KI Guy

The premise is simple. Imagine you could snap your fingers and select one group or entity to own and operate Kings Island. Who would you choose and why?

You are correct. But I will say Intamin prefabs are wooden in the same way that O'doul's is beer.

Intamin Prefabs use laser cut plywood held together with epoxy, (I'm not in construction). The train wheels they use are polyurethane to further increase smoothness. They like RMC, have been stripped of all wooden coaster feel. At least Intamin prefabs have track made of wood unlike all RMCs. When you think of a "wooden coaster" neither experience comes to mind,(although both systems have resulted in great coasters).

I've been on both a "wooden" and a hybrid RMC. There is no difference in feel whatsoever. What RMC markets as their "wooden coaster" is closer in feel and smoothness to Adventure Expess than Beast or Racer. RMC uses a steel track bolted to a wooden structure for complete smoothness. If they do go with RMC they might as well go with the iron horse track so they can make it have several inversions.

Anyone can install whatever they want. The laws you're speaking of affect the manufacturing of incandescent light bulbs. There's a certain efficiency a bulb has to make to be sold in the US and incandescent bulbs usually fail to meet that standard. Novelty lights used for decorative purposes are exempt from the standard. They'll be incandescent amusement ride bulbs for many years to come.

This is a concern of mine as well. I'd hope could fit the next coaster in the current spot without removing many trees. I'm curious if a coaster like Steel Vengeance would fit in that spot.

Variety is the spice of life! I've found that each manufacturer has a feel and philosophy. B & Ms are big, fun and are generally less intense than their size may suggest. They are incredibly comfortable and reliable. They have a very broad appeal. RMCs are absolute insanity. Their philosophy is to make the most intense, disorienting, air time filled coaters that height and budget allow. These may be too intense for some. They are also not as reliable as a B&M. A major plus not to be overlooked is that all RMCs use a lap bar restraint even for coasters worth inversions. Intamin is similar to RMC with intensity level, but at least today, is not as innovative especially with inversions. It's reliability record has been spotty to say the least. GCIs are very good costers, but are not usually as intense as the full size coasters from the Gravity Group. However they age so much better than traditional wood coasters by any manufacturer including GG. There are of course other manufacturers but I'm not qualified to give a summary of them.

This is sad news for many KI fans and guests. Whenever something this old is removed people feel like they're having a piece of their past/memories removed. I think it's not such a nice thing to criticize people for being sad at this news. It might just mean more to them than it does to you. Now, with that being said, I would hate to see a dive coaster on the former Vortex/original bat site someday. I've never ridden one and walked off thinking they were anything but average. One other request if possible, (ADA compliance), I'd like to see the station preserved for the next coaster just as it was from the (old) Bat to The Vortex.

I'd love to have the original Coney/Kings Island flyers back as well as the original much larger antique cars. KCKC could have been replaced with almost anything else and it would have been better. It's ironic that two of the park's biggest "eyesores" are BLSC and the former TR:TR building. Hindsight is 20/20, but this still was a series of unfortunate decisions.

Thanks for sharing. I'd say that's the only logical answer to the question at this point. They can't say they plan to buy them and distract from Orion/spoil a future announcement. Also why would the park say they plan to buy anything before actually doing so? Consider also they may or may not have known in advance about Coney closing it's amusement side, and decisions like this aren't made over night. I would be somewhat surprised if KI does purchase any of Coney's rides, but I wouldn't rule it out either at this point.

I agree. l miss the neon light tubes on the center piece removed several years back.

I guess I misplaced the Musik Express from another park. I guess Flying Bobs and maybe Tilt-a-Whirl would be the only real options for KI. Maybe they would want the Round Up if it's in storage, but I doubt it. Flying Bobs is a fun flat though. I'm sure they could find somewhere to put it in the Coney Mall.

This is very sad news. I thought Coney had it's niche in the market, that being a smaller park perfect for families. I can't say whether this was the case or if the park did not position itself well enough to make money serving that demographic. There's one less amusement park in the Cincinnati area. In just 20 years we've went from three amusement parks and a picnic park, to one large amusement park and a picnic park. A significant piece of Cincinnati history will be no more. As far as the future of Coney, I don't buy the pitch of "a world class swim and play facility." I don't want to see the Sunlite Pool, close but I don't know if it makes it. Despite what they say, I don't know if enough people will drive to Coney for a pool and a few extras. There are local aquatic centers and YMCA's for that. I think the rides side was what made their pool a choice for many over these types of places. I have some good memories of Coney Island especially when I went there for a Boy Scout event in the early 2000s. I really hate to see it go. I hadn't planned on it, but I'll definitely be making a visit to say goodbye.

