Starting to Decode 2014

[CedarPointer]

Or they want the buzz to start now.

[Diamondbacker]

Hello, this is my first time posting. I love Kings Island and find it very interesting that there are footers already being placed and poured so early into the season. I hope it's a B&M giga that is different than both Diamondback and Leviathan. I would also like to see a b&m inverted coaster. "Banshee" (not saying thats the name of the new ride) looks like its going to be pretty large. So excited for 2014 already!

I agree with the large part, the amount of land created by the SOB demolishing is massive. I hope they can use the whole terrain.

[Zayzayd13]

Well we know its a steel coaster because of the footings. I honestly do think its a b&m because of the rows of consecutive footers, which looks like it is a part of the storage track area, and if I'm not mistaken, B&m is the only coaster company to make storage track areas like that

[Zayzayd13]

I guess...

[HTCO]

Maybe worlds largest wing rider? Tallest and Fastest?

[T_12]

It won't be the worlds tallest and fastest wing rider. CP just got their wing rider this year with those records, and CP is the top park on the list of CedarFair parks. I highly doubt KI will get a wing rider considering CP just got one. CP has the record of for the tallest and fastest wing rider and CedarFair won't want another one of their parks to surpass Gatekeeper. Another CedarFair park might get a wing rider but i highly highly doubt it will be taller and faster than Gatekeeper.

[Shawn Meyer]

Every year since 2011, I keep hearing that Kings Island was getting a B&M Invert so maybe this is it. However, I'm still hopeful for a B&M Floorless roller coaster!

[TTD-120-420]

This is going to be the longest summer of my life if we keep posting like we are now!

[DontWantToWait42mar0]

Cedar Point's wing rider hasn't even debuted to the general public yet, so I don't believe it is very likely Kings Island is currently constructing one . That would just be too many eggs in one basket.

Does everyone believe that Cedar Fair will not build a coaster taller than Millenium Force? Having a new tallest coaster at Kings Island, will just make the Cedar Point crowd take notice, and possibly pay a visit to KI.

Millenium Force is not going to be the tallest North American roller coaster forever(Not counting Kingda Ka/Top Thrill type rides), why not keep the record within the state of Ohio? The space is available.

[darkmarkman]

My best guess is a B and M giga. One idea I have though is a giga that has inversions after the mid-course break. The drop from the break would probably be between 100 to 150 feet which would be great for a couple of loops, a zero g roll, etc. I know it's a little outside the box, but the space is available for it. It would also be extremely unique.

[coasterfanatic83]

Maybe this is just me, but wouldn't it be smart for Cedar Fair to wait and see how Gatekeeper is viewed and talked about by the public before building multiple wing riders throughout their chain? You have to realize that whatever is happening at KI was on the drawing board before Gatekeeper was even beginning to take shape. Much like WindSeeker, I am afraid they might put too many eggs in one basket. I understand that there are other wing riders out there which can give a general view of what the public thinks, but I feel like it would be good business technique in general to have one of your own and see how it goes before mass-producing them.

Just my $0.02 here.

[AintNutinElse2Do]

^ Cedar Fair has had time to see how Raptor, Swarm, Wild Eagle, X-Flight work. Granted it'd be nice to take the time to see how they are in a few more years but the time from conception to opening a major custom coaster takes years. So unfortunately parks have to make gambles or they'll be considered stagnant to many. As for WindSeekers I think that was a way for Cedar Fair to unify the parks it was a gamble and they may not continue placing that bet but I don't think they are a loss either.

Now as far as 2014 is there any pictures yet showing the construction stakes with writing on them? Those can be good clues or diversions like the Huss GF from Carowinds before announcing WindSeeker.

[dr_humor]

Gatekeeper is not a prototype, and it will be a home run. The WRs mentioned above are wildly, wildly popular.

Plus, it's a B & M, meaning its reliable and no in need of an endless string of tweaks, downtime, etc. as is the case with Intmain's products, as breathtaking and ground-breaking as they can be.

I wouldn't rule out a B & M Giga at all. It would see KI follow the same pattern as CW (Behemoth, Leviathan.

There's certainly room for any type of layout one can imagine.

[The Interpreter]

The discussion of prototypes began because of one poster's hopes a new coaster would be the first of its kind, not because WingRiders at this point are prototypes. Obviously, they are not. Even B&M's first major production coasters were and are reliable as they were delivered, though.

[dr_humor]

Ah, I think I missed that in between the lines. And that is true. Even their innovative designs, form inverts to wing-riders, are just solid performers. The talk I always hear from the few folks I know in the business always come back to the same line; B & M doesn't over-engineer the rides.

[The Interpreter]

Nor do they underengineer them. They are expensive, but in this case parks get what they pay for. See, to the contrary, many recent HUSS rides.

[homestar92]

My best guess is a B and M giga. One idea I have though is a giga that has inversions after the mid-course break. The drop from the break would probably be between 100 to 150 feet which would be great for a couple of loops, a zero g roll, etc. I know it's a little outside the box, but the space is available for it. It would also be extremely unique.

This might be linguistic enthusiast nitpicking, but once you put in an inversion, doesn't it cease to be a giga coaster? That tends to be the rule of thumb with hypers/megas, so I assume it applies to gigas too.

[AdventureExpressions]

Since everyone is expressing their hopes of what this might be, I will put my two cents worth. I too am hoping for a Giga coaster. The two elements I always cling to are speed and hills. I enjoyed Wild Eagle at Dollywood but when I rode it once, I didn't have that feeling of "Oh my God I have to do this over and over". I get that have to do it over and over feeling with Diamondback and The Beast, but for what I'll call specialty rollercoasters I don't get that feeling, like Firehawk, Mantis, or Raptor. So My hopes (my opinion) is for Speed and Hills.

