I have been going to Kings Island since 1989, but April 18 was really special.

Somehow I managed to fall asleep on Friday night, April 17, at about 11pm. I had won one of the Diamondback auction seats, #105 as it would turn out, and I was wired. When I woke up around 4:30am (alarm had not gone off yet) I knew there was no going back to sleep.

Out the door by 5:20am, I hit the parking lot gate just after 6am, and it took about 5 minutes to get in. I parked in a decent spot and made a beeline for the season pass processing center to get my platinum pass taken care of. The line was short so early, and I was in and out in less than 10 minutes, despite someone in charge having to show them what to do with the voucher I got at Cedar Point. The park had every station running in the pass processing center, but the line nearly reached the parking lot down the drive when I went to put stuff in my car later in the day.

I waited in line to register for my auction seat, and then waited in another line in the cold until they let all 256 of us in, passing through metal detectors first. We walked back to the ride, and we waited in the next door restaurant until it was time to ride. We moved outside and I tried the test seat as Orange Whip took a photo for me, and I discovered that the lap bar actually locked - I had to find the release pedal, which I couldn't really see because my legs were in the way, in order to get out of it!

We lined up again, this time in numerical order. There was a short speech and a check presentation to the charity (A Kid Again). KI added two trains to the auction, and that put the total bid total over $100,000. Way to go KI for helping out a great cause.

I ended up on the third train, outside right seat, row 14, two rows from the back. As we rolled out of the station I looked at my watch - 8:36am. The ride was cold (maybe 50F air temp), but fantastic. I'm far from an expert (DB is my 55th coaster), but as a long-time fan of KI, it was clearly everything I had hoped, and more, and I knew it after only one ride.

The ride - near the back seat

The lift is moderate speed - not MF fast, but not a slow crawl. If the timing is right, you can watch the splashdown as you climb the lift - very cool! The view from the top is amazing, especially if you look back over your shoulder at the Eiffel Tower. With the fantastically comfortable open seating, you can look all around you quite easily, including over the side of the lift if you are in an outside seat.

In the back, the airtime over the top is great, and the 74-degree drop seems steeper. You can see people on the midway below you as you scream down the drop. It is high enough that I run out of breath yelling on the way down, a sign of a good ride in my book.

Before you know it, you're seemingly climbing straight up, and then the airtime begins as you go over the top and are pulled down every single drop by the front of the train, and you are not using your seat on any of them. Mr. Thighs, meet Mr. B&M lap bar - you'll be seeing a lot of each other.

After three drops the turnaround turn comes, and it, like the whole ride, is a lot of fun and super smooth. The trims on the way up next hill were inactive or barely active in the morning, and after once again leaving our seats we reached the block brake and slowed a bit. There was still lots of air on the two smaller hills before the helix (where the on-ride photos are taken) and there was air on the drop into the splashdown. Down at water level, the waves in the pond really fly by. I looked back and watched the water shooting up one car behind me. We hit the brakes and everyone yelled and applauded. It clearly exceeded my expectations, and was simply pure fun. Still pumped, we stopped to get our complimentary on-ride photos.

Stampeding Hordes!

We were waiting for the photos to print when the stampeding hordes arrived, in the form of the passholders who had sprinted from the rope drop. The line quickly filled the queue area and overflowed in to the midway. Meanwhile the auction winners were having breakfast and picking up gift bags, which was a DB bag containing an extra first-rider T-shirt, a DB jigsaw puzzle, and some DB cards and mints. The mints say "bite one" (goes with the snake theming).

After breakfast I headed to the Beast for a ride in the back car. It was fantastic, smoother than any ride in recent memory. They have re-tracked the helix, and possibly removed one of the sets of brakes on the descent to the helix because to the smoother ride through that last curve. Awesome. When I exited the ride, the line had grown from a few train wait to near the entrance, but not filling the switchbacks.

