Paramount's Kings Island
Kings Mills, Ohio
By Josh Wozny
April 14, 2001
After driving only two hours and 15 minutes to PKI, which should have been
a four-hour drive, I've got a trip report.
Park: Overall, I give this park about a 3.5 or 4 - it's a great park, especially
yesterday. The most we waited for anything was 40 minutes. Although we should
have gotten our morning walk back, we didn't because there was one dumb guy
there who said, "We don't accept coaster club cards, only gold season passes." Later, my friends complained to guest services, and got 20 bucks back - without including me. I wasn't happy
Anyway, let's proceed with the rides. The park opened at 10:00, I was pretty much first in line for SOB, because I thought it would get crowded. Instead, it had 20 minute waits all day :)
Son Of Beast : +3.5
When I first rode it, it was incredible! Sure, there was some shakiness, but then I
chose to ride in the front. Big mistake - that was so rough it hurt. I came on
this ride expecting a POS, and I can see why with that kind of ride. Don�t sit over axles and you'll get a relatively smooth ride.
Top Gun: +3
Great suspended, much better than my usual Draggin� Iron.
This coaster is extremely fast, and very fun.
Racer: backwards +3, forwards +2.5
Both good rides, though somewhat painful.
Backwards get rated a bit higher because of the fact that it's backwards, and
it caught me off guard.
Boretex, err�Vortex: +1
I'm not even sure this gets a +1; I think it only gets a half. I think the 1
is because it's one of the smoother Arrow's I've ever been on, except for the
transitions, of course. If you get a chance to look at some of the transitions,
study them carefully, they're horrid. Not to mention this ride hurts your butt
from pressing it into the seat.
Flight Of Fear : +4
Wow, with the lapbars, I was scared before we went.
It still bangs, shuffles, and throws you around a bit - lots of laterals - but there's no pain from headbanging that I'd heard so much about. The launch wasn't as intense as I'd imagined, possibly because I've had Superman: Ultimate Escape all last summer. It seems like FOF just pushes you for a second, then lets you coast. S:UE feels like you're being pushed all the way until you're out of the magnets.
The Beast: +4.5
Gotta� give this one a few thumbs up. If it wasn't for two night rides, it
probably wouldn't be this high on the scale, but the Beast really comes alive at
night. I just wish they would turn the brakes off - all of them. With
them off, it would be a 5+.
King Cobra : -.0000000000089525252
I hate this ride! I didn't want to ride this, but my friend (who has a bad
ankle as it is) insisted that we give it a try. Dispatch times on these Togos
are horrid. What's with the "airtime" hops at the end? On a standup? I don't care if it
was the first stand up in the world, it sucks.
Adventure Express: +2
Really fun. It was filled with horrible, crappy Arrow transitions, but it's one of the
coolest mine trains I have ever ridden. I love the theming at the end with
those guys pounding their fists. It is the worst ending I've ever seen to a
coaster, though. Who in their right mind would stop a coaster that's already
flying pretty fast (I'm sure it could have made it at least half way up that
hill) to put it on a lift, then drop you five feet into the end brakes?
Beastie: +3
Yay!! I love Beastie. It was neat!
Reptar: Oh yeah, I had to skip this one for the Togo. Grrrrrrr - I hate my
friend. :)
Well, I hope I covered everything. If not, I'll catch it later and include some
more. For my first time to PKI, it was great.
Josh
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