What should be Kings Island’s next coaster? (2024)

[Orion742]

I’ve done this poll before but it’s been a long time. I’m interested to hear everyone’s thoughts.

[Vortex1987]

Gerstlauer Infinity that breaks the inversion record is the best way to replace Vortex. It's the modern equivalent of it. And in the same beautiful blue and orange color scheme. But an RMC or an incredible launch coaster would be amazing as well. Same with the flyer.

 

I swear if they put a family ride in Vortex's plot or the Tomb Raider building I'll never go back.

[Diamondback_Is_King]

11 minutes ago, Vortex1987 said:

Gerstlauer Infinity that breaks the inversion record is the best way to replace Vortex. It's the modern equivalent of it. And in the same beautiful blue and orange color scheme. But an RMC or an incredible launch coaster would be amazing as well. Same with the flyer.

 

I swear if they put a family ride in Vortex's plot or the Tomb Raider building I'll never go back.

I totally agree with everything you said!!! Unfortunately, an RMC is not very realistic because of Cedar Fair's relationship with them, but a man can hope. We would be lucky to even get a coaster like that or one with lost of inversions. If only things were different...

[TombRaiderFTW]

I dunno, I'm not really on board with the whole "Vortex's replacement has to be an inversion-heavy coaster" thing folks have been saying on here for a bit. I'm not judging because I am FULLY guilty of doing the same thing, but I think it's easy for us to fall into a pattern of wanting certain things to not change, even when it might not make business sense to keep them the same. I feel like whatever goes in a well-loved attraction's place has to be marketable as a distinctly new ride from what was there before. (Not to mention, the next coaster doesn't necessarily HAVE to go in Vortex's spot... but it does seem the most obvious place, right?)

Problem is, without jumping into theming-heavy stuff that already wasn't Cedar Fair's schtick, ever, and especially probably wouldn't be Six Flags's thing right now with the legacy CF parks, I don't know of anything that jumps out particularly well for the park. We're more than good on wood coasters, and I think our bases are more or less covered on launches, inversions, and anything inverted. The trend right now for most big names in the industry? Intamin's and Zamperla's and Gerstlauer's and Premier's multi-launch coasters, Vekoma's new looping coasters and family inverts, GCI and Gravity Group's new wood coaster technology and designs with inversions, RMCs with inversions, Mack's launch coasters, and B&Ms with launches (and sometimes also inversions.) We don't have a lot of those things exactly, sure, so we COULD add them, but I fear they'd end up a bit lost in the lineup.

So like, if I HAD to choose something that actually seems semi-likely for the state of the chain right now, I'd probably pick a 10-across B&M Dive. I'd put a first drop facing towards the walkway around where Vortex's batwing was, tunnel it under the path, and come up into an Immelman over the walkway right about where the basketball game currently is. I have no idea what to add to it after that point to make it stand out, though--we've already got a B&M with a splashdown, and I don't know that there are many other quirks that B&M does these days that aren't already represented on our other B&Ms. I'd hate for us to get something unremarkable.

We've got lots of quality supporting players in our lineup, but I think it's important to also take a few risks to make some headliners, lest we develop what I lovingly think of as "the Canada's Wonderland problem." So, what I'd rather see happen, if we're sticking to coasters, is a Firechaser Express-like ride that's debatably more theming-heavy than Mystic Timbers. We've got the bases covered as far as base models go from most manufacturers, so it's time for something more than a fresh-out-of-the-box coaster. That's not me just really liking theming--I think doing Dollywood-level theming on a family coaster, which aligns with KI's current target audiences, would be the right move for a standout attraction in both the park and the market. Unless I'm forgetting something, no major players in the seasonal park world except United Parks and Herschend are doing themed coasters right now. Heck, you could even go so far as to have a drop track like Verbolten.

(If we're considering options besides coasters, I'd absolutely put a themed log flume in Vortex's spot. But that's not this thread, so I'll keep that to myself! )

[Orion742]

On 12/3/2024 at 8:57 PM, Vortex1987 said:

Gerstlauer Infinity that breaks the inversion record is the best way to replace Vortex. It's the modern equivalent of it. And in the same beautiful blue and orange color scheme. But an RMC or an incredible launch coaster would be amazing as well. Same with the flyer.

 

I swear if they put a family ride in Vortex's plot or the Tomb Raider building I'll never go back.

If it was a Vekoma family launch coaster like Big Bear Mountain I would be all for it. Actually Big Bear Mountain Is my favorite coaster at Dollywood. I would hope if they did they would theme it well and give it onboard audio. Cedar Point is putting onboard audio on Siren’s Curse so I don’t think Six Flags would be against it. That 10 inversion Gerstlauer Infinity coaster concept they shared in the survey looks amazing too.