Best Coaster Cedar Fair Installed at KI

[SonofBaconator]

So far throughout Cedar Fair's ownership they blessed us with 5 coasters which is more than the other Paramount parks. No addition was bad in my opinion but which coaster stands out as their best? I'm looking for personal preference but also an open mind. I included Firehawk because it was a new coaster install for KI and we theoretically could've gotten any other coaster from Geauga Lake. 

I chose Diamondback for a number of reasons- It put KI back on the map, it still holds up today as one of the best hypers ever built, it dominates the skyline, has a unique splashdown, and stood as a fan favorite for years. 

Firehawk, Banshee, Mystic Timbers, and Orion were awesome additions but I believe Diamondback was overall the most influential.

[rhyano]

I don't like to answer with a ride that I have not ridden yet, so in that case I have to go Mystic Timbers, it really filled the gap for a new modern wooden coaster, on top of the fact that it's a family thrill ride, meaning that kids that are 48 inches can ride, so really the average age of someone seven or older can ride, which is great for the family value of Kings Island. There really hasn't been a bad roller coaster that Cedar Fair has added.

[silver2005]

So far for me (omitting Orion), it's Diamondback followed by Mystic Timbers, Banshee and Firehawk.  DB was the first B&M at the park which they really needed for capacity's sake and it was odd for a park that big not to have one, plus it showed CF's seriousness about their ideas of developing the park.  MT was a real big hit with the families and still delivers great thrills, Banshee filled in the inverted coaster gap, and Firehawk is my least favorite of the bunch as well as a hand-me-down from a defunct park.  I honestly think Dominator and Firehawk should have switched the parks they landed at.  

[ThrillKingsFitzy]

I love speed. It’s Orion for me.

I haven’t ridden it, but I know it’s going to be my favorite coaster. It’s definitely going to beat out Millie.

[BringBackOurEagles]

I picked Mystic because, while I think the big B&Ms were necessary, and great signs that CF was willing to invest in KI, they all seem to me to strip a little personality away from the park. Diamondback is a fun ride, and KI was long overdue for something with that kind of throughput and that scale, but it came at the price of the woods around Rivertown, the pond, several area-themed buildings, and it towers over Rivertown, pulling guests out of any sort of "old mining town" illusion there might have been. Though I do love that splashdown! Banshee was also a long-overdue addition, and is fun, but since it was a replacement for a much larger ride, it's in a big open field, and aside from the vaguely church-like station and a few gravestones, offers nothing particularly unique theming-wise. Sweet loop around the lifthill though! Orion has dug in with the theme a little more which I love to see, and looks like it will probably be a blast, though it's maybe not the ride I would have chosen to build, but anyway it's not open yet so I'm not really weighing that one.  MT felt like a return to an older KI investment in theme and ride experience. It's shrouded in mystery. It's beautiful to look at and fits in with the theme of its surrounding area. The ride is a blast, and feels unique to Kings Island with its terrain-based layout, dense trees, dives over the water, and WWC fly-bys. The shed is a punchline, but I almost think it's kind of charming in a weird way. And it has good family appeal, while still being a pretty thrilling ride.

[WhatTheBlazes]

I am not sure where Orion will fit in as I have not ridden it yet.  So I am not going to rank it with the others just yet.  I agree with the list @silver2005 gave above for similar reasons.  Diamondback, Mystic Timbers, Banshee, and then Firehawk.  

[flightoffear1996]

I think Diamondback has made the most impact so far. My favorite in the list. Mystic Timbers. 

[purdude86]

It's a hard choice for me. Diamondback is a fun coaster with lots of great airtime and our first really huge coaster in awhile. Banshee gave us another great looper and filled a gap that was a bit of an eyesore in that area of the park and brought  a lot to Action Zone.

I overall went with Mystic Timbers though because it is a fantastic thrilling coaster that also provides a ton of great theming to the area. The ride itself is even themed pretty decently, and as much as some people hate on the shed (and it was a little anticlimactic after the hype), it is still a great use of the break run to keep you in shed and entertained while waiting. The plaza area also looks fantastic and even provides some backstory for that area of the park. Would love to see Cedar Fair continue with this level of theming for future additions. Feel like it's a perfect amount for a regional park like KI. 

