Honestly, I think Apollo's Chariot was a lot smoother than Diamondback ever was when I rode it last summer. Just my two cents. Could have something to do with the 4 across trains compared to the staggered trains on DB.

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I was actually getting some pretty strong ejector on DB when I rode it a few times front row today. Plus, super smooth, you can definitely notice a difference between back row and front row. Plus it was an inside seat too which helps more.

I fit in the test seat but not the ride??? oh well, more incentive I guess

Well that doesn’t make sense....

I believe that the smoothness can also be attributed to the types of wheels.  I believe that there are two different kinds of polyurethane wheels that can be used on B&Ms.  I forget where I read this, maybe something that Shaggy had posted.  One type can produce more vibration, but lasts longer.  Another type that absorbs some of the vibration, but needs to be replaced more often.  

Here's a really cool video which more or less explains why Orion was built the way it was

 

2 hours ago, FreedomPenguin said:

Well that doesn’t make sense....

it really just depends on the ride ops and whether they will staple you in or not

2 hours ago, CoastersRZ said:

I believe that the smoothness can also be attributed to the types of wheels.  I believe that there are two different kinds of polyurethane wheels that can be used on B&Ms.  I forget where I read this, maybe something that Shaggy had posted.  One type can produce more vibration, but lasts longer.  Another type that absorbs some of the vibration, but needs to be replaced more often.  

There are two types of wheels, but its more that one is harder for use in colder weather, and one is softer for use in warmer weather.  The softer wheels cause more drag so the train losses more speed through the ride but also give a more comfortable ride.  On Diamondback you can tell when they swap them since they are different colors.

2 hours ago, SonofBaconator said:

Here's a really cool video which more or less explains why Orion was built the way it was

 

Great video. I don't think anyone's upset about how long the break run is. It seems like everyone gets the value of an additional block so they can cycle more trains without needing a midcourse. It's just how high they are that suggests how much momentum the trains have left, that they could have burned off with additional track length. But again, totally understandable that Cedar Fair wouldn't want to give KI the extra money for track length when the normal park-goer doesn't know or care and they'd likely get the same return with or without the longer ride (in a normal, non-covid year, that is). Easy to see it as a missed opportunity to make something truly spectacular, but business is business. 

20 hours ago, SonofBaconator said:

Here's a really cool video which more or less explains why Orion was built the way it was

 

If the term giga coaster is just a marketing term from Cedar Fair, then I guess we should start calling them what they are per manufacturer. Which if I’m not mistaken per B&M’s website that would make Orion a hyper coaster.

 

-Troy running for the exit.

18 minutes ago, Tr0y said:

If the term giga coaster is just a marketing term from Cedar Fair, then I guess we should start calling them what they are per manufacturer. Which if I’m not mistaken per B&M’s website that would make Orion a hyper coaster.

 

-Troy running for the exit.

B&M refers to all their coasters with clamshell restraints as mega coasters.  

Finally got to ride orion in the back row.  Drop was better in the back.  Speed hill better in the front.  Trim grabbed hard, no airtime at the top and floater on exit.  Banked hill before brakes better in the back.  Daughter ranks it third out of millenium & i305.  We have ridden in rows 1,2,8.

Having ridden Orion a few more times, the ride really is the best in the world, in my opinion. It’s neat that the ride is built 287 feet tall on top of a berm, so that the ride towers over everything else. In fact I think the vertical distance between the top of Orion and the lowest part of Kings Island is larger than the respective values for Fury 325.

That being said, the ride is intense in the pull-out sections of the drop. I feel the wave turn is neat as it provides some floater airtime with lateral g forces. The reverse treble clef has a good pop of air with stronger airtime. The speed hill is intense, and the camelback hill is absolutely insane. To put it into perspective, the fifth hill of Orion is as tall as the second hill of SFOG’s Goliath. The helix is intense, and the final off axis airtime element before the brakes is intense.

The ride is a world class addition to a world class park!

2 hours ago, coaster sally said:

Finally got to ride orion in the back row.  Drop was better in the back.  Speed hill better in the front.  Trim grabbed hard, no airtime at the top and floater on exit.  Banked hill before brakes better in the back.  Daughter ranks it third out of millenium & i305.  We have ridden in rows 1,2,8.

No airtime at the top of the floater hill? That's something I have surely never heard before...

I have now read dozens of comments around the internet on how Orion may have the best drop out of all the giga coasters. Everybody who has ever called Orion a "hyper" can officially insert foot in mouth now.

My toe cut my lip.

Just for fun, here is the data from Ride Forces, combined front and back row:

How does this compare to the other gigas? 

How does this compare to the other gigas? 

In my opinion...

I’ve ridden all of the North America giga.

