Invertigo: The Next To Go?

[Losantiville Mining Co.]

Photos have popped up on social media showing crews removing items from Invertigo's station with what looks to be a dumpster on or near a path in front of the coaster. Is Invertigo the next ride on the chopping block? 

I'll admit the photos appear to be from a known poster (I saw them second-hand in a cropped screenshot), but I would not put it past this company to remove a coaster mid-season with no warning. The temporary fence could itself soon be replaced by a more permanent fence if this turns out to be more than just some temporary movement. 

Do you think this movement around Invertigo is a sign of it's imminent removal, or is it simply a mid-season temporary closure like we've seen for White Water Canyon and Snoopy's Space Buggies?

[KI FANATIC 37]

I saw that. Hopefully it’s not what it looks like, but i wouldn’t be surprised.

Since 2018. That would be a net negative 2 rollercoasters for Kings Island (not counting SSBR). Not a good look.


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[BryanJay]

I’ve heard somewhere that the lift cable for the first lift was completely cut/snapped during an evacuation. I don’t know how true this is, but explains the extended downtime and makes sense for the park to remove it instead of fixing it considering it’s low capacity and downtime (I would suspect if they chose to quietly remove a ride, this would probably be one of their top 3 that fit the criteria they seem to have). But hopefully it doesn’t close, especially if it’s unexpectedly, because that means people would be complaining about “the Invertigo plot” for the next 10+ years. Invertigo? Yeah, I hope it invertistays! 

[silver2005]

Frankly I'm amazed ours has lasted as long as it has given the fate of other inverted Boomerangs. 

[Losantiville Mining Co.]

Who knows, it might be a great place to install the new* Riddler's Revenge! 

 

*Actually about 50 years old and relocated from Six Flags America, America's most recently closed amusement park. 

 

45 minutes ago, KI FANATIC 37 said:

Since 2018. That would be a net negative 2 rollercoasters for Kings Island (not counting SSBR). Not a good look.

It would also be unfortunate because Kings Island was already lacking a little on the other end in terms of things that non-riders can do. If the chain wants to keep it as strictly a family park, why aren't they installing more family attractions that the whole family (including grandparents) can enjoy at once? The KI & MV RR, the Grand Carousel, KMAA, and Boo Blasters are pretty much the only four attractions at the park that I would feel good taking my grandparents on. Add the five shows (with some that don't even run most of the normal season) and that's only nine things for older/non-rider family members to do. That's a market Kings Island could play into more that they aren't. 

There's also the argument that the park needs 1-2 more super thrilling, stand-out coasters in its lineup beyond the imperceivable Vortex replacement. Families can come to the park all they'd like, but when those kids get to the age where they are looking for a place to go, they won't find as high intensity coasters as they'd like at Kings Island. 

[DonHelbig]

8 hours ago, Losantiville Mining Co. said:

Who knows, it might be a great place to install the new* Riddler's Revenge! 

 

*Actually about 50 years old and relocated from Six Flags America, America's most recently closed amusement park. 

 

It would also be unfortunate because Kings Island was already lacking a little on the other end in terms of things that non-riders can do. If the chain wants to keep it as strictly a family park, why aren't they installing more family attractions that the whole family (including grandparents) can enjoy at once? The KI & MV RR, the Grand Carousel, KMAA, and Boo Blasters are pretty much the only four attractions at the park that I would feel good taking my grandparents on. Add the five shows (with some that don't even run most of the normal season) and that's only nine things for older/non-rider family members to do. That's a market Kings Island could play into more that they aren't. 

There's also the argument that the park needs 1-2 more super thrilling, stand-out coasters in its lineup beyond the imperceivable Vortex replacement. Families can come to the park all they'd like, but when those kids get to the age where they are looking for a place to go, they won't find as high intensity coasters as they'd like at Kings Island. 

Families have comprised the majority of the park’s annual attendance since 1972. 

[Losantiville Mining Co.]

