starlitfire

Even though I've been going to the park for over 10 years now, for whatever reason I didn't ride Beast until Diamondback opened. It was still some of the best fun I've ever had, though! When I had a phase in which I didn't enjoy riding coasters but finally wanted to try riding WindSeeker, my mom forced me onto The Beast, and I absolutely loved it! I still have a keychain photo with me and my constipated-looking face (lift hills give me serious anxiety, so the only ride photo where I don't look terrible is Manta at SWO, which I have a ride photo of myself on my desk) coming down the first life hill. Riding Beast eventually got me into riding coasters again like Banshee, Vortex, and Invertigo and I hope to ride Flight of Fear for the first time and reride Diamondback after having enjoyed Mako this past winter.

When I start craving blue ice cream and spring break has finally passed, meaning the offseason is coming to an end. Seriously though, I live 900 miles away from the park for most of the year. The cravings for Skyline, LaRosa's, and blue ice cream are seriously a problem.

I think that if it is placed in the back of the park, then yes. There's simply enough terrain and space back there that I hope for a long ride. I don't think it will be the longest coaster in the world (since RCDB has the difference between Steel Dragon 2000 and Fury as a little over 1500 feet) but with Fury being the longest steel coaster in North America, I'd love to see KI have the longest wooden in the world as well as the longest steel coaster in the world, but I think the latter will be a continental record rather than world record.

Looking at the bright side of the removal of the trees, at the very least we'll have better views of the fountain as well as the fireworks show. I'm hoping that they'll put umbrellas in the tables to replace the trees, as shade is definitely a necessary thing in the middle of summer.

Here's a good question: If the giga addition and Firehawk removal are unrelated, then what does that mean for the entrance/loading plaza of the ride? I still assume that it will be in the back of the park, but would it take space over in Action Zone in the unused area around Banshee? I assume that the location of the antiques takes using the DA area out of the occasion. If it doesn't fit where Firehawk was then there's unlikely no other place to put it in Coney Mall that doesn't interfere with Racer in some way. I'm just trying to come up with new discussions that hopefully don't bring up discourse (since it seems that the removal of Firehawk is becoming an issue in here).

So if the new fountains on I-Street turn out to be show fountains, does anyone have any idea if they'll do shows hourly (similar to what happens at The Island in Pigeon Forge) or if it would just correspond with the fireworks show? My guess is more likely the fireworks show, but I'd love to see mini shows happen hourly.

As much as I loved riding Manta at SWO, I think the chances of us getting a flying coaster after removing one would be pretty slim to none. A floorless coaster would be nice to keep us close to the inversion record, but I do still think the most likely option is a giga given what has been brought up in this thread. Whilst B&M markets Diamondback and a hypothetical giga as the same model, based on what I've heard about Intimidator 305 and Fury (as I've yet to ride either coaster) I presume that it's a different enough ride since they seem to have the 300 foot drop, one large floater airtime hill and the rest is fairly low to the ground (if I'm wrong on this come tell me, I am simply trying to generate content).

That would make sense, especially if KI employees are sent to help at CP for any reason, such as an exchange program. Besides, 425 feet seems a lot more like a drop from a potential lifthill, given the fact that we think it's going in the back of the park.

Looking back now, do I think it could be saved? Yes, but knowing that the structure wasn't built well along with its reputation, I think it would easier to build an entirely new wooden/RMC there or something like that next to Banshee. I never got to ride it with or without loop (since my first visit to KI was in 2008 and my family really didn't go to that side of the park) but if the structure was in that bad of shape when it went SBNO to never reopen, I don't think CF would necessarily want to spend the money to fix it now. It would probably be easier just to build an entirely new wooden coaster, add a zero g roll or another inversion, and congrats! We now have an inverting wooden roller coaster that is actually reliable at Kings Island.

