DILinator

If they were your favorite roller coasters when you were a kid, then it seems to me that they do a pretty damn good job at being family roller coasters. Well, you've got to keep in mind that when I was a kid (and I should say "young kid"), was in the early to mid 80's, and they were actually some of the better coasters at CP. Compare them to newer "family coasters" that are available nowadays, and they pale in comparison. Iron Dragon is ok, but it's just arguably the weakest of the Arrow Suspended coaster models. And Mine Ride is arguably the weakest Mine Train Coaster model I've been on. So when I look at CP's coaster collection, I see it being loaded at the top, and even middle, with a sharp drop-off to where the bottom coasters aren't very good at all.

I'm a big fan of Blue Streak, even having it ahead of some of the other more vaunted coasters there like TTD, just because I have such a great time on it, and yes, the airtime is real! Now, I do almost always ride in the front, and I've had some less stellar rides further back. And no, I didn't get to ride when I went earlier this year... But still, I'm pretty surprised to see some of the negativity for the coaster, because I've grown in appreciation for the coaster more and more as the years have gone on, and really enjoy it! And yes, Corkscrew is the worst (not counting the joke that is Wilderness Run), and Mine Ride and Iron Dragon are really, really boring excuses for family coasters as well, which is funny, because both were my "favorite roller coaster" at one time, growing up as a kid!

My experience the day I was at KI the other week, was that while Mystic Timbers' wait time was longest early in the day, it didn't go down significantly throughout the day, but remained steady around the half hour mark. Of course, being out in the woods, you're going to have a healthy line for it at the end of the day, just like The Beast does at that time.

And that along those lines, Kings Island isn't far behind Knotts, also not being a year-round park! Kings Island is an extremely successful, and often overlooked in the shadow of Cedar Point in the same state, amusement park! I've always been quite impressed by the place, and my kids, who I just took for the first time, preferred it more than CP even!

Thanks for posting, and alerting me to that! I'm going to each park, and taking three of my kids this November, so those passes will come in very handy, as will the discount!

That's a fair question! But it wasn't. So it's irrelevant! Again, I don't care if anybody else counts it as a new coaster, but I could never justify counting it as such for myself, personally.

I've never attended Coastermania specifically, but I've attended plenty of "Enthusiast" events over the years, and witnessed plenty of people and behavior as a result - stuff that certainly doesn't represent me, and I try to disassociate myself from personally. But let me say... None of that stuff will ever stop me from attending "Enthusiast" events! Sure, it's annoying, obnoxious, and at times, does make me question my life choices regarding hobbies. However, at the end of the day, the mix of ERT, other park perks, and hanging out with normal, well adjusted enthusiasts like myself (of which there are also plenty of at the events), outweighs the negatives, and keeps me coming back! I highly recommend trying one out sometime, to all those who might be gun-shy, as I think you'll end up enjoying yourselves immensely! I might even make my first trek out to Coastermania next year with RMC Streak there!

As much as I hate all this lkr. stupidity, for $1 for two hours, when I go to GAdv in a month, I think I'm just going to toss my phone and keys in there for a couple hours, marathon El Toro to my heart's content, and not give it a second thought! Honestly, that coaster is so wild anyway, the policy is probably doing my phone (and keys) a favor!

^ I need to remember that post/Gif combo for future use here on TPR!

