Episode 27: Kings Island 2.0 (Always on the Right Track)

Kings Island was a perfect stopping point on my drive from Cedar Point to Kentucky Kingdom and I spent an afternoon enjoying one of my all-time favorite amusement parks.  I got my first ride on the Bat Arrow suspended coaster, the refurbished Adventure Express, and the new-for-2024 Snoopy's Soapbox Racers Vekoma Family Boomerang.  And of course, I got back on old favorites like Mystic Timbers, Orion, Diamondback, and more!  Join me as I go in-depth on this audiovlog trip report.

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Transcript

Welcome Episode 27 of Coaster Redux.  My name is Erik, and this is the story of my revived roller coaster fandom.  For years, I’d all but forgotten my coaster obsession from high school and college.  Then during the pandemic, I started following the amusement world again, and for the last two years, I’ve been on a mission to ride as many new coasters as I can, and share my experiences through this podcast.

It all started with a week-long road trip back in 2022, and I’m now underway on my third road trip, this time for two full weeks.  I’ve got three parks remaining and I’ll go in-depth on my experiences riding new roller coasters as well as some old favorites.

I spent the last two days at Cedar Point with my dad, and while we didn’t get to ride Top Thrill 2, it was a blast sharing the park’s other elite roller coasters with him.  The trifecta of Maverick, Steel Vengeance, and Millennium Force didn’t disappoint, but we left a bit underwhelmed by the park’s operations as we dodged ride closures and long lines.  We concluded our time in Sandusky with a trip to Put-in-Bay, an island town located just offshore via high-speed ferry for a wonderful evening with dinner, drinks, and sunset views.

My next stop would be my return to Kings Island.  This beloved Ohio amusement park made for a perfect stopping point halfway between Cedar Point and Louisville, KY which would be my home base for the final two parks of the trip.  During my last visit, I was awed by the charm of this park, and the overall sense of quality and passion shared between its employees and visitors.  Not to mention their awesome collection of roller coasters.  After a lackluster two days at Cedar Point, I really wanted to spend a few hours at Kings Island enjoying the rides and atmosphere without heavy crowds and ride breakdowns.  By the way, if you haven’t already done so, I’d recommend listening to Episode 6, which covers my last visit to Kings Island before listening to this one.               

Anyway, I know as a roller coaster fan that one of my favorite parts of the hobby is getting the reaction of somebody coming off of a ride they’ve never ridden before.  That’s what I want to share with you.

And with that, join me for an afternoon visit to one of my all-time favorite amusement parks, as I drop back into Kings Island on Coaster Redux.

The sun peeked between the curtains of my hotel room as I arose, and I opened them to soak in that last spectacular lake view before I hit the road.  The shoreline was only about 25 feet from my window, and the Bass Islands were just visible on the horizon.  Having always lived near the ocean, I find the massive inland seas of the Great Lakes fascinating, and I’d love to explore them more.

I loaded up my car and settled in for the three and a half hour drive south to Mason, OH.  Here I was following the same path I’d taken on my first road trip two years ago.  I remember being routed through heartland Ohio on a two lane country road for the first two thirds of the trip, and relished in the idea of doing it again.  Highways are nice, but the feeling of freedom cruising through the farmland is refreshing.  I’ve always been a suburb or city dweller, but there’s a certain tranquility about being away from congestion with nothing but big skies and green fields ahead.

I intended for this part of the trip to be taken at a bit of a slow pace, since the first half featured long drives and new parks.  I could take as much time as I wanted at Kings Island, since I only had an easy two hour drive to Louisville upon leaving.  Tomorrow I’d visit Kentucky Kingdom which was within view of my hotel and probably wouldn’t be a full day park.  My GPS put me at the front gate just after noon, and I started laying out my priorities.  Number one was to ride The Bat.  It was closed during my last visit because a wheel had fallen off one of the trains that day.  The only Arrow suspended coaster I’d ridden to this point was Iron Dragon at Cedar Point, largely considered to be the weakest of the type, so riding the Bat was a must-do.  Then there’s the new for 2024 Snoopy’s Soapbox Racers Vekoma family boomerang, and I wanted to give this a try following Big Bear Mountain at Dollywood, and to compare it to Good Gravy at Holiday World in a few days.  

