Kings Island (KI) Discussion Thread

[christianscoasters]

My first visit to the park was a Monday and Tuesday in May 2011. Every ride was a walk on and I even had solo rides on Flight Deck, Invertigo, Adventure Express, and The Beast. Fast Pass will not be necessary when you visit more than likely. Half the crowds were school groups that left between 2-3 anyway.

 

I went on a weekday toward the end of May and the park was packed. Full queues at every ride and lines were spilling onto the midway. We got FastLane... Definitely the BEST $35 I've ever spent! It's crazy how crowds can vary from day to day.

[azza29]

^Is that because Ohio schools go on vacation earlier? When I was planning my trip for next year my Google results showed a few that finish in late May.

[thrillseeker4552]

I have never been to KI, but maybe SoB being removed is for the better. Hopefully some monster will appear in it's spot for 2014 or 2015.

[kmshimfe]

I rode SoB opening week and can honestly say that was the only "good" ride I had on it. Looking forward to what they put there in the future!

[Whodey]

azza29,

 

I know Cincy schools go until first week of June. I think only universities get out in May but school groups do go there in May. Really it must of been some freak reason the park was crowded in May. I have been almost every weekday in May for the last 2 years and never had a crowd, except on great weather days Planet Snoopy with all the preschool kids and homeschool kids like ours. Early May is really awesome time if the weather is nice.

[ArundelHigh Coasters]

I rode SoB opening week and can honestly say that was the only "good" ride I had on it. Looking forward to what they put there in the future!

 

 

How did you ride it on opening week?, it's been closed since mid 09. Do you mean when it first opened?

[coasterdude2011]

How did you ride it on opening week?, it's been closed since mid 09. Do you mean when it first opened?

 

I think he meant opening weekend in 2000.

[historyfreak92]

Mee too! I wish that things were the same!

[stashua123]

azza29,

 

I know Cincy schools go until first week of June. I think only universities get out in May but school groups do go there in May. Really it must of been some freak reason the park was crowded in May. I have been almost every weekday in May for the last 2 years and never had a crowd, except on great weather days Planet Snoopy with all the preschool kids and homeschool kids like ours. Early May is really awesome time if the weather is nice.

Actually some Catholic Schools get let out May 26th or later.

[robbalvey]

Here's a video of Son of Beast... Enjoy!

 

[youtube2]

[/youtube2]

[Philrad71]

^OMG...that just reminded me of how utterly painful that coaster was & what an extremely terrible layout it had. Even though it was a majestic beauty from ground level or from the parking lot, it has to be #1 as far as one of the most failed coasters in all of theme/amusement park history. Maybe Moonsault Scramble would be #2?

 

While I never rode it with the loop, it still looks like guests are being shuffled all over the place during the ride.

 

And the number of "OWWWS" heard in the video are a fitting eulogy to one of the worst coasters ever - good riddance, I say!

[jray21]

That just looks so incredibly painful! I don't have the credit, but after seeing that video, that's a good thing!

[SFOGdude25]

^OMG...that just reminded me of how utterly painful that coaster was & what an extremely terrible layout it had. Even though it was a majestic beauty from ground level or from the parking lot, it has to be #1 as far as one of the most failed coasters in all of theme/amusement park history. Maybe Moonsault Scramble would be #2?

 

While I never rode it with the loop, it still looks like guests are being shuffled all over the place during the ride.

 

And the number of "OWWWS" heard in the video are a fitting eulogy to one of the worst coasters ever - good riddance, I say!

 

Trust me. The ride with the old trains was WAY worse than with the Gerstlauers. Imagine feeling every bump and pothole with a heavy Premier lapbar on your legs and stomach. It was pure torture. Funny thing is, I didn't know any better back then. I think I racked up something like 12 to 15 rides on the ride, and it wasn't until the accident in 2006 that I realized how bad the ride actually was.

I gotta say, though. I'm kinda glad that I have this piece of infamous coaster history under my belt.

[Wes]

This being torn down is still the best coaster news of 2012!!

[Philrad71]

^^ Oh wow...I kinda figured that the ride would have been much better in it's earlier years. I can't even imagine the ride being much worse than when we rode it about four years ago.

 

I figured at the time that riding in the front was the wiser move because most rough coasters don't seem to be as bad in the front. I also thought that maybe riding it at night might show some similarities to it's elder father across the park...boy was that a bad call. Not knowing or seeing the transitions made it even worse as we were thrown side to side and were jack-hammered throughout most of the ride. I have never experienced sheer pain on a coaster before until this ride.

