Land Clearing near SOB Bolt Shed

[The Interpreter]

Don't forget the park took over SOB's construction, became the general contractor, changed the plans and specs, cut costs, got cited by OSHA, and never did get the thing to consistently operate in a safe, reliable, enjoyable fashion.

[silver2005]

Also, the park would likely turn to GCI for the project, who has excellent credentials to back up their stellar rides. 

[upstop]

I wouldn't mind if an RMC were go into the area currently occupied by DA.... When is that contract up?

[KI Guy]

Side question to you all. Was the former Lion Country Safari area wooded at some time? If it was, that's a shame because coasters are better WITH TREES. Also interesting if that were the case is that the park did not let that area grow back in the many years since LCS was taken out.

[The Interpreter]

First, Wild Animal Habitat hasn't been gone all that many years. Second, I believe that area was pretty treeless when Kings Island opened. When it was cleared I don't know. I never saw the Kings Island property before opening day.

[KI Guy]

It's been at least 20 years hasn't it? I know I never saw it.

Edit: I looked it up. Kings Island closed it in 1993.

[Monroe]

They actually removed some growth from that area and planted new for WAH to match the habitation of the animals.  The area did not start to open up to fields until you get to where the High School is, that was a shooting range, and there was farm land where the parking lot is and where the Hall of Fame used to be.  This is pre-1960, I don't know when the school was built, but the shooting range was active as late as 1955 I think.  (Dad used to go there)  I could be wrong on some of this so please feel free to correct me.

[KIfan73]

Thanks to the Internet, a lot of interesting historical pictures/videos of the park has been uncovered in the last few years...one I'd really be interested in seeing is the land that Kings Island sits on, pre-Kings Island...

[bjcolglazier]

Thanks to the Internet, a lot of interesting historical pictures/videos of the park has been uncovered in the last few years...one I'd really be interested in seeing is the land that Kings Island sits on, pre-Kings Island...

I'm guessing those pictures would be completely unrecognizable, honestly.  I'd still like to see them too, nevertheless, but...that was a long, long time ago.

[The Interpreter]

The Internet has led many to believe that historic photos, facts, etc., are all out there, remaining only to be found. That frequently is NOT the case. Records are destroyed every single day, and that happened even more in the past. Storage was a problem. Still is. Preservation was not seen as important. Privacy was seen as important, and protected.

And oftentimes, records were not created in the first place. Photos were expensive, difficult, and often faded away.

Separately, and somewhat related, five years or so ago here, I related my own personal knowledge gathered by personal observation, of events and the industry. A young grasshopper nearly assaulted me with the demand I cite an Internet source for my observations and facts and said absent that it was not to be trusted. I blame Wikipedia. And many accept all Internet sources as equally credible. Editing and fact checking and even spell checking have largely fallen by the wayside. Anywho, two years later said grasshopper asked me a question about Dennis McNulty. I told him to go to the Internet.

[TheBeast1116]

Looks like even more stuff is happening where they smoothed stuff out. And it's not a coaster for next year, cause they would've moved the camera, there would be markings, , and we just got Banshee not even 2 years yet. So it will be 2018 probably when a new ride announced. Flat rides before then maybe.

[thegajone]

Why does everyone want a Giga coaster? It's just going to be another Diamondback that's 70+ feet taller. I'd prefer if we get a Mack, or Gerstlauer or Intamin (Even though we may never get an Intamin for a while) But I'd prefer we get a roller coaster that's from a different manufacturer other than B&M. Sure they are fun rides, but honestly B&M's do become boring when you keep getting them. Look at CP, They have 4, and two of them are within the last 6 years, and the same goes for Kings Island.

The two newest roller coasters we own are Diamondback and Banshee, and both of those came out within 5 years of each other, and also are the only roller coasters that we have that were built in the 2000's I want something other than a B&M to keep my ridership up.

Now, I'm not saying All Giga's are B&M... but... they pretty much are, it's either than or Intamin, which Cedar Fair doesn't work with. So all Cedar Fair Giga's are going to more than likely be a B&M coaster.

If anything, a 4d coaster would be an interesting concept...

99% of park goers do not know nor care who manufactures a ride, and gigas are a massive hit pretty much everywhere you can find them. If you can build one with 4 rows across for increased capacity, even better.

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[thegajone]

Hopefully a coaster type beloved by Cincinnati for generations is not forgotten.

B&M giga?

SoB wood had filled that void, it had it's chance.

Yes, Cincinnatians have been riding nonexistent B&M giga coasters for generations...

That notion with SOB is bunk, and I was hoping I wouldn't have to hear it. A bad concept was pushed by the park and rejected by the quality manufacturers of the day. The park defiantly pushed forward and boy did they pay for it.

Imagine if King Island in 1983 thought the way you're thinking. "No more steel coasters... that Bat was a disaster." Please do tell when another wooden coaster can be built. ONE wood coaster has been built at the park since the Carter administration, and how many steel coasters?

And they've built exactly 0 gigas in that same time frame. Meanwhile they continue to operate 2 of the best wooden coasters found anywhere.

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[The Interpreter]

Or three, depending on how you count.

[DontWantToWait42mar0]

Three and a half if you count Adventure Express.

[The Interpreter]

^

Now that's some funny stuff.

[fryoj]

I count 4(and a half?) wood coasters. 

[RingMaster]

99% of park goers do not know nor care who manufactures a ride, and gigas are a massive hit pretty much everywhere you can find them. If you can build one with 4 rows across for increased capacity, even better.

