Kings Island (KI) Discussion Thread

[Invertalon]

I would go just to ride the other rides that have empty queues. And marathon them, and then go to Banshees fast Lane line.

 

Beast, Firehawk and Diamondback all full queue currently.

[Coaster19]

^add vortex to that also. The stunt coaster is close.

[talonec]

I agree with Robb about the 2nd vertical loop, love it when I coaster throws that in towards the end.

Also, very excited that Banshee DOES NOT have a cobra roll, hate those things...the "batwing thingy" is much better.

Can't wait to ride it in May.

[DJeXeL]

^add vortex to that also. The stunt coaster is close.

 

Oh those poor folks are really missing out!

[CPSFMMCW]

I agree with Robb about the 2nd vertical loop, love it when I coaster throws that in towards the end.

Also, very excited that Banshee DOES NOT have a cobra roll, hate those things...the "batwing thingy" is much better.

Can't wait to ride it in May.

I'm with you. NOT a fan of cobra rolls. They looks cool though! That batwing makes me happy. Its a cool maneuver. It doesn't thrust you into the inversion. It sails smoothly into it.

[Coastin Eric]

Did GateKeeper have a 6 hour line at opening? That's insane!! Kings Island definitely has a winner.

 

From what I remember, Gatekeeper didn't surpass I'd say 3-4 hours. I waited 3, and got in to the park 45 mins early with platinum but it surely could have gone longer

[thepoint4life23]

Two things do we have a list of ride open for passholders early entry. Also is banshee not on fast pass?

[DJeXeL]

Not according to the site....

 

[Diamondbacker27]

Yes,Banshee is on FastLane Plus

[DJeXeL]

^I was thinking they could make a killing off FL+ if it was added. Glad to hear site is wrong.

How long is said FL+ line?

[Skramp]

That's insane that the line is so long!!! But here's my question.....You can see the line snaking back towards the Eiffel Tower, but there seems to also be a line on the service roads too. If you look behind Slingshot, you can see people there and also on the other blacktopped path by that. Wondering if one line is for GP and other for FP+. Anyone on site that can tell the difference?

[Philrad71]

Line I would estimate at 4-6hrs easily at this point.

 

Oh my...no thank you.

 

Interesting that the website doesn't have Banshee listed as FLP. You would think that it would be a given so perhaps they will update it soon?

[Diamondbacker27]

Here is this years Fast lane lineup

This is probably captured from last month

Edited April 18, 2014 by Diamondbacker27

[Invertalon]

The FL+ line stretches to the entrance of the normal line. It's not that bad considering.

[thepoint4life23]

Diamondbacker27 HOW DO YOU KNOW ITS ON FAST PASS +? JUST ASKING nvm. Thats still crazy.

Edited April 18, 2014 by thepoint4life23

[Invertalon]

Diamondbacker27 HOW DO YOU KNOW ITS ON FAST PASS +? JUST ASKING

 

It is. They have a FL+ entrance.

[Coaster19]

That's insane that the line is so long!!! But here's my question.....You can see the line snaking back towards the Eiffel Tower, but there seems to also be a line on the service roads too. If you look behind Slingshot, you can see people there and also on the other blacktopped path by that. Wondering if one line is for GP and other for FP+. Anyone on site that can tell the difference?

 

That line your talking about it more overflow for gp.

 

Line for racer is full que.

[Diamondbacker27]

Diamondbacker27 HOW DO YOU KNOW ITS ON FAST PASS +? JUST ASKING nvm. Thats still crazy.

What? Why are you screaming like a Banshee? And why is it crazy?

[thepoint4life23]

sorry for the caps. I think its crazy that the fast pass line is still really long.

[Invertalon]

It's not long at all. I count eight people only waiting at the top of the steps right now.

[prozach626]

Wow! Opening day crowds are INSANE!!! Follow us on Twitter as we are live tweeting from the park today!

 

Hmmmm... maybe some parks can take note that large new attractions mean large crowds...

 

*cough SFSTL *cough

[2012jarrett]

Here's my TR from media day!

 

When we got there, I could hear her, but I couldn't see her.

 

Seeing this at the end of the check-in line was like seeing the light at the end of the tunnel...because left my jacket in the car and this meant I was about to get something cool to take back and would therefore have an excuse to go get said jacket.

 

Light was starting to pour over the horizon by the time we were through.

 

Jacket? Check! Lanyard? Check! Time to go ride Banshee!

 

This path felt so long!

 

And here we are...

 

They themed the queue out the nose with this one. Gravestones in some of the off-to-the-side areas, it was incredibly foggy, and they shone these spotlights shaped like little Banshees around the floor erratically.

