TheCrypt

The way that this title made my heart race...

Some exciting updates from the webcams: in the last couple days, Adventure Express and Queen City both have gotten their trains on the tracks! I'm assuming they'll start cycling soon if they haven't already. Orion looks prepped for the same. There are also people and a crane working around Monster today.

I'm not sure Kings Island's coaster collection feels like it lacks something that a wild mouse would fill. Plenty of parks don't have the supporting family coaster lineup we do, so I'm perfectly fine with not scoring this one. (And even if we were going to get one, I'd much rather a ground up, modern version than an off-the-shelf, 3x relocated model.)

It's an allusion to the famous line in Shakespeare's As You Like It. The actual monologue is much brighter as it comes from a comedy.

I'm begging you to just Google what rhetoric is.

Am I the only one who looked at those pictures and thought they look kind of... sad? It's old news that the ride wasn't exactly a marvel, but seeing those cutouts and signs out of context really just illuminates for me the depth and quality of attraction that's been missing. I looked through the lots and was trying to find something that I'd maybe be interested in vying for, but it's really sticking with me that there's really nothing I find that I have to have. (Obviously, I'm glad there are people who are really into this. I just don't have the same emotional bond to the ride and that's what is clear to me now.)

Given the recent sale of the SF parks (and the closure of another last fall), I am hopeful that there is some world where that translates to a better experience at Kings Island. There's nothing I've seen to indicate that that is a reality; but I just miss when all the rides were staffed well, shops were open, and landscaping was full.

The cables are still drooping from Invertigo's first lift hill. I know there is still time before the beginning of the season but I really hoped that there would've been some sort of visible progress on it by now.

^^^ Very this. And at a regional park, no less.

I'm cautiously optimistic. I've warmed up to and enjoyed everything I've seen so far; just don’t want to get my hopes up. In general I'm excited that a fresh, quality experience is coming back to that spot. After being SDatHC for awhile and then Boo Blasters for even longer (and they were really just the same), it hasn't been a must ride for me in years.

This is how you do it right. When I read this, my first thought was that traveling to SDC this year is a must. I love this ride and am so glad it's getting a more than proper send off.

What was different about working between the two?

Those are used to evacuate people from WindSeeker. To my knowledge, they have never been used. Both sides are meant to hook together and evacuate in tandem across the tower. If I remember correctly, it opened without that system available in place (and without the extra shocks between the seats). I don’t remember if it was shut down after its opening until they could get the system in place, but I do recall the addition of those extra shocks coinciding with the appearance of the evac equipment.

I really love that they posted about this. I always wonder why the park only promotes the newest additions when the supporting cast is still so strong. It's cool to see the park outwardly caring for something that makes the park unique and special.

This makes me wonder if they're plugged in just so crews know that they still need to come down when it gets warmer. I've always wondered why things like the Coney Arcade or billboard uplighting on QCSC stay on in the off season. It seems unnecessary and like it would only cause those fixtures to burn out sooner.

Thanks, robintodd, for compiling this list. It's super interesting to see this lineage listed out. I distilled the list into what I think many would consider to be "the" major coaster installments--that is, big, landmark, adrenaline pumping attractions. (I also added The Beast and Top Gun to this list... ) The Racer (1972) Screamin' Demon (1977) The Beast (1979) The Bat (1981) King Cobra (1984) Vortex (1987) --- Top Gun (1993) Flight of Fear (1996) Face/Off (1999) Son of Beast (2000) --- Firehawk (2007) Diamondback (2009) Banshee (2014) Mystic Timbers (2017) Orion (2020) What I see from looking at this data is that there have been three distinct surges of big coaster additions in the park's history: they were added consistently between 1977 and 1987; 1993 and 2000; and 2007 and 2020. It also looks like those coincide with changes in ownership: the transition from Taft to KECO is at the tail end of the first era, then the purchase by Paramount, and then Cedar Fair. It should also be noted that, overall, Cedar Fair seems to have made a special impact on the park in their time: all major coaster additions have been guest favorites and highly reliable. Their stretch of routine coaster additions also spans the longest amount of time compared to prior owners. The data also shows that while Kings Island may have always catered to families, thrill seekers were never really excluded from the equation for a majority of park history. Even in those "off years" between big coasters, there have been other significant draws for thrill seekers like Delirium, Tomb Raider, Xtreme Skyflyer, and even the backwards Racer. This is on top of other family additions like the aforementioned smaller coasters, kids area renovations, the Lion Country Safari, the original Phantom Theater, Adventure Express, etc. Overall, it's clear that the park has fared far better than many others. I also do believe that every addition we've had since Orion has been a net positive for the park as a whole. But it seems hard to not feel that there is currently an unusual and distinct lack of the fresh thrills the park has (mostly) always kept up with. The additions like Snoopy's Soapbox Racers, Adventure Port, and Phantom Theater are well-received, but in the past, there has often been a greater effort to add more extreme additions at the same time. The formula post-Orion is seemingly "one or the other," whereas the park we've been used to has often felt like "both" was an option. We are now approaching the longest gap between major thrill attractions, not just coasters, the park has ever faced. Speaking just for myself, I do feel that gap a lot these days.

And your data is where, again?

Orion is a fun ride, but it doesn't hold its own in comparison to the other coasters of its class. It's a shame because I honestly think it's just one or two elements away from being outstanding. In my perfect world, there would be a fairly forceful inclined loop before the turnaround and a few low to the ground turns and airtime hills. One or both of those improvements would extend it just a little more and give the ride actual character.

Did I miss something? What's the update on Invertigo? I once read on here that each of the FOFs were constructed differently to see how much time they could save by their different building methods. If I remember correctly, the KD ride was built after the building and vice versa at KI. This meant that for KD, the crane was actually installed in the building and was--at least at the time of the post--still present long after the ride was constructed. And I'm pretty sure that the race to finish ended up in a wash. Now... whether any of that is even true is another thing. I wish I could find the original post, but it's been so long; it's buried somewhere.

https://KICentral.com/enviragalleries/monster/

Unfortunately, the banner on Kings Island's own website reads: Due to today’s inclement weather, King's Island will be closed.

I didn't realize how much I actually missed the Monster until I saw that picture. Thank you for the update!

Yikes... "Six Flags Slump" making the headline before the near-attendance record is tough.

It's a shame we don’t get to see great pictures and updates of this work from the park. These really are unique shots of the roller coaster that I'm not sure we'd see again for a long time. I wish they'd publicize the extent of their work because there are so many people who rode it last year who had no idea the first half was significantly different than it had ever been before.

It's seemingly never been there. See these pictures for reference. https://KICentral.com/parkhistory/past-attractions/scooby-doo-and-the-haunted-castle/