Kings Island (KI) Discussion Thread

[Invertalon]

I remember back in 2001 having the Vekoma engineers on site before the ride opened to the public and they proved to us you can ride without the vest, fun fun times. The Dutch are insane!

 

Heard about that from the select few who got to partake in that experience Not sure i'd do it, but it's still crazy to think about. I can just imagine these torso's flopping around when in the flying position lol.

[RCjunkie]

I never found these rides to be all that rough, but I also don’t find them to be all that good and I never ride them because of their atrocious capacities and wait times.

 

Agreed. Not bad but just not good either. I didn't even bother riding it on my last visit (2016) and with Banshee, Diamondback and The Beast on site among other better coasters why would you? Bring on the new hotness!

[thrillseeker4552]

With the exception of Tatsu's pretzel loop, I generally find the Vekoma flyers more forceful and intense overall. However they are also much more awkward, loud, and rattly (in the case of Nighthawk). They're not completely horrible rides, but if Six Flags America and Carowinds follow suit in the next few years, I won't really shed a tear.

 

Can't wait to see what replaces Firehawk.

[Jason Maier]

I never found these rides to be all that rough, but I also don’t find them to be all that good and I never ride them because of their atrocious capacities and wait times.

 

I hear you on that. The times that I've ridden Batwing, it takes several minutes for a dispatch.

 

That and laying on my back and going up the lift hill staring at the sun isn't fun.

[Condor]

This was actually my favorite ride at Geauga Lake and I was surprised at how much I still enjoyed it when I rode again a decade later as Firehawk. It felt a lot smoother to me than Nighthawk. I'm disappointed to lose it over Vortex, but I'm talking as a dispassionate, California enthusiast who has only been to Kings Island twice. I'm sure if I was an Ohio local with the same nostalgia for Vortex that I have for Viper I'd be happy with this decision too.

[DILinator]

I never found these rides to be all that rough, but I also don’t find them to be all that good and I never ride them because of their atrocious capacities and wait times.

 

I hear you on that. The times that I've ridden Batwing, it takes several minutes for a dispatch.

 

That and laying on my back and going up the lift hill staring at the sun isn't fun.

 

That was the worst part of the experience, if you ask me! That's why I haven't ridden it except at night in forever! Going to ride it for the last time tonight!

[dmh1079]

KI is my home park and I typically rode Firehawk about once a year. I enjoy the ride, and I think it's fun and relatively smooth. The vertical loop was a lot of fun in that the movement was the opposite of the B&M Pretzel Loops and gave negative G's at the top, as opposed to high positive G's at the bottom of a Pretzel Loop. It's just not worth it for the lines that this thing gets. I laughed when this was added to the FLP, but I understand that decision was likely based on wait times.

 

If the 2020 B&M is a Flyer, I look forward to the mutiny on social media.

[Midgetman82]

I've ridden plenty times in the past years and never, ever found the ride rough, at all. It feels buttery smooth, to me, especially for being a Vekoma.

 

I actually enjoy the ride experience (moreso in the last cars), but I never found it worth the atrociously long waits and slow dispatch times it usually has. The fact the queue is hidden from the main pathway doesn't help, either. I won't miss it because I'm very, very confident whatever Kings Island plans to replace it with will be much more worth it.

[Canobie Coaster]

Of the three Flying Dutchmen, it was easily the smoothest. Batwing had a bad rattle earlier this year and having those inline twists over Nighthawk's corkscrews was an improvement.

[southpuddle]

It’ll be interesting to see if CF is on a mission to rid their parks of fliers in the same way they are hellbent in ridding the parks of stand-ups. For those hoping Firehawk will be replaced with a B&M version... I think if CF had any interest, they would have jumped on that bandwagon back when fliers were in vogue. It just ain’t happening, and the removal of Firehawk just solidifies that.

[AmyUD06]

What other flyers has CF removed? That's right, none. Don't make more out of this than it is.

[coasterbill]

I'd be shocked if Nighthawk goes anywhere for the foreseeable future.

[pǝʇɹǝʌuı]

It’ll be interesting to see if CF is on a mission to rid their parks of fliers in the same way they are hellbent in ridding the parks of stand-ups. For those hoping Firehawk will be replaced with a B&M version... I think if CF had any interest, they would have jumped on that bandwagon back when fliers were in vogue. It just ain’t happening, and the removal of Firehawk just solidifies that.

 

While I don't see KI getting a new flyer, I don't think we should jump to the conclusion that the whole chain is going to rid the parks of fliers. They do provide a very unique ride experience. I'm sure the issue for KI was mostly just capacity and maintenance. That being said, there aren't very many other fliers in the chain, and if the others have maintenance issues the individual parks may find it more profitable to remove them than to keep them around. I don't think it'd be related to a chain decision, but it may happen. Like it has been said, if Firehawk gets scrapped it will likely provide parts for Nighthawk, hopefully improving the ride experience and keeping it profitable for Carowinds.

 

Plus, there's always the possibility that Firehawk moves somewhere else in the chain. Other parks with lower attendance and fewer big rides could definitely use it, as has been pointed out.

 

However, if Firehawk gets scrapped and Nighthawk closes within the next couple of years, I'll stand corrected.

[SLCHeadache]

However, if Firehawk gets scrapped and Nighthawk closes within the next couple of years, I'll stand corrected.

It could be opportunity cost too. Firehawk blocked off expansion, while Nighthawk (and Vortex next to it) is on prime real estate.

[prozach626]

It’ll be interesting to see if CF is on a mission to rid their parks of fliers in the same way they are hellbent in ridding the parks of stand-ups. For those hoping Firehawk will be replaced with a B&M version... I think if CF had any interest, they would have jumped on that bandwagon back when fliers were in vogue. It just ain’t happening, and the removal of Firehawk just solidifies that.

