It’s amazing how things change.  A few months ago, I stumbled onto a web site that listed a bunch of Kings Island’s old rides that are no longer in operation.  Once again, I felt as if I were stepping into a memory time machine and being transported back to a childhood full of screaming in terror while braving some of these rides.  Others, I watched from a careful distance, but never actually got a chance to ride them.

You can view these defunct rides at http://www.kiextreme.com/history_defunct.php

I really miss a few of these rides.  I stopped counting the number of times I rode Phantom Theater.  And I remember when it was The Smurf’s Enchanted Voyage.  I think I owe my grandfather a HUGE thank you for suffering through that ride with me again and again.

It’s also really sad that Screamin’ Demon, the ride that eventually became Thunderbolt Express at Camden Park, is now scrapped.  It wasn’t a great ride, but it’s just one of those things that I was comfortable seeing around.

I’m going to Kings Island June 6th.  I hear there are a lot of changes to the park since Paramount dropped ownership and Cedar Fair bought the park.  It will be interesting to see how things have changed since I was there two years ago.

Until later — “There’s no turning back now that you opened up to your mind.”