That is true, but I'd still like to see another stand-out coaster beyond Vortex's replacement and more attractions that the entire family can handle  

[johnjniehaus]

Looks like it's Boo Blaster that is the next to go! 

(To be fair, I can't see Invertigo lasting into the 2030s. Once they get the boo Blaster replacement done, I think they are going to be looking into an Action Zone refresh)

[DJSkyFoxx]

I'm hoping they will squeeze another season or two out of it. It bears repeating the inversion deficit in the park...not to mention this is really one of the heavy hitters for the thrill seekers who want something intense. Yes, the ol' boy is of the old-age Vekoma and therefore doesn't always track as good as newer coasters ( and newer Vekomas) but in the saying of those of us who learn how to ride these things, I learned the best spots for me are on the ends of the trains where you don't face anyone. Keep your head on one side of the restraint or firmly placed against the headrest and you're good to go. This is now one of only a few coasters that can still occasionally make me gray-out and the only one at KI that can make me do that. 

We have a rare relic, but it's one that I hope makes a return before the season is out...if not by next season. 

[johnjniehaus]

Agree...hope they can get one or two more years out of Invertigo. If they successfully open the new dark ride next year and get monster working again I see no reason they wouldn't pull the plug on Invertigo and Congo next fall in preparation for 2028 investment. I'm thinking 2027 is probably an off year but who knows lol

[DJSkyFoxx]

When the day does come for Invertigo, I hope the Roller Coaster Museum picks it up. Ours is the only one that has not been uprooted from its original home and I think it would be great if it could be kept at the museum for the purpose of preserving the history of this particular model of coaster. 

I might also add that it would be neat if they also picked up Batwing from SFA seeing as it will also be on the chopping block. The last of its kind deserves a special place to be remembered. 

[IBEW_Sparky]

If they could somehow make it operate on September 5th, Id be a happy person so I can get 1-2 more rides in.

[Losantiville Mining Co.]

It would be really cool if the Roller Coaster Museum were able to take Invertigo in its entirety and reassemble it on-site as a big standout exhibit. They wouldn't need to have it operable, but the coaster is small enough and [the boomerang model is] common enough that this would be one of the easiest projects to fully relocate. I hope it gets back up and running at Kings Island though. 

If Invertigo gets taken out and the land is set to sit vacant for a while, I'd like to see Kings Island install a new semi-temporary picnic area over there like the Shady Maple Picnic Grove that existed in that location. 

[johnjniehaus]

19 hours ago, IBEW_Sparky said:

If they could somehow make it operate on September 5th, Id be a happy person so I can get 1-2 more rides in.

Considering that Demon at SFGA was closed for almost the entirety of the 2023 season due to the crumbling rocks and they reopened it for the final two weekends of fright fest, anything is possible at this point! 

[SonofBaconator]

On 8/9/2025 at 1:25 AM, Losantiville Mining Co. said:

It would also be unfortunate because Kings Island was already lacking a little on the other end in terms of things that non-riders can do. If the chain wants to keep it as strictly a family park, why aren't they installing more family attractions that the whole family (including grandparents) can enjoy at once? The KI & MV RR, the Grand Carousel, KMAA, and Boo Blasters are pretty much the only four attractions at the park that I would feel good taking my grandparents on. Add the five shows (with some that don't even run most of the normal season) and that's only nine things for older/non-rider family members to do. That's a market Kings Island could play into more that they aren't. 

Kings Island has always leaned more toward families than parks like Cedar Point, Magic Mountain, or Universal. That wasn’t always the case though. Before Cedar Fair bought the Paramount parks in the mid-2000s, KI was basically a thrill park going head-to-head with Cedar Point. That’s when we saw rides like the original Bat, backwards Racer, King Cobra, Vortex, Top Gun, Tomb Raider: The Ride, Delirium, Flight of Fear, Drop Zone, Face/Off, and Son of Beast.

