Johnlloyd

That was completely scrapped so, I doubt they'll be getting a heap of metal.

No, I do not work for Cedar Fair. But, what I do know is that Cedar Fair had plans on visiting Japan after checking out Europe according to this article. So, they may have picked up some more vintage/retro flat rides in Japan since the release of the article. I would like to see more retro rides come to Cedar Fair parks as they work better than most computerized rides that have been produced within the past 20 years.

My bets on 3 "classic" flats. Going with Bumper Cars, (New models that will undoubtedly suck) either in Hangtimes old spot or Chance Carousels old spot. A Troika, and one other classic flat, but I'm not sure what. Can't recall the rides Cedar Fair picked up towards the end of last season. I doubt Dorney Park would be receiving any vintage/retro flat rides that were found in Europe as they only found seven and they're headed to Carowinds and Worlds of Fun. The seven rides consisted of two Huss Troikas, a Huss Condor, a Mack Musik Express, a Zierer Wave Swinger, a Huss Break Dance, and a Mondial Top Scan. A Troika, the Musik Express, the Top Scan, Wave Swinger, and Break Dance will be headed to Carowinds. The other Troika and the Condor are headed to Worlds of Fun.

This morning it was very rainy (which was much needed) and then this afternoon it's been very windy which caused this huge limb off this tree to come down!

Thanks, I'm glad you enjoyed it! Looking at photos of Kings Island back from the 1980's it looked like an amazing place like it is today! Kings Island is constantly changing as it had slightly changed nearly two years later since my first visit during July 2014. The most noticeable changes from my first visit were the removal of the Coney Mall sign, the new White Water Canyon path, two new additions to Planet Snoopy, and a new water slide complex in Soak City. But, I can't wait to get back in another two years to ride Mystic Timbers as I plan on going to another park on my extremely long list next year. So far I've struck Kings Island off my list originally two years ago and Dorney Park last year. I look forward to venturing to more American amusement parks next summer!

Happy Roller Coaster Day!

