Jarrett
Most Obnoxious Member 2016
So my home state of Ohio has been receiving a lot of love from Cedar Faire in the recent years. Kings Island got a new waterpark in 2012 and a kick **** B&M invert for this year, and Cedar Point just last year got an almost equally kick **** B&M wing coaster and this year got two new flats as well as an area facelift.
Enthusiasts from everywhere are flocking to Ohio to hit up both of these amazing parks, and when I saw that somebody from Coasterforce who we all know as rtotheizzo17 was here and staying in my hometown's area and had invited more people to go with him on this would-be-solo credit run, I had to take him up on it. I offered to drive to Kings Island if he did Cedar Point but he was cool doing both so he drove both trips.
Day 1: Kings Island
Gooniform theme? Crappy B&M inverts!
We got to KI around 1-2-ish and headed left. First ride WAS supposed to be Invertigo, but we decided to make our first ride a decent one, so hit up my baby, Banshee! All I can say is WOW!!! It's definitely gotten faster since media day, and the amount of snap in the zero-g has gone way up. Still as intense as ever, though the carousel turn has sped up significantly and has gotten really intense as a result. The inline provided just as much terrifying "dump" as it did on media day, and the helix felt a tad bit more intense. Not to mention it looks fabulous, too... :roll:
Afterwards we made like the Cincinnati Reds and went up to The Bat. Again, great Arrow suspended (though I like SFMM Ninja better) and it wasn't dripping oil on everybody like it was on media day.
Because it was a walk-on, we decided to do Banshee again. But when I saw the purple train roll into the station, I knew we were in for an experience far from your typical Banshee ride. And boy was I right! The rattling had only gotten worse since media day and it kind of made what should have been an amazing ride just meh. It rattled like an Arrow! For some reason the blue train is completely rattle-free, the green train has just a bit of it, and the purple train rattles like crazy. Not sure why, but I hope KI fixes it like they did GateKeeper stapling.
And then we hit this oh-so-much-fun ride to clean out the last of the park section full of inverted coasters. Invertigo; I REALLY hate that ride! It was better than KBF's boomerang but that really doesn't say too much! :lol: It was a walk-on (which isn't that common, I've seen it get two-hour waits) but it was still painful. And I hate the shoulder cup things on the OTSRs, not sure if they've always been there but I just now noticed them.
Flying Ace was next on our way to Diamondback. Meh, it's Flying Ace. Somewhat rough, but a nice little family coaster. Maybethey could add the new Vekoma trains with the overhead lap bars? :roll:
Up next was Diamondback...
...or as it should be called, DiamondSTACK. I have NEVER in my life seen a B&M stack that badly! Both trains on both brake blocks and one in the station nowhere close to dispatching, it was unbelievable! Those seatbelts really are a pain and I saw a few that worked a bit differently than others. Kings Island needs to send those seatbelts to the same place wherever Son of Beast is to burn for eternity! :redhotevil:
That being said, it was still a fab ride, as always. :wink:
And what good is a trip to KI without LaRosa's or Skyline Chili? I did this after we did The Beast and while rtotheizzo17 did BSC.
After getting beaten on Vortex, rtotheizzo17 hit Firehawk, a ride on which I sat out on account of it being vile on multiple levels.
We then finished the loop with Racer and Adventure Express (see what I can do when I forget to take pictures?
This, Diamondstack, I'm on fire tonight!) and yeah. Racer was running just one side but red was still somewhat smooth and airtime-y. Fun old ride, I have to admit. And Adventure Express got rougher I think. It might have been just my imagination, though. I wish they had changed the bulb in the lava at the end though, don't make an already anticlimactic ending even worse.
While rtotheizzo17 went to knock out Woodstock Express and Eiffel Tower, I went to spend some quality time with my baby... :wink:
These people might get off feeling the impulse to ride a small children's tricycle along a gravel path. Look at the color of the train.
Got a tad thirsty so I tried a Banshee brew, which is their famous blueberry ice cream in red cream soda. It was good, but full of sugar and the flavors never really mix.
Here she goes!
This is probably my most photographed coaster...
If I was over just a bit more this would be a fabulous shot...
Back to earth!
Fun on Banshee!
IT'SBEHINDTHETREESIT'SBEHINDTHETREESIT'SBEHINDTHETREES!!!!!!!!
Man, this coaster knocks 'em dead...
I tried SO hard to get that last shot from a lower angle with more of the train! I was that weirdo laying on his stomach in the park with his camera pointing through the fence bars trying to get it!
Chicken Shack is open for business!
