Ride Review 3: Orion at Kings Island

I am still a novice coaster enthusiast. Frankly, beyond the basic "requirement" of enjoying coasters, I do not intend to ever cross the financial barrier of traveling the continent and the world, pushing my credit count into the stratosphere. Fortunately, I live in the U.S. Midwest, putting me within a day's drive of many destination parks, and putting most of the world's giga coasters within reasonable grasp. When Orion was announced in August of 2019, I began eyeing a Kings Island excursion (expedited by the September announcement of Vortex's closure), enjoying the thrill of following a ride from announcement to opening for the first time. 

Without the benefit of foresight, I purchased a Cedar Fair Platinum Pass in the fall of 2019 and a FastLane Plus voucher during Kings Island's President's Day sale. This put me in a position of good luck that was downright absurd when I took a trip to Mason, Ohio in the park's first week of operation for the 2020 season. I can count myself among Orion's earliest riders, and thanks to my wristband, I was able to score three laps on a day where single-issue boarding passes were distributed to mitigate the crowds packing into Area 72, its themed area.

Trip Report 4: Kings Island - Tuesday, July 7, 2020

Just less than a week after Kings Island's much-anticipated 2020 opening, I couldn't help but make the trip there myself, to follow up on my first experience at the park in quiet Fall conditions. I am developing a knack for making solo trips, although I think that two is enough from my hometown to Mason, Ohio. The drive wears on one's soul eventually, so short of another massive coaster addition (or subtraction), I think any future Kings Island trip will be accompanied.

In some ways, this trip could not have been more different from my first. A forty-degree difference in temperature had a drastic effect on the crowds, the ride performance, and my mood. The coronavirus safety measures were one part minor nuisance and nine parts welcome reassurance, but suffice it to say that they changed the atmosphere around the park. For me personally, knowing my way around the park also emboldened me a little bit, as far as chasing impulses rather than trying to stick to an "itinerary," once my principal missions had been accomplished (more below).

Finally, the park has seen two immense changes in its coaster lineup in the last nine months. Vortex is no longer standing; she will be sorely missed. (For some of you, though not for me, pun fully intended.) What was just a brake run in October is now the world's seventh giga coaster, Orion. I was blown away, even driving down OH-63 a few miles northwest of the park, at just how gigantic a presence Orion holds. It is visible from just about anywhere in the park, yet somehow has a way of sneaking into the backdrop. When it catches one's notice, the ride's massive scope causes a pang of intimidation every time.

Ride Review 2: Steel Hawg at Indiana Beach

I hemmed, I hawed, and I took a deep inner look at my better judgment, but ultimately I decided to make a trip to Indiana Beach during its first full week of operations for the 2020 season. In 90 short minutes, I got to experience a classic Schwarzkopf, a pair of very good CCI woodies, and an Alan Schilke fever dream.

Trip Report 3: Indiana Beach - Monday, June 29, 2020

(Once upon a time, I had promised that my first trip report would be the only one with a preface. I did not foresee the circumstances under which we would be navigating day-to-day life, and this trip, to this park in particular, demands another preface.)

Indiana Beach received a sudden shock this winter when its owners, Apex Parks Group, announced the closure of the park without warning. Then, as suddenly as it was gone, it was back, thanks to the ambition of Chicago businessman Gene Staples. Wasting no time, Staples and team had the park up and running for a June 26 VIP event and a June 27 grand opening.

While the narrative mostly tells a redemption story for the park and for White County, Indiana, footage from the VIP event has already generated controversy from the unregulated guest behavior on display. The state of Indiana has been among the least-restrictive in the region as far as business closures, but heading into Friday's event, new COVID-19 case rates remained on an overall decline. Nevertheless, an event like this, which brought many travelers from out-of-state, posed an outbreak risk if infected individuals came into the park and behaved carelessly.