Vintage Kings Island footage (Bat) and more...

CHECK THIS LINK OUT to see home video taken of The Bat in operation, as well as shots of the Flying Dutchman, Zodiac, Beast, Racer and a few others from the early 80's.

While you are there, check out this guys other videos. He has some Circus World footage, some Opryland footage, Drachen Fire, stuff from the Lightning Loops tragedy, Elitch Gardens and other goodies. Does Swampfoxer know this guy?? ;)

Tom

Thanks! Great footage.

You really get a sense of how they didn't bank the turns very much.

This one is awesome right here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cmtm9G9bPvA&feature=related

This was taken at the old Arrow facilities in Mountain View, CA. You can see the Moffet Drive-in screens in the background. Brings me back to my childhood! I remember seeing these structures whenever when went to a movie. Nice.

Excellent, thanks!

Cool vid for those of us who are too young to remember those days! The whip action is shows is pretty cool. Wish Irn Dragon at CP was like that!

Great footage.

I know I have read different things about the ride experience on The Bat. They range from "mind blowing" to "downright boring." The latter claiming that the gradual-ness of the main drops was not enough to get the train moving. It sure looks like the train got some good speed off those drops from the video. Also looks like som insane swinging from one direction to the other.

It was by far the best of the 4 suspended coasters I have been on(Bat, ID, Top Gun, and Big Bad Wolf). I rode it two times the day we went to KI back in 1981 and I was TERRIFIED of coasters back then. I did not ride the Beast, Demon, Beastie or Racer, but The Bat looked so cool I just had to try it, and it blew me away. To give you an idea, my father likes coasters, not to the extent that I do but he has ridden the Thriller and Flying Turns at Euclid Beach, he remembers riding the Cyclone at Puritas Springs, the only coaster he ever road that nauseated him was The Bat. There are a variety of Bat videos on Youtube now, including some that are POV, and you can see from that as well as the other pictures that you went past parallel to the ground on some of those curves, it was incredible.

Tom

I never found the Bat to be boring. I got to ride it twice. The swinging was very wild. I thought it had the coolest themed trains.

And, of the newer suspended coasters, do any of them really have that huge of a drop? I've only been on Iron Dragon and Top Gun (KI) and I didn't think the drop was really all that large.

Probably got to ride it 50 times over the years it was open. It wasn't boring but it wasn't beast thrilling either.

Look at the attention to detail. The painted yellow steps, The Racers painted handrails and track.

Like I said in other post. A lot of Charm has been lost over the years. Lets hope CP bring some of that back.

I found the Bat exciting and different -- never having ridden a suspended or inverted before, obviously. I only logged a few rides, what with its intermittent up time.

But as the Chuck says, it wasn't 'Beast thrilling'. Nothing was back then.

The Flyers were :)

Thanks for the video. Almost got a little emotional seeing the park the way I best remember it. Though I only got a handful of rides on the Bat...I can say without any hesitation, I would still take it over Vortex any day. Other things I loved about that video:

- Seeing the Racers racing both trains forward, (can't wait to ride 'em that way again this summer!).

- Seeing the Beastie with the original theming, and name, (not this silly Fairly Odd Parents crap!).

- Seeing Beast with the moat around the station was probably the best thing about the video.

- And Screamin' Demon's loop...what a beautiful site. Too bad it's been sitting in West Virginia rusting away for nearly two decades now. Or is it even there anymore?

I love vintage KI!! I miss it so much!!

Yeah, but Beastie was not the original theming for that coaster, which will forever be Scooby Doo to me.

I would have loved to see some footage of Enchanted Voyage. What a great ride. I still remember the ghost footsteps that lit up as you floated by. And the giant clown mouth at the end. Not saying the current occupant of that building isn't a worthy attraction -- only that I miss the old one.

^^FF....as of *at least* last year, SD no longer stood at Camden. The sky ride gives some good views of the footers, and must have run fairly close to the ride...

Besides, PKD had the good shuttle looper, the Anton... LOL! ;)

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Ensign Smith said:I would have loved to see some footage of Enchanted Voyage. What a great ride. I still remember the ghost footsteps that lit up as you floated by. And the giant clown mouth at the end. Not saying the current occupant of that building isn't a worthy attraction -- only that I miss the old one.

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Ask and ye shall receive. Google and Youtube are your friends. Winnie The Witches Cauldrons, POV mid train Scooby Doo, POV Trabant, On ride Train, Skyride both on and offride, about 1 second of the Enchanted Voyage, POV Giant Slide(woo hoo!), view from the Eiffel Tower, More Enchanted Voyage, some family snarfing down fries, Bayern Curve first car POV!!, BAVARIAN BEETLE POV from the second car!!, followed by a bunch of Enchanted Voyage. CLICK HERE FOR PART ONE.