On this trip I picked up mostly things I had kicked myself for previously not buying, and one of the things I wanted was this orange Beast hat. Didn't have it anymore
but seeing this really cool window display did give me a cool idea for an addition; if/when they RMC Beast, rebrand it a bit. Get rid of that midway? style building that serves as the entrance for a forest-themed ride and plant some pine trees with rockwork around it so it looks as if you're heading into deep woods, similar to Timber Mountain at KBF.
Goodbye, Kings Island!
Day 2: Cedar Point
After fighting shift work disorder induced by day 1, I dragged myself out of bed to go drive to our meeting point to go to THE Point!
I was with somebody and was trying to remain civilized, but I still gooned out a bit when I saw this, not gonna lie... :lol:
Side keyholing!
Action shot!
These people are side keyholing!
ERT on Raptor!
I didn't even gable in Vegas and I picked up a gambling addiction! Lost ten dollars on this stupid thing! I won last year, didn't win this year.
This drop is amazing...
First ride of the day? My #2 and the best coaster in Ohio in my eyes, Millennium Force! We walked on it twice and got the back once! Such a fun morning coaster, seeing everything but the surrounding land cloaked in fog is so cool!
Next up was Maverick, which we were expecting to be on and off of...
But nobody on the tracks...
They had to move some trains around and get one off and two on, a process that took thirty minutes...
But we got on in the front and HOLY CRAP!!!! My #3 still delivered, that drop is still insane!
Up next: A ride on Cedar Creek Mine Ride, brought to you by this goon shot of the Arrow track!
I have a school friend named SJ that works there and had said on Facebook that they'd meet me. I'm waiting on our CCMR train and I get a "turn around" text. And BAM!!! SJ was waiting for us in the station!
We did Gemini Red after this and then strolled down the Gemini midway. Pipe Scream was down but not Lake Erie Eagles (wanted to squeeze GateKeeper in there before the forecasted rain started). That being said, they themed the area really nicely. The way I'm describing how they kept the 80's feel that I was so worried about it losing when the expansion was announced is that it now feels nostalgic instead of dated. You can tell it was the Gemini midway, it retains that charm, but it's no longer neglected. And I want to come here at night!
rtotheizzo17 stuck around to get Woodstock Express while SJ and I booked it to GateKeeper...and it would be down for mechanical. Luckily, I heard them call the employees sweeping the steps back to their posts and before I knew it, the ride was open!
SJ was putting their stuff in their locker when it opened so we got separated and didn't ride together, but I snagged a front seat on the right, the side I hadn't ridden! And as an added bonus, it had started to rain lightly but steadily. First GateKeeper ride in the rain and it rocked! That drop is terrifying with the unlocked vest and while it did feel like getting pelted in the face with snow at the bottom of the elements, it was still fun!
The GateKeeper sign in the rain!
What happens when it rains? The tracks get wet. What happens when the tracks get wet? The trains go faster...
Our chariot awaits!
Giant blue iron pretzel on Lake Erie!
Just as our train pulled in, they shut the ride down due to weather and force everybody out of the station.
By then it had started pouring, and I got this one of them evacuating the brake run train.
I was being cheap since I had splurged for the past two weeks and decided a bag would do for leaving the GateKeeper gift shop...huge mistake!
We then went over to Famous Dave's after I soaked myself running over to SJ's locker to grab my hat...and like the day of the Live, were treated to a disa-Cedar Point-ing view of the park with nothing running.
A rare look at the Jarrett without his signature button-up over his tee. It got too wet and I took it off to dry.
Jarrett vs. Famous Dave's Wilbur's Revenge sauce (their Devil's Spit sauce mixed with jalapenos)...and Wilbur got his revenge.
I want to have my 21st birthday party here next year.
Ah, my favorite lunch platter. Their chicken tenders are fabulous, their catfish sticks are fabulous, the ribs are fabulous, you get the idea.
We went back to the park, the only thing running was GateKeeper, the line had filled the cattlepen that we knew was practically a good way to get soaked at this point (their colored awnings are good for shade but do NOTHING for rain!), and initially wanted to stick around, but when we heard thunder and they killed GateKeeper, we gave up all hope and decided to leave around 2, tired, cold, and soaked.
And TTD and Power Tower fade into the rainy Lake Erie skies...
Both rtotheizzo17 and I wanted our pictures with this Golden Ticket sign in guest services. I instantly told them we weren't there to rip their heads off as I walked in and they looked ready for a verbal beating over the rain.
Me with the Golden Ticket sign rocking the poncho swag!
Saw a red-winged blackbird on the way out of the park and got a meh nature shot of it.
And finally, the "soaked at Cedar Point" selfie!
Driving across a rainy causeway.
Apparently all of Ohio got the memo that it was supposed to absolutely pour today and Sandusky just got it late. It rained all the way up, it rained all the way down, and here it poured!
