Geauga Dog Posted December 30, 2011 Share Posted December 30, 2011 I still have the 1996 Getaway Guide heralding the new Outer Limits: Flight of Fear and it's similar with the same photos but less rambling. I agree that Days of Thunder has the worst location for a theme park attraction. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
montezooma Posted December 30, 2011 Author Share Posted December 30, 2011 Kings Island, while a very beautiful park, has some of the worst attraction locations of any park. If someone unfamiliar with the park was dropped off without a map they could easily walk right by some of the best stuff: Flight Deck Adventure Express Flight of Fear Firehawk Days of Thunder (or whatever the hell it is now) The Beast White Water Canyon and not even know they existed. While the Busch & Sea World go to extremes to make their rides interactive with guests and themed surroundings, Kings Island has taken some of their best stuff and hidden them off the beaten path with nothing more than a flimsy sign along the midway...blink and you'll miss it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geauga Dog Posted December 30, 2011 Share Posted December 30, 2011 Funny you should mention those rides. Even though I've been to Kings Island many times there are some visits where I forget Adventure Express is there despite passing the entrance sign many times during my visit. The worst offender would White Water Canyon. Even though I like the seclusion in the woods it's a heck of a walk to get to. However I also think that in some cases like Adventure Express and The Beast those rides wouldn't be the good rides they are in any other location because of the terrain they were built on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rollercoaster Rider Posted December 30, 2011 Share Posted December 30, 2011 Definately Agree with White Water Canyon's 1/4 Mile Long Queue Line. Silver Dollar City is Guilty of the Same Crime. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
montezooma Posted December 31, 2011 Author Share Posted December 31, 2011 Time for a look back at some old Kodak 110 photos. Developed at Fotomat after a week of waiting. Once upon a time, the Mountain really was Magic! From the same roll of film there were these two shots of the Las Vegas Hilton. You can tell how old these are just by looking at that hotel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bryce232 Posted December 31, 2011 Share Posted December 31, 2011 Wow; Colossus looked gorgeous back then. Thanks for the great photos Shane! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robbalvey Posted December 31, 2011 Share Posted December 31, 2011 Amazing! This is the Magic Mountain I grew up with! I really loved this park! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chadster Posted December 31, 2011 Share Posted December 31, 2011 It is true, they did have flats once upon a time! Amazing! Nice job once again, Shane! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dylanreich Posted December 31, 2011 Share Posted December 31, 2011 Wow, amazing pictures! Thanks for sharing them with us! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PAL Posted December 31, 2011 Share Posted December 31, 2011 Amazing! This is the Magic Mountain I grew up with! I really loved this park! Same here! I'd love to see more photos from this era. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nrthwnd Posted January 1, 2012 Share Posted January 1, 2012 I remember David and me visiting this park on our Very First Roadtrip down the west coast, in September 1975. And wasn't that zippy little (but mighty intense I remember) steel coaster called the Mountain Express, Shane? I am so happy to see two actual photos of it! Been so long. And I believe it was actually one of my first International Credits, heh heh. Great to see all of this, Shane. Thanks for sharing it all with us. Brings up good first travel memories. And Happy New Year to you and your boys, and close friends and family. Best Wishes and continued success with The Attic, The Water Park... and your hair, mm mm! Bearhugs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QueerRudie Posted January 1, 2012 Share Posted January 1, 2012 WOW. Some of those memories came -flying- back to me seeing the pictures of the 'nearly unmodified' Colossus and the stunningly beautiful Revolution... not to mention the 'bonus' shots of the Wildcat 54 that resided there so long ago. It's also interesting to see the International in it's first 'status'- well before the additions to the tower, and later the sprawling towards the Strip. (Some will get that entire reference...). Nice job as usual! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarienLaker Posted January 1, 2012 Share Posted January 1, 2012 What was that ride that looks like the Superman ride at Magic Mountain? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bryce232 Posted January 1, 2012 Share Posted January 1, 2012 ^ You mean that drop tower? It's just like the Demon Drop that was at Cedar Point (now at Dorney). I believe it was located near Riddler's Revenge. