tedten

If you have any pain when visiting KI avoid SOB, otherwise you should ride it because it is the tallest, fastest wood in the country and provides a very intense ride. I've ridden it with a sore back and with a healthy back and the difference was huge! Two questions: Is there more than one parking lot on the back end of the point? Which way around the point does the road go? (The beach side or the MF side?) I've been to CP 3 times but never utilized the the back lot(s).

I've been to quite a few parks (around 12) but only have 2 defunct credits: Shockwave & De'Ja`Vu both at SFGAm. Both were replaced by less worthy attractions in my opinion.

Haha. Wow that sure is interesting. I think they thought, " Do you know what would make our swinging ship ride better? If it was a roller coaster!" Is it made by a well known manufacturer?

No, you would have liked it more. It was amazing before it was trimmed. Now it's tied with Diamondback for my favorite steel, but back then it was a perfect 10. & I agree RB is better than Millennium Force. MF just doesn't do it for me.

Fahrenheit's corkscrews are not in alternating directions. It's a continous double inversion. They face the same direction. If you don't believe me you can look up a POV. It's hard to see in most pictures but you should be able to tell in this picture: http://rcdb.com/ig4049.htm?picture=5

^ Agreed. I honestly can't choose between Raging Bull's drop into a tunnel and twisty layout and Diamondback's hilly fun. I do admit that Diamondback performs better NOW than Raging Bull does NOW. But that's an unfair way to compare since RB was so evilly trimmed. Keep the photos coming PKIjizzman. The night photos are the best yet! "into the stars" is a loverly shot.

UNIQUE? lol I'm sorry but I couldn't let you get away with calling a triple clone "unique."

^ I agree. I rode both Raging Bull and Diamondback in there opening years. Raging Bull was great in '99. And Diamondback is great in '09. You have to compare them when they're at their best. Otherwise its like asking an aging ball player to go out and play a young hot shot. The trims on RB kill it before it even crests the first airtime hill! For me it's really hard to choose. I wish Diamondback's first drop was into a tunnel. For me that's what makes a perfect hyper coaster. I also love Raging Bull's perfect hilly yet twisting layout with a fantastic helixy finale. It's a hard coaster to beat. Diamondback obviously performs better than Raging Bull does now, but back in the day I'd say they would have been neck and neck. They are tied for my number 2. And my number one is wood making them my favorite steelies. It's impossible for me personally to choose because of my fond memories and that first drop into RB's tunnel is one of my all time favorite coaster moments!

Just pointing out it has the steepest drop of any B&M or vekoma flyer.

Wow, this update is fantastic as usual. Coca Cola Coaster looks like a fun time and you were served by Jesus! I was wondering where he was these days.

My problem with flying coasters was always the tameness of the front row due to a horribly exaggerated push pull effect. This ride would eliminate the boring rows. That being said I would much rather prefer a layout that allowed for longer trains so that the other people can fill up those lame rows and the line can move more quickly. Seriously, try riding flyers near the back if you haven't already. It feels much more like you're flying instead of being pushed. This ride looks interesting just for the fact it eliminates most of the push/pull effect.

Ummmm...I just posted that they are indeed advertising it that way not 4 or 5 posts up. I live in Bowling Green and get the local advertising in the newspapers and what-not. Don't know about a paint job, it's pictured on their website now as well. You did not mention that it had already arrived at beech bend or that it was receiving a new paint job.

^congrats! I'm happy because it's Little 5 week here at IU = best college week in the country. I got to ride Diamondback on opening day with a buddy. And I'll be visiting more new parks this summer than any other year.

I agree people are looking at it the wrong way. This is for people who want to donate the money anyway so they might as well get a fun event out of it. I think the highest bidder for Diamondback bid something like $5,000 which was way more than they needed to bid to win the spot. They just wanted to donate to charity and get their name mentioned for doing so (It was a company I believe). Also I remember there was video of people riding Diamondback friday night on youtube before the first rider auction winners got to take their "first ride." It's more of an event than a true first ride.

Hey Jeff! This is Ted Adams. It's crazy to see all of this up on TPR! Unfortunately I can't be in muncie this weekend. I haven't been on a ring of fire in quite a few years. I'm assuming you've been to fairs at the fair grounds over the years? Similar to what you have posted but no ring of fire for the last few years! Hope it's tons of fun! Some one should steal that pharaoh's head before they put it on

The Sea Dragon Swinging ship is now at Beech Bend and I believe I read it was getting re-painted & they are going to advertise the fact that it was Michael Jackson's.

If you want to ride invertigo ride SOB first and then Invertigo because sometimes invertigo is not dispatched as frequently as it should be right at opening. If you're not worried about invertigo definitely go straight to Firehawk at opening. On opening day we made the mistake of saving it for later and we waited over 90 minutes for Firehawk which was longer than our wait for Diamondback! If you want to ride Diamondback & the Beast twice you may be cutting it close with all the other rides. The key to every KI visit is to make sure you get a ride on the beast just before close. It's worth missing the fireworks to ride it in as dark conditions as possible. It's an unforgettable experience. They suspend operations of the beast at 9:45 for the fireworks and then they cycle through everyone that's still in line after the fireworks.

Isn't the rabbit Lola from space jam?

^ Or some type of themeing. I know it's a stretch but there's always a possibility of this type of thing: http://rcdb.com/ig2999.htm?picture=14 See him "pushing the train?"

I've sadly only visited KI once so far so I'm sure you'll get great advice from others but I wouldn't think you would need a 2-day pass unless you're interested in many re-rides. I went with a group that brought food along so we had to walk out the parking lot 2 different times during the day and we were parked very far away. It was a saturday in July, peak season. Even with all these factors against us we rode all the coasters including Flight of Fear and the Beast twice. This time of year I would assume crowds will be lighter. Can others confirm this? Diamondback will be most likely take a load off the other lines in it's opening season. I'd either hit SOB and Firehawk as your first two rides (due to low capacity) or hit Diamondback and the Beast at opening and then work your way around the other credits. IMPORTANT: However you do it the key to any Kings Island trip is making sure you ride the Beast at least twice, once in daylight and then as your very last ride. I believe they always soft-close so you can sneak into the que just before closing.

Thanks abunch man! That's about the same figure someone else mentioned as well, so I'll think of it as the world's tallest for now. Interesting how highest and tallest drops are ingrained into our heads but largest loops are far from common knowledge even for us coaster geeks. I probably won't make it out to SKC anytime soon, though it looks like an absolutely beautiful coaster. I'll be riding Dominator this summer though

^ Haha, yeah. So, basically we've decided Viper has the highest loop at 140' (RCDB Fail). And that Dominator most likely has the tallest loop at 135' until someone can debunk this with the height of Superman Krypton Coaster's loop height or any other coaster with a taller loop. I'm curious if Dominator really is the coaster with the tallest vertical loop. Anyone know?

Oh, RCDB.com is wrong then. It says 144' Nobody knows the height of Superman Krypton Coaster's loop?

I see the argument brought up by the old arrow loopers like shockwave was, and GASM, and Viper. I guess that part of it depends on how you look at it. With that in mind I would consider Viper to have the highest loop in the world at 144 and either Dominator or SKC to have the tallest vertical loop in the world. Can anyone confirm the height of SKC's loop or think of any others to top Dominator's 135?

Wrong. Well no, because that's not the question posed.