Kings Island (KI) Discussion Thread

[thepoint4life23]

Also sounds like the employee tested positive before the park was open to the public. Like you said it's going to happen at this point the only way to really protect yourself is just not to leave your house.

[AmyUD06]

Here's hoping this scares away some crowds from this weekend, when I'll be there.

[PKI Jizzman]

Anyone else have a reservation for tomorrow?

[AmyUD06]

I'll be arriving in Mason tomorrow night; depending on the weather and if I get there by like 4, I might try to go to the park in the evening if there's still reservation slots available.

[DBru]

I’ll be there today. Looks like I’m missing you again by a day, Zach! Lol

[prozach626]

Awesome TR, Zach! I'm disappointed to hear the Orion reviews. I haven't heard anyone say that they were blown away by it.

 

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.

 

We're talking about the same news media that calls rides stopped on lift hills "breaking news." It's almost like they're trying to alarm people or something.

[AmyUD06]

No way! The media only has the populaces' best interests at heart. There's no way they would intentionally blow something out of proportion to sell a particular agenda.

 

 

Sarcasm, obviously.

[I306]

Does anyone know when/if the park will open reservation time slots when people cancel? I was hoping to get a 10:30 reservation for my visit next week, but they were all gone. I was hoping to get a head start on Orion...

[Midgetman82]

I've seen small handfuls of super early time slots open the day prior to reservation dates, so I wouldn't give up hope entirely, especially since KI lets you manage your reservations now.

[I306]

^ Good to know. Thanks!

[teacherkim]

They are selling fastlane plus on the website, and just fastlane plus, not regular fastlane. Did I miss something or is that new? Can't decide if I should maybe jump on that since we will only have one day at the end of the month, or just take my chances that they are still available and see how busy they are on a Wed.

[PKI Jizzman]

Much less crowded today vs last Friday.

 

Kings Island opened Orion right at 1030am 30 min before scheduled! How about that! I have gotten 4 rides so far and the there is no issue getting more than 1 ticket to ride.

 

Just wait till the last 30 min of your window and you'll wait 10 min. I waited 20 min when I went in right at noon since there were storms incoming.

 

After riding all over I am more fond of the ride! Shockingly, I like the back more. And I'm typically a front row guy. Do not come expecting big air on everu hill. I get it this is not supposed to be an intense ride. Lotta potential though if they had shrunk the elements and added in another hill or two.

 

That being said the first drop is still amazing, the speed hill is a nice sustained float like Goliath/Titan, and the trimmed hill didn't hit so hard today it's fine, and the sideways hill before the brake run is the stand out in my opinion.

 

No waiting for the front for the Beast, the station doesn't allow social distancing. Got my ass beat in the back seat LOL. You can see Orion over the trees but dont don't think it's more 'exposed'.

 

Mystic Timbers is hauling. What an action packed fast coaster!

 

Diamondback is the airtime coaster at KI. Come on out and visit!

90+mph 90+*F no problem

No non-wheel seats! Look out!

[Canobie Coaster]

They are selling fastlane plus on the website, and just fastlane plus, not regular fastlane. Did I miss something or is that new? Can't decide if I should maybe jump on that since we will only have one day at the end of the month, or just take my chances that they are still available and see how busy they are on a Wed.

 

One of the benefits of FastLane Plus would be that you won't need a reservation to ride Orion. You can ride it as many times as you want.

 

Based on PKIJizzman's report, it sounds like you can get multiple return times now, but as of last weekend, they had a sign saying it was one boarding pass per passholder per day.

[PKI Jizzman]

Yeah I rode without a ticket first, then they started handing them out. The same people were redistributing them. I never got 2x tickets per hour (like I lapped and lapped), it was just one per hour.

[Canobie Coaster]

^ That's still a positive change from this past weekend. I would have loved to have been able to get a second ticket. Instead I had to camp out by the entrance for the standby queue to reopen towards the end of the night.

[teacherkim]

Yeah.......I may just go ahead and get them. It's not like we've spent a ton of money this year on parks. I wish SFSTL would approve his days off request which they haven't yet. They are usually very cooperative about that as long as you put it in well ahead of time; but with staffing issues this year I am a little nervous.