When Cedar Fair took over, rides like Diamondback, Banshee, Mystic Timbers, and Orion were more about catching KI up to the rest of the Cedar Fair chain and keeping pace with the other former Paramount parks - since most of them were getting big additions too. Hypers, inverts, modern woodies - other CF parks already had them. Now that KI has those, and with KI and Cedar Point in the same chain, it’s easier to see the split: CP and Magic Mountain are all about thrill-seekers, while KI leans a little more family without dropping thrills altogether.

If I ever have kids, I’ll want to ride the big coasters with them, but it’s the family rides that make a full day worth it. Without stuff like the Miami Valley Railroad, Planet Snoopy, Dodgem, Shake, Rattle & Roll, Zephyr, etc., I’d be less likely to bring the family. Even Cedar Point has those balance rides.

I get being frustrated that we haven’t had a big thrill ride in a while, especially with Vortex gone and Invertigo probably not far behind. I miss Vortex too, and yeah, it stings not having something new in that spot. But the timing was bad. We don’t know if Vortex was supposed to run alongside Orion or if its problems just made that impossible. Then 2020 got wiped out by the pandemic, so 2021 became Orion’s real first season, and a few years later the Cedar Fair–Six Flags merger likely slowed major project plans again.

That said, KI’s still been adding plenty in between coasters:

2010: Planet Snoopy overhaul

2011: Dinosaurs Alive

2012: Soak City expansion

2013: Cincinnati Reds Grille

2015: Flying Eagles return + kids’ ride

2016: Tropical Plunge

2019: Antique cars return

2022: 50th Anniversary celebration

2023: Adventure Port

2024: Snoopy’s Soapbox Racers + other kids’ rides

2025: River Racers + Soak City updates + Backlot Stunt Coaster retheme

2026: New family thrill ride

From the Paramount years to now, KI has gone from being almost all-thrills to a mix that keeps both thrill-seekers and families happy.

[Losantiville Mining Co.]

Don't get me wrong, I'm advocating big time for more family attractions as well. I know that receiving a major coaster around every 3 years was an unsustainable model. My gripe is with removing coasters without a planned replacement and the perceived decline in quality of additions over the past few years. The extended amount of time it took for AP and CS to open also did not sit well with me. 

I'm realizing my final statement didn't read how I thought it did. I feel that Kings Island currently feels like it is either stagnating or declining in overall quality. Whether this is due to the overall size of the passholder base (compared to daily ticket holders), economic woes, the potential for market penetration, or anything else — I am not sure. In an article on themeparksbydon.com Don Helbig commented that additions like RiverRacers were not designed to draw in guests from outside the Cincinnati market (I'm paraphrasing from memory). 

I will celebrate the day Kings Island is finally focused on being a thrilling theme park that caters to the whole family. If the park were able to pick a lane and commit to it I think I'd be happier. Either stay as an amusement park with some theming as it exists now or return to being a theme park with high thrills. I'd prefer it become a theme park with high thrills. My personal opinion will differ from others and I'm okay with that. I just like to type.

[robintodd]

7 hours ago, Losantiville Mining Co. said:

Don't get me wrong, I'm advocating big time for more family attractions as well. I know that receiving a major coaster around every 3 years was an unsustainable model. My gripe is with removing coasters without a planned replacement and the perceived decline in quality of additions over the past few years. The extended amount of time it took for AP and CS to open also did not sit well with me. 

I'm realizing my final statement didn't read how I thought it did. I feel that Kings Island currently feels like it is either stagnating or declining in overall quality. Whether this is due to the overall size of the passholder base (compared to daily ticket holders), economic woes, the potential for market penetration, or anything else — I am not sure. In an article on themeparksbydon.com Don Helbig commented that additions like RiverRacers were not designed to draw in guests from outside the Cincinnati market (I'm paraphrasing from memory). 