I also wanted to grab some of the credits I’d missed last time around.  The Adventure Express Arrow mine train got a refurb last year, I didn’t ride Flight of Fear last time due to long lines since I’d ridden its clone at Kings Dominion, and I heard good things about the Woodstock Express family wood coaster.  Beyond that, re-riding the park’s best coasters like Mystic Timbers, Orion, Diamondback, Banshee, The Beast, and The Racer were also on the table.

But then, would this even be possible?  I only got 11 rides in at Cedar Point in two days, and I was only planning a half day at Kings Island.  This was a Wednesday, so that was a plus.  But at the end of the day, I considered this more of a bonus stop, and I resolved to be content with whatever I got.

I made a tactical choice to jump off the highway and eat lunch before going into the park.  This would allow me to focus on rides and thus maximize my time without worrying about eating a meal.  Chipotle was calling my name, and after I finished my burrito bowl, I drove the last few miles, exiting the highway with Orion’s blue lift hill visible in the distance.

I entered the sprawling parking lot with the massive Kings Island sign complete with a video screen flashing above.  The park has a great view on approach with its pair of big B&M’s rising off in the distance to draw you in.  I passed through security and entered the park through the 70’s fabulous brown trapezoid gate building.  While the entry itself is drab, the view of International Street once inside is anything but.  Colorful shops and restaurants flank the blue fountain pool with a one third scale Eiffel Tower at the end.  It’s one of the most beautiful theme park entrance areas I’ve ever seen, but I turned left taking a shortcut into the Action Zone.  I passed the park’s pair of inverted coasters, the Invertigo Vekoma boomerang and the Banshee B&M en route to the Bat.

This coaster is placed in the far left corner of the park, and even once you pass the entry sign, it’s a long downhill trek to get to the station.  The pathway seems to weave its way down into a ravine for an eternity, and like many of other coasters here, it uses terrain and flies through the woods.  

So this coaster opened in 1993 as Top Gun, when Kings Island was owned by Paramount as the final Arrow Suspended coaster ever built.  Interestingly, the first installation of the type opened at Kings Island in 1981, dubbed, you guessed it, The Bat.  This prototype design from Arrow Dynamics revolutionized the amusement industry as the first roller coaster to travel below the track creating a flying sensation.  The trains feature fiberglass car bodies and horsecollar restraints similar to Arrow’s looping coasters, and they’re designed to swing freely around turns.  Because of this, Arrow engineers assumed banking the turns on the track was unnecessary as the swinging cars would achieve the same effect.  Unfortunately, this caused extreme stresses to the trains and track resulting in the Bat’s closure in 1983.  

Then, the year before Top Gun opened, Bolliger & Mabillard debuted their new inverted coaster model.  Being computer designed and capable of intense inversions with a smooth ride, the Arrow Suspended model became obsolete with Paramount opting for B&M’s at Great America and Carowinds in the coming years.

Cedar Fair purchased the Paramount Parks in 2007, and Top Gun became Flight Deck until 2013 when it was renamed the Bat, in another trademark nod to the park’s fascinating history.  Kings Island loves to do things like this, and it helps strengthen the community and fandom surrounding this park.

Anyway, I only had a station wait and was sitting in the back row after about ten minutes.  In typical Kings Island fashion, two trains were operating, dispatches were efficient, and crews were friendly.  Properly secure, the Bat rolls out of the station and heads straight into its 78 foot lift hill.  It’s a slow cruise to the top, and we’re hanging just about level with the tree canopy.  The train makes a 180 degree turnaround before a straight first drop to ground level, where you turn right and swing left before climbing up into a high left turn over the station.  The Bat continues to follow the terrain with fast direction changes and some great near misses as it weaves through 2,352 feet of track.  While it’s a short ride, it’s fun to free swing through the trees, and it’s way more intense than Iron Dragon.  The pacing doesn’t get interrupted by a mid-course lift hill, so overall I’m a fan.  These rides were super ground-breaking in their day, and there aren’t many of them left operating.  I was glad to experience this one!

I left the Bat and began the long hike uphill back to the Action Zone.  Banshee’s wait was posted at 45 minutes, so I continued into the new-for-2023 Adventure Port area.  Last year, Cedar Fair refreshed dated areas in several of their parks adding new flat ride packages from their new buddies over at Zamperla.  Adventure Port has a Mexican/Mayan theme, and it looks great!  New attractions include Cargo Loco, a spinning tea-cup ride, and Sol Spin, a Zamperla Endeavor flat ride that spins horizontally before tilting up into a vertical position creating a vertical loop sensation.  The Hank’s Mexican Grill restaurant I enjoyed last visit has transformed into Enrique’s Cantina, and the whole area looks fresh and vibrant.  I love the investment to breathe new life into an underused area of the park, and it was bustling during my visit.

