Kings Island (KI) Discussion Thread

[thepoint4life23]

The Helix on the beast is one of the best in the world

[mikeykaise]

^ Agreed, the Beast will always be #1 no matter how much they trim it out or take away the wood setting.

[PKI Jizzman]

I had nothing but 1000% smooth rides on each of my 7 rides and am surprised people are reporting on the helix inducing greyout. You'd think a park that is obsessed with helices would be able to have one as intense as Goliath at SFOG's but I'd say Stunt Coaster's hits way harder.

The helix on SFOG's Goliath is intense? Eh, that's a stretch IMO. The only helix on a B&M that has any great intensity that I've ridden, with an almost greyout, is Kumba.

 

That's the point it still isn't even that intense haha

[Invertalon]

Just got done watching a well known you-tubers review on Orion and he said something about the soil at KI possibly being the reason why all the B&M's are not the smoothest. Not sure if it's BS or not, but it's the best explanation I've heard so far.

 

I know who you are talking about, and I'll be honest, the dude is quite clueless on many things I've heard him say. Grasping at straws, at best.

 

This is why the structural/civil firms who install the foundations for these rides take samples of the soil, in order to figure out the size of the footers required, pylon depth, etc... The civil engineering 'guidelines' are quite mature, like many areas of engineering. It's not really complicated once they have the appropriate information.

 

I'm thinking install more than anything. Shimming, support adjustment before grouting, sanding of the rail joints after install and whatever else.

 

I'm not a civil engineer (mechanical here), but I think they got the techniques/processes down for the design and install requirements. If KI has the same install contractor do the rigging for all the B&M's, it could be more on them versus anything else. I believe most parks use regional steelworkers and other subcontractors to do this work, so it will vary park to park for the most part.

 

Lately for my job, I have been talking to various steel fabricators around Ohio (including Clermont). While discussion my particular project with them, on the side I have asked them about the fabrication techniques and such for rolling such pipe for coaster track... As expected, it's highly precise with dimensions are highly controlled. Except in the case when doing replacement track work on some older steel coasters, in which they literally get a chunk of rail or whatnot cut out and they basically just template and roll some pipe to match for re-install, at least with one particular vendor I spoke with who has done quite a bit of 'retracking' for some parks (not Clermont).

[southpuddle]

It’s almost as if structural engineers know more about building roller coasters than some YouTuber

[KIEnthusiast]

As I said in, I think, the Cedar Point thread, I feel this is a B&M problem and not a King’s Island problem. Valraven and Gatekeeper have rattles that are worse than anything at King’s Island. But people like to sh*t on King’s Island and everyone has to love everything about Cedar Point, so no one ever mentions it!

[AndrewA86]

It’s almost as if structural engineers know more about building roller coasters than some YouTuber

 

To be fair, I think he said someone from the park told him that.

[AndrewA86]

As I said in, I think, the Cedar Point thread, I feel this is a B&M problem and not a King’s Island problem. Valraven and Gatekeeper have rattles that are worse than anything at King’s Island. But people like to sh*t on King’s Island and everyone has to love everything about Cedar Point, so no one ever mentions it!

 

I agree that Gatekeeper isn't as smooth anymore, but IMO Valravn is still smooth. Gatekeeper isn't nearly as bad as Banshee though, and when Gatekeeper was new it was glossy smooth and stayed that way until a couple years ago. Orion is brand spanking new and isn't glossy smooth like you would expect. I'm also not sure this is a B&M problem, the vast majority I have been on have been smooth. And some are pretty old. Alpengeist, and Scream were terrible and I wasn't a fan of Dominator.

 

Like the other guy said, if KI uses the same people to install then it could be on them. That would make sense.

[christianscoasters]

One thing about B&Ms is that the more full a train is, the smoother it will be. So with Orion only filling at MOST half the train, you can expect a rattle sometimes. Was butter smooth when I rode though.

 

Rode Gatekeeper a few days ago and it was amazingly smooth too.

[prozach626]

And some are pretty old. Alpengeist, and Scream were terrible and I wasn't a fan of Dominator.

 

Dominator was a rattle machine. Emily wasn't interested in riding it more than once, because of that. We were one and done.

[thrillseeker4552]

One thing about B&Ms is that the more full a train is, the smoother it will be. So with Orion only filling at MOST half the train, you can expect a rattle sometimes. Was butter smooth when I rode though.

 

I have found this especially true for Floorless coasters. Empty train vs full train, front row vs any other row, and inner seats vs outer seats really makes a difference on those.

[coasterbill]

Other than one ride on Banshee that might have even been a wheel issue so I'll wait to ride it in the back again to judge on that one I haven't been on any B&M that I found rough ever (aside from like... Apocalypse and that sh*tty convert in California). I also feel like Gatekeeper might be the smoothest coaster in existence.

Edited August 7, 2020 by coasterbill

[AmyUD06]

So I'm at KI now, arrived around 4:00. Place is comparably packed... Waited 52 minutes for Mystic Timbers. Fast Lane for tomorrow will be a must. Way too many unsupervised teens/tweens.

