Kings Island (KI) Discussion Thread

The Bat was the biggest surprise of all on a recent CP/KI trip. I didn't have high hopes after riding Iron Dragon. The Bat was a great ride. On one of my rides I sat front row with a guy who would give Robb a run for his money on vocals

I like suspendeds more than most but unless it’s nighttime I’d go so far as to say that it’s my favorite ride there aside from the B&Ms.

A side effect I just realized: If Firehawk is the one leaving, and it ends up getting scrapped like Shockwave and Stinger after failing to find buyers, then Six Flags America is the real winner here. They get one more unique ride without spending a dime.

A side effect I just realized: If Firehawk is the one leaving, and it ends up getting scrapped like Shockwave and Stinger after failing to find buyers, then Six Flags America is the real winner here. They get one more unique ride without spending a dime.

That won't make Batwing unique; Nighthawk is still around.

[Firehawk being scrapped] won't make Batwing unique; Nighthawk is still around.

Nighthawk is subtly different from Batwing/Firehawk. Shorter layout with a different ending.

[Firehawk being scrapped] won't make Batwing unique; Nighthawk is still around.

Nighthawk is subtly different from Batwing/Firehawk. Shorter layout with a different ending.

True, but most people won't notice or care about that. To non-enthusiasts, they're both the same ride.

I'm surprised no one has mentioned Racer yet. As far as I know, all of the wooden coasters that became RMC conversions had Fall "going-away parties" the year or two before the RMC opened. No, it wouldn't necessarily support the B&M 2020 rumor, but maybe along the way we got something wrong or KI has more up their sleeves than we thought?

Firehawk or Vortex seem most likely for straight out scrapping a coaster to use the space for something new. Between the two, I wouldn't miss Vortex as much as I'd miss Firehawk, but it does seem more likely that the park would want to get rid of Firehawk given the history of Vortex and the maintenance nightmare that Firehawk must be.

Whatever happens, KI does not really have any coasters that everyone hates, so there will surely be some disappointment. However, I'm optimistic about what we'll see in the future!

How much of a maintenance nightmare is Firehawk?

And yeah, I think it'll go away and soon enough, they'll announce a B&M Giga for 2020 . . .

I'm surprised no one has mentioned Racer yet. As far as I know, all of the wooden coasters that became RMC conversions had Fall "going-away parties" the year or two before the RMC opened. No, it wouldn't necessarily support the B&M 2020 rumor, but maybe along the way we got something wrong or KI has more up their sleeves than we thought?

Mike Koontz has been asked and answered ad nauseam that RCM'ing Racer is one of the worst things Kings Island could ever do to Coney Mall (or the spirit of the park for that matter). Therefore, it's never happening under his watch. He shut that possibility down when asked at Coasterstock Q&A (while the ACErs drown his voiced out with boos to the young child for even suggesting it).

If a coaster needs to be removed for the 2020 B&M then I could see it being Firehawk. Especially if it's a giga coaster. I like Firehawk so I hope it doesn't go. Although I would rather see it go than Vortex. KI better not touch Vortex! Since a lot of you have focused on the word "air" in the teaser then Flying Ace Aerial Chase could be a possibility. I could see it being replaced with a flat ride or two. We'll find out soon enough what's going to happen. On a side note, I wish KI would get an Intamin. Hopefully someday it will happen.....

I enjoyed my ride on Firehawk a few weeks ago. My one issue with that ride is the capacity at a busy park like Kings Island. If that is the coaster that's closing, I'd love to see it relocated to a smaller park like Worlds of Fun or Michigan's Adventure (assuming there aren't maintenance issues).

The only coaster that needs to leave Kings Island is that POS Vortex thing. God that ride is awful.

Firehawk is an awesome ride, and one of our favorite rides in the park. It always seems to have a decent line when we are there. Much more than Vortex.

As was posted a few pages back, Vortex's ridership vastly outperforms Firehawk's. Firehawk always has a line because of its horrid capacity, nothing more.

As much as I'd like Firehawk to be the one to go, I have a hunch it's vortex. The GP hates that ride. Yes, they ride it, but never more than once. I personally have fond memories of the ride, and as much as I hated on it during high school when I lived right by the park, I've really enjoyed it more recently. Maybe it's the fact that shoulder restraints no longer hit my ears haha.

