DILinator

I got your back man! When I go with my 3 kids, there's no way I'm dropping a small fortune on getting FL or FL+ either! So it's prudent planning, knowing the best days to go for lower crowds, or GTFO for us! Of course, we got the free FL+ with our Passes at CW last year, and I can definitely see the allure, if you can afford it...

Frontier keeps adverting CLE - TPA for as low as $50 round trip (as part of their fare club). May be worth joining! Thanks for the heads-up! I'll look into that! Yeah, I'm definitely not opposed to flying into Orlando either. Whichever is cheaper. If I'm in Orlando, maybe we'll even hit up SWO and Ice Breaker as well, though I'm also content to hit that when we're back in Orlando in 2021. We'll just have to see how everything prices out!

That long stall is simply divine looking! Definitely appears to be one of the most exciting looking elements on a coaster once it opens! Can't wait!

I'm not a betting man, but if I were, I would bet heavily that the 2021 coaster is going to have "Drachen" somewhere in the name! Also, regardless of how "needed" this new coaster is, or whether it's what everybody wanted, it looks wild, fun, and at a park that's already as amazing as BGW is (and is about to become even more so), it's just a stunning addition, and absolutely cements this as a top tier park in the entire country, and world!

Man, I am SO excited for this coaster, and for one of my favorite parks! I was initially going to wait until my planned Florida trip in 2021 to ride this thing, but now I'll definitely be checking for cheap flights to Tampa for once IG opens! It looks spectacular, and I don't think my kids nor myself can wait until next year!

So, I'm planning to go to Carowinds with my kids a week from tomorrow, and the forecast currently calls for Highs of 56, and a low of 34 at night. Now, does that mean if the temp dips below 40 prior to the park's closing at 8, they will shut down Fury? Or if the temp isn't above 40 in the morning, its opening will be delayed? Obviously, I don't know the hourly temps this far in advance, but if it's going to be below 40 for a couple of hours of the day, and Fury's operation is endangered, I may not bother going all that way. I know the temp will surely be high enough for it to run during the day, but I was really looking forward to Fury night rides. We can always do two days at SFOG instead.

I love GateKeeper, I love Thunderbird, and I really like both X-Flight and Wild Eagle! So I'm definitely on board if this does indeed end up being a B&M Wing for KD! I would have liked to see something a little larger, given the magnificence of the coaster it's essentially replacing, but I understand that the small Wing coasters pack a nice punch, so I'm excited to experience that! I also think it's a good fit for the park, and the area, and gives it something unique (and reliable) compared to BGW, and a different experience while BGW is launching people all over the place with their new Intamins. I will say, given its location in the Safari Village, that it gets a theme to go along with that, and offers an homage to Volcano, as well as great fly-by elements. I know that expecting CF to theme this much is foolhardy, but it'd be a nice surprise if it does have a mini-volcano it flies through or something. Regardless, it'll be interesting to follow this over the next year-plus and see what comes of it!

Orion looks great topped off! And there is zero doubt in my mind Orion will be an awesome coaster to ride! I also wouldn't be surprised if it's my favorite coaster at KI! But anybody trying to say it and Diamondback don't look almost identical from a distance, are either being disingenuous, or lying to themselves. I'm sure the coasters will ride somewhat differently, and a GIga (or GINO, depending on your perspective) is always going to be a fantastic addition to a park, KI included. I do have to say though, it seems like there's this mentality that either you worship at the alter of KIGA, and CF, and pretend that this is the greatest coaster ever installed simply because it's large, and cost a lot of money, or you're an entitled enthusiast who's out of touch with reality, and deserves derision. Talk about a take completely bereft of nuance, and objective reasoning! It's 100% possible to both LOVE this coaster, and be super excited about KI getting it, and being able to ride it starting next year, and also feel like it was a strange addition given its similarity to Diamondback, or its barely qualifying as a 300 foot coaster, or any of the other reasonable (emphasis on that word, because admittedly, not all things being said about it are reasonable) questions some enthusiasts have about it. I don't get why some feel it needs to be one or the other, and can't just admit both perspectives are valid. But again, Orion looks fantastic, and I simply cannot wait until I get my first view of it towering over the West side of the park, providing a lovely twin coaster hill skyline for the park!

I find it so interesting that CW has Winterfest, while CP does not. I'd definitely be interested in knowing from CF's perspective why they haven't expanded to CP yet (other than the obvious fact it'll be cold and windy as heck on a peninsula jutting into a lake during the wintertime.)

I've heard that answer about them installing Christmas decorations going up being why the camera is down a couple of times, and it's certainly possible that's the case. However, it sure seems like they picked the absolute worst time they could have to put those decorations up, and take the camera down, and with almost three weeks still to opening weekend of Winterfest, there is plenty of time to put them up, where it won't interfere with the construction of the lift hill. As such, it seems to me, that for whatever reason, KI has decided to not make the construction of the lift hill available to people to view on the webcams. I can't speculate as to why, as it doesn't make any sense to me, but I do think it's a conscious decision on their part. Let me also make it clear I don't personally care, as I can count on one hand the number of times I've ever looked at an amusement park webcam, and leave it to others to religiously follow roller coaster construction in general. It's fun to see progress pics as they go up, and are posted, but I can take them or leave them personally. I'm just commenting on this to point out that I don't think this is due to Winterfest prep, or an oversight on the park's part. I think it's an intentional decision by the park, for whatever reasons, which I will refrain from speculating on here. That's my perspective on this at least.

It will most likely be Carowinds on Saturday, November 16th! I'll be going to SFOG for my first time ever the next day! There's a chance I skip Carowinds and do SFOG both days, but I'm leaning towards doing both parks presently!