Adventure Express is an Arrow Mine Train that opened in 1991.  It had an Indiana Jones theme back in the Paramount days, and it got a refresh last year as part of the Adventure Port expansion.  Today, we’re joining Arrow Cargo Company, a nod to the coaster’s defunct designer, for an adventure through the jungle.  With zero line, I climbed right into the front row.  I find these seats a bit constricting, but I had the row to myself, so it was fine.

As we rolled out of the station, the train picks up speed and passes a switch track with a destroyed section, and makes a few turns.  We continue along passing through a tunnel with signs reading “Danger ahead.” Just then, you emerge from the tunnel and engage the first lift hill, and apparently we’re in trouble.

We’re all the way out by the Flight of Fear building, where we twist down to the right and fall down into the tree canopy. The ride stays low following the terrain and navigates a helix and another tunnel.  It has the jerky transitions you would expect from Arrow, but the story and scenery make up for it.  Eventually you enter a third tunnel and engage a second chain lift.  It’s the forbidden temple!  Arrow comes back over the  radio to tell us that all we have to do it make it to the top of the temple and we’re home free, but then angry Temple Gods start banging drums, and apparently we’re doomed for invading their space.  At the top, we miraculously escape and return to the station with a cheerful reminder…….

Adventure Express is a charming family coaster with a long ride experience, solid theming, excellent visuals, and a fun story.  Of all the mine trains I’ve done, this is definitely the best!

I left Adventure Port and crossed onto the carnival-style midway of Coney Mall.  There’s a seemingly endless collection of games of chance here, yet before I entered the thick of that, I saw that the Racer was a walk-on.  This out-and-back racing wood coaster opened with the park in 1972, and I only rode the red side last time, so this time I climbed right aboard the blue.  Kings Island and the Gravity Group just completed a massive refurbishment of this classic, and it’s running like brand new.  Despite riding in a middle seat, I got several pops of floater airtime, and the racing element makes this ride an absolute joy.  The paint on the structure looks excellent, I have to applaud Kings Island again for maintaining this icon for future generations.  

I entered the gaming gauntlet, then hung a left beneath the Racer’s first drop to enter Area 72.  This area is themed to space exploration and paranormal alien activity.  With the 2020 installation of Orion,, this section got its own major refresh, so it too looks clean and up-to-date.  Regrettably, I again skipped Flight of Fear, the Premier enclosed spaghetti bowl due to an hour line, opting instead for my second blue giga coaster of the week.  The line only stretched to the end of the final switchback before climbing the stairs into the station which I knew from experience was only about 20 minutes with three train ops.  

While a lot of enthusiasts love to hate on Orion because it’s got the shortest height and length of the gigas, I left Kings Island on my last visit preferring this to the Diamondback hyper next door.  As far as I’m concerned, any roller coaster with a 300 foot drop at 80 degrees with some strong airtime moments and positive G forces is a winner.  I also absolutely love the presentation of this ride.  The blue track with white supports is visible from anywhere in the park, and Cedar Fair did a great job of tying the ride in with Flight of Fear and creating this themed area.  You’ve got satellite dishes atop the ride entrance, and tons of signage encouraging volunteers to sign up for this experiment in hopes of finding out where the meteors laying around the queue came from.  There’s also a well themed building that’s part of the queue, but in both of my visits, the line hasn’t been routed through there.  I did poke my head in this time around, and it looks great.  They spent the money to build it, so it’s too bad riders aren’t routed through.

I ascended the stairs that go way up into the station.  All three trains were operational, the crew was hustling them skyward.  I sat down in row seven, buckled my seatbelt and lowered the bright red clamshell lap bar prepared for launch.  The train glided out of the station directly onto the 287 foot lift hill.  During the smooth and quiet climb to the top, the entire park is visible to the right, but it’s the sprawling Beast that catches my eye.  At the top, we begin that meteoric plunge 300 feet to ground level.  It gets really steep really quick, and the back of the train gets insane whip heading downward near vertical.  It’s a stellar rush.  

