Beast & Orion night rides

[coaster sally]

How is the park handling the lines this year?  Want to get my daughter some night ride experience before Hollywood nights.

[BeeastFarmer]

I don't know from firsthand experience.  But a Brian Rose asked the exact same question on the KI Season Passholders Facebook page earlier today.  You may be able to find out there.

[malem]

On 10:00pm closes this year, the lines for both Beast and Orion close early for fireworks. Unlike in previous, normal seasons, they aren't reopening after fireworks for people already in line.

When they close the line depends on how long the line is; they close it early enough to have riders in line through by 9:45pm. To get a night ride, you'll want to be in line around the time they close the line off.

[Pagoda Gift Shop]

I hope they put a security guard next to the Orion line attendant around 9pm...

[MoreFogPlease]

24 minutes ago, Pagoda Gift Shop said:

I hope they put a security guard next to the Orion line attendant around 9pm...

They did last weekend

[robintodd]

Do we have confirmation that they are even doing fireworks this year?

[disco2000]

48 minutes ago, robintodd said:

Do we have confirmation that they are even doing fireworks this year?

Yep we do...

 

[coaster sally]

I guess save mystic or Diamondback for last then....now only to choose orion or beast.  Are non wheeled seats roped off for social distancing?

[IceePirate]

4 hours ago, coaster sally said:

I guess save mystic or Diamondback for last then....now only to choose orion or beast.  Are non wheeled seats roped off for social distancing?

Rows 5 and 14 are still open on beast

[IceePirate]

Park reverted to their old policy of closing line at 10 for beast and Orion. Both rides are still down for fireworks, but will reopen after to finish out their lines.

[SnakePlissken]

10 minutes ago, IceePirate said:

Park reverted to their old policy of closing line at 10 for beast and Orion. Both rides are still down for fireworks, but will reopen after to finish out their lines.

I got off my ride at 9:41pm and the ride ops said the line was now closed for the night due to fireworks.

[IceePirate]

3 minutes ago, SnakePlissken said:

I got off my ride at 9:41pm and the ride ops said the line was now closed for the night due to fireworks.

The ride is closed, but you can still get in line, at least at Orion you can. Maybe beast is cutting off a little earlier, but they're both open much later than before

Edit: can confirm, they just let people in at 9:59pm for Orion

[disco2000]

Wouldn't be the first time they made announcements at the park that were contrary to what they were doing.  Earlier in the day Orion, Beast, Eiffel Tower, and Train employees (maybe others as well) were saying that they would cut those two lines early and not re-open after fireworks.

One has to wonder if the large crowds played into them extending ride time after the fireworks.

[IceePirate]

29 minutes ago, disco2000 said:

One has to wonder if the large crowds played into them extending ride time after the fireworks

Probably, I bet the park is pretty pleased with attendance today, and thus, their decision to both extend operating hours and cut Wednesdays and Thursdays. If this keeps up, then I think that they might be willing to rescind their cancellation of winterfest and make it weekends only. Make sure to keep visiting the park to keep attendance numbers up. Maybe buy a beer or an ice cream while you're there.

[FUN&ONLY!]

2 hours ago, IceePirate said:

Park reverted to their old policy of closing line at 10 for beast and Orion. Both rides are still down for fireworks, but will reopen after to finish out their lines.

This is great news! It eases the hassle of having guess when the lines will close, and it allows for guests to get more night rides in. It is great the park is listening to guest feedback.

[SnakePlissken]

2 hours ago, IceePirate said:

The ride is closed, but you can still get in line, at least at Orion you can. Maybe beast is cutting off a little earlier, but they're both open much later than before

Edit: can confirm, they just let people in at 9:59pm for Orion

I was on Orion but with the masks its hard to hear most employees and they can't hear me either. Everything is muffled.I asked for an xl in a particular Orion shirt and I still do not know if they had it or not. 2 people came out and I could not make out what they really said. I asked for fried rice at the Panda Express and she gave me steamed white rice. I asked the girl at the Chicken shack if toast came with the sandwich and after asking 3 times she said yes. When my meal came out there was no toast and they were calling for a ticket number they never gave me. I did buy 2 beers and some candy in the Sweet Shop.

[FUN&ONLY!]

Kings Island has been letting people get in line on The Beast and Orion right up until 10:00 the past few nights which is really good news. However, the past couple of nights the maintenance lights have been on in The Beast’s final helix. Is there any reason why these lights have been on recently?

[NightlyBeast]

Closing down orion and beast 45 mins for 4 mins (literally) of fireworks is a huge waste of everyone's time. Being herded through like cattle after with no front seat preference after was wonderful too. /sarcasm

[SnakePlissken]

4 hours ago, FUN&ONLY! said:

Kings Island has been letting people get in line on The Beast and Orion right up until 10:00 the past few nights which is really good news. However, the past couple of nights the maintenance lights have been on in The Beast’s final helix. Is there any reason why these lights have been on recently?

