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Orion (roller coaster)

Coordinates: 39°20′33.84″N 84°15′45.82″W / 39.3427333°N 84.2627278°W / 39.3427333; -84.2627278
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Orion
Kings Island
LocationKings Island
Park sectionArea 72
Coordinates39°20′33.84″N 84°15′45.82″W / 39.3427333°N 84.2627278°W / 39.3427333; -84.2627278
StatusOperating
Soft opening dateJuly 1, 2020 (2020-07-01)
Opening dateJuly 2, 2020 (2020-07-02)
Cost$30 Million
ReplacedFirehawk
Dinosaurs Alive!
General statistics
TypeSteel
ManufacturerBolliger & Mabillard
ModelHyper Coaster
Lift/launch systemChain lift hill
Height287 ft (87 m)
Drop300 ft (91 m)
Length5,321 ft (1,622 m)
Speed91 mph (146 km/h)
Inversions0
Duration3:00
Max vertical angle85[1]°
Capacity1,650 riders per hour
Height restriction54 in (137 cm)
Trains3 trains with 8 cars. Riders are arranged 4 across in a single row for a total of 32 riders per train.
Fast Lane available
Orion at RCDB
A blue roller coaster's first drop, with a 8 car train about to go down it.
The first drop of Orion

Orion /ɒrˈaɪˈɪn/ is a steel roller coaster located at Kings Island amusement park in Mason, Ohio. Manufactured by Bolliger & Mabillard, Orion became the seventh giga coaster in the world when it opened to the public on July 2, 2020. It is the largest investment in Kings Island's history, costing an estimated $30 million.[2][3] The coaster stands 287 feet (87 m), features a 300-foot drop (91 m), and reaches a maximum speed of 91 mph (146 km/h).[2][3] It is situated in the Area 72 section of the park on a site formerly occupied by Firehawk.[2]

History

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In early 2019, Kings Island submitted construction blueprints to the City of Mason for approval.[4] Dennis Speigel, a former park executive who helped with the transition from Coney Island to Kings Island in the early 1970s,[5] speculated that the blueprints revealed a likely height estimate of at least 300 feet (91 m), qualifying it as a giga coaster.[4] The plans were approved on April 24, 2019.[4] Cedar Fair also applied for national trademarks for the names Orion and Polaris as a marketing teaser tactic to keep enthusiasts guessing between the two.[4] On August 15, 2019, Kings Island held an evening event open to both the media and public that officially announced the new coaster as Orion.[6] It was confirmed to have a 300-foot drop (91 m), making it the seventh giga coaster in the world.[2][3] The announcement also stated that the unofficial X-Base section of the park would be revamped and renamed Area 72 for the 2020 season.[6]

In November 2019, Orion's train design was revealed at the annual International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA) Amusement Expo in Orlando.[7][8] Unlike previous train configurations from B&M that feature staggered, two-seat rows, Orion's trains were designed to seat four across in a straight line.[7][8]

In February 2020, Orion successfully completed its first test run.[9] It was originally scheduled to open on April 11, 2020, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the opening was postponed to July 2, 2020.[10][11] A media preview event was held the previous day on July 1, 2020.[12]

Ride experience

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Queue

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Guests enter the Fort Mason Research Compound by walking through the entrance building, which was originally the Firehawk photo booth. The line starts with a zig-zag portion followed by a staircase. This leads to a large area with switchbacks and winding paths. There are some posters that are shown on a fence. A blue concrete pylon can be spotted in the area with a stamp that reads Radium XL-200, a reference to Magnum XL-200 at Cedar Point. The same pylons are seen near the Meteor Canteen restaurant. The stamps on these pylons read Metamorphic-VTBC, a reference to Volcano: The Blast Coaster at Kings Dominion, Igneous-12E, a reference to Disaster Transport at Cedar Point and Sedimentary-325, a reference to Fury 325 at Carowinds. Two buildings are seen in the queue that are labeled Outpost 87 and Outpost 07. Guests enter a research office, where a video is played on the screens. The area contains several lockers and office desks. A bulletin board can be found with references to other attractions, including Zodiac, Skylab, Vortex and Invertigo. Guests exit the research office and head into the station, where they board the ride.[13][14]

