Kings Island (KI) Discussion Thread

[coasterbill]

KI was running coasters sub 40 degrees last year. They only closed a couple times earlier in the day and night for wind. Although, I think Diamondback may have stopped running around 11pm when it was a few degrees above freezing, even though the wind wasn't too bad. But... my memory is usually a bit foggy after going to KI Haunt.

 

Isn't it amazing how the rides that "can't run in the cold" suddenly have super powers and defy all laws of physics when the park is crazy busy and printing money during haunt season?

[DILinator]

^ 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!

[Dom497]

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!

 

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".

[prozach626]

Yeah, but Cedar Point management are a bunch of pussies. Kings Island is the best park in the chain. I'm sticking to it.

[ytterbiumanalyst]

^ I'd agree with you if Knott's didn't exist. Knott's > Kings Island > Cedar Point.

[DILinator]

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!

 

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.

[John Peck]

On Saturday, I put an orange Carnation at Vortex. I know it's silly and I know that, but it's a memorial to the loss of my favorite ride at KIngs Island.

[coasterbill]

That's it, I'm going back to bed.

[RollerManic]

Nice pictures! I didn't like Vortex much when I visited Kings Island, but I have always thought of it as one of the defining rides of the park, even well before my visit.

 

Does anyone know why the webcam appears to be down? I understand the Eiffel Tower closed this weekend, but they don't turn off the webcams right?

[DoinItForTheFame]

That's it, I'm going back to bed.

 

[RAWKIN_coaster38]

Like DILinator said, the fog on Friday was unreal! I got three rides on Diamondback and I think those are the best rides I've ever had on it. There was just something so cool and unique about diving in and out of the fog. I'll share a couple more fog pictures. I mayyyy have taken another one that I probably shouldn't have, but it was just so cool.

Diamondback was shrouded in fog, but halfway up the lift you came out of it and could see everything. The whole park had a blanket of fog around it but the surrounding areas not as much. I think the fog from the fog machines and maybe moisture around the park naturally and the weather were all perfect conditions for the fog to just stay put in the park.

You could barely see anything

The Eiffel Tower looked so dang cool!

My last night of Haunt :'( I'll miss it, but it was a good season!

 

Also, the Friday night Vortex ride we got was no joke the best ride I've ever had on it. I was expecting the usual headbanging but it didn't bang me at all. There was still airtime on the drop and good forces, but it didn't try to kill me. It was almost as if it's like, "Hey, wait, I'm not so bad after all!" But forreal, I guess it could be considered an ideal last ride? If I don't try to go on the last Sunday to use the FL I still haven't used and it tries to kill me then.

[PKIDelirium]

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.

[DoinItForTheFame]

... 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.

 

I’m still wondering if they are going to be building up the drop, and the lift hill at the same time IE: Dive Coaster style and then “crown” them connecting both segments together.

[PKIDelirium]

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

[prozach626]

LMFAO! The cameras are down and they're working on the lift and drop. You know... what I've been waiting for over the past several weeks. fml

[Pedrinho]

^

one hundred percent this.

[DoinItForTheFame]

LMFAO! The cameras are down and they're working on the lift and drop. You know... what I've been waiting for over the past several weeks. fml

 

Saaaaame.

[PKIDelirium]

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.

[PKIDelirium]

Edit: Double post, disregard.

[DoinItForTheFame]

^ ^ That photo really puts into perspective the size of this thing!!

[Pedrinho]

^ ^ That photo really puts into perspective the size of this thing!!

That's what she said.

[DoinItForTheFame]

^ ^ That photo really puts into perspective the size of this thing!!

That's what she said.

 

[grsupercity]

Going to Kings Island for first time in a very long time. What rides have bins in the station and which ones require lockers?

[Haymaker]

Going to Kings Island for first time in a very long time. What rides have bins in the station and which ones require fluffy, fluffy bunnies filled with medicine and goo?

The only one I needed one for was Mystic Timbers. Banshee might because I saw one nearby but I had a non rider hold my stuff. Didnt ride Racer, FOF or Diamondback.

[tndank]

MT and Banshee are no bins. FoF bins are in a separate area or you can hold it.