VaCoasters Posted July 7, 2020 Share Posted July 7, 2020 I wish they would post the August hours already. I want to make my reservations! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AmyUD06 Posted July 7, 2020 Share Posted July 7, 2020 Check back next Monday afternoon. Mondays seem to be when they make changes to the system. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tndank Posted July 7, 2020 Share Posted July 7, 2020 Season Fast Lane now available. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Canobie Coaster Posted July 7, 2020 Share Posted July 7, 2020 Interesting they've opted to sell just the all-season version and not single day versions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AmyUD06 Posted July 7, 2020 Share Posted July 7, 2020 Interesting they've opted to sell just the all-season version and not single day versions. Yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Midgetman82 Posted July 8, 2020 Share Posted July 8, 2020 Seeing how World's of Fun dropped needing reservations to enter the park, I can see parks like Kings Island potentially offering Fast-Lane+ again (and inevitably going back to standby waits). Having said that, they could also do like what I saw with Steel Vengeance's opening and hike up the price for FL+ due to potential high demand too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prozach626 Posted July 8, 2020 Share Posted July 8, 2020 I would think that FL+ would have to get pretty pricey with limited capacity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DBru Posted July 8, 2020 Share Posted July 8, 2020 Kings Island on July 4th was my first park visit post-lockdown and I was super impressed with the operations and Covid procedures. Everyone seemed to be wearing masks properly and respecting each others’ distance in lines. All coasters were loading every-other row with the exception of Banshee (every row was loaded with 1-4 people in the same party) and Orion (every row was loaded with a max of 2 people in the same party). Many crew members were still getting the hang of their job functions but for the most part everyone was super friendly and moving quickly! Here are some ride thoughts: Orion: Meh. It’s fun. I was admittedly disappointed when this coaster was announced because it seems likely Kings Island will be the last park in the country to build a giga for a very long time, and this certainly looked like a big step down from Fury on paper. Well, after riding twice—once in the front and once in the back— I can confirm that (IMO) it’s also a big step down from Fury in practice. I heard many people around the park, including my 19 year old cousin and his friend who’ve probably ridden 20 coasters, make comments like, “It’s just a shorter Diamondback.” I’m aware that Orion is actually a hundred feet or so longer than Diamondback, but I’m just relaying some hearsay. I love big coasters—of course I’ll ride Orion every visit if the wait is reasonable—but I can’t help but to think there was a more interesting way for Kings Island to spend $30 million. And I absolutely PROMISE you: there is no ejector airtime. Mystic Timbers: Holy crap! Did someone turn up the juice on this thing this season? Cuz it’s running like CRAZY! (Something I’ve never said about a GCI before.) So fast, so smooth, and so out-of-control. The ratio of in-your-seat vs. out-of-your-seat on this thing has to be close to 50/50. I got 3 rides Saturday on Mystic and it very well may have catapulted to my top spot in the park. So much fun! Banshee: Holy crap again! I swear something is happening at Kings Island this season because I couldn’t believe how fast and intense my rides on Banshee were. And that first drop in the back right seat? More please. Diamondback: Rattly as hell, but dang this ride is so fun! Wonderful sustained airtime over every hill, even with the annoyingly hard-grabbing trims. Still my favorite B&M in the park! The Beast: Unfortunately, my favorite seat (second from back) is blocked off this season, but I still enjoyed my super bumpy, super intense ride in the very back row. That long, suspenseful drop into the tunneled helix will forever be one of the best moments on any coaster. A couple annoyances: -Despite being the only day of the season that a night ride was possible (10pm closing for July 4th), the line for The Beast was cut off with no warning at 9:20pm, which was quite frustrating for many people who had chosen this date to attend for that specific reason. -Additionally, at the end of the night, despite ride capacity being cut to 50% and holding a 30 minute line, the back row of Mystic Timbers was unavailable so the ride supervisor could take turns riding with his coworkers. I thought this was in poor taste (and as a former Cedar Fair ride supervisor, obviously against park policy). But whatever. -While there are lots of hand sanitizer dispensers throughout the park, most were empty or already broken after 2 days of operation. Those cheap, plastic, 22-ounce manual dispensers are not going to hold up for 10-15,000 guests every day. Overall, it was an absolutely wonderful day at one of my favorite parks. After wearing a mask for a couple hours, it was easy to forget I even had one on. I would totally recommend a visit to Kings Island over other parks in the area at this point in time. Also, I happened to meet Canobie Coaster, who is a super nice guy, and we had a few good conversations! Oh! And Orion was my 500th official credit. So that was cool. