I think the worst decision for KI was removing Vortex before they were ready to replace it with something equally as good or better. That is a prime spot for a roller coaster and it's been just sitting there empty and will for at least another year. Orion is perfectly good as it is and every ride could have been made better by spending more money. At least Orion has some decent theming while none of the other giga coasters have much of any. 99.5% of people do not care about stats and aren't going to ride other giga coasters to compare it.
Vortex had to be removed. Metal fatigue did the old girl in. It was beat. I have one of the track slices they sold of it. Its beat to heck. Removing Vortex still stings me to this day. I dont see anything going in there until 2024 or 2025. Sadly.
I suspect they removed Vortex a few years before they intended due to maintenance or safety reasons. They had just removed Firehawk the year before and it's highly unusual for parks to remove coasters two years in a row. They probably wanted to keep Vortex a few more years until they could place something there but couldn't
Not to mention Firehawk was objectively a worse decision for the park. Having a ride with painfully slow operations by design, tons of downtime, and a limited lifespan isn't exactly great for one of the most highly-attended parks in the country. I liked Firehawk a lot too but it wasn't gonna last and didn't make much of an impact when it was there.
From what i was told from a worker thats been at KI for a long time, the reaason Vortex was taken out was becasue the ground was sinking.. wether or not thats true idk.. jsut what i was told...
@@eddiekatura4465 not true at all. That was a long-standing old wives' tale about the ride. It was just a combination of increasing maintenance costs, metal fatigue, and low ridership.
Personally I enjoy Orion’s layout and I have nothing wrong with it. I’ve ridden all the North American Giga’s and it’s my 2nd favorite. It’s is my mom’s favorite coaster and she’s ridden Fury. The fact that it was originally a hyper coaster layout makes me happy with what we got because they weren’t going to heavily modify to make it like Fury. That’s just me tho
No problems here with Orion's layout, just wish it had more air time. It's weird to think that this coaster came 5 years after Fury but is a significant downgrade. I have Orion ranked above Millennium Force but below Diamondback (have ridden all three in the past week). On Monday June 20, 2022 at sunset, Orion got stuck at the very top of the lift hill for over an hour, basically becoming a dive coaster for those in the front row. An employee eventually had to walk up to the top and trigger something that pushed the coaster over the edge, and then everyone got evacuated on the final break run. Got the first ride on Orion the next morning and it was fine. Love the coaster's speed, and the operations team is stellar, but it doesn't deliver the same forces Diamondback does.
My only minor complaint about Orion is that it doesn't have the exact height of 300 ft with a drop of 310 ft. But it's awesome just the way it is! You could say it's the giga version of Apollo's Chariot.
I gotta say that with CP being my home park, it is extremely noticeable being down 2 coasters this year. I get that nobody expected the dragster accident, but executives had to consider not only the blow to their safety rep but the general coaster count going down to 15 and losing the 2 most powerful launches in the park. Wicked Twister should have stayed. The launch and the back spike in the back was just alot of fun.
IMO, the worst decision Cedar Fair has ever done was cancel the Morgan Hyper that was supposed to go to Michigan's Adventure. If you ask me, I think it could've been a record-breaking attraction at the time had it been built, and it would've made Michigan's Adventure a must-visit for many people, especially enthusiasts. But NOPE, Cedar Fair just HAD to cancel the coaster, and as such, they've been treating Michigan's Adventure like crap. If Cedar Fair isn't gonna give Michigan's Adventure any love, maybe they should sell it to Six Flags or anybody that would be willing to improve it. I'm not saying that Michigan's Adventure is a bad park, I just think it could've been a whole lot better.
I'm not convinced that the plans for the hyper was ever real. The previous owners didn't have the resources for the ride. I think this was just a dream.
I gotta say I can’t blame you. Cedar Fair has been going downhill with attractions getting removed and plans getting screwed up. But that doesn’t mean it’s the worst theme park chain in the world. Cedar Fair is doing the best they can improving their parks.
I agree, they could've sold it to somebody else, like Herschend, or Parques Reunidos, basically anybody that could've saved Geauga Lake from shutting down forever.
Yea I agree and disagree on this. It’s sad that they shut it down but I don’t think that it would make sense no matter who bought it bc there was way to many people going there and not enough space for all those people to stay so I think the growth of the surrounding areas made it a pretty logical decision :(
1. Shutting down the original Top Thrill Dragster 2. Not taking the precautions and daily inspections to prevent the TTD accident from happening. 3. Neglecting Michigan's Adventure
I don’t think that either of your picks for Knott’s were a bad decision necessarily for the time they were made in. Granted PP did not work out ultimately but it was a good ride, just too short and with an unfortunate accident. But it fit the area and theme perfectly. Windseeker is a bit different. It obviously is a ride that still works, just that the State of California had issues with evacuation. Not sure why that was not seen beforehand. But the location for the ride was spectacular as it put a tall tower on the other side of the park that you could so clearly see as you were driving down Beach Boulevard and approaching the park. It was an absolute landmark. While the ride scared the hell out of me, I miss seeing it as part of the skyline. For me the worst decision Cedar Fair made on Knott’s, was getting rid of the Haunted Shack and replacing with upcharge attractions that did not work out, only to finally be replaced with a stage. Horrible decision.