I know the whole "what counts as a credit" debate is purely subjective, and ultimately pointless, but within the construct of such a debate... I cannot understand how somebody wouldn't count Rougarou as a new credit??? It's an entirely different ride experience! Believe me... As somebody who rode Mantis A TON, and now has ridden Rougarou quite a bit, THEY ARE NOTHING ALIKE to actually experience as a ride! Yes, their track is exactly the same, but the way you experience the coaster, is ENTIRELY different! One ride sucked, terribly, and the other, is actually pretty decent, mostly. That definitely constitutes a change in ride experience in my book, and therefore, a new credit. Compare that to Dominator at Kings Dominion... I rode it at Geagua Lake, so when I go to KD next year and ride it, I won't count it again, because it's the same exact ride, just moved. Also, I wouldn't count the newly re-tracked Incredible Hulk coaster at IOA, because even though it's all new track, if the entire ride experience is identical to what it was before, it's still the exact same ride experience. Similar to that reasoning, I wouldn't count a wooden coaster as being a new credit, every time it's re-tracked, such as The Legend at Holiday World, or Shivering Timbers at MiA. Now, you may ask about whether I count clones separately, as they are the same "ride experience", and yes, I do. Because they are literally separate coasters. However, FWIW, I often don't even bother riding clones (or kiddie coasters), because I'm not a credit whore! Again, it's all subjective, and you can count credits however you want. But this is my perspective on it... To keep this rant on topic, Vortex sucks, horribly, worse than Mantis ever could have dreamed of being! Changing it to a Floorless, would be a fabulous improvement, and seems like a sure-fire move CF will make in the near future, likely as early as next season. And yes, I will then count it as a new credit, as it will definitely be a new ride experience, and almost certainly be a much better one!

^I sure miss that coaster though... RIP...

I purchased the "Membership" last Fall for SFGAm, and went then, but haven't been back since. I'm actually a little worried, that even with the relatively inexpensive cost I paid for the Membership, I'm not going to get my money's worth out of it, because the park operations are so poor, and the distance to get there great enough, that I may not make the effort to go much. Like ^ just reported, the shortest food lines, for even the stands, when we went last year, were around an hour, and we ended up not eating or drinking the entire day, resulting in leaving early, before the park even closed, quite "hangry". That is just not an acceptable situation... I'm going to use the pass a month from now at SFGAdv when I'm in the area, and I'm sure I'll go to SFGAm at least once this year, but if only the park wasn't always so slammed, and their operations so poor, I'd be inclined to make the 4 hour drive out there more often...

It's actually really hard for me to pick out a favorite Log Flume, as I like a few of them (including the dearly departed White Water Landing), but I think my current favorite is Dudley Do-Right's Ripsaw Falls! Now, the one I really want to get out to and ride, is Timber Mountain Log Ride! I've been to Knott's once, but alas, I did not ride it then. (I know, I know, for shame...) So, I will be sure to next time I am at the park, as it looks really great! I'm going to Kings Dominion again next year, and I didn't ride Shenandoah Lumber Company the only other time I was there (again, I know, for shame...), so I will be sure to this time, as I understand it's apparently the best!* *According to resident Log Flume aficionado coasterbill

Thanks coasterbill! I had a different response typed up, trying to explain it somewhat, when really, that meme was really all that I had in my mind that I wanted to post!

So, random thought that is likely in NO WAY related to the current conversation... Does anybody else ever wonder if the kid from Coaster Studios has an account here on TPR, and posts? Just curious...

So as usual, it sounds like you need to fix your views, so they stop being wrong! Though I do actually agree that Timbers is getting better and better all the time! I haven't been on it yet this year with the latest change, but swapping out that trick track for an airtime hill can only be an improvement. Also, didn't you say you rode The Voyage later in the year? I have heard it gets worse as the season goes on. I've never ridden it later than this time of year, so I can't really comment on how "rough" it rides later in the year...

^Well, I LOVE Shivering Timbers! And there's no doubt that it's much more palatable to a wider group of riders. However, The Voyage is another beast altogether! While ST is all about airtime, out, and back, Voyage begins with the traditional airtime hills like ST, but then dives into tunnels, and starts going bat-krunk crazy for the remainder of the ride! Both are phenomenal coasters, and rank in my Top 5 Wooden, but Voyage is #1 for me, while ST is #5. Timbers is awesome airtime fun, and a must-ride in the front, but The Voyage is just pure insanity, and riding it at night just adds to the madness!

