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Kings Island's coaster projects sure do get plenty of attention from local news, seems more than would be typical other areas. It's highly likely there will be track on site before an announcement. They should start painting Project X track at Clermont Steel before too long! Interestingly, Kings Island's B&M coasters have the shortest distance to travel from creation to construction of any in the world.

Definitely doing this, lol. Don't feel the need to type extra letters on my account.

The track is unbanked, not straight.

Not in 3 dimensions.

Yeah, from the top down...a lot of things look straight. That section is a speed hill followed by a large airtime hill, m'kay

Lol. I'll just have to get used to it, I guess. That part is not straight track, it's a banked curve leading into the speed hill.

Levi is my boyfriend's name and I don't think I like it that people are shortening Leviathan to Levi, lol. Which coaster are you referring to with the section of straight track? None of the 3 gigas feature any straight track in their layout, but both Leviathan and Fury have drawn out curves after their turnarounds. That's one strength of Project X's short layout...it doesn't feature any 'filler' elements.

Regardless of anything else, it is exciting to see footers going in! Concrete needs 28 days to fully cure, I wouldn't expect any vertical construction until July at the earliest.

Easiest question yet...wing, flyer, dive, Mack multilaunch, and RMC Strata T-Rex! Everyone is entintled to their disappointment or optimism, I myself hold both. People are just expressing themselves, and I think the poorest form of self-expression on display here is scolding others as though they're children and this coaster is a Christmas present. It's not. It's an investment by a major corporation with plans on file as a matter of public record. Let me illustrate something here... Leviathan's cost was $28M USD. Fury 325's cost was $30M USD. We're not talking about a phenomenal difference in cost for a considerably larger coaster. Obviously there are other factors, maybe site prep was somehow cheaper for Fury (DOUBT IT) or some initial R&D costs had been met. But when I say a minimal additional investment could have yielded a lot more impressive coaster, I mean it. Do I think this was a mistake from a business perspective? Absolutely. Am I also optimistic that B&M have made the best of the financial constraints and put together what might be their most action packed giga layout yet? Better believe it. I am very glad that a new B&M giga is being built and very sad at the (embarassingly small sum of) money and politics that stood in the way of Kings Island getting a giga that iterated on Fury in the same way Fury iterated on Leviathan. But like I said, I think B&M learned something designing those first two, and they just might have cooked up their best work yet.

I agree that it's highly unlikely Cedar Fair will be marketing this thing as the 'tallest hyper', but stranger things have happened. The KI blueprints lead me to revisit some Leviathan construction pics. Noting the difference in grade between the grass underneath the bottom of the support that branches from the drop track and the below ground track at the base of the drop, it seems like the difference between the two is fairly significant...closer to 15-20'+ than 5-10'. SO Leviathan may itself only have a lift height of 290 or so feet when measured from the top of the lift to the ground below. Cedar Fair may be planning to advertise KI's giga the same way it does Leviathan, as having a 301' height and drop both.

I posted this on another forum where the discussion isn't nearly as in depth, but I still want to give my postmortem on the 286' fiasco. I think this decision is subject to any and all criticisms, and I can appreciate that the world is getting a new giga and lament the motivations and shortcomings of the project all at once: After having followed the industry for 20 years, being familiar with Kings Island's history of pushing the envelope, the rumors that have swirled for decades, and their express interest in a giga...this is unequivocally a slap in the face. I'm really curious whether this bid was revised to hit a certain budget, or if Cedar Fair just didn't care to spend serious giga money/outshine Millennium in any way given its proximity. It doesn't make sense, the precedent was set for something great, and for Carowinds to be given the 'crown jewel' B&M giga whilst Kings Island gets a coaster that doesn't even technically qualify as a giga by lift height...it's a racket, fully and truly.That being said, this coaster looks to have the most extreme banking and tightest pacing of any giga excepting I305. It could end up being the best of the B&M bunch, and the location is definitely the best of the three. And as some have speculated, it does appear there's potential for a near inversion element, perhaps during the turnaround at the far end of the course. What really irks me is that not *that much* more expenditure could have resulted in a record breaker that would be on the national and international spotlight and actually pull in new guests to Kings Island, many of whom I'm sure would be interested in hitting up Cedar Point for the first time while in the area. It seems shortsighted to be so stingy with an investment of this magnitude, it's not going to happen again. I'd have much preferred the park to take 2020 as an off year and come back in 2021 with a 308' giga featuring a 323' 86° drop...it could have been advertised as the world's longest and steepest drop on a giga (Red Force is a launched anomaly) and even have the same number of elements for what...$2-3M more, maybe? Maybe steepest drop on a giga will still be the angle here...lol, but for real, the side profile does make it look like the drop will be B&M's steepest.

Howdy all, I thought I'd throw my hat in the ring with a lovely MS Paint approximation of how the leaked layout would fill the land cleared. The thing that strikes me as strange about this is the lift's position nearly parallel with Diamondback, which I didn't fully realize before this crude creation. In all other parks with coasters of similar size, the two lifts are oriented different directions...and I think for good reason (i.e. to distinguish between the 2 coasters, especially if they're both B&Ms). Time will tell...