[IndyGuy4KI]

I think I will vote after I ride Orion. Voting before is not a fair to the poll.

[KIfan73]

18 hours ago, BringBackOurEagles said:

I picked Mystic because, while I think the big B&Ms were necessary, and great signs that CF was willing to invest in KI, they all seem to me to strip a little personality away from the park. Diamondback is a fun ride, and KI was long overdue for something with that kind of throughput and that scale, but it came at the price of the woods around Rivertown, the pond, several area-themed buildings, and it towers over Rivertown, pulling guests out of any sort of "old mining town" illusion there might have been. Though I do love that splashdown! Banshee was also a long-overdue addition, and is fun, but since it was a replacement for a much larger ride, it's in a big open field, and aside from the vaguely church-like station and a few gravestones, offers nothing particularly unique theming-wise. Sweet loop around the lifthill though! Orion has dug in with the theme a little more which I love to see, and looks like it will probably be a blast, though it's maybe not the ride I would have chosen to build, but anyway it's not open yet so I'm not really weighing that one.  MT felt like a return to an older KI investment in theme and ride experience. It's shrouded in mystery. It's beautiful to look at and fits in with the theme of its surrounding area. The ride is a blast, and feels unique to Kings Island with its terrain-based layout, dense trees, dives over the water, and WWC fly-bys. The shed is a punchline, but I almost think it's kind of charming in a weird way. And it has good family appeal, while still being a pretty thrilling ride.

I couldn't have said it better myself!  MT feels like it had the similar amount of thought put into it as the original construction of Kings Island.  

[dbackdreams]

This Sonofbacon is my dude!  I love Diamondback it the biggest baddest roller coaster ever to strike Kings Island!

[XjoshhyX]

I'm going to reserve judgement as of right now until I ride Orion, but I personally have to lean toward Banshee without that factored in.

[SonofBaconator]

I personally loved all the coasters we got, there's still a part of me that misses Firehawk but I'm more than happy with its replacement. I remember year after year enthusiasts would drone on about wanting a giga, myself included, and now we have one! Orion will be one of the best coasters in our line-up and will absolutely dominate in terms of height, speed, and thrill, but I think Diamindback has received a pretty big cult following that'll never leave. When I would go to Cedar Point back in 2018, I would ride Millenium Force constantly, but I'd always made sure I got rerides on Magnum at the same time. There's something about hypers that I can't get enough of.

[dbackdreams]

5 hours ago, SonofBaconator said:

I personally loved all the coasters we got, there's still a part of me that misses Firehawk but I'm more than happy with its replacement. I remember year after year enthusiasts would drone on about wanting a giga, myself included, and now we have one! Orion will be one of the best coasters in our line-up and will absolutely dominate in terms of height, speed, and thrill, but I think Diamindback has received a pretty big cult following that'll never leave. When I would go to Cedar Point back in 2018, I would ride Millenium Force constantly, but I'd always made sure I got rerides on Magnum at the same time. There's something about hypers that I can't get enough of.

I never ride Firehawk because it looked scary.  I like Diamondback and think it's the best ride. 

I think Orion will be awesome!  I hope I am not to scared to ride it.  I like space stuff.

My dad is now helping me with each post so I hope it is better.

[NegativeGs]

For the steel coasters, I am going with Diamondback. There is never a dull moment on this ride. The front row and back row also have very different ride experiences. Maybe once I ride Orion, my choice will change. But from the POV videos, Orion appears to be a long-lost big brother of Diamondback. Banshee front row is awesome, but other rows limit your view to the back of the chair in front of you. Enjoy the ride by closing your eyes and counting the inversions as you experience them.

[SonofBaconator]

On 5/26/2020 at 4:57 PM, silver2005 said:

I honestly think Dominator and Firehawk should have switched the parks they landed at.  

I think it worked out. SFA already has the exact same coaster so it wouldn't have made sense to have two right by each other. Plus, they needed a high capacity coaster that had good uptime.

[MDMC01]

I voted for Mystic Timbers, with Firehawk as a close second (yes, I liked Firehawk that much! ). Do note that I have not ridden Orion yet, so my answer might change after next Sunday.

