Kings Island (KI) Discussion Thread

[DILinator]

^I was going to say, "How very traumatic for the trapped viewers!", except a POV could never do justice to just how soul-crushing, and back-breaking SOB was!

[prozach626]

I'm still patiently waiting for a giga. But, for some reason I have a feeling it will always be the long rumored addition that never happens.

[thrillseeker4552]

I'm still patiently waiting for a giga. But, for some reason I have a feeling it will always be the long rumored addition that never happens.

 

I agree. In fact, there are probably five other coaster types I would rather see at KI before a giga. Kings Island fills a lot of gaps in nearby Cedar Point's lineup, and vice versa, so unless they build a totally unique giga coaster that really sets it apart from Millennium Force, I just can't see it happening. At least not soon.

 

If we're talking coasters, despite them getting two major ones in the last 5 years, I would really like to see something like Time Traveler, or maybe even a high-capacity version of HangTime with a vertical lift and beyond vertical drop. Kings Island has a very diverse lineup with lots of solid supporting coasters (unlike CW and Carowinds), so I don't think a giga is quite as "necessary" as it was at those parks.

[LiftThrill]

I haven't been on Mystic Timbers, but my thing with KI when I went was that all of their good major coasters are kinda lacking in intensity. Diamondback and Banshee are more of chill rides, and Beast is about going really f*cking fast through straight or slightly banked track through the woods.

 

This isn't really something the general audiences of the park care about, though, so the next addition will just be whatever the park and corporate decide to add and what will keep people going to KI. I talk to people from the Indiana/Ohio/Kentucky area a lot and a very surprising number of them absolutely swear by Kings Island, over CP and other parks in that area that they've been to.

[Geauga Dog]

Before another coaster is built I'd like to see the Racer get a full refurb first, especially after my one ride on the red train a few weeks ago. Now that we're already past the halfway point of the season they have a little over three years before the park's big 50th anniversary and bringing Racer back to its original glory (including bringing back the red, white, and blue paint scheme the ride opened with) would be awesome.

 

One other note - Kings Island NEEDS more flat rides outside of Planet Snoopy. Carowinds and Canada's Wonderland should not be the only parks to get decent flat ride packages.

[prozach626]

I haven't been on Mystic Timbers, but my thing with KI when I went was that all of their good major coasters are kinda lacking in intensity.

 

Wait... What?

[KristenLeigh]

Will anybody be at Kings Island on Wednesday or next Sunday? Hopefully it doesn't rain again. We've only been able to go 3 times this year so far and it's kind of disappointing that every time I have a day off it tends to rain/storm. I'm needing some more rides in and a couple more waterpark visits before the season is over.

I've stated before that I think it would be nice to have some sort of water coaster in the waterpark even though it wouldn't compare to Wildebeest and Mammoth at HW. The dry park needs a tilt a whirl at some point. Those are my favorite flat rides at a theme park.

[WOFanatic]

I haven't been on Mystic Timbers, but my thing with KI when I went was that all of their good major coasters are kinda lacking in intensity. Diamondback and Banshee are more of chill rides, and Beast is about going really f*cking fast through straight or slightly banked track through the woods.

I completely agree. The park’s collection of coasters is solid, however nothing at that park really blew me away aside from Beast and Mystic Timbers. The rest of their rides are kinda “bleh” to me.

[LiftThrill]

I wouldn't say bleh.

 

KI has awesome coasters, but their top 3 (again, I think Timbers probably counters this to some extent) are not intense rides at all. The most "intense" coaster at KI is probably Flight of Fear.

 

I'm using the dumb nerdy enthusiast definition of intensity and not just "it's tall and fast" for this because honestly, KI's lineup is pretty great and would be fine without ANY new coasters. But what I'd personally look for in a new coaster is fast pace and strong forces because that's something they're kind of lacking in.

 

Just as a point of reference (that's hard to compare ANYTHING to, but whatever) CP has Raptor, TTD, SV, and Maverick in the high intensity department and MF, Rougarou, Valravn, and GateKeeper in the more chill department. At a smaller scale, SDC has an insanely balanced lineup in that regard and they have half the coasters that KI does.

[DavidB]

I wasnt overly thrilled by Diamondback, but Banshee was plenty intense. I thought the speed and positive Gs it carried though the bottom of the elements was impressive.

 

Invertigo, FoF, Diamondback, Vortex, and Firehawk provide a second tier of intensity.

 

It doesn't have a Skyrush or SV, but I find KI to have a well rounded, quality collection top to bottom that isn't lacking for intensity. Just my opinion.

[coasterbill]

Just a friendly reminder that Bat exists, it’s intense and it’s great.

[DavidB]

Almost included Bat on my list and should have...its been a long time since I've been on it, as I didn't get it last time I went. Definitely remember it being worthy of mentioning in this discussion though.