 

And it was definitely worth the wait I spent in it, the drive down, the months upon months of waiting, all the speculation, all of the checking the webcam between classes, all of it. This has to be the best B&M ever manufactured. It's as smooth as the newer ones like Intimidator, SheiKra, and Wild Eagle, but just as intense as the older ones like Montu, Afterburn, and Alpengeist. It has a significant amount of B&M roar but it isn't as loud as other ones like Mantis and Kumba. The drop is a great way to start the ride and it really whips you around and into your seat. The dive loop is also great and you get some old B&M snap going into it before diving down over the new tent (which provides a fabulous view). The entry into the loop (where this was taken) is just as intense as the drop and it really caught me off guard, though most of the pained expression is due to wind chill and the unexpected force. The zero-g roll isn't as good as Raptor's or Montu's but it still snaps a bit and still acts as a nice transition into the lower half of the ride. And then the drop. That drop off of the zero-g is as good as a good B&M first drop and hurdling into that trench is incredible. There is a trim there but I didn't notice it at all. It makes no sound and I didn't feel the train slow down at all. I'm guessing that either A. it's there but somehow switched off and only comes on on really hot days or B. it's like the little fins on Skyrush where they're there just to make sure that the top speed it was designed with is the top speed it uses, keeps it from entering the intense element with a Vknot higher than it's supposed to be entered with. Whatever the situation with the trim, you hit the bottom and she lives up to her name, that roar is deafening from the train! And then you go into the batwing, not much snap there but it still provides a nice visual, and then WHOOSH!!! She slams into that batwing and you get plastered into your seat. I didn't grey out but I felt like I might, because that's by far the most intense point on the ride. I love the batwing, it's easily the best part of it. After that the loop is pretty standard, nothing incredibly intense but a loop-the-loop is a loop-the-loop . Then came the spiral element which provided some really nice visuals of The Bat and the valley behind the park. It was definitely more floaty B&M than forceful B&M but that isn't a bad thing at all. And then came the inline. If you watch the music video I made it looks like just a harmless cartwheel. WRONG!!!! Those forces transfer strangely and you really get shaken around in that open restraint, it's absolutely terrifying that high up. The following helix acts as the intense finale of a great ride, no matter which seat you're in it's incredibly forceful and also provides some nice visuals. And then you hit the brakes which is just that, hitting the brakes after a nice long ride and wishing it continued. But it's not a short ride by any means, you'll hit those brakes plenty satisfied!

 

And after that we got donuts. FREE donuts. With a line longer than Banshee's. They served as many free breakfast pastries as you wanted with free hot chocolate. Honestly, it outdid the catering my school does for its classy events. The donuts were huge (and I love donuts, they're quick and tasty, perfect college breakfast) and they had plenty of kinds. The accommodations they made were phenomenal.

 

I WANTED to get back in line for more, but the line was long. That and Banshee at sunrise.

 

The fog and the rising sun made for some beautiful visuals from The Chicken Shack.

 

Round 2, here we go! *ding!*

 

Me being artsy with myphotos that I posted to Facebook to let everybody know where I was.

 

View from the station stairs.

 

The sunrise ride was amazing! I got the same row as I did the first time. The sunrise allowed you to see clearly that the ground below the batwing was really muddy and you were about to get thrown close to it.

 

The bottom of the dive loop is a good photo op, I could see quite a lot of pictures taken here.

 

Banshee compared to the rest of the park.

 

Going down!

 

Delirium swings somewhat close to the new dive loop...but I'm not a fan of the new paint job personally. It matches Action Zone, true, but something about it seems off to me. Maybe that's just me, though.

 

And I kept hearing people complaining about the noise it made for some reason. I've lived near this ride for eleven years and it never bothered me.

 

On Location is now Coaster Connection and it's awesome. Love some of the new Banshee stuff.

 

Some gravestones somewhat away from the ride. Not sure if these are there to bring the experience to the overflow queue space back there or just to provide some backdrop to the ride.

 

No picture taken of this coaster that I've seen has done its size full justice. It's absolutely massive and pictures don't convey that well, something I've noticed is somewhat common with B&Ms.

 

The fog is always on on the sign even when the night fog is off.

 

After that ride I settled down to go hear the speeches.

 

While waiting around, I saw Robb walking around and talking to people. Somebody approached him and got one of the buttons he had promised the first 100 people to show him their TPR IDs, so I took that as a cue that he wasn't busy and showed him mine. And look what he gave me when I said hi! Thanks, Robb! I love it!

 

And then Don told us a heartwarming story about how they had to decide between keeping two attractions or removing them to build something bigger, and the difficult decision that a landmark ride had to go to make way for Banshee...so they removed the go karts.

 

Lots of people gathered around to hear the speakers. They all did a great job and I found it fascinating, but the best had to be the guy (I forget his name) who talked about the engineering behind Banshee that the park did with B&M. As somebody going to school to design roller coasters, if I had to watch just one speech it would have been that one.

 

The way Banshee rides is like somebody took the first part of a coaster and cut it off at the top of an element, and then took another and cut it off at the top of the drop, and stuck them together. As said by one of the speakers, the elements at the bottom of that hill are massive, and they were absolutely right. This right here is why "there is only one Banshee."

 

These guys probably just had a fun time.

 

Through the batwing!