Perilous Plunge's problems went far beyond being too short and having an unfortunate accident. The ride was a total nightmare for the park the entire time it was there.
Ok so about Orion: Yes, the layout is uninspired. It has less airtime than Diamondback. You can say whatever you want about that all day long and I’ll gladly talk about that. But to call it the worst decision Kings Island ever made? That’s just wrong. I’m sorry. There are 2 points others have made and 1 I will make. The others are: 1) removing Vortex and 2) adding Wind Seeker. But I submit to you this: Son of Beast. That was the worst decision for them.
@@cre8tive320 fair. But even still. Orion was already $30 mil, so to add anything remotely like he suggested (which would have been fantastic I’ll say), would have been so insanely expensive that I don’t blame them stopping when they did.
Orion looks like a solid ride and I have it on my must-do coasters, BUT, King’s Island dropped the ball on this one after seeing how much land is there. I know they’ve been playing it safe since the disaster known as Son of Beast, but Gigas are known not only for that massive drop, but the speed. The wave turn after the main drop looks cool. I think after the wave turn, they should have added more low to the ground elements. Adding those and making the coaster about 30 to 45 seconds longer probably would have made a difference
@studio732jrl2 “about 30 to 45 seconds” is what I mentioned at the end. From station to brake run, King’s Island lists the duration as 3 minutes while Carowinds lists Fury 325 at just under 3 and a half minutes
@studio732jrl2 The fact that carowinds still has a lower attendance than kings island before Orion was even built is astounding. Most people don’t even know what Fury 325 is or care. My own Uber driver that took me back from the airport didn’t know what Fury 325 was even though it was right in front of him.
Having KI be my home park my entire life, and also watching it became CPs little brother after it was a big competitor, I couldn't agree more about Orion.
There is something that kind of gets annoying in the coaster community, if you will. It's the fact that so called "coaster enthusiasts" will label people GP because they actually enjoy coasters that they enjoy. It's such a weird thing to gatekeep fun. I really have never understood it. Like what you like. Your life is about you, not what the "enthusiasts" like. Goofy band kids out here gatekeeping roller coasters lol
Valleyfair will get Railblazer in the Dinosaurs alive area when it finally closes in California as Dorney Park is finally getting something new. Michigan's Adventure might get a new Gerstluar or a new single rail not done by RMC in 2025. It also might be the reverse for each park.
I’d thrown in the S&S slingshot style ride that was removed from Cedar Point after one of the towers toppled. I just watched a video on how low capacity and low ridership caused these things to not really become popular even before that happened. So it was definitely a poor investment.
Worlds of fun removing winter fest could possibly have been the best decision they’ve made. That event lost the park millions of dollars every year because season pass holders were the only real attendees and never really bought much. Plus SDC winter event is way bigger and it was nearly impossible to compete
Kinda agree, it sucks it was removed, but didn’t really bring in the crowds, I think they need a new coaster and a new dark ride. Also have their amphitheater removed since it’s rarely used
Yeah it didn't really bring in crowds at all. Tbh Falcon's flight is a way worse decision. Rides barely been open since it was installed, and I heard a rumor from a fellow employee that it will likely be removed this year. But oh well, excited for the new titan track coaster we are getting.
@@calebahart8958 falcons flight weirdly runs on wifi and is not hard wired like most other rides. Not worlds of funs fault as it comes from the manufacturer like this. The ride did operate earlier this season and went down for a motor fault and should hopefully operate again soon
At Valleyfair, if you're talking about Rip Cord as their skyscraper, it's still there. The part of the park where its at has changed a lot, though. Dinosaurs Alive was remove because their contract expired. As far as putting a rollercoaster there, I fully agree, the park is way overdue on getting a coaster.
Honestly, for Worlds of Fun I would say their worst decision by far was removing both Orient Express and Zambezi Zinger for a Gerstlauer spinning coaster clone and a generic Vekoma Boomerang. Took away two custom-made icons of the park and replaced them with two much smaller downgrades.
Real big reason Orient was removed was that the concrete supporting the ride supports was sinking into the ground. That said I agree, Dragons is not a real replacement for what Orient was.
@@calebahart8958 Can't stand that ride, Spinning Dragons - never rode it and never will. The removal of the Orient was more due to safety concerns as you mentioned above, but that was the signature ride at that park. I loved the Zulu too and they removed that along with its counter part at Cedar Point - Witches Wheel (I think that's what is was called). Glad they are paying homage to the Zambi with a somewhat rebuild. They stripped WofF of so much. I went there about 5 years ago and wondered what the hell happened. I remember seeing Menudo in 1987 where they used to have the dolphin water show. The aquarium was removed, but the stage was still there.
This. Fingers crossed we get a teaser for the next coaster this year to add to the 50th anniversary celebration! Doesn’t have to be a full announcement, just a teaser.
