Park 4 – Kings Island
Past the half-way point now with only two more after this one, but this was the park we were going around in style...
This year Cedar Fair has added a VIP tour ticket (also seen at Busch Gardens) to its parks, now we considered doing it for CP but it was way too expensive and you didn't get many added extras... At KI on the other hand, there was not only Front of Line Access, but also free photos, ice cream, unlimited drinks, and a backstage tour of the Beast... Tasty stuff...
We got there for opening, and waited for the national anthem for the first time this year (CP had God Bless America, and I still doubt it would work in the UK) and ran over to the first coaster...
Diamondback
It's shut, stop making us feel at home... The main problem with this closure was more the annoying woman at the game-stall next to the line of waiting people... We don't think she paused for breath many times... It was a multitude of annoyance that got everyone (who were annoyed with late opening already) even more annoyed...
It did eventually open and those seats are actually awesome... I love them... So much leg room no matter where you sit and it was just so comfortable... The ride is typically full of floater airtime and still has a trim (booo) but fortunately here the trims don't kill the ride like they do Silver Star...
The water splash looks nice, but doesn't have any interaction with the nearby pathways... Not too sure if it works on the long trains in the end... Oh well, looked very pretty, especially at night where they had the lighting perfect...
9/10
Now it was time to join up with our tour guide, so we popped back down to guest services and waited for the delightful Coralanne who talked us through it all and gave us our lanyards and everything else before we walked up the exit to the next ride...
Invertigo
Even with the exit entrance for us it wasn't really needed for this area of the park, oh well, it's always fun to annoy people, especially Americans
It's your typical Vekoma Invertigo ride anyway, these are definitely smoother than their ordinary sit-down cousins, which is strange, but still a decent enough ride...
7/10
Drop Zone
First one of these Gyro Drops for me, it was different going up rotating, very much like an Observation Wheel which was amusing, and the drop was very smooth, as was the brakes... Still not the forcefulness of old Det though... But still a solid ride...
7/10
Top Deck
2nd one of the old Arrow Swingers so far on the trip, and I think this is the biggest... A nice location for it down in the valley, and a great first drop, but the rest of the ride was a bit... Bland really... Not much more build-up to the ending, just lots and lots of turns and swinging...
6/10
Son of Beast
1st missed coaster of the trip, and it doesn't look good for it really... It's possibly closed for the entire season because of the probable lawsuit that will reach the park with the injured woman... A shame cos I wanted to see if it lived up to its name or not, and to compare it with Mean Streak... Oh well... I would've really been annoyed if it still had the loop though definitely...
Delirium
Huss Frisbee, another first for me... And it started badly with the needless extra secure bar which came down slightly more when the ride started, which hurt...
Decent ride, but no Maelstrom by any stretch of the imagination...
Adventure Express
Another Arrow Mine Train... These are so popular over in the States as I've said before, and this one is certainly the best one I've been on... Mainly because the theming that existed in the tunnels... Although the last one built up to nothing really... A shame there, but wasn't that bad a ride in the end...
7/10
Racer
Another classic wooden coaster, and of course as the name suggests, a racing coaster... It was good fun even though we didn't get to race as the Blue side had barely opened so the operation was a bit out for the two... Blue was also the rougher of the pair, maybe because of what rides were next to it
7/10
Firehawk
My third Flyer and my first Vekoma so a totally different experience was about to arrive...
The restraints are similar to actual jackets which was a weird thing really, whilst the bar was more akin to the B&Ms, although obviously separate...
It was a different experience going up the lift on my back going backwards, and the first drop and turn were quite good... However, then came the loop...
I think I've found my limit, and that's loops on Flyers, maybe I didn't take it right on this, but god did I have a headache afterwards, the last part of the ride seemed ok, but my head was completely gone after the loop... It was bad... And it ruined the ride...
5/10
Flight of Fear
After a break of resting my head after Firehawk, right onto the first Premier launched of the day, the indoors 'themed' version...
Good launch, but extremely rough Sea Serpent where my head was flung from side to side quite violently, before we hit the MCBR, and stopped...
