PKIDelirium

I wouldn't be surprised if Cedar Fair actually bought it a few years down the road if it's doing well.

I believe those are just being parked there for the moment. In the renderings, that's unused space just to the left of one of the RV spot areas.

KI Haunt's Dead Awakening (2007 and 2008) and Hot Blooded (2009 until a couple years ago, with one off-year) were both fantastic.

Really getting down into the 50-year-old (factoring in the time period it was built) base structure and ledgers for the Racer trackwork, total ledger-up retrack in these parts for the first time ever. https://twitter.com/KingsIslandPR/status/1340839529872240641 https://twitter.com/KingsIslandPR/status/1344339493965455361

Yeah, they've enclosed the sides of the FOF outdoor queue area instead of it just being open, and are apparently increasing the amount of space that was formerly switchbacks for additional locker area, so there's less lanes outside the main building than before. Firehawk's old maze has been altered and connected in so any excess queue for FOF doesn't spill out and congest the midway, because while it is somewhat uncommon for FOF to need much outdoor queue space, Orion being right there will certainly increase the ridership since it'll be exiting right by the FOF entrance, and it'll probably need that excess queue capacity for a while at least on the busy days. Regarding the state of the Vortex plot, this recent drone video shows the rather trampled-looking empty terrain being fenced in. They seem to want to basically bury Vortex at this point because the only mention since closing day was the addition of Vortex as a Nanocoaster Classic, and a limited commemorative ornament during WinterFest that used the same logo from the station banners and the Final Crew badges. They had said they might sell parts, like how they did the SOB track plaques and bolts, but nothing seems to have come from that. Maybe they think it would detract from promoting Orion or something.

Orion got used by the NIMBYs to start complaining about noise again... https://www.wvxu.org/post/kings-island-taking-steps-respond-neighbors-noise-concerns#stream/0 Orion's rails were sand-filled from fabrication, but now they're going to be working on a project to add sand into Diamondback's spine in some areas of the ride.

Fitting. Vortex opened April 11, 1987.

Edit: Double post, disregard.

Since the cams have been down, they've installed the next lift support and three-section track assembly to the climb, and today so far they've installed at least one major support assembly for the drop, in addition to the "backbone" spine from there to the ground which includes one track section of the drop itself.

That's how the gigas are built yeah, the track is the structure for the entire crest.

Webcams are apparently down for a software system problem, and could be a few days potentially. The white crane was in the air today and seen from the highway placing the next lift structure, while the red crane was working over by the first drop.

Yesterday I thought that was just a couple sections of track that had been assembled and laid over there, but in better light today I realized it was the base of the drop. Probably trying to get everything they can with the small cranes into place, which won't be much more since they've got a bunch of gravel built up for the crane's "pad" over there (at least for the lift and surrounding area, not sure where they'll park it for further out sections).

You know, being right on the Coney midway and having that classic design feel to it, I think the station would be a nice venue to be converted into an in-park history museum. They could even leave that small fixed part of Vortex track that leads into the "shed" part in place alongside the old Bat footer right next to it. It would fit right in with how they've paid homage to past rides in the Antique Autos theming.

I am genuinely shocked. I was so relieved when Firehawk was revealed to be the one leaving in last year's "funeral" scene because the wording could also apply to Vortex, and then now they just announce Vortex departing a month out without anyone having had any hint it would be leaving, or at least not for a few more years at least. I've never known KI without Vortex, it's one year older than me. One of my earliest memories from the park was watching it wind around, and the back of the park will never sound the same again without that signature Arrow chain lift. I hope the station is kept and used for something, and whatever takes over that plot of land will be a suitable replacement.

So, it's a Kigagoaster?

Those hollow square bar sections throughout that track are for the lap bar release mechanism, they raise up and press against the release on the bottom of the train. Considering there's one right at the edge of that section, it can't be for the end of the station because the zero car would be there, not a car with a restraint release.

Nighthawk IS Stealth, it was a relocation, so very careful dismantling and transport.

This is my fifth demolition on my track record. Screechin Eagle, SOB, Greezed Lighting and Twisted Twins previously. Edit: Correction, sixth. Forgot that dumb Caripro Scooby Ghoster Coaster.

Now that just looks weird. Construction time!

Well that particular ride, like all others, is not eternal so unless they rename it again at some point, they will.

It’s too bad none of the Dutchmen ever got the original onboard recline-on-lift to work, that would have helped capacity a lot and allowed for three train op.

With a lot of the reliability problems being related to the track switchers for the dual stations, if they converted to single station, it would work well at a smaller park. KI needs capacity and sometimes it feels like Firehawk’s is even lower than Invertigo. The awkward restraint system doesn’t help, either.

Firehawk is a flying coaster with a test pilot “theme” so the calm skies part fits. It’s also notoriously unreliable and is in the way of accessing all that land where the dinos were, and also back into the animal safari land that leads all the way back around to Banshee, including where SOB’s helix/MCBR structure was. The Bat was just repainted etc in 2014, Invertigo is a tiny footprint (unless Congo Falls and the amphitheater also come out), and WindSeeker has gotten over its initial reliability problems. Vortex has extremely high capacity and has had the aforementioned foundation refurb. My “vote” based on how they’ve worded that sign, and the factors I just mentioned, is Firehawk. Edit: Also, check out the wording on this page. Firehawk’s listing and ride page are obviously still there, but take a good look at the introductory text, and you’ll notice something missing... https://www.visitkingsisland.com/play/rides-coasters

Banshee is in the way of using the SOB station for another coaster

I doubt RMC for Racer, even topper track. Probably a refurb and hopefully a return of the original paint scheme, and maybe, even more hopefully, the restoration of the last bunny hops before the brake tunnel Edit: I just remembered there has apparently been some teasing about "the 5" or something on some posters at CP (possible Outpost 5 reference) which has caused some speculation that they might be overhauling and maybe extending Adventure Express, so I guess that's also a possibility. I'd rather see Racer get a nice restoration, though, personally