Kings Island (KI) Discussion Thread

[michaellynn4]

So what's cool to do in the Cincinnati area? Going to drive down with a buddy from Chicago on July 26th before hitting the park on the 27th. Haven't booked a hotel yet, so wondering if staying in Cincinnati proper would be worth it? Any solid breweries or unique food options? Any retro arcades/barcades? Reds are playing the Phillies, so kinda meh on that, but it's the default option if there is nothing else...

 

If it's your first time to the area, give Cincinnati chili a try. Skyline Chili may be the most well-known, but it's a chain and generally not held in the highest regard. I much prefer Blue Ash Chili, especially their 6-way style and the "Chili Philly", which is chili on a Philly cheesesteak.

[JJLehto]

I remember taking a beast behind the scenes tour during coasterstock​ a couple years ago. Don Helbig led the tour and did a Q&A. During which the question "Why is beast so trimmed now?" His response was that the ride seems slower now because they changed from skid brakes to magnetic trim brakes which slows down the train more abruptly, giving you the illusion that it is slower overall. He said that that is not the case and that Beast is still running at the same speed it always has despite the illusion that it is not.

 

 

Nice! Yeah, a few here and on the nets have confirmed they really feel no difference between it of years ago and now. Those breaks are just a trip I guess, it certainly looks that way, but never having ridden it I can only judge for when I do and not really worry about the past.

I am still keeping expectations muted, which is hard because Im a history nerd.

 

Regardless, excited for the park! Hope I will be able to get multiple rides for the biggies.

Also, any coasters that (if crowded and some need to be ditched) I can avoid? Not a cred whore, so I can live it. Like Vortex or Bat?

[adamico2]

^Bat never has a line but would be worth the wait, even if it did.

 

A full queue on Vortex only takes 30 minutes, but it's wait will likely be 10 minutes or less most of the day. It'll beat you up a bit, but if you assume the Arrow riding position in 7-1, it's quite fun.

[ytterbiumanalyst]

Don't skip Bat; it's awesome. Really, all the coasters are good, but if you're short on time you can skip Flying Ace Aerial Chase, Invertigo, Vortex, and Woodstock Express. If you get time they're all worth it, especially Woodstock Express. Yes, it's in the children's area, yes there will be a bunch of children in the queue, no it's not a children's coaster. It's a solid old school woodie and a lot of fun.

[coasterbill]

I remember taking a beast behind the scenes tour during coasterstock​ a couple years ago. Don Helbig led the tour and did a Q&A. During which the question "Why is beast so trimmed now?" His response was that the ride seems slower now because they changed from skid brakes to magnetic trim brakes which slows down the train more abruptly, giving you the illusion that it is slower overall. He said that that is not the case and that Beast is still running at the same speed it always has despite the illusion that it is not.

 

 

Nice! Yeah, a few here and on the nets have confirmed they really feel no difference between it of years ago and now. Those breaks are just a trip I guess, it certainly looks that way, but never having ridden it I can only judge for when I do and not really worry about the past.

I am still keeping expectations muted, which is hard because Im a history nerd.

 

Regardless, excited for the park! Hope I will be able to get multiple rides for the biggies.

Also, any coasters that (if crowded and some need to be ditched) I can avoid? Not a cred whore, so I can live it. Like Vortex or Bat?

 

Bat is honestly one of my favorite rides in the park.

 

Feel free to skip the clones if you've ridden the other versions (Backlot Stunt Coaster, Firehawk, Flight of Fear and Invertigo). If you haven't, the only one that's really skippable is Invertigo. Backlot and Flight of Fear are great. Firehawk gets mixed reviews but I prersonally love it.

 

Vortex is a horrible ride.

 

Do not skip Bat or Adventure Express. Adventure Express is so wonderfully weird.

 

Is the park closing at 10:00 when you go?

[RaceBoarder]

 

If you're planning on hitting up Cincinnati, I would recommend heading down to the Over-the-Rhine neighborhood, which is the main "hipstery" Brooklyn-esque neighborhood in the city. Lots of cool old historic buildings if you're into that sort of thing, and an unbelievable number of food and beer options. I tell everyone to go to Rhinegeist Brewery, they have good beer and an awesome rooftop deck. Other good bars include Sundry and Vice, Low Spark, Queen City Radio, and Japps. 16-Bit is the barcade in Cincinnati. There's also a streetcar that goes between Over-the-Rhine and downtown; it's $2 for an all-day pass. You can go to the Carew Tower, which has an observation deck and the Cincinnati riverfront is incredibly nice. You can walk across the suspension bridge into Covington Kentucky too. Also over the river in Kentucky is Party Source, which is the country's largest liquor store if you're into that.