You then climb into a left banked wave turn hill.  It’s a graceful maneuver, but it’s relatively forceless.  It looks really cool from off the ride though.  Next up is the high swooping turnaround to the right which is still over 200 feet tall.  You rush back to ground level and tear over a gnarly speed hill.  This one is only 56 feet tall and the sustained flojector airtime is unbelievable.  

Then it’s up into a taller camelback.  Like most B&M’s, there’s a trim brake on this one, but there’s still plenty of airtime to be had.  You then spiral up and to the right into a tight helix called Orion’s Belt that has some good positives, zag back to the left, and climb up into a banked airtime hill.  It’s like the top of the treble clef on Fury 325 or the exit from the first helix on Candymonium, and it’s a great finale with some snappy laterals combined with airtime.  

You dip down a bit, then rise up into the brakes, and I love this ride.  I will say it’s my least favorite giga coaster, but that’s like talking about the worst RMC.  They’re all spectacular, this one is just a little less so.  It’s got a good variety of elements, you do feel the sense of speed, there’s plenty of airtime, and it doesn’t feel incomplete.  It’s also running better than it was two years ago when it had a hint of a rattle in the valleys.  Orion is now smooth as can be, and this space odyssey is always worth taking when you visit.

I left Area 72 and continued through Coney Mall, then turned right to cross into Rivertown.  This western themed area is one of the prettiest in the park, and it’s home to some of the best roller coasters as well.  Both the Beast and Diamondback sported 45 minute lines, but my favorite of the trio, Mystic Timbers, was only about 30.  This GCI wood coaster opened in 2017, with its layout largely inspired by Prowler at Worlds of Fun which I rode last week.  It’s more of an out-and-back terrain coaster than most other GCI’s which have more of a twister layout.  It’s themed to mysterious occurrences surrounding the abandoned Miami River Lumber Company, and from the time you enter the queue, you’re told repeatedly that whatever you do, don’t go in the shed.  

The queue is well themed with a crashed pick-up truck by the entrance and a windy shaded walkway with ranch style wood fences on each side.  20 minutes later, I climbed the stairs into the station where I happily took my seat in the front row.  I find GCI’s are almost always better in front, and this one is no exception.  I was happy to wait the couple of extra cycles for this seat because they visuals up here as you tear through the woods are unparalleled.  The trains are GCI’s Millennium Flyers, and they’re weathered to look like that wrecked truck at the entrance, and with the all clear, we set out for a wild jaunt through the trees.

The train makes an S-bend after leaving the station and engages the 109 foot lift hill.  Diamondback’s back half is visible straight ahead as you slowly clack upwards.  A voice warns us to turn around and go back to our video games, but it’s no use.  Then the lift hill slows…………

You crest the top, and the train dives down and to the left before hopping back up over the lift hill and dropping down into a ravine.  From there, this GCI does GCI stuff with rapid direction changes accompanied by abrupt pops of strong airtime and laterals.  Mystic Timbers is absolutely flying, and its track is in perfect condition.  You get that outta control feeling of a wood coaster with no jarring moments.  The turnaround is covered and you get thrown hard to the right as the train reverses direction to the left.  The return run seems like you’re almost going faster.  Two straight bunny hops are followed by a big drop down a ditch where there’s a trick track before you rise up and slam hard into the right of the seat with wicked laterals as you level out into the brakes.

So this is it.  We’re rolling forward slowly.  We get our final warning before we enter the darkness.

Somehow, we narrowly escaped the dangers lurking in the shed, and emerged back into the station.  Mystic Timbers is awesome, especially up front.  It’s an all out rush flying past the trees at breakneck speeds getting tossed around like a rag doll.  But despite all that, my new hot take is that Thunderhead at Dollywood is now my number one GCI.  Mystic is still amazing, but I think with the recent trackwork, the ride experience itself is just a little better on the Tennessee twister.

I ventured into Camp Snoopy to check out the new for 2024 Vekoma Family Boomerang, Snoopy’s Soapbox Racers, but it was down, so I headed next door to Woodstock’s Air Rail, a Vekoma family suspended coaster.  I was on within a cycle or two, and this one paled in comparison to Dragon Flyer at Dollywood.  It had some pretty janky transitions that left me wondering whether I’d want to bring a young kid on it.  