 

We are finally getting our Plat passes processed when we go to KI. Does the discount for fastlane plus only apply to in park purchase or is there a way to do it online?

[tndank]

No discount on FL with Plat except in park at Cedar Point.

 

Purchase online. Daily FL now available for $85

[teacherkim]

Aahh got it thanks. I knew I saw a discount somewhere but couldn't remember the details. Yes, I saw online for $85. Expensive but it will be our conciliation for not much of a vacation this year. And that way I will have time for a grilled cheese......that place better be open!

[LegendLover]

I just bought a Fastlane Plus pass for my visit on Monday. I've never used one before. Do they usually trim down the wait time that much?

[teacherkim]

I also went ahead and bought one for the 29th and yes they absolutely cut the wait down. We did every single coaster at CP in one day with some rerides once due to FL+. They also allow you to have time for a leisurely lunch and not skip a ride you want to do.

[Canobie Coaster]

I just bought a Fastlane Plus pass for my visit on Monday. I've never used one before. Do they usually trim down the wait time that much?

 

Because Kings Island assigns seats at the merge point, you usually get on the next train. In past years, FastLane has allowed me to ride Mystic Timbers 6-7 times per hour for reference.

[PKI Jizzman]

Man if the crowds today are a foreshadowing of future weekdays you really don't need Fast Lane. I waited 20 minutes at the longest for Delirium and Orion (because I wanted to avoid storms).

[AmyUD06]

Kings Island, July 10, 2020

 

Well, what remains of my 2020 Roadtrip got off to a start today, with a "9 hour" drive from Northern Delaware to Mason, Ohio, for Kings Island that I managed to do in less than 8, even with one stop for fuel and three bathroom/stretch breaks. I'll be here until Monday, then driving up to Sandusky for Cedar Point until Thursday, which is the drive home day.

 

I'll put the big four things that people care about first:

 

For anyone looking to get Fast Lane at KI: Note that it can only be bought online, they are not selling them at the park at all. That said, in this era of smartphones, it would be simple enough to purchase once your in the park and deem it necessary, then take your phone receipt to Guest Relations to be scanned and issued the wristband.

 

A brief note about masks and their usage and social distancing: For anyone who hasn't been to a park in 90 degree, sun beating on you, weather yet, yes continual mask usage sucks a big one. If I had a choice in the matter, I'd be going without. That said, it's a small price to pay to be able to get back on some rides. As for everyone else, every single person I saw had a mask on their face, and 98% were being worn properly. The remaining 2% were mostly teens and pre-teens. Social distancing markers in ride queues were respected, though some of the "one way" markings they've placed on pathways went ignored.

 

Requesting Specific Rows on Coasters: Every coaster I went on tonight had a grouper letting only the next train worth of people into the station, and they were assigning rows. Maybe I was lucky, but every time I asked for front or back row specifically, my request was granted.

 

Orion Review: In a word, Awesome. Great in the front (as with most gigas, which are about speed), even better in the back (dem forces and tiny bit of airtime). Yes, there's not a lot of airtime...but the park has Diamondback for that. At most other parks, it would easily be the #1 coaster. Unfortunately, Kings Island also has Banshee, Beast, and Mystic Timbers, all of which I'd rank ahead of Orion. Sometimes I feel we enthusiasts can get jaded to what makes a good coaster, thus why some of us feel underwhelmed with Orion. For me, it's great...maybe not a top 10, but still better than 90% of other coasters I've been on. Speed, height, twists, and even a little bit of airtime...it has all the makings of a great coaster.

 

Read on for the beginnings of the Trip Report...

 

Despite starting on the road 3 hours later than I had hoped, I made great time and arrived at my hotel (Super 8 Mason, 2 minute drive from the park) just before 4:00. Unpacked, got my computer set up, and checked the KI website for reservations - sweet, could still get in tonight. Made my reservation for 4:30 and made my way over to the park, arriving at around 4:35. Very light crowds judging from the lot.

