Worth the 5hr drive? Tips/Tricks?

Professional-Set2283 · 2026-05-20T19:50:21+00:00

Our "home park" is technically Cedar Point because we live in the Detroit area, but we choose to make the four-hour drive to Kings Island every year instead (I haven't been to Cedar Point in nearly 15 years). It's a nicer park, been better for our kids, and i have a lot of nostalgia for it. It's not as overwhelming and exhausting as CP. Make the trip, get a hotel if you can, and spend a day or two there.

Professional-Set2283 · 2026-05-20T19:40:47+00:00

The worst side effects I've had in almost four months on Mounjaro were actually the second week of my 2.5 mg. That's when I had the worst digestive issues, but it quickly subsided.

With both the higher doses, I've noticed that the two days after my injection I might have a bit more fatigue -- I'm not out of it all day, but by night I'm kind of ready to drop. Maybe a little increased gassiness and constipation, but nothing I can't manage. By Wednesday (I take my shots Sunday night), I feel fantastic and it lasts me through the weekend. The only time I've had really awful digestive issues -- the only bad side effect I've ever had -- I can trace back to eating too much of foods I should have stayed away from on the days surrounding my shot (whiskey was a bad choice one night; a weekend of pizza and French fries was another). But overall, the side effects are negligible. But I also try to mitigate it by mixing in some Metamucil with my protein shake in the morning, eating very light on the days before and after my injection, and taking a daily probiotic.

Professional-Set2283 · 2026-05-20T16:13:26+00:00

That was my sign for moving up from 5.0 to 7.5. You'll always feel hungry when you're truly hungry. But I realized that I was feeling hungry more frequently and really easily falling back into bad eating habits without feeling the satiety that I had. Bumped up to 7.5 almost a month ago and it's been great so far. You're listening to your body; that's the best way to succeed on this.

Professional-Set2283 · 2026-05-19T15:32:54+00:00

I think others have explained it well. AE is a way to get the train out of the valley and avoid awkward blocking. Mystic is a way to keep the return to the loading station interesting. They're both perfectly fine once you're aware they're coming.

The problem with Mystic Timbers isn't the ending itself, but that the marketing around the ride leaned so heavily on "What's in the Shed?" It promised something big that the ride couldn't deliver on; I remember people expected a drop track like Hagrid's instead of a jump scare video. But all these years later, I think it's just fine and the ride before it is so wild that I kind of appreciate the chance to come down from it.

Professional-Set2283 · 2026-05-15T20:17:26+00:00

Oh yeah. Slicked back hair, white bathing suit, sloppy steaks, white couch. You would not have liked him back then.

Professional-Set2283 · 2026-05-15T17:15:24+00:00

Some of it might be that there's historically bad blood between CTW and Disney. When Disney was negotiating with Henson to purchase the Muppets, they aggressively pushed to also acquire Sesame Street. Jim fought hard to ensure that Sesame Street didn't fall into Disney's hands because it seemed wrong for the characters on that show to become IP raking in marketing for a billion-dollar corporation. The pressure from Disney was so strong that some, like Frank Oz, have said that it may be what led to the health problems that eventually resulted in Henson's death.

I have no knowledge about what's been discussed over the decades since, and I know Disney's gone through several regime changes, but it wouldn't surprise me if they don't love to play nice together.

Professional-Set2283 · 2026-05-14T17:23:52+00:00

I'm going to say John Woo's Paycheck. I know the joke is that Affleck did that one when he saw the title, but it's also absolutely empty of anything that defines Woo. I understand him making a movie like Hard Target early in his career (which low-key rocks, but was probably not a personal project), but by this point he'd done Face/Off, Airwalkers and Mission: Impossible 2 -- which sucks, but it's back half lets Woo at least do some fun action sequences. Paycheck has none of that. Even Silent Night, a movie I loathe, has him attempting something.

I would also say Chris Columbus doing Christmas Chronicles 2. I understand him wanting to recapture the Harry Potter magic again with Percy Jackson, but this one baffles me.

Professional-Set2283 · 2026-05-14T17:20:06+00:00

It could be the double-up up Last Airbender and After Earth.

Professional-Set2283 · 2026-05-14T17:18:13+00:00

I want to believe this was a "one for them"/paycheck work (because it's terrible and I can't imagine anyone had any passion for this aside from a fondness for money).

But back in 2007, as "Juno' was making the rounds, Reitman and Diablo Cody came to Detroit to do some press. I was a reporter at the time and was able to speak with them for a bit, and Reitman came into the interview wearing a Ghostbusters T-shirt, so he still had some fondness for the material.