Well, I profoundly disagree with everything said by those who don't find Banshee forceful, or an awesome B&M Invert, and coaster in general, but at the end of the day, it's your opinion and experience. It delivers everything I personally want from a B&M Invert, and threw some nice new twists in there, and I'm grateful it's at an awesome park like KI, and somewhere I can go regularly! Makes up for Raptor being underwhelming these days, and occasionally not even ridden when I go to The Point!

I went in 2018 as well, and it was a great time! The weather wasn't the best, but it wasn't bad, and waits for most everything were non-existent. I didn't even wait over an hour for SV, so it was a real nice time to visit, all around!

^I'm with this guy! I love everything about this coaster, and am a huge fan of the park already, so this has me all sorts of excited!

I would not recommend you ride any B&Ms built before 2006, if Banshee makes your feet numb, ones with forces might kill you. Nice to know we have a comedian in our midst! Again, if you want to deny science and reality, that's on you, no skin off my back!

I'll never ever, ever, ever, ever, ever... (well you get the point) understand people who dog on Banshee, or specifically act like it lacks forces. My last rides on it in particular, just a couple of weeks ago, my feet actually were going numb by the end of the ride, usually a Batman hallmark. The ride pulls serious forces, and that's a simple fact. Maybe some don't like its spread out (read: unique and interesting) layout, compared to the Batman and Raptor Invert models, and that's fine, because opinions and preferences are for each, their own. But it's a forceful coaster, just like Millennium Force, and those denying it, are denying science, and physics, as my body a couple weeks ago can attest to.

I have relatives in Jersey, and already was planning to visit them again with my kids next year, and hitting up SFGAdv while there. But it'll be nice to have this place to go to, as well! Hopefully everything is more ironed out, and running more smoothly by then. Still looks pretty cool though!

Yay! Congrats on the exciting news, Zach! So happy for you and Emily! As you've probably gathered from many of my posts, my kids are my life, and in addition to everything else that they embody, their love of coasters, and sharing in my enjoyment of them, has proven to be an awesome blessing! I know you both will also experience this someday, and it will be a whole new, and fabulous way to enjoy this hobby! So again, congrats!

I had noticed that in the original rendering as well, and had hoped it would be an actuality. Looks like it is, so that's great! I've said this before, and I'll say it again... B&M has really been doing a great job in recent years of adding new, and exciting elements to their various coaster designs, keeping them both fresh, and also running counter to the old stereotype of B&M as cookie cutter, safe, and to some, boring (not to me at all, but...) You can tell their designers are not content to rest on their laurels, and watch RMC, Intamin, and MACK be the only manufacturers adding forceful and unique new elements. I see this with Orion, as well as this coaster, as that first element, which is a giant "wave turn" basically, definitely seems to draw inspiration from RMC. So while they are still delivering that reliable, and for the most part predictable B&M experience, it's nice to see them adding some new touches in, and providing unique thrills to each individual coaster!

My initial thought upon hearing this earlier was also the overlay/re-theme of Iron Reef to something in line with Knott's theme, and heritage. Seems pretty cool to me, if that's the case!

I say this half sarcastically and half seriously since I used to be a ride op at another CF park but what you described sounds like KI was probably breaking some regulation by keeping the coaster open since the ops couldn't see each other! As of a view years ago, one of the downtime codes used by CF was literally "too dark to operate". To be clear, he could see and communicate with the other ride ops on the platform. As you can see from the one picture though, it was hard to see the guy in the booth up front. That's what he was referring to.

^ So very true! My kids and I went to Haunt tonight, and met Rawkin there, and we had a great time, even though we got there 2 hours late! The park was stupid busy - I've never parked that far away in my life! - but we still got on Banshee, The Bat, Vortex, Mystic Timbers, and Diamondback, all with less than an hour wait. We would have finished the night off with The Beast, but it was closed when we went back there around 12:40. Oh well... Been there, done that. And honestly, closing the night out with one of the most EPIC rides I've ever had on Diamondback was a great way to finish things off! It was SUPER foggy at the park, especially as the night got late, and it was natural fog, not the park's machines. From Diamondback's lift hill, you ascended above the cloud shrouding the entire park below, and then on the ride, proceeded to dive below and back above it! It was an amazing experience! I've posted a few pictures below to show what it was like. My biggest takeaway from the night, other than how awesome the park is completely covered in fog, was that I got a great, fun ride on Vortex! It really surprised me with how much I enjoyed it! I remember liking it when I first rode it in the early 2000's, but not much since then. So it was great to have a genuinely fun time on it again! Of course, now it's going to be gone, and I'm like, "Man!" But at least I got an enjoyable ride on it for my final ride, and that leaves a positive taste in my mouth to remember it by! And to bring things full circle, yes, the B&Ms were still running at 40 degrees! Diamondback's lift, rising into the fog... Looking up at the fog shrouded station, with the Eiffel Tower in the foggy background. A view inside the fog laden station. The Op at the back of the station told us he couldn't even see the Operator's room at the front of the station! Rawkin, ready for massive "Fog-Time" in the back row! Obligatory shot from the front of the park, on our way out! Such a great time at KI Haunt, every time!

^Nice! Good to know! Thanks for that info!

Thanks for the info! I can't wait to get down there next month, and will probably just do the one day on Sunday!

There's been a lot of talk around about Cedar Fair not running coasters around the dreaded 40 degree mark, and I was wondering if people who've gone to Haunt at KI late in the season before have had any experience with them closing coasters when it got too cold. I'm going to KI tonight, and temps by the time the park closes at 1 are supposed to be at 40 degrees. So I was curious how they might handle things tonight. Thanks for any info! Also, RAWKIN, nice pics! I'm very glad we didn't end up going that night, however!