The Flying Bobs, Musik Express and Trabant (still there?), and Super Round Up come to mind as high enough capacity. Also 2 (3?) of them were ride models previously at KI.

I'd hang onto it! Thanks for sharing!

...and (an expanded) antique cars moved to the site.

I remember being really excited reading this article. It's a shame we never got any of the "picked" rides. The closest we got was the new set of Tin Lizzies. https://www.latimes.com/travel/themeparks/la-trb-cedar-fair-flat-rides-20150806-story.html

@RustbucketIt's amazing how much ranking vary from person to person. I've been on 155 coasters and Steel Vengeance is at #1 comfortably with Lightning Rod next, Twisted Colossus and then Fury 325. Steel Vengeance is my new definition of the perfect coaster and blows me away. Millennium Force loved by many is probably not in my top 25 steel and I also prefer Magnum and Maverick. My favorite wooden is Voyage, but it's been over 5 years since I've been on it.

It came off as entitled no doubt. I totally get the "coaster enthusiast" bad image. I don't think he's necessarily wrong about his definition of a giga though. Wikipedia does it best with hypers over 200 in drop height but not in vertical height like Phantom's Revenge given an asterisk. It won't matter much in the long run, but I think the park did bring this on themselves to an extent by not just building the extra 13 ft. I highly doubt they're losing any sleep over it though! I expect this to be an excellent ride and that it will supercede DB or Banshee as the favorite steel coaster.

I wouldn't touch The Beast or The Racer for a potential RMC job. As someone who has ridden both a topper track "wood" coaster and 2 i-box "hybid" coasters, I can say that the track feel is the same. What RMC calls a wood coaster is a structural steel track bolted to wood. Only GCI and the Gravity Group make true wooden coasters. RMC just likes to market that they do. By the way all three RMC's I've been on are FAN-TAS-TIC.

I think the best way to label these might be a separate category or hyper with an asterisk. The problem with your line is thinking is that you don't get the sustained speed of the drops, (I actually rode both and Phantom is one of my all-time favorites), on those coasters. Whatever speed you get through the use of terrain is scrubbed off when you return back to the height the lift started at. Think of a 100 ft high coaster that goes into a 100 ft ravine. That's not as good as a 200 ft coaster because you'll only net 100 ft worth of speed from the drop.

Because a term is "new" (19 years old actually in this case) doesn't mean it has no meaning. You would look at me pretty funny if I called a walkie talkie a "smartphone" (also a newer word). As far as the argument goes (and the park and most people won't care), if KI was my park I would not call it a Giga just to try to avoid any perception of dishonesty by the guests.

It's a goofy trick to try to make it seem taller. You don't see anyone use drop LENGTH as a stat. You don't see The Beast bragging about its 500 ft LONG second drop! It looks solid. I like the name Orion better than Polaris, but Shooting Star is better than either! If this coaster is 80% of what Fury 325 is they'll have a very good coaster.

This may or may not be the case. However, I would not underestimate the effects of this "decoding". Over the last 25+ years we've went from most people maybe seeing a TV commercial or a newspaper ad of the new ride. Then came full ride POVs and full layouts released on the park's time. Now we have people digging up blueprints and posting them online before the previous season is even underway. I have assumed that speculation is good for business and subsequently early disclosure is bad for it. Every park at least acts as if this is the case. Logically it makes sense. One of the last things a park want to do is give someone a reason for not renewing the family's passes. "Let's just wait until the coaster." Once the habit is broken who knows if they'll come back. It's the same reason car companies don't talk about the upcoming all new 2020 model when the (5 year old design) 2019 model is still on the lots. There are two possible pathways in the future that I can forsee: 1) There will no longer be speculation when it comes to new KI rides OR 2) something will change with the policies/ordinances when it comes to new rider construction.

Remember that Knott’s is in Southern California near Disney. Most of the theming (or expectations of their being theming) already existed at the time Cedar Fair took over. Cedar Fair has done a great job with that park, but I don't think you'll see that level of theming at their other parks. Knott’s is influenced by Disney and the prospect of catering to at least some Disney cross shopers. Ohio market vs the Socal market is why we get Mystic Timbers and they get a renovated Calico Mine Ride. Both cool, different markets.