Ok as i mentioned in my Trip Report, DT was down all weekend. I was not there on Friday so I am not sure how true it is but i heard more than a couple people throughout the park this weekend tell me it was struck by lightning during the storms on Friday.

NOW- we went to the ride attendants who were sitting there(has to be a boring day for them) and they told us they had no idea why it wasnt working. (find that hard to believe)

Anyone have any info on that? I am not a DT fan, just interesting not seeing it run.

It was running earlier on Friday. But yes, there was a lightning strike in the direction of Drop Tower Friday evening that scared the beejeezus out of everyone (I saw the flash from the Coney Mall Arcade but not the actual bolt). I suspected then that Drop Tower got hit, and with it not operating since then; it gives one reason to speculate.

We were there Sunday morning. At 11:00am WindSeeker was down, Drop Tower was down, Delirium was down. The results were amazingly long lines every where else. You really don't think about how much high capacity rides like these spread out the crowds until they go down. With all 3 down at once, it was really noticeable. The line for AE was out near the entrance, FoF outside que was full too.

Was hunkered down in the Festhaus when said lightning strike occurred. I thought I remember DT operating after that, but not sure.

Winderseeker wasn't operating on friday either.

Overhead the elevator operator on the Eiffel Tower mention that Drop Tower was struck by lightening.

One would assume they'd have lightening rods in those things, and the downtime would be minimal, perhaps there are checks that have to be run that couldn't take place either saturday or sunday.

It probably has something to do with that lightning. The purple lifter that takes the gondola up the tower was just sitting at the top point on the tower.

I noticed that the lifter was nearly to the top of the tower as well. I found that pretty odd...

The claw parks at the top of tower when the ride is closed.

Mother natures fury, but why was WindSeeker, and such down, understand the Drop Tower for the lightning strike

I heard that insanely loud crack of thunder in the Festhaus, and everyone jumped and screamed a bit. It was probably the loudest thunder I ever heard!

Although WindSeeker looks like it's down for other reasons, it is possible that the large lightning strike at the park Friday night was a forked bolt containing multiple strokes, which could have struck multiple objects in the park such as WindSeeker, Drop Tower, and the Eiffel Tower; all from the same discharge.

But if the bolt struck near DT, the charge can reach all the way over to WS? Wow. Lightning is crazy!

I was standing next to viking fury hunkering down next to the claw games, and watched Drop Tower get struck by lightining not once, but twice. I felt a buzzing sensation, right before that strike. Scared the living daylights outta me, and the 2 boys with there dads.

But if the bolt struck near DT, the charge can reach all the way over to WS? Wow. Lightning is crazy!

Yes, the "runners" of a lightning bolt are able to travel significantly far distances. Here is an old video from NYC where the same bolt strikes both the old World Trade Center and the Empire State Building at the same time, which are pretty a pretty good distance from each other.

Wow, we rode the DT around 1:00 on Friday. We left the park around 3:00. Glad we didn't stay!!

Also, I was asking a park employee at The Vortex why WindSeeker was down and someone said that all of the 4 older models of WindSeeker are down around the country because they had to make a modification to the ride.

But if the bolt struck near DT, the charge can reach all the way over to WS? Wow. Lightning is crazy!

Yes, the "runners" of a lightning bolt are able to travel significantly far distances. Here is an old video from NYC where the same bolt strikes both the old World Trade Center and the Empire State Building at the same time, which are pretty a pretty good distance from each other.

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Wow. That is pretty cool! Thanks for sharing that!

I was there Friday as well when the storms hit. Regarding the strike that hit Drop Tower: we were hiding in Boo Blasters' exit when the hair on my arms stood straight up, super bright lightning shone through every crack in the building and I heard the loudest BANG I've ever heard in my life. It scared me so badly that my heartbeat actually slowed down. It was terrifying.

I wish I was there. I love storms.

Just a quick update. I did see Drop Tower cycling today at around 4:00pm. This is good news! Hopefully it will be open this weekend.

So will WindSeeker

I heard that insanely loud crack of thunder in the Festhaus, and everyone jumped and screamed a bit. It was probably the loudest thunder I ever heard!

was sitting in the festhaus with one of my daughters hunkered down on the floor by the giant claw game for that flash/BOOM!

Well my son and I were driving Friday night towards KI and we drove right through the storm that must have hit there. It was the worst I have ever driven through. Lightning every 20 seconds at least.

Got to wait out Friday's storm in the loading area of Diamondback. There were a lot of screams when that lightning cracked. The rain was coming in horizontally, which was particularly annoying when it hailed.

I'm glad that nobody was injured during the storms.

It sounded rather violent.

Did the park alert guests to seek shelter?

I'm glad that nobody was injured during the storms.

It sounded rather violent.

Did the park alert guests to seek shelter?

Just to add to your question, I know that it has been mentioned before, I just forget where.

Being in the midwest, I wonder if Kings Island has organized procedures, as well as multiple shelters in the event of a tornado. I did see a video of people hiding in the basement under Action Theater during a tornado warning, but does the park have any other practical shelters solely for this purpose?

I'm glad that nobody was injured during the storms.

It sounded rather violent.

Did the park alert guests to seek shelter?

Just to add to your question, I know that it has been mentioned before, I just forget where.

Being in the midwest, I wonder if Kings Island has organized procedures, as well as multiple shelters in the event of a tornado. I did see a video of people hiding in the basement under Action Theater during a tornado warning, but does the park have any other practical shelters solely for this purpose?

I'm not sure what KI's procedures are because i have never been at KI during a tornado, but i was at Cedar Point during one and i was inline for Disaster Transport. They had us go into the other part of the building where the que line is where the working props were at. We couldn't leave no matter what till they gave us the all clear. I know that the BLSC has a tornado shelter in the steel buildings they have around the ride. Seen the signs.

The big steel building in Rivertown is a tornado shelter

Well realistically, could you use the Kings Island Theater? Or the big steel building by Invertigo? (That's offices, correct?)

Every ride, has a general area that they need to go to if they need to go to a Tornado Shelter. For example, if you are at Diamondback and need to get to a Tornado Shelter, you'd go below the station

What about Flight of Fear? Open up all the switchbacks and fill everyone into the line.