This may be far-fetched, but do you think maybe RMC could take on the project of re-tracking an Arrow looper like Vortex? No, it wouldn't be nearly as easy to modify the support structure as a wooden coaster, but given it's not super engineered like modern B&M's I could see the crazy guys at RMC trying something out.

^Converting a steel coaster just seems really costly and more complicated to me vs. converting a wooden coaster. Not only that, but I'm not sure anyone, including RMC, would have the desire to do such a thing. As far as any of the wooden coasters go, I don't think RMC conversion is likely or necessary at KI. Mystic Timbers is brand new. Beast will never change. Racer is a classic ride that holds guest interest and it's a good intermediate coaster for kids (I think).

I haven't seen any diagrams of where the Antique Cars are going. If I were shooting from the hip, I'd say that the entrance is going to be between Firehawk and Racer, closer to racer. Firehawk will be removed and next year's B&M will go in its place, which I say has the strong possibility of being a giga. X-Base, or whatever it's called, can always be renamed or removed in general. That could really liven up that awkward area of the park. Of course, all of this is void if anyone has seen any concrete plans for the cars.

As far as another user saying that this is reminiscent of Mean Streak's funeral, it is in a way. But, that goes with the territory for announcements this time of year and only makes sense when they're removing a coaster. If the implications were pointed toward an RMC, see my first sentence.

Regardless of what happens, I think if we could see the replacement of a less popular roller coaster with a B&M giga, more similar to Fury than Leviathan, I think KI will have one of the best Line-ups in the country with a good atmosphere to compliment it.

Really pains me to read some of the responses here to firehawk, why would you want any coaster removed when they have the space to keep it AND build something new? I like firehawk, I like vortex, and they need to keep both. Removing a coaster is never good when there is so much space available that there is no need. KI isn’t running out of room like CP so keep them all and keep adding imo.

You're thinking two dimensional. KI has enough roller coasters. It takes a lot of time, effort, and most of all money to staff an additional ride without removing another one. You can't just look at the cost of plopping down another roller coaster and not take into consideration the cost to staff the ride, maintain it, and provide it with utilities. KI already recently added Mystic Timbers without replacing a less popular attraction. Now, KI will also be adding Antique Cars. They have also added a new restaurant.

All of these additions require a lot more bodies. If you've paid any attention to the struggles of staffing throughout the industry you'll know that parks are having a real problem finding qualified bodies. Even if the park can easily budget for the extra cost for manpower, maintenance, and utilities, staffing will likely become an issue. Look into the nightmare that happened at Hershey last weekend or the constant complaints about Cedar Point Haunts.

In fact, I’d take firehawk over any B&M forceless flyer any day of the week.

Your lone opinion doesn't change my observations of every B&M flyer line being always packed, even despite their seemingly better capacity. And of course, we all know that B&M builds complete piles of shit roller coasters with no forces... All of the park visitors hate them.

Did Firehawk have three trains when it was at Geauga Lake? It's dumb to have a dual loading station for just two trains. Firehawk's capacity is the only drawback for me. It's a fun coaster and I'll take it over a B&M flyer any day.

Did Firehawk have three trains when it was at Geauga Lake? It's dumb to have a dual loading station for just two trains. Firehawk's capacity is the only drawback for me. It's a fun coaster and I'll take it over a B&M flyer any day.

Yes.. and no. It was designed for 3 and 3 were delivered to the park. But it never ran 3. And the 3rd train quickly turned into a parts train in the first season and was cannibalized over the course of it's life there. It only ran 3 trains for testing, never for the public.

Source: I was a ride op for X-Flight at SFWoA in 2001 the year it opened.

I think they would have a big “going away” for Vortex. It’s not fun to me anymore, but I have great memories from the year it opened. It was the first six loop coaster, and a big deal at the time. Good memories.

Firehawk is fun

I just can't see Vortex being the ride that is removed. It's really popular with the GP, no matter how much enthusiasts love to hate it. Plus it really fits well with the aesthetic of the Coney Mall area with its classic feel. Removing it would really detract from the atmosphere of that area IMO.

