Orion Reviews

[Kenban]

I find the ride op spiels detract from the experience and prefer parks which just use prerecorded messages.  Half of the ops have no idea how to speak into a microphone and its just a garbled mess which no one can understand anyways, if its recorded at least there is a chance someone will understand.  Then you have the ones trying to make terrible jokes.  My opinion is the only time they should be on the mic is when one of the prerecorded messages is not good enough.  Let people enjoy the experience and listen to the screams of riders, and the rides, instead of inane chatter.  I actually do not ride Zephyr because I do not want to put up with the annoying ride ops, its bad enough walking past the ride.

[SonofBaconator]

39 minutes ago, beastfan11 said:

I adore the fact that enthusiast members of this website are actively going out of their way to get teenagers fired from their summer jobs because they’re offended by fanboy coaster statistics.

I'm not trying to get anyone fired. I'm saying people DO get fired for stuff like this so it surprises me that employees are so bold to criticize a ride while on the clock. 

For the younger employees, KI is their 1st job so they don't know how to act in a professional manner. I worked for a place where this kid kept complaining about how the place was ran and the decisions that were made so they let him go.

I just think people need a little bit more foresight.

[presto123]

Sorry. Anybody badmouthing KI to the public while they work there needs to be fired. Stupidity beyond belief.

[gad198]

Kenban did a pretty good job of describing the gigas, although I think Leviathan is a little better than was mentioned.  I think as a coaster type that the B&M mega model is the best in the world.  Orion is definitely a worthy addition to that group.  Others have done a good job with their element-by-element analysis of Orion so I'll skip that part.  I've now ridden each of the North American B&M mega coasters except for Candymonium at Hershey.

Overall I think Orion is an excellent ride.  The ride is tremendously fun and, as others have mentioned, the ride uses its speed really well.  The first drop was outstanding and every bit as good as the first drops on Fury and Leviathan.  The speed hill was excellent and arguably the best element on the ride.  I didn't get trimmed that much on the big airtime hill so the airtime there was pretty good.  I thought the little hill after the helix might offer a nice pop of airtime and it definitely does.  It's really well-designed!

As it is Orion is in my personal top-10 (in descending order - Fury 325, Boulder Dash, Steel Vengeance, The Voyage, Orion, Mako, Millennium Force, Goliath (SFOG), Behemoth, Diamondback).  I could make an argument that had Orion had another airtime hill or two that it would be as good as Fury.  The difference between Fury and Orion is in that extra 1,300 feet of track.  Orion is like eating at some really fine dining establishments.  The stuff that's on the plate is really good; I just wish I felt a bit more full at the end of the meal.  Make no mistake though.  Orion is a destination ride and will be a high capacity crowd pleaser for years to come.

[FreedomPenguin]

2 hours ago, IceePirate said:

If you and another group would approach one of us, we can have the jumper removed from the queue. Need a second witness if an associate didn't spot it.

He didn’t jump the line for the ride, I was in line for 15-20 minutes or so for access pass and It was Turned past the games etc.

 

when we got to the swing coaster turn in where becomes racer etc. guy slipped right in front of us. I straight confronted him and made an issue of it, the guy I told it couldn’t be helped the girl handed him a pass as I told him.

 

just lame. No one was hurt or really bothered people behind us just shrugged shoulder like it’s fine. 
 

 

[IceePirate]

1 minute ago, FreedomPenguin said:

He didn’t jump the line for the ride, I was in line for 15-20 minutes or so for access pass and It was Turned past the games etc.

 

when we got to the swing coaster turn in where becomes racer etc. guy slipped right in front of us. I straight confronted him and made an issue of it, the guy I told it couldn’t be helped the girl handed him a pass as I told him.

 

just lame. 

Yeah, that's still line jumping. You can't hold the place in line for someone else. Now leaving to go to the restroom or get water is understandable in a potentially 4 hour line on 90+ days. But holding the place for someone who didn't wait the duration is a no-no

[jsus]

1 hour ago, presto123 said:

Sorry. Anybody badmouthing KI to the public while they work there needs to be fired. Stupidity beyond belief.