 

Some of the cattlepen theming.

 

I like Eiffel Tower in this one for some reason.

 

Back to the station!

 

Snap into the dive loop

 

A not-so-zero-g-zero-g roll (Five hyphens? Dang!) that still provides some snap.

 

This picture does an okay job of showing just how massive the lower elements are.

 

As said by a speaker, they re-opened Banshee, and also opened Skyflyer, Delirium, and The Bat.

 

Banshee looks absolutely massive from this spot. And it really looks nice with The Bat's colors.

 

Yay, they kept the station! I slept in this station during a rainstorm!

 

Banshee towers over a train full of Bat riders.

 

Three different types of below-the-track coasters in this shot.

 

Once the trees fill out, you won't be able to see Banshee from here.

 

Don't you hate it when people hover over you while you're trying to eat?

 

Chicken Shack time!

 

What a phenomenal free meal! Their chicken tenders are now my favorite anywhere and I love the sauce they serve with it.

 

I love the tent they built. They have the Celtic interlocked three ring symbol (don't know what it's called) in brick on the floor, and the ends of each one stick out of the tent and can be seen from Banshee's dive loop.

 

They gave out free Banshee twists. I thought the one I had back in August was good but the portion was a little much for me, I liked the mini one much better.

 

Let's go back for some more!

 

Modeling my new Banshee hat!

 

Through the loop...

 

...AROUND THE LIFT!!!!

 

More gravestones in the path to the cattlepen.

 

In line for the front row! Front row, left seat, easily the best place to ride! Forces aren't as good as the back (but still way more aggressive than the middle), but the astounding visuals make up for it.

 

They put up this really cool staggered LCD display behind the cash registers that has a little animated Banshee logo on a loop.

 

Went to go put my jacket and tat in the car and snapped this picture outside the park.

 

Sooo, anything new for 2014?

 

I love this banner for some reason.

 

Coming back for more!

 

The wait spiked to what looked like it might have been an hour so I went to go ride Bat again.

 

Hello, Bat!

 

On the way back I noticed that they didn't paint over this. In a few years it'll be really faded and it'll have people asking questions about the little air force stars on this concrete tunnel. Like the original Bat footers under Vortex.

 

I can't get over how awesome this sign is...

 

Track behind gravestones

 

Here's that Son of Beast memorial they built. There's an eternal flame at the top that was hard to photograph but it's there.

 

More artsy...

 

Three years ago I got a picture at Cedar Point of their Winseeker framed by one of Raptor's loops. Couldn't do exactly that, but I did this. It works, right?

 

Waiting over there should be fun.

 

ZOOM!!!!

 

I was about to be in their position!

 

I can't help but photograph it!

 

Up, up, and into the dive loop!

 

Taken from the station stairs.

 

One more ride!

 

I'd love to take a long exposure of this to get the train blowing the fog around...

 

Diamond ring loop.

 

Incoming!

 

The trims weren't noticeable at all...

 

Back up into the zero-g roll!

 

Banshee dominates the valley.

 

They're about to have fun...

 

I don't even remember taking this but I love it!

 

Load 'em up!

 

She looks so menacing here...

 

The closest I could get to the dive loop.

 

You'll see plenty of these awesome Banshee banners around the park this season.

 

What a fun day! Kings Island really outdid themselves, both on Banshee and the event! I look forward to coming back here to ride this one for years to come, it's easily their new best ride, both for Kings Island and B&M. The food was good, the operations were great, and the free stuff they gave us was enough to make Oprah want to step up her game. So glad Kings Island did this, it's a day I'll never forget. I wish there was a way to thank the people who put it together personally.

 

Everything I got from left to right, top to bottom:

*Banshee Media Day t-shirt- Free from check-in

*Banshee park map: Free from gates

*Banshee Lanyard and Tag: Free from gates

*Banshee Hat: Bought for seventeen dollars at Banshee gift shop

*Banshee On-Ride Photo of my first ride ever: Free from check-in, obtained from Banshee shop

*Banshee Media Day Club TPR Button: Free, Robb gave them to us because he's awesome

*Banshee Laser-Etched Paperweight: Free from check-in

*Banshee Keyring: Bought for two dollars at Banshee gift shop

 

RIDE TOTAL:

Banshee x7 (once in front, once in back, once in row 4, twice in row 5, once in row 3, one in row 6)

The Bat x2 (one in the middle, once in the back)

Delirium x1

 

Had a great time! Go ride Banshee if you ever get the chance, I loved it and I think you might too!

[rcjp]

Great pictures!

Looks like you had quite a nice time. Once more, glad to see a new B&M pleasing everyone so much.

[gerstlaueringvar]

Wow the wait time is absolutely insane! Feeling so sorry for those in the regular lines. How is the line for The Bat and BSC? Does Fast Lane (Plus) system really make a huge improvement about the wait time?

[deathfearsnone]

Here's my TR from media day!

 

great trip report we were behind you talked for a few minutes. You got my wifes hair the red hair in one of your pictures.