I will celebrate the day Kings Island is finally focused on being a thrilling theme park that caters to the whole family. If the park were able to pick a lane and commit to it I think I'd be happier. Either stay as an amusement park with some theming as it exists now or return to being a theme park with high thrills. I'd prefer it become a theme park with high thrills. My personal opinion will differ from others and I'm okay with that. I just like to type.

As I've stated before, the big problem with KI becoming a theme park with high thrills is it's location.  It is and always will be a park for locals, not a destination park.  Too many people/families live within a 30 minute drive to the park for it to be anything else.  With a 1 million person consumer base there is simply no need for it to require people traveling hours to get here.  It already has plenty of potential customers in the area.  It has a niche that has allowed it to grow.  If there is something the park is lacking in my opinion it is not a thrill ride but rather a quality dark ride (finger crossed for Phantom Theatre's Revenge  ) and more flat rides.

The industry is changing.  I was born in 1969 and have been with KI through out the years.  Back then the area around wasn't built up with houses and KI was new and they had to prove themselves in the market.  They competed with area parks and of course the coaster wars between them and CP are legendary and will not (unforunately) happen again.  Both KI and CP are now loaded with coaters some may say at an unsubstainable level.

With the population base they are located in (and the mid-upper class of families, I'm using Blue Ash as an example compared to Sandusky) there is simply no need to draw from around the country.  Don't get me wrong we do draw travelers (Camp Cedar isn't exactly sitting empty from what I can see of the amount of campers from the road.) and having a new large hotel would probably be a good addition.  It's the location, so wisely picked when they moved Coney Island, that has led to making it the theme park it is today.  Ironically it is the location which allows KI not to have international employees like other parks do.  

In the end I share, in part, with your frustration but at the same time it's the "home park feel" that make KI my favorite park (The Beast doesn't hurt either  ).  Steel Vengence is a great coaster but there is no way at my age I could marathon it like I could The Beast or Diamondback.  It's a nice coaster to visit, but I wouldn't want to live there.  In the end I'm very happy to have KI as a home park, but I do respect your opinion and like to type as well    

[BeeastFarmer]

4 minutes ago, robintodd said:

As I've stated before, the big problem with KI becoming a theme park with high thrills is it's location.  It is and always will be a park for locals, not a destination park.  Too many people/families live within a 30 minute drive to the park for it to be anything else.  With a 1 million person consumer base there is simply no need for it to require people traveling hours to get here.  It already has plenty of potential customers in the area.  It has a niche that has allowed it to grow.  If there is something the park is lacking in my opinion it is not a thrill ride but rather a quality dark ride (finger crossed for Phantom Theatre's Revenge  ) and more flat rides.

i

I agree with just about everything you said except for the locals. When conceived and executed, Kings Island was a regional destination park. It had the resort, the campground and golf courses....sure, they weren't targeting California or Florida, but they wanted people to fill the lodging and stay multiple days. There were no passes back then; it was when the season pass was introduced, combined with a growing metropolitan area, that made Kings Island more of a local park ( with a three hour target).

 

[disco2000]

28 minutes ago, robintodd said:

As I've stated before, the big problem with KI becoming a theme park with high thrills is it's location.  It is and always will be a park for locals, not a destination park.  Too many people/families live within a 30 minute drive to the park for it to be anything else.  With a 1 million person consumer base there is simply no need for it to require people traveling hours to get here.  It already has plenty of potential customers in the area.  It has a niche that has allowed it to grow.  If there is something the park is lacking in my opinion it is not a thrill ride but rather a quality dark ride (finger crossed for Phantom Theatre's Revenge  ) and more flat rides.

The industry is changing.  I was born in 1969 and have been with KI through out the years.  Back then the area around wasn't built up with houses and KI was new and they had to prove themselves in the market.  They competed with area parks and of course the coaster wars between them and CP are legendary and will not (unforunately) happen again.  Both KI and CP are now loaded with coaters some may say at an unsubstainable level.