The Diamondback line now stretched from the ride entrance, around past Chick-fil-a, past the back side of the Eiffel tower, around the slashdown lake, all the way to the exit for the Crypt. It was 10am, the non-passholding public would be coming in soon, I wasn't meeting anyone until 1pm, and other rides had good-sized lines, so I decided to get in line again and see how it was moving.

KI had managed the line quite well - they routed it clockwise around the lake, and there was an employee at the end with a height-measurement stick so people with kids wouldn't wait a long time to get to the height-check at the ride entrance. I asked the employee how long the wait was. He said 4-5 hrs., and I didn't believe him one bit. I got in line.

Turns out, it was moving quite well. In an hour I was at Chick-fil-a, and in another half hour I was at the queue entrance. It takes about an hour from there to get to your train. People were batting balloons around like beach balls under the shaded part of the queue.

I still had the "Diamondback rider #105" sticker on the back of my first-rider T-shirt, and people were commenting on it and asking about the ride. All I had to do was smile and say was "I'm back in line, aren't I?", and they got the idea.

In the last bit of the queue switchbacks, you are right by the lift, and you can watch people freak out as they tilt back quite steeply and start going up the lift. The most popular reaction is for people to grab the handles on the lap bar. Simultaneously their head goes from looking around to against the headreast of the seat, and they get a really serious look on their face. Some start screaming, and others just swear or start yelling at their "friends" for talking them into riding it. It's so much fun to people watch on new rides.

Anyway, despite the crazy wait time guess, two hrs and 40 minutes later I was in the FRONT SEAT, right side. That was the longest I ever saw the line, and it shrank rapidly. By late afternoon it was 75 mins, by evening 45-60 mins. Reports of the wait times have been greatly exaggerated by the local media.

The ride ops did a fantastic job on a day that that simply had do. Again, well done KI for keeping the line moving and having the ride ready to go and thoroughly tested on opening day.

The ride - front seat

Back to the ride - I wanted to see what the front seat was like and to feel the 80 mph breeze in my face, but I didn't expect to enjoy it as much as the back of the train ride that I had earlier. Exiting the station into bright sunshine and I had a huge smile on my face because I had scored a another ride, in the front of all places.

From the lift, we could see that the line had gotten much shorter. As we went over the top I surveyed the excellent view of the rest of the ride in front of us.

Starting down, you slide forward in your seat and are dangled there for a few seconds while the rest of the train clears the lift. There is no part of the car in front of you, just the restraint. Very cool! Then it's off the the races at a 74-degree angle. The wind felt great, as the day had warmed considerably. My hands were up (as they were at every instant of all the DB rides I got that day) and I was having a great time yelling into the wind.

Then I got a surprise. As we climbed the steep second hill and started to level off, my legs hit the lap bar with what seemed like more force than in the back of the train! Holy #$@%, this is amazing! Since the track is curving away from the train, not much of it is visible, and you are very high up, the illusion is that you are simply flying off into space. When you combine that illusion with the airtime, it's just plain outstanding. The woman seated next to me was hanging on, but having a great time. We were launched on the next hill, too. I was so surprised that I think I yelled "this is better than the back!"

I didn't mind that I didn't leave my seat coming out of the block brake - the view from the front made up for it. The two smaller hills launched us again, and it was fun to watch the track fly by through the helix and even cooler to see the track and water racing under the front of the train. We hit the brakes and I was giddy.

Other rides and wetness

At this point I met up with Orange Whip and family, Andy, Waterboy, dare-to-fly and his brother Adam. We talked for a bit. Dare-to-fly and Adam were late. We split up, hoping to meet up later. I dropped the gift bag and my jacket off in my car, and had a snack. I found dare-to-fly and Adam, and we rode Flight Deck and SOB. I had the privilege of watching maintenance change out TWO proximity sensors in order to make SOB work again. The ride in the back was powerful and fun, but the nearly two-hour wait was not cool. Had we not been at the very front of the line (after a lot of people left), we would have bailed sooner. Still, it was good to ride it... once.

