PKI General Review

coasterlove · #1 03-02-2005, 03:54 AM

My friends and I are planning a trip that will either include Cedar Point or Paramount King's Island later this summer. It will be only one park, not both and we're not sure which yet. I've been to CP many times and love it. My friends have also been to CP a time or two and know what to expect from CP. None of us however have been to PKI. I know I want to check out PKI one day but also love going to CP so it's a tough choice.

I know a little bit about PKI and could check all over for reviews and info but thought this would be easier for my friend to check out and find a lot about it in one spot. I'm looking for reviews of all the coasters and what flat rides to check out. Also, restaurants and the park in general. Any information about hotels/motels in the area and any other general information will be appreciated as well.

RJONES · #2 03-02-2005, 07:56 AM

I always make a summer trip to both PKI and CP. PKI atmosphere wise is my favorite park to be at. It is home to some of the best theme park restaurtants, with skyline chili and larosas pizza. The beast is all that it is hyped up to be and more for me. I enjoy going to PKI just as much as CP cause it has such a nice variety of rides, but the new Huss Frisbee at CP helps CP a lot in that. The best hotel to stay at is the Kings Island Resort which is right across the street and provides a free shuttle service ,decently priced rates, and some pretty clean rooms. If you've never been to PKI before and CP many times I would def. go with PKI.

Montu Man · #3 03-02-2005, 07:56 AM

I say,if you've been to CP, then go to PKI. PKI has Delerium, and that's what CP's getting, so you won't really be missing out if you go to PKI.

Rustbelt · #4 03-02-2005, 09:04 AM

My favorite park is CP. I go to PKI more since the park is only 15 minutes away. If your group is a coater freaks, go to CP.

PKI atmosphere is probably better with much better kids area and the water park which does not charge you separate admission. There will be a new coaster at PKI. Delirium is my second favorite ride at PKI. There are some nice collection of non-coaster rides at PKI although Flying Eagle is gone now. Wooden coaster collection is quite good with the Beast, SoB and Racer. Flight of Fear is very good steel coaster but this is where PKI lacks. If PKI has a hyper like Magnum or Steel Force, I think PKI will become as popular with coaster fans as CP. Usually, PKI and CP gets about same attendance in a year.

CP has the best steel coaster collection with Magnum, Raptor, TTD and MF. CP has a quite limited kids area and Soak City has extra fee. Most people will say the wooden coasters, Blue Streak and Mean Streak, are not a good collection. This is where CP lacks in terms of coasters. I actually think Geauga Lake has better wooden coaster collections which Villain and Big Dipper. Atmosphere is very good. CP is getting a Huss ride which is like Delirium. The view from some of the coasters are unforgettable with the park being right at the beach of Lake Erie.

If you have never visited PKI, go there. Food at both places are decent to good. I think they are reasonable prices, too. Since I am a coaster freak, I will choose CP. Either way, I do not think you will lose.

coasterlove · #5 03-02-2005, 02:17 PM

Thanks for all the help so far. I've spent 14 days at Cedar Point since 2000 (7 trips x 2 days each time) so I'm very familiar with it and what they have and what they're getting since I lovie it to death. I'm just looking mostly for Paramount King's Island info. If anyone actually wants to give scores to the coasters, that would be great too.

RJONES · #6 03-02-2005, 04:12 PM

Out of the 3 times i've been to pki heres how I would rate the thrill rides:

The Beast 10/10 (2nd fav. ride to TTD)
Son of the Beast 6/10 (I loved it the first, then 2nd time got so hurt to where i could barely walk for about an hour)
Racer 7/10, recaR 8/10 (very fun ride backwards)
Delirium 10/10 (best flat ride created)
Drop Zone 9/10 (So tall...)
Face/off 7/10 (G's are good thats about it)
Vortex 6/10 (Good for an arrow looper)
Tomb Raider 6/10 (too short)
Adventure express 2/10 (don't even want to talk about how the ride ends...)
Top Gun 5/10 (Good layout for suspended but felt really short)
Flight of fear 6/10 (very choppy through the inversions and line is much longer here, no ostr are a + though)

I usually go late May when the schools are still in session and I haven't experienced a line there more than 15 mins (except FoF got up to about 45 mins once or twice).

bk2004 · #7 03-02-2005, 04:27 PM

Adventure Express- It's a nice little coaster on a side of a hill that starts out fun without a chain lift, though that makes the ending dull with one. The theming is pretty nice through it too. 7/10

Beast- What should I say? You'll love it! It's a very long ride that's rough, thrilling, and gives one heck of a ride with great laterals and a couple pretty long tunnels. Hang on for the ending double helix! Don't forget to ride this at night too! 10/10

Face/Off- This is a VERY intense ride. The line can get pretty long, but it's worth it. It's a little short but fun. You get (well at least I do) dizzy going backwards and it feels akward but it's pretty cool. 8/10

Flight of Fear- An awesome coaster! The launch is awesome! The front is a must for this, and the back. The whole ride is encredible being in the dark. I can't remember if it's this one or PKD's version that slows you down going through the MCBR. But either way it's a fun ride and the corkscrew at the end is fun. This can get a pretty long line too, but it's all themed and entertains you. 9/10

Italian Job: Stunt Track- Have fun on this! I'm sure it'll be good.