 

I agree with Wes...this is definitely the best coaster news of 2012.

[Meteornotes]

I rode SoB within a week or so of it first opening in 2000. My first ride still ranks as one of the worst coaster rides I've ever experienced (I think it's tied with my first ride on Flight Of Fear with OTSRs at KD). This ride was brutal, painful, and had ZERO redeeming qualities. The layout was awful (anyone that says "oh, it looked so impressive" or whatever and never rode it has no idea what they're talking about), the trains were worse, and the whole thing was just a complete disaster from the first day. The loop was actually the best thing about it, mainly because it stopped the constant jackhammering from the rest of the track for two seconds or so, before you were plunged back into suffering.

 

This ride has to rank up there with one of the biggest mistakes made by any park ever, and it getting torn down is indeed a highlight of 2012. Replacing it with churro cart would be a vast improvement.

 

dt

[raptor6]

I've only ever had one ride on on Son of Beast (Summer 2009), and that was quite enough pain for me. The first drop was probably the best part of the coaster. After that was just so much jack hammering! SoB made Mean Streak seem glass smooth!

[christianscoasters]

Never rode it, but I have to say, when I visited Kings Island this year, it was definitely an eye sore. Good riddance!

[Coaster Curt]

For those of you that have been to Kings Island can you fill me in on the good seats to try and ride on for Diamondback, Beast, Firehawk, Invertigo, and Vortex?

 

This will more than likely be my one any only trip to Kings Island so would like to make the best of it, thanks.

[Intimidator305]

Never rode it, but I have to say, when I visited Kings Island this year, it was definitely an eye sore. Good riddance!

 

I just visited the park this summer and I have to say that the whole Action Zone part of the park is an eyesore compared to the rest of the park. Hopefully when the new attraction gets built where SOB was, much of that area gets lots of paint and TLC (maybe even a retheme!).

[SFOGdude25]

For those of you that have been to Kings Island can you fill me in on the good seats to try and ride on for Diamondback, Beast, Firehawk, Invertigo, and Vortex?

 

This will more than likely be my one any only trip to Kings Island so would like to make the best of it, thanks.

Try to get a front and back seat ride on Diamondback if possible. I like the back the most, but the front offers some unique floater air going up the hills.

 

Vortex is best in the back. Great air on the first drop and headbanging is more or less bearable. Just watch out for the transition out of the first loop. It's a hard one.

 

For Firehawk and Invertigo it doesn't really matter. Both are decent rides wherever.

 

I recommend the second to last row on Beast. All the fun of the backseat with not as much roughness as the very back.

 

You're welcome.

[DBru]

Definitely try to get the front row on Firehawk. It's FAR more intense up there than anywhere else on the train.

 

And I'll back up SFOGdude's recommendation of the second-to-last row on the Beast. In fact, as far as I'm concerned, this is the ONLY row worth riding on the Beast. Also, make sure to get a ride in at night. It's literally the best coaster-experience you will find at Kings Island (or almost anywhere else, really).

[cfc]

Also, make sure to get a ride in at night. It's literally the best coaster-experience you will find at Kings Island (or almost anywhere else, really).

 

Hmm . . . not sure I would go that far. While I agree that Beast is best at night, there are, oh, about 23 other wooden coasters I'd rather ride--but to each his own. That being said, I like Beast well enough, mostly thanks to its rather eccentric layout.

[Erik Johnson]

I like the Beast, but I describe it as a fast train through the woods. Train as in an Amtrak type train, not coaster.

[Whodey]

To me Firehawk isn't even worth riding unless it is front seat.

 

Flight of Fear is more fun in the front seat but try to do both back seat and front seat at least once each.

 

Vortex I agree with others back seat is best but still brace yourself for the ride.

 

Beast I agree with everyone else about second from the back and also it would be best to get a ride at night. Not dusk but pitch black. So depending on the time of year you should get in line just before the fireworks(right before they cut the line) even though the ride shuts down between 9:45 and 10:15 for the fireworks. If your in line before the fireworks you get to ride no matter how late it gets. In July it is still slightly light out at 9:20ish. But if you are good you can try timing up so you get on the ride between 930 and 945 but if you end up missing it by a minute you have to wait to ride until after 1015. Hope that made sense.

 

Diamondback I agree front and back but will add the second row is just as good as the front row and a lot less waiting. Due to the different style of cars the second row gets a front row view.

 

Invertigo I would say either front/back but after some "research" I found the front seat facing Congo Falls to be slightly better than the front seat facing the parking lot. Can't really explain it but it is what it is.