I figured I needed at least two DB rides to wipe out the bad experience, so we headed there, and I ended up in the very back seat this time. Time to test out the water shooting thingies! As we ended another airtime-filled journey I looked back to see the water spraying up at amazing speed about two feet from my head! Hearing the sound of the water was an unexpected treat.

The back of my right shoulder got quite wet, and so did my right foot and lower pant leg. So, in the back seat, DB is actually a water ride! Remember that when it's 45 degrees and you're only wearing a T-shirt. Thankfully for me it was about 75F at the time of my splashing.

Filling empty seats

As dare-to-fly and Adam went off to ride other rides, I got back in line for my fourth DB ride and some people walked by in the single rider line. They were using it! One guy had an extra single rider pass, and was trying to find someone to give it to. I volunteered. We weren't too far from the station, so it ended up taking about the same amount of time to get a seat as it would if I had stayed in line. We both got back in line, but as he explained to me they don't always have the passes (they have to collect them all at the station and bring them back to the gate). If there are no passes at the gate, you have to wait in the full line.

So if you are an unlucky single rider, you wait as long as everyone else, but you have a chance at picking your seat. If you're lucky, you get on quickly, but you can't pick you seat. I got my 5th ride in only 20 minutes, luckily somewhere near the back. Then the passes seemed to disappear for the rest of the evening.

Photography tips

The sun rises on the side of DB opposite the queue line. So, morning photos are best taken from the side of the lake opposite the station. This will get you the best shots of the splashdown from the side, though you can also take them from behind the train nearer where the track crosses the midway. The evening light is best for shots taken from the queue.

Morning also should be better for shots of the train coming down the first hill. I didn't get any shots of a train coming down the first drop because I was too busy waiting in line! I'm sure someone will post some, and I'll try to get some with my better camera in the future.

Darkness falls

By the time I got in line for my 6th ride, the sun was setting and I was eager for it to get dark. If you couldn't tell, I was unable to stop myself from getting back in line for DB. For me, Diamondback = Coaster crack (hey, that rhymes). I met up with a guy from Chicago wearing a B&M shirt and he liked the idea of trying out the front. The seat assigner was taking some requests, and we were able to get row 2, the outside seats on the front car.

It was fairly dark as we climbed the lift hill, and it was cooling off. Row 2 did not disappoint. Amazing air as before, except there is a seat in front of you and to one side. However, the outside seats have the beneficial effect of feeling like they are out on the edge of nothingness.

Did I mention that there are no lights between the lift and the helix, except for some on the block brakes? For the most part, all of the airtime hills are traversed in darkness, and so is the turnaround. Nothing like flying out of your seat in the pitch black to make a ride even better. For me, it might have been better than the nearby Beast in the dark. (They both have lighted parts in the middle.) Then you fly back into the lights of the midway and the splashdown.

I got back in line and again sat in row 2, this time on the right side. I spotted the lights from downtown Cincinnati ahead of me and to my right as we crested the hill, something I have only seen from Drop Tower before. The lift of the Vortex is lit up as usual, but it is WAY below the peak of DB. The Beast is mostly hidden by the darkness.

It was 9:59pm when I ran back to the line and found it still open. This is still new to me at KI because I visited the park for years and they always cut the lines early. Cedar Fair cuts the line at closing time and then empties the queue. My 8th ride was about 10:35pm. Three rows from the back, being pulled down the first hill (and all of the rest of the hills) in the dark was excellent. We roared into the brakes and saw an empty station and queue to our left.

I had been on the third train in the morning, and the second to last at night. As we got off I thanked the ride ops for a job well done, and tried to figure out how I was going to wait for May 9th to return to KI.

Wrapping it up

So, 8 rides on opening day, and I was so wired up I had trouble going to sleep, even after getting up at 4:30am. The only hiccup in DB operation I saw all day was when a train stopped on the lift for about 30s, but then it headed on up as normal.

The line was never much more than 2.5 hrs. I know, I waited in it starting at 10am, and rode at ~12:40 in the front. Those claiming 4-5 hrs were either park employees who were guessing, or those who listened to them.