 

On a Covid note, mask use and social distancing in that line were atrocious... I'd say 50% of masks were below the nose and another 25% below the chin. Very few people were paying attention to social distancing markers, largely due to groups of 5+ obnoxious teenagers.

 

I'm sure it's working out for them financially, but from a guest standpoint they should have kept the reservation system.

 

EDIT: Looks like FL is sold out for tomorrow...hooray. Don't get me wrong, I'm happy to be able to be at parks, but this is painful.

[Domm]

Mike, got our fri/sat FL online earlier this week for the trip. Had a hunch it might get sideways. We did enter earlier today around 10:45 and there were few lines which might replicate slightly tomorrow, though it is a Saturday. Also forgot Bat doesn’t even take FL.

 

We have two additional great wolf water park wrist bands if you want them?! These slides are pretty damn fun and lines are minimal. Good til Sunday.

[AmyUD06]

Mike, got our fri/sat FL online earlier this week for the trip. Had a hunch it might get sideways. We did enter earlier today around 10:45 and there were few lines which might replicate slightly tomorrow, though it is a Saturday. Also forgot Bat doesn’t even take FL.

 

We have two additional great wolf water park wrist bands if you want them?! These slides are pretty damn fun and lines are minimal. Good til Sunday.

 

You have a PM sir.

[dankeykang]

Great view of the fireworks show from Orion’s station

[AmyUD06]

I had a great view from Beast's queue LOL. I thought it was cool how they kind of synced Orion's mood lighting with the fireworks.

 

EDIT:

 

So, my first night back at KI turned alright. Ended up with rides on Mystic, Racer (Red), Adventure Express, and 3 cycles on Beast - 2 in row 14, and my last ride of the night at around 10:40 PM in the front row! Still the best coaster at this park as far as I'm concerned.

 

Given that I only included KI on this trip to try to get some night rides on Beast and Orion, I'm gonna call this a win. With the lack of FL availability for tomorrow, I'm gonna sleep in and get to the park whenever I do, planning on staying until close to try for that night ride on Orion. Unless people tell me that Mystic is better as the night ride, which I have experienced and is pretty damnned good in itself. Hint hint.

[dankeykang]

^ I will say that a back row night ride on Orion is quite enjoyable.

 

If you time things right, you might be able to swing both Orion and Mystic. Orion's line was pretty consistently ~45 minutes all day, and Mystic Timbers was even longer. Assuming it's more crowded tomorrow - with sunset around 8:40 pm, you could potentially enter Orion's queue around 8 and get on around 9, then head over to Mystic Timbers? Hard to guess how much more people will attend tomorrow, though...

[AmyUD06]

Day 2 update: Got to the park around noon, bought my all-day dining wrist band, rode Bat (front row, 50 minute wait) and Banshee (back row, 20 minute wait) with two meals in there too. A little too hot, so I left and came back to my hotel to rest and pack, then going to head back to the park around 7 PM for another meal or two and to grab yet another lap on Beast and try for night rides on Orion and/or Mystic Timbers.

 

Packing now will help later, since I'll be on the road by 6 AM tomorrow to make it to Cedar Point for opening.

[prozach626]

Mike, the teenager crowd is something I usually don't experience, so that sucks. We've always found it to be more mature than the Six Flags crowd (atrocious), but less than Busch crowds (especially BGW).

 

Glad you had fun. KI has a fantastic night ride selection.

[DBru]

I know you record your wait times a little differently, but 50 minutes for The Bat?! Holy cow lol

[AmyUD06]

Yeah. It was crazy.

 

Zach, the teen groups here are still mild compared to a Six Flags crowd, and I guess I'm exaggerating their "obnoxiousness" and I'm just getting old and can't tolerate any presence of today's youth culture LOL.

 

So I'm back at the park now, lines are still bonkers per the app. Like 105 minutes for FoF. I've been standing in line for Beast for about 20 minutes and just started up the ramp so I guess that's no too bad. My plan ito get in line for Orion around 8:15 to get a sunset/night ride there then head to Mystic.

Edited August 8, 2020 by Mike240SX

[PKI Jizzman]

All the locals with passes have been going to KI for years. They know at night is the best time to be there so I have full confidence the park will be close to limited capacity when open till 10pm.

[AmyUD06]

^ I will say that a back row night ride on Orion is quite enjoyable.

 

If you time things right, you might be able to swing both Orion and Mystic. Orion's line was pretty consistently ~45 minutes all day, and Mystic Timbers was even longer. Assuming it's more crowded tomorrow - with sunset around 8:40 pm, you could potentially enter Orion's queue around 8 and get on around 9, then head over to Mystic Timbers? Hard to guess how much more people will attend tomorrow, though...

 

Thanks for the tip... It paid off! Got in line for Orion at around 8:10 a got off around 9:25, plenty of time to make it over to Mystic, where I currently am after snagging another grilled cheese to get the 4th meal out of the wrist band. Been waiting bout 20 minutes so far, with probably another 20 ahead of me (plus the fireworks shutdown if they do that on this ride). All in all, not a bad 2 days at KI when I kept my expectations in check.

[tndank]

July 4th on MT was great. As you crested the lift hill you could see fireworks all along the horizon from all different places. KI's fireworks started going off about half way up. It was cool.