Spectrum91

I'm obviously confused or missing something here... Based off a real picture of the train, the concept art representation looks identical. And both the ascent and descent appear to twist in the proper direction. What am I missing?

Think what you want, but they're identified as drivers at Kings Island. As others have echoed, Rocky Mountain Construction makes world-class, smooth wooden roller coasters. Don't let past experiences on monstrosities like Son of Beast negatively affect your opinion on newer coasters like Goliath. It may not be rough anymore, but it's still not exciting or noteworthy - in my opinion, Mean Streak is a massive snooze. I am crossing my fingers and hoping RMC will step in within the next few years and refurbish it.

Pardon this piece, which solely signifies the attraction's extreme height, how is the concept art wrong?

Speed-Rail is a specific brand of queue line handrails. It's created by Hollaender and the majority of Kings Island's queue lines are Speed-Rail. Next time you're at the park, just check the joints that connect the long pieces - it has the Speed-Rail name engraved on it.

If seatbelts were added, it'd most likely be the result of a manufacturer recommendation... which, in the state of Ohio, is a requirement. As TTD-120-420 stated, I believe you mean Carowinds' Intimidator.

Yes, Rotor was relocated in Kings Island... but not in Coney Mall. In 1972 and 1973, it was to the right of Bavarian Beetle, roughly where Delirium's queue is today. In 1974, to make way for Lion Country Safari, the ride was relocated to the left side of Bavarian Beetle, roughly in the spot between the Woodshop and Festhaus. While at Kings Island, however, it never operated outside of Oktoberfest.

Nice pictures! However, I think you may have your date slightly off: Nickelodeon Splat City didn't open until the following year, 1995.

It's brand new, saying there wasn't paint on it before.

Saying Adventure Express is also a five, I'd have been surprised if Banshee was anything but.

Kings Island used to have many more concerts in Timberwolf, but the venue isn't as ideal for most major bands anymore, especially with Riverbend Music Center, US Bank Arena, and other newer locations close by.

Edited because the subject has apparently been covered before.

I see that the park still has metal detectors... at least on the map, anyhow.

As TTD-120-420 mentioned, don't bother with Cedar Point's: it's insanely expensive. Kings Island's, with its typical $5 price in the morning, is the cheapest Skycoaster I've ever encountered.

^Well, the front page recently underwent a minor overhaul, placing the rotating image at the top. But the forums are in a dire need of upgrading.

^It's unfortunate that the majority of good (and legal) POVs are from that site. I cannot stand his voice and screams in the background, and I honestly can't say I'm a fan of him or supporting his website in general: you'd think that you want to be welcoming and friendly towards members of your website, not a complete jerk.

CoasterForce has posted a POV of the new ride: My opinion of the new addition: wow! Not only does the roller coaster appear to be a thrilling, enjoyable attraction, but it's very unique and noteworthy for multiple reasons: there's both a launch(es) and a lift hill, the ride travels forwards and backwards, it utilizes remnants from the former Adventure Mountain, and, for a seasonal park, it has some great themeing and effects. But the best part, in my opinion? The 39" height requirement. The only coaster a 39" child can ride at Kings Island is Great Pumpkin Coaster, which is tiny compared to Dollywood's new attraction. And don't get me wrong, Banshee looks great. But our park could really benefit from future additions similar to this one, which can accommodate whole families.

Ditto with Flight Deck, Adventure Express, and maybe ~50% of the rides with music. Others though, like Drop Tower and Invertigo, have their soundtracks synced with the ride. When the cycle starts, so does the music.

Therefore, Cedar Point's FastLane is not as good a value as Kings Island's. If I spend extra money for extra treatment, I expect that extra treatment, and would feel scammed if I had to stand and wait as long (if not longer) than a guest who didn't pay for the service.

Just a summation of all the FastLanes, and how they operate, circa 2013... INTERNATIONAL STREET Eiffel Tower - Takes you directly to elevator, no wait Boo Blasters on Boo Hill - Takes you directly to station, 3-5 car wait Action Zone Invertigo - Takes you directly to the station, 1-2 train wait Congo Falls - Starts midway through queue, takes you directly to station, 1-2 boat wait. Drop Tower - Takes you directly to loading, no wait Delirium - Takes you to the "bull pens", 1 cycle wait OKTOBERFEST Adventure Express - Takes you directly to the station, 1-2 train wait Viking Fury - Stars midway through queue, takes you to platform. Generally 1-4 cycle wait (unless the park is very crowded and the queue house is used, this seems like the least helpful FastLane in the park) CONEY MALL Racer - Takes you directly to station, 1-2 train wait Zephyr - Right to loading, no wait Monster - Right to loading, no wait Scrambler - Right to loading, no wait Dodgem - Right to loading, no wait Firehawk - To separator, 1-2 train wait Flight of Fear - To inside UFO, 1-3 train wait Vortex - Right to separator, 1-2 train wait WindSeeker - Right to separator, 1 cycle wait Shake, Rattle, and Roll - Right to loading, no wait RIVERTOWN The Beast - Right to separator, 1-3 train wait Diamondback - Right to separator, 1-3 train wait Planet Snoopy Flying Ace Aerial Chase - Right to separator, 1-3 train wait Race For Your Life, Charlie Brown - Right to station, no wait Surf Dog - Right to separator, 1 cycle wait

The one right next to the front gate is in a rather poor location for various reasons... I despised that when I worked at the park in 2008 and 2009. Nothing like ending a shift with a breath full of second hand smoke...

^The Racer's track(s) have a thin steel rail on them. So The Racer is a steel roller coaster(s) too, right?

The half-marathon caught me off guard - I believe it's the longest run the park has yet done, and I am very curious how they plan to fit a thirteen mile course into Kings Island. If you download and open Google Earth, there's an option to draw a path over the landscape and it'll tell you it's length. Just try to make a logical one that long and you'll see what a challenge the park is set to face.

I don't know if it was the first test run, but Diamondback was testing by February 27, 2009.

Super late response here, but a sloppy search on RCDB turns up three coasters: Leap the Dips from Lakemont Park in Pennsylvania opened in 1902 Scenic Railway from Luna Park in Australia opened in 1912 Rutschebanen from Tivoli Gardens in Denmark opened in 1914 This doesn't include coasters which opened 100+ years ago but have since been relocated to other parks, nor does it include anything the site is uncertain on (such as "Opened 1904 or earlier").

But the 17-year-old with experience would have had to start as a newly-hired 16- or 17-year-old with zero experience.