^Thanks for your kind words, and I'm glad you enjoyed the report! If you have a pass, and can pop in tonight for no extra cost, I would definitely go in to get a night ride on Timbers, in addition to getting the Beast night ride tomorrow! It is such a great coaster regardless, but it definitely adds a little something to the ride to experience it at night, whizzing through the woods in the dark! As for the food lines, as bad as they were, they weren't even the worst I've experienced in the past year! At Six Flags Great America last fall, the lines for everything, including every little food stand, were so atrocious, we completely passed on eating for the entire day at the park! Needless to say, we were all pretty "hangry" upon leaving the park that day! Have a great visit to KI tonight, and tomorrow!

So, after avoiding this thread so I didn't get the shed "spoiled", for over a month after our initial trip to KI was postponed from the second weekend of operation, I finally made it out to KI with my three oldest kids last week! It was their first time at the park, and I was very excited to take them, as it is one of the best parks for families and kids, in my opinion! We were all very excited for Mystic Timbers, and definitely curious about #whatsintheshed? So what's the verdict, after all the waiting, and anticipation? Well, first off, let me say that I was one of those who had pretty low expectations for whatever was in the shed. At most, I thought maybe there'd be an animatronic tree, or something like that. I figured screens, lighting and sound effects, and stuff like that. So, basically, I was pretty much right on in my expectations, just sans the animatronic. However, the execution of it, and the fact that if you're sitting in the front half of the train you don't even really see the climax of the monster appearing on the front screen, was still a bit of a let-down, at least on my first ride, which was in the second row. I managed to twist, and get a glimpse of the "monster bat" as we headed into the station, otherwise I would have been really confused about whether anything had happened at all. Two rides later in the day yielded the "monster tree" - which is something I was expecting all along, and both rides were in the back, or near the back, so I got to see it clearly. Of course, back there, the music is more faint, so I guess each part of the train experiences some of the shed a little better than the other. So at first, I have to say I was a bit underwhelmed... However, in the end, I came around to the fact that Rob brought up in his assessment of it when he reviewed it. It's a brake run, essentially, and for a brake run, it's a heck of a lot better than just sitting around baking in the hot sun or doing nothing! So for that, I say kudos to Kings Island for injecting some fun into the end of the ride, and adding mythos into it, and hopefully, when I go back again, I can get the third ending, which I failed to get this time (I believe it's a Snake!) As for the coaster itself... AWESOME!!! It's easily in my top 3 at Kings Island, and I may even prefer it to Banshee, which puts it pretty high in my overall coaster rankings as well! Such a great little coaster, and I can't wait to get more rides on it whenever I go back to KI (hopefully during Haunt!) I didn't get a true front seat ride yet, but I was second to front, and I did get back seat, and second to back, which seem to be the money seats for airtime anyway. Plus, I got a night ride, which was fabulous, adding to the great collection of coasters that provide fantastic rides after dark! I think the longest I waited for it was around 40-45 minutes, which wasn't too bad, considering it is the new hotness at KI. They definitely have a winner on their hands with this one, and as long as people can keep the true purpose of "the shed" in perspective, they can even get a chuckle out of that, and enjoy it for what it is! Regarding the rest of my day there at KI, it was overall a wonderful day, with great weather, and a super fun time spent with my kids! Unfortunately, the youngest of the three I took was only 52 inches tall, so even though he rode Top Thrill Dragster the week before, he couldn't get on Diamondback at KI... So, I rode that with one of the kids while the other two went to Planet Snoopy, and then the other, while the other two went to Planet Snoopy, and that's how we handled that. I do feel bad for the little guy though, as he's my most die-hard coaster lover of the three kids (the older two wouldn't ride TTD last year, for comparison!) Here's hoping he hits a growth spurt by November, because we're going to Florida, and supposed to go to BGT and Sea World, but I'm not going to subject him to that if he's not 54'' yet, as most of the coasters there require that height. His favorite coaster at KI ended up being Banshee, another B&M with the new restraints, and therefore, the new, lower height restriction. Interestingly enough, both of the older kids' favorite coaster ended up being the same as their dad's, Diamondback! I did something I've never done before, and got the All Day Dining Plan for us, though I only got two for the four of us to share. I definitely think it was a good idea, as the kids love to eat at parks, and the cost would have really added up! Sharing two plans was more than enough food, and by the end of the day, we actually were so full from