B&M Giga SoB remake confirmed, with double tracks so that one goes backwards? I'd totally say so. Bonus if Intamin prefabricates the track. In more serious news, has anything else interesting been spotted on the Banshee camera? Asking since while I know they won't build out there, it would be interesting to see if the park is moving a lot of dirt, more than what we think would be needed for the antiques and anything for the I-Street reno.

IIRC, Vekoma and RMC have a deal where Vekoma constructs the rides out of North America. Personally if Vekoma was ever good before becoming the king of cloned, unpopular rides, they've definitely made a comeback.

As far as what Wikipedia can tell us, 1983 was a fairly quiet year with no new attractions and just the retheming of part of the Wild Country Safari area into Adventure Village. KECO was formed that year and King Cobra came the year after. Also the original version of The Bat closed before the season ended. After doing a little bit of research the only thing interesting I can find related to amusement parks would be that Tokyo Disneyland opened that day.

Given that people were thinking we were going to get an RMC version of Son of Beast, I think that keeping this announcement nice and sweet was a better idea. It probably would have overshadowed the return of the Antiques, and I doubt that most of the GP would necessarily care. Will they enjoy the retracking? Sure, but unless it was getting converted into an RMC Hybrid then I think that it's not worth writing home about it.

I would assume that KI would probably tweet when they finally take down the track. It's what they did for SoB's demolition.

Final Steel Vengeance (8) vs. The Beast (8)     3rd  Banshee (3) vs. Maverick (10)

This year was GREAT for me! A few years ago I stopped riding coasters, but after being dragged on The Beast with my mother I found a new love for them. Whilst I rode a few coasters at KI prior to this year, none of them included inversions and this year, that changed. Now I can add Banshee, Vortex, and Invertigo to my credit list! Whilst I regret not riding Firehawk before its closure, I did get a chance to ride Manta at Sea World Orlando and absolutely loved it. I hope that I can ride Nighthawk at Carowinds before it closes, although with the closure of Firehawk I think it will stay open for a while longer. This means I have one coaster I've yet to ride at KI (Flight of Fear) which I hope to ride next summer.

I like the idea of bringing a Mack water coaster to the park. If it worked like Journey to Atlantis does at Sea World Orlando, I think it could be a big hit.

I think a parade through International Street would be an interesting addition and could be very interesting if done right. If Peanuts Celebration returns this upcoming season, I think a Peanuts Parade would be a perfect addition to the festivities. Outside of that event, I can't imagine anything other than a holiday or maybe even a Halloween parade.

If Cedar Fair needed any GP approval of a giga coaster, they might be getting it by seeing WCPO talking about it.

Hoping that it's Firehawk, not Vortex or anything else.

Will be in class when this announcement happens, but I look forward to a happy farewell thread to whatever coast has limited days left at KI.

Have to agree with this, especially since KK is a competitor park. Also, I don't think KK would purchase a handmedown with maintenance problems if that's the case of Firehawk's removal, since my guess is that it would be more of an issue at an independent park in regards to attendance and money.

Agreed. All of the woodens have their own place here and I doubt that KI would want to give the most wooden track record back to Holiday World given they just got it back with Mystic Timbers.

The way I've always imagined Vortex leaving KI is that if it needed another expensive, hard to find part fixed (as per what happened in 2011 or 2012 IIRC), then chances are that Vortex would probably close down for good. With Arrow Loopers becoming more and more of a rarity, I'm thankful that I was able to finally ride Vortex this past year (as it's what has made me enjoy riding more than the woodies and The Bat). I forced myself to hop on and ride it, and I rode Banshee as well and definitely enjoyed Banshee! Also, if Firehawk is losing popularity and is a maintenance nightmare, then chances are we know where the B&M might be going if Firehawk is going to be taken down.

As much as I'd love to be at this announcement tomorrow and see the impossible become real again (thanks to RMC), a) I have my honours college retreat 800 miles away and b) something is telling me that RMC SoB is a lifetime away but RMC Racer is more likely.