ytterbiumanalyst

Depending on when you were there (if it was this summer) the staff shortage was due to a lot of the ops still being in school. I was there on Saturday June 4.

Well, yes, we have drug problems in the Ozarks, but not at Silver Dollar City. Those needle wastebaskets are for insulin. Only problem around here worse than meth is diabetes. Speaking of which, did you get to try the cinnamon bread?

Awesome trip report! Glad you had a good time. Interesting that you liked RRE better than Thunderation. I really liked RRE, but I'd put it third best mine train, after Thunderation #1 and Adventure Express at KI #2. Maybe it's like Doctors and your first mine train is always your favourite. Glad to see too that you spent some time looking at crafts. That's an important part of the park, and always has been. And yeah, some of them get pricey, but these are handmade items from master craftsmen and women. No overpriced souvenirs here; it's the real deal. Looking forward to the next installment!

And who would run them? There were a number of rides closed when I was there because they were understaffed. Coasters take more people to operate than flat rides do. If anything, this park needs to remove a few rides so they can operate the rest more consistently.

Beast's father's brother's nephew's cousin's former roommate.

Have you looked into Amtrak? It leaves from downtown St. Paul and you change trains in Chicago. Goes right into downtown Sandusky. Takes around 13 hours, depending on which train you choose, so it's comparable to drive time.

Not happening. There is more chance of 4 of Michigan's Adventure's coasters being relocated elsewhere than there is of them getting four new coasters in the same year, even new-to-them coasters.

Definitely hit up Cossetta's for some pizza or pasta, a very solid Italian place just a few blocks from the mueseums so you can walk there. Patrick McGovern's is a block away also and is an Irish bar with good food too. If want some local Mexican about a mile away try La Cucharacha and get the enchiladas, their sauce is pretty good. Also in the same location is Dixie's that serves Louisianna and southern style food. None of these are chains so check out the locals for better flavor if you can. Perfect, thanks so much! I'm always looking for good local, non-chain eats.

And then there are the exceptions. I could not take pictures at Cedar Point, even though their Sky Ride is enclosed, but I could at Indiana Beach's open Skyride. Go figure.

I will never ride Excalibur, but I always recommend it to anyone visiting the park for the first time. It really is a treasure for those more tolerant of spinning and flipping than I am.

Just far enough so your back isn't touching the seat. You can use the grab bar on the front of the train to pull yourself forward too. This method turned Mean Streak from "metal trash can rolling down a hill", to extremely fun. ^ this all the way. The layout is still mediocre but riding in the front leaning forward is just really fun and it goes on forever lol Yes!!! It's still far from the best wooden coaster out there, but when leaning forward, it's fun. And that's what roller coasters are supposed to be.

This was my second time visiting Kings Island and my first time riding Firehawk. I found it to be a truly amazing flying coaster, that I rode it about five times that day. Now, if I were to say that I rode Time Warp at my home park, Canada's Wonderland, then I'd need your respects. I totally agree that Firehawk is severely underrated. I like it better than Superman. That opinion may not be popular, but that's cool. With such crap capacity, we need that line to be shorter! Luckily when I had visited the park last Wednesday and Thursday, all the rides were either walk-on's or had very short lines. So, waiting was not an issue. I feel that this is one of Vekoma's very few great coasters. The only other Vekoma coaster that I've greatly enjoyed is their Invertigo coaster which I found to be quite smooth when I've rode them at Kings Island and Dorney Park over the past couple of years. I do enjoy The Bat at my home park, Canada's Wonderland as well but, I found Firehawk and Invertigo (and Stinger) to be better. Yeah, Invertigo at Kings Island is the only Boomerang I've actually enjoyed. Flying Ace Aerial Chase was fun as well, leaving me with this weird positive feeling about all their Vekomas. I tend not to complain and to enjoy something for what it is, rides and everything else too. There are a few rides on my "never again" list, and Vekoma is well represented. But I give credit when it's due, and they did well with the KI coasters.

I'm enjoying this trip report. Thanks for making it! I'm especially interested in Adventureland, as that's my next new park, and Monster is my most anticipated new coaster this year. That beer selection too! I am loving this golden age of craft brewing.

This was my second time visiting Kings Island and my first time riding Firehawk. I found it to be a truly amazing flying coaster, that I rode it about five times that day. Now, if I were to say that I rode Time Warp at my home park, Canada's Wonderland, then I'd need your respects. I totally agree that Firehawk is severely underrated. I like it better than Superman. That opinion may not be popular, but that's cool. With such crap capacity, we need that line to be shorter!

Let me just take this opportunity to point out that RMC overhauled this ride in 2014. The RMC rebuild on the Boss in 2014 was not as extensive as the Ghost Rider overhaul. I am talking about the Lift Hill/Drop extension plus Millenum Flyer Trains, etc. as discussed on Screamscape. I haven't heard those rumours. I don't read Screamscape, as I prefer reality to pipe dreams. It's just a hobby of mine than whenever anyone says Boss should be retracked, I like to point out that it has been, recently, and by RMC. Just to throw some reality into the conversation.

Let me just take this opportunity to point out that RMC overhauled this ride in 2014.

Mooseburger has the world's only Coke Freestyle slot machines. If you hit the jackpot, you get ice.

Cool, those all sound like good places. Lions Tap is pretty cheap, too--good for after our Valleyfair day. 5-8 is pretty close to MoA, so that'd be good for that day. Both places in Duluth sound good, too. This is a real vacation, not just a coaster trip, so we're going to be in downtown St. Paul for a couple of those days. Anything near the museums that's good?

There is a rumour of a new coaster due to stakes that say "Coaster" near Thunderation and Echo Hollow. We have no other concrete evidence than those stakes.

I get the 'hops' but...'hot dish'? Is this BBQ? Or Buffet? Or.....? Just curious, thanks. If you live anywhere but the Midwest, it's called a casserole. Yeah, I got excited there for a moment. We're going to Minnesota next month, and I always like to try a local delicacy, like Chicago hot dogs or Cincinnati chili. But when I googled "hot dish," yeah, just a casserole made with canned soup and canned vegetables.... But while on this subject, when I'm in Minnesota, is there a local food that's great? We'll be most of the time in the Twin Cities, but we're taking a side trip to Duluth.

If they wanted to go with local lore, Dakota mythology is a rich tradition, just very obscure. It would have to be very well done, and in conjunction with the Dakota nation, so as to be educational. Otherwise it would just appear to be exploitative. But "Monster" is a good name, and no one's really complaining.

Cornball is fantastic, and definitely the best coaster there. I'm gushing more about Dr. Frankenstein's Haunted Castle and Fascination. This was the fifth day in a row of coasters, and I was pretty tired. Maybe that muted it a bit. As it stands, Cornball isn’t a top tier ride, but it is a very good one, and worthy of rerides when I go back.

Don't worry about Magnum in the front seat. Go for back row of the first car. It's a life altering experience.