Brandon missed Windjammer Surf Racers at Knott's Berry Farm. It replaced the Wacky Soap Box Racers coaster which was a Crowd favorite, 2 year and they had to rob one side to run the other and it was a Dueling Togo. It did become Xcelerator though
Also for some contest on Orion, the dollar is down 26% to were it was 10 years ago and I checked this sometime last year. So a 30 million coaster would be a minimum of 10+Million today. So with the weaker dollar, I Don't blame Cedar Point for wanting to save some money so if they Build Orion earlier in the decade then it would have probably been 340 ft tall. For the Kings Islands biggest disappointment will probably have to be the Removal of Son of Beast if we only knew what RMC could have done but probably knowing RMC would have Demolished it anyway. What could have been if they only knew RMC. Carowinds biggest mistake could have been getting ride of Thunder Road before they got a real wood coaster
California's Great America has a Mass Effect ride? I know it's probably a motion simulator where you fly around in the Normandy, but that still sounds kind of awesome. Can't be any worse than the ending to Mass Effect 3.
Totally agree with your CW choice. They desperately need another thrill coaster to help disperse the insane crowds. It has been packed even on week days when kids have still been in school!
Idk when you’re going but I’ve been like 20 times and I’ve never seen long lines except in winterfest or scarowinds (during the day scarowinds is a ghost town, at night half of America comes)
i don’t necessarily think it was a bad decision at the time but now since time has past i think the conversion of mantis to rougarou was a pretty solid waste of a great plot of land. since the changes had happened rougarous turnout hasn’t changed much from mantis’.
I don't think Orion is KI's worst decision for CF, was it what people expected? No, is it still a really good coaster? Yes! The length is fine, just wish they made it stand out more in height and drop, giving it a 300ft height and a 310 drop would have been awesome. The park will not get another opportunity like this probably for another 10 + years or longer. It was a big, missed opportunity to give the park something really special. The biggest mistake CF has done with KI is where they put Diamondback, getting rid of Swan Lake, which used to be a nice, picturesque area with tree's, the park already lost Les Taxis, which was the 2nd most beautiful area of the park, but that was by Paramount, then losing Swan Lake 5 years after is another big blow.
Agreed. I’m curious why he didn’t put intimidator 305 as KD’s worst decision, but put Orion as KI’s worst. Definitely made a lot more money that’s for sure.
no that land where dinos was at Valley fair should have never been changed from the classic antique cars that was under the amazing tree filled area. The view from those cars of the wooden coaster in the evening with the sun shining thru the old coaster was a treasure
Brandon, I agree with what you said about Orion. While I love the ride, it could’ve been Cedar Fairs best giga to date. That layout you presented would’ve made it just that. As of now, Fury 325 is the top giga for me with Millennium Force a close second.What are your thoughts on The Bat being shut down for what might be the reminder of the season, possibly for good? Also, do you think KI could tear that ride out and add a new coaster there? Thanks and keep up the awesome work!
I have felt for a while that the overall insanely long queue line (counting the sidewalk back to Banshee almost) and The Bat's actual layout is a massive plot of land to build a new coaster. I also agree that The Bat might be going the way of Vortex. I would say time and maintenance would cause the girl to meet Banshee's graveyard more than popularity. I think plenty of people still ride it, but it's just dated at this point. Imagine a new ground up RMC in that plot of land. Could really bring back the "action" in what was once the Action Zone of the park.
Hey Jeremy - sorry for being so late to respond. As of today they are working on the bat. I’d suspect it will reopen in July. No need to remove it just yet :) hope you’re well! Thank you for the support
Having seen the footprint of Maverick and Copperhead, I believe either of these styles could fit in the vacant Vortex lot right now, and it would bring back that Vortex coaster feel. One thing is for certain, KI is not without options.
A lot of these are due to failures or short-sidedness on the part of management/maintenance. Either the rides are too expensive to upkeep (over-engineered or expensive parts), or did not stay popular due to downtimes/incidents (Knott's Plunge/Windseeker, Stinger, and Shoot the Rapids come to mind). I think it's fair to note that parks take a risk/gamble with every new attraction, and it does not always pay off. Beyond the operating CF parks, I think there are other examples of this, like deciding to purchase Geauga Lake (and operate it as a mega-park in the shadow of Cedar Point), not following through on purchasing smaller waterparks like Schlitterbahn Kansas City (right around the time they noticed an uptick in growth in KS), and not pushing hard enough for resort hotels to be added to more parks in the chain.
ProSlide Tornadoes, even at CF's other properties, tend to be reliable and very popular. Funnel of Fear at Michigan's Adventure can sometimes have a 90 minute wait.
I experienced PvsZ at Carowinds four days ago, and it was pretty odd. Most of the exterior cutout elements were gone along with the 3D glasses and only one side was operating. Odd attraction, interesting enough, but yea it's still running. Oh, and I also did the tornado slide at KI and it had no issues.
King’s Dominion for me would be I305. Now from an enthusiast perspective it was the greatest decision ever but from the GP and business perspective it definitely was not, if KD could delete I305 and recoup all their money like in RollerCoaster Tycoon they would have done that.