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If gigas are such a massive hit, why have only five coasters of that style been constructed in the sixteen years since their inception? And unless there's an exclusivity clause with the Fair (regarding Beemers), why did Six Flags decide against pulling a Batman by over-saturating the market with multiple giga installs?

[Italian Job 2005]

Cedar Fair Entertainment Company chooses what parks they want to be "destinations", carefully? A lot of times, it seems, that gigas tend to increase a park's overall attendance; oftentimes with visitors from across the country (see Fury 325)

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[calakapepe]

Three and a half if you count Adventure Express.

Do coasters like Outlaw Run count as being 3/4 wooden?

Since the track half is half wood half steel?

[KI Guy]

 

 

 

Hopefully a coaster type beloved by Cincinnati for generations is not forgotten.

B&M giga?

SoB wood had filled that void, it had it's chance.

Yes, Cincinnatians have been riding nonexistent B&M giga coasters for generations...

That notion with SOB is bunk, and I was hoping I wouldn't have to hear it. A bad concept was pushed by the park and rejected by the quality manufacturers of the day. The park defiantly pushed forward and boy did they pay for it.

Imagine if King Island in 1983 thought the way you're thinking. "No more steel coasters... that Bat was a disaster." Please do tell when another wooden coaster can be built. ONE wood coaster has been built at the park since the Carter administration, and how many steel coasters?

And they've built exactly 0 gigas in that same time frame. Meanwhile they continue to operate 2 of the best wooden coasters found anywhere.

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Gigas didn't exist for most of that time frame.

 

You're viewing "wooden" as a coaster type like giga, inverted, suspended, stand-up, etc. There are many different things you can do to a wooden coaster without the experience being stale or the same. See Kennywood, Holiday World or especially Riverview Park (Chicago).

[The Interpreter]

Oh the Bobs, oh the Bobs. Oh how I wish...

Terp, floating off to Dreamland (and Palisades Park...).

[DontWantToWait42mar0]

Every giga ever constructed is still operating, whilst some woodies have been torn down or "converted".

As a coaster enthusiast I feel wooden coasters can be just as thrilling, if not more than steel coasters, but that only changes what's currently trending in the amusement park business so much.

[The Interpreter]

A steel coaster requires far less maintenance and continuing commitment to operate.

A steel coaster is like a relationship. A wood coaster, a marriage.

And there have been steel coasters torn down. Not gigas. Yet. The day will come.

[bjcolglazier]

I don't follow "the industry" so much.  Are there any crazy-high-speed launch coasters being built anywhere?  I think one of those could be pretty unique and exciting for KI.  I've enjoyed the few much-slower-speed launch coasters I've ridden on.

[Logan Goddard]

The big launch coaster IMO this year would be Taron being built in Germany. It is an intamin Multi launch with the themeing of a Disney Park. Currently in the US no one is working with Intamin or building Mack launch coasters the top manufacturers for launch coasters imo. With CF not working with Intamin anymore and the cost that a big Mack Launch coaster would be I doubt we see a big launch coaster anytime soon. Lets look at some numbers to support the cost stat on the top Mack launch coaster Helix. 

 

Helix cost roughly $30 million dollars for a 135 ft double launch coaster. Helix cost a little less then Fury 325 which is widely considered the #1 coaster not only this year but in the world. While a coaster like Helix would be something different and fit nicely in the park you are talking about spending that much money on something not very marketable like a giga.

 

Our only hope IMO of getting a multi launch coaster is if B&M starts making some now that they have a standard launch system, as seen on Thunderbird. 

 

Helix POV 

(posted by Theme Park Review.)

[RingMaster]

Banshee wasn't "very marketable like a giga", yet it was a big hit with the general public.

 

Gatekeeper wasn't "very marketable like a giga", yet it was a big hit with the general public.

 

The upcoming Valravn isn't "very marketable like a giga", yet it's on track to be a big hit with the general public.

[Joncars05]

Banshee wasn't "very marketable like a giga", yet it was a big hit with the general public.

Gatekeeper wasn't "very marketable like a giga", yet it was a big hit with the general public.

The upcoming Valravn isn't "very marketable like a giga", yet it's on track to be a big hit with the general public.

Those are popular rides but they are not as marketable as Gigas. Gatekeeper and Banshee (Valravn will be) are fun rides and in their first couple of years will be really popular but the shine usually wears off on them. I still think Diamondback is the most popular ride in the park due to its hieght and speed. The more marketable rides at CP are Millennium Force and TTD. Those two usually have the longest waits at CP. Why? Because they are the tallest and fastest rides in the park. Same with Fury at Carowinds and Intimidator 305 at KD. I honestly had no intention of driving 10+ hours to Carowinds or KD until this past summer when Fury was unleashed. I305, Fury 325, MF, and TTD are landmark rides. People travel from all over the country to ride those rides. World's or Nation's Tallest/Fastest (or close to the record) is much more intriguing than longest/most inversions records. They are indeed more marketable and can put a park on the map.

[The Interpreter]

...just as Son of Beast did?

That's Paramount think circa 1995-1999.

[Logan Goddard]

I didn't say it wouldn't be a great ride. I would love to see a multi launch, but with the downfall of Intamin in the US and No-one building BIG Macks it doesn't look likely. BUT you also have to consider that CF has been working with B&M for reliability and ROI. Building the first BIG Mack launch coaster in America is risky, especially with how much they cost. That is why I said "I think our only hope for a multi-launch is if B&M start making some." I didn't say it would be a bad ride. 

 

In that case what sounds more impressive "New 130ft launch coaster" or "Worlds tallest/fastest giga" One of these is going to draw a lot more attention which was my point.