Well, it's better late than never, right? Here's my trip report to Kings Island which took place from June 15th to June 17th. My brother Scott and our friend Travis came along for the trip. This was Scott and myself's second visit to Kings Island as our first was during July 2014. During this trip I was able to conquer all the major coasters at Kings Island after coming over my fear of heights last year. The first time we had visited, I had only conquered Vortex, Invertigo, The Racer, The Bat (Top Gun/ Flight Deck), Adventure Express, and Woodstock Express. But, after our second visit back in June, I was able to realize that all of Kings Island's coasters are very fun and enjoyable! I rode all the coasters and many rides to the point where I had lost count during our two day visit at the park! I had another amazing time at Kings Island like I had before, two years ago. Now, enough of me talking and on with the photos and video! On our way to the Ambassador Bridge in Windsor! Here we are along the I-75 heading through Michigan. The roads have definitely improved since we last came through here two years ago! Here's Scott driving along a stretch of the I-75. Scott and I would take turns driving but, I did most of the driving. Here's Travis tagging along in the back seat. It was his first time going to Kings Island so he was really excited to go! Here's a photo of the construction that was taking place along the I-75 in Ohio. Here you can see where new pavement is going to be laid. On our way back, the pavement was laid and the lines were set. Here we are arriving at Kings Island after a long 8 hour drive! Here's Travis, myself, and Scott in front of the Kings Island sign at the front of the park. Just after Travis and I had gotten a ride on Banshee (Scott had gotten a ride on it later), it began to storm quite hard! All those tables you see in this photo were knocked over shortly after this photo was taken! Here you can see the entrance to The Racer while the storm was passing through. We had taken shelter in the Coney Confections candy shop during the storm. Here is a beautiful shot after the storm. Just as the rain was letting up, Scott and I had taken a ride on Shake, Rattle, and Roll. It was fun riding it in light drizzle. We then took a ride on our favourite ride, The Monster! We had an hour and a half left to ride rides before the park closed for the night at 10pm. Here is a shaky view of the Eiffel Tower after we took our last ride of the night on Diamondback. Here is a blurry view looking below while taking the elevator to the top of the Eiffel Tower just before closing. Here is a slightly blurry view looking down onto International Street from atop the Eiffel Tower at Kings Island. This is looking out to Action Zone at Kings Island. The tall tower is Drop Tower. We had just rode it not too long before we made our way up the Eiffel Tower. We were only able to make it up the Eiffel Tower and ride Drop Tower once during our visit due to the severe winds during our second day at the park. Also, off to the right behind the Slingshot is the World's longest inverted roller coaster, Banshee. It was great other than the restraints were tight! Here is a shaky view of the Coney Mall section of the park. You can see the first drop of the Racer, and the lights on the lift hill of Firehawk off in the distance. Below is a video of the nice nightly fireworks display viewed from the Eiffel Tower. Here's to a start of our second and final day at Kings Island. It sure was a very hot and sunny day! Here you can see the 300 foot tall Eiffel Tower than can be seen from quite a distance! We were up there the night before. It was quite the view from up there the previous night, as well as two years ago! Here you can see people lining up to get into the park for the day! Here are the two drops on Invertigo, the park's inverted boomerang coaster. The coaster appears to hang outside the park near the front gate. It's a fun coaster as Scott and I had first rode it two years ago and have enjoyed it ever since! Here's a photo of Scott taking a photo of myself, while I was taking a photo of him. Here's the photo that Scott had captured! Here is another shot of Invertigo testing just before the park was set to open for the day! Here is a view of the Royal Fountains on International Street. Here is a view of Drop Tower from the ground. Unfortunately it was closed most of the day as it had gotten extremely windy. Luckily we were able to had rode it the night before! Here is another view of the iconic Eiffel Tower at Kings Island. It has been providing amazing views of the surrounding area since April of 1972, when the park opened. Our first coaster of the day was Firehawk! It was a new one for Scott and I! It was a truly amazing flying coaster! Vekoma sure knew what they were doing when they designed this one! We rode it multiple times throughout the day! One thing I did notice is that the green paint on the track was wearing through from when it operated at Geauga Lake as X-Flight from 2001 to 2006. After riding Firehawk, my friend Travis and I took a ride on Flight Of Fear. Here is Scott, Travis, and I after riding Vortex later that morning. It was great as usual! Here is a view of a section of the Coney Mall section of the park. Unfortunately, the Coney Mall sign has since been removed since our last visit two years ago. You can see the Eiffel Tower from mostly everywhere from the park! In