Depends on the severity.  It's important to at least have a supervisor/manager talk to anyone disparaging the company to let them know it's not acceptable.  From a professional standpoint, you don't speak ill of your company, especially not on company time.

[BoddaH1994]

1 hour ago, presto123 said:

Sorry. Anybody badmouthing KI to the public while they work there needs to be fired. Stupidity beyond belief.

Agreed. I’m fact most companies (Cedar Fair included) have things such as social media policies as well as public relations policies that could result in termination for publicly disparaging the company.  The thing the dude said on the scrambler probably isn’t termination worthy but it is incredibly unprofessional. 
 

I remember riding the train with a friend of mine who is a ranking official at another chain and their jaw about hit the floor when they heard someone from the train crew say, “Diamondback cost $22 million and that’s why drinks are so expensive here.”  I remember them saying that it would have been that person’s last day with the company if they pulled that little joke at their park. Sad part is, it was said again. Every cycle. For several years. I do think the park has cycled through some of the worst employees when it comes to things like they with it dying down over the past 2 or so years. 

[SonofBaconator]

14 minutes ago, BoddaH1994 said:

I remember riding the train with a friend of mine who is a ranking official at another chain and their jaw about hit the floor when they heard someone from the train crew say, “Diamondback cost $22 million and that’s why drinks are so expensive here.”  I remember them saying that it would have been that person’s last day with the company if they pulled that little joke at their park. Sad part is, it was said again. Every cycle. For several years.

The fact that they said that for many years always led me to believe management didn't care, until I read what you said. One time the train robbers at Knott's asked guests for money and one guy replied he didn't have any money. The robber replied "you're right, if you had any money you'd be at Disneyland." I thought that was pretty funny. 

The scambler thing is passable too just because ride ops and associates always try to set up a rivalry. I remember riding Mystic Timbers where an op said "enjoy Mystic Timbers, the best wooden coaster in the park" then when I went to ride The Beast later they were calling The Beast the "best woodie in the park." Rivalries are fine and in my opinion encourage guests to ride the other rides but I understand the unprofessionalism that people can see in that. Its when people flat out trash talk the new product that I have trouble understanding. 

[bengalsguy23]

2 hours ago, beastfan11 said:

I adore the fact that enthusiast members of this website are actively going out of their way to get teenagers fired from their summer jobs because they’re offended by fanboy coaster statistics. 

Guys, it’s a roller coaster. In an amusement park. Just have fun and enjoy the fact that you can experience this new coaster installation in the midst of global chaos.  

It can always be worse. Sheesh.

I don’t think anyone is trying to get anyone fired over it. It’s not really a reflection of that individual employee. It’s the employee culture in general at Kings Island that’s a problem. And that starts with management. No an employee will not get fired for making a joke like that. They will probably get a verbal warning and told not to do it anymore. If they continue well then they might get fired but that’s for disobeying managers at that point. 
 

The best thing someone can do is leave a note to guest services. No you don’t need to name the specific person to them. Just stating that you hear certain things that are unprofessional will get back to the department heads. It’s sad to me because the full timers really all care a lot and a lot of employees do to. These things tend to happen when your park supervisors are mainly 16/17 year olds. 

[BoddaH1994]

20 minutes ago, bengalsguy23 said:

I don’t think anyone is trying to get anyone fired over it. It’s not really a reflection of that individual employee. It’s the employee culture in general at Kings Island that’s a problem. And that starts with management. No an employee will not get fired for making a joke like that. They will probably get a verbal warning and told not to do it anymore. If they continue well then they might get fired but that’s for disobeying managers at that point. 
 

The best thing someone can do is leave a note to guest services. No you don’t need to name the specific person to them. Just stating that you hear certain things that are unprofessional will get back to the department heads. It’s sad to me because the full timers really all care a lot and a lot of employees do to. These things tend to happen when your park supervisors are mainly 16/17 year olds. 

And again, things have gotten way better too. 

[FreedomPenguin]

I mean the park did just spend 30 million dollars on the coaster, and you have a lot of people who have not rode it who are excited or kids. It would probably be disappointing to go ride it with a negative conotation implanted in your head.

