June 20th 2017
Well, here I go. I'll start with the fact that I really enjoyed my first trip ever to KI. I am on a work trip and had to leave my family back in VA, so I visited alone. The ONLY benefit to being there alone is my focus was all on the park instead of family. The park is freakishly similar to both KD and Carowinds. It felt more 'cramped' than KD, and more genuine/charming than Carowinds. First thing i noticed, cops everywhere. There were more cops than park security. (Might've had something to do with the amount of weed smoking goin on in the parking lot) Let's just say I felt extra safe! All of the coasters were running maximum occupancy with all trains on the track. Ride operations here are VERY good. I noticed that visitors of this park like to shoot hair ties and wristbands onto the roofs of ride areas on the lifts and brake runs. There were literally thousands of them on the roof of the final brake run of Beast. I only saw ONE basketball being bounced the whole time I was there! Those things irritate me at KD because they are everywhere. The last thing I will mention before I get into the rides is, KI is MUCH more generous with the pass holder dining plans that KD or Carowinds. Rather than offering just the bare minimum noodle bowl at KD, I was offered a double entree plate with a side at Panda Express KI. I was kind of shocked. I didn't arrive at the park until just after 5 o'clock, so I was not able to ride everything, but here goes....
-The Beast
This was the first thing I rode. It was the real reason I went. I was absolutely amazed at how much buzz and excitement that this thing creates in the station even after all of the years it has been operating. Yelling and screaming coupled with applause really made it feel like something special. After riding it, I could understand why! The first ride put it right atop my coaster list, but the second ride, in the pitch black at 10:20pm gave me a perma-grin that no other wooden coaster has ever given me. This instantly became my favorite wooden coaster. (And probably my second favorite of any type of coaster, right behind Fury) it was flippin awesome!
-Mystic Timbers
This coaster is wicked fast. I rode it just after Beast. This one is simple to explain to the people who have ridden Invadr. It's every bit as good while also a lot better. It's much taller, much faster, and much longer, with the same exact sensations as invadr. Extended airtime on a couple hills, a couple double downs exiting turns, and a really good tunnel on a banked turn.. I rode in the second car on my first ride and in row 7 on my 'night' ride. (There are twelve rows on these trains and you can't pick your row) GCI must have a thing for itsy bitsy stations because just like invadr, there is really no room for line buildup. I didn't notice much difference between front and back like invadr has. I think it is because it carries so much speed throughout. Anyway, the night ride was just awesome. Pure excitement from start to finish, and the shed at the end is a neat addition with some quality theming. It wasn't pitch black like Beast, but had minimal visibility.
- Diamondback
I don't need to elaborate on this one much. It's really just a standard B&M hyper. For comparison purposes, my opinion is that it is much better than Intrimidator at Carowinds, and not even close to Apollo's Chariot. I'm just not a fan of the staggered seating either.
- Banshee
This was disappointing. The ride looks so awesome off ride, but the ride experience was close to sucky. The restraints put a lot of pressure on my collar bones as opposed to my shoulders. All of the low spots were rough, and it seemed to lose all momentum at the crests of its elements. The zero g roll was the only part of it that I liked. Ol' Alpengeist stomps a mud hole in this one. It wasn't even as good as Afterburn at Carowinds.
- The Bat
This one was zippy fun. It was really cool to feel similar sensations of a sorely missed Big Bad Wolf. It wasn't the Wolf, but it was nostalgic for me regardless.
This was all I had time for, but I will be returning tomorrow or Thursday to ride a few others as well as more Beast rides.
Well, here I go. I'll start with the fact that I really enjoyed my first trip ever to KI. I am on a work trip and had to leave my family back in VA, so I visited alone. The ONLY benefit to being there alone is my focus was all on the park instead of family. The park is freakishly similar to both KD and Carowinds. It felt more 'cramped' than KD, and more genuine/charming than Carowinds. First thing i noticed, cops everywhere. There were more cops than park security. (Might've had something to do with the amount of weed smoking goin on in the parking lot) Let's just say I felt extra safe! All of the coasters were running maximum occupancy with all trains on the track. Ride operations here are VERY good. I noticed that visitors of this park like to shoot hair ties and wristbands onto the roofs of ride areas on the lifts and brake runs. There were literally thousands of them on the roof of the final brake run of Beast. I only saw ONE basketball being bounced the whole time I was there! Those things irritate me at KD because they are everywhere. The last thing I will mention before I get into the rides is, KI is MUCH more generous with the pass holder dining plans that KD or Carowinds. Rather than offering just the bare minimum noodle bowl at KD, I was offered a double entree plate with a side at Panda Express KI. I was kind of shocked. I didn't arrive at the park until just after 5 o'clock, so I was not able to ride everything, but here goes....
-The Beast
This was the first thing I rode. It was the real reason I went. I was absolutely amazed at how much buzz and excitement that this thing creates in the station even after all of the years it has been operating. Yelling and screaming coupled with applause really made it feel like something special. After riding it, I could understand why! The first ride put it right atop my coaster list, but the second ride, in the pitch black at 10:20pm gave me a perma-grin that no other wooden coaster has ever given me. This instantly became my favorite wooden coaster. (And probably my second favorite of any type of coaster, right behind Fury) it was flippin awesome!
-Mystic Timbers
This coaster is wicked fast. I rode it just after Beast. This one is simple to explain to the people who have ridden Invadr. It's every bit as good while also a lot better. It's much taller, much faster, and much longer, with the same exact sensations as invadr. Extended airtime on a couple hills, a couple double downs exiting turns, and a really good tunnel on a banked turn.. I rode in the second car on my first ride and in row 7 on my 'night' ride. (There are twelve rows on these trains and you can't pick your row) GCI must have a thing for itsy bitsy stations because just like invadr, there is really no room for line buildup. I didn't notice much difference between front and back like invadr has. I think it is because it carries so much speed throughout. Anyway, the night ride was just awesome. Pure excitement from start to finish, and the shed at the end is a neat addition with some quality theming. It wasn't pitch black like Beast, but had minimal visibility.
- Diamondback
I don't need to elaborate on this one much. It's really just a standard B&M hyper. For comparison purposes, my opinion is that it is much better than Intrimidator at Carowinds, and not even close to Apollo's Chariot. I'm just not a fan of the staggered seating either.
- Banshee
This was disappointing. The ride looks so awesome off ride, but the ride experience was close to sucky. The restraints put a lot of pressure on my collar bones as opposed to my shoulders. All of the low spots were rough, and it seemed to lose all momentum at the crests of its elements. The zero g roll was the only part of it that I liked. Ol' Alpengeist stomps a mud hole in this one. It wasn't even as good as Afterburn at Carowinds.
- The Bat
This one was zippy fun. It was really cool to feel similar sensations of a sorely missed Big Bad Wolf. It wasn't the Wolf, but it was nostalgic for me regardless.
This was all I had time for, but I will be returning tomorrow or Thursday to ride a few others as well as more Beast rides.
