New for 2011 Windseeker!

[Diamondback FOF]

Because those are for ships and other sea vessels, not planes, silly goose!

*I think someone is about to correct me...

[LongliveKingsCobra]

I am not sure. I saw a spinny light at a small regional airport last week. It was entrancing to watch!

[bkroz]

And there's a spinning bright light at a park down in Florida...

Of course, it's beckoning explorers towards adventure more than projecting a message to the FAA. Or is it?

[The Interpreter]

I thought that one was sending a sort of sneer over Disney way...

[Creed Bratton]

Bat Signal.........just sayin'

[Colonel_SoB_fan]

Interestingly enough, the people I have known over the years that loved Kings Island most all lived well outside the local area. Just as one of Great Adventure's biggest fans lives far, far from that park.

In any event, I, for one, can't wait til next year! Anyone who's been to the park recently seen any sign of new construction beginning yet?

Here your answer when Construction will start, kind of.

http://www.journal-news.com/news/hamilton-news/301-foot-tall-WindSeeker-is-kings-islands-newest-ride-877743.html

Construction for the ride will begin after the park closes for the season in November.

[The Interpreter]

Yeah, I saw that, too...but sometimes what is said will happen and what actually happens are two different things...

[Colonel_SoB_fan]

Very true, I had not seen anytime period until I came back to Ohio for the weekend and my parents saved that article for me.

Edit: What a minute are you saying they may add 100 feet and make 401? *note the sarcasm*

[Ogrmac]

Wonder if they are going to put up a webcam so we can watch the construction. I don't know how interesting it will be, but it will be something to help pass the offseason.

[rcwizard13]

I am hoping for either a webcam or frequent photos.

[CoastersRZ]

And the start of construction can be a somewhat fluid term. If they mean actually pouring concrete, then that may indeed not begin until after the park closes. But they may begin moving dirt in preparation for the foundations before the end of the season. I`m sure that if they are clearing trees or doing any regrading work, that they may in fact start that prior to the final operating days. Back when they were building Invertigo at the end of the 1998 season, they were in fact moving some dirt prior to the close of the 1998 season.

[Jasper]

I wonder if the delay in construction has anything to do with Haunt and Urgent Scare being located right where the construction would be, more less in the vicinity I should say.

[Pagoda Gift Shop]

So was it finally determined where this thing is going to be installed? Old Flight Commander spot? Next to Vortex? In front of Action Theater entrance?

I tried looking back through this thread, but there were several "interruptions" that kinda went off-topic.

[IndyGuy4KI]

So was it finally determined where this thing is going to be installed? Old Flight Commander spot? Next to Vortex? In front of Action Theater entrance?

I tried looking back through this thread, but there were several "interruptions" that kinda went off-topic.

After listening to a podcast interview from "The coaster crew" http://www.coastercrew.net/live/ called "In The Loop." Don Helbig and Robin Innes were the guests talking about their respective Wind Seekers. Don states that the ride will be behind Vortex before you get to Action Theater.

I believe this is the correct podcast if you wish to listen: http://www.blogtalkr...n-the-loop-live

Edit: If I remember correctly it states construction would start in November.

[HTCO]

HTCO is waiting for another "Worst investment in my whole career".

Ehem... Does the word prototype mean anything?

[BavarianBeatle]

HTCO is waiting for another "Worst investment in my whole career".

Ehem... Does the word prototype mean anything?

I share your worry about the prototype. There will likely be some bugs that have to be worked out, resulting in downtime. I also worry about the fact that they are building four of these protypes and that a problem with one could result in all four of them experiencing significant closures.

[Tuskin]

Wow, its been a long time.

For those of you who remember old Tuskin I was just stopping by to see all the rumors and pictures of Wind Seeker and say hello. Glad to see Terpy is still keeping everyone in line!

Looking forward to riding WS this coming season, hopefully I'll stop by a little more often. Till next time...

[Colonel_SoB_fan]

Unfortunately my first ride on WindSeeker until August 13th, at the earliest. Fortunately the reason why is because I will be in the Disney College Program. I will have to get out to Magical Midway and ride their StarFlyer

[thunderbeast1968]

Sorry that I did not read all 22 pages of comments, but Is the name of the ride going to be called WindSeeker, or is this just a generic name for the ride?

[Beast1979]

Sorry that I did not read all 22 pages of comments, but Is the name of the ride going to be called WindSeeker, or is this just a generic name for the ride?

Both. Welcome to Cedar Fair!

[CoastersRZ]

It isn`t something new to just Cedar Fair. I mean, look at the Scrambler at KI. It has been known as Scrambler since it was installed at Coney, and that is Eli Bridge`s name for the model of the ride. Even Paramount did that a couple of time. Invertigo at California`s Great America, which was installed in 1998, is both the name of the ride and the name of the model from Vekoma.