 

some people will hate the ride because they was told it wasn’t good before they ride it. Not everyone but I could see kids coming off after hearing that chat and telling friends the same things the others are saying instead of using their own opinion.

 

imo definitely need to stop negativity. Actually- I saw a negative reaction myself on racer yesterday. There was a young kid asking people walking up “so can you tell me what July 4 means? What is it about”? And sadly, now a days people evidently don’t, and seemed insulted that they was asked.-!

But I have to agree they shouldn’t be asking things like that to make them feel dumb. His words was, just trying to start conversation while we wait, so do you know what 4th of July means? etc. not a good thing to insult some by 

[raggedman07]

Mr Helbig,

My cat really wants to ride Orion...I told her they would not allow such a thing...she became indignant and said that there are no signs anywhere in the park prohibiting cats from riding the roller coasters...while I realise she's being unreasonable, she's not wrong...what should I tell her...I'm  leaving for the park in 26 hours and she keeps glaring at me...

[IceePirate]

2 minutes ago, raggedman07 said:

Mr Helbig,

My cat really wants to ride Orion...I told her they would not allow such a thing...she became indignant and said that there are no signs anywhere in the park prohibiting cats from riding the roller coasters...while I realise she's being unreasonable, she's not wrong...what should I tell her...I'm  leaving for the park in 26 hours and she keeps glaring at me...

Well, unless your cat is 54" tall, then they wouldn't be allowed to ride. That does provide an interesting thought experiment for something like a great dane...hmm...

[matt112986]

6 minutes ago, raggedman07 said:

Mr Helbig,

My cat really wants to ride Orion...I told her they would not allow such a thing...she became indignant and said that there are no signs anywhere in the park prohibiting cats from riding the roller coasters...while I realise she's being unreasonable, she's not wrong...what should I tell her...I'm  leaving for the park in 26 hours and she keeps glaring at me...

What kind of cat are we talking about here? Not many are tall enough to ride...

[raggedman07]

Zoe says you guys are just discriminating against felines...I'm supposed to call the aspca in the morning...

[disco2000]

If only Stricker's Grove were open you may be able to talk them into it

 

[coasterfanatic83]

4 hours ago, gad198 said:

As it is Orion is in my personal top-10 (in descending order - Fury 325, Boulder Dash, Steel Vengeance, The Voyage, Orion, Mako, Millennium Force, Goliath (SFOG), Behemoth, Diamondback).  

You have a more diverse riding experience than I do. I also have Goliath (SFOG) ahead of Diamondback, but I have never been able to identify why I feel that way. Could you elaborate your thoughts?

[gad198]

Regarding Goliath (SFOG) over Diamondback.  I actually like the airtime overall better on Diamondback.  The airtime on Diamondback's first drop and first three large hills is actually better than Goliath's first drop and first three large hills.  Goliath, however, has three things I like better than Diamondback:  

• Goliath is better-paced throughout the whole ride because there's no mid-course brake run
• Goliath's helix is a better and more interesting turnaround element
• Goliath's last three hills are just fantastic.  I like the last two bunny hills on Diamondback, but the airtime on Goliath's final hills is more pronounced

[JimParker85]

Goliath's turnaround helix is so good. I wish at least one of the B&M hypers built since had something similar instead of the standard hammerhead turn. Goliath is the best b&m hyper in NA, IMO. Haven't ridden Shambhala but only it looks better to me, with that awesome figure 8 amongst many other things.

[KOBasinger]

First time in line for Orion this year and first thing I hear over the speaker is the ride is currently having a technical delay 

[BeastieFanatic]

does anyone know how many clicks to fit in the seat? 

[m2raptor]

does anyone know how many clicks to fit in the seat? 

Orion requires 3 clicks to ride. After riding Diamondback Saturday its very similar. I feel it's easier to get into Orion as the seats were designed for seatbelts unlike with Diamondback.

Sent from my SM-G973U using Tapatalk

[MrSourNinja]

Finally had time to write up my thoughts. Have a read if you want!