Layout

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Upon leaving the station, the train climbs a 287-foot (87 m) chain lift hill. Upon reaching the peak, it drops 300 feet (91 m), reaching 91 mph (146 km/h). The train speeds through a 174-foot (53 m) banked airtime hill and a 202-foot (62 m) horseshoe. It makes its way through a 56-foot (17 m) airtime hill. This is followed by a 147-foot (45 m) airtime hill with a trim brake. The train zooms through a 125-foot (38 m) spiral before passing the on-ride camera. Then, the train goes through a left turn into two more airtime hills measuring 90 feet (27 m) and 83 feet (25 m). Following this, the train slows down on the brake run, makes a left turn and returns to the station.[15]

Reception

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On December 30, 2020, it was announced that Orion won the 2020 "Best New Amusement Park Attraction" in the USA TODAY 10Best National Readers' Poll.[16]

Golden Ticket Awards: Top steel Roller Coasters
Year 2021 2022 2023 2024
Ranking 31[17] 20[18] 27[19] 43[20]

References

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  1. ^ "Kings Island's new giga coaster uses rolling terrain to its advantage". daytondailynews. October 8, 2019. Retrieved March 6, 2020.
  2. ^ a b c d Glaser, Susan (August 15, 2019). "Kings Island announces new space-themed coaster Orion, with 300-foot first hill". The Plain Dealer. Retrieved August 16, 2019. Koontz said the coaster represented "the single largest investment in Kings Island history."
  3. ^ a b c Mitchell, Madeline (August 15, 2019). "Kings Island announces newest roller coaster, Orion, park's largest and longest coaster". Cincinnati Enquirer. Retrieved August 16, 2019.
  4. ^ a b c d Matarese, John (May 9, 2019). "Kings Island files blueprints for new coaster". wcpo.com. WCPO Cincinnati. Retrieved August 16, 2019.
  5. ^ Keeter, John (May 20, 2019). "Kings Island rolled out the carpet for some of its biggest fans at Coasterstock 2019". Kings Island. Retrieved June 29, 2020.
  6. ^ a b "Orion: Kings Island". Kings Island. Retrieved August 16, 2019.
  7. ^ a b Ozana, Rus (November 21, 2019). "Kings Island Orion Train Cars Revealed". ACE Online. American Coaster Enthusiasts. Retrieved January 26, 2020.
  8. ^ a b MacDonald, Brady (November 19, 2019). "11 best roller coaster and thrill ride reveals at massive Florida theme park expo". The Orange County Register. Retrieved January 26, 2020.
  9. ^ King's Island PR [@KingsIslandPR] (22 February 2020). "After months of construction, Orion completed its first test run at 5:29 p.m. today. Video just released from park officials shows one of the ride's three trains climbing the lift hill and plummeting down the 300-foot first drop" (Tweet). Retrieved 23 February 2020 – via Twitter.
  10. ^ Schwartzberg, Eric (March 20, 2020). "Kings Island postpones opening day for more than a month". Journal-News. Retrieved April 1, 2020.
  11. ^ Schwartzberg, Eric (June 14, 2020). "Kings Island opening will finally debut the planet's seventh 'giga' coaster, Orion". Dayton Daily News. Retrieved June 29, 2020.
  12. ^ Glaser, Susan (July 1, 2020). "Taking flight on Kings Island's new Orion coaster (and yes, you can scream through a mask)". cleveland.com. Retrieved July 2, 2020.
  13. ^ "KINGS ISLAND'S ORION ROLLER COASTER A STORY-DRIVEN ATTRACTION". Kings Island.
  14. ^ Stilwell, Andrew (July 2, 2020). "The Hidden Easter Eggs of Orion". Coaster101. Retrieved February 16, 2021.
  15. ^ Marden, Duane. "Orion  (Kings Island)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved February 16, 2021.
  16. ^ "Best New Amusement Park Attraction Winners (2020) | USA TODAY 10Best". 10Best. Retrieved 2021-01-04.
  17. ^ "2021 Golden Ticket Award Winners". Golden Ticket Awards. Amusement Today. September 2021. Archived from the original on November 15, 2021.
  18. ^ "2022 Golden Ticket Award Winners". Golden Ticket Awards. Amusement Today. September 2022. Archived from the original on September 12, 2022.
  19. ^ "2023 Golden Ticket Award Winners". Amusement Today. 27 (6.2): 66–70. September 2023. Archived from the original on September 10, 2023.
  20. ^ "2024 Golden Ticket Award Winners". Golden Ticket Awards. Amusement Today. September 2024. Archived from the original on September 9, 2024.
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