Cormaster

Firehawk does 50 miles per hour. It is one of my favorite coasters at Kings Island, though I like Nighthawk even better at Carowinds...when, that is, one is allowed to ride it with glasses (with a strap). Which is sometimes yes and sometimes no. I could of swore a year ago you were telling me you didn't like Firehawk much and the B&M style flying coaster's were much better than the Vekoma Flying Dutchmen When Kings Island added Face/off, I showed up with my high school for after prom hoping to ride their awesome new inverted coaster. I didn't read much into it. When I got there and saw Face/Off sitting up front, I was like "thats it? Cedar Point gets Raptor, Kentucy Kingdom gets T2, Six Flags gets Batman, and we get this little Rinky dinky thing? WTH?" I was pretty dissapointed. I actually do like the ride a bit, though it kind of makes me sick with its direction switching if I ride it too much, but I would of much better had an awesome B&M invert than a Vekoma Inverted boomerang! It comes in a close 2nd to Firehawk.

I just miss the theming in general. Cedar Fair's take on Kings Island seems a bit Generic. I mean it doesn't get much more generic than "Drop Tower" and a gigantic Muzak blasting around the park. I miss the music alot. I remember hearing Star Trek music and the Forrest Gump Theme. IT made the park feel somewhat epic. The music they play now is definitely a downgrade.

My ride on Vortex in '88 when I was 8 years old, and it was the first true coaster I had ever rode! More recently Diamondback. I think theres just something about watching them breakground on "mystery construction", seeing the Patent filed for a hypercoaster, speculating the name, seeing the press release where they announce the name, watching it come together piece by piece, finally getting to the park this year, and then being strapped in to it and hearing the KI employee go "Enjoy your ride on Diamondback!" Probably the most excited I'd ever been. Usually I just hear a little bit about it, or read about it or something, this is the first time I've gotten to see it go from well hell if you really wanna go back, a "B&M Rumor coaster 2009" back in the summer of '07. Not to mention it might be the first time I've actually gotten on a ride in its first year where it didn't break down or I had to make another trip out to ride it.

Inspite of the other thread that claims there has been an incident, I think THIS is the true reason

Son of Beast? Are you kidding me?

I'm going to say Firehawk really. The first ride I loved it, and thought it was the best ride I've ever rode. But everytime I've rode it, its been less and less thrilling, and I'm realizing how slow that coaster moves. I think it only goes like 30mph or so. Its not a bad ride, but the wait almost always sucks, and its just not worth the wait, which is why I didn't bother riding it last time.

I couldn't find one exact thread where people were posting their thoughts on the coaster after they've rode it so I figured I'd just post them in here. I just got back from GWL about 3 hours ago, and I finally got to ride Diamondback yesturday, not once but 3 times! Theres not much bad that can really be said about it. IT looks great on the landscape of KI, gives it more of a Cedar Point feel with how it overlaps exisiting structures, etc. Every year it seems new coasters suffer lots of downtime but Diamondback was running the whole time I was there except for 15 minutes or so Sunday night. Also seems to be a very efficient loading coaster as theres always a train waiting to be loaded! Only other ride like this is Vortex. I was impressed how well the line moved, and even more impressed after waiting a half hour to get on it when the park opened on monday that I was able to come back 2 hours later and hop on in 15 minutes! Now as for the ride itself I thought it was awesome! The first hill is unreal, and then its hill after hill and lot of air time I noticed, but one thing I did notice is I was never uncomfortable. Most of the other coasters in the park, you seem to sacrifice comfort for saftey but Diamondback just has one harness that has to lock down and lost of space to move around, etc. To put it the best, I dont' feel like I'm pinned down like I do on something like The Beast. Also I was very impressed with how smooth the ride is, def. the smoothest in the park. If theres anything to complain about its how unforgiving the seats are on Diamondback. If you have a big bottom, you aren't riding, plain and simple but I have no other design to propose to them that involves the whole "Open air" style seating that Diamondback has. And looking around google, it seems all B&M hyper coasters have this style seating. But on a positive note if you can't fit, you don't have to waste your time and make the walk of shame on it because it has a test seat: Somthing ALL KI coasters should have! My other complaint is for how long the coaster is, the ride seems to be over in no time, but I guess thats the drawback to a coaster that goes 80mph or so.

A couple more: *the Handstamps. They are horrible and wear off too easy. I haven't had a problem getting back in but it is annoying. What happened to the blacklight ink stuff they used to use? *No shuttle to and from Great Wolf Lodge. What gives with this? Its supposively the "official resort of Kings Island" and it replaced the campground, which DID have shuttle busses, and even the former "official" resort of Kings Island still has shuttle busses, but Great Wolf you gotta pay on average $400/night only to have to drive back and forth between the park and the lodge! I find it ridiculous!