What a fun week doing both of my home parks! I learned a bit about the CP drive and the KI drive so I should be able to do both on my own really soon! Hoping to go back to one in the coming weeks!
Enthusiasts from everywhere are flocking to Ohio to hit up both of these amazing parks, and when I saw that somebody from Coasterforce who we all know as rtotheizzo17 was here and staying in my hometown's area and had invited more people to go with him on this would-be-solo credit run, I had to take him up on it. I offered to drive to Kings Island if he did Cedar Point but he was cool doing both so he drove both trips.
Day 1: Kings Island
Gooniform theme? Crappy B&M inverts!
We got to KI around 1-2-ish and headed left. First ride WAS supposed to be Invertigo, but we decided to make our first ride a decent one, so hit up my baby, Banshee! All I can say is WOW!!! It's definitely gotten faster since media day, and the amount of snap in the zero-g has gone way up. Still as intense as ever, though the carousel turn has sped up significantly and has gotten really intense as a result. The inline provided just as much terrifying "dump" as it did on media day, and the helix felt a tad bit more intense. Not to mention it looks fabulous, too... :roll:
Afterwards we made like the Cincinnati Reds and went up to The Bat. Again, great Arrow suspended (though I like SFMM Ninja better) and it wasn't dripping oil on everybody like it was on media day.
Because it was a walk-on, we decided to do Banshee again. But when I saw the purple train roll into the station, I knew we were in for an experience far from your typical Banshee ride. And boy was I right! The rattling had only gotten worse since media day and it kind of made what should have been an amazing ride just meh. It rattled like an Arrow! For some reason the blue train is completely rattle-free, the green train has just a bit of it, and the purple train rattles like crazy. Not sure why, but I hope KI fixes it like they did GateKeeper stapling.
And then we hit this oh-so-much-fun ride to clean out the last of the park section full of inverted coasters. Invertigo; I REALLY hate that ride! It was better than KBF's boomerang but that really doesn't say too much! :lol: It was a walk-on (which isn't that common, I've seen it get two-hour waits) but it was still painful. And I hate the shoulder cup things on the OTSRs, not sure if they've always been there but I just now noticed them.
Flying Ace was next on our way to Diamondback. Meh, it's Flying Ace. Somewhat rough, but a nice little family coaster. Maybethey could add the new Vekoma trains with the overhead lap bars? :roll:
Up next was Diamondback...
...or as it should be called, DiamondSTACK. I have NEVER in my life seen a B&M stack that badly! Both trains on both brake blocks and one in the station nowhere close to dispatching, it was unbelievable! Those seatbelts really are a pain and I saw a few that worked a bit differently than others. Kings Island needs to send those seatbelts to the same place wherever Son of Beast is to burn for eternity! :redhotevil:
That being said, it was still a fab ride, as always. :wink:
And what good is a trip to KI without LaRosa's or Skyline Chili? I did this after we did The Beast and while rtotheizzo17 did BSC.
After getting beaten on Vortex, rtotheizzo17 hit Firehawk, a ride on which I sat out on account of it being vile on multiple levels.
We then finished the loop with Racer and Adventure Express (see what I can do when I forget to take pictures?
This, Diamondstack, I'm on fire tonight!) and yeah. Racer was running just one side but red was still somewhat smooth and airtime-y. Fun old ride, I have to admit. And Adventure Express got rougher I think. It might have been just my imagination, though. I wish they had changed the bulb in the lava at the end though, don't make an already anticlimactic ending even worse.
While rtotheizzo17 went to knock out Woodstock Express and Eiffel Tower, I went to spend some quality time with my baby... :wink:
These people might get off feeling the impulse to ride a small children's tricycle along a gravel path. Look at the color of the train.
Got a tad thirsty so I tried a Banshee brew, which is their famous blueberry ice cream in red cream soda. It was good, but full of sugar and the flavors never really mix.
Here she goes!
This is probably my most photographed coaster...
If I was over just a bit more this would be a fabulous shot...
Back to earth!
Fun on Banshee!
IT'SBEHINDTHETREESIT'SBEHINDTHETREESIT'SBEHINDTHETREES!!!!!!!!
Man, this coaster knocks 'em dead...
I tried SO hard to get that last shot from a lower angle with more of the train! I was that weirdo laying on his stomach in the park with his camera pointing through the fence bars trying to get it!
Chicken Shack is open for business!
On this trip I picked up mostly things I had kicked myself for previously not buying, and one of the things I wanted was this orange Beast hat. Didn't have it anymore
but seeing this really cool window display did give me a cool idea for an addition; if/when they RMC Beast, rebrand it a bit. Get rid of that midway? style building that serves as the entrance for a forest-themed ride and plant some pine trees with rockwork around it so it looks as if you're heading into deep woods, similar to Timber Mountain at KBF.