Can't get enough, you want some More Skyride? How about some Racer POV mid train, POV Kenton's Cove Keelboat Canal, Train, Enchanted Voyage, Shake Rattle and Roll, Hanna Barbera Parade, Carousel onride, Dodgem POV!, Antique cars onride, 1/2 second of the Ladybug kiddie coaster, a millisecond of the Flying Eagles(Sorry Chuck) plus a variety of other quick looks. FEEL FREE TO CLICK HERE.

You're still reading this rambling piece of garbage? You came back for some MORE??? Ok, Kings Mill Log Flume followed by THE WHOLE FRIGGIN' ENCHANTED VOYAGE. Click it, you'll like it.

Anything else, like the Canoe's, then go watch the BRADY BUNCH EPISODE from Kings Island, leave me alone.

The quality is bad, but you get the idea, and the name of the user that has these is not appropriate nor politically correct.

Tom

;)

*** Edited 4/7/2008 1:56:10 PM UTC by LdScotsman*** *** Edited 4/7/2008 3:35:24 PM UTC by LdScotsman***

Wow, good stuff. Thanks for the nice stroll down Memory Park. It was especially cool seeing the POV of Bayern Curve with all the flags on the cars. I had forgotten all the lighting on Bavarian Beetle. For a a run of the mill wild mouse, they sure dressed it up nice.

Of course, the Enchanted voyage footage was great, even though the poor video quality on a dark ride really shows. I had forgotten the ocean (or whatever it was) section on the ride. Still great seeing the clown's mouth.

The antique cars were great. What a fun ride, for me the definitive of its type. It just had so much...dare I say it?...charm. But the piece de resistance for me was seeing Gulliver's Travels, which I had completely forgotten about until I saw that. That may have been my very first ride at Kings Island in 1973. Wow. It's funny when those old memories get jogged, the feeling in your head.

Nice links, Tom.

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LdScotsman said:

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Ensign Smith said:I would have loved to see some footage of Enchanted Voyage. What a great ride. I still remember the ghost footsteps that lit up as you floated by. And the giant clown mouth at the end. Not saying the current occupant of that building isn't a worthy attraction -- only that I miss the old one.

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Ask and ye shall receive. Google and Youtube are your friends. Winnie The Witches Cauldrons, POV mid train Scooby Doo, POV Trabant, On ride Train, Skyride both on and offride, about 1 second of the Enchanted Voyage, POV Giant Slide(woo hoo!), view from the Eiffel Tower, More Enchanted Voyage, some family snarfing down fries, Bayern Curve first car POV!!, BAVARIAN BEETLE POV from the second car!!, followed by a bunch of Enchanted Voyage. CLICK HERE FOR PART ONE.Can't get enough, you want some More Skyride? How about some Racer POV mid train, POV Kenton's Cove Keelboat Canal, Train, Enchanted Voyage, Shake Rattle and Roll, Hanna Barbera Parade, Carousel onride, Dodgem POV!, Antique cars onride, 1/2 second of the Ladybug kiddie coaster, a millisecond of the Flying Eagles(Sorry Chuck) plus a variety of other quick looks. FEEL FREE TO CLICK HERE.You're still reading this rambling piece of garbage? You came back for some MORE??? Ok, Kings Mill Log Flume followed by THE WHOLE FRIGGIN' ENCHANTED VOYAGE. Click it, you'll like it.Anything else, like the Canoe's, then go watch the BRADY BUNCH EPISODE from Kings Island, leave me alone.The quality is bad, but you get the idea, and the name of the user that has these is not appropriate nor politically correct.Tom *** Edited 4/7/2008 1:56:10 PM UTC by LdScotsman*** *** Edited 4/7/2008 3:35:24 PM UTC by LdScotsman***

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See, Nobody believes me when I say the park used to have ten times the color, Flora, Rides and charm that it has now. This isn't a knock on CF. Just every replacement since Beast has actually removed or changed things for the worst asthetically. OLFOF was a big Plus under paramount but when KI, had the dolphin show, Encyclopidia Britanica monorail, with animals, Three times the number or rides including it was ENCHANTING.

Bastardized, Thats what it is.

Chuck, not beyond hope of a better park under CF. Just not gonna over expect anything.

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And, of the newer suspended coasters, do any of them really have that huge of a drop? I've only been on Iron Dragon and Top Gun (KI) and I didn't think the drop was really all that large.

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The greatest one ever made has the best drop; Big Bad Wolf at BGE. Still a great ride today. It puts the others to shame, big time.

Eh...the drop was not all that. The horrendous trim brake rivals that of mantis. This was me on that drop - ahhhhh (brake) ahhhhooohhh yeah whatever!

That's some AWESOME film! Great find! I have found VERY few home movies of the Bat. :)

Luckily I had the chance to ride it ONCE but I don't remember thinking much of it. Still, it's cool to see old movies like this!

-TIna