I rode the ride once when it was tomb Raider and it was freaking awesome! So many lighting effects, water effects, heat effects, etc, it was truley a work of art. Now Paramount is gone, and I understand they no longer have the rights to use Tomb Raider...but that doesn't mean they can't come up with a new program that's equally amazing! Its ridiculous that they just spin the thing in the dark now, and even more ridiculous that its been toned down even more since last year! Obviously the stuff is still in there to do that so why don't they? THis probably should of gone on my annoyances list.

I just rode the FoF this past Sunday and yes the video is still running, the exact same video that was shot in 1996 about the federal investigation bureau of paranormal activity, discovering a UFO, people in the hanger (as the cameras shoot the guests waiting in line for FoF) and all on a screen that looks like a Macintosh from 1996 with several video windows open... and just as annoying as ever. that might be the thing I hate the most in the park! its really the reason I rarely ever will ride FoF unless its a really dead day and there is no wait on it!

*Firehawk's inefficient loading system that they tout as "groundbreaking". Its ridiculous that in its third year at Kings Island you still can't get on it 90% of the time without waiting at least 45 minutes! It was for this reason this past visit I just passed on the ride. *Also on that note, I don't like the fact that you can't just put your stuff in your pockets in the metal boxes, you HAVE to pay 75 cents everytime you ride! If you can do it on every other ride, why not Firehawk? *I hate the stupid video on Flight of Fear. Its one of my favorite rides but I hardly ever ride int because I don't wanna watch that stupid video. Its dated too, who calls the internet "The net" anymore? Thats so 1996. *I hate the fact Son of Beast is closed for what seems like all the time! That may be about it for now.

I guess white is the color in my head since my wife used to have a white Cavalier Convertible, and a friend of mine has a white Suzuki Vitara convertible. Actually after he got it we went to Kings Island in October in the Vitara. The weather report initially showed it being 72 degrees out that day so we had the top down. It ended up being 20 degrees cooler. We didn't even make it half way to KI before we pulled over at a gas station and put the top back on (vitara's have manual tops). I still remember the stinging cold feeling that you couldn't get shelter from...

Imagine what its like riding in a convertible with the top down on a day thats 28 degrees and snowing out... A coaster would be even worse. My answer is no.

1995, Raptor at Cedar Point. 3 1/2 hours. it was one hell of a coaster no doubt, but I would never do it again!

It probably always has been Blue and Orange. I just thought I remember it being blue and red. I went their many times from 1988 through 1996 so I guess thats what I'm referring to.

I gotta ask has The Vortex always been Blue and Orange? Because I swear I remember it being blue and red when I was a kid.

I think we're all just guessing. I highly doubt Cedar Fair has any plans to remove either ride. After all Cedar Point still has Iron dragon and its older than top gun!

Wow led zepplin looks awesome! Arrow Custom Looper meets modern day B&M Design. Thats one beautiful coaster! I wish B&M would build more of these things.

yeah but Arrow went under WAY AFTER Top Gun was built which was the last one from my understanding. How come you can't go higher than a 100 feet? Anyway it doesn't matter I guess since we have inverted and flying coasters now! MUCH more of a flight simulation than Top Gun ever was!

So why was the Arrow Suspended coaster discontinued? It would be cool to see a 200 foot tall one with 6 inversions or something, but they never even got to that point. Were they discontinued because of inverted roller coasters?

I see Flight Deck going before SOB. With all they money they spent on redesigning SOB it would be a waste just to tear it all down. The only reason I see Top Gun going is they don't seem to be taking very good care of it. When I rode it this past time it started going up the lift hill, making a very loud creaking noise and then it stopped... and then slowly started again. Also seems like the track is pretty rusty and faded. Seems if they were plan on keeping it around they would take better care of it!

Yeah I'm 28. I rode the thing the first time last year with low expectations but was actually pretty pumped when I got off of it. I told my wife "Thats what Adventure Express SHOULD of been!" The whole ride is pretty cool. Its kind of like the Mad Mouse from hell!

I like it too actually. Its really a pretty fun ride. the initial launch and the spiral up the helix are what really make the coaster fun!

yeah we're thinking about taking our tax return and going on Vacation for a week to Tampa in Febuary, since we figure at that point we'll be sick of the Cold and ready to get out of town for a week! We did look into a Platinum Pass actually but at $130 or so it seems a bit steep for probably one trip out to Cedar Point. If I lived in an Area where I could easily access both parks, or maybe even another CF owned park it might be worth it, but around here you can pick up discount tickets for everything it seems. Last year for our honey moon we got 2 day passes to Kings Island for $50 from a local Speedway gas station! I know its stupid but my tampa idea came mostly out of wanting to ride Sheikra... I've been dieing to experience a floorless diving machine! Everyone know my dissapointment when I found out we were getting a hypercoaster instead of a diving machine and while I am looking forward to Diamondback, I'd i'm killing to check out a dive coaster!

wow that sounds awesome. I'm so jealous, i've dieing to get out there I really am. Its been 13 years since my first and last trip to Cedar Point. Just such a long drive from Indy... you really have to plan it so that you have a day to get there, at least 1 day to enjoy the park, and 1 day to come back! That was a really good trip report