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Sling Shot


jrstacy98
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I went to the Visitkingsisland website to show a co-worker the Sling Shot ride. I assumed it would be under Thrill rides but it's not there (and I looked around a bit in other areas). Xtreme Skyflyer is listed under thrill rides and I would expect those two to be listed together. I'm assuming this is an oversight from the website (I've never looked for it before) but are the two towers still standing?

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The Kings Island (and indeed, all Cedar Fair Park) site is riddled with errors. From spelling errors, to complete oversight, and (as you pointed out) missing rides - it's sort of been universally arrived at on this particular website that Cedar Fair doesn't consider the internet a very valued form of information conveyance. Obviously many of us here disagree.

As a rabid fan of Tomb Raider: The Ride, it pains to me to see that The Crypt is a "struggle against the fury of nature’s polar opposites" lasting 2:55, flipping 4 times with an exhilarating, action-packed photo that really gets you pumped:

the_crypt_lg1.jpg

My first-year design friends can tell you all the things that are unadventurous about that image, the ride actually lasts under a minute and half, and hasn't flipped four times in at least three years. Those are only a few of the (literally) dozens of errors on the site - major errors, as the one you pointed out.

A (nearly) complete list of errors is available by reading through all the pages of this thread, but you can get a good idea of the major problems just via the first post. The Interpreter hit the nail on the head in that thread when he said:

Apparently local management at Kings Island sees the web as a new fangled toy, to be played with and not taken very seriously. If management believed that it were important that it be right, fixed and up to date, it would be.
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Superman and Drop Zone are both Intamin freefall rides that utilize the same lifting and stopping mechanisms. Vertigo (which I think it what you mean by Cedar Point's bad luck ride) and Slingshot are both different types of attractions that do different things and were made by different manufacturers powered by different means... Just sayin'! Haha.

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I don`t believe that Cedar Point ever had a slingshot ride like Kings Island. They had something similar in concept, except it was manufactured by S&S I believe. They called it the VertiGo, and they had one of the support arms shear off. Skyscraper is now located in the spot of VertiGo in the Challenge Park.

Goodyellowkorn182, your statement about the Crypt not flipping four times on each ride cycle in the past three years is incorrect. The ride flipped four times in 2008, and the first few weekends in 2009 before it was re-programed to its Ferris Wheel in a box mode.

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^ The Crypt flipped eight times in 2008 and the beginning of 2009. You might call it nine, since once, you were inverted, but didn't continue all the way through the movement. The four-flip cycle was last used on Tomb Raider in 2007.

2002: 1

2002 - 2007: 4

2008 - 2009: 8

2009 - present: 2

^^ Here's an article on VertiGo at Cedar Point. One of the towers of the ride fell down (many articles use the word "collapsed." I don't know exactly what happened, nor do many people) during the middle of the winter, so it was removed.

cp_vertigo_4.jpg

The concept is a lot like Slingshot's, but Vertigo was air-powered, and the seats were able to rotate up and down, thus allowing riders to face the ground upon decent, face the ground the entire time, or sit upright depending on which side of the apparatus they sat. Notice how the rightmost riders appear to be in seats tilting forward:

cp_vertigo_3.jpg

Photos from www.ultimaterollercoaster.com

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I originally, and incorrectly, thought that he was stating (as you pointed out Interpreter) that the ride has not flipped four times since the original program was used. As you pointed out, in 2008 and briefly in 2009, it did flip four times per cycle, and then some. I still preferred that ride cycle-post Tomb Raider, versus the new, tamed down version that was programed last spring. It is now a rather tame and boring exprience.

Just take a spin on the Rock O Planes at Coney, and I can show you and intense ride. Just ask Ronny, he can tell you all about his experience when he and I rode it a couple years back!

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Yes I don't believe it was over shown on the website. They really do need to include it though, especially since KI doesn't have too many thrill rides. One thing I was wandering, when Slingshot was built was it expected to stay open this long? I remember hearing about a robot arm type ride that was in Coney Mall for a weekend. They had it there just to see if people would like it I think. Maybe Slingshot was supposed to be a temporary attraction? And if it was, than they didn't add it to the website, and over the years they were just too lazy? Lastly, for the people who were interesting in Vertigo at Cedar Point, Six Flags Magic Mountain and Six Flags Great Adventure have similar rides. Here is SFGAdv's.

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Given the choice between all four of that particular top spin's cycles, I'd take the four-flip Tomb Raider even now (though maybe with a reduced amount of "hangtime"). For me, (and most of my friends) the eight flip cycle was honestly just too much. I do like it on The Crypt at Kings Dominion and stuff (our eight-flip cycle was a duplicate of theirs), but I honestly think our physical ride is far too big and weighs far too much to perform those aerial moves - it was draining and honestly, most people sat out when I went for a second time (just because I love the building, goddess, volcano, etc ahhaa).

Even with little to look at, the four flip cycle would be very cool while spinning around with the pulsating lights illuminating the goddess and volcano and such... But it also leads me to the inevitable conclusion: with no sense of mystery (door removal), no sense of adventure (lost music and effects) and no sense of storyline (no preshow, theme, etc) I don't know that it's even worth saving at this point, and I've always been on of the Crypt's biggest supporters!

This thread, however, is not about The Crypt. Hah! Sorry, tangent.

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Yes I don't believe it was over shown on the website. They really do need to include it though, especially since KI doesn't have too many thrill rides. One thing I was wandering, when Slingshot was built was it expected to stay open this long? I remember hearing about a robot arm type ride that was in Coney Mall for a weekend. They had it there just to see if people would like it I think. Maybe Slingshot was supposed to be a temporary attraction? And if it was, than they didn't add it to the website, and over the years they were just too lazy? Lastly, for the people who were interesting in Vertigo at Cedar Point, Six Flags Magic Mountain and Six Flags Great Adventure have similar rides. Here is SFGAdv's.

That ride, to me at least, doesn't look very exciting. It looks like a mild free fall ride in a way.

I don't see why they don't have SlingShot listed on their website. If you are at the park on a nice day, even in late October, there is always a line it seems like. Not to mention the big group of people that sit on the benches out in front of the ride and watch in amazement. Not to mention that it is a very fun ride experience.

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One thing that irritates me about it is that I feel like you shouldn't have to try and flip it. Maybe if they gave it some slack and rotated the ball around a few times before putting it in the launch position and letting people board :D Actually that sounds kind of dangerous... But to me at least, it amounts to Power Tower - launch up, fall down, bounce a bit. The most I've seen it flip is twice. And the line is killer... If there's a dozen people in front of you, you're looking at an hour wait. When my friends get in line, those of us who aren't riding usually go do Adventure Express, Delirium, sometimes Flight of Fear, and arrive in plenty of time to see there's still six or so people ahead of them. Of course, when it's $5.00 in the morning, why not?

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I remember hearing about a robot arm type ride that was in Coney Mall for a weekend.

I remember that ride! On my yearly trip around 4 or 5 years ago, while in line for Vortex, I noticed watched its cycle. Just a few weeks ago, I was considering posting a topic inquiring about the location (or possible non existence) of this ride.

And it looked intense, too... The ride cycle appeared to be more intense than any Crypt cycle ever tried. What would be the reason for its removal?

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Ouch. I can only imagine what that felt like..

I have only riden it once, but that was a morning, on a private day for my mom's company! it was fun then! haha :D

It didn't feel that great but I was having a blast so I didn't care one bit. I love when you hit the first flip on the way up and you are about eye level to the Eiffel Tower is seems like. It really is a great ride.

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