FUN&ONLY!

It is probably still in the works, but I see it happening later than originally planned due to financial setbacks related to COVID-19. The 2021 season will likely determine the course of Cedar Fair’s future, so next year really needs to go well. If next year shows signs of significant recovery, a lot of delayed projects will likely be resumed. I still hope that Kings Island will be able to do a lot of things for our 50th anniversary in 2022.

Unfortunately, this project is likely going to be delayed along with most of Cedar Fair’s other upcoming projects.

This looks pretty cool!

I’ll be riding the Grand Carousel of course!

Dispatches have been very good recently!

Where were the initials located on the Flight of Fear building? Also, did the park just put this stand up recently?

I hope the helicopter and the accident are not connected. I hope the park contacts the police.

What is that helicopter doing? It literally has all of the rides shut down because it is getting extremely close to the rides.

I drove past the park tonight right after 10:00 PM, and it was sad seeing how empty not only the park was but the entire surrounding area. Usually there are droves of cars coming out of the park and busy streets and restaurants. Every business and restaurant was closed or dead, and it just looked sad. When August rolls around, I would actually be happy with fewer days open but longer hours on the select days they are open. Kings Island has a great nighttime vibe, and it is sad not being able to experience it. When Kings Island originally released their 2020 calendar, I remember people being very upset that they were only going to stay open until 12:00 AM instead of 1:00 AM during Haunt, but now even being open until 10:00 PM seems SO NICE!

Any new ride really should not have a rattle.

I have been under the impression that it is the trains on Banshee that cause the rattle. When B&M designed Banshee, they opened for redesigned lighter inverted trains instead of their heavier old-school inverted trains. Since these trains are much lighter, they are not as snug against the track, and the gap between the wheels causes rattling. On Diamondback and Orion, the rattle is very slight and can be found on many other coasters of the same type, so I think those trains are fine. The trains on Banshee, however, are only featured on Banshee and on no other inverts, so this makes sense why Banshee has a rattle unlike any other B&M invert. I have always wondered what Banshee would be like if it had the old-school B&M invert trains. I think it could potentially be a lot smoother, faster with the added weight, and more forceful with the added speed. I have also wondered if B&M had originally anticipated putting their old invert trains on Banshee or that the ones they put on would run faster because they initially put a trim break in the original layout, but it was later removed because it wasn’t needed. Just look at the original animated POV, Banshee absolutely hauls through the layout!

I can think of some other relatively new coasters that also feature rattles. Some non-B&M’s that come to mind include Steel Curtain, Copperhead Strike, Hyperion, and Red Force (this one is really bad). B&M is definitely not the only manufacturer with some rattling on their coasters.

Do we know if it is supposed to be a clone?

Barnum Painting putting some finishing touches on Orion’s paint job!

I apologize as my response did come off differently than I wanted it to. People are allowed to have different opinions. Our opinions make us who we are. When it comes to rollercoasters, people are also allowed and encouraged to have their own opinions. If we all had the same opinions on rollercoasters, there would be no need for discussion sites like this. Some people enjoy rides, others don’t and that is okay! My response was more geared towards enthusiasts who don’t seem to find the fun in any rides if it does not satisfy their needs for intensity. I am more referring to those enthusiasts who say Orion is a HORRIBLE ride as they can’t seem to get enjoyment out of ride even if it isn’t a perfect ride. I get everyone has their own opinions, and I respect each and every one of them. I just think that enthusiasts need to ride rollercoasters with a more open mind and enjoy rides for what they are. When it comes to Orion, I think enthusiasts should enjoy Orion for what it is instead of making fun of it and dismissing it. Again, I apologize for not properly respecting other people’s opinions, and I encourage people to form their own opinions on rides regardless of what others say. I also encourage people to ride rides with an open mind and not have a set definition of the perfect rollercoaster in your head because you may find yourself surprised with a rollercoaster you thought you would never like.

Is the park doing a special Orion lighting sequence? That would be really cool!

I probably ranted too much on that, but you had said that people were claiming Orion was a HORRIBLE ride which I think is a little to extreme. In the end, it is not worth arguing over, and I apologize for escalating the disagreement.

First of all, I don’t recall anybody saying Orion was a HORRIBLE ride. Second of all, I said the VAST MAJORITY of people love Orion! Some people have blatantly criticized Orion, but those people are honestly just entitled “enthusiasts” who can’t seem to get enthusiastic about a freaking GIGA COASTER! Some people can’t admit they had a great time on a coaster if it doesn’t have crazy lateral forces, -2 g of airtime, and a zero g stall. People who can’t have fun on a ride really shouldn’t be riding rides and throwing their negative opinions out there. And regarding El Toro and Skyrush, some people absolutely HATE those rides, especially Skyrush, but that doesn’t mean they are bad rides. It just means some people have different opinions. In Orion’s case, it will probably be a lot more universally loved because not only enthusiasts will find enjoyment in it, but the general public will enjoy it too. Sorry to break it to you, but a lot of the general public think El Toro and Skyrush are painful, but again, that doesn’t mean they are bad rides.

Maybe you just rode Orion under some unfavorable conditions. I don’t know. The vast majority of people say that Orion gives some pretty strong airtime, and I can agree with that having ridden it. Like @DonHelbig said, let’s just enjoy the ride! We don’t need to compare Orion to other giga coasters, let alone Skyrush and El Toro which are completely different rides.

Let’s say it does provide -2 g’s of airtime which means we have to assume the Ride Forces app is wrong. What’s not to say the app also greatly underestimated Orion’s airtime?

https://www.coaster101.com/2020/07/02/the-hidden-easter-eggs-of-orion/ This article has pictures of all of them, and it also points out what they reference!

I heard of that too! All of those big barrels in Area 72 (I think there are four) are supposedly repurposed old fountain pedestals.

Are the lights in Flight of Fear’s station shining on the specimens working this year?

They probably want to have the site prepped for future expansion whenever they finally decide to give the green light. I honestly wouldn’t be surprised if they plant grass here for the time being seeing that a replacement seems pretty far off. One thing is for sure, the plot will certainly look empty no matter how much they try to hide it.

This is pretty cool! Vortex may be gone, but its chain lift still lives on!