What could really put Kings Island on the Map

[diamondback1]

I thinking that Cedar Fair would really benifit the most if they added somemore very thrilling roller coasters to Kings Island. Not just any old roller coasters either i'm talking abt roller coasters that put Cedar Point on the map like a Top Thrill Dragters or Millineum Force etc.... Then they could reallu have a competion Between the the two kings of Ohio two see whos better. This would be a awesome oppertunity for these two big markets to really dominate the Entertainment company and open an all new outlook to Kings Island.

Personally i think Kings Island will always be second to Cedar Point until Kings Island makes the upgrades to their status of rides. Kings Island has too much history not to be considred the best amusement park in the U.S.

[Beast1979]

A nice, big, shiny, new, top of the line B&M Hyper coaster would do quite nicely.

Oh, wait...

In all seriousness, as long as Cedar Fair (Dick Kinzel especially) is in charge, I doubt we see Kings Island approach Cedar Point level status. Even without them running the park, it'd still be quite a feat to bring it to Cedar Point level.

[Browntggrr]

When did KI ever fall off the map?

[The Interpreter]

It worked so very well for Six Flags in Ohio....now, didn't it?

[AZ Kinda Guy]

When did KI ever fall off the map?

I was thinking the same thing. Also, CP was well on the map long before TTD & MF were around. Gemini and Magnum certainly come to mind.

[DegenRider]

A new map with Kings Island Starred on it?

[TombRaiderFTW]

When did KI ever fall off the map?

I partially agree with this in the sense that KI is still a lot of the same park it's always been- at least, for as long as I've known it. The one thing that comes to mind, though, is the degeneration of the themed areas (especially Oktoberfest and Rivertown). If KI tries to be Cedar Point, I honestly don't think it would work. CF isn't going to give us a TTD clone, at least with Kinzel at the reins. He's said before it was a huge mistake on Cedar Fair's part to install such a moody machine. Also, I'm personally of the conspiracy theory that, WindSeekers aside, he's not going to install anything comparable to his Cedar Point so close to home.

Assuming the OP, by "put KI on the map," means "make KI a destination park," it's going to be by improving the theme to a Busch, Universal, or Disney level. It's the one thing we have over Cedar Point. Yes, they have the Frontier town area, but that's just the one corner of the park, whereas KI has theming parkwide. Though some here may argue that theming is unnecessary, consider this: what keeps people coming to Universal Studios' Islands of Adventure? Certainly not the coaster count or records as the tallest or fastest in Florida... There are a total of 5 coasters there, none of which exceed 125 feet tall. People keep coming for the experience, which is made great by the theming and staff, among others. And KI could just as easily be an equally immersive experience.

Of course, improving the parkwide theming is incredibly unlikely. Cedar Fair, though definitely improving as of late, just doesn't "do" theming... Remember how Rivertown used to be wooded? How we were supposed to have a splashdown for Diamondback surrounded by trees and rocks? How The Crypt is... err... The Crypt? It's just not on their agenda, or at least it's not at KI. (I could speak volumes about the theming at KD, but that's for another post.)

For now, we'll have to enjoy the park we love- which is a pretty great place anyhow.

[HTCO]

Kings Island is on the map.

[count_of_tuscany]

I just checked Google maps and, yep, it's there! In all seriousness, though, I definitely think KI is already "on the map." Heck, it keeps us coming at least twice a year, and if it weren't so darned far away (we're near the Detroit area), we would go more often. We go to Cedar Point more often just because it's a heckuva lot closer to us.

[HTCO]

http://www.visitkingsisland.com/mobile/map/

In all seriousness though, Kings Island is a pretty well known park. It has a lot more coasters than some big parks I know of. Coasters don't make the park. Most of the time

[Colonel_SoB_fan]

The World's Tallest, Fastest, and only looping wooden coaster with steel track

[Browntggrr]

The World's Tallest, Fastest, and only looping wooden coaster with steel track

Wood coaster with steel track?

[Colonel_SoB_fan]

That marketing seems to be fine with SFOT.

This new super hybrid will have a state-of-the-art track of steel fabrication, with the steepest drop of any wooden coaster in the world at 79 degrees. The lift hill will be 10 feet taller than the original

Texas Giant. The new ride will also have a record-breaking bank of 95 degrees, steeper than any other wooden coaster on the planet. The new Texas Giant will make its debut in 2011 during the park's

50th Anniversary celebration.

http://www.sixflags.com/overTexas/rides/TexasGiant.aspx

[Browntggrr]

That marketing seems to be fine with SFOT.

