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The designer of The Racer, Racer 75 and Thunder Road, John Allen, considered The Racer to be the finest of the roller coasters he designed during his legendary career. And he designed some good ones!

It’s hard to remain non-political when the reason we’re in this giant mess is strictly political. The ruling party has pushed out to their cult that masks are unnecessary and frowned upon, that the nation’s top infectious disease experts are not to be trusted and that we need to CUT testing in order to make the whole thing disappear. States are going BACK on lockdown for a second time because we have a complete void of leadership in the White House. Ban me or delete my post if you wish, but you cannot refute these facts.

Or why doesn’t anyone question why the USA makes up only 4.25% of the world’s population; yet we are 26% of the total known Coronavirus cases and 23% of the total world deaths due to Coronavirus…we are leading all countries by a long shot…Strive to be Number One in every category I guess...

Let's be honest - RMC's reliability is on par with Intamin, and the capacity is even worse.

You and everyone else lol. Either that or an intamin blitz

Reflection of Orion

We don't ban people for having a political opinion. We do understand this topic is hard to discuss without politics. Respectfully, we do ask to try and keep politics out of it, because nothing good ever comes out of that. Lastly, people come to KIC to get away from it, not read more about it.

Top healthcare facilities and professionals, sure. Top healthcare? Not so much. We’re probably not in the top 10. And yeah, let’s not beat around the bush. Our leadership is awful right now.

I'm actually hoping for a ground-up RMC in The Vortex spot.

^ For passholders, the reservation is tied to your season pass. When they scan you in at the front gate, they're able to see your reservation for that day.

Would like to see park change hours to be open later. People wishing to come after work wouldn't get there until >6p. Not much incentive to come out at that point.

Orion taking everyone by Storm

If this country doesn’t substantially change its policies very very soon and take this seriously the parks are going to look substantially similar next season as well. This is a slow moving ship and changes need to happen now, not 7 months from now.

I purposely did not include healthcare. Are you kidding me? The party in power is in court trying to strip healthcare from 30 million people with no backup plan. It would also kill protections for people with cancer and such where they can get locked out of even being able to PURCHASE insurance. All this happening during a 100 year pandemic. SMH

America is #1 in the world in medical research, medical innovation, and top healthcare professionals/facilities. It's not even close, but we are the absolute epicenter of the Coronavirus pandemic. Also not even close. You have to ask yourself why? Who is responsible? I think we know the answer.

There was a 50s show that was all outdoors and an outdoor stage where they did a modified peanuts show I think that I saw. All were socially distance the entire time and they wore masks before getting the equipment down or near each other and were all outside. Also dueling pianos in the gazebo near maverick and the firehouse looking building.

KDD who believes any discussion of any food item at a CF park is negligent and incomplete if it doesn't stipulate if it is on the meal plan or not.

Actually they are ! Rivertown Potato Works Gluten Free Chicken Tenders with Fresh Cut Fries Buffalo Chicken Fries Pulled Pork Fries

Saturday I was able to ride Orion! Thankfully, I was able to get in just as they opened. I was allowed to get in line without a time ticket, and after the ride I got a return time of 11-12 and rode again. The theme of the ride is my favorite thing. I love that they tied so many rides in KI's history into a great story and themed area, and I particularly like that they continued with FoF's theme, despite it being over 24 years old. As for the ride itself, it was a blast. I think this is the first coaster that ever made me blackout at the bottom of the first drop. The speed and force of the ride is awesome. My only issue is the length, it is incredibly short. I overheard many people saying the same thing while exiting, but were also praising the ride at the same time. Overall, this has been an excellent addition to the park. Banshee is still my #1 at KI though. Hopefully the next coaster is not another B&M.

I never thought nofnit that way. Close early and the electric bill drops significantly. In a time when you're looking to cut costs in any way possible that's a smart move.

The Eleventh Commandment is willing to make exceptions for improvements to the ride.