Watching this makes me interested to see the worst decisions added to the six flags parks. I already know SFOT’s…either the addition of joker or Justice league battle for metropolis
Orion, It cost more money to go through the woods, also the other money that they spend is the theme around the ride. Orion is a great ride, but When I heard about your complaint and the reason why Orion isn't your favorite cause it's boring and short, is sort of nit picking.
@@vinnycamarata4907 haha thanks! Calling a perfectly functional ride a mistake over removing popular events or hard to maintain/removed coasters/extremely rough ones/ is beyond me lol.
@JJV1224 And I agree with all of this actually. Orion really does feel more like a hyper. I have yet to ride Fury or Intimidator, but I have ridden Millennium Force. While I still prefer Orion (more airtime, although I do still like the speed), it isn’t very inspiring. I don’t think it quite makes the ‘mistake’ category, but I think they could have put in something smaller and maybe inversion heavy to replace Vortex and that would’ve been better.
They bought it so no one could improve upon it and be competition for Cedar Point. I live in SE Michigan and have been to Cedar Point over a hundred times. I’ve been to Michigan’s Adventure once! MA could be a much better park with just one more good coaster with a path that connects Thunderhawk to Wolverine Wildcat, making a complete circle around the lake.
Orion will probably be the best investment for king island. Enthusiasts probably make up 1-2% of the attendance for kings island. The 99% that also spends more money absolutely love it. Some enthusiasts are too entitled because parks mostly do not care about us because we just aren’t important.
kings island is my home park and i can agree with your statement on orion your idea would have been a much better ride. you see i was impressed when i first rode it. the impression didnt last. i also became more of a coaster enthusiast since then.
I don't know personally I think Windseeker was Cedar Fairs worst decision for Kings Island. The placement is just awful. When Vortex was still around, the action theater, and that piece of crap all shoehorned in such a small area. Couple that with the fact that maybe its just the times I go but Windseeker is either always, down, or has no line at all. Where as Orion always has a line, and people love it. Just seems so pointless and out of place considering you have the Eiffel Tower, and Drop Tower in the same park.
@@cre8tive320 I saw a comment talk about removing winter fest. Personally I think it was son of beast. Either way, Orion is farrrr away from being KI’s worst decision.
Others say Time Warp is a mistake. I haven't had the pleasure of Guardian yet. I was at Canada's Wonderland last August and I don't think that it was open.
Orion is a good ride especially if you like speed. The drop feels like any other B&M giga so I really don't care if it doesn't technically meet the giga classification. The height difference is barely noticeable..and that wave turn has some of the best sideways airtime in the front of the train I've experienced...and the high speed airtime hill is great too. Plus it is the most heavily themed "giga" in existence and I'm here for it. I find that the layout is actually more unique than the other B&M gigas. I enjoy the fact that it's not like Fury 325 or Leviathan and sure it could be longer but the length and no block brakes are what keeps the line short and moving. I'll take that over length any day on a coaster. Kings Islands worst decision was removing Vortex. The park hasn't felt complete since and the ride should have been preserved imo or at least had something else lined up for its spot. Like seriously is that field going to be empty for another few years? They could at least open up some games or food stand in that area...that entire area has the worst atmosphere in the entire park now...even worse than the paths leading to the bat.
Vortex HAD to be removed. Kings island didn't take care of it. It was rusting away. If you look at an offride video of Vortex a month or 2 before it closed, you can see brand new bracing installed on the batwing, rusting on the lift hill and pitting going on in the structure of the ride. I'll forever believe metal fatigue is what killed Vortex. Vortex was literally at the end of its service life.
Hey, Brandon! Have you thought about worlds of fun getting an rmc prowler? And I think the worst decision for valley fair was Excalibur. The ride is just rough and is probably gonna close. (I don't live in Minnesota).
The worst decision for Valleyfair is that dreadful Fireball ride. That cheesy flat ride needs to remain at the state fair. And I call it a flat ride because it is definitely not a coaster.
As a regular at CGA at the time. I CANNOT AGREE with you more with that Invertigo plot of land,. The fact it took them THAT LONG to address it. However they were going to install a Screamin Swing in the area but was cancelled back in early 2012. That money saved was actually put into original stampede project which later resulted in the announcement of Gold Striker that same year. Which opened in 2013. Which was a FANTASTIC addition but come on maaaan. At least they actually utilized it well for movies but it was a major eyesore other than that. Oh and notice I didin't mention Mass Effect? Yeah uh i forgot about it. That's how irrelevant it was and always has been. Bring back Spongebob 3D.
Knott's: I think Perilous Plunge had reached the end of its life span and it made sense to remove it and replace it with 3 other attractions. More people are heading to Knott's as they are getting outpriced by the Mouse House down the street. Windseeker was a lemon. It was stuck at the top for several hours on two occasions. Knott's had to implement a new means of rescue for such occasion and California's strict CalOSHA department shot down device (stating it would take too long to set up and implement when needed). Knott's decided to move the attraction rather than spend any more money on the rescue device. This makes sense as bad press pretty much killed the desire to ride this. I think the bad decision came after the Windseeker removal and keeping the attraction pad vacant for a few years. Sol Spin, a Mondial Top Spin, finally went onto the Windseeker pad, but it seems like an off fit for the park. Knott's could have added something much better.
