Fixing the "Just Okay" Orion

[DonHelbig]

23 hours ago, Hawaiian Coasters 325 said:

Do you know anything about that soundtrack and was it discussed being used on the lift? I also think some sort of "mission accomplished" soundtrack on the brake run would've been cool. Kinda like the old "Awesome Great Job folks!" thing used on the Italian Job brake run back in the day. 

The launch of Orion was different than other new ride openings during my years at Kings Island. Everyone was working from home due to COVID-19 leading up to the opening of Orion, combined with a restructuring in marketing that led to less collaboration with these things. There weren’t the kinds of discussions there had been with previous new attractions to be able to tell you if that was considered. 

I agree a “Mission Accomplished” soundtrack would have been a cool ending. That’s something they easily could still add. 

[Hawaiian Coasters 325]

2 hours ago, johnjniehaus said:

Having said that it's still my #3 in the park and it was an improvement from Firehawk albeit less unique in the lineup. So I think for me it was a more than worthy replacement and if CGA hadn't run into permits and permission issues one must consider that we very well might not have gotten a giga at all so their loss was our gain

That's my thing here. I often wonder that if the CGA coaster happened and with the eventual pandemic soon to come would we still be waiting for the next big thing after Mystic Timbers to be added and would the old giga thread still be going with the constant arguments about one and the paint concepts? Tbh Im glad we got Orion for that reason! 

[KI Guy]

25 minutes ago, Hawaiian Coasters 325 said:

That's my thing here. I often wonder that if the CGA coaster happened and with the eventual pandemic soon to come would we still be waiting for the next big thing after Mystic Timbers to be added and would the old giga thread still be going with the constant arguments about one and the paint concepts? 

Under no circumstances would Kings Island go nine seasons without a major coaster installation. The current six seasons is already unprecedented. I don't know if KI would have gotten a giga post 2020, but they certainly would have gotten some type of coaster.

Personally, I would have rather they had put the CGA hyper somewhere else and put a little more imagination into the KI ride.

[DonHelbig]

12 minutes ago, KI Guy said:

Under no circumstances would Kings Island go nine seasons without a major coaster installation. The current six seasons is already unprecedented. I don't know if KI would have gotten a giga post 2020, but they certainly would have gotten some type of coaster.

Personally, I would have rather they had put the CGA hyper somewhere else and put a little more imagination into the KI ride.

We’re living a different world than we used to. 

[johnjniehaus]

25 minutes ago, DonHelbig said:

We’re living a different world than we used to. 

Isn't that the truth! 

 

We might complain because Kings Island has historically gotten new coasters more often but looking at some of the other parks like Michigan's Adventure and Six Flags St Louis - yeesh it's been almost two decades since they got anything good 

[Losantiville Mining Co.]

I've really enjoyed Orion every time I've ridden it. For me, it's fine as is. While I love finding ways to re-imagine parks and rides, most of what Kings Island has to offer is good enough as is. That being said I do really want to know how feasible it would have been to put an inversion or two somewhere in Orion's layout. What would change overall? Different trains and a little more steel for the extra track/supports? The world's/North America's first inverting giga coaster might've had a nice ring to it. Now that title will be taken by Tormenta at SFOT (which is also taller than Orion), though we'll have to wait to find out how the ride experience on that coaster turns out.

[KI Guy]

On 1/16/2026 at 4:00 PM, johnjniehaus said:

Isn't that the truth! 

 

We might complain because Kings Island has historically gotten new coasters more often but looking at some of the other parks like Michigan's Adventure and Six Flags St Louis - yeesh it's been almost two decades since they got anything good 

Yes, but Kings Island is not comparable to either of those two parks. Both combined wouldn't match Kings Island's revenue.

Not to be insensitive, but at the "at least"/"be glad" we're not Michigan's Adventure has always seemed like a cope by KI superfans.

I'm going to hold them to a the high standard that they've always had at least until very recently.

[johnjniehaus]

18 hours ago, KI Guy said:

Yes, but Kings Island is not comparable to either of those two parks. Both combined wouldn't match Kings Island's revenue.

Not to be insensitive, but at the "at least"/"be glad" we're not Michigan's Adventure has always seemed like a cope by KI superfans.

I'm going to hold them to a the high standard that they've always had at least until very recently.

Oh I don't disagree but let's face it times are changing and they aren't giving parks new additions like they used to with the exception of Cedar Point. I'm not saying I agree with them not investing in a other major coaster I'm just saying it can always get worse. At least they are still improving our water park, giving us a "new" section of the kids area, and bringing back a beloved dark ride. I look at a park such as Great Adventure that lost nearly 8 rides I believe since 2022 and I say, I'm so thankful we're not that park because there's always a worse end of the stick to get. Kings Island might not be the top flagship investment park it historically has been but at least so far I would say they haven't screwed us like they have some of the smaller parks and how they did great adventure 

[rlentless]

I would have liked if they put more low to the ground speed elements in the DA path area.  Just one more path with all that energy/speed we feel is still there at the break run.  Just feels like it ends too soon.

Other than that, to me it's a great ride.  Maybe they can still add the extra track back there and rebrand it as a new roller coaster.