My gf and I had a miscommunication and she only reserved for herself - not both of us - the other day. My pass came up as a no go. Fortunately I was able to just go on my phone and make a reservation. Not gonna lie, I assumed the reservation thing was all smoke and mirrors too. Also, anyone else notice that the number of spots available is no longer in the drop down?

has the soundtrack for orion been released yet? i heard snippets from videos in area 72 and i really wanna hear the full thing Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk

The design of Racer 75 and Thunder Road is/was highly improved from KI Racer. 1. 3rd hill after the drop is/was a great floater hill on 75 and TR vs. the higher hill on Rscer that the trains just get over. 2. The split turnaround on Rscer really takes away from the racing aspect as you lose sight of the other train. 75 and TR stay/stayed together. 3. Drop into tunnel finale on 75/TR. Racer never had the tunnel even before they removed the final drop. Racer 75 is one of my favorite coasters because of the train interaction. Especially now that the lift hill is synchronized.

I must add that the ride references in the Quonset hut contain even more Easter eggs, namely in the captions of the Polaroid pictures adjacent to each ride's poster. Since that theming is by the Fast Lane queue, those smaller Easter eggs are much more difficult to notice from the slower-moving regular line, especially since that's where one would actually have time to look at those photos and references more closely. We haven't seen them all just yet!

Shake, Rattle & Roll debuted 45 years ago. Guests loved it! Today its opening would result in a thread comparing it to other similar type rides, debates about the ride's colors, the lighting package, how the queue was set up, etc. Once upon a time, people just enjoyed the ride.

A reference to a favorite ride in the queue of another.

You don’t need to make a reservation. You can just show up and have your ID scanned!

Based on my lifestyle (including significant work travel), I would place amusement parks at an 8 or 9 on this scale. Is my qualitative assessment going to stop me visiting Kings Island about once a week this season? Absolutely no, I feel there are many other risks that I readily accept each day that put me in greater danger. For me, the benefit of Kings Island outweighs its potential risks.

It's just a response to a rider getting hit with a phone on Twisted Timbers. Just like how Universal required empty pockets after a loose article incident on Dueling Dragons.

I don’t think that has anything to do with rmc. Rather Cedar Fair.

I got to ride FRONT row today, and it is a VERY different experience! SO MUCH BETTER!! Trust me, I am ALWAYS a "back row" person for coasters! I love getting PULLED over the drop and through elements so much more than getting pushed and hanging and waiting for the drop in the front row. But today in the front Orion felt SO much FASTER, the drop was insanely better, the speed hill AND helix were also so much better! I still say the "sideways" (2nd) hill and the turnaround are just "ehhhh..." and nothing special. But my son and I BOTH couldn't believe how much more we enjoyed Orion in the front rather than the back. Much more intense! It's moved up above Levithan for both of us. Something I'd like to compare sometime is how long (time or distance) the STRAIGHT part of all the giga drops are. Sure Orion has an 85deg drop but it seems like it's a VERY short part of the drop that is actually straight 85deg. It seems like the curve at the bottom starts REALLY high up on Orion. Is the straight part of the drop a lot longer on other gigas? I feel like it is from my ride experiences and just looking at images of the drops...

They are "spiral cut potatoes with KI chip seasoning" https://www.visitkingsisland.com/blog/2020/july/refuel-at-the-new-meteor-canteen-consumption-station-in-area-72-at-kings-island?page=3 My question is is anything at the new Meteor Canteen included on the dining plan? (would like to try the chili dog.)

I would be happy with a fastlane refund plus interest. But just simply a refund or saying hey you can't use it in 2020 at all but its good for all of 2021. That isn't good enough. You are taking it personal by making the post I am replying too. I drove 2 hours to ride Orion yesterday for the first time and used my fastlane twice while I waited. At 12:30pm Onion Mystic, Diamondback and Beast were still not running. So I left and drove back home. I had somewhere to be and couldn't stick around till pay close and hope the one new ride I drove there for opens. As of right now I don't know if I will be back to any Cedar Fair park at all this year or until things go back to normal next year. The masks restrictions, The slow lines and slow ops, the rides all being half closed at King's Island and Cedar Point and the mixed reviews of Orion make me think it may just not be worth my time. When my passes run out my money is going to a park like Holiday World who is handing everything so much better.

I'd like to see the park bring back the drink wristbands as an option for single day ticket holders, like they've done the last few years (presumably to compete with Holiday World). I'm not carrying a souvenir bottle around with me all day for refills. With it being as hot as it's been, and not wanting to use water fountains during COVID, I'll probably be spending $20-30 a day there on drinks. I'd honestly be happy to just pay that up front for an unlimited wristband, just for the convenience of not having to pay each time I get a drink. I think the season drink plan is only $32, but it's only available as an add-on for a season pass.