And that's the most popular ride in the water park and probably one of the most popular in the entire park. If they removed it it would be a huge mistake.
I have no idea why Skyscraper was removed from Valleyfair. I confess I don't recall seeing heavy lines for it, but that doesn't really look like something you would see for an upcharge attraction anyway.
I always have to say with Carowinds too, the Windseeker was a huge mistake too. The amount of times that thing gets stuck and "makes news" because of it is absolutely absurd.
I love i305, but it is by far kings dominions worst decision ever. It never has a line, and costed an insane amount of money. Orion on the other hand, was a much better decision. While it’s definitely not as good as a ride as i305, it with out a doubt generated more profit. Coaster enthusiasts are less than 1% of the people going to amusement park. Orion is wayyyyy more appealing to the crowds, and with out a doubt was a better decision.
As someone with KD as their home park this statement is getting annoying. People have always lined up for that thing ever since opening. It always has at least a 15 minute wait and has its constant fans enthusiast or not
I have 2 Better ones for Worlds of Fun: - Removing Zambezi Zinger, Especially for a Vekoma Boomerang - Adding Coasters Drive In Restaurant to Africa... But sure Six Flags doesn't care about theming
Thought you forgot Canada's Wonderland. The clip of The Guardian was so fast compared to the rest of the park features. I wonder if the Guardian will exist after the new coaster is built...
Man, hating on the dark rides? I really enjoy Mass Effect and Wonder Mountain Guardian. I don’t really care for Plants vs Zombies, though. Having everyone in the same big room makes it confusing. But it’s still a nice escape from the heat.
Dumb take on Mass Effect. It was a great ride, and a great supplement to the games. Far from the worst decision for the park. I would say closing it is the worst decision for CGA.
@@KeepRidinCoasters I know lol, I just really enjoyed Mass Effect and don't see it as an awful addition, since nothing had to be built for it, it just took over the Action Theater. Either way, it will be gone next year as the contract with EA expires.
You should make a video about the canceled coaster at Michigan's Adventure, I would like to know more about it since that's my home park. I haven't been able to find any information on it besides that people think it was supposed to be made by Arrow and then Arrow went bankrupt after Michigan's Adventure already paid millions of dollars to them and then Michigan's Adventure on the was on the brink of bankruptcy and that's why they had to sell to Cedar Fair???
Yea I rode Orion this month and Fury 325 last October. I agree had I ridden Orion first it would be higher up my list. Loved the Fury and it’s in my top 5. Overall had a blast on my first trip to KI! Absolutely loved it.
First of all, Invertigo is down a lot… Every time I go it’s down at least half a day. And I think Orion is just fine, it wasn’t going to be a taller, faster Fury and the plans that you gave to it would’ve cost so so much more money. I don’t think they wanted to pay for that much at the time. It’s a little shorter but I like the elements that it does have. And as said, the general public, who roller coasters are actually made for, love it.
Orion is awesome. Don't forget Fury was built using a big chunk of local taxes. Kings island didn't get the same benefit. Orion cost 30 million with its current layout. Your layout would be outrageous.
I think the worst decision for Carowinds was getting rid of Thunder Road. Sure, the waterpark was getting an upgrade, but did it have to come at the cost of losing the best dueling coaster in the southeast?
@@KeepRidinCoasters Imagine if Thunder Road got an RMC rebuild like Twisted Colossus did. That would definitely draw in lots of extra coaster enthusiasts.
The reason tornado got removed at kings dominion was because of an accident that sent a passenger to the hospital. Later on that person sued the park and with that they closed the ride and tore it down.
Sure maybe the layout was uninspired, but what exactly makes you say that? Orion is a fine, good even, coaster. Unless of course you’re saying this as a joke, then disregard this lol.
bwhahaha!! didn't even know Carowinds had that ride/game whatever. so yeah def not going to lose or miss anything there. A ride like Demon Drop still exists. Amazing. When I grew up in Texas I would go Six Flags Over Texas in the 80's and would ride their drop ride all day. So simple but so cool!! Totally agree with your assessment of Orion. I felt so uninspired by that layout. i felt i got more airtime and ride thrills from Mako at Seaworld Orlando recently than this ride provided. The wife and I always say once you ride Fury 325 (especially in the front row) everything is slow and low. I would like to believe that money was the issue to hold back what could have been a potential game changing ride but I also think that the proximity to Cedar Point played a role as well as to not take the shine off of the main park. Just my thoughts.
