worth it.

With the rain delay finally over… the first batter up scores a homer!

I don’t think the Beast has ever been as rough as it was Saturday.

Old wood coasters do have a knack for finding exactly which one of you joints or vertebra are in desperate need of a little bit of premature aging.

Off-Topic Warning:

Time to go back on-topic…

Before you do… Bravo! I liked the KI Rollercoaster Retrospective. It’s good to be the king… I mean to learn something new. Now I just have to get my fanny up to KI sometime and check it out for myself.

Due to the fact that there was zero line for this ride, he got to get out of his vehicle and into another one and go again as each ride cycle ended.

A chauffeur in the making. Before you know it, he’ll be doing part of the driving on a trip down to “you know where”. Actually we just hit that milestone in our house. My DS recently passed the driver’s road test and the DMV saw fit to unleash him on the rest of the society. This stuff happens fast, so enjoy the little boy days.

 

[afwdwfan]

Wow that really is one massive wooden coaster Not sure I would be riding that one!!

Yes, it really is huge. I just noticed that even though it isn't operating it is in the background for a shot in their TV commercials. It's probably hard to find a camera angle to avoid it though.

I have never seen someone so happy to be driving a car, too cute

He really did enjoy it! I don't think he wanted to leave.

Nein... sind Sie richtig. Das ist merkwürdig.

Ok, I Googled it and I'm still not sure what you said...

Now that’s the kind of thing that one should expect to find in a restaurant that has a German name.

Touche! Never even occurred to me. I think the Panda Express is the part that really threw me off the most.

With the rain delay finally over… the first batter up scores a homer!

Most definitely. It's kind of like the pressure was off. Once we rode it and had it out of the way, the rest of the day was a bonus. The Beast and it's potential line would have been hanging over our head all day until we could get there and ride it.

Old wood coasters do have a knack for finding exactly which one of you joints or vertebra are in desperate need of a little bit of premature aging.

Yes indeed. Yet we still come back for more!

Before you do… Bravo! I liked the KI Rollercoaster Retrospective. It’s good to be the king… I mean to learn something new. Now I just have to get my fanny up to KI sometime and check it out for myself.

Thank you! It probably isn't a good destination trip, but anytime you're up around the Cincinnati area, it would definitely be worth a day of your time to visit.

A chauffeur in the making. Before you know it, he’ll be doing part of the driving on a trip down to “you know where”. Actually we just hit that milestone in our house. My DS recently passed the driver’s road test and the DMV saw fit to unleash him on the rest of the society. This stuff happens fast, so enjoy the little boy days.

Congratulations to Max!
Yes, they sure do grow up fast. I was just thinking the other day about how much he's grown up this summer. Just a few months ago he was starting to walk, now he's climbing stairs, climbing into his own high chair, taking things out of the fridge, climbing up onto the kitchen counter, jumping into the swimming pool...

 

[GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes]

Ok, I Googled it and I'm still not sure what you said...

Thank you! It probably isn't a good destination trip, but anytime you're up around the Cincinnati area, it would definitely be worth a day of your time to visit.

I once made a trip up to Cincinnati (many, many moons ago), but didn’t have the extra funds required to get into KI at the time. Would have been nice though…

 

[CandleontheWater]

Looks like you guys had a successful day at Kings Island, despite the heat and the crowds.

I love, love, love, rollercoasters also, and I've always wanted to go to Kings Island! We did a stop over at Cedar Point on a family vacation back in the early 90's, but I've never made it to KI. I keep telling DH one of these days we should take a trip to Ohio just to go to CP and KI, but then we'd have to skip Disney, so its a tough choice. Maybe when Everett gets bigger and can ride with us, it would be worth it!

 

[afwdwfan]

Looks like you guys had a successful day at Kings Island, despite the heat and the crowds.

I love, love, love, rollercoasters also, and I've always wanted to go to Kings Island! We did a stop over at Cedar Point on a family vacation back in the early 90's, but I've never made it to KI. I keep telling DH one of these days we should take a trip to Ohio just to go to CP and KI, but then we'd have to skip Disney, so its a tough choice. Maybe when Everett gets bigger and can ride with us, it would be worth it!

Yes, all in all, it was a good day.

I've actually never been to CP myself, but I need to get up there sometime. A CP/KI road trip would be a roller coaster lover's dream trip, although the Disney experience is much better so that would be a tough call. KI has a great kids area, but their rides aren't exactly toddler friendly. Everett would definitely get more out of a place like that when he can do the "big kid" rides.

 

[afwdwfan]

A Day at Kings Island: Snake Bit

Our next stop was to be the first ride that we were all able to ride together, including DS. The Boo Blasters. This ride is kind of like a mix of the Haunted Mansion and Buzz Lightyear, only nowhere near as awesome. We enjoyed our ride through the air conditioning as we shot invisible lasers at ghosts. There’s even a point in the ride where skeletons jump out at you and DS was just sitting back and taking it in.

Kings Island is very good about using some of the signature brands from the Cincinnati area. This includes LaRosa’s Pizza, Skyline Chili and the best thing you can have on a July afternoon… Graeter’s Ice Cream! We stopped by the ice cream shop and I’d like to say we were greeted with a smile and fast, friendly service. Unfortunately that would be untrue. My BIL paid with a credit card and they acted like they’d never seen one of them before. It took a few minutes just to get his transaction taken care of. Then it was my turn to order. The ice cream wasn’t dipped by the same person who took my order, and when she handed me an ice cream cone and I told her that was the wrong flavor, the look she gave me indicated it was indeed the correct flavor, whether it was what I wanted or not. I did finally get a new ice cream cone and it was what I ordered, so it wasn’t a big deal. The ice cream tasted delicious despite the less than stellar service we received.

