Area 72 expansion concept

[Hawaiian Coasters 325]

Area 72 is a new area that debuted at Kings Island with Orion in 2020. It replaces an area known as Xbase. It currently features two rides: Flight of Fear a premier rides launch coaster clone and Orion a B&M giga coaster. Here I came up with an idea that includes an expansion to this area. It features two new flat rides, a B&M wing coaster, a flight museum, and some nice scenery which includes bringing back the old target from Action Zone. It also includes a new entrance in Oktoberfest. In order for this to happen, a beloved coaster would have to go. Adventure Express would have to be removed which I can already hear those on here shaming me for breaking the 11th commandment. This concept is basically 10-15 years from now. I think by then, Adventure Express being an old arrow mine train, will be reaching or have reached the end of it's service life. This is just a concept nothing official. 

 

[McSalsa]

I will be honest: of the coasters in that general area, I expect Adventure Express to outlast Flight of Fear. Arrow Mine Trains are not dying off the way their loopers or suspended coasters are- only ONE of them has been demolished since the model was introduced in 1966, with a few mine trains outlasting their original parks and finding new homes. In fact the OG Arrow Mine Train at Six Flags Over Texas is STILL in operation and there are currently zero rumors that one is going anywhere. Adventure Express is also young compared to many of its peers, having opened in 1991 instead of the 1960's. S&S and other companies still make Mine Train parts to this day so getting parts isn't an issue, and the fact the ride is more family oriented and pulls less G's than a extreme coaster like Flight of Fear helps. Flight of Fear is also a mere 5 years newer than AE, and has the LIM launch which will probably be far harder and more expensive to fix as it ages versus AE's simple lift hills. Adventure Express has a good shot at seeing its 50th Anniversary in 2041, IMO. Flight of Fear will probably make it to the 30-35 year range like Vortex did, very good for a intense steel coaster but being only 5 years newer than AE, that means AE is probably gonna be around after FOF is removed.

This expansion is still very possible though: just with AE still in operation but FOF removed and replaced with the wing coaster. The flat rides could still work in those spots, but the museum would need to relocate.

[Hawaiian Coasters 325]

If FOF gets removed, I would rather just the coaster not the building getting removed. The building fits the area very well and I wouldn't mind seeing a dark ride or even an indoor flat ride go in there. 

[silver2005]

^Because KI has such a good history of reusing vacant buildings. 

[Joshua]

On 3/7/2021 at 10:02 PM, silver2005 said:

^Because KI has such a good history of reusing vacant buildings. 

Oh they'll reuse. But when it's not being used for Haunt, that'll be where the employees find the brooms. 

[SonofBaconator]

On 3/7/2021 at 4:50 PM, Hawaiian Coasters 325 said:

Adventure Express would have to be removed which I can already hear those on here shaming me for breaking the 11th commandment.....I think by then, Adventure Express being an old arrow mine train, will be reaching or have reached the end of it's service life.

 

[purdude86]

Would like to see the area expanded upon but wouldn't want to see it take over the AE space. Oktoberfest needs expansion badly too so taking away from it for another area that has other possibilities for growth wouldn't be my choice. The first thing I'd do for A72 would be to utilize the area shown for flat rides to put in a new flat and relocate Slingshot next to it. This would give the area two new attractions from the get go and open up space in Oktoberfest for another new flat.

[silver2005]

Also, for context, the original Arrow Mine Train, Runaway Mine Train at SFoT, is still operating. 

[Tr0y]

I really can’t picture an Area 72 (x-base) expansion. Maybe a small expansion, which would require tearing down and moving maintenance buildings, but even then that only makes room for a flat ride or two and a couple concession stands. I’d say with the addition of Orion, Area 72 (x-base) was pretty much capped off. A hypothetical Area 72 (x-base) expansion in my opinion would’ve run parallel with The Racer and would’ve looped back into Coney Mall where the Action Theater is. This is what I’d imagine it would roughly look like: (Granted I added my own twist being that Action Theater is rethemed as the Hawkins lab in Stranger Things.)