this photo you can see Slingshot, Drop Tower, and Banshee. Here is a shot of Delirium. I was able to get a ride on it later that day. It's fun waving to the crowd below when riding it! Here's Viking Fury operating over the Oktoberfest section's pond. Here is another view of the Oktoberfest pond. Here's the floral bell and the Grand Carousel in the background. The park definitely has some beautiful scenery! Looking at the floral clock, you can see that it's almost 12 pm. Diamondback has a splashdown section that doesn't get riders wet. It's a really neat illusion! We had captured a night ride on Diamondback the day before. It's a great coaster but, doesn't produce as much airtime as Behemoth at Canada's Wonderland. Here we are on the KI and Miami Valley Railroad on our way over to Soak City water park. Here is a view of Diamondback while passing through Rivertown on the train. Here's the storage shed that the three locomotives are stored in at night and during the off season. Here's a shot of the green train passing by on the other section of the track. Here's a photo of one of the buildings that were once apart of the Western Village that was along KI and Miami Valley Railroad when the park first opened in 1972. The buildings were built for scenic purposes. After riding slides in the Soak City water park for two hours, I decided to take a few photos of some of the slides I rode. Here's a photo of Rendezvous Run, the slide your ride laying down on a mat, head first. We all found it quite difficult to hold onto the mats while going around through the tunnels. Scott had fallen off his and had the ride of his life! Here's the Tropical Twister water slides. I bet you can guess how they named this water slide! Travis and I almost drowned on these body slides! Here's the Pineapple Pipeline. I decided to pass on this one. Scott had tried the yellow body slide, while Travis did the green one! Later on, Travis tried the new slide complex Tropical Plunge which features drop slides! Here's a photo of the more basic body slides, known as Paradise Plunge. They're just like Body Blast at Canada's Wonderland. They were fun as the three of us had raced down them. Here we are taking a ride back to the dry side of the park. Every time another train would pass, we would wave to the passengers. Here's a close up shot of the Mary Bose Inn. It's not a real inn but it adds to the scenery. Here is a close up of the general store as seen from the train ride. Here's one of Vortex's trains exiting the bat-wing inversion. Vortex is highly photogenic as well as a great coaster! Here is a view of Vortex from Shake, Rattle, & Roll's queue line. Here is Shake, Rattle, & Roll in action! During our visit two years ago, it was down and being refurbished. So, Scott and I made sure we had gotten a few rides on it while we were there. Here's another view of one of Vortex's trains going through the final helix before hitting the final brake run. Here is Scott and Travis playing a crazy version of air hockey! Scott and I had played it the night before and I must say it's quite difficult as the table is shaped like a skateboard ramp! Here's my official approval of The Beast! It was truly amazing and shouldn't be missed during a visit to Kings Island! A shout out goes to the ride maintenance team for keeping The Beast smooth and enjoyable since it's opening in 1979. Here I am descending down the first drop of The Beast at Kings Island! I greatly enjoyed it and I was glad I rode it because I didn't ride it during my first visit two years ago. It was a great wooden coaster! Here's the 1926 Grand Carousel in motion. Here's another view of the Grand Carousel. It originally operated at Coney Island in Cincinnati from 1926 until 1971. It then opened with Kings Island in 1972. I decided to hop on and take a ride. Just before the ride began, I captured a photo of the horse I was sitting on as there were reins attached to each horse. The children riding the carousel really used this feature as the carousel spun around. Here is Scott and I sitting down for a while after he had fries and I had a legendary Cheese Coney. You can see me showing off the free cups of water all food booths were handing out as it was extremely hot during our visit! Maybe Canada's Wonderland could take note? Here is Scott playing Galaga on a coin operated arcade machine in the "I Love the 80's" store. Here's Scott, Travis, and I on Race For Your Life Charlie Brown, which is Kings Island's original log flume ride in Planet Snoopy. It was a fun small log flume which had a drop of 40 feet and a soaking finale. Here is another brighter photo of Travis, myself, and Scott posing for another photo before we left to go eat at Perkins. We definitely had a great visit at Kings Island as all the rides, coasters, and staff members were amazing! I look forward to coming back to Kings Island possibly in another couple of years! Here's one final photo of Kings Island taken from a distance while we were leaving Mason and headed home the next morning. Here are a couple of photos of the retro video game-like t-shirt I had purchased from Kings Island which features all the major coasters in the park, which I have conquered! If you're wondering, we had stayed at the Microtel Inn Mason both nights during our visit. It is a nice hotel that is decently priced that we had came across two years ago. Thanks for taking a look at my photos from our trip to Kings Island!