This new super hybrid will have a state-of-the-art track of steel fabrication, with the steepest drop of any wooden coaster in the world at 79 degrees. The lift hill will be 10 feet taller than the original

Texas Giant. The new ride will also have a record-breaking bank of 95 degrees, steeper than any other wooden coaster on the planet. The new Texas Giant will make its debut in 2011 during the park's

50th Anniversary celebration.

http://www.sixflags....TexasGiant.aspx

Where is the looping part?

[Colonel_SoB_fan]

You misunderstood me completely.

I was talking about SoB having the iron horse treatment done to it and then having a loop installed on it again.

[Browntggrr]

I did understand what you were getting at, I just don't understand why you would suggest re-opening a closed wound.

Comparing TG and SoB is apples and oranges. TG, at one time, was one of the most popular wood coasters. It also has not had the negative issues SoB has had.

The amusement park industry is a copy cat industry. If the wooden looping coaster concept was feasible, someone else surely would have learned from SoB's mistakes, and built one themselves.

It speaks volumes that not only has another park not tried out an improved concept, KI is having difficulty finding a firm to solve SoB's engineering issues or be able to purchase newer model trains.

Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. -Albert Einstein

Suggesting that KI re-invent SoB does have the potential of putting KI on the map, but that map has a very small percentage of leading the park in the right direction.

[The Interpreter]

...The amusement park industry is a copy cat industry. If the wooden looping coaster concept was feasible, someone else surely would have learned from SoB's mistakes, and built one themselves....

Someone else was already planning on it...bigger, taller, faster and with TWO loops. But, they saw how poor Son of Beast's uptime was that first year and canceled their order....And that's no bull. They later would top another Ohio park's top thrill attraction...even adding another, so-called airtime, hill. They were later even going to add hotels and resorts to that park, but at the end of that management's storied rain...and some of us are still burking about it. That park was then the flagship at that chain, a place since taken by a place in Texas. By the time the wooden coaster was to be built, available funds (and management philosophy) dictated a shorter, less expensive coaster (and certainly no loop(s)).

Meanwhile, the Southern Ohio park the subject of this fansite was the flagship of its corporate theme park owner, but that owner changed focus (and corporate headquarters) to Charlotte, then got sold to a company whose CEO and Chairman (for now) lives in the parking lot of the corporate jewel (their words) (for now).

The future is an odd thing, and very difficult to predict. When all this started, around the time of the millennium force, few would have predicted a certain Kings Island general manager would end up being the COO of Six Flags, having previously been the Interim Chairman and CEO of that company and before that the CEO of the parent company of Kings Island.

And that Story guy and his right hand man? They now own a place on Nashville's "shores."

And the Paramount Parks GM at Kings Island when SOB was decided on? Got her name removed from a Fort later...found out what she did and did not wannado (which since closed) and now is a critical part of Herschend...so critical that she is allowed to work from her home most of the time...providing critical and instrumental consultation and advice for that fast growing, well run company that has some wild adventures of its own...but also even a beached boat of late.

[KIfan1980]

Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. -Albert Einstein

And yet you still try to explain to every SoB fanboy that's posts about re-opening the ride and/or adding the loop back in that it is a bad idea

And Terpy - your post made my head hurt. I need the graphical flowchart version.

[Colonel_SoB_fan]

Someone correct me if I am wrong, but did Will Koch not want the Voyage to have a loop in it, the Gravity Group said no.

[Colonel_SoB_fan]

Someone correct me if I am wrong, but did Will Koch not want the Voyage to have a loop in it, the Gravity Group said no.

[RailRider]

...The amusement park industry is a copy cat industry. If the wooden looping coaster concept was feasible, someone else surely would have learned from SoB's mistakes, and built one themselves....

Someone else was already planning on it...bigger, taller, faster and with TWO loops. But, they saw how poor Son of Beast's uptime was that first year and canceled their order....And that's no bull. They later would top another Ohio park's top thrill attraction...even adding another, so-called airtime, hill. They were later even going to add hotels and resorts to that park, but at the end of that management's storied rain...and some of us are still burking about it. That park was then the flagship at that chain, a place since taken by a place in Texas. By the time the wooden coaster was to be built, available funds (and management philosophy) dictated a shorter, less expensive coaster (and certainly no loop(s)).