Literally, we actually stopped and inched slowly forwards, it was quite ridiculous and NWO-esque... Very embarrassing for it really...
The end was ok but due to the brakes was very slow...
6/10
Italian Backlot Coaster
Since my head was still a bit achey, I wanted another lapbar ride, so we did the other Premier launched coaster...
Firstly they have Mini themed cars... Win... With working doors and wing mirrors... Also win... From then on though, it was themed to the second film, so no Michael Caine
The ride was different, a decent launch and quite an intense helix, some of the s-bends were a bit rough though, inside and out... The helicopter and fire were all working as well, so it was a decent experience, but nowhere near Revenge of the Mummy...
7/10
Vortex
Still was a bit tentative with my head at this point, but hell, get the goddam credit, just not in the back... Similar to Viper at Magic Mountain, and very good first drop and first two loops, but again suffered from the uber-braking from the MCBR... But for the actual second half it seemed ok that it was done like that otherwise a lot of pain may have been endured...
Overall it was a good ride...
7/10
Fairly Odd Coaster
Kiddie Woodie, not a lot else to say... Better than Mean Streak though
6/10
Runaway Reptar
Ahh, the trains are like Vampire, made me smile as it even made the same noise on the brakes... It felt weird not swinging though when I'm used to it...
Decent coaster for the kids though, fun and a bit thrilling...
6/10
After lunch and the very good ice show it was time for the backstage tour of the Beast... Big thankyou to the PR man Don who showed us around and told us a little bit about the ride... It's so bloody huge it's amazing, we wandered only as far to the base of the second lift and inside the helix, but even so it was a very good addition to the day and made the whole thing surrounding it because of it being a landmark to me...
Beast
Number 200 for me and damn what a good ride for my landmark... That first drop's tunnel reminded me of Goliath in that it looks way too small to fit your train... Then well, from then on it's like the Ultimate's second half, in the woods and no idea where the hell you are... It was ridiculously long, and of course as you cannot see much of the layout (i.e. only the top of the lifts) from the entrance, it's amazing the surprises you get throughout...
The massive helix is such an impressive structure and experience as well, the tunnel there goes on forever, it was just immense during the day-time...
At night... My god... Sitting in the back with the full moon raised high in the black sky set the scene for it perfectly, and it did not let itself down, it was bloody fantastic, beating the hell out of Megaphobia at night by a massive KO, it just doesn't let up, even with the trims the speed it builds up is literally phenomenal and it just kept on going... It's a top 3 ride for me, barely missing out really on the number 2 because of some of the bone-rattle you get, but I say that you need to experience this monster if you can, at night especially...
10/10
Crypt Raider
This was bad... Really, really bad... The queue theming was cool, as was the music (MIDNIGHT SYNDICATE!!! EVEN DET'S FRIGHT NIGHTS MUSIC PLAYED!!!), but from then it went bad...
The pre-show room was so stupid... Firstly, you could see into it from the queue-line, removes the surprise when you enter it...
Although the only surprise is the bat... Oh god what a poor animatronic, I was actually pissing myself with laughter more than anything, it was that bad... It was the only thing the moved in there... It was really shocking...
Then you could even see the ride room... Why remove that surprise as well? God I cannot describe how bad this ride was, such a waste of time, worse than NWO- in the end... Jesus...
Then the ride... The ride... Theming is all gone bar a few bits, which it doesn't reveal, at first all you see is black walls and the operators window... Then the cycle begins... The WORST EVER TOP SPIN CYCLE EVER CREATED... It didn't even do the multiple spin bit, all it did was lock you and let the main arms rotate... And I'm sure it is missing a row where it once had 3, now 2... So they've even lessened the capacity...
Seriously, this ride is an embarrassment and is only worth it for the Midnight Syndicate music now used...
Another mixed park really for me, the VIP tour however was excellent, and I would recommend it to people who may be going for only a day like us when it could be very busy, obviously it would vary from tour guide to tour guide, but if they're as nice as ours, then you'll love it... Especially if you love wooden coasters, the backstage tour was brilliant and I have some great photos from it...
Next up – Dollywood...