I chickened out on demon drop when I was younger at cedar point, at least now I have a chance to redeem myself as it is at dorney and I live outside of Philly
I think one thing is undeniable about Orion. Love it or hate it, the controversy surrounding it has kept it in conversation since it's layout was even leaked. For a coaster that typically gets described as "what could have been", it seems to garner a lot of attention as is. #GigyperGate? #HypigaGate? (Your redesigned layout though was fucking awesome. That would have been cool as hell. Can someone model this layout version in a simulator please? 😊)
Orion gets dogged on for the coaster community’s unrealistic expectations. Taking winter fest away when first acquired was the worst decision they did and thankfully they brought it back better than ever. Firehawk addition is way worst than Orion was and was a maintenance nightmare on top of that
@@Queue_Thrills son of beast was kings island worst decision but Cedar Fair acquired it with acquisition and did everything they could to save the thing before ultimately tearing it down for Banshee
Are you not aware that Orion was originally meant for Great America as a Hyper named Megabite? The final permit wasn't approved so the project was moved to KI and the first drop was redesigned.
why is time wap so hated??? i love tomb raider. i even went on it recently after watching a few of these videos saying how much time warp is hated. in terms of pain, i find top gun more painfun (but still fun once each visit)
I think the worst decision for KI was removing Vortex before they were ready to replace it with something equally as good or better. That is a prime spot for a roller coaster and it's been just sitting there empty and will for at least another year. Orion is perfectly good as it is and every ride could have been made better by spending more money. At least Orion has some decent theming while none of the other giga coasters have much of any. 99.5% of people do not care about stats and aren't going to ride other giga coasters to compare it.
Vortex had to be removed. Metal fatigue did the old girl in. It was beat. I have one of the track slices they sold of it. Its beat to heck. Removing Vortex still stings me to this day. I dont see anything going in there until 2024 or 2025. Sadly.
I suspect they removed Vortex a few years before they intended due to maintenance or safety reasons. They had just removed Firehawk the year before and it's highly unusual for parks to remove coasters two years in a row. They probably wanted to keep Vortex a few more years until they could place something there but couldn't
Not to mention Firehawk was objectively a worse decision for the park. Having a ride with painfully slow operations by design, tons of downtime, and a limited lifespan isn't exactly great for one of the most highly-attended parks in the country. I liked Firehawk a lot too but it wasn't gonna last and didn't make much of an impact when it was there.
From what i was told from a worker thats been at KI for a long time, the reaason Vortex was taken out was becasue the ground was sinking.. wether or not thats true idk.. jsut what i was told...
@@eddiekatura4465 not true at all. That was a long-standing old wives' tale about the ride. It was just a combination of increasing maintenance costs, metal fatigue, and low ridership.
What a really ironic time to post this
This is not the first time. Prologis does have a termination option. There is a sliver of hope this stay.
Yep
Personally I enjoy Orion’s layout and I have nothing wrong with it. I’ve ridden all the North American Giga’s and it’s my 2nd favorite. It’s is my mom’s favorite coaster and she’s ridden Fury. The fact that it was originally a hyper coaster layout makes me happy with what we got because they weren’t going to heavily modify to make it like Fury. That’s just me tho
Valid thoughts. Glad you and your mom got to experience that together! That’s wonderful!
I just wish Orion was a bit longer.
No problems here with Orion's layout, just wish it had more air time. It's weird to think that this coaster came 5 years after Fury but is a significant downgrade. I have Orion ranked above Millennium Force but below Diamondback (have ridden all three in the past week). On Monday June 20, 2022 at sunset, Orion got stuck at the very top of the lift hill for over an hour, basically becoming a dive coaster for those in the front row. An employee eventually had to walk up to the top and trigger something that pushed the coaster over the edge, and then everyone got evacuated on the final break run. Got the first ride on Orion the next morning and it was fine. Love the coaster's speed, and the operations team is stellar, but it doesn't deliver the same forces Diamondback does.
Ride in row four. You will be disappointed
@@Thuggysmurf YES DUDE I WAS ON IT WAS SO WILD MAN
My only minor complaint about Orion is that it doesn't have the exact height of 300 ft with a drop of 310 ft. But it's awesome just the way it is! You could say it's the giga version of Apollo's Chariot.
Selling California's Great America & closing it in 11 years has gotta rank somewhere.
The park has no ability to build big rides or expand, and can't even be open when there is an NFL game next door, so it makes sense to me.
I gotta say that with CP being my home park, it is extremely noticeable being down 2 coasters this year. I get that nobody expected the dragster accident, but executives had to consider not only the blow to their safety rep but the general coaster count going down to 15 and losing the 2 most powerful launches in the park. Wicked Twister should have stayed. The launch and the back spike in the back was just alot of fun.
IMO, the worst decision Cedar Fair has ever done was cancel the Morgan Hyper that was supposed to go to Michigan's Adventure. If you ask me, I think it could've been a record-breaking attraction at the time had it been built, and it would've made Michigan's Adventure a must-visit for many people, especially enthusiasts.
But NOPE, Cedar Fair just HAD to cancel the coaster, and as such, they've been treating Michigan's Adventure like crap. If Cedar Fair isn't gonna give Michigan's Adventure any love, maybe they should sell it to Six Flags or anybody that would be willing to improve it.
I'm not saying that Michigan's Adventure is a bad park, I just think it could've been a whole lot better.
Any idea of the manufacture for the coaster?
@@KeepRidinCoasters I believe it was D.H. Morgan Manufacturing. I just said it in the beginning of the comment.
I'm not convinced that the plans for the hyper was ever real. The previous owners didn't have the resources for the ride. I think this was just a dream.
