Flight of Fear: Lights On or Off?

[bkroz]

I believe this is one of those "theme" related questions that's never addressed. I'm not sure how Paramount operated it vs. Cedar Fair or anything, but what is your opinion on Flight of Fear's theme lighting, and what do you think should be done concerning it for the 2010 season? Keep in mind, I'm talking about the red and purple theme lights, not the house lights.

Personally, having ridden it with the theme lights on and off (both at Kings Island and Kings Dominion) I have to say I much prefer it with lights on.

The purple and red spotlights aimed randomly around the room actually make it more disorienting (in my opinion) than the pitch-black darkness. Plus (and this is perhaps my favorite thing about the ride), the initial launch through the black tunnel, then chaotically entering the spaghetti bowl surrounded in hundreds of supports and track just a few feet from you... It's really exhilarating, and makes me gasp in awe even after dozens of rides. It's a very intimidating and cool feeling to suddenly emerge with all this track all around you.

If you ask me, the lights should be on inside the building. And maybe for an extra oomph, turned off during Halloween Haunt to fit the theme!

I honestly cannot find where to add a poll... Am I an idiot?

[Beast1979]

I prefer it with the dimmed, colored lights they have on regularly. All lights on just kind of kills the mood, you can see all the junk on the floor, and with all lights off you can't see the amazing mess of steel in the building.

And no, you are not an idiot! I don't think you can add polls in this section.

[frisbeefan]

Although I haven't ridden FOF with the lights on, I think it would be better with the lights off, espcially since it has an alien theme.

[DropZone99]

Flickering! Anyone who attended Fall Freakout 08' will remember that! Anyways, I prefer just having a few of the lights on so you can see some of the supports but not see the dust, or stuff on the floor.

[thekidd33]

I like it better with lights off. Seeing the old King Cobra cars and other stuff they have stored in there takes away from the experience in my opinion.

[Creed Bratton]

Spotlights....yes!

[CedarPointer]

I would prefer it with different colored lights... green would really add to the theme (and they could dim them a bit)

[Coolangatta]

Pitch Black for the spaghetti bowl area with various strobes and laser FX with fog.

[mech]

having been on Flight of Fear with house lights, normal theme lights and the pitch black, i must say that pitch black is the most fun to me. (well the blue return tunnel lights where there)

[Beast79]

I wish it wasn't enclosed at all...

[The Interpreter]

See Joker's Jinx and Poltergeist!

[bkroz]

What would be the point in not having it be enclosed? The Flight of Fear clones are far more well-known than their counterparts because its mysterious, WAY more disorienting, and well-themed. To me, it isn't half as fun to launch seeing exactly what's coming up. But I guess you'd have to ask those who have ridden its outdoor clones...

Again, I think it's spectacular the way you enter into the spaghetti bowl amid track pieces and supports, and the cieling / walls / floor honestly do make it near impossible to know if you're upside down, on your side, or rightside up for the first few seconds of the ride. That's something I wish I could fully appreciate again - knowing the layout of the ride really ruins that illusion for me, but even last year before I was familiar with the cobra roll's location, I couldn't tell which direction I was in. What an experience! If it were outdoors, I think it'd be far less fun, and feel much slower (but then again, neither of the outdoor rides use - or even have, as far as I know - that park-famous MCBR)...

[The Interpreter]

The Flight of Fear rides are better known near Kings Island and Kings Dominion. Near the Six Flags parks that feature Joker's Jinx and Poltergeist, I doubt even 10 percent of the parks' patrons have even heard of the Flights of Fear...

And seeing the layout does not help you with figuring it out. It really is a mess!

[bkroz]

Sure! But when it comes to world's firsts, Travel Channel specials, theme park sites, etc. which set of rides would you think is more likely to be featured? Flight of Fear or Joker's Jinx? I would say the Flight of Fears...

[alluna]

I have to vote lights on/flickering for a scary factor! I have megalophobia and if I saw all that twisted metal inside the building, it would call for a major freak-out. Even looking at pictures of it gives me the creeps. In the dark I can pretend it's like any other coaster, but with the lights on it's just like a huge monster. Sadly I can't even ride it anymore, but my junior high memories serve me well in remembering it as a good alien-themed thrill. The launch is the part I miss the most.

[74Gibson]

It's fun to ride with the lights on but after a time or two, I was ready for the dark again.

So true Terpy (though I always make out the part where they didn't install a MCBR). It's just a mess of steel, quite awesome really. The same with space mountain.

[HTCO]

Pitch Black for the spaghetti bowl area with various strobes and laser FX with fog.

Pitch blackness and a couple high speed strobe cannons... That would make you so disoriented. Death Row anyone?

[Fear the Four]

Thick fog inside the bowl would be sweet!

[bkroz]

I believe that the only problem with that is 1) the tremendous cost of the fog juice and 2) the fact that Kings Island's rides have a bad history with fog. If they won't run it on the Backlot Stunt Coaster, Top Gun, Adventure Express or The Crypt (where fog machines are already installed and ready to use) I think it's highly unlikely they'd use it on Flight of Fear.