[prozach626]

It's all subjective, but I think the majority of the non coaster enthusiasts consider Diamondback, Banshee, and Mystic Timbers pretty intense. I'd hate to be the type of enthusiast that needs more than that to consider a ride fun, thrilling, and intense. I'm not quite sure when 230 feet at 80 mph became obsolete, but I'm glad I haven't moved on. Then again, I may focus too much on enjoyment and appreciation rather than comparison. In a world where Millennium Force is lame I guess King's Island sucks.

[ytterbiumanalyst]

^ I'm with you there. Diamondback is still one of the tallest and fastest in the world. I could look up which spot it's in, but I don't care and neither do you. Point is it's plenty exciting. A lot of the reason why I like hypers and gigas is that they do the stuff I expect from a coaster: They go up and down real fast. It's kind of fun to ride the coasters that do bizarre things, but there's a reason most coasters still just go up and down real fast. People love that.

[LiftThrill]

I mean, my favorite coaster is Millennium Force followed by one of the "lamest" RMCs (or so they say) so it's not like intense is my immediate go-to thing either I just find it odd that people talk about the giga so much when the park already has a tall, fast, rerideable coaster and an insane supporting tier. But when I look at KI's lineup, if I want to be laughing from stuff that's ridiculous and intense, I'd probably go for Flight of Fear (or maybe Mystic Timbers. honestly, Mystic Timbers may nullify my argument entirely. I've heard people say it's the best GCI, and if that's true then I'm probably completely wrong because GCI is pretty good at that whole "intense" thing).

 

Bill, I'm ashamed to say that I completely forgot that The Bat existed for a second there. Forgive my transgression. The Bat is awesome.

[DBru]

Considering Banshee now resides on its plot of land...and that it would probably cost $35 million to build (it was built “cheaply” for $20.5 million in 1999)...I can’t imagine Kings Island bringing Son of Beast back to life. BUT, in today’s day & age, given how reboots dominate Hollywood and nostalgia is more popular than ever, I can’t think of an addition the GP would eat up more. Especially if it was done correctly this time.

[jarmor]

I don't think that would be a good Idea to recreate SOB. The layout was basically a bunch of helices and a loop.

[prozach626]

I can see the possibility of a new coaster being named Son of Beast, but I don't think for a minute it will be recreated. I also think that with Kings Island's three good wood offerings, with two of them being really good, that whenever the next roller coasters hits King's Island it won't be wooden.

[Yubstep101]

I was thinking a Topper Track with a loop, since RMC has started working with Cedar Fair.

[prozach626]

With the same layout or modified? I'm sure it used the terrain in some way so I wouldn't think a close copy of the layout would be possible. I also think it would take a lot of convincing for people who remember the brutal ride and the injuries to overlook any similarities. It just seems like a bad idea to use that name on any type of a wooden coaster for marketing purposes. Bat is an exception, since the problem wasn't the ridership or enjoyment, but with the engineering flaws in the ride.

 

Beast sequel with RMC topper track - Possible? Yes. Likely? In my own opinion, no.

[anonymouscactus]

Since Son of Beast is tainted... How about... Daughter of beast?

 

[Brassinthegrass]

This is fantastic. Daughter can definitely be more terrifying compared to sons...

[sdcfan88]

I was thinking a plausible RMC Topper/Hybrid combining prior RMC designs done with Outlaw Run, Steel Vengeance, and Wildfire and it being called "Revenge Of The Beast".

 

Less likely would be a more classic design done by GCI, and if it were GCI to take on the task, it could be that company's largest coaster to date if that were to happen. With the same name as above. Like a bad movie sequel/remake. (but not actually bad this time around)

[Jason Maier]

Or maybe "Son of Beast" could be a code-name for a possible Giga coming to KI?

[DILinator]

Just a friendly reminder that Bat exists, it’s intense and it’s great.

 

I ride Bat everytime I go to KI, and it's one of the better Arrow Suspended coasters still in operation. But intense? Not exactly how I would describe it!

 

Now, on the other hand...

 

It's all subjective, but I think the majority of the non coaster enthusiasts consider Diamondback, Banshee, and Mystic Timbers pretty intense. I'd hate to be the type of enthusiast that needs more than that to consider a ride fun, thrilling, and intense. I'm not quite sure when 230 feet at 80 mph became obsolete, but I'm glad I haven't moved on. Then again, I may focus too much on enjoyment and appreciation rather than comparison. In a world where Millennium Force is lame I guess King's Island sucks.

 

 

I'll never understand people who can ride any coasters like those three Zach mentioned, and say they're not intense, or thrilling! I don't really have anything to add, because what he said is 100% how I feel about it.

 

Personally, I think KI is an awesome park, with a ton of fun coasters and rides, and a great place for kids as well! Plus, they have the best Amusement Park Halloween Haunt, in my opinion! I'm planning to take my kids and girlfriend there this year, for their first time, in what will probably be my only remaining coaster trip of the year. It's become an annual tradition, as it's SO great!