[The Interpreter]

And then there's Lagoon's:

Roller Coaster, so named since 1921!

http://www.rcdb.com/196.htm

According to rcdb, 119 other rides also share that name.

Oddly, it was Cedar Fair that renamed Coaster (at Dorney Park) to Thunderhawk...which has itself recently become one of Cedar Fair's generic names...like Mind Eraser was for Gary Story's Six Flags...

[CoasterKrazy]

As confirmed by Jeff Gramke, WindSeeker will be located between Action Theater and Vortex. He mentioned that they considered another sight "about 150 feet away" but they found the soil conditions between Vortex and AT to be better suited for WindSeeker. Whether or not that means they considered the Flight Commander pad is up for debate. The Action Theater exit path will be modified to provide access to the new ride's entrance and exit.

Also, the asphalt in Coney Mall will be removed and replaced with pavers over the off-season. Sounds good to me!

[muppetfan1999]

And then there's Lagoon's:

Roller Coaster, so named since 1921!

http://www.rcdb.com/196.htm

According to rcdb, 119 other rides also share that name.

Oddly, it was Cedar Fair that renamed Coaster (at Dorney Park) to Thunderhawk...which has itself recently become one of Cedar Fair's generic names...like Mind Eraser was for Gary Story's Six Flags...

I can only imagine how the meeting where they came up with that name went.

[CoastersRZ]

I thought I spotted a soil coring location immediately off to the side of The Racer last Sunday, between the Red Racer and Vortex exit. My only problems with the location of this ride are twofold. One, it will likely create a bottleneck near The Vortex and Action Theater exits, while the old Flight Commander site seems like it would have been a more ideal location. Secondly, the new site is awfully close to The Beast. Hopefully, they maintain a safe buffer of trees around The Beast.

Hopefully, they do replace a majority of the asphalt in Coney Mall with pavers. But bare in mind, that Coney Mall is really long, so I doubt we see the entire thing replaced this year with pavers, as pavers are expensive. And bare in mind that the far end of Coney Mall down by The Vortex and Action Theater already has pavers installed. If I had to guess, I`d say we may see pavers at the very least connect up to the pavers in front of Backlot, so in the vicinity of Shake Rattle and Roll. If we are lucky, they will extend the pavers to at least the Zephyr area, by where X Base connects to Coney Mall.

[The Interpreter]

And then there's Lagoon's:

Roller Coaster, so named since 1921!

http://www.rcdb.com/196.htm

According to rcdb, 119 other rides also share that name.

Oddly, it was Cedar Fair that renamed Coaster (at Dorney Park) to Thunderhawk...which has itself recently become one of Cedar Fair's generic names...like Mind Eraser was for Gary Story's Six Flags...

I can only imagine how the meeting where they came up with that name went.

If you mean Mind Eraser...I suggest they....rode it. That would do it...

I still like the name at Premier Parks' Geauga Lake better: Serial Thriller! Ironically, it, too was to become Thunderhawk...at a renamed Geauga Lake then Michigan's Adventure.

[CoasterKrazy]

I thought I spotted a soil coring location immediately off to the side of The Racer last Sunday, between the Red Racer and Vortex exit. My only problems with the location of this ride are twofold. One, it will likely create a bottleneck near The Vortex and Action Theater exits, while the old Flight Commander site seems like it would have been a more ideal location. Secondly, the new site is awfully close to The Beast. Hopefully, they maintain a safe buffer of trees around The Beast.

Hopefully, they do replace a majority of the asphalt in Coney Mall with pavers. But bare in mind, that Coney Mall is really long, so I doubt we see the entire thing replaced this year with pavers, as pavers are expensive. And bare in mind that the far end of Coney Mall down by The Vortex and Action Theater already has pavers installed. If I had to guess, I`d say we may see pavers at the very least connect up to the pavers in front of Backlot, so in the vicinity of Shake Rattle and Roll. If we are lucky, they will extend the pavers to at least the Zephyr area, by where X Base connects to Coney Mall.

As Mr. Gramke was discussing foundations, I got the impression that (assuming he was indeed talking about the Flight Commander sight) the sight for WindSeeker was chosen because of its more favorable soil conditions.

I don't think we have to worry about The Beast being disturbed. I can't imagine that WindSeeker will have a very big footprint, and there is a good amount of space between Vortex, Action Theater, and Beast (check out Google Earth).

[CoastersRZ]

If the site for Flight Commander was acceptable for Flight Commander, I`m sure it would have been acceptable for WindSeeker. Now, if they wanted to use the site adjacent to that location, there may be some utilities in the way that made the other site a more favorable (and less expensive) option.

[KIfan73]

What kind of foundation do they put down for a ride like WindSeeker? It kind of boggles my mind to think of what they need to put down for something like that.

[Fear the Four]

What kind of foundation do they put down for a ride like WindSeeker? It kind of boggles my mind to think of what they need to put down for something like that.

Something like Drop Towers foundation?