I went to KI twice last year during the Haunt and for opening day this year. All three times WindSeeker was not operating. Is KI having problems with this ride. Yesterday I saw a worker wearing climbing gear coming out of WindSeeker's tower. I assumed he was doing early morning checks to make sure everything was in operating condition. They even has the swings raised to the top of the tower, but they weren't turning. I just find it odd that this ride hasn't been functioning each time I was there.

The ride had evacuation problems in California. A system to evacuate riders was created. The ride has yet to open at Kings Island this year, as of yesterday. There is a long thread about this.

http://www.KICentral.com/forums/index.php?/topic/26454-WindSeeker-ride-malfunction-strands-knotts-visitors/

See this thread:

http://www.KICentral.com/forums/index.php?/topic/26454-WindSeeker-ride-malfunction-strands-knotts-visitors/

There were problems at Cedar Point, carowinds and knotts and all rides have been grounded since the end of the 2012 season. Here's an article from the Toledo Blade posted last year

http://www.toledoblade.com/business/2012/10/06/WindSeeker-remains-idle-during-malfunction-probe.html

DBI

I'm upset that WindSeeker isn't working either, have been wanting to ride it since last season!

http://www.KICentral.com/forums/index.php?/topic/26454-WindSeeker-ride-malfunction-strands-knotts-visitors/

Ok. That does make sense to keep it closed. Thanks for the information.

As much as I do enjoy the ride for the sake of it being something different, I really could do without it if its fate was for it to come down.

The system appears to have been approved in Virginia and the ride was reportedly operating at Kings Dominion.

I can confirm that WindSeeker in Virginia is operating. Which makes me wonder how much longer for the remainder of the rides to operate.

Wonderland's WindSeeker was operating yesterday as well.

Well, that comment I made about WindSeekers not being ready until June on another thread...forget it now. KD and CW's WindSeekers being open seems to change EVERYTHING...

However, if state laws are the only thing keeping WindSeeker from going ATM, I honestly expect both KI's and CP's to open at the same time or at least around the same time, ie within a week of each other.

Wonderland's WindSeeker was operating yesterday as well.

Mean testing? I thought CW doesn't even open till May... ._.

Wonderland's WindSeeker was operating yesterday as well.

Mean testing? I thought CW doesn't even open till May... ._.

Usually the weekend before official opening has at least one company buyout day.

Photos from yesterday here: http://www.cwmania.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=56398#p56398

Oh ok, didn't know that about CW, perhaps that's something KI should do with all the complaining about Sunday following opening day

WindSeeker is running now.

I was going to say, WindSeeker was sitting at the top of the pole this morning on the way into work, obviously testing, but as mentioned above, it is open today.

I have seen Cedar Points testing on their webcam

Working or not, my trip to KI and CP that is coming up in 2 weeks will not include rides on either WindSeeker.

WindSeeker was running with people today.

WindSeeker was running with people today.

Running? Pink?

Terp, who likes to ask questions.

Hopefully not, although the result might resemble spin art!

Another confirmation that WindSeeker is up and running. I rode it this morning.

Rode it last night...they have the "rescue basket" behind a new fence along the path back to the action theater.

One thing I noticed when riding yesterday was that it doesn't appear to go all the way up anymore. Otherwise, everything is the same.

Seemed to go all the way up to me...looked up while riding, was at the top. For whatever reason, though, didn't seem that the seats were swinging as far out as in the past.

Stayed at the top for longer cycle too.

Well, there is a gap now between the very top and where it stops. My simpleton theory is this. You know how blinds are hard to lower if they are all the way up? Maybe it's the same thing with seeker and this will prevent them from "sticking" at the top. I wonder if the other seekers are the same way.

There's no difference in how high it goes. I looked at the tower while riding yesterday and saw the exact same amount of light blue below the ride unit that I remember seeing in the past. The gap between the ride unit and the top of the tower has always been there; it's never gone all the way to the very top of the tower.

On windshawne's note about the blinds that is hilarious by the way,

Further supporting jcgoble3's claim:

To which I ask, how high does the ride "gondola" actually rise to? How high are the riders actually off the ground at that point?

The way that the promos/commercials made it look, it made the riders look to be at 301 feet, not whatever they actually are.

As you see the gondola rise in the promo, the word 301 Feet rise with it, giving the impression that the riders are going to 301 feet.
http://youtu.be/ZALCgXCW_Bc?t=8s


Anyway, YAY to it being back open!

To which I ask, how high does the ride "gondola" actually rise to? How high are the riders actually off the ground at that point?

The way that the promos/commercials made it look, it made the riders look to be at 301 feet, not whatever they actually are.

As you see the gondola rise in the promo, the word 301 Feet rise with it, giving the impression that the riders are going to 301 feet.

http://youtu.be/ZALCgXCW_Bc?t=8s

According to Mondial's website, Wind Seeker (yes, the model name has a space, unlike the ride names) is offered with heights of 65 and 100 meters. The 65 meter height is obviously still theoretical, but 100 meters converts to 328 feet, which makes it plausible that the tower is actually 328 feet tall, and 301 feet is the height to which riders are taken.

Didn't the park say the tower was actually 301' at some point? I seem to remember that, but not sure where that was.