 

Food-wise, my favorite restaurants in OTR and downtown are The Eagle (fried chicken), Nation Kitchen and Bar (burgers), Senate (fancy hot dogs), Harvest Pizzeria, and Eli's BBQ. Moerlein Lager House is also a great option if you want to eat near the waterfront. There's plenty more options that I won't link depending on your price range, from Jeff Ruby's Steakhouse to Nada (modern Mexican food) to the Court Street Lobster Bar.

 

If you want to actually stay in the city itself, 21c Museum Hotel and Hilton Netherland Plaza are the nicest by far. But since it sounds like this is mostly a Kings Island trip, you might want to stay closer to the park. I'd look around the Blue Ash area, which is about 15 miles from downtown Cincinnati and 7 or so miles from KI. Feel free to ask more questions if you want other suggestions!

 

Over The Rhine

 

 

Rhinegeist Brewery

 

If it's your first time to the area, give Cincinnati chili a try. Skyline Chili may be the most well-known, but it's a chain and generally not held in the highest regard. I much prefer Blue Ash Chili, especially their 6-way style and the "Chili Philly", which is chili on a Philly cheesesteak.

 

 

 

I love the Reds stadium. Yeah they suck but I think their stadium is one of the better places to watch a game in baseball.

 

You asked about unique food options, I don't know if Italian food is unique to you, it is to some... I don't mean to be a snob, but I'm Italian, was raised on traditional Italian cooking, and I cook for myself just about every day. So I know what good Italian food is and Campanello's is the best Italian restaurant I've ever been to. I've probably been there 100 times in my life. It's not fine dining by any stretch of the imagination. This place is VERY old school. The owners work hard and they have the stains on their aprons and clothing to prove it. And the food runner was probably in the middle of making dough so when was told to serve you your food he could be covered in flour. So just a heads up because that can rub some the wrong way. But the food is absolutely unbelievable!

 

http://www.campanellos.com/

 

This is more than enough to get me pointed in the right direction guys and right up our alley! Thanks a bunch! Passed through the area several times driving from Chicago to Knoxville, TN, but never stopped for anything other than a few minutes at a fast food joint for food... Looking forward to checking out RhineGeist and some of these food options... Gonna be a fun 4-day jaunt between this and Cedar Point!

[inlina]

Sorry if this has been asked before on this thread, but how is the food situation this year? It was my first time to KI last year and everything was pretty average. Wondering if they are heading in a direction of improving...maybe not to the level of the parks with the mouse mascot but in that direction? Anything special as a result of the new Executive Chef they have been pushing?

[prozach626]

^It may have gotten a little better, but I doubt it's improved that much. A new executive chef can only do so much with a set budget, the tools he has to work with, and the offerings of the supply company. Even a top notch chef can only do so much with the resources available. You're right when you said it's a far cry from Disney.

 

The pizza joint I tried when I was hammered drunk at 10pm on a haunt night was OK. Aside from needing filler food, eat outside of the park if you want good food.

[AndrewA86]

Sorry if this has been asked before on this thread, but how is the food situation this year? It was my first time to KI last year and everything was pretty average. Wondering if they are heading in a direction of improving...maybe not to the level of the parks with the mouse mascot but in that direction? Anything special as a result of the new Executive Chef they have been pushing?

 

I've had 4 meals this season, 2 bacon cheeseburgers from the Juke Box Diner across from Vortex, and Pizza, and I have to say that the burgers both times were pretty darn good. Huge improvement from the past. Pizza is OK, not bad not good. Haven't tried the new Coney BBQ place but everyone I know who has says it's outstanding. I would stay away from the Reds Hall of Fame Grill. Never had a decent meal there.

[DILinator]

Ok, so now that the deadline for Coasterstock has passed, and I failed to be proactive enough to get anybody else to go with me, I'm wondering if anybody from here is planning on going, and going to be solo as well? I'd be interested in both splitting a hotel room if you were up for it, and also spending the days riding together. Feel free to PM me, or post below if this sounds fun to you!

 

(A group of three needing a fourth would work as well!)

[CedarFlags]

^I've also seen adamant affirmations that Beast is not any slower than it was historically. Good luck getting folks to believe that, though.