 

Made my way through the temp check (done by a person with a handheld, touchless thermometer), security, and then to the ticket counter. A note to pass holders - your reservation is tied to your pass and you do not need to separately show your reservation on your phone. Quickly stopped into Guest Relations to activate my drink plan, and asked the above question about Fast Lane.

 

From there, it was into the park. Very, very dead International Street at 4:40. Made my way to Area 72, got my boarding pass for Orion (5-6:00 timeslot), and decided to kill some time on Flight of Fear. It took 21 minutes, including ride time, from entering the queue to walking off (all of my "ride wait times" will be in this format). When I was done, it was time to ride Orion for the first time! They took the boarding pass right at the start of the queue, and honestly didn't seem like they were even looking at them, so I'd guess that any pass would work at any time. This took me 15 minutes for the front row. See above for review When I left, they were no longer handing out boarding passes, and I would later be able to walk right in without a boarding pass.

 

Next up was Beast, which was awesome as always despite it being daytime. 20 minutes total, so maybe 15 waiting, for the front row. They were only running two trains. I feel like they added a new trim to the first uphill after the initial drop and turn, but I could be mistaken about its newness. From there, it was over to Mystic Timbers (skipped due to line, estimated at 20 minutes), Diamondback (skipped due to line, estimated at 20 minutes), and decided to cool off with a ride on Race for Your Life, Charlie Brown (7 minutes).

 

I'm sure I've been on this as a kid when I came here with my parents in the '90s, but I couldn't recall being on it as an adult, so figured what the hey and went for it. Great flume, though with only me at the very back of the boat, there wasn't too much splash. Luckily the "surprise" at the end got me sufficiently cooled down. From there I went to grab a grilled cheese from Tom + Chee, and checked Diamondback's line again - same length. So, I made my way back to Orion and got my second ride, this time in the back (10 minutes).

 

By the time I got off the ride, it was 6:45, so I started making my way back towards the front of the park and grabbed a walk-on ride on Backlot Stunt Coaster, which is worth it when you don't have to wait. All effects were working, even the fire. On the walk out, I had 5 minutes before closing, so I glanced at Mystic Timbers line and still found it unreasonably long, so I called it at night and headed back to my hotel. Not a bad trip for two hours and twenty minutes.

 

I'll definitely be back at the park for opening tomorrow, and possibly Sunday as well depending on the weather. I originally made reservations for Saturday, Sunday, and Monday (the day I travel to Sandusky) because the forecast was jumping all over the place. As it stands now, Saturday is looking perfectly clear and Sunday will be full of thunderstorms, so I might end up cancelling the Sunday and Monday reservations if I can get enough done tomorrow. If only CP would let you book a 3rd reservation...

 

Pictures to follow when I get to Sandusky or arrive home...they don't seem to want to upload on this hotel's WiFi. I took a TON of pictures of every aspect of Area 72, and they're good I promise!

[CenturyFlyer]

^ Thanks for the great report! I'm looking forward to visiting for the first time this year. That's good crowd levels are light. It makes sense that they reversed their decision and are selling Fastlane, but that just goes to show that you never know what parks are going to do this season!

[prozach626]

Thanks for the review, Mike. Although, it's hard to know whether or not to take someone's opinion seriously if they don't have an adequate appreciation for the Subaru flat-4 motor...

 

I just bought a Fastlane Plus pass for my visit on Monday. I've never used one before. Do they usually trim down the wait time that much?

Speaking in terms of during normal seasons - Yes. Usually a FL+ queue at KI puts you in the station in five minutes or less. The very most I've ever waited was on a packed Haunt day for Diamondback, which was 15-20 minutes. Diamondback is the only FL+ queue I've ever seen back-up, and when it does it's only for a couple hours during the peak time of the day.

 

You screwed yourself. You'll never want to go without one, now.

 

Man if the crowds today are a foreshadowing of future weekdays you really don't need Fast Lane. I waited 20 minutes at the longest for Delirium and Orion (because I wanted to avoid storms).

 

Days like that are some of the best times to use FL+. It makes everything walk-on!