I gotta say I can’t blame you. Cedar Fair has been going downhill with attractions getting removed and plans getting screwed up. But that doesn’t mean it’s the worst theme park chain in the world. Cedar Fair is doing the best they can improving their parks.
And yet... So long Great America
Their worst decision was shutting down Geauga Lake.
150% agree with you! If only it was still around!
I agree, they could've sold it to somebody else, like Herschend, or Parques Reunidos, basically anybody that could've saved Geauga Lake from shutting down forever.
Yea I agree and disagree on this. It’s sad that they shut it down but I don’t think that it would make sense no matter who bought it bc there was way to many people going there and not enough space for all those people to stay so I think the growth of the surrounding areas made it a pretty logical decision :(
This might now be second to them closing California's Great America within the next 11 years.
@@KeepRidinCoasters At least I got to ride X Flight when it was at Kings Island.
1. Shutting down the original Top Thrill Dragster
2. Not taking the precautions and daily inspections to prevent the TTD accident from happening.
3. Neglecting Michigan's Adventure
I don’t think that either of your picks for Knott’s were a bad decision necessarily for the time they were made in. Granted PP did not work out ultimately but it was a good ride, just too short and with an unfortunate accident. But it fit the area and theme perfectly.
Windseeker is a bit different. It obviously is a ride that still works, just that the State of California had issues with evacuation. Not sure why that was not seen beforehand. But the location for the ride was spectacular as it put a tall tower on the other side of the park that you could so clearly see as you were driving down Beach Boulevard and approaching the park. It was an absolute landmark. While the ride scared the hell out of me, I miss seeing it as part of the skyline.
For me the worst decision Cedar Fair made on Knott’s, was getting rid of the Haunted Shack and replacing with upcharge attractions that did not work out, only to finally be replaced with a stage. Horrible decision.
Valid points! Thank you for watching! :)
Perilous Plunge's problems went far beyond being too short and having an unfortunate accident. The ride was a total nightmare for the park the entire time it was there.
Ok so about Orion:
Yes, the layout is uninspired. It has less airtime than Diamondback. You can say whatever you want about that all day long and I’ll gladly talk about that.
But to call it the worst decision Kings Island ever made? That’s just wrong. I’m sorry. There are 2 points others have made and 1 I will make. The others are: 1) removing Vortex and 2) adding Wind Seeker. But I submit to you this: Son of Beast. That was the worst decision for them.
Except paramount built son of beast lol
Exactly.
Yeah vortex does make sense as well. But imo, Orion is worst.
@@cre8tive320 fair. But even still. Orion was already $30 mil, so to add anything remotely like he suggested (which would have been fantastic I’ll say), would have been so insanely expensive that I don’t blame them stopping when they did.
Cedair fair didn’t put in son of beast that was the previous owners.
Cedar Fairs mistake for Kings Dominion is they should have tear down Anaconda before Volcano.
Agreed 😂
Orion looks like a solid ride and I have it on my must-do coasters, BUT, King’s Island dropped the ball on this one after seeing how much land is there. I know they’ve been playing it safe since the disaster known as Son of Beast, but Gigas are known not only for that massive drop, but the speed. The wave turn after the main drop looks cool. I think after the wave turn, they should have added more low to the ground elements. Adding those and making the coaster about 30 to 45 seconds longer probably would have made a difference
@studio732jrl2 “about 30 to 45 seconds” is what I mentioned at the end. From station to brake run, King’s Island lists the duration as 3 minutes while Carowinds lists Fury 325 at just under 3 and a half minutes
@@jchurch-ways8116 And Fury is almost 1300 ft longer than Orion...
@studio732jrl2 true, but Kings Island is ONE OF Cedar Fair’s top locations. There would have still been a ROI if they went with a longer layout
@studio732jrl2 The fact that carowinds still has a lower attendance than kings island before Orion was even built is astounding. Most people don’t even know what Fury 325 is or care. My own Uber driver that took me back from the airport didn’t know what Fury 325 was even though it was right in front of him.
I've ridden all 4 Gigas in the US and Orion is my second favorite. You can say that any coaster could've been better in one way or another.
Having KI be my home park my entire life, and also watching it became CPs little brother after it was a big competitor, I couldn't agree more about Orion.
There is something that kind of gets annoying in the coaster community, if you will.
It's the fact that so called "coaster enthusiasts" will label people GP because they actually enjoy coasters that they enjoy.
It's such a weird thing to gatekeep fun. I really have never understood it. Like what you like. Your life is about you, not what the "enthusiasts" like. Goofy band kids out here gatekeeping roller coasters lol
Very true! Thanks for watching josh!
@@KeepRidinCoasters For sure, thanks for letting me vent haha
Valleyfair will get Railblazer in the Dinosaurs alive area when it finally closes in California as Dorney Park is finally getting something new. Michigan's Adventure might get a new Gerstluar or a new single rail not done by RMC in 2025. It also might be the reverse for each park.
I’d thrown in the S&S slingshot style ride that was removed from Cedar Point after one of the towers toppled. I just watched a video on how low capacity and low ridership caused these things to not really become popular even before that happened. So it was definitely a poor investment.