 

I got to ride Orion 4 times on the 4th. Here are my thoughts:

 

Theming: As many have stated before me, the theme of the whole area and Orion specifically is fantastic. I hope Cedar Fair and Kings Island specifically, continue to move into this direction. The space theme is fantastic and I was lucky enough to see the area at night, as I went on the one day the park was open until 10. Gosh! It is cool at night. It’s the first time I have wanted to just stand and watch instead of doing something else... that is saying something. 

 

I was originally disappointed by the lack of a large plaza sign like Banshee, but I think I have settled on the idea that I like the elevated area giving you a fantastic view of the coaster more. This is the only spot in the park where the station and theme are front and center and it’s fantastic.

 

The theming in the line is solid, but it really gets good when you get into the pre-show hut. There is so much detail and cool things to look at in there. I won’t spoil it too much but I was definitely impressed. 

 

The station is about what you’d expect for a hangar theme but I actually thought it was nice. The hanging flags are cool and it feels fun in there. I also like the the line is blocked from seeing into the station until the very end. It’s a cool little thing that adds to the anticipation. Also, there are fans in there!!!

 

The ride: let me preface this by saying that I am going to go through each element and my thoughts apply generally to any row in the train unless otherwise mentioned. I got 4 rides, rows: 7, 4, 2, 5. 

 

Lift Hill: You get some nice views on the way up and man do you really book it to the top. I wouldn’t be surprised if you were going 16mph up that hill. You slow a little at the top before dropping but I don’t mind as the back row would get like -2 Gs if it didn’t slow down. Side note: the lift motor is really loud when the chain is moving at top speed. Not really a positive or negative, just a note. 

 

The Drop: Hands down the best drop in the park and it’s up there with Fury for the best I have ever been on. The back row really gets some good whip over the top and throws you down. I didn’t get a ride in the very first row sadly but the second row is close to that. You don’t get ejected so much out of your seat but it is arguably as good as the back due to the sensation of falling lasting longer since you crest slower. I think I’d go back row of it was one or the other, but I see the appeal to both. Love the drop!

 

The first element (a giant banked turn): I’m sorry, it’s just not a wave turn. You bank the same direction as you turn and therefore get pushed more into your seat than out of it. That said, sitting on the right side of the train will net you some really interesting air time. I felt like my body was experiencing normal air time while being sideways banked. Being pushed into the right side of my seat while floating was interesting and honestly super unique and fun. The closer you get to the left side of the train the less air time you will feel. It turns into more of a high banked speed turn which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, especially if you are on the left outside seats. Looking down from that high up while going that fast is really cool and I like it. Expect more air time towards the front of the train vs the back as well. It’s a solid element and while not my favorite on the ride, it is definitely fun. I don’t understand why people think every element must have air time. Yes, air time is awesome, but I like to enjoy a variety of elements on my rides. 

 

The turnaround: I liked this element. It’s nothing crazy, a pop of air in the front or not much in the back but you get really high up and don’t really lose much speed throughout the turn. Before you know it you are diving back low to the ground and pulling some good positive Gs. 

 

The speed hill: Ladies and gentleman... I give you the signature moment of the ride. Wow was I impressed! Watching the POV I was worried it would be slow and mild floated over the hill but boy am I so glad to be wrong. You don’t glide, you fly. What I would consider ejector air time turns into sustained strong floater throughout the entire hill. You absolutely fly over it and wow it’s fun. You will enjoy this hill no matter where you are in the train. Might get a little more fun on the left side of the train when you come out of the banking but it shouldn’t be very different. This might be my favorite coaster element in the park. And might be second only to SteVe’s large outer-bank on rides I have been on. 10/10 stuff here

 

The floater hill: Let me tell you right now, people worry about trim breaks way too much. It’s there to get you over the hill at the right speed. And I really feel like it’s the right speed. I seemed to get mid tier to strong floater depending on the location in the train and I also felt like it was sustained longer than a typical hyper hill, could just be me though. Not a unique element but it was good no doubt. 

 

Helix: I’m not a helix fan. Never have been and I don’t think I ever will be. Generally, I find them to be taken too slow and to not do much for me. I don’t dislike this helix though. You get some very good positives throughout the whole thing with them being slightly weaker at the top then the low points. I also really like the shape of this helix compared to the normal ones. This is unique and non symmetrical and I like that. You won’t get anything crazy out of this element but it’s one of the better helixses I have been on. A mid tier element but I’ve definitely ridden worse

 

Side-ways air-time hill 2: Fantastic moment! This is ejector air and boy is it fun. The only thing that could make this element better is if it was sustained until the ground. Definitely the sleeper element of the ride but right up there with one of my favorites. 