eating every couple of hours, we didn't even feel like we had to eat when we were able to again. We also got the all day drink bottle, and utilized that heavily. Now, I probably should have gone with the disposable cup route, but the souvenir bottle is nice, and the kids liked it, so that'll be something fun they'll have now. But it was a pain to deal with most of the day, and necessitated a locker rental a couple of times - both when riding Banshee, and then at the end of the day when riding Mystic Timbers for the second and third times. One negative aspect of the day, was the ridiculous lines for food and beverages! Our longest wait of the day was for lunch, not even a roller coaster! That was a consistent trend all throughout the day as well, and it wasn't even a traditional "lunchtime" when we were trying to eat. Food and Drink lines were just bad, period, all day long, and resulted in the worst waiting of the day. If it wasn't for having the All Day Dining, I certainly wouldn't have attempted to eat and drink as much, but when you've already paid for it, you're going to utilize it, so wait we did... Still, we got to do plenty, and a fun day was had by all! In the end, my biggest regret from the day was not being able to show my kids the greatness of a night ride on The Beast... It was to be our last ride of the night, but we utilized a hotel shuttle, and the last shuttle left at 10:30, which meant staying too late after park closing was risky. I timed getting into line for Mystic Timbers well, as we got on the ride after 9:30, and it was dark, giving us a night ride on that. However, the line for The Beast was long, at least a half hour, and then right after we got into it, they announced that they were suspending operations until after fireworks, but would run out the line if you were in it by 10:00. Still, I pretty much knew then, that there was no way we'd be able to be off the coaster and back to the shuttle by 10:30, so we had to get out of line. If I'd have known they shut the ride down for fireworks, I'd have hit that first, before a final Mystic Timbers ride, but oh well... There will be future visits to KI with the kids, and chances for them to ride The Beast at night! They didn't seem to bothered by it anyway... Some final, random thoughts from the day... -Vortex is terrible! I already knew this, but my 8 year old wanted to ride it (the older two kids took my word that it was terrible) and I didn't want him riding it alone, so I went with him. Well, it was awful. After getting off, I asked him what he thought, and my son said "It was like brain surgery!" So there you have it! -We didn't ride Firehawk, or Flight of Fear. I described them to the kids, and they weren't interested. No big loss to me either. They're good rides, don't get me wrong. But nothing that is a "must ride" when I go to the park. -One coaster I was really looking forward to riding with them, was Adventure Express, just to see their responses to the ending! They were quite amused, as was I, seeing their responses! So much fun, that little mine train coaster! -We has possibly the two shortest waits I've ever had for Banshee that day! We're talking like 10, maybe 15 minutes, tops. I think it might have been 20, including waiting for the front our second time. I'm thinking a big part of the reason for that was that everybody was in the hour long line nearby for the Chicken Shack! I still don't care what anybody says... Banshee is my favorite Invert, and is perfectly intense in my book! -Due to my older two kids being "afraid" of too much airtime for some unfortunate reason, I had to ride Diamondback in the middle (ugh!) and third row from the front (not as bad), and not back row as I prefer to. Still, that ride is great in any row, and still delivered a great ride, with solid air wherever! Definitely one of the best Hypers, and frankly, coasters, anywhere! -I wanted to weigh in on the conversation about the Super 8 Motel from a few pages back... We stayed there two nights, and I would do it again. Sure, it's not the Ritz-Carlton, and there were a few minor bugaboos that fall short of acceptable standards from my stay (such as not having a shower curtain.) But at the end of the day, I got a hotel for two nights, for $100, that included a pool my kids enjoyed twice, a yummy continental breakfast we enjoyed two days, a shuttle to Kings Island that saved us at least $15 on parking, and the actual bed itself was perfectly fine, and presented no detriment to a good night's sleep! I'll take a bathroom/shower situation that was less than ideal in a trade-off for all of that anyday, and enjoy the savings in my pocketbook as well! I know some people are more picky than myself, and maybe some people have had worse experiences than I have. Still, on the whole, it carries a 60% recommended rating on Expedia, which is pretty good for a hotel of its star rating and caliber. I'd personally recommend it to others, and I'd personally stay there again! That's my 2 cents on the matter at least... Well, if you hung in here this long, thanks for reading! TL:DR Kings Island has got a real winner on their hands in Mystic Timbers, and even if the shed is underwhelming from an experiential standpoint, it's still a great break run! I love this park, and look forward to returning again, as do my kids, who said they like it even more than Cedar Point! So, there you have it!