Goodbye, Kings Island!
Day 2: Cedar Point
After fighting shift work disorder induced by day 1, I dragged myself out of bed to go drive to our meeting point to go to THE Point!
I was with somebody and was trying to remain civilized, but I still gooned out a bit when I saw this, not gonna lie... :lol:
Side keyholing!
Action shot!
These people are side keyholing!
ERT on Raptor!
I didn't even gable in Vegas and I picked up a gambling addiction! Lost ten dollars on this stupid thing! I won last year, didn't win this year.
This drop is amazing...
First ride of the day? My #2 and the best coaster in Ohio in my eyes, Millennium Force! We walked on it twice and got the back once! Such a fun morning coaster, seeing everything but the surrounding land cloaked in fog is so cool!
Next up was Maverick, which we were expecting to be on and off of...
But nobody on the tracks...
They had to move some trains around and get one off and two on, a process that took thirty minutes...
But we got on in the front and HOLY CRAP!!!! My #3 still delivered, that drop is still insane!
Up next: A ride on Cedar Creek Mine Ride, brought to you by this goon shot of the Arrow track!
I have a school friend named SJ that works there and had said on Facebook that they'd meet me. I'm waiting on our CCMR train and I get a "turn around" text. And BAM!!! SJ was waiting for us in the station!
We did Gemini Red after this and then strolled down the Gemini midway. Pipe Scream was down but not Lake Erie Eagles (wanted to squeeze GateKeeper in there before the forecasted rain started). That being said, they themed the area really nicely. The way I'm describing how they kept the 80's feel that I was so worried about it losing when the expansion was announced is that it now feels nostalgic instead of dated. You can tell it was the Gemini midway, it retains that charm, but it's no longer neglected. And I want to come here at night!
rtotheizzo17 stuck around to get Woodstock Express while SJ and I booked it to GateKeeper...and it would be down for mechanical.
Luckily, I heard them call the employees sweeping the steps back to their posts and before I knew it, the ride was open!
SJ was putting their stuff in their locker when it opened so we got separated and didn't ride together, but I snagged a front seat on the right, the side I hadn't ridden! And as an added bonus, it had started to rain lightly but steadily. First GateKeeper ride in the rain and it rocked! That drop is terrifying with the unlocked vest and while it did feel like getting pelted in the face with snow at the bottom of the elements, it was still fun!
The GateKeeper sign in the rain!
What happens when it rains? The tracks get wet. What happens when the tracks get wet? The trains go faster...
Our chariot awaits!
Giant blue iron pretzel on Lake Erie!
Just as our train pulled in, they shut the ride down due to weather and force everybody out of the station.
By then it had started pouring, and I got this one of them evacuating the brake run train.
I was being cheap since I had splurged for the past two weeks and decided a bag would do for leaving the GateKeeper gift shop...huge mistake!
We then went over to Famous Dave's after I soaked myself running over to SJ's locker to grab my hat...and like the day of the Live, were treated to a disa-Cedar Point-ing view of the park with nothing running.
A rare look at the Jarrett without his signature button-up over his tee. It got too wet and I took it off to dry.
Jarrett vs. Famous Dave's Wilbur's Revenge sauce (their Devil's Spit sauce mixed with jalapenos)...and Wilbur got his revenge.
I want to have my 21st birthday party here next year.
Ah, my favorite lunch platter. Their chicken tenders are fabulous, their catfish sticks are fabulous, the ribs are fabulous, you get the idea.
We went back to the park, the only thing running was GateKeeper, the line had filled the cattlepen that we knew was practically a good way to get soaked at this point (their colored awnings are good for shade but do NOTHING for rain!), and initially wanted to stick around, but when we heard thunder and they killed GateKeeper, we gave up all hope and decided to leave around 2, tired, cold, and soaked.
And TTD and Power Tower fade into the rainy Lake Erie skies...
Both rtotheizzo17 and I wanted our pictures with this Golden Ticket sign in guest services. I instantly told them we weren't there to rip their heads off as I walked in and they looked ready for a verbal beating over the rain.
Me with the Golden Ticket sign rocking the poncho swag!
Saw a red-winged blackbird on the way out of the park and got a meh nature shot of it.
And finally, the "soaked at Cedar Point" selfie!
Driving across a rainy causeway.
Apparently all of Ohio got the memo that it was supposed to absolutely pour today and Sandusky just got it late. It rained all the way up, it rained all the way down, and here it poured!
What a fun week doing both of my home parks! I learned a bit about the CP drive and the KI drive so I should be able to do both on my own really soon! Hoping to go back to one in the coming weeks!
