KIghostguy

I'll keep The Vortex theme going.

Yes, there will be a light package and it will be quite impressive.

Sorry for the confusion, I meant five years in that 2014-2019 is a five year time span, not five seasons.

That’s just what I heard via word-of-mouth, not from a truly reliable source. But it made sense, five years (not five seasons).

I believe it was a five-year contract.

There is a whole album of aerial construction photos on this site’s photo page. If we really want to make a big deal out of this, then those photos should be taken down as well.

I'm really looking forward to this. My favorite show I've seen at Kings Island was the Ed Alonzo show in 2012 and 2013, so it will be nice to have something like that back.

Diamondback was completed January 26, 2009, and started testing on February 26. Banshee was completed January 23, 2014, and started testing March 15.

It will be Orion's entrance. Orion's photo booth is a new build.

That would make a lot of sense. Anthony Esparza specifically told me he relocated from LA to Charlotte when he joined PPD&E, so that makes sense that his departure caused a restructuring that relocated the division to LA.

You can read it here:

Interesting, thank you for that. I’ve always been curious about where that story originated. It's a great story and one I've always wanted to be true, but after my own interviews, it doesn't seem likely that it was ever a serious plan.

Paramount Parks Design and Entertainment was based out of Charlotte, at least under and prior to Anthony Esparza. It's possible they relocated out to California after he left in 2003, but I haven't talked with anyone from that division at that time. I am curious if you can say any more about the Vekoma Flyer story source. Dave Focke emphatically told me that that was never a plan for Kings Island, as did Tim Fisher, Jane Cooper, and Anthony Esparza.

I will! I'm almost done with the writing process, and the final manuscript will be sent to the publisher in less than a month.

Details are still being worked on with the publisher. I’ll keep you posted once I hear more definite things.

By very, very initial, then yes. But initial discussions for a GCI wooden coaster began in 2015. Initial discussions for a B&M invert began in 2012, etc. There is a difference between the five year plan and "actual" planning for a project.

I just received a copy of what will be the forward to Kings Island: A Ride Through Time. This is going to be one very special book.

American Financial Corporation was very hands-off when it came to Kings Island. They pretty much let management at the park "do their thing." Everyone I've talked to who was in management at Kings Island at the time had very good things to say about working under AFC and Lindner's ownership.

5 year plans are very vague and allow a lot of flexibility. Actual planning for major coasters, etc. does not typically begin at Kings Island until 2 years before its intended opening season.

Carl Lindner purchased Taft, which had a 1/3 stake in KECO. Lindner wanted to buy/be a corporate partner in Kings Entertainment Company. Lindner and Nelson Schwab got into quite an argument, one that was settled by selling Kings Island to Lindner with the stipulation KECO would retain a management contract on the park.

Carl Lindner never owned KECO, as the video claims. He owned Kings Island and retained Kings Entertainment Company on a management contract for just that park.

Yes, it is a two-year process, at least for Kings Island. Planning for Diamondback began in 2007, Banshee in 2012, Mystic Timbers in 2015, Orion in 2018. It’s been that way for a while. True development on The Beast didn’t begin until 1977. Sometimes it does take longer (Son of Beast was green lit in 1997), sometimes the process is shorter (planning for Firehawk began October 2006).

This is absolutely true. The date was confirmed to me by Mike Koontz during my second interview with him 10/13/2019. Planning at Kings Island typically begins two years before the attraction opens.

The decision to remove Firehawk was made mid-summer 2018. Planning for Orion began in June of 2018 and the Firehawk site was selected not long after.

Obliterating the station is sad, but I wouldn’t really say there is a systematic removal of the park’s history going on. Have we forgotten last season already?