Plus, if you ever had any questions about Premier's steel fabrication and its ability to withstand water, take a look at Backlot's former splashdown. Not that it would make a difference in the physical look of the ride since it's indoors, but it would certainly compromise the steel's strength with all that rust.

[Fear the Four]

I believe that the only problem with that is 1) the tremendous cost of the fog juice and 2) the fact that Kings Island's rides have a bad history with fog. If they won't run it on the Backlot Stunt Coaster, Top Gun, Adventure Express or The Crypt (where fog machines are already installed and ready to use) I think it's highly unlikely they'd use it on Flight of Fear.

Plus, if you ever had any questions about Premier's steel fabrication and its ability to withstand water, take a look at Backlot's former splashdown. Not that it would make a difference in the physical look of the ride since it's indoors, but it would certainly compromise the steel's strength with all that rust.

I love your posts. It makes me look at things very diffrently and it informs me. Thanks!

But I would to like to see Adventure Express with fog. I never knew that it had fog and when were the fog machines removed from the ride?

[countess_of_tuscany]

I think Flight of Fear would be amazing with every light turned off. There is an element of surprise when you are completely disoriented and have no idea what is going on, especially on a rollercoaster. Like in Backlot Stunt Coaster, I love the part that is in the building when you can barely see anything -- it's a fun feeling that really catches you off-guard!

By the way, hi everyone! This is my first post and I have been readng KI-Central forums for quite awhile and I'm glad to finally be part of it :]

[74Gibson]

^Welcome!

Glad you've enjoyed reading the forums and that you've started posting.

[bkroz]

^^

Welcome countess, and thanks Fear the Four! Ahaha!

Adventure Express did have fog... The third(?) tunnel, which is still vaguely themed to a volcanic eruption, was filled with fog and pulsing red lights, as I recall. As well, the final tunnel had fog in it, and when the god at the top "poured lava" onto folks, fog was released down from his big bowl thing as if it was dripping onto riders. There may have been more, I'm not sure.

The only reason I disagree with having every light off is that, rather than being disorienting, I feel like the ride is just... dark. I took my mom on it (her first time riding any roller coaster other an Arrow coasters which had previously given her massive migraines and kept her off coasters for the better part of 10 years) last fall when all of the lights were off, and she didn't even notice that it went upside down. It just felt like a dark high speed, slightly-shaky ride. With the effect lights on, you can see the mass of confusing track around you, and it creates the incredible illusion of not knowing if you're upside down or not being able to see the track curving around you, plus the walls / ceiling / floor seemingly all looking the same.

[Jasper]

The very first time I rode FOF I had no clue what to expect. It is also kind of hard to believe that it was my first looping coaster I ever rode. I loved the feeling of whizzing around in the dark and I had no clue where I was at. Then I got on here and saw the pictures of the bowl lit up and I was just amazed at what all they had fit into there. Even with the lights on I still say it is a fun ride, I try to never miss a ride on it when I am there.

[AZ Kinda Guy]

Premieres outdoor spaghetti bowl LIM launched coasters are way better to look at and ride than the enclosed ones.

[DeLorean Rider]

It's fun to ride with the lights on but after a time or two, I was ready for the dark again.

So true Terpy (though I always make out the part where they didn't install a MCBR). It's just a mess of steel, quite awesome really. The same with space mountain.

Space mountain trackwise I think is more organized than FOF. A and B side only cross onto each other's sides once in the very beginning; then they essentially go back and forth and work their way to the ground. If you're inside it looks like a mess just because the support structure is so much different than a current run of the mill steel coaster. Riding Space with the lights on is pretty interesting because you see how close you are to said supports; and by close I mean you can touch all of them. During this past rehab we installed about a dozen "deflector shields" on each side so that instead of hitting an edge you just slide your hands along a painted sheet. I have tons of photos of space with the lights on. I wonder where those are...

Now Rock'n Roller Coaster... That place looks pretty cool with the lights on. The "HOLLYWOOD" sign in their is at like a 60 or 70 degree angle but you never realize it on the ride.

[bkroz]

^ Essentially, Rock 'n' Roller Coaster, sans building.

That's Xpress (formerly, Superman) at Walibi World. The only difference between it and Rock 'n' Roller Coaster is that "Xpress' layout is a bit more spacious to compensate for a higher speed launch due to the trains being lighter without the musical hardware." (Source.)

In many ways, it looks similar to Flight of Fear... The launch immediately entering a half-loop sort of maneuver. But ours is a cobra roll, & theirs is a rollover(?), etc. That big banked turn that stretches out of their "spaghetti bowl" looks very fun to me...

[DeLorean Rider]

Still not nearly as cool as the inside of the Rock n' Roller Coaster building.

Also they load and unload in the same place and only run 2 trains at a time. We typically run either 4 or 5 depending on the time of year. When an A-team is running Rock n' Roller coaster they can break 1900 guests per hour.