Then Soapbox Racers re-opened, and I was onboard this charming family coaster in only 15 minutes.  The station looks like a log cabin from Camp Snoopy.  Each of the ten cars on the train is painted to represent a different Peanuts character with Snoopy’s being up front, and of course the ever unfortunate Charlie Brown bringing up the rear.  I climbed into a middle seat and lowered the lap bar in the same style car as Big Bear Mountain at Dollywood.

With the all clear, we’re pulled up the 75 foot lift hill in reverse.  Snoopy is standing on top of the station, and he’s waving the green flag.  Upon being released, we race through the station, bank left and do a bunny hop over the station before turning right into the double up where the train slows, and starts going backwards.  Now Charlie Brown is in the lead.  Will he win?

After riding Snoopy’s Soapbox Racers, I’m sure we’re going to see these rides popping up at parks across the country.  It’s a fun ride that’s a perfect stepping stone from a kiddie coaster to something more intense.  But what’s more is that it just feels high quality.  The ride is super smooth and comfortable.  You can just tell that it’s well designed, and it’s a great fit for the park.

There was one more coaster I wanted to ride in Camp Snoopy before returning to the main park, Woodstock Express.  It’s a compact figure-8 wood coaster painted blue, with similar rides existing at Kings Dominion and Carowinds.  I’ve never had the time to ride any of them, and I’ve heard that they’re pretty darn fun.  After ten minutes in line, I climbed into a middle seat on this miniature PTC train with buzz bars.  So cool.

Woodstock Express is pure fun.  You’ve got some decent laterals and just a hint of floater airtime.  I got off thinking this would be the perfect backyard roller coaster.  It’s compact and fun, but it’s got some of the feels of a larger ride.  I’m a fan.

I left Camp Snoopy and crossed International Street right by the Eiffel Tower to return to the Action Zone to ride Banshee.  The line from earlier had died down substantially, and I only waited 15 minutes as I breezed by the memorial to the defunct Son of Beast wooden hyper coaster that originally occupied this plot.  A banshee is a female spirit known for her wail to mourn her lost kin.  

This B&M invert has a commanding presence over the midway with its massive Immelman placed right by the path and its vertical loop being threaded by the lift hill.  The Banshee sign is definitely one of the best you’ll find anywhere.  And what color is this ride?  I’d call the track a blood red purple if that makes any sense, and the supports are a purply blue.  It looks different depending on the lighting, but no matter what, it’s sharp.

I climbed into row 7 on the newest B&M inverted coaster in North America, and the only one to use vest restraints.  It opened in 2014 with the next newest being Patriot at Worlds of Fun that I rode last week.  And unlike that ride, this is an intensity monster, and I was excited to tackle this layout again.  

You turn left out of the station, and begin the climb up 167 feet.  As you reach the top, you can hear that banshee wail before heading down the impossibly steep first drop.  Unlike other inverts, there’s no pre-drop here, and the back of the train gets yanked downwards making for the best drop I’ve ridden on this ride type.  The positives come on hard at the bottom, and oh yeah, Banshee has the absolute worst B&M rattle I’ve ever felt.  It’s like rattle your teeth out of your skull vibration as you pull up into the Immelman followed by the vertical loop.  The G’s are intense here, and then you get a pause as you pull up into the biggest dang zero-G roll I’ve ever seen.  It’s a graceful floaty maneuver, but I swear I got airtime on the back half as the train plummeted down grade.  

Next up is the pretzel knot, two inversions similar to the batwing on Montu at Busch Gardens Tampa, but it’s much bigger and it exits off to the side.  Positive G-forces abound here, and you then rocket into a second vertical loop providing more of the same.  You then swoop up and to the right and enter an in-line twist.  It’s pretty slow, and you get some hangtime, then the positives are back in a strong left-handed helix before a quick climb into the brakes.

As I stumbled off the train, I have such mixed emotions about this ride.  It’s pretty much exactly the same as two years ago.  I absolutely love this layout.  It’s super intense, and it rides like no other invert I’ve experienced.  The first drop is awesome, I love the massive zero-G roll, and pretzel knot, and the in-line twist.  This roller coaster seriously kicks!  The problem is that the rattle is so intense that it really affects the ride.  It’s almost uncomfortable, and the crazy thing is that I’m sure this thing would run faster and be more intense if it wasn’t there!  I don’t know if it’s wheels, or trains, or track, but it’s a major bummer.  I’ve said multiple times that Montu was built in 1996, and runs year round and is perfectly smooth.  Not a single headbang, nor a hint of a rattle.  Kings Island is known for excellent maintenance, so there’s just something going on with these newer B&M’s.  I’d love to know what it is, and moreso, for them to fix it.  If not for existing roller coasters, for the ones coming in the future.