Stop looking at the weather, it's way too far out at this point and it'll only stress you out. Now it's saying 80 degrees and sunny. They have no clue this far in advance. I just went to KI this past Tuesday, and though I DID look at the weather regularly, I didn't let it stress me out, because I know how it works. The forecast changed so many times, if I'd had a dollar for every time, I could have gotten Fast Lane for me and my three kids!

I mean, it's fun for what it is but I don't think anyone here meant to imply that it was on the same level as the top coasters in the park. I'm really not sure what you could have possibly been expecting to be let down by it. It's just a Roller Skater but if I ever spent a full day at this park I would probably give it another ride. it's fun for a little family coaster. Ditto this. It's better than Jr. Gemini-er... Wilderness Run by light years, and better than most kiddie or family coasters I've been on. It's still not like I even rode it more than once though... (Though I wouldn't have been opposed to, either!)

I must say... That's one of the things that's great about going to an amusement park with my dad... He always brings a fanny pack, and they ARE very convenient for stashing things! Strangely enough, for all the Enthusiast events I've been to, I've never been to Coastermania... I guess given that CP is my "home park", and I've ridden everything a ton already, ERT just doesn't allure me enough to pay the money, and then deal with the extra crowds the event brings on for the rest of the day. It's a great event for those who aren't frequent attenders to get a ton of rides on CP's premiere coasters, however, so I hope all of you TPR members who that applies to are having a great time there today! Times like this remind me of how spoiled I am to have had this amazing amusement park 3 hours away from me my entire life! #blessed

FInally made it on this glorious, wooden creation! Loved it! I'll be working on a full report of my trip to KI yesterday, and thoughts on Mystic Timbers, over the next day or two, so stay tuned for that in the Kings Island thread (which I HAVE finally gotten caught up on again!) I will say this last ride WAS a night ride, and it was awesome! Definitely gives The Beast a run for its money when it comes to night ride supremacy (though it can't take that throne quite yet!)

I consider my "Home Park" to be Cedar Point, since that's the park I've grown up going to the most, and have continued going to the most as an adult. Technically, Michigan's Adventure is closer, but... It's Michigan's Adventure... At Cedar Point, I honestly don't have a "First Ride", mostly because the situation, and the people I'm going with often determines which ride gets ridden first. If there's a new coaster, then that'll be first, the first time of course. First time I went last year it was Valravn, and first time I go next year, it'll be RMC Streak. More often than not, it seems GateKeeper ends up being first as of late, which wouldn't be my choice, but often tends to be the choice of the people I go with. I think if it were up to me - until next season at least - I would enter at the rear gate, and go to Maverick first, and get a couple of rides in first thing, before the line really gets built up. Plus, it's just a fantastic way to start the day! Next year, I have a feeling that a new ride in Frontier Town will become my go-to first coaster of the day every time! As far as Michigan's Adventure, that is much simpler. Shivering Timbers is the first ride of the day, every time, no doubt. If I had it my way, it'd be the ONLY ride of the day, honestly!

Either SF:GAm, or SF:GAdv... Not sure if I'll be able to slip a visit to Great America in before my scheduled trip to Jersey in a month or not.