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PKI Jizzman Posted July 8, 2020 Share Posted July 8, 2020 A 30M giga coaster at Kings Island had so much potential! I am going to see how much I enjoy it more after more than 1 ride. I think the layout is so odd for the scale of the project but KI seems to love these big B&M elements. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Great Zo Posted July 8, 2020 Share Posted July 8, 2020 Great review of your day at KI, Daniel. I think you've kinda nailed my own priors on Orion. It looks fun, it's similar to Diamondback, etc. None of these things are bad! But to spend $30M on "very good" and then make up your own definition of "giga-coaster" for the sake of your PR department? It's always kinda confused me, but hey, I'm just an outsider who hasn't even been on it yet. Banshee in the last row is definitely an experience. Was it running smooth back there? I drove past the park tonight at about 10PM, and Orion's laser beam lift hill looks amazing. Congrats on 500! I hope you spent an appropriate amount of time reminiscing on all the SLCs and sketchy kiddie credits that brought you to that amazing numeric accomplishment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DBru Posted July 8, 2020 Share Posted July 8, 2020 Banshee in the last row is definitely an experience. Was it running smooth back there? Andy, we both know the answer to this question. I’ve just decided to get over it. The KI B&M rattle is here to stay, but I’m gonna love the coasters anyway! Congrats on 500! I hope you spent an appropriate amount of time reminiscing on all the SLCs and sketchy kiddie credits that brought you to that amazing numeric accomplishment. What happens in Poland... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Canobie Coaster Posted July 8, 2020 Share Posted July 8, 2020 ^^^ Nice report and great meeting you on Saturday! Based on my rides last year, I think Banshee's rattle is train dependent. I remember two rides being brutal last year, but one was very smooth. I got good rides this year; both in the teal train. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PKI Jizzman Posted July 8, 2020 Share Posted July 8, 2020 I learned that there is now an Android version of the G Force recorder app! I will try it out at the park on Friday Here are some more photos from last week. I had a noon time slot, and I my goal was really just to get 1 ride on Orion, some blue ice cream, and check out the park outside of Winterfest for the first time in a couple years! Ride ops were telling people to wear masks properly and cover their mouth and nose in the same way that they tell people to get off the hand railings. Pretty much singling the person out until they realize/or someone else in their party smacked 'em. I went straight to Orion and got a 4-5pm ticket window. Drop Zone showed an empty carriage so let's head over there. SoB's flame still going strong! Yep, so far so good! Very happy what nearly EVERYONE was following the rules! I think people realize how far we've come so far and are making sure we don't take a step backward. A ride on the Racer to get a closer look at Orion will come with a price... no non-wheel seats! Yep it ran like it's from 1972. This is pretty much how all the midways looked. Lines were still 30-45 for most coasters, though. This was just the 3rd day of operation. Right outside Area 72 you start to see some nice additions to the area! Here's your new for 2020 hotness.. Your standard B&M hyper/giga trains! As mentioned in this thread you can't hear the antirollbacks and the ride overall is pretty quiet. Just like Fury, you're going to start off the ride with an incredible first drop. New for 2019, and owner of a 2 hour wait during Winterfest, the Antique Cars! Walk on today! Very happy to have this chill ride back at KI. Now that Vortex is gone, this stretch of the park is kinda like that gap between Dominator and i305 at KD - just not too much there. Excited for what's to come! It's 91*, index is 100*, and I am having no issues breathing or overheating. I can't recco these neck garter/facecoverings enough! Diamondback looking like she's about to shed this paintjob haha Looked to be running pretty well! I will have to get a ride my next visit. Kings Island has an awesome local craft beer selection, and some great views to enjoy them at! I love these different angles of the Beast! Thank you for your service, old Arrow. For a long time the only solid piece of airtime at KI was Vortex's first turn and drop. Back to Orion, let's get a first ride in! Oooo little themeing before you head up to the station. Oh and one of the dumbasses no following the rules. Just seeing this now! Ride ops were telling people to wear masks properly and cover their mouth and nose. I arrived towards the middle-end of my hour window, so I breezed right through. Would love to take in more details/easter eggs on my next visit. It's a... interesting layout that's for sure! Back row right side ride complete! I would love another ride or two before giving a firm judgement but after 1 ride I thought it was really fun with a great first drop and surprising twisty airtime hill before the brakes, but nothing else worth bragging about. I'll update this Friday! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Canobie Coaster Posted July 8, 2020 Share Posted July 8, 2020 ^ Nice report! Definitely try Orion up front if they're still honoring seating requests. I definitely wish more of the queue took place in that themed building since there was a ton of Easter eggs in there. My favorite was the SpongeBob wumbology reference. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grsupercity Posted July 8, 2020 Share Posted July 8, 2020 I keep seeing super mixed reviews on Orion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Midgetman82 Posted July 8, 2020 Share Posted July 8, 2020 On its own, it's pretty fun and has some really nice elements and is a hands-up type of ride. But a common consensus I see some folks walk away feeling with is "underwhelmed" after a first ride, which I also get. This is especially if you're one to compare it with other coasters that pack in more elements. The first drop, the speed, the few airtime hills it does have are very fun, but on the critical side, it does "feel" shorter than others. I still enjoy it, and it looks very pretty in the park. It's something worth getting multiple rides in to gain a love for. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeykaise Posted July 8, 2020 Share Posted July 8, 2020 It seems like Beast keeps getting more and more uncovered, hopefully they'll keep the wood setting as much as possible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Canobie Coaster Posted July 8, 2020 Share Posted July 8, 2020 It seems like Beast keeps getting more and more uncovered, hopefully they'll keep the wood setting as much as possible. I still felt plenty isolated on my Beast ride after I crested the first lift. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PKI Jizzman Posted July 8, 2020 Share Posted July 8, 2020 It seems like Beast keeps getting more and more uncovered, hopefully they'll keep the wood setting as much as possible. I mean if your main argument is how they built Orion too close, I could see that, but removing Vortex didn't really do anything. Vortex obstructed your view of the station/lift from the midway looking at Vortex but really nothing has changed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CenturyFlyer Posted July 9, 2020 Share Posted July 9, 2020 A Kings Island employee has tested positive for COVID-19. https://www.fox19.com/2020/07/08/kings-island-employee-tests-positive-coronavirus-park-announces/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kstr737 Posted July 9, 2020 Share Posted July 9, 2020 Did they rip out the old Bat footers that were under the end of Vortex or do those still live on? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tndank Posted July 9, 2020 Share Posted July 9, 2020 Many of the footers have been dug up. Looked like they will all be removed before they are done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coasterbill Posted July 9, 2020 Share Posted July 9, 2020 A Kings Island employee has tested positive for COVID-19. https://www.fox19.com/2020/07/08/kings-island-employee-tests-positive-coronavirus-park-announces/ I really hope we don’t do this every time a theme park employee somewhere in America tests positive for covid because it’s going to be a daily occurrence. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Haymaker Posted July 9, 2020 Share Posted July 9, 2020 A Kings Island employee has tested positive for COVID-19. https://www.fox19.com/2020/07/08/kings-island-employee-tests-positive-coronavirus-park-announces/ I really hope we don’t do this every time a theme park employee somewhere in America tests positive for covid because it’s going to be a daily occurrence. Its really annoying that the media considers it to be a breaking news story, particularly among athletes and celebrities, Jimmie Johnson being the most recent example. Its not a huge story anymore. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DBru Posted July 9, 2020 Share Posted July 9, 2020 Great report, Zach! We just missed each other. Regarding the isolated feeling of the Beast: you do see Orion as you approach the first brake shed, but that’s the only point that I noticed it. I’m not in love with this change, but it doesn’t ruin the ride or anything. Hopefully at night it won’t make a difference. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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