It is every Beast tunnel. I noticed that on Friday and forgot to ask about it. It also ran crazy slow and almost hung near the top. Must really be a ride that needs full trains to fly. I only rode it during the day because I chose Orion as my night rides.

[super7]

The lights in the helix have been on all day long on my visits. The lights in the helix have been on all day long on my visits 
 

They are up lighting all of Orion, which looks great......for Orion. 
 

However (for any one that wrote The Beast at night last weekend)

Does this now light up the area at the covered brake run on The Beast?     Orion was built too close to The Beast there. 
 

There’s many things that have been done right in the park over the last several years, It’s a little disappointing how the isolation of The Beast keeps disappearing little by little.  It’s a disappointing how the isolation of The Beast keeps disappearing little by little with almost annual tree removal and now lighting.  

[IceePirate]

3 hours ago, super7 said:

Does this now light up the area at the covered brake run on The Beast?

Sort of, it definately takes away from that part of the ride. Only lasts for 10-15 seconds, but still, that's 10-15 seconds where it breaks the immersion. I kinda wish they didn't light up the turnaround.

Side note: I think it would be really cool if Orion had straight track that goes opposite of The Beast's in parallel with a light on the front of the train, so they could have a neat interaction every now and then.

[CorkscrewMcPuke]

On 8/6/2020 at 11:03 AM, coaster sally said:

Want to get my daughter some night ride experience before Hollywood nights.

Adventure Express is the true patrician's choice for night rides. There's pretty much no lines during the last operating hour.

[Klabergian Empire]

22 hours ago, CorkscrewMcPuke said:

Adventure Express is the true patrician's choice for night rides. There's pretty much no lines during the last operating hour.

Solid amen!

[IndyGuy4KI]

On 8/15/2020 at 5:36 PM, CorkscrewMcPuke said:

Adventure Express is the true patrician's choice for night rides. There's pretty much no lines during the last operating hour.

I love riding AE during haunt!

[Nutterie]

got a night ride on orion last night, honestly think being up and seeing the city lights around you before being plunged into darkness is better than The Beast's night ride

Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk

[Saerenzea]

On 8/16/2020 at 6:07 PM, IndyGuy4KI said:

I love riding AE during haunt!

Yessssss! Did that for the first time last year and it blew me away. 

[MoreFogPlease]

4 hours ago, Nutterie said:

got a night ride on orion last night, honestly think being up and seeing the city lights around you before being plunged into darkness is better than The Beast's night ride

Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk
 

Possibly. Although, personally I feel that Diamondback does that better than Orion.

[RogueFoxPaws]

I still have yet to get a night ride on Beast.  (I’m either with friends/family that want to leave too early or not been able to go on a day when they stay open late...)

So, just from my experience when I was up there last time a couple weeks ago, I got in line for Orion at around 8:35 PM, it was about an hour/hour and a half wait apparently because I was still in line at 9:45 PM.  So what they did, they basically paused the line for fireworks.  They stopped running trains and we all basically stood around, watched the fireworks in line, then at about 10:20 PM, they started everything back up to get people on.  I had no idea how this worked, being my first time there during fireworks, first night ride and everything.

But again, this is just my experience!  It was absolutely worth it!  Let me tell you, going up Orion’s lift hill, looking behind you at Area 72 all lit up, then getting to the top and seeing nothing but pitch black below you... it hits you different.  That drop in complete darkness, not being able to see the bottom, it’s absolutely amazing!!

[SnakePlissken]

2 hours ago, RogueFoxPaws said:

I still have yet to get a night ride on Beast.  (I’m either with friends/family that want to leave too early or not been able to go on a day when they stay open late...)

So, just from my experience when I was up there last time a couple weeks ago, I got in line for Orion at around 8:35 PM, it was about an hour/hour and a half wait apparently because I was still in line at 9:45 PM.  So what they did, they basically paused the line for fireworks.  They stopped running trains and we all basically stood around, watched the fireworks in line, then at about 10:20 PM, they started everything back up to get people on.  I had no idea how this worked, being my first time there during fireworks, first night ride and everything.

But again, this is just my experience!  It was absolutely worth it!  Let me tell you, going up Orion’s lift hill, looking behind you at Area 72 all lit up, then getting to the top and seeing nothing but pitch black below you... it hits you different.  That drop in complete darkness, not being able to see the bottom, it’s absolutely amazing!!

If you want night rides you want to go during Haunt or Coasterstock in a normal year.

[jimlaheyscar]

Or buy Fast Lane