 

I don't think it's going to be a flyer, but I don't think your point is necessary valid with CP not choosing fliers, because they're past their peak. Parks had pretty much stopped building inverted coasters when KI built Banshee.

 

I also don't think CF is on a mission to get rid of flyers. Firehawk was costly to maintain, but more importantly, KI may be using that land for a future addition. It will be even more dead over where without Firehawk, so I would imagine we'd see a new ride entrance exactly where Firehawk is. It will be even more indicative of this if the station and queue stay after the ride is removed. It's also smart to send the Firehawk trains to Carowinds to use them for parts.

 

I guess the conversation is irrelevant either way.

 

So, it seems like Fury 325 really hit the mark. I think there's a pretty good possibility of KI getting a B&M giga, as many others think. If that's the case, when should we expect to see signs of land clearing?

[Intamin_coyote]

A Vekoma flyer meets its demise?

 

[attachment=0]dirtoffya.gif[/attachment]

 

IMO Flyers were one of the (very) few things Vekoma actually did well, particularly Firehawk, which was the smoothest of three.

 

I thought the ride itself was fine. However, its "overall experience", factoring in capacity and reliability, was pretty bad, which is why I'm ok with it leaving.

 

Though I'm certainly not going to be dancing on its grave like many others are already doing.

 

----

 

Now if some SLC's were to bite the dust, that's something I could celebrate.

[southpuddle]

I don't think it's going to be a flyer, but I don't think your point is necessary valid with CP not choosing fliers, because they're past their peak. Parks had pretty much stopped building inverted coasters when KI built Banshee.

 

True, but CF has a long history of building inverts. Almost every one of their parks has one, most of them built when CF owned the park. CF themselves have built exactly zero fliers. That’s what I was getting at. I don’t think they have any interest.

 

I mean after Firehawk leaves (and I realize it could be sent to another CF park, we don’t know yet) the entire chain will only have two fliers left. All I ever said was it would be interesting if the others followed suit. Before the hints started getting dropped, I would have thought Firehawk was the safest of the three fliers in the chain, being the most modern model. Just goes to show parks have a lot more data on this kind of stuff than us enthusiasts can imagine

[A.J.]

I don't think it's going to be a flyer, but I don't think your point is necessary valid with CP not choosing fliers, because they're past their peak. Parks had pretty much stopped building inverted coasters when KI built Banshee.

I honestly don't think that flying coasters ever peaked. Paramount bought Stealth, Six Flags bought Vekoma's other two. Ever since Six Flags installed the three Superman coasters, there's always been a new flying coaster or two popping up every few years.

 

You know how Six Flags is, they like to take a coaster concept and copy-paste it everywhere. The fact that three Superman Ultimate Flight flying coasters were built at the same time isn't really evidence that flying coasters were "the cool new thing". They've always been "just another coaster type", though a coaster type that's pretty freaking fun.

[Afterburner]

I'd be shocked if Nighthawk goes anywhere for the foreseeable future.

 

Please don't take away my hope.

Edited September 29, 2018 by Afterburner

[Afterburner]

double post

[pǝʇɹǝʌuı]

I'd be shocked if Nighthawk goes anywhere for the foreseeable future.

 

Please don't take away my hope.

 

Plot twist: Firehawk replaces Nighthawk and Nighthawk gets scrapped

 

So, it seems like Fury 325 really hit the mark. I think there's a pretty good possibility of KI getting a B&M giga, as many others think. If that's the case, when should we expect to see signs of land clearing?

 

While CF can be a bit predictable in that way, I hope not. I'm holding out for an RMC hyper. A ground-up topper track coaster. The world's tallest wooden coaster(again)! Yes, CF loves B&M a little too much, but recently Twisted Timbers and Steel Vengeance have proved to be hits, so I could see them working with RMC again. Seeing as they're installing a Mack multi-launch looper in 2019, I could really see anything happening.

[sdcfan88]

While CF can be a bit predictable in that way, I hope not. I'm holding out for an RMC hyper. A ground-up topper track coaster. The world's tallest wooden coaster(again)! Yes, CF loves B&M a little too much, but recently Twisted Timbers and Steel Vengeance have proved to be hits, so I could see them working with RMC again. Seeing as they're installing a Mack multi-launch looper in 2019, I could really see anything happening.

 

Even though yes B&M seems more likely to be their next coaster, an RMC hyper would tie into the crazy rumors of the SOB revival.

[JordyC]

I don't think it's going to be a flyer, but I don't think your point is necessary valid with CP not choosing fliers, because they're past their peak. Parks had pretty much stopped building inverted coasters when KI built Banshee.

I honestly don't think that flying coasters ever peaked. Paramount bought Stealth, Six Flags bought Vekoma's other two. Ever since Six Flags installed the three Superman coasters, there's always been a new flying coaster or two popping up every few years.

 

You know how Six Flags is, they like to take a coaster concept and copy-paste it everywhere. The fact that three Superman Ultimate Flight flying coasters were built at the same time isn't really evidence that flying coasters were "the cool new thing". They've always been "just another coaster type", though a coaster type that's pretty freaking fun.

 

Maybe F.L.Y. will change this?

[Afterburner]

I'd be shocked if Nighthawk goes anywhere for the foreseeable future.

 

Please don't take away my hope.

 

Plot twist: Firehawk replaces Nighthawk and Nighthawk gets scrapped

 

[prozach626]

I could be imagining things, but weren't there documents to suggest that there was a B&M coming to KI?

 

I'm sofa king tired if everyone constantly jizzing over RMC.