Kings Island (KI) Discussion Thread

[Josh Linn]

Why is B&M so opposed to jumping on the launched coaster wagon?

 

I've heard this comparison several times...B&M is like the Cadillac/Rolls Royce of roller coasters, whereas Intamin is like Ferrari/Bugatti. If you want a reliable car that doesn't have a jacked up engine with 500 HP and just gets you from Point A to Point B, you get a Cadillac. If you want something to take on the German Autobahn and "push the limits" with, you go with a Ferrari or a Bugatti. Same goes with Intamin and B&M coasters.

[DOCTOR DOOM!!!]

^ Thats exactly what I said when I first rode Diamondback!

[AndCamSS]

Does anyone know , of any cheap hotels around kings island for less than $100 dollars?

 

Use Priceline!

 

The Kings Island area is the place I am most successful finding places to stay. If you don't mind driving up to 10 miles to the park you can find some great deals. This past weekend I stayed at a Fairfield Inn that had comfy beds, free internet, indoor pool, and free breakfast with several choices including hot (by microwave) breakfast sandwiches for $34 a night. I bid the $34 on a 2.5 star or higher hotel in the Sharonville area. I always find places between $25-40 this way and have not had a bad place over there yet. Just do not bid below 2 stars! The regular price for the Fairfield was $90-100!

 

Hope this helps!

[netdvn]

B&M is a very conservative coaster company that doesn't really like to push limits like other manufacturers do. They tend to stick with what's tried and true, which allows for better reliability and safety.

 

I'm not sure conservative is the right word. Maybe complacent. I'd say the company has a rich history of innovation.

 

IMO the only REALLY innovative concept that B&M has built was the Invert. Most other B&M projects are based off of something that's already been done by another manufacturer or the sit down concept.

 

Stand ups and hypers were already established coaster-types when B&M came into the market and Vekoma came up with the flying coaster concept before B&M decided to.

 

Dive Machines and Floorless coasters seem to be more of a sit down coaster with an extra gimmick added in.

 

You could say that inverted coasters were based off of suspended coasters, but the two give different rides. Inverts seem to focus more on swooping drops and inversions while suspended coasters revolve around the swinging sensation.

 

But then again, that's just me.

[CoasterBoyJosh]

IMO the only REALLY innovative concept that B&M has built was the Invert. Most other B&M projects are based off of something that's already been done by another manufacturer or the sit down concept.

I think it's easy to forget how ground breaking the inverted roller coaster concept really was. Though I was much younger, I can remember everyone being completely baffled by the presence of Raptor. Now, an invert? They're commonplace, expected at any major park (another testament to the significance of B&M).

 

Stand ups and hypers were already established coaster-types when B&M came into the market and Vekoma came up with the flying coaster concept before B&M decided to.

Maybe so, but still, they took these concepts and made them tolerable. Smooth, reliable, four-across seating (another innovation!).

 

Dive Machines and Floorless coasters seem to be more of a sit down coaster with an extra gimmick added in.

I think you're grasping at straws here. EVERYTHING is a gimmick. I'm not going to discredit Pizza Hut because they discovered that it would be smart to stuff cheese into a crust. It was there for the taking, no one else did it, so they did, and bam, innovation points!!

 

You could say that inverted coasters were based off of suspended coasters, but the two give different rides. Inverts seem to focus more on swooping drops and inversions while suspended coasters revolve around the swinging sensation.

I could say that, but I won't. Because what I observe with my eyes is completely different from what it actually takes to engineer a roller coaster. That'd be like me saying I can water ski because I've been snow skiing all my life.

 

Bottom line, I think you have to give B&M the props they deserve. Steel roller coasters were, in my opinion, incredibly stale until this company came along. I mean, all you had really was a plethora of boomerangs, corkscrews, arrow loopers and a bad ass hyper.

[DOCTOR DOOM!!!]

I was planning on making it out to the park on Saturday for the first time this season...but now there is an 80% chance of strong thunderstorms, so I guess I can throw that plan out the window.

 

I'm really anxious to see (first hand) all the changes that have been made to the park for 2010.

 

Has anyone noticed whether or not Flight of Fear has returned to 6-car operation this year?

 

I would still go, No lines!!!

[jarmor]

B&M is a very conservative coaster company that doesn't really like to push limits like other manufacturers do. They tend to stick with what's tried and true, which allows for better reliability and safety.

 

I'm not sure conservative is the right word. Maybe complacent. I'd say the company has a rich history of innovation.

 

IMO the only REALLY innovative concept that B&M has built was the Invert. Most other B&M projects are based off of something that's already been done by another manufacturer or the sit down concept.

 

Stand ups and hypers were already established coaster-types when B&M came into the market and Vekoma came up with the flying coaster concept before B&M decided to.

 

Dive Machines and Floorless coasters seem to be more of a sit down coaster with an extra gimmick added in.

 

You could say that inverted coasters were based off of suspended coasters, but the two give different rides. Inverts seem to focus more on swooping drops and inversions while suspended coasters revolve around the swinging sensation.

 

But then again, that's just me.

What about dive loops, zero z rolls, Pretzel loops, can kinda say large vertical loops as far as new innovative inversions. I dont know if its been confirmed but I think vekoma and B&M were designing a flying concept at the same time but B&M took their time to perfect the design rather than to rush it out. The dive machines are a very notable example of being innovative. They managed to come up with a design true to their style with a train capable of supporting a 10 across load succesfully. A lot of thing B&M has done with the whole mechanics of things really changed the game in my opinion.