With the population base they are located in (and the mid-upper class of families, I'm using Blue Ash as an example compared to Sandusky) there is simply no need to draw from around the country.  Don't get me wrong we do draw travelers (Camp Cedar isn't exactly sitting empty from what I can see of the amount of campers from the road.) and having a new large hotel would probably be a good addition.  It's the location, so wisely picked when they moved Coney Island, that has led to making it the theme park it is today.  Ironically it is the location which allows KI not to have international employees like other parks do.  

In the end I share, in part, with your frustration but at the same time it's the "home park feel" that make KI my favorite park (The Beast doesn't hurt either  ).  Steel Vengence is a great coaster but there is no way at my age I could marathon it like I could The Beast or Diamondback.  It's a nice coaster to visit, but I wouldn't want to live there.  In the end I'm very happy to have KI as a home park, but I do respect your opinion and like to type as well    

To pull a phrase from the Six Flags quarterly conference calls, I am going to add some additional color to your comments LOL.

The greater Cincinnati region (tri-state) is 2.3 million people.  

Santa Claus Indiana where Holiday World is located is 2,600 population.

Mason High School is 3,500 population.

There are more people at one local high school than the entire town of Santa Claus IN.

That is why a place like HW needs bigger and better attractions and needs outsiders more than 45 minutes away to be successful.  KI doesn't.

The Mason stay home mom with 3 kids isn't going to load the kids up in the minivan to HW 3-4 times per week.  Maybe a one trip per year or every couple of years.

But she sure as heck will do that to go to KI.  And anyone really within a 45-60min drive of KI.

KI fits that bill.

 

[robintodd]

8 minutes ago, disco2000 said:

To pull a phrase from the Six Flags quarterly conference calls, I am going to add some additional color to your comments LOL.

The greater Cincinnati region (tri-state) is 2.3 million people.  

Santa Claus Indiana where Holiday World is located is 2,600 population.

Mason High School is 3,500 population.

There are more people at one local high school than the entire town of Santa Claus IN.

That is why a place like HW needs bigger and better attractions and needs outsiders more than 45 minutes away to be successful.  KI doesn't.

The Mason stay home mom with 3 kids isn't going to load the kids up in the minivan to HW 3-4 times per week.  Maybe a one trip per year or every couple of years.

But she sure as heck will do that to go to KI.  And anyone really within a 45-60min drive of KI.

KI fits that bill.

 

Abolutely my point, check out CP with it being on a coast it's numbers are similar to HW.  Try ChatGPT and ask it how many people live with in an hour drive of each park.  It tells the story very well.  Also explains why there is no express need for marketing at KI.  Reguardless of what word get's out or what's added or taken away, "They will come".

It cannot be overstated how the pick of the location was vital to the success of the park.

[robintodd]

40 minutes ago, BeeastFarmer said:

 

My comment was it IS and always WILL BE a park for locals.  I did comment that in the beginning because it was new to the industry it had different needs than it does today.  (remember the first year attendance blew the estimates out of the water).  The only thing missing is a "resort" (it was a hotel with a conference room, far from what I would consider a resort).  Golf has lowered in popularity over the decades and the campground has been replaced with Camp Cedar.  New hotels have also been built in the area.  It all comes down to what's said in business quite often: Location, Location, Location.  KI being where it is has brought more jobs to the area as well has housing developments.

[disco2000]

10 minutes ago, robintodd said:

My comment was it IS and always WILL BE a park for locals.  I did comment that in the beginning because it was new to the industry it had different needs than it does today.  (remember the first year attendance blew the estimates out of the water).  The only thing missing is a "resort" (it was a hotel with a conference room, far from what I would consider a resort).  Golf has lowered in popularity over the decades and the campground has been replaced with Camp Cedar.  New hotels have also been built in the area.  It all comes down to what's said in business quite often: Location, Location, Location.  KI being where it is has brought more jobs to the area as well has housing developments.

