Video Trip Report - Kings Island

The new iPhone 4 is blowing people away with it's functionality and new features. (Just make sure you don't hold it by the corners!)

One of the coolest features is the video camera that shoots 720p video and comes with iMovie editing software.

Of course, we here at CoasterRadio.com believe that all of our listeners should be using the iPhone to shoot Live Trip Reports when they're at the parks.

Kevin from Ohio shows us exactly how it's done with this video!

Watch, listen and learn from the master! Nice job Kevin!

Kevin is at Diamondback at Kings Island

Ride Review - Diamondback at Kings Island

Longtime Coaster Radio listener CPCoasterKing had a chance to ride Kings Island's new Hyper-Coaster Diamondback.

Here's his review!

I was so excited to be able to get up to KI on opening day. Last fall my friends and I took a construction tour of Diamondback at an ACE event called Fall Freak out. I have been dying to get on its since!

The queue area was really nice. They had some cowboy jugglers entertaining people in line, with several flat screen tv's in line as well.

We got in line expecting a very long wait but as soon as an employee walked by, he said it would be an hour and a half. I was then all pumped up again.

The line moved really quickly and they had someone assigning seats which is good and bad in my opinion. The trains were beautiful and had good theming on them. The restraints are wonderful as well.

The only complaint I have is that you don't have to be very heavy at all and you could be too big to ride. Cedar Fair has made all the rides have 2 clicks on the restraints on every ride. It all depended on where your weight was distributed on your body if you could ride or not.

This poor woman in front of us was so excited to ride and when we came up to the test seat, she couldn't fit. It was heart breaking. And she wasn't even that big. I know its hard to design seats to fit the large array of body types, but it seamed a bit extreme.

I joked with my friends that they should sell a diet book called, "The Cedar Fair 2 Click Weight Loss Plan," because apparently Cedar Fair doesn't realize they are operating in America.

So we get on the train and I rode in the 2nd half of the car the first time, and it was really odd to have your riding partner that far away from you. I will say that it was a BEAUTIFUL view from my seat and the freedom of that view and of your restraint was amazing. I felt like I was the only one riding the ride.

The lift is very quite and fast. I almost though it was an elevator lift, but it isn't. I didn't hear a chain dog at all. The lift is also very steep! It didn't look bad at all from the ground, but as soon as you start up, it wakes you up!

The first drop was fantastic. You can see so much of the midway. The air time on all the hills is amazing. I was constantly smiling ear to ear every time we hit one.

The first large banked turn was a lot of fun as well. The camera is after that first banked turn, then you bank up and left to the block breaks. After that, the first hill I think is a bit slow, but the second makes up for it with plenty of air time.

Then you turn into the helix which again, I thought was just a bit slow, but then you even get some air time on the next drop into the water splash. The water splash looks beautiful while watching the ride, but I only felt a slight drag on the train. If you weren't looking for it, you could miss it.

Wonderful ride! Great drops and plenty of Airtime! It may be my new favorite ride at KI.

Talk more about this ride in the CoasterRadio.com forums.

Pre-Season Top 5 for 2009 - #2 Diamondback

My favorite roller coaster is Apollo's Chariot at Busch Gardens in Williamsburg.

I love that it's tall, fast, smooth and has a ton of great drops. Plus, the minimal restraints make it feel all the more like you're flying. The fact that Apollo's Chariot is always in the top 10 makes it seem like I'm not alone in ranking it high.

Diamondback, the 2009 roller coaster from Kings Island, seems to come from a similar mold.

The ride starts with a first drop of 215 feet and then continues with drops of 193, 131, 129, 110, and 106 feet. It's going to be fast too, with a top speed of 80 MPH.

I also like the unique seating configuration that seems to give everyone a good view of the show.

I've never been to Kings Island, but this ride makes me want to make the long road trip from Washington, DC.

Talk about it in the CoasterRadio.com forums.

What will be the story in 2009?

Happy New Year to everyone!

I hope you guys had a great holiday season and a very successful 2008.

When a new year begins, it's always interesting to look ahead and try to figure out what the next 365 days will be like. For our purposes here, let's focus on the theme park biz.

Just as it was in 2008, the biggest story in 2009 is going to be the economy. Sure, gas prices have dropped, but in this unstable time, will people still want to travel to theme parks?

We have a bunch of new rides and attractions premiering this year. Kings Island's Diamondback (pictured) looks like it will be a winner. Manta at Sea World Florida seems to be getting a lot of attention and rightly so.... the theming and layout looks very interesting.

Speaking of theming, we'll find out whether a wooden roller coaster at Six Flags Magic Mountain can be successfully themed to The Terminator series. We'll also see if the Saw movies will make a good theme for a roller coaster at Thorpe Park in England.

I also wonder if 2009 will be a good year for "coaster enthusiasm" in general. One thing that I've noticed over the past several years is that interest in roller coasters and theme parks seems to be waning. Back in the late 90's (during the "coaster boom") the community was engaged, excited and growing. These days, it seems like there isn't the same level of enthusiasm as there was back then. I could be wrong, but I'm curious to hear what you think.

So what does 2009 have in store? What will be the big story in 2009?

Let's talk about it in the CoasterRadio.com forums.