Leaderboard

Two photos for your consideration. The first one was taken last week, and the second about 30 mins ago. I report, you decide...

I suspect, and hope, they will install pavers back there. At the Orion announcement, I took note that the concrete was cracking/breaking up in places. I noticed this because I saw a kid pick up a broken piece of concrete and throw it! So replacement/repair was needed.

I hate seeing that sight at any angle >_ Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

#weknowwhatsintheshed

The Beast as seen from back around WindSeeker and the now gone Vortex, captured around April 2019 (I believe opening day)

Saw this on the Carowinds app today. Can Kings Island please implement this.

Anyone ever wonder what goes through the minds of the crew that tears down these historical structures? Like, I understand there are probably some who have zero feelings or thoughts about it since it’s just another job/pay check, but I can’t imagine there not being a single person feeling sad about tearing down so many memories. And very likely I’d imagine there has to be at least one member on the crew with their own memories of the ride. That always crosses my mind any time these types of demolitions occur. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I'll keep The Vortex theme going.

Most enthusiasts expected props, screens and sounds--which is what we got. There was wild speculation about drop tracks, reverse launches and the like. But if people were disappointed, they set themselves up for it. But, this has been discussed ad nauseum, and this is a Orion thread, so no sense debating it again! [emoji6]

Looking back at still images from the weatherbug camera, Loop 1 went down between 9:30 and 9:45 this morning

Woah! Must have happened today!

Oh dear- IMO, it is kinda obvious what is gone. TIP: Look above Boo Blasters in both pictures. With the 2 Corkscrews not visible from here in either picture, it is possible that 2nd loop is the last remaining inversion of Vortex still standing.

I'll repost this pic just because I hate looking at it sideways.

Yes, there will be a light package and it will be quite impressive.

One thing I really enjoy about Orion is just knowing it will be here to enjoy for many years to come. I went to KI maybe 4 times this year with different people and many of them were ready to leave around 2-4 pm(we always got early entree when no one was there and just lapped around the park finishing around 12). With Orion I’m sure we’ll stay this year much longer and hopefully till night for The Beast. Orion will be a solid addition to this park that lacks a just one good coaster to be a all day park and Orion will fill that spot perfectly. It’s nice to know that if we feel like we’re done with the park, Orion will always be there for one more ride.

Going into its 6th year, Coasterstock gets more popular each year and has become a staple event for coaster enthusiasts from around the world. For the hundreds of guests that are attending, they are in for hours of morning and evening ERT on the park's favorite coasters. Other items on the itinerary of the event include a catered lunch one day and dinner on the next, guest speakers, behind the scenes tours, photo contests, and scavenger hunts. The most important part of Coasterstock are the memories and friendships that are created at the event. We have even had at least one marriage from a couple that met at Coasterstock. What does it take to put on an event like Coasterstock? The coasters are there, Chef Major can just whip up some lunch and dinner for hundreds of guests pretty easily right? Well, for the normal guest and even enthusiasts it sure seems like this would not be a big deal for the park to put together easily and then we just show up. When I spoke to Don Helbig, Area Manager, Digital Marketing at Kings Island about what it takes to put on a two day coaster event, this is what he had to say: "There is a lot involved in putting together an event like Coasterstock. It touches every division. Planning begins nine months out, starting with establishing the lineup for the morning and night exclusive ride sessions. We have to stay within a certain footprint with the ride groupings so we can get the rest of the park ready to open the next day or morning after a day of operation. Once the ride schedule has been set, then it’s on to adding in the behind-the-scenes opportunities and catered meal times. We have participants representing more than 20 states, Canada and Europe every year, so we want to make sure that we’re allowing enough time around the Coasterstock activities for everyone to enjoy and experience the rest of the park. In January, the event gets published on our website and we begin the process of setting up the ticket packages in the online store. Once tickets are set up, we’re ready to announce the on-sale date and begin promoting the date on our owned and shared channels. The event t-shirt and lanyards are ordered around the beginning of March. Once the t-shirts and lanyards come in, we begin the process of fulfilling the pre-check orders. This can take up to a week to complete." With the addition of Orion and the quality of the event put on by the park, KICentral members knew that this year's event would be more popular than ever before. KICentral admin worked closely with the park to get accurate and informative information to those that were interested in the event leading up to the day tickets went on sale. On February 3rd tickets for the sixth Coasterstock went on sale at 10:00AM. Within 12 hours of them going on sale, the hundreds of open spots for the event were gone. This was the fastest the park has sold out for Coasterstock since it started. Here is what Don Helbig had to say about it selling out so quickly: "The anticipation and excitement surrounding the debut season for Orion combined with Coasterstock selling out further in advance last year than ever before made it a recipe for tickets to sell out fast this year. There was a fear of missing out so people were ready to get their tickets the moment they went on sale on Monday." A lot of KICentral members are very excited about the 6th year of Coasterstock. The admin team at KICentral hopes this is another memorable event making memories and creating friendships that last a lifetime. What are you looking forward to the most about Coasterstock this year?

