KIghostguy

Surprisingly, Don Miller is not in the Hall of Fame.

No. Firehawk’s trains are incompatible with Nighthawk.

It will have pictures and text throughout, but it will be more information than photos. It will not be like one of those Images of America books.

I have contacted him, I’m just waiting to hear back.

Yes, it will be on Amazon. I am also hoping to sell it in the park!

I am extremely excited to officially announce Kings Island: A Ride Through Time, authored by yours truly! This will be the first book ever written about the history of Kings Island! It will be released in early May 2020 by Theme Park Press to coincide with the opening of Orion and will feature exclusive interviews with the executives that have shaped the park through the years. I am very excited to share this news with you all, and to keep you updated through this process. I really can’t wait to share this book with the public next year!

In regards to your first question, Monster was removed after 1980 and was shipped to Canada's Wonderland. We got a new Monster for 1982. The last dip on The Racer was removed because executives wanted to increase the height clearance on that path with it being opened up to guest foot traffic.

They removed like one grove of trees next to the MCBR. Your post is quite the overreaction!

Just because it operates at capacity sometimes does not mean those people liked it once they got off. It's true everybody didn't like Vortex, but I think that a lot of people on this website really don't understand what most of the general public thought of it: they hated the ride experience. It's hard to gauge for a lot of people on this site since they are enthusiasts and don't live in the area, but that is the consensus for most of the GP in Mason at least. I do agree that this closure was likely not planned or expected like with Firehawk.

To make them identical to the C.H.A.O.S. building. Notice the gray bottom third of the middle building. I like how they are going for thematic consistency for the area, even backstage.

The removal of two rides months apart does not equal a trend, and especially not some sinister scheme like you are alluding to.

This is not true at all, and I can’t help but wonder why this narrative is so popular. Banshee attracted a very large crowd that year. Mystic Timbers resulted in the best annual attendance since 1998. Both had a very large ROI, especially Mystic Timbers.

It wasn’t that parts were hard to find, they were just exorbitantly expensive. The cost-per-rider for Firehawk was just ridiculous.

Wow, exactly! You have hit the nail on the head. Just like how they removed The Beast and The Racer!

Here is an article from the Cincinnati Post on it from December 17, 1984. 1985's attendance also surpassed 3 million.

During the main summer season, yes. But the first time Kings Island attendance went over three million people for the first time ever was 1984.

People at my school were celebrating the news today. It’s easy for older members to get nostalgic, but I don’t think people on here understand that the general public largely has a profound hatred for Vortex.

Why? Cedar Fair has been a wonderful owner. They have made so many improvements to the park and have transformed it for the better. The park is being run by very capable people.

I love B&M, but I completely agree. I would love to see something "different," like you suggested. This removal opens up a lot of land, which is great for the future.

Firehawk was announced without a replacement.

I went on Friday night and had a good time, despite the crowds. I think that the decorations and lighting are much better than last year, which I was not expecting! The new Scare Zones are well done too.

Interestingly, there was no set side for colors until 2008. You will often see photos of two red trains, two blue trains, red on the left track and blue on the right track, etc.

Don Helbig is not in the Hall of Fame.

The long wait is largely due to poor operations. Last year was a very, very low attendance year for Cedar Point. I don't have exact figures, but Kings Island had a larger 2018 attendance, and all we added was a barbecue restaurant. I do not believe Steel Vengeance has pulled in the GP, for whatever reason. I would love an RMC at Kings Island, but with all the issues Steel Vengeance and Twisted Timbers have and the lukewarm reception of both rides from the general public, I unfortunately find it hard to believe Cedar Fair will work with RMC again.

I personally would have rather seen Bill Price or Walt Davis inducted before Al Weber. Greg Scheid was for sure a great choice. I too have always found it bizarre that the Hall evolved into just "famous people who worked there," versus people who significantly shaped the park. I do feel that the last two inductions are on the right track. Weber left a large mark on the park for sure, for better or for worse.