Racer- A typical out and back racing coaster. It really isn't that great, but it's a classic! 6/10

Rugrats Runaway Reptar- I haven't ridden this one, but it's the same as the one at Carowinds. They aren't great, but if the line isn't long go ahead and ride it. It's pretty funny. 5/10

Son Of Beast- If your over 6", then good luck with this coaster. I'm not that tall so it doesn't matter for me. The trains are what make it not that great. They are just weird. The whole coaster is just weird. It's so tall and the chain lift is SO loud! The drop kinda drags and didn't give me butterfylz in my stomach. The loop is the only good part, oh, and the double helix. The MCBR is WAY too long. You just go through it around 25-35 MPH. It doesn't really slow you down, but it's a long boring stretch. The rest of the ride is blah. The beginning of it is fun cause you get around 30-40 MPH of speed on that turn, so it's cool. 6/10

Top Gun- I absolutely LOVE this coaster. It's built on a weird peace of terrain. They took good advantage of it, IMO. The first drop is fun. Ride in the front and back. The first hill thingie swings the cars so far sidewayz and then drops you immedietly! It's great! The rest of the ride is close to the ground swinging back and for. Its' just great. Uses a lot of the swinging action throughout the ride. I love it!! 10/10

Vortex- I hate this ride. The next time I go to this park for the rest of my life, I'm never riding it again. It bangs my head through the whole ride. The layout is stupid. I hate it!! 2/10 <-- Lucky I gave it a 2!

Didn't ride-

Top Cat's Taxi Jam >
Scooby's Ghoster Coaster > All kiddie/family coasters
Beastie >
Rugrats Runaway Reptar >

...

There is a hotel right outside of the park. It's around $80 a night I think. It's really close and you can see SOB & Drop Zone from the windows. It's not even 5 minutes from it. It's really nice. Well, it's fine to stay in. It's not junky or trashy like some can be. Here's a picture of it-

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v131/bk2004/hotel.jpg

Ride most of the larger flat rides cause they rock! Like Delirium, Drop Zone, and others. Slingshot is fun if you want to pay $5 for it. It's a huge rush!

Any restaurant is good. They have a seafood place that is new a couple of years ago across from Adventure Express. It's pretty nice. I think it's called Bubba's Shrimp or something like that, after Forest Gump movie.
---

Enjoy yourself. Have fun! It's a nice park.

Rustbelt · #8 03-02-2005, 04:45 PM

I have been to PKI about 50 times during past two years. If you love coasters, I do suggest CP over PKI. However, PKI is more of a theme park than CP.

Since others rated the coasters, I will rate other rides.

Scooby Doo Haunted Castle - Fun little shoot'em up ride. Usually a long time but very quick. Nicely air conditioned.

Delirium - My second favorite ride at the park after the Beast. I don't think you will get this much air time on ANY coasters. By far the most thrilling flat ride I have ever been on.

Tomb Raider - Interesting Top Spin ride with very good theme. Somewhat short if you ask me.

Boomerang Bay - Quite nicely themed water park.

Too bad the Flying Eagle is gone. That was a great flat ride also. SIGH....

**Phil** · #9 03-02-2005, 05:38 PM

I would definitely make the trip to PKI. The park itself is much nicer than Cedar Point, it just lags behind a little bit in the coaster department. It has a much better variety of rides, and the coasters are all pretty good.

I would suggest you just look at the DB page for PKI though, for more info.

**Andrew P** · #10 03-02-2005, 08:49 PM

I heard about the great CP trip of last year...you need one at PKI to rival CP this year. Anyhow...personally, the only rides wirth doing are Top Gun, Vortex and the Beast. Son of Beast if you are feeling adventurous. When I first rode Top Gun, I thought it would be another Iron Draggin. How wrong I was. When I last visited, I think I could have marathoned Vortex, it was the best Arrow I was ever on. And the Beast...well, due to its history, its something you do have to hit at least twice.

Griswold · #11 03-02-2005, 10:27 PM

Go to PKI in the morning and ride the Beast first thing. Then go back at night at ride in the the dark. Two totally different rides. CP is my all time favorite steel coaster capital, but PKI has a great collection of Woodens. SOB is actually better earlier in the season after they have retracked it. I had fun for the first time last year in April. By July it was back to its brutal self again. Sounds like Papa Beast needs to slap his son a bit up side the head and tell him to behave.

coasterlove · #12 03-03-2005, 12:49 AM

Darn, if that's true about SOB, than I'm in trouble. It would be mid or late July when we go there. Another thing, we might hit the park on a weekend possibly. Obviously the park will be more crowded but is it possible to do all the coasters and the bigger flat rides as well in one day or is it better to allow for two days?

Rustbelt · #13 03-03-2005, 01:17 PM

July weekend? That is the busiest time for all Ohio parks. Sunday will be a better bet, but it will be busy. Allow two days. The park is open until midnight on Saturdays and 11 on Sundays. Like peopls said, get on Beast when it is pitch dark. It will not be until 10 pm before it is pitch dark in Cincinnati area during July.

Remember that there are/will be 13 coasters with 4 being kiddy. It is difficult to do all with Drop Zone, Delirium, and Tomb Raider all having at least 1 hour waits.

coasterlove · #14 07-13-2005, 02:48 AM

Ok, we've got it planned now that it will be PKI on July 22nd and 23rd. That's a Friday and Saturday. We'll be spending most if not all of the day there at the park on both days. So I'm looking for any ideas what crowds will be like at that time. I haven't ever been there so I have no idea what to expect. We'll be there for two days so I imagine it shouldn't be too much of a problem to ride all the coasters as well as some flat rides and then try and get a few more rides each on the stuff I like a lot.

So any help will be appreciated as well as if anyone else wants to give coaster/ride reviews.

James · #15 07-13-2005, 06:35 AM

If your in ace... Or just around (they didnt really check ) if you go to the ace marker on the ground inside the park you get to go on the first ride of beast for the day... You can get 1 or 2 rides in before most people get back to it.. But I really hate beast so 2 is way more then I need...

also for anyone who likes SOB... they need to be shot... SOB = "POS" one of the worst coasters ever. It jack hammers start to finish and just is not fun.