Hydra The Revenge at Dorney Park! Photo Credit: Dorney Park

My favourite flat ride is the Tilt-A-Whirl! Whether they're at a fair or an amusement park they're just plain fun! The Eyerly Monster comes at a close second and the Mack Calypso comes at a close third!

Rider

Dorney Park has released a new video on their Facebook page in regards to their additions to the park for 2017. There's only six days until we find out what will be making new memories! [fbvideonew] [/fbvideonew]

Yes, that's why Canada's Wonderland got a Vekoma SLC in 1995 instead of a B&M inverted coaster. The "rule" only existed then for a year or two because Cedar Point installed Rapor, which was the first inverted coaster in the area so that way people would flock there instead of going to their competitors.

Save

Well, Caripro had designed the Gyroflyer, which had opened up at Skyline Park in Germany. It opened in 2001 as Sky Rider and is the only one of it's kind. So, a spinning suspended coaster could be done again and on a larger scale. But, I do enjoy the Arrow Dynamics' suspended swinging coaster design such as Vortex at Canada's Wonderland, which has been operating strong for 25 years now. Suspended Swinging coasters are very fun, so I would like to see Vekoma or another company to start producing them again as they're a great coaster! Photo Credit: www.chris-simon.org.uk/

Don't be naive, John. These are the types of people who don't care about how their actions effect anyone else in or out of an amusement park. I see it everywhere from time to time. I know how people are and I try not to let it bother me, especially on days set aside for enjoyment. I acknowledge that these people don't care about what they're doing and how it affects others. I deal with these kinds of people all the time whether I'm at college or Canada's Wonderland. I'm just tired of how many people think it's acceptable to line jump. But, I do have one success story to share of a line jumping case when I had visited again last Thursday. My brother and I were in line for Timberwolf Falls and the regular line (that we were in) and the Fast Lane line were both moving slowly. The reason as to why they were both moving slowly is because a family with their kids thought it would be okay to line up in the Fast Lane and skip the regular line even though they didn't have Fast Lane wristbands. The ride attendant kept on telling them to leave but they wouldn't. So this went on for a little over 10 minutes. The funny thing about this was that the family was claiming that there was no set rule as to who could use the Fast Lane. To everyone else it was obvious that you needed Fast Lane in order to use that line. After becoming quite frustrated, the ride attendant called security. But, before security had arrived, the family quickly ran out of the line and off into the park. But, the main thing is that they were denied to ride Timberwolf Falls based on their actions and behaviour. I just wish that the park would crack down on more such cases. Also, all my visits to Canada's Wonderland so far this season have been very fun despite the line jumping.

For some strange reason I don't think Darien Lake is trying to achieve that goal as I see them as small-medium sized park. I am sure Darien Lake will get a new coaster once the ownership of the park gets settled. I haven't been but, it seems like Premier Parks knows what they're doing but, since the park is owned the CNL Lifestyle Properties still, Premier Parks can't add anything. Well, Canada's Wonderland is the most attended seasonal park in North America. But, I am sure that Darien Lake's attendance has been growing over the past few years especially since that they have been advertising their campground like crazy as many people are into camping and amusement parks. Any expansion for Darien Lake is good but, I don't see Darien Lake becoming as huge (in attendance) as Canada's Wonderland is now even if Darien Lake adds many large additions in the next ten years.

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Flipping

I am not too sure about the Fudge Shop but, what I do know is that it will be the first Star Flyer at a Cedar Fair park.

Possessed at Dorney Park! Photo Credit: Joel Rogers via coastergallery.com

Ghoster Coaster at Canada's Wonderland, yesterday! Photo Credit: Coasterpedia

Seats

The workout on Skyhawk isn't too bad. Yes, you have to shift your body and alternate your wings slowly in order to flip but I don't find it tiring at all. I suppose it takes time to getting used to it. But, once you’re used to the motion of moving your wings and shifting your body, it's a really fun ride! The Sky Fly looks to be easier to flip than the Sky Roller since it is on an angle but, I may be wrong. Actually heard it's the opposite. The Sky Fly is extremely difficult to flip but people are not having issues flipping the Sky Roller The Sky Fly at Nickelodeon is ridiculously hard to flip. I still haven't managed to get a full 360 degree flip, in all of the times I've tried it. Well, I'm glad that Canada's Wonderland went with a Gerstlauer Sky Roller then. It also made for a claim, being the first one in North America at North America's most visited seasonal amusement park. Hopefully other Cedar Fair parks receive this great ride!

The workout on Skyhawk isn't too bad. Yes, you have to shift your body and alternate your wings slowly in order to flip but I don't find it tiring at all. I suppose it takes time to getting used to it. But, once you’re used to the motion of moving your wings and shifting your body, it's a really fun ride! The Sky Fly looks to be easier to flip than the Sky Roller since it is on an angle but, I may be wrong.

Mighty Canadian Minebuster on July 20th!