What I find funny is that I actually prefer every hyper I've been on over Millennium - I loved its length, location and pacing/speed but it delivers zero in the way of forces for me. Given that, I also find it strange how lauded Millennium is by those who prefer Intamin and would theoretically enjoy a more forceful ride. If you want airtime at Cedar Point get on Magnum, or Maverick. I think I'd also rank Diamondback lower than other B&M megas I've ridden like Leviathan (which eats Millennium for breakfast), Behemoth, and Nitro but I think I enjoyed it more than the Giovanola clone at my home park. After going to KI and CP back to back with a non-enthusiast friend and asking her to contrast Millennium with Diamondback, she said 'I think Diamondback actually packed more of a punch, especially on those hills.'

I think a straight drop would be more likely now that B&M seem to no longer be doing pre-drops. Remember, though, it will only be so steep (60-70° would be nice but unlikely) because inverted coasters do not articulate well over tight concave lengths of track. That being said, looking at the site a very 'twisty' drop is likely.

The Ballad of The Beasts I decided to post something perhaps tangentially interesting at the risk of being slightly off-topic (given the ebbs and flows of this thread I think I'll be in the clear). So, a friend texted me asking to be told a story, and this is what happened: Once upon a time there was a land of Kings and it bustled with activity, there was all manner and sort of pleasurable pursuit in the Kings' stronghold. There were amusements of all variety, the most famous rising above the timberline and delving into the forest, a Beast of legend and lore. He'd been tamed, you see, and the Kings and their courts would ride upon the back of this mighty, massive creature to their heart's content. One particularly drab day, the Kings and all their men came to know the true gender of their Beast, for it was with child. The Son of Beast was to be born, and each King wagered as to what it would be like - larger, smaller, thinner, taller...but all agreed they'd come upon a great fortune for they could shape the future of this Beast from youth (and perhaps more accurately discern its gender). When alas he came to maturity, indeed he was an impressive behemoth. Much taller than his mother, Son of Beast was also more wily and wild, possessing a certain savagery not even his wild-born mother could equal - but still for many years he gave rides upon his back and Kings Island fared well. On an especially bright, beautiful day some of the court jesters and wenches decided they'd mosey over to Son of Beast and take in a view of the forest from his back. Their laughter and revelry carried across the treetops all up until Son of Beast gave a jerk and a lurch and tossed all the jesters and wenches from his back. Not satisfied with his work, Son of Beast proceeded to tear them all limb from limb, and each was eaten before the rest of the court could even respond. A battle ensued, and the combined powers of all Kings looked to be overwhelmed by a pure carnal fury. At last, a sorcerer came forth with a plan - if Son of Beast could not be killed, it would be lulled into a magical slumber. An attack was planned and as battle raged the sorcerer cast his spell. Success! Son of Beast was confined to a deep sleep, and slowly things began to return to normal. No one knows why, but for a time Son of Beast was not slain. Perhaps it was due to concern that his mother would become unstable if her son were killed. Finally, and after many moons of deliberation, the time for a decision came. Son of a Beast would be lain to rest - the destruction and horror it had caused meant it was beyond saving. The sorcerer abruptly made it so, and with a disturbing quickness Son of Beast was no more. Now, though, the Kings and their respective courts yearn for a successor. They dare not seek another primal being, so this new beast is being forged in secrecy, made by the fist of man from enchanted earthen metals. Nearby blacksmiths toil day and night to bring the metal beast to life, but they do so covertly - no one in the courts must know what awaits until the Kings themselves speak. Of course the fools and commoners rant and bicker over what new monstrosity may arise in the forest Son of Beast once called home, but whatever it may be, Kings Island will likely ne'er be the same.

Hey all, new to KI Central but certainly not to watching and anticipating as coasters take shape from dirt & footings year after year. The 2014 project has definitely caught my notice. I'd have to concede that B&M is my favorite maker with Diamondback, Nitro, Behemoth and Leviathan all appearing on my top 10, though I also love Cedar Point's Intamin collection with Maverick being my favorite there. Having ridden a B&M giga and hyper in close succession I'd definitely say they offer a contrasting enough experience to warrant the installation of both at one park. This is due to the different train types as well a different focus in each layout even amid similar elements. I loved Leviathan and found it to be the best first drop I'd ever experienced but ultimately Behemoth's longer ride and ample airtime win out. That being said, I may agree with the consensus that an invert seems likely at this point, and if I were a betting man I'd bet the farm on B&M - especially with the diamond-shaped footer inserts matching up so well to what has been seen on recent B&Ms. Add to that Cedar Fair's relationship with B&M in recent years (have we seen anyone else for a large-scale steel coaster project since I305?) and the writing is certainly on the wall. Could it be Intamin? Anything is possible, but I'd rather see what B&M can do with a 2nd giga or a large invert in 2014. Not to say a blitz coaster ala Maverick wouldn't be greatness, but that seems highly unlikely, as does anything from Intamin or frankly any other company. Speaking of I305, I derped together a little aerial comparison shot after thinking on Silver2005's post...he makes the point that not enough land has been cleared for a giga, and at this point I'm inclined to agree but I think collectively the size of the current project area is being underestimated. Also, I305's footprint is more modest than it would seem. I used google maps at (supposedly) the same scale, but I think I305 is still a bit smaller than it should be. Even scaling it up 10-20% wouldn't give it a larger footprint than SoB by much, if at all.