I got 2 rides on it over the weekend. So far, I like it. I'll need a few more rides before I can make a good judgment on it. It's a solid addition to the park. As of now, Fury 325 remains my favorite giga coaster.

Awesome Coaster Studios review of Orion. Totally agree with the feel of the speed hill and the last airtime hill. Regarding a possible rattle, as a structural engineer I do not feel the ground beneath B&M coasters at Kings Island is the cause of the so-called B&M rattle. As a mechanical engineer, I would feel it has something to do with dampening. Personally, I love Diamondback's rattle. A visit to Kings Island would pail without the sound of her rattling over the first airtime hill. And in the wild, Diamondback rattlesnakes rattle.

I have occasionally grayed out on the upward helix of Backlot Stunt Coaster. I definitely did on parts of Intimidator 305 as well. Definitely NOTHING close feeling like it on Orion to me. Depends on how hydrated you are, if you've eaten, etc though.

According to the dictionary they should just shoot out of you quicker with increased thrust, but cannot confirm.

Anyone tried this yet? Looks very good . Per @chuck norris above it does not seem to be on the meal plan.

I made a solo trip to the park today. (The rest of my family didn’t feel safe attempting it.) My opinion...because I know everyone cares. I give the park credit, I think they have done ABOUT all that is possible to make the park reasonably safe...but in the end, you just can’t fix stupid...or arrogance. (It will be a job to enforce all of the rules if the park REALLY gets busy.) Here are 2 examples I saw today...I think the second one falls into the stupidity category...I’m not sure about the first one... Example A: I was next in line to enter the tent to have my temperature taken, I glance behind me...and I kid you not, a guy is within a foot of me! He couldn’t even make it through the “turnstiles” without breaking the rules...he did have a mask on though. (I swear, if I had a nickel for every time I’ve shaken my head at stupidity during my lifetime would have been able to outbid Cedar Fair for the parks back then. ) Example B: A mother and a daughter were walking down one of the “main drags” without masks on, drinking cups of water. An associate called them over to explain that they had to have their masks on. I felt so bad for the associate, what should have been about a 30 second conversation went on for about 3 minutes. The mom seemed to think that because they were drinking it was a “get out of jail free card”. (In my hometown, grocery store cashiers are receiving “hazard pay”...maybe the park should consider something like “stupidity pay”. ) I thought most people seemed to be wearing their masks properly...but I wasn’t purposely staring at everyone. Keeping masks on the little kids seemed to be the hardest thing...but it also seemed like parents were trying. I thought that most of the time people were doing a good job at social distancing...but, since the park wasn’t crowded it was easy. I did notice that people bunched up into a normal crowded line to collect their Orion ride tickets though...I just don’t know how many extra associates it would take to stop that from happening. My overall opinion, I wanted to be able to say that I experienced this COVID style Kings Island...and I don’t regret doing it...but, I didn’t think of something in advance that I should have...“this” Kings Island would be lacking one of the main ingredients of why I visit the park...escapism from the real world...unfortunately, it followed me to the park. I hope the park can make this work...I don’t envy them. I did pick up quite a few souvenirs...because as @BeeastFarmer said earlier “because you help people when they are down.“ (That, and I love all of the new pins! ) Out of everything I bought though, I thought this souvenir summed up a trip to Kings Island in 2020 perfectly! (The idea of getting a caricature now just seemed so ludicrous...something I’d expect to see in a “Naked Gun” or “Airplane” movie.

Glad you also enjoyed the dip. Here is my write up if you haven’t seen it:

Get em @DonHelbig

No but it was 8.95 and worth every penny. My wife and I are making a effort to spend more inside the park (we had 3 Shotgun Wedding IPA's between us. Hints of Vanilla bean aged in burbon barrells was fantastic) as our way of helping out in these trying times for the chain. CF could have easily just extended the passes and not the funpix, drink or meal plans but they led the industry by making a call to benefit all of the pass holders, even allowing people to buy this year and extending the passes to 2021. I hope others who can afford to do so will follow suit as I am impressed by the generosity of Cedar Fair in this regard. I don't see any other large chain doing this and they should be commended for their swift and early decision.

"Kentucky Kingdom has a couple dope coasters". There, fixed it.