 

But like... they literally added a trim brake to the first drop... brakes slow things down, that's what they do.

[jonskinny12]

^I've also seen adamant affirmations that Beast is not any slower than it was historically. Good luck getting folks to believe that, though.

 

But like... they literally added a trim brake to the first drop... brakes slow things down, that's what they do.

 

Those brakes have been there since day one though, they just replaced them with magnetic brakes at some point in time.

 

 

[boldikus]

Good thing its 2018 and we have youtubedoubler. Beast vs Beast

[DirkFunk]

Good thing its 2018 and we have youtubedoubler. Beast vs Beast

 

TFW there is unequivocal proof that Beast is actually BETTER in 2018 than it was opening year.

 

Also Old Timers Claiming to Have Trimless Beast Rides BTFO; it's always had them.

[clem2754]

Good thing its 2018 and we have youtubedoubler. Beast vs Beast

 

TFW there is unequivocal proof that Beast is actually BETTER in 2018 than it was opening year.

 

Also Old Timers Claiming to Have Trimless Beast Rides BTFO; it's always had them.

So you are saying that the ride in 2018 is better because you get a longer ride....

[DavidB]

^^that's cool, didn't know about youtube doubler. Looks like the old video makes it through the first half of the ride faster, while the new one does the second half faster. Were the turns into and out of the brake shed reconfigured and the shed made longer at some point? Or is it just the perspective of the video making the shed seem longer in the newer video?

[jonskinny12]

Good thing its 2018 and we have youtubedoubler. Beast vs Beast

 

Apparently I'm stuck in some previous year and don't know about youtubedoubler thanks for that link, it's pretty interesting to watch them side by side like that. Does anybody know when the trims were added in the shed? That's something I don't remember from my visit in 2001 or 2002 but I noticed on my next visit in 2015.

[coasterbill]

There are tons of factors that could impact the ride's speed. Were the trains full of sand bags? What was the temperature? How long were the rides running that day prior to shooting that video? It's tough to compare them but honestly that old video has horrible pacing. The thing almost valleys on the hill before the second lift. It starts out faster without the initial trims but it just bleeds speed.

 

In the end though, who cares? The ride is an absolute blast.

[KIJester]

Bill, did they change the timing of the trains at some point on the lift hill? In the 79 vid, it crests the hill in around 50 seconds yet today, it takes almost 1 min 43 seconds to climb the first lift. Does this have anything to do with running a three vs two train operation? I seem to recall that the trains were a bit longer in those days also.

[Dombot]

Good thing its 2018 and we have youtubedoubler. Beast vs Beast

 

TFW there is unequivocal proof that Beast is actually BETTER in 2018 than it was opening year.

 

Also Old Timers Claiming to Have Trimless Beast Rides BTFO; it's always had them.

So you are saying that the ride in 2018 is better because you get a longer ride....

That's... not at all what they're saying. This is one of the stupidest things I've ever read on this site.

[boldikus]

Apparently I'm stuck in some previous year and don't know about youtubedoubler

^^that's cool, didn't know about youtube doubler.

 

Yeah Its fun for stuff like seeing how Mean Streak ran with and without those pesky trims, I305 before/after being reprofiled, Ghostrider 1999 vs Ghostrider 2016, Toro with/without "boost", comparing renderings to actual POVs, etc. But like Bill said keep in mind coasters run fast/slow due to a number of factors so simply comparing two videos doesn't always tell you all that much.

[prozach626]

I think The Beast is better now for at least one reason... Trees and wilderness! I hope people don't spend this much time analyzing The Beast while they're riding. That seems like it would be a huge buzz kill.

 

This is one of the stupidest things I've ever read on this site.

Douche comment.

[DavidB]

Oh, for sure. Just cool to see the difference. In that old footage the ride is obviously testing as there are people actually on the track(!!!) standing just out of the way, so I'm sure they hadn't gotten everything set the way it ultimately ended up. And yes, the pacing is much better on the new footage compared to the old.

[Dombot]

^^ Yeah, you're right. I know I'm kinda preaching to the choir, but I'm just sick of enthusiasts always trying to argue about something no matter what.

[CedarFlags]

I just noticed on the KI website that they are rolling out the Peanuts Celebration in June. A lot of the shows appear to be the same as what was done when Knott's Berry Farm debuted the event earlier this year. It was a lot of fun and very charming... I highly recommend it!

 

https://www.visitkingsisland.com/play/events/peanuts-celebration