Geauga Dog

That's a surprise. The last bit of the original Kings Island complex biting the dust. I always considered it a landmark. If the hotel was under CF owndership I'd think there would be a different outcome as I could see a Breakers type remodel of the property. It's going to look weird driving on Kings Island Drive and seeing it gone.

Surprised no one mentioned the Battle of Ohio - Cedar Point and Kings Island. I personally prefer Kings Island.

That's a pretty cool game/ride though I can imagine one's arms getting tired from constantly swinging the hammer. This somewhat reminds of the Sky Pirates game/ride that used to be in Gameworks back when they were around.

Thanks for the clarification. As much as it's nice to see some new flats being added to the park I would have thought the Flying Scooters could have been placed somewhere else. There is a nice open spot between the International Showplace and Diamondback's brake run that is plenty big enough for a new flat ride.

Definitely not a failed concept given how many stand-ups were built between Togo, B&M, and Intamin. The Togo model wasn't bad just really awkward to get in and out of the restraints plus the weird waist bar that you had to slide in and out of, which memory was brought back when I rode Shock Wave at KD a couple year's ago. Haven't tried an Intamin model but seeing how they were the precursors to the B&M's I can imagine how they are/were. I must admit the first time I saw photos of Shockwave at SFMM back in the 80's I loved the look of the ride and its layout. Seemed like such a huge step forward for the concept compared to the Togo rides. B&M stand-ups I never thought were too uncomfortable but the oversized restraints, especially in the head area, I thought were the big problems with the trains. Riddler and Scorcher are definitely the best of the genre. As a side note, I find it odd that Drayton Manor's Intamin Shock Wave is the only stand up with a zero-G roll. Wonder why B&M never tried that with any of their models.

Excellent additions considering it's coming after Banshee. Wonder where the two new rides will be located in Planet Snoopy. Smartest move is relocating Starbucks to closer to the front gate. I wonder if the location is at the corner where Skyline Chili currently is. It makes sense since they corral the guests there in the morning so while they wait for the ropes to drop they can at least get a coffee or muffin there.

Cedar Point's Corkscrew. Mean Streak will more than likely get RMC'd and Mine Ride seems to still get decent ridership.

I have to agree. It took me about 9 - 9.5 hours from Cleveland to Carowinds but you drove through some of the most scenic areas of West Virginia, Virginia, and North Carolina.

Other than T2 I've been on... Serial Thriller/Thunderhawk at GL - definitely the smoothest I've been on plus it had a great location on the lakefront. I sort of miss the ride. Mind Eraser at DL - the most brutal I've ridden. It's no wonder I've heard people call it "Ear Eraser". Kong at SFMW/SFDK - from what I remember it wasn't bad but it seemd like the train slowed down while going through the inversions.

Restroom upgrades should be a no-brainer when they are needed however it's not so much that the restrooms need them it all boils down to how often they are cleaned during a typical day. While not directly tied to the nasty restrooms, though they can give one a bad impression of a park, the more Darien Lake, or any other park for that matter, does things that turn off people from revisiting the harder it will be get them back.

Mantis wasn't that bad of a stand-up, especialy if you compare it to Carowind's and CGA's Vortex. The only bad part was the twisty section after the mid-course and flatspin/corkscrew. If B&M were to contimue making stand-ups like Georgia Scorcher, which is the best of the genre, then stand-ups don't necessarily need to disappear.

^But look at what Premier added in those few years. Every park they picked up eventually got a boomerang and an off-the-shelf SLC. Premier did great things for Geauga Lake prior to turning it into a Six Flags and what did we get - a boomerang and an off-the-shelf SLC (which wasn't too bad compared to others I've ridden). I just hope that if Premeir does take over that 1) they've learned their lesson from the last time they began expanding the chain and not get in over their head with big buying spreees and 2) they start getting a bit more creative with any future additions.

The Tagada seems to be one of the world's most popular flat rides yet we don't have any in U.S. What is the ride experience like and is it the fact the ride doesn't have any restraints which makes it a liability issue that prevents it from appearing here due to our sue happy culture?

As long as there is Vortex and Bat parts won't be hard to find. I would think Vortex or Bat would go before Iron Dragon as they are bigger, faster, and probably have a lot more stress on the track and supports than Iron Dragon. Isn't that part of what killed BBW?

^^^That orange/green combo does look sharp. The green is much more easier on the eyes than the brighter green from the first pic you posted. Thanks for doing that photo.

Great job, coasterkid! Viper in purple and black actually looks pretty cool. The red and green of Mind Eraser reminds me of Christmas. Maybe change to dark orange track and dark green supports?

Thanks for the photos and the trip report. Nice to finally see some crowds a the park. The best photo is the one of Toboggan sitting dismantled - finally. Your detailed description of your Blue Streak rides put a smile on my face as it brought back memories of my visit last year. It is easily the scariest ride I've been on considering the condition ride is in like the warped looking track on the lift. It would be a big loss if the ride was to be lost forever.

The only new coaster for me was Banshee. It was everything I had hoped it would be and more. Probably rank it as my #2 favorite at Kings Island, behind Beast and my #2 invert behind Afterburn.

I have to highly agree with this. HFEC has done more for the park in the short time its operated Darien Lake than what Six Flags did all those years under their watch (which wasn't a bad thing in reality as they didn't over expand it and try to make it into something the region couldn't handle). Plus HFEC seems to actually have a vision. I'm surprised there are plans to demolish the HSBC Tower. Granted it's not a super attractive skyscraper and seems a bit distanced from the main part of downtown Buffalo I think it would leave a hole in the skyline.

Puritas Springs Cyclone? First drop and last drop went into a ravine.

Not sure if this fits the category of the intended thread but Conneaut's Blue Streak, especially in the back seat, has that "Oh Sh*^" moment on the first two hills. Felt like I was on a bucking bronco. The overall ride is actually pretty good, layout wise, and though we may never see a full refurbishment of the ride due to the problems the park has been having, for what it is I think it belongs on the list.

Fantastic photos! I think my brain would go into sensory overload if I was to visit Europa Park. That is one absolutely beautiful park. I also really like the look of Tripsdrill, which also is very photogenic. Karacho looks like one of the better custom Gerstlauer coasters.

It's bad enough this park has had an identity crisis and the last thing they need is another operator, that is, if the report is true. Darien Lake needs an owner and/or operator that is committed and will bring some stability to the park. Too many hands in ownership is only going to bring a negative vibe to the region.

It's sad to hear all these reports at what I always considered favorite SF park. I didn't get to make it to Gurnee this year as I had hoped and in a way I'm glad I didn't take that seven hour drive just to have the possibility of have similar experiences.

Hey Marcel, glad you've had a great summer at the Point and thanks for the photos. I was briefly out at the park last Saturday and saw you sitting at the entrance to Magnum. Would have said hi but didn't want to bother you.