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cfc Posted January 1, 2012 Share Posted January 1, 2012 (edited) Last night, I watched the movie Rollercoaster for the first time in years. (Some friends gave it to me for Christmas.) So, I got a dose of both Magic Mountain and Kings Dominion before some of their "charm" was stripped away. Edited January 2, 2012 by cfc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The49er Posted January 1, 2012 Share Posted January 1, 2012 What was that ride that looks like the Superman ride at Magic Mountain? That was Freefall, a 1st-gen Intamin drop tower. Wow! Can't believe there are photos of the Mountain Express! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarienLaker Posted January 1, 2012 Share Posted January 1, 2012 Was FreeFall replaced with the Superman ride? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Perilous Chris Posted January 1, 2012 Share Posted January 1, 2012 ^ No, Freefall was in a different section of the park. It was near Tidal Wave and the Riddler's Revenge. Thanks again for all your pictures Shane. I am really enjoying them. I wish I would have saved some of the brochures from when I was younger. I remember one SFMM brochure promoting Condor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CoasterComet Posted January 1, 2012 Share Posted January 1, 2012 Thanks Shane! That picture of Revolution on the 4th hill, alone, could hold me forever. Well,.... not as much as a ride on it back then, but you know. Great pictures Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The49er Posted January 1, 2012 Share Posted January 1, 2012 Was FreeFall replaced with the Superman ride? A rock-climbing wall replaced Freefall. A FREAKING ROCK WALL. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
montezooma Posted January 1, 2012 Author Share Posted January 1, 2012 Yes, that was the Magic Mountain I grew up with too. Loved it then, like it now. I miss the Mountain Express and Magic Pagoda. Anyone remember this ride? I'd give you a TPR bag of crap if you guess right but I don't have one, so you will just get a "great job" from Shane's Amusement Attic if you guess right. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robbalvey Posted January 1, 2012 Share Posted January 1, 2012 (edited) ^ I'm not sure exactly what it is, but It kind of *looks* like Raging Wolf Bobs! Edited January 1, 2012 by robbalvey Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ejectorbater Posted January 1, 2012 Share Posted January 1, 2012 I just want to say that I spent and hour and a half reading through this thread today! What a great read! It's been done numerous times throughout, but I have to say I'm impressed by the material you have provided all of us Shane. If I had to rate TPR's threads, this would be #1 in my book. (Big Mike, I love yours too!) Robb must be so proud to display your work on his site. Keep it up Shane! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
montezooma Posted January 1, 2012 Author Share Posted January 1, 2012 I just want to say that I spent and hour and a half reading through this thread today! What a great read! It's been done numerous times throughout, but I have to say I'm impressed by the material you have provided all of us Shane. If I had to rate TPR's threads, this would be #1 in my book. (Big Mike, I love yours too!) Robb must be so proud to display your work on his site. Keep it up Shane! ^ That is very nice of you to say, and I truly appreciate everyone's comments about this thread. I had no idea what this thread would turn into after I posted the first 1970 ads for the California parks, but here it is, 5 years later and over 788,000 views. I have loved going through everything I have saved over the years and rediscovering the parks I fell in love with as a kid. They have changed over the years that's for sure, the rides have gotten better but the charm has been compromised by corporate America. I am thrilled to share with you all the history of these great parks so keep the comments coming of our memories, stories and even pictures. PS- Robb, you are correct, that is the Raging Wolf Bobs please give yourself a TPR bag of crap. I should have known you would know it right off since you are a CNBC analyst. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KCForce Posted January 2, 2012 Share Posted January 2, 2012 ^ I'm not sure exactly what it is, but It kind of *looks* like Raging Wolf Bobs! Robb is correct. That is the Raging Wolf Bobs, at Geauga Lake, before they painted it white. I forget when the finally did paint it, but it was after it was open a season (or two?). Sadly, I never got to ride that one, I only went once back in 1998 for their Halloween event, and they had some ride through hay ride near the area so it was closed. But I did ride the Big Dipper (wow, what great ejector air time!), Double Loop and Mind Eraser. But I got the Dipper credit, which was more important. I first saw pictures of it in Gary Kyriazi book, "The Great American Amusement Park", a book I'm sure Shane has read (or owns!). For the late 70's and many years it was the holy scripture for amusement park geeks before the internet. I learned about many parks I had never heard of before through that book, and have now visited almost all of them! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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