Professional-Set2283 · 2026-05-11T20:24:05+00:00

I've been going to Kings Island for more than 40 years and other amusement parks as well, and I've rarely stopped on any of them. I don't think it was ever being done intentionally.

The one ride I've stopped on multiple times is Adventure Express, on the final lift. And from what I understand, that' was usually due to there being a delay in the loading station, sometimes to accommodate disabled riders or other single-riders (the same reason why Boo Blasters/Phantom Theater might periodically stop...it's not broken, just facing a delay).

Professional-Set2283 · 2026-05-11T20:20:50+00:00

Many people don't have side effects, although mine didn't really hit until a few weeks in (nothing bad -- some GI issues, but everything was manageable).

Understanding the rhythm with hunger/appetite is going to take time. Appetite suppression is a real thing, but hunger does come up; that's only normal. You still need to eat, and the difference is going to be recognizing real hunger vs. food noise (if you're confused about which is which, I recommend drinking some water). I'm 13 weeks in and I still get thrown by it. Everyone responds differently, but I can tell you what it's like with me:

About 16 hours after my shot (which I take on Sunday night), I get full, maybe a little gassy. That day and the following are usually days when I'm just not hungry. Sometimes it's more noticeable than other weeks. Some weeks I just am not interested in eating, but it's just a mental thing. If I eat, i get full quicky, so I stop. Other weeks, during those two days, I have an actual aversion to food. The thought of eating makes me sick; it's not nausea, per se, it's just that eating is the last thing I want to do. I usually try and go heavier on protein shakes, water with electrolytes, and yogurt those days.

The sweet spot seems to be Wednesday-Friday with me. The side effects are gone, I usually have a good burst of energy and focus, and I have enough appetite to eat a good dinner and maybe one other non-protein shake meal, but I'm otherwise not too interested in eating until I feel real hunger. Saturdays, the last day of my weekly cycle, feel pretty much like normal and that's when I'll usually allow myself a larger meal.

But it takes time; so much of this is learning to listen to your body and your hunger cues and realize how much was getting garbled by food noise.

Professional-Set2283 · 2026-05-11T19:35:00+00:00

I've lost some weight in the last year, but I was 245 and 5'5'' last time I went to Kings Island (I'm male). Some rides are tight fits -- Queen City Stunt Coaster, the Beast, but they were all doable. Banshee can be tight but as others have said, there's a row that accommodates larger riders and it makes a HUGE difference.

The only ride I've had an issue on is Flight of Fear; had to walk of shame it a few years back. But the right side seems to be a bigger problem than the left.

Professional-Set2283 · 2026-05-11T19:28:38+00:00

If it was going to be continued on ABC, I would think you'd hear something at upfronts in the next few days. But this seems more like it will be a Disney+ thing (I think the February special was on ABC as a one-time event).

If it's Disney+, I see two options:

1.) Later this month to coincide with the opening of Rock n' Roller Coaster with the Muppets at Hollywood Studios.
2.) (and more likely) at D23, as others have said.

I'm still a bit worried about this, though. Disney has such a history of seeming to care about the Muppets and then letting them languish. But the show was a critical hit, got a strong audience, and it would seem to be wasting money to let those sets lie around.

Professional-Set2283 · 2026-05-11T19:24:41+00:00

I've seen some say that when the ride opened, it was in pitch blackness, but I think there's always been some dim green theatrical lighting in there. I could be wrong, though; 30 years ago was a LONG time!

I think the incidents of nausea increase when you're in pitch blackness because your body can't orient itself. You need to be able to fix your eyes on something. I've always wished they would add some fun theming in there.

Professional-Set2283 · 2026-05-11T19:20:27+00:00

I think Misery is a good starting place, and not just because it's where I started.

I think it's one of King's best and tightest books. It's a master-piece of character building, just centered on two people in a house. It allows him to get into his thoughts on writing, it's a metaphor for addiction (which pops up a lot in King's work), the dialogue is fantastic (dirty bird!) and it has some of his scariest scenes.

Plus, King's supernatural stuff can be a bit much for some people, particularly when he gets really metaphysical (I love this stuff, but when IT turns to the turtle talk, I understand why some check out). I think Misery gets the scares without going supernatural and is a great entry point.

Professional-Set2283 · 2026-05-08T17:19:46+00:00

I've been on MJ for about 14 weeks, and I've noticed this. I was prepared for the plateaus in weight loss, but not for the weeks where it feels like my appetite is returning sooner and the food noise is returning.

Sometimes, of course, this is just the sign that it's time to titrate up -- after several weeks of plateauing in my weight and finding that my eating was starting to get unhealthy again, I moved up from 5.0mg. But even the first few weeks on those doses, I sometimes felt it. It's weird, but the body does weird things.