Case in point - the golf course across the street once had two 18-hole championship courses and a 9 hole executive (par 3) course.

It is now one 18 hole golf course with the prior courses now houses/condos/etc. and a parking lot for a 2-week tennis tournament!

[jcoop22]

On 8/9/2025 at 1:25 AM, Losantiville Mining Co. said:

Who knows, it might be a great place to install the new* Riddler's Revenge! 

 

*Actually about 50 years old and relocated from Six Flags America, America's most recently closed amusement park. 

 

It would also be unfortunate because Kings Island was already lacking a little on the other end in terms of things that non-riders can do. If the chain wants to keep it as strictly a family park, why aren't they installing more family attractions that the whole family (including grandparents) can enjoy at once? The KI & MV RR, the Grand Carousel, KMAA, and Boo Blasters are pretty much the only four attractions at the park that I would feel good taking my grandparents on. Add the five shows (with some that don't even run most of the normal season) and that's only nine things for older/non-rider family members to do. That's a market Kings Island could play into more that they aren't. 

There's also the argument that the park needs 1-2 more super thrilling, stand-out coasters in its lineup beyond the imperceivable Vortex replacement. Families can come to the park all they'd like, but when those kids get to the age where they are looking for a place to go, they won't find as high intensity coasters as they'd like at Kings Island. 

What do you think the odds for Six Flags to move any of the Six Flags America rides to KI? Their wild mouse, Ragin Cajun? The SteamWhirler? The Wild One (which was moved once in the 80s)?

[I...am SteVe]

53 minutes ago, jcoop22 said:

What do you think the odds for Six Flags to move any of the Six Flags America rides to KI? Their wild mouse, Ragin Cajun? The SteamWhirler? The Wild One (which was moved once in the 80s)?

Low, but possible. I'd like to see Ragin' Cajun move into Snoopy.

[Losantiville Mining Co.]

14 hours ago, robintodd said:

As I've stated before, the big problem with KI becoming a theme park with high thrills is it's location.  It is and always will be a park for locals, not a destination park.  Too many people/families live within a 30 minute drive to the park for it to be anything else.  With a 1 million person consumer base there is simply no need for it to require people traveling hours to get here.  It already has plenty of potential customers in the area.  It has a niche that has allowed it to grow.  If there is something the park is lacking in my opinion it is not a thrill ride but rather a quality dark ride (finger crossed for Phantom Theatre's Revenge  ) and more flat rides.

Now that I've read everyone's responses, I have to say that I agree with most of the points made. I do think Kings Island could become more of a theme park with thrills as it currently exists, even if its clientele doesn't change. My definition of a thrilling theme park probably does not translate well into my posts: there's a reason why I used to keep my writings short before I joined KIC . I'd really enjoy if the park focused more on the theming of each area and the quality of both attractions and sightlines. Think more of how the park was from 1972-1992 rather than it being a park like Dollywood or Silver Dollar City. I'd love for it to become more like Dollywood in terms of theming and vibes, but I can see how that may be incompatible with the park in some ways. 

Good, comprehensive theming is what I think would improve Kings Island and elevate it to the next level as a truly regional park. Some theming elements don't require much upkeep from year to year, such as area entrance signs, stationary props, and ride theming. More buildings (facades, even), trees and water would greatly help Rivertown just as a return to the festival atmosphere would make Oktoberfest feel like a real land again.

Thanks to everyone for your opinions!

 

8 hours ago, jcoop22 said:

What do you think the odds for Six Flags to move any of the Six Flags America rides to KI? Their wild mouse, Ragin Cajun? The SteamWhirler? The Wild One (which was moved once in the 80s)?

Rajun Cajun (in Action Zone) or the SteamWhirler (in the Saltwater Circus plot or along Coney Mall) would be my picks for moving. The odds aren't terribly high IMO, but Carowinds just got their own NebulaZ in Aeronautica Landing so I think KI could handle it.