Meanwhile, the Southern Ohio park the subject of this fansite was the flagship of its corporate theme park owner, but that owner changed focus (and corporate headquarters) to Charlotte, then got sold to a company whose CEO and Chairman (for now) lives in the parking lot of the corporate jewel (their words) (for now).

The future is an odd thing, and very difficult to predict. When all this started, around the time of the millennium force, few would have predicted a certain Kings Island general manager would end up being the COO of Six Flags, having previously been the Interim Chairman and CEO of that company and before that the CEO of the parent company of Kings Island.

And that Story guy and his right hand man? They now own a place on Nashville's "shores."

And the Paramount Parks GM at Kings Island when SOB was decided on? Got her name removed from a Fort later...found out what she did and did not wannado (which since closed) and now is a critical part of Herschend...so critical that she is allowed to work from her home most of the time...providing critical and instrumental consultation and advice for that fast growing, well run company that has some wild adventures of its own...but also even a beached boat of late.

Love the history review of how things have changed and if anyone would have predicted most of this they would have been laughed at. Amazing what has happend in 10 years.

[Browntggrr]

Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. -Albert Einstein

And yet you still try to explain to every SoB fanboy that's posts about re-opening the ride and/or adding the loop back in that it is a bad idea

Great.

Another person besides my wife to call me insane.

[The Interpreter]

Someone correct me if I am wrong, but did Will Koch not want the Voyage to have a loop in it, the Gravity Group said no.

To my knowledge, Will Koch did not want Voyage to have a loop in it. If he had, and Gravity Group would not do it, knowing Will Koch, he would have found someone who would have done it...

[TTD-120-420]

You know, I have been thinking about this for a while. Intamin keeps on pushing the limit with launches and 90* lift hills so I was wondering if its possible to mix them. It could be like the space shuttle. The train rolls up the 90 degree incline and stops, leaving riders on their backs looking at the sky. From there, the magnets used on Maverick and other coasters could launch the train straight up. It obviously has never been done before. Is it possible? Probably not right now. Neither was cell phones in the 1920's.

A ride like this would definately make Kings Island more known than it is now.

[Monroe]

And Terpy - your post made my head hurt. I need the graphical flowchart version.

Here you go!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DSQc4x2_7UE&feature=related

[thunderbeast1968]

You misunderstood me completely.

I was talking about SoB having the iron horse treatment done to it and then having a loop installed on it again.

I agree completely, SOB needs this treament and the loop added once again.

[Colonel_SoB_fan]

Someone correct me if I am wrong, but did Will Koch not want the Voyage to have a loop in it, the Gravity Group said no.

To my knowledge, Will Koch did not want Voyage to have a loop in it. If he had, and Gravity Group would not do it, knowing Will Koch, he would have found someone who would have done it...

I trust you, just thought someone had found an article in German, and when translated into English it talked about how the Voyage at Holiday World was designed to have a loop in it, after President Will Koch rode Son of Beast and thought they could do better.

[The Interpreter]

Will Koch was a very smart man. I have no doubt that after riding Son of Beast, he thought Holiday World could do better...

Terp, who likes to write things that can be interpreted in many different ways

[Browntggrr]

Will Koch was a very smart man. I have no doubt that after riding Son of Beast, he thought Holiday World could do better...

No offense to Mr. Koch, but, I believe anyone in the industry would have felt they could do better- smart or not....

[bkroz]

You know, I have been thinking about this for a while. Intamin keeps on pushing the limit with launches and 90* lift hills so I was wondering if its possible to mix them. It could be like the space shuttle. The train rolls up the 90 degree incline and stops, leaving riders on their backs looking at the sky. From there, the magnets used on Maverick and other coasters could launch the train straight up. It obviously has never been done before. Is it possible? Probably not right now. Neither was cell phones in the 1920's.

A ride like this would definately make Kings Island more known than it is now.

Correct me if I'm wrong (and I very well may be; it's quite dark in there) but isn't Volcano: The Blast Coaster's second set of LSM's vertical? Granted, that's not from the stopped position as you imagined it.

Regardless, I'm sure a 0 - Xmph vertical launch would be possible. It would just be complicated to have a holding brake grip the train and to release it right as the launching mechanism engages without the train dropping down backwards. In my opinion, it seems an unnecessary innovation when rides can just as easily launch horizontally, then quickly turn vertical (see, Intamin impulse coasters, catapult coasters, etc). Basically what I mean is, I think that those very select few who innovate new technologies for rides would find it more worthwhile to work on something else since the vertical launch might be tricky and sort of unnecessary.