 

1) Fury

2) leviathan

3) millennium force

4) Orion

5) i305

 

Based on the front row experience only I might move Orion to slightly higher. But the back row was awful. There were just too much Gs and the ride wasn’t comfortable (hence why I have i305 as #5). It got good speed, but it seemed like that speed was then used to make a lot of turns and twists... where the top two in this list use their speed to mostly move “forward” and thus feel more like you’re just flying through the track.

 

I’ve ridden 3 times.

Front was fun, but nothing amazing other than the first drop and the banked hill.

Back was awful. Like if I wait in line and then I’m told that I can’t wait for something near the front and most ride in a row near the back, is honestly rather just walk through and not ride at all.

 

 

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12 hours ago, chuck norris said:

In my opinion...

I’ve ridden all of the North America giga.

 

1) Fury

2) leviathan

3) millennium force

4) Orion

5) i305

 

Based on the front row experience only I might move Orion to slightly higher. But the back row was awful. There were just too much Gs and the ride wasn’t comfortable (hence why I have i305 as #5). It got good speed, but it seemed like that speed was then used to make a lot of turns and twists... where the top two in this list use their speed to mostly move “forward” and thus feel more like you’re just flying through the track.

 

I’ve ridden 3 times.

Front was fun, but nothing amazing other than the first drop and the banked hill.

Back was awful. Like if I wait in line and then I’m told that I can’t wait for something near the front and most ride in a row near the back, is honestly rather just walk through and not ride at all.

 

 

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I’m having trouble making such a list. Especially since O doesn’t really have the “feel” of a giga. I’d put 305 over MF, but comparing the others is like comparing Wicked Twister to Invertigo, in which they’re just similar enough that you feel like they SHOULD be compared.

I don’t feel ya with the back seat. I didn’t find it uncomfortable at all. I did, however, just get my first front row seat yesterday and WOW! Now I know what everyone is talking about. 

-0.5 g's proves there is no strong airtime even on the speed hill.  Rides like skyrush and el toro have moments of ‐2.0g's.

16 minutes ago, coaster sally said:

-0.5 g's proves there is no strong airtime even on the speed hill.  Rides like skyrush and el toro have moments of ‐2.0g's.

Idk where you got those numbers from but I found a force chart for El Toro and it’s lowest is -1.3g. Anything less then 0.0g is stronger airtime then floater and when you get that much sustained airtime on the speed hill it’s just fantastic. Orion has more total airtime also.

13 minutes ago, Fishely said:

Idk where you got those numbers from but I found a force chart for El Toro and it’s lowest is -1.3g. Anything less then 0.0g is stronger airtime then floater and when you get that much sustained airtime on the speed hill it’s just fantastic. Orion has more total airtime also.

Its widely known that the rolling thunder hill provides -2 g's and skyrush's first hill and last hil.

4 minutes ago, coaster sally said:

Its widely known that the rolling thunder hill provides -2 g's and skyrush's first hill and last hil.

Let’s say it does provide -2 g’s of airtime which means we have to assume the Ride Forces app is wrong. What’s not to say the app also greatly underestimated Orion’s airtime?

2 minutes ago, FUN&ONLY! said:

Let’s say it does provide -2 g’s of airtime which means we have to assume the Ride Forces app is wrong. What’s not to say the app also greatly underestimated Orion’s airtime?

Your experience 

Your experience 

Yes because everyone can tell with 100% accuracy how much force each hill has with their mind and that makes a app specifically designed to measure ride forces incorrect.

Shake, Rattle & Roll debuted 45 years ago. Guests loved it! Today its opening would result in a thread comparing it to other similar type rides, debates about the ride's colors, the lighting package, how the queue was set up, etc. Once upon a time, people just enjoyed the ride. 

1 minute ago, Fishely said:

Yes because everyone can tell with 100% accuracy how much force each hill has with their mind and that makes a app specifically designed to measure ride forces incorrect.

Its widely known that the rolling thunder hill produces over -2.0 g's.  This recording may have been when it was a cold early day or anything else etc.

2 minutes ago, coaster sally said:

Its widely known that the rolling thunder hill produces over -2.0 g's.  This recording may have been when it was a cold early day or anything else etc.

Maybe you just rode Orion under some unfavorable conditions. I don’t know. The vast majority of people say that Orion gives some pretty strong airtime, and I can agree with that having ridden it. Like @DonHelbig said, let’s just enjoy the ride! We don’t need to compare Orion to other giga coasters, let alone Skyrush and El Toro which are completely different rides.

2 minutes ago, FUN&ONLY! said:

Maybe you just rode Orion under some unfavorable conditions. I don’t know. The vast majority of people say that Orion gives some pretty strong airtime, and I can agree with that having ridden it. Like @DonHelbig said, let’s just enjoy the ride! We don’t need to compare Orion to other giga coasters, let alone Skyrush and El Toro which are completely different rides.

Haven't read anyone say Orion is a horrible ride?