Firehawk, on the other hand, is apparently a maintenance nightmare. It has never really fit in well with the Kings Island coaster line up, and I think a lot of people just kind of forget that it's there since it's sort of out of the way. Plus, it's blocking in what could potentially be a pretty large expansion area.

I haven't seen any diagrams of where the Antique Cars are going. If I were shooting from the hip, I'd say that the entrance is going to be between Firehawk and Racer, closer to racer. Firehawk will be removed and next year's B&M will go in its place, which I say has the strong possibility of being a giga. X-Base, or whatever it's called, can always be renamed or removed in general. That could really liven up that awkward area of the park. Of course, all of this is void if anyone has seen any concrete plans for the cars.

The park actually announced the location when they announced the cars return, but they never provided any pictures.

The ride will be located directly on Coney Mall between the old arcade which houses Kill Mart, and the restrooms next to Wind Seeker. It will also extend into about half of the midway and they have already torn down the peach basket game since it will extend that far out. When I was at the park on Sunday, most of the area has been cleared but the giant concrete footer for flight commander still needs to be removed. If I go to the park next weekend I will take a few pictures.

Did Firehawk have three trains when it was at Geauga Lake? It's dumb to have a dual loading station for just two trains. Firehawk's capacity is the only drawback for me. It's a fun coaster and I'll take it over a B&M flyer any day.

You've obviously never ridden NIghthawk at Carowinds and been stuck there on the holding brakes while it took 10 minutes (or more) to dispatch the train in the station. It's not comfortable. Add in the sun? worse. It has a "shade structure". but it's translucent so it still bakes you in the summer heat. There is nothing wrong with Firehawk having a dual load station with only 2 trains.

It's Firehawk.

Check out the description on the official KI page:

Wonder what it’s like to fly? One ride on Firehawk and you’ll know as it takes you more than 115 feet into the air and through five inversions in a flying position, facing the ground and watching everyone and everything below race by in a blue. Once riders are seated, the train seats are tilted backwards into a laying down position and dispatched. The train travels in reverse out of the station, turns left and then travels up the 115-foot life hill at a 33-degree angle. At the top of the lift, it dips down into a twist that turns the trains upside down into a flying position where riders face the ground and experience the unconceivable feeling of flight. Riders fly at speeds up to 51 mph along 3,340 feet of track on Ohio’s only flying coaster. It’s an experienced that you’ll remember for a long, long time!

Firstly it's just awkward, and probably contains more than I'm able to point out at a glance but notice: Blue, life, "unconceivable", experienced

Deliberate misspellings/clues?

That might be a stretch.

Hmm, this is an interesting tweet, I'm thinking Racer, Vortex, or Beast (shall we start donning riot gear now or later if it is Beast?):

Don Helbig

@DonHelbig

Rumors confirmed. A roller coaster will be removed at Kings Island. #KingsIsland #RestInPiecesKI #ItsBigItsGone #RIP2018KI

No way that it's Beast, so much of the park's legacy is tied to that coaster. Vortex and Firehawk are the two strongest contenders. For all I'm concerned, they can both go.

Of course it's not going to be the Beast.

If it was though. I just...can't imagine what the reaction would be from Cincinnati and the tri-state area. It just wouldn't happen. There would be people coming forward with money, construction/carpentry/engineering skills to help fix it up, anything and everything to keep it going.

The Beast is a staple of Cincinnati right there with Skyline Chili, High School sports, Reds Baseball, and the Crosstown Shootout. That's why KI doesn't even joke about it. I think there's a quote somewhere that immediately shoots down any thought that it's going to be RMC'd.

The Racer and Vortex are right behind the Beast in that mindset, and I'd rather them "Racer 75" the Racer than RMC/GCI it. Racer 75 is in immaculate condition this year.

As for Vortex, I don't know any other steel coaster type other than Python of Efteling that has had a treatment to keep it up. Vortex has a big local following but the current state it's in says a lot. The trains are run down, it needs repainted, and I'm sure there are a handful of other things that need to be redone. That being said whenever I'm at KI it's always running, 3 trains operating, and has a low height requirement.

Weeee shalll seeee...