We headed back across the park to ride Adventure Express. It is mine train type coaster comparable to Thunder Mountain only nowhere nearly as well themed. It has an Indiana Jones like theme rather than a western mountains theme… and really jerks you around. It was a walk-on, so instead of using the rider swap, we just took turns riding in groups. I was lucky enough to have the honor of sitting behind someone talking on their cell phone the whole time. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t tempted to “accidentally” bump his hand and knock his phone onto the floor in a dark cave.

Picture used from: http://www.lifthill.com/images/adventure-express-400.jpg

We headed on to the next ride which was the Racer. It is a classic wooden roller coaster with side by side tracks. Not a terribly thrilling ride, but it gives some good air time and it’s one of the classics that I just have to ride every time. DW sat out again because of her dislike of the wooden coasters, but unlike the Beast, I thought the Racer felt smoother than I remembered it being. This picture appears to be very… um… old, but the only change to the Racer over the years has been that one of the tracks used to run the cars backwards and now, to my disappointment, both go forward.

Picture used from: http://www.ultimaterollercoaster.com/coasters/history/1960_1970/img/pki_racer1.jpg

We ventured underneath the Racer’s track back to X-Base to see how long the line was for Flight of Fear. Still lined up outside the building… down to about a 90 minute wait, but we’ll pass once again. I love Flight of Fear, but I don’t want to wait that long to ride anything. “It looks like Diamondback is running across the park.” "We might as well head back over there and see if we can ride it." One of my sisters had her fill of rides, so she took DS to get something to eat while the rest of us waited in the Diamondback queue… for the second time that day.

The sign said 45 minutes, but the wait was closer to 30. They sent us to rows 2, 3 and 4. Row 2 is basically as good as the front row because the seats are staggered and I had a completely unobstructed view of the track in front of me. I couldn’t have asked for a better seat to experience this ride for the first time. It. Was. AWESOME! It gets up to about 80mph and has no inversions, but with all the quick up and down movements it makes for a lot of air time. I still can’t move it ahead of the Beast as my favorite in the park, but this snake is right there with it… both literally and figuratively. Diamondback starts right in the middle of the park and then crosses walking paths and other attractions before turning around out in the woods near the Beast. Unlike Firehawk, this one not only lived up to the hype in my opinion, but it surpassed it.

Picture used from: http://www.coasterimage.com/picture...amondback-pictures/diamondback-34.jpg_920.jpg

By this time it was nearly 7 pm. The park would be open until midnight, but we knew we wouldn’t be staying that late. DS finally had his fill and while the rest of us were taming the Diamondback, he was making it abundantly clear to my sister that he wasn’t interested in eating or taking a nap. We headed back around and stopped by the Backlot Stunt Coaster for a quick ride while DW and my sis let DS run around for a bit. We had an enjoyable ride on the Stunt Coaster, but definitely not something I’d stand in a long line for. We returned to find DS finally eating so DW and sis said they’d meet us near the exit.

I still had one more goal to accomplish before we left. I had missed out on a ride on Flight Deck earlier in the day and it tends to be a short line, so the rest of us took the long way toward the exit to check out the line situation there. As usual, the line was short so we got on rather quickly. I have to say I felt bad for the guy in line in front of us. It started off as a family of 4 getting ready to ride until one son decided he didn’t want to go just as they started up the stairs into the station. Mom took him and turned around to walk back out and after dad and the other son got 2 steps higher, the other son did a U-turn and took off running after them. Poor guy had to ride by himself.

We headed out the Exit after our ride and said goodbye to my Sis and BIL who had met us at the park that morning. The rest of us headed back to the Tahoe and loaded up for the trip home. DS was grumpy as we were leaving the park and wanted nothing to do with his stroller, so we knew he was sleepy. We put him in his car seat despite his continued protests, but he was sound asleep by the time we were out of the parking lot.

We didn’t grab anything to eat on the way out of the parks, so we stopped at a Steak n Shake a few miles up the interstate. DS was still asleep so we took a blanket in and laid it in a booth. He laid on the blanket and slept the whole time we were in the restaurant and stayed asleep when we put him back in his car seat for the rest of the drive home. He was sufficiently exhausted from our day at the park.

We all had a fantastic time. It was great to get some thrill rides in, and I really enjoyed being in a park that I used to visit frequently, but just haven’t had a chance to visit in a few years. Although I did have ulterior motives for wanting to go to KI, our main objective was to just see how DS reacted to things. I don’t think we could have been any more pleased with the results. I realize that things can change in the next 4 months, but it does make me feel a little bit more relaxed about our upcoming Disney trip.

Thank you all for suffering through this mini-TR. My hope was that our KI trip would be a bit of a primer for our Disney trip this fall, but I’m glad it also gave me an opportunity to get a little bit of TR practice in. I only hope I didn’t bore everyone and will still have some willing readers around when I write a “real” TR this fall!

I’ll have one more installment later to summarize some of the little tricks/ideas/observations from our blistering hot Kings Island day.

 

[afwdwfan]

Obviously I didn't go through enough steps. I just a copy and paste with a Google search. I don't think I've ever seen that handy dandy translator tool.

 

[GoHerd1028]

Great KI information....I have NEVER ridden Flight of Fear. I have no idea what it is. The line is always too long for it and neither of hte kids are tall enough for it so I just have not bothered but want to!!

 

[Shannon84]

It sounds to me like DS did a good job with you guys at KI and really reacted well to things, thats awesome

I would have knocked the persons cell phone out of his hand, no question