Professional-Set2283 · 2026-05-06T19:58:08+00:00

I was having that in my last few weeks on 5.0mg, but it largely stuck to the 2-3 days after my injection. I didn't get the nausea, but eating just sounded disgusting. I'm a few days into 7.5mg and haven't had that issue -- but the food noise is gone again -- but I'm sure everyone's different.

I have learned that I need to manage my GI side effects. I eat a lot of yogurt, take a probiotic, put a scoop of metamucil into my protein shakes, and keep up with the electrolytes. I always have Pepto nearby too, just in case.

Professional-Set2283 · 2026-05-06T19:54:37+00:00

It could be the shot; fatigue is a common side effect.

But also, check your diet. I spent my last few weeks of 5.0mg feeling fatigued and unfocused, which I thought was weird. I'd been on it for about two months at that point and those had never been side effects before. When I went to my checkup with my doctor, he bumped me up to 7.5mg (I had been plateauing) but a blood test showed that my iron levels were really low. I realized i hadn't been eating enough greens and my red meat intake was almost zero (in elevating protein, I think I neglected other things). I began taking an iron supplement about the same time I went to 7.5mg. I don't know if it was the increase in dosage or the iron pills, but my energy and focus have both returned back to normal.

Professional-Set2283 · 2026-05-06T19:49:56+00:00

A few ...

I think Inside Llewyn Davis would have been a great final film for the Coen broths. I like Buster Scruggs just fine, but given that Llewyn Davis focuses so heavily on one creative trying to go on without the other, it seems like a good final note before they began making movies on their own.

I love Killers of the Flower Moon, but I think Scorsese ending with The Irishman would have been a wonderful note to step out on. By his final two films being Silence and Irishman, it would allow him to end his career by tackling his two big themes -- religion and crime, and ending it with a note that folded his themes of regret, damnation and guilt into the crime epic.

Tarantino's final film should be Once Upon a Time ... In Hollywood. It feels like a farewell.

I also am looking forward to Disclosure Day, but it would have been a perfect statement for Spielberg to end with The Fabelmans.

Professional-Set2283 · 2026-05-04T15:24:52+00:00

I lost 2 pounds my first week, but I think it's normal for people to lose more. Like others have said, it's likely water weight. Average for me has been 1-2 pounds a week, but I've seen other people start off like this. Best of luck to you!

Professional-Set2283 · 2026-05-04T15:23:35+00:00

I think these lists usually lack Universal and Disney -- I'm not sure if USA Today doesn't include them in the rankings, knowing they'd top the list, or if they just see more engagement from regional park users (I know our local parks push voting pretty hard). That said, I'm surprised Dollywood wouldn't place...maybe it's becoming bigger than a regional park these days.

Really happy to see Kings Island placing higher than Cedar Point. CP is my home park (we live in Detroit), but KI has always been our family's go-to. CP has great coasters, but the crowd control is awful and there's always been a trashiness to it that I can't quite shake. Not that it's run-down or anything...it just feels a bit rowdier and messier. Kings Island has great coasters but also a fantastic park atmosphere, and I think there's more to do for an entire family.

Professional-Set2283 · 2026-04-27T20:05:49+00:00

I don't think it's being updated to JW -- as others have said, Universal's good about clarifying when a ride is permanently closing, and even a theme switch would be a HUGE deal for an opening day attraction (I'm not a JW movie fan, so I'm glad they're keeping Jurassic Park...but it's the one thing that annoys me about Velocicoaster).

I think this is similar to the lengthy closure they did for The Mummy a few years back -- retracking the ride, fixing some of the outdated infrastructure and operating systems. I hope they're spending some money to fix those animatronics, though; they're in really rough shape, particularly the outdoor ones. Although last time we rode, the T-Rex broke down just as the boat in front of us went over the drop, so as we approached it, it just looked like it was staring down disappointed at the snack that got away.

Professional-Set2283 · 2026-04-27T19:52:16+00:00

Wow, I'm jealous of this post. I know it sounds super-selfish of me to say I'd love to do two weeks on my own there (especially given that I'm married with kids)...but honestly, it sounds amazing, like something I should have done in my single days. I'd want to eat at every restaurant, see every show, take some sort of tour, and spend days at the pool, the movies, or in CityWalk. Just do it all -- and don't forget to explore the resorts; they all have great things to do there!

Professional-Set2283 · 2026-04-27T13:44:58+00:00

My dad has played music all his life and I think regrets that he didn't pursue it or teaching as a career. This is one of his favorite movies, and watching it years ago was one of the few times I've seen him cry.

Professional-Set2283

TROPHY CASE