 

Break: You get a good pop of air going into the breaks (especially in the front of the train). This is better than no air time for sure. But be prepared to get slammed Flight of Fear style because boy do those breaks hit hard. You have a lot of speed going into the break run and if you are not careful, your head will know it. 

 

Overall thoughts on ride experience: This is a great ride. The pacing is fantastic, each element is unique and provides its own unique forces. Could the ride have been one or two elements longer? Of course. Did I want more? Sure. Did I feel let down? No. The ride time is similar to Mystic Timbers, which gets far less hate for being short than Orion. The pacing on both of those rides are great and they are aggressive until the end. Call me crazy but I don’t care that it isn’t longer. It’s fun how it is. Also, the length allows the lift hill to be really fast which is cool. 

 

Do I like it more than fury? Probably not? Levi? Never ridden so I don’t know. Millie? Definitely. I may be in the minority in that but half of Millennium is spent copying previous elements or gliding through boring tunnels. I would ride Orion every single time over it. The extra 15ish seconds do not make it better for me. This is a world class ride that deserves to be treated as such and I’m thrilled to have it at Kings Island. 

 

Extras: Is there a rattle!? I’m a little sadden to report this but yes, yes there is. The dark blue train is the smoothest IMO and the middle seats are definitely better than the outside but you will rattle a bit no matter what. I heard a while back that the park has issues with it because of the soil types in southwest Ohio. Not sure if that is true our not but considering all 3 of our B&M’s have a rattle I would venture to say it might be right. That or we are very unlucky. The rattle is bearable though so while it may be unfortunate, it doesn’t kill the experience for me. 

 

Lighting Package: HOLY MOLY THIS THING IS SO COOL. The views this ride and the lights it has are unreal. I wanted to stand in area 72 and watch, they were that good! Just bring these lights to Banshee and you’ll catch me having park withdrawals needing to get back. 

 

If you have any questions please feel free to ask. I will try to respond to them all!

 

pics for fun:

[MIAParkman]

22 hours ago, gad198 said:

Kenban did a pretty good job of describing the gigas, although I think Leviathan is a little better than was mentioned.  I think as a coaster type that the B&M mega model is the best in the world.  Orion is definitely a worthy addition to that group.  Others have done a good job with their element-by-element analysis of Orion so I'll skip that part.  I've now ridden each of the North American B&M mega coasters except for Candymonium at Hershey.

Overall I think Orion is an excellent ride.  The ride is tremendously fun and, as others have mentioned, the ride uses its speed really well.  The first drop was outstanding and every bit as good as the first drops on Fury and Leviathan.  The speed hill was excellent and arguably the best element on the ride.  I didn't get trimmed that much on the big airtime hill so the airtime there was pretty good.  I thought the little hill after the helix might offer a nice pop of airtime and it definitely does.  It's really well-designed!

As it is Orion is in my personal top-10 (in descending order - Fury 325, Boulder Dash, Steel Vengeance, The Voyage, Orion, Mako, Millennium Force, Goliath (SFOG), Behemoth, Diamondback).  I could make an argument that had Orion had another airtime hill or two that it would be as good as Fury.  The difference between Fury and Orion is in that extra 1,300 feet of track.  Orion is like eating at some really fine dining establishments.  The stuff that's on the plate is really good; I just wish I felt a bit more full at the end of the meal.  Make no mistake though.  Orion is a destination ride and will be a high capacity crowd pleaser for years to come.