I had about an hour left before I needed to get on the road to Louisville.  Unfortunately, the Beast was still a 45 minute wait, which was more than I was willing to endure.  Orion was posted at 20, so I grabbed a row two ride there, and I have to say the front of the train is the place to be.  You do lose that epic whip down the first drop, but every other element shines here. You get a hint of airtime in the wave turn, the speed hill is bonkers, and the airtime on the big camelback and the twist into the brakes is stronger too.  This seems to be the common theme on B&M’s newer mega coasters, as I’ve had similar opinions when riding Fury 325, Candymonium, and Mako.

I then returned to Rivertown to finish my day on Diamondback.  Given the choice between this and the Beast, I had to pick the B&M hyper.  While the app still stated the wait was 45 minutes, I looked at the queue and thought it would probably only be 30.  This roller coaster opened in 2009, the second of three B&M hypers built by Cedar Fair, all of which feature the unusual staggered seating train design, where the first row of each car has seats placed next to each other in the center and the second row has two seats out on the wings.  While this was done to improve the views on the ride, it means that the eight car train is twice as long as the more common 4-across configuration, so there is a bigger difference between the experience in the front versus the back.  The coaster also received a fresh paint job since my last visit, and the burgundy track and tan supports looked awesome. 

After only 20 minutes in line, I was placed in row 14, so close to the back.  I lowered the familiar clamshell and we set off for an airtime filled trip through the woods.  On my last visit to Kings Island, I had mixed feelings about this coaster.  I rode it four times, and had some great rides with absolutely berzerk airtime, and some duds when it seemed like I barely came out of my seat.  I hoped my only ride on it this day would be a good one.

The train crested the 230 foot lift hill, and I was flung outta my seat on the 74 degree drop.  As we hit the valley, I was reminded of Diamondback’s achilles heel.  This snake has the worst rattle of any B&M hyper I’ve ridden.  We soared up into the first camelback and the airtime was phenomenal.  At the bottom, you bank left into another huge airtime hill, followed by a turnaround.  You then soar into a third trimmed airtime hill that still hit well, before an upward spiral into the midcourse.  You pause briefly, then drop down and into two more big bunny hills, a 360 degree helix to the right over the midway, and end the ride with a splashdown before a climb into the brakes.

So this ride on Diamondback brought all the goods.  It was hauling through the layout and the airtime was super strong on the back side of the hills.  I love the way this coaster rushes through the woods, and I think it’s the strongest of the early gen B&M hypers.  Now if they could just fix that rattle, this might be able to crack my top 25.  It’s still a great coaster in a park filled with so many of them.            

I walked back down International Street heading for the exit.  Kings Island just does everything well.  The place is stunningly beautiful, immaculately kept, and operations leave nothing to be desired.  You can feel the sense of pride, tradition, and community in the air here.  As far as theme park vibes go, this is pretty much paradise, and after my lackluster visit to Cedar Point, this was exactly what I needed.  The fact that I got 11 rides in six hours versus two days at the Point tells the whole story.  Kings Island is a 1000% quality experience.  Like Adventure Express, I think this place is absolutely on the right track.    

The only thing I think it needs is a true E-ticket roller coaster, and I hope it’s coming soon to the old Vortex site.  That grassy plot right next to the Beast is just begging for a world class coaster.  The park has a lot of A-Tier rides, but adding a true S-tier coaster would knock this park into the stratosphere.  No matter what, Kings Island is one of my favorite amusement parks of all time, and I can’t wait to come back.

I returned to my car and settled in for the easy 2-hour drive down I-71 to Louisville, KY.  I checked into the Marriott Fairfield Louisville Airport, my home base for the next three nights.  As I left the lobby, I looked through the back windows to see a parking lot filled with bright red roller coaster track, the carefully dismantled T3 Vekoma SLC.  Beyond that, the Kentucky Bay waterpark stood behind the white structure of the Kentucky Flyer Gravity Group wood coaster.  

Join me for the next episode for my first visit to an unusual park with three small roller coasters that all promise really big thrills.  Kentucky Kingdom is coming up next time on Coaster Redux.