For me, it's neglecting parks like Valley fair and Dorney Park.
Cant believe Orion is here. Orion is like the Kirk Cousins if coasters; awesome ride but people hate it for no reason
For real though. Although there are lots of rides like that elsewhere. Same goes for Valravn and Rougarou at Cedar Point.
Problem is he news flash parks don't built rides for thosies
EXACTLY!!!!! It’s overhated
@@rivertownproductions Can we just save the hate for time warp lol. I agree, wayyy tf to heated.
Valraven well hated by thosies is loved by gp we should be happy it keeps them in line for it well we ride better rides
Worlds of fun removing winter fest could possibly have been the best decision they’ve made. That event lost the park millions of dollars every year because season pass holders were the only real attendees and never really bought much. Plus SDC winter event is way bigger and it was nearly impossible to compete
Kinda agree, it sucks it was removed, but didn’t really bring in the crowds, I think they need a new coaster and a new dark ride. Also have their amphitheater removed since it’s rarely used
Yeah it didn't really bring in crowds at all. Tbh Falcon's flight is a way worse decision. Rides barely been open since it was installed, and I heard a rumor from a fellow employee that it will likely be removed this year. But oh well, excited for the new titan track coaster we are getting.
@@calebahart8958 wait, which coaster is getting the Titan track?
@@calebahart8958 falcons flight weirdly runs on wifi and is not hard wired like most other rides. Not worlds of funs fault as it comes from the manufacturer like this. The ride did operate earlier this season and went down for a motor fault and should hopefully operate again soon
At Valleyfair, if you're talking about Rip Cord as their skyscraper, it's still there. The part of the park where its at has changed a lot, though. Dinosaurs Alive was remove because their contract expired. As far as putting a rollercoaster there, I fully agree, the park is way overdue on getting a coaster.
Honestly, for Worlds of Fun I would say their worst decision by far was removing both Orient Express and Zambezi Zinger for a Gerstlauer spinning coaster clone and a generic Vekoma Boomerang.
Took away two custom-made icons of the park and replaced them with two much smaller downgrades.
Valid points! It makes total sense. Thanks for watching. :)
Real big reason Orient was removed was that the concrete supporting the ride supports was sinking into the ground. That said I agree, Dragons is not a real replacement for what Orient was.
@@calebahart8958 Can't stand that ride, Spinning Dragons - never rode it and never will. The removal of the Orient was more due to safety concerns as you mentioned above, but that was the signature ride at that park. I loved the Zulu too and they removed that along with its counter part at Cedar Point - Witches Wheel (I think that's what is was called). Glad they are paying homage to the Zambi with a somewhat rebuild. They stripped WofF of so much. I went there about 5 years ago and wondered what the hell happened. I remember seeing Menudo in 1987 where they used to have the dolphin water show. The aquarium was removed, but the stage was still there.
Honestly I think removing Vortex was the worst decision for Kings Island, especially since they’re just leaving that spot empty.
This. Fingers crossed we get a teaser for the next coaster this year to add to the 50th anniversary celebration! Doesn’t have to be a full announcement, just a teaser.
They talked in an ace magazine that the cost to refurbish wasn’t worth the cost / popularity. Koontz was quoted saying a ride will go there “some day”
Well if people actually rode and stopped complaining about it every day maybe it would still be there
Brandon missed Windjammer Surf Racers at Knott's Berry Farm. It replaced the Wacky Soap Box Racers coaster which was a Crowd favorite, 2 year and they had to rob one side to run the other and it was a Dueling Togo. It did become Xcelerator though
Also for some contest on Orion, the dollar is down 26% to were it was 10 years ago and I checked this sometime last year. So a 30 million coaster would be a minimum of 10+Million today. So with the weaker dollar, I Don't blame Cedar Point for wanting to save some money so if they Build Orion earlier in the decade then it would have probably been 340 ft tall.
For the Kings Islands biggest disappointment will probably have to be the Removal of Son of Beast if we only knew what RMC could have done but probably knowing RMC would have Demolished it anyway. What could have been if they only knew RMC.
Carowinds biggest mistake could have been getting ride of Thunder Road before they got a real wood coaster
I think Windjammer was opened before Cedar Fair acquired Knott's
California's Great America has a Mass Effect ride? I know it's probably a motion simulator where you fly around in the Normandy, but that still sounds kind of awesome. Can't be any worse than the ending to Mass Effect 3.
Totally agree with your CW choice. They desperately need another thrill coaster to help disperse the insane crowds. It has been packed even on week days when kids have still been in school!
Idk when you’re going but I’ve been like 20 times and I’ve never seen long lines except in winterfest or scarowinds (during the day scarowinds is a ghost town, at night half of America comes)
i don’t necessarily think it was a bad decision at the time but now since time has past i think the conversion of mantis to rougarou was a pretty solid waste of a great plot of land. since the changes had happened rougarous turnout hasn’t changed much from mantis’.
But they already had the coaster there. It didn’t cost 10s of millions to turn it into rougarou