[FOFreak]

My best guess is a B and M giga. One idea I have though is a giga that has inversions after the mid-course break. The drop from the break would probably be between 100 to 150 feet which would be great for a couple of loops, a zero g roll, etc. I know it's a little outside the box, but the space is available for it. It would also be extremely unique.

This might be linguistic enthusiast nitpicking, but once you put in an inversion, doesn't it cease to be a giga coaster? That tends to be the rule of thumb with hypers/megas, so I assume it applies to gigas too.

Sonny was a hypercoaster, was it not? Loop and no loop.

[medford]

If they do put in a Giga, and considering how much land the cleared out beyond SOB's footpring, I wonder if they've considering building the world's longest coaster, bring the title back to KI

[SonofBaconator]

If they do put in a Giga, and considering how much land the cleared out beyond SOB's footpring, I wonder if they've considering building the world's longest coaster, bring the title back to KI

Japan would not be very happy with that....

[The Interpreter]

Since hypercoasters are usually seen as steel coasters that are over 200', have no inversions and mimic a good wooden out and back, I see no way most would have seen Son of Beast as a hypercoaster. It was over 200', yes, but that's about it.

[medford]

Considering that Steel Dragon quickly stole the thunder of MF, I doubt Cedar Fair would feel all that bad about it.

[HTCO]

Cedar Point's wing rider hasn't even debuted to the general public yet, so I don't believe it is very likely Kings Island is currently constructing one . That would just be too many eggs in one basket.

Does everyone believe that Cedar Fair will not build a coaster taller than Millenium Force? Having a new tallest coaster at Kings Island, will just make the Cedar Point crowd take notice, and possibly pay a visit to KI.

Millenium Force is not going to be the tallest North American roller coaster forever(Not counting Kingda Ka/Top Thrill type rides), why not keep the record within the state of Ohio? The space is available.

No.

Cedar Fair will do what ever it takes to make the new ride profitable for KI. If that means they break the hight of a 13 year old coaster, then thats what it means. And frankly, the GP won't give a darn.

[Zayzayd13]

There seems to be a major difference between the coasters at CP and KI. KI has coasters CP doesn't (LIM launched, Invertigo, FLying), and CP has coasters KI doesn't (Intamin Impulse, Wingrider, Giga, Stanup, B&M Inverted, Strata, and Maverick). My point is, Kings Islamd may get one of those types of coasters. In fact, you can narrow it down. B&M stand ups aren't as popular now, so that's eliminated, CP just got a wingrider, so that's a no, KI really does not need an Impulse, nor really a strata. The only coaster types left are Giga, B&M inverted, and Intamin terrain like Maverick.

[benred23]

I really Don't care what it is as long as its "Fluffy" Friendly..

[westcoaster]

Its for sure all speculation at this point, however could it be they are clearing lots of land for multiple additions over multiple years?

I'm thinking a few flats, and a medium size coaster for now?

Just my thoughts though:

[dr_humor]

Just saying; it's obvious that Kings Island is the grandest of the Cedar Fair parks that does not have a giga coaster. I am not at all suggesting this is a "necessity", but if I was forced to bet on one option and one option only, this is currently it.

And yes, Westcoaster, that is always a possibility, but I have never witnessed Cedar Fair doing that, at least in my time. I'm not sure I see the advantage of that move.

[benred23]

Just saying; it's obvious that Kings Island is grandest of the Cedar Fair parks that does not have a giga coaster. I am not at all suggesting this is a "necessity", but if I was forced to bet on one option and one option only, this is currently it.

..And thats brings back the whole Conversation as to whether Kings Island can actually Have a Coaster very much taller than 300' due to the proximity to The Airport.

[Tuskin]

I'm pretty sure you guys are putting way too much thought into this. Let's look at the clues:

1.) Cedar Fair trademarks the name Banshee. Think back to the teaser on the fence. Mysterious, bone-chilling screams? Unless the park is really trying to throw a curveball here, I don't see what other name could be used. Before anyone brings up Mustang, was the name Mustang trademarked?

2.) It would be almost unheard of for a seasonal park to start construction this early for a small attraction. AKA: The odds of us getting a wild mouse are pretty small in my book.

3.) We have footers on the ground! They look like coaster footers, they smell like coaster footers, they taste like coaster footers, they sound like coaster footers... you finish the puzzle.

4.) Does Cedar Fair have a history of building ziplines? I mean, not to be rude, but really? Do you honestly think that is what this is for?

5.) This is almost certainly B&M. But why Diamondhawk, why are you taking all our toys? Cedar Fair doesn't seem to exactly love Intamin right now. In fact, Intamin hasn't been used at Cedar Fair since 2010 for I305. I remember Don saying that Kings Island wanted to focus on reliable, high capacity rides after disasters such as Son of Beast, The Cyrpt, Backlot Stunt Coaster, etc. Also, if that's not enough proof, CEO Matt Ouimet said while at the B&M plant looking at Gatekeeper, that Kings Island was on his radar.

6.) Don is trying to throw you off with that tweet. And it clearly worked. Hats off to you Mr. Helbig. Don't look too much into this. I know the anticipation is great for the new ride, but not every word out of Don's mouth will have to do with this new attraction.

You have tasted coaster footers before??? I don't know if I'm more worried that no one said anything, or that I'm the only one who is saying anything.