TR: Kings Island 5/16/21

[Coasterville Dave]

TR: Kings Island
Mason, OH
May 16, 2021
“Things are just about back to normal”

For weekend 2 of the coaster season, let’s do Kings Island. Unbeknownst to us at the time, by going on Sunday we avoided all the thuggery on the midway that has made the news ever since. And, we are back to going on a Sunday, so things are getting back to normal.

WE make our way to the park, and again free season pass parking. Our usual tactic to grab a just vacated park from the early bird crowd did not work out and we were still parked a ways back. We walk up to the front circle, and several things are gone, several large white and red canvas things. Yes the whole health screening operation is gone, as was the experimental alternate security screening, and traditional metal detectors were back. More importantly, also gone are all the mask requirements, and social distancing requirements. (And with masks gone, as are the RelaxZones)

We headed into the park, and after some deciding, we decided to do the traditional loop around the park. Starting with Action Zone. At first this looked like it was going to be a repeat of last week as we entered action zone, looked at the lines, and the wait times on the park mobile app, and were soon leaving Action Zone with no rides ridden.

In Oktoberfest, the line for Adventure Express is not quite out to the midway, and better yet we knew the park was running both trains to full capacity. Social distancing was sporadic, but probably meant an even shorter line than it looked, and not too long we were in a back car ride on Adventure Express. It’s a very reliable Arrow mine ride, and after many seasons they finally replaced that warped lift hill service door, plunging lift two back into the darkness it is supposed to have. So, that marks the first roller coaster ride of the season for me.

We then proceed to wait in a steady moving overflow line for the Coca Cola Marketplace to claim some free drinks, before heading to Racer. The park had no major projects this year, just general improvements, the best of which is a major rehab project on Racer. A lot of new track, not just replaced track, but computer optimized track by Gravity Group. Also the trains sort of got their original front badges back, except the park went cheap and used decals instead of getting real metal art deco letters and chevrons. I must say, I rode Racer North and was awarded with the smoothest ride that ride has given in a long time.

We proceeded up the midway, Dave studied the new locks on the Scrambler, we got some free drinks at the old Antique Treats and headed into Area 72. We bit the bullet and waited through the nearly full queue for Orion. At least it is running full capacity this year. Thought I think they still may not be doing forced pairings, we were a group of two and they didn’t put another 2 in our row.

We also took time to note the meteor by Flight of Fear, the new Meteor Canteen, and the radio car out front with the paranoid conspiracy stories.
Continuing our way around, I noted a lot of games are guaranteed win this year, either play till you win, or you win even if you lose. I guess they have to something when they are charging $5-$10 per game. I just know you don’t see nearly as many prizes walking around the park. Hey is that the 3 point challenge on the Flying Eagles Memorial Garden sitting closed. You know games staff is short when that is closed. And the back forest view with Vortex gone is still just oh so wrong.

But at least the drink refill station is open, even if it did have no ice left and warm drinks. Beast line looked a bit crazy, White Water Canyon was closed. We take a ride on the Kings Island and Miami Valley railroad. Here of all places the ride is running at half capacity, and lest you think they just forgot to remove the decals, as you passed through the entrance gate “Please choose any row without a sticker”.

Not that the train needs capacity with the water park closed. I also noted no obvious signs yet of where the reservation checkpoint is going to be.

We left the train, got another, slightly better drink and noted Mystic Timbers and Diamondback had long lines, and took a look at Planet Snoopy first. We hit this area at just the right time and got short to no wait rides on Surf Dog, Woodstock Express, and Boo Blasters. Not much to report there, the rides were their usual selves.

We did take a stroll around International Street. We ducked in an unmarked door and entered Build A Bear, Dave was looking for a shirt for White Bear and just about the time we realized they didn’t have anything the right size we were being shooed out for entering through the out door. Now during COVID almost all indoor areas at the park got marked in and out doors. The out door was propped open, and nowhere on it could you tell it was the out door. You would have thought we had raspberry barretts or something, trying to walk in the, well you get it. So anyway, we are thrown out of the shop, and we walk around to the other door to discover no line, So wait, you threw us out not because you were at capacity and were holding guests outside, but just to be a beuracratic jerk. We didn’t reenter the store.
We had a much nicer shopping experience at the Emporium, and I note they had the history book I wanted, but this isn’t my first rodeo. Gift shop runs at the end of the day. We head to Tower. There are still capacity limits, but its better than the one social group in the elevator at a time like last year. Now its 15 in an elevator, and somewhere in the 40-50 neighborhood on the deck. We took a tour around tower. Dave just mentioned “Is this haunted room actually stretching” and the elevator operator totally corsped and lost composure and script.

From Tower we ended the night on Mystic Timbers with a half queue but full trains, and of course a run past the gift shop to get book.

From there it was Outback Steakhouse, which I think has let us down for the last time (until the next time), when you have to heavily season your steak, you are covering up for something. Dave related an story about how in Sandusky all the good places in town close at 8 (same time as Cedar Point, including places owned by Cedar Fair that should know better). By the signage this Outback should be closed, but unlike Sandusky they aren’t afraid to make money and kept receiving diners as people left the park.

So all in all a big step up from Kentucky Kingdom (like we weren’t expecting that), and even thought he park was very crowded, and yes we skipped a lot of stuff, we still got several rides, including coasters in), and with the odd exception here and there, the park seems to have declared the end of COVID and that foolishness.