New year's Eve 2019. Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

Every year we take my sons photo in this spot so we can watch him grow over the years. Let's just say the next few years the photos should be rather interesting.

What lesson would they learn? The shed is a great ending to a story line on a themed coaster. I, and many other people, rather enjoy the intricate theming they put into the coaster.

I think people would try to return their Gold Passes if KI teased another shed mystery lol

Weatherbug cam is still working for me. Also, per the arrow, I think the second loop is still standing for now....

Looks like they turned the new transfer lights on too.

Ouch, that hurts to see. Wonder how long it’ll be before it’s all gone. Thanks for the update.

I wanna see it move! Is it too early to put trains in the storage shed ? lol yeah i know it is. Just wishful thinking since they don't need to work on those trains.

Maybe testing certain functions of the ride?

Wow! Really exciting to see that the transfer track already functions. I wonder what electronics have still yet to be installed. Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk

Looks like they have the transfer track moved for some work

According to the animation, here is the supposed Quonset Hut building in the queue. It looks like the standard queue roof that is in queue lines like Mystic Timbers and Copperhead Strike.

GateKeeper after a storm in 2014

From what I have heard on Facebook from a Kings Island employee. The loop was the first loop and that it came down at approximately 9:43AM today.

Tennessee tornado I assume, I don’t believe Drachen Fire used cad considering how horrible that coaster was.

It should be a Space dock Bay instead of a shed...

In some bleak hope of of being mislead by Kings Island PR, I think it has finally set in that there will be a large sum of emptiness in the back of the park this year. Let’s hope now that whatever shall take it’s place be as equally or greater as an icon as Vortex. May it also bring us new memories that are as good as that blue and orange steel Phoenix that rose from the ashes of The Bat. Amen

I meannnnn the logo was a Robots arm.....so yeah it was alive. Photo credit: CoasterFanatics ( Google).

Yeah I see that now in pictures. Maybe second loop is still alive.

And here comes the fog.

One of the loops was there at 9:30am and gone at 9:45 am. Pics from weatherbug cam. It does seem that both loops are gone.

Me thinks weatherbug cams are down right now for a reason.

Most likely, Hicon has been contracted and they do paver work so it’s somewhat likely that’s what they’ll do.

As a former Vortex crew member it made me really upset when I heard they were tearing it down. The people I worked with on that crew were texting eachother and upset, so I can confirm there are a lot of people who care.

I wonder what they are doing?

Considering that is (was) the entrance and that tree was just to the midway side of the train shed part of the station, I'm gonna say the entire thing was downed at once.

It looks like it might be spot lights from the ground.

Yeah! I hope evening/closing time rides on Orion are like Millennium Force where it's so fun and you want to get one more ride!

Like a week ago i caught this on the webcam at about 6:45 am. This gives me hope that they are putting in a light package

Also, in reference to a few pages back. We still have the mysterious prop building that the queue allegedly goes through. I have been lead to believe that something goes on in there.

Man, I hope they really amp up the aesthetics for this coaster. Textured lighting, LED lights on the lift hill and supports, maybe even that LED light strip along the lift hill catwalk like Fury 325 and Intimidator!

Nothing new at city hall. Sorry guys. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

You are to that stand like IndyGuy4KI is to Mystic Timbers, VortexBFForever is to Vortex, and I am to Off the Charts.

11. Rivertown Freestyle will be open the day you visit.