FUN&ONLY!

Do you have pictures of these markers?

I agree with this 100%. If it is something like Time Traveler, it will be quite different from Backlot Stunt Coaster and Flight of Fear. Even if it is just a standard MACK Rides launch coaster, it will be different than Kings Island’s other launch coasters because it will have more inversions, hangtime, and just be an overall more modern ride.

I do agree that keeping the old Son of Beast station opens up possibilities, but considering how high it is off the ground and just how weird it looks with all of its ramps, I think the park would likely opt to demolish it and build a new station for a future rollercoaster like they did with Firehawk’s station and that is also likely why they demolished Vortex’s station. It is a lot easier to start from scratch then try to fit a new ride into an old station that would need to be re-engineered. Speaking of Vortex, when I saw its former site a few weeks ago, I noticed that maybe the photo booth remained. Can anyone confirm this?

I don’t see why they would keep Son of Beast’s station around simply out of nostalgia. Kings Island already built a Son of Beast memorial in the queue line for Banshee, and they demolished Vortex’s station which had a much greater history to it. In all honesty, I think Kings Island only kept Son of Beast’s station because it was a cheap way to add another haunt maze. Unless they can find a way to repurpose the station, it will continue to stand as a seldom used eyesore that will confuse the general public. I think the tombstone in Banshee’s queue line is enough of a nostalgic remembrance.

I still think a relatively minor project like this could happen with or without Halloween Haunt or Winterfest, but nevertheless, I am all for the park making visual improvements in burying the power lines and demolishing the Son of Beast station. Also, while some people may be disappointed if the Son of Beast station is torn down for nostalgic reasons, it really is an eyesore and the haunt that is inside of it isn’t anything special either. I also hope they take out that old overflow queue line near The Bat’s exit path.

I do agree that it could be simple infrastructure upgrades like burying telephone lines and demolishing the Son of Beast station, but that raises the question... why now? Kings Island has had years to demolish the old Son of Beast station and bury the ugly telephone lines, but it is now that they are finally jumping the gun. I still don’t think anything is coming for a couple years, but these infrastructure upgrades could be done as preparation for a project later down the line.

Is the marker near Son of Beast’s queue orange or pink? If it is orange, I think it has to do with communication while pink would be a temporary marker as previously mentioned.

Hopefully this fire was caused by an unrelated issue and not by the ride system itself or Cedar Fair will have even more reasons not to work with Intamin any time soon. LOL!

Supposedly the green Intamin track was damaged during the International Street renovation last year which is a huge bummer. Please take this as a joke...

I just don’t see why Cedar Fair would be jumping on a new rollercoaster right now in the middle of a pandemic with an uncertain future. When Valravn opened, there was no pandemic.

A new major rollercoaster in 2022 still seems unlikely considering Kings Island just got its largest investment ever and because Kings Island can easily market its 50th anniversary without a shiny new rollercoaster. However, these markings could be for a new entrance plaza, and I would be pretty excited for that. We already have a great entrance once you get past the main gate, and a reimagined main gate would elevate it that much more.

This does make me wonder. These survey marker ultimately aligned with the opening of Mystic Timbers the following year, right? If so, maybe we are seeing something more, but I still don’t think we are getting anything as big as a ride.

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This is really making me feel like it is just going to be simple utility upgrades.

I was just giving my thoughts in response to your comment. I am sorry if I wasn’t supposed to do that.

It is not uncommon for manufacturers to take inspiration other manufacturers. You could say that Intamin and Vekoma both ripped off B&M with their own inverted coasters. You could also say that MACK Rides ripped off Intamin with their multi-launch coasters. These models became more prevalent as many manufacturers took to producing them, and I think the same thing will happen with the single rail model in that many companies will develop their own versions.

I agree that RMC has made a niche market with their Raptors and Hybrids that other manufacturers can’t compete with. When you get to the T-Rex, however, there is a lot more competition when it comes to other mega coasters. There was not really any competition when RMC began selling Hybrids and Raptors, but there will be competition with the T-Rex from the get-go.

There have been rumors for a while now that RMC has shelved the T-Rex model due to a probable lack of demand from parks. The model would be very expensive, and it would basically be competing head-on with B&M’s and Intamin’s. There is a lot more competition when it comes to the T-Rex than for the Raptor and Hybrid models. From a park’s perspective, they would rather spend nearly the same money on a B&M hyper that is a proven model, a crown pleaser, and a higher capacity ride.

You do have a point, and I see where you are coming from. In fact, I agree that I would like to see more behind-the-scenes updates and stuff like that. I am one to look at all of the changes every season no matter how small they are, and I do wish the park shared pictures and videos both with media outlets and on social media platforms. One thing that I wanted to see this past offseason was construction updates with the Area 72 updates and maybe even some snippets of the IMAscore soundtrack for Orion, but the park shared practically nothing. The park never even acknowledged that they were building the Meteor Canteen until the last minute when news stations could have made stories on new dining options coming to Kings Island. I agree that the park may be “out of touch” with marketing and advertising, and I wish they would try to make improvements in this department. However, I do think Don Helbig has done a decent job with the Kings Island blog with interesting stories about the park and it’s attractions, but I know the park can do so much more.

Let’s not overthink this...

Again, if he did it to be mean, that is one thing. If he did it to be funny, that is another. Obviously, some people found his response funny based on the reactions to the post while others clearly weren’t as amused. Bottom line, we are not Don Helbig, and we don’t know what his intentions were. Because of this, there is no point in arguing back and forth whether he was doing it to be funny or to be mean because we don’t know.

I was just trying to give him the benefit of the doubt, and I guess none of us know what his real motive was. Even if it was meant to be mean, Don Helbig had a lot on his plate with reopening and whatnot, and while this is never an excuse for being rude, it is human to do things like this in stressful situations (though it is still inexcusable). Like you said he does not have a history of comments like that and after all he has done for the fans of Kings Island, I’ll give him a pass. Remember, like all of us, Don Helbig is a human and he makes mistakes like the rest of us.

I think at the very best these markers could be for a new entrance or a resurfaced parking lot which would honestly be amazing! I would be inclined to think these markers would be for work on electrical or water lines, but there are distinct colors for those utilities. Since most of the markers are temporary, I could also see them being used as early land surveying for a project way down the line. I know Kings Island is not going to add anything major for the next few years, but maybe the park is just getting measurements and soil samples for future years when they start planning a new attraction. The area in question, especially near Congo Falls and Invertigo has long been rumored to be the site of a future rollercoaster, so this makes sense. However, we likely won’t see anything major here for AT LEAST 3-4 years.

If these markers are for a new entrance or even a new ride, I don’t understand why they extend all the way to Tropical Plunge.

I think Don Helbig was trying to be more funny than rude, and while not everything Kings Island does is perfect, this year we should cut them some slack. The park is having to rethink all aspects of how they operate, and there are bound to be some mistakes. The best thing we can do is give Kings Island our honest feedback whether it is negative or positive.