 

Like intamin. They have been the launched experts for a while. While that has come with a price in some instances when it works, it works well. Intamin also has the laminte wooden coasters that are seemingly to be a huge hit with the crowds.

 

But since this is about B&M coasters, I think they have been a little more innovative than what we see on the surface.

[jamesdillaman]

As far as hotels, if you're on a really tight budget, there's a Motel 6 off Fields Ertel (Exit 19 on I71) where you can stay for $40 a night. It's less than 5 miles from the park. There's also a Days Inn there that's pretty cheap, and a Red Roof Inn. Granted these aren' the nicest hotels, (The Days Inn is actually the nicest of the 3, I know as I deliver pizza in the area) but they serve their purpose.

[PKIDelirium]

Why would FOF go back to 6 cars? It's been 5 for a long time now.

[DBru]

^It is stilled rumored on RCDB.

 

Plus, the ride has seemed extra busy (to me) ever since Firehawk was added back there, and I thought that might have encouraged the park to add the 6th car back onto the trains in attempt to increase capacity.

 

Just a thought.

[Tbcoasterfan]

I just wish they'd turn the darn lights off again in the FoF queue line and play the pre show video with volume up like they used to. When I was a kid my first time riding that, I was enthralled in that video, and I'm sure there's other first timers out there that would enjoy the little "movie". Plus I always get a kick out of all the girls screaming when the "power suge" happens and all the lights go dark.

[redfoot12]

^I think they had to do away with that because there were references to the Outer Limits. The parks may have gotten rid of that when the licensing expired.

[Tbcoasterfan]

^I think they had to do away with that because there were references to the Outer Limits. The parks may have gotten rid of that when the licensing expired.

 

The video was still playing when I visited last summer

[PKIDelirium]

The video was edited in 2001 to remove the Outer Limits references. It's been since CF took over that they started keeping the lights on in the queue all the time, instead of syncing them with the video.

[Pingu1651]

^ CF really is dulling things down. At least they had the sense to remove SoB

 

And I think FoF should add an extra car on its train. It was really packed back in the Firehawk/Flight of Fear area when I went. My family skipped FoF even though I REALLY wanted to ride it. It turned out for the better though, as I scored the last ride on Diamondback before it was shut down (rain, lol CF). It was coming down hard!

[larrygator]

I just wish they'd turn the darn lights off again in the FoF queue line and play the pre show video with volume up like they used to. When I was a kid my first time riding that, I was enthralled in that video, and I'm sure there's other first timers out there that would enjoy the little "movie". Plus I always get a kick out of all the girls screaming when the "power suge" happens and all the lights go dark.

 

I loved that video also, but I do not miss the screaming girls.

[derwood]

Quick question if anyone knows the answer.

 

I am going to purchase the Platinum Pass online and will be going to Kings Island tomorrow. Do they make you process your pass before you can enter the park or can you enter the park and do the early walk back and then have your pass processed during the day?

 

Thanks for any help you might be able to provide.

 

-daron

 

 

edit: Nevermind. We got there early walked right into the Season pass processing area and walked out in 3 minutes.

 

Diamondback is quite the nice ride.

[noahman12345]

Has anyone ever stayed at the Comfort Inn Northeast in cinncinatti? Its near kings island.

[PKI Jizzman]

Went to KI the other day and snapped a few pics. Also met up with TPR member Brandon Noah and had 3 GREAT laps on Diamondback, one on the Racer, and Boo Blasters.

 

Boo Blasters is pretty much the same as Scooby Doo, just replaced with skeletons...a few cool new props added in you should check out. The guns still SUCK.

Diamondback! Still running awesome.

Still making people nervous!

db3.bmp

And running with great capacity.

db4.bmp

Airtime-o-plenty

db5.bmp

Topping out at 230ft. Come visit!

[jamesdillaman]

Has anyone ever stayed at the Comfort Inn Northeast in cinncinatti? Its near kings island.

 

The Comfort Inn is a good budget hotel. Nothing special, but better than the Red Roof, Days Inn, and Motel 6 that are in the same area. The nicer hotels off the same exit are: Holiday Inn Express, Hyatt Place, Hilton Garden Inn, Mariott, La Quinta (It's actually a VERY nice one for the price), and the Ramada is also pretty nice. The only one that's pretty run down is the Red Roof and the Motel 6. Even the Days Inn is pretty nice for a Days Inn, but of course the cheapest rooms are at the Motel 6 and the Red Roof. You'll be fine at the Comfort Inn.

 

As for you, Zach. Nice photos!. Hope to see you soon, but am pretty busy with the wedding plans.

[Tbcoasterfan]

That Super 8 by the park is very eh and we had ants in our room. I always try to stay in Springboro (cause I used to live there). They have a couple nice hotels and it's about 20 minutes North from the park up 741. Unless you're coming from the South, obviously you wouldn't stay there.

[Homeboy23]

^ I stayed in that Super 8 last year and had no problem except for one small spider but that was nothing. Everything was clean.

[Tbcoasterfan]

^ I stayed in that Super 8 last year and had no problem except for one small spider but that was nothing. Everything was clean.

 

OH yeah it was clean, we just had a few ants on the floor. Now our friends in the room next door had no issues. If you're looking for a budget motel, I'd recommend it, but if I'm then one planning the trip next time, I'd spring for something a little nicer.

On a side note, you can watch Kings Island's fireworks from the Super 8's pool.

[ryerson]

I didn't read all of this, but I thought I would throw out my experience. We got a killer deal on the Hyatt Place just down the highway and it may be the nicest hotel I've ever stayed in. Use priceline, it is your friend.

[AndCamSS]

^as I said before....agreed!