Driver8rws

I don't see no stinking media..

I honestly had a dream last night that I was watching a news story on TV where they were reporting they couldn't finish the last piece because they didn't have the correct bolts!!

Weatherbug camera still shows Vortex better than nothing...

Wow! Strange they'd work on a Sunday in crappy weather...

Does anyone understand why this is being called an "AUCTION"? https://www.visitkingsisland.com/play/events/orion-first-riders-auction They SURE make it SOUND like all you have to do is raise a minimum of $150 in donations you are "IN" to attend the event on April 9 with "unlimited" rides on Orion. Where does the "auction" part of the name come in? They never say they are "auctioning off" the chance to ride or anything like that... $150 of other people's money gets me a ride as one of the first people???

Webcam looks like it has Vaseline on the lens today...

This was surely already brought up, but doesn't Kings Island have ANYONE under their employment that knows how to change the NAME of the cam from "Kings Island Banshee" to "Orion"???!! Also, "Diamondback cam" is down/not working for me...

Wait and go the first Monday they're open and ride it 20 times!

Yea... I guess so. I've ridden the 4 other Cedar Fair gigas and the Orion station just seems smaller. Maybe it's just the pictures and how BIG everything else around it is...

Doesn't the "station" seem incredibly small? Is that all of it? Just the one "hangar" shape?

Beautiful day (cold but SUNNY!) and nothing going on seems like... Maybe they got the whole week off?

You mean we WON'T SEE....right? The track is almost off the edge of the webcam right now.

Gaaack! It looks like seafoam green in that video! Must be yellow lighting. Much more "blue" in the photos above. I hope KI has one of these trains sitting at the ENTRANCE to Winter Fest to see up close in person! They USED to do that all the time when a new ride was coming...

I keep forgetting that after the uphill spiral at the end there's a "head chopper" run right under that tiny space at the bottom of the drop! Looking at the webcam images seems pretty tight right in there! Super cool.

When something gets moved from this discussion to another one can you PLEASE give a link to what that other one is??

Uhhhhh.... WHAT webcam???

Here's the views at 6pm Thurs evening.... Btw, the BIG white crane is NOT in the parking lot.

Ha! Guess not! I just thought he was just really confused...

Uhhh... They're nowhere close to topping the hill...

Just drove by Kings Island at 8:45. Both cranes at the construction site are vertical right now so they must be getting ready to do something... Btw, the giant white crane base is still in the parking lot. Didn't realize there was no webcam or I would have taken some pictures for all the "hungry" people out there...

JUST drove by on I-71. Definitely a good sized white crane with its boom fully extended in the northern end of the parking lot with what looks to be red boom pieces of the giant crane (Zeus) around it.

Diamondback is 10 times better than Intimdator @ Carrowinds.

I would LOVE a Maverick style ride there! But I don't think it's enough room... The spot/terrain/location just screams dive coaster to me.

I think it's a great move by the park. Totally thought this would happen 3 years ago after the 30th year! However, at that time I thought they'd get a new coaster out of it... Kings Island has always said when a ride stops being an "enjoyable experience" for the riders it's time for it to go. Vortex has turned into a horrible slam machine that bashes your head and throws you all over. Like someone else said though, I WILL hate for it to not "be there" and SEE it all the time (still neat looking with all its loops), but I sure won't miss riding it. Does seem weird how they are so abruptly doing it though. Did they count Vortex in the "xxx" miles of track that they were boasting KI would have after Orion??? GREAT memories of this ride. I remember the "robot hand" commercial on TV the year it was coming to the park and being so excited. (And then so shocked/dumbfounded a few years ago when I went to Carrowinds the first time and saw a ride with the SAME EXACT LOGO! And then same AGAIN at Canadas Wonderland the next year!) I can totally remember my first ride on it in early 1987 with my dad, and thinking the drop was SO tall and SO STEEP! Also remember countless rides on it in subsequent years (89-92) when in high school going to the park with friends and thinking it was such an AMAZING coaster and riding it again and again! All the more reason I HATE what it has become. Took my son on it for his first time in 2012 (front seat) and couldn't believe how horrible it was. He's only ridden it once since then and hates it. I've ridden it maybe 4 times since then trying different places in the cars and they are all terrible. Sorry to say it, but DEFINITELY time to GO. Just thought we'd get something NEW in exchange... Guess we are, sort of... Turns out Firehawk was just collateral damage I suppose because of its location.

No live stream on the blog yet....