Mystic has a great ride experience and a great theme (the shed contributes to this theme). Firehawk is second in my book as it was just so cool and unique. Also, it was a relic from the early 2000's and one of the only coasters of its type ever made.

EDIT: Also, Banshee would probably be third, and this makes Diamondback last. Not a big fan of Diamondback, but reading the above reasons why some voted for it, I understand the ride's significance (IIRC, it was KI's first B&M).

[shadowscare]

I like relentless, out of control rides so for that reason I voted Mystic Timbers. I still recall when the ride first opened, "finally. KI has a brag worthy wooden coaster".

And I don't know if they did track work, heavy maintenance on the trains, or the weather presented the perfect elements for the ride or what... but for those of you that were not able to visit this weekend, you're in for a treat. I got two rides; one around 5:00 and another at 10:00. That thing was absolutely hauling through the course. The airtime was on point!

I enjoyed reading the interesting comments about Diamondback though. I have to agree that the capacity and the massive nature of the ride was quite the change for the park. Mystic Timbers may be my favorite, but Diamondback may have had the biggest impact on the park overall.

[ldhudsonjr]

Went with Diamondback myself. Even though I think right now Orion and Mystic Timbers are my two favorite rides in the park, Diamondback was my favorite for years. Some great points made about that coaster here, and I think it deserves the nod.

 

EDIT: hahah poor Firehawk. I hadn't noticed that it had 0 votes until just now. It's not surprising, it's just funny.

[MDMC01]

Ok, so after riding Orion yesterday, my answer is now a toss-up between Mystic and Orion.  I don't know which one to pick as both give good ride experiences and have decent themes (it comes down to Mystic Timbers' quality of the theme vs. the Orion references and details; especially the Quonset hut!). After a few more laps on Orion (hopefully within the next few weeks) and after riding more rides at the park (only rode 3 yesterday due to crowds), I should have a more definitive answer.

[BB1]

My vote honestly was 50/50 between Mystic and Banshee. Mystic honestly still kicks while also filling in that theming that I honestly missed from the park. All the while creating a new creative edge to what the park has to offer with creating the three kings of each coaster era. That being said, Banshee also imo has been a huge boost to the park. Banshee just fills in that void Kings Island had, and it delivers some of the best elements in the park. I ultimately chose Banshee, but I will always say both have been instrumental in shifting the park's atmosphere and layout as without them I honestly don't believe KI could be the same. 

[Shawn Meyer]

On 5/16/2021 at 10:02 PM, BB1 said:

Banshee just fills in that void Kings Island had, and it delivers some of the best elements in the park. I ultimately chose Banshee!

I couldn't have said it better myself. I was never a fan of Son of Beast; sorry to to those I offended on here. Banshee just provides that unique thrill factor that had been lacking in that area of the park since SOB closed down in 2009 and ultimately being demolished later. Plus I love those restraints that B&M provides now in days. I wish Rougarou could have had that same style, but that's another topic and longs story.

[MDMC01]

On 5/16/2021 at 9:30 PM, MDMC01 said:

Ok, so after riding Orion yesterday, my answer is now a toss-up between Mystic and Orion.  I don't know which one to pick as both give good ride experiences and have decent themes (it comes down to Mystic Timbers' quality of the theme vs. the Orion references and details; especially the Quonset hut!). After a few more laps on Orion (hopefully within the next few weeks) and after riding more rides at the park (only rode 3 yesterday due to crowds), I should have a more definitive answer.

Update: My answer is Mystic Timbers. While Mystic Timbers and Orion both have themes, I feel like Mystic's theme is better incorporated with the ride (videos and posters and queue, the shed, etc.) while Orion's theme kinda stops once you leave the station. However, I do feel like all of Area 72 is very well themed (especially the stuff I found while waiting in line for FOF). That being said, if we are going with judging individual coasters, Mystic Timbers is still the winner in my book!

[YOULLBEBACK]

Mystic is the most addictive coaster I've ever ridden.  I could marathon that all day.  Orion being a close 2nd.

[Honorarius]

Banshee for me... I really, really love it...

***still waiting to ride Orion***