I will say that Leviathan from 2019-onwards is much better than Leviathan 2012-2018. If the improvements weren't made (more weight to cars, mixed of soft/hard wheels = faster, more intense ride) and the second trim doesn't hit hard anymore, so now you get strong floater on that second hill, I would rank Orion over it. Because of these improvements though, I rank it higher than Orion. Levi definitely has more airtime and a much stronger first half, the second half is okay, although I do like the high speed turn over the main entrance and the second airtime hill actually does something now. With that said, I prefer the B&M Giga's over MF and I305, they're all world class rides, smooth, fun, reliable. I do think Levi is the most underrated of the 3 B&M Giga's, which makes sense since it is in Canada, which means a lot of coater enthusiasts don't travel there and rely on POV videos from years ago or morning test runs. People say it has pacing issues but it's slightly longer in length than Orion and has a shorter ride length, which means no pacing issues lol. 

Anyways, Orion is a great ride. Fury and Levi are in my top 10, Orion is probs top 15? Outside the drop, it has 3 standout moments with the airtime hills and the cool banked turn (even though you don't get airtime on it). Levi has 5 (first half + second airtime hill) and Fury is... Fury. Nonetheless, still a world class ride. And if people trash on it and legitimately hate on it, they're jealous, salty or hardcore Intamin fanboys who compare B&M to a middle aged man. 

 

[tuxedoman52]

Got to take Orion for a spin in the backrow today and I enjoyed it slightly more than I did in row 4. The drop was really the only significant difference. This is definitely a must ride at KI and the backrow is where you'll find me.

Also, I doubt he's on here but huge shout out to Ethan for being a cool ride op and helping me get the extra click I needed to ride.

Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk

[coaster sally]

14 minutes ago, MIAParkman said:

I will say that Leviathan from 2019-onwards is much better than Leviathan 2012-2018. If the improvements weren't made (more weight to cars, mixed of soft/hard wheels = faster, more intense ride) and the second trim doesn't hit hard anymore, so now you get strong floater on that second hill, I would rank Orion over it. Because of these improvements though, I rank it higher than Orion. Levi definitely has more airtime and a much stronger first half, the second half is okay, although I do like the high speed turn over the main entrance and the second airtime hill actually does something now. With that said, I prefer the B&M Giga's over MF and I305, they're all world class rides, smooth, fun, reliable. I do think Levi is the most underrated of the 3 B&M Giga's, which makes sense since it is in Canada, which means a lot of coater enthusiasts don't travel there and rely on POV videos from years ago or morning test runs. People say it has pacing issues but it's slightly longer in length than Orion and has a shorter ride length, which means no pacing issues lol. 

Anyways, Orion is a great ride. Fury and Levi are in my top 10, Orion is probs top 15? Outside the drop, it has 3 standout moments with the airtime hills and the cool banked turn (even though you don't get airtime on it). Levi has 5 (first half + second airtime hill) and Fury is... Fury. Nonetheless, still a world class ride. And if people trash on it and legitimately hate on it, they're jealous, salty or hardcore Intamin fanboys who compare B&M to a middle aged man. 

 

May take some heat on this but, what does fury actually have going for itself besides the hive dive?  Rode it multiple times in 2018, didn't even get on it on last years visit.  When I am in that part of the country I for sure make a few laps up north on I305.

[MIAParkman]

1 minute ago, coaster sally said:

May take some heat on this but, what does fury actually have going for itself besides the hive dive?

Balls to the wall intensity with the high speed, low to the ground turns, which are snappy and provide airtime, hive dive, and 3 strong airtime hills. Drop is fantastic, overbanked turn is enjoyable but I prefer Levi's since it's tighter. 

[coaster sally]

4 minutes ago, MIAParkman said:

Balls to the wall intensity with the high speed, low to the ground turns, which are snappy and provide airtime, hive dive, and 3 strong airtime hills. Drop is fantastic, overbanked turn is enjoyable but I prefer Levi's since it's tighter. 

If fury is balls to the wall what is I305?  Also the pullout on millenium has more positive g's than the other gigas sans i305.

[kirbias1]

5 minutes ago, MIAParkman said:

Balls to the wall intensity with the high speed, low to the ground turns, which are snappy and provide airtime, hive dive, and 3 strong airtime hills. Drop is fantastic, overbanked turn is enjoyable but I prefer Levi's since it's tighter. 

Fury is Intense the first half...... until it hits the huge, pointless helix. Then it crawls the rest of the way. Orion is fast until the break run. I'm still going to give Fury the edge, but not by much.