The trims (on the climb up the 3rd hill, right after the turnaround) were definitely doing more braking as the day wore on. The same was true with Wildfire and Raging Bull. In the morning I couldn't feel the trims, but for the last night rides they were braking fairly strongly. It had to be from the ride warming up and running a bit faster

HOWEVER, I was always off my seat over that trimmed hill, and the hills ones following the block brake, so I can't complain. It was a very consistent ride, and it's right up there with MF in my personal favorites list.

On the way home I experienced "phantom lap bar syndrome", which I define as feeling like you're still locked into the train, or noting the strange absence of something larger holding you in, even though you're in the car wearing a seat belt. When that happens, it was a fantastic day. -Mike

Great trip report, and you may use my name if you like. BTW, Adam's negative-g user name is Beast Rider. Since he rarely posts, it's hard to remember that.

I see you like my format for writing trip reports. I'm glad to see that I've rubbed off on you. You did a great job, and it was a pleasure to read. I'm now psyched about Friday!

Great TR MIke,
Can't believe you got 8 rides in. WOW! I only got to ride once. Hope to see you again soon.

Brian

Thanks. Now you see why I wasn't motivated for kiddie coaster credits - I wanted more DB rides, and I was watching the line shrink by the hour. If I hadn't waited so long for SOB I probably could have made it 9 rides!

Congrats on #450!

Wish I got to ride with you guys and hang out with you and Kevin more, but it seemed like we were out of phase all day - I was in line when Kevin was on the ride, etc. Everytime I got out of line, it was shorter, so I'd just get a drink of water, use the restroom if needed, and get back in line. -Mike

Or 10! Sorry, but I hope you did enjoy your ride. I enjoyed hanging out with you.

enjoy a ride on SOB? No thanks!

It was a good ride - some nice forces, not painful. I enjoyed hanging out. I look forward to dragging you into the DB line for a row 2 ride.

However, the Sonny downtime cost me my Drop Tower ride, so I will have to ride that and Delirium next time in place of Sonny.

That will probably be the May 9-10 event, for which no details have been posted. Sounds like they will be out this week, though. -Mike

Hopefully the crowds will be light and you can do all three!

Nick, who has enjoyed many, many rides on Son of Beast and plans to enjoy many, many more. Those rides are also much better at night and even better after a light rain. He flies through the track when wet just like his dad. Now blow the brakes at the mid-course and you've got the perfect ride.

No. Sonny's in the doghouse for a while (at least during the day when it's dry - see below) and has disappointed me many times before.

Ok, I'll admit I've never tried it with wet tracks or at night. That might be interesting. BUT I've never tried DB with wet tracks, either, and I already know it's great at night, so that would be hard to resist.


Perfect ride?!? No, the Voyage is the perfect ride.

I saw your comment on KIcentral about line jumping. I saw some, but not more than usual. I was talking to a guy who was in front of me in line for DB. I stopped to ask the woman at the gate she had single rider passes, and about 25 people walked right by me! Later on I found the guy in the switchbacks of the queue and ducked under a rail to rejoin him. If anyone said anything I was quite ready to point out that the people in front of me were jumpers, not me.

Wish I could meet you guys at KI next Sunday, but I have plans here. -Mike

I meant the perfect SoB ride...sorry. I should have specified.

Halloween Haunt is great for getting night rides on all the coasters, and I usually take my night SoB rides then. It's almost as good as The Beast's night rides...almost. The wet tracks seem to smooth out most of the rough spots, and it flies through the track. Cooler temperatures also improve the ride, which remains a mystery to me.

I didn't know that you posted on KICentral. What's your screen name? Or are you just a guest?

I don't post there, I just browse to get info because Don H. posts there occasionally (I think). -Mike

Once in a very great while, but usually the information comes from the administrator called Boddah1994 - Ryan. He seems to be tightly linked with Don. The admins/mods there know what they're talking about when they post things, and they always seem to know what's happening before anyone else, so that's why I go there. Then I come here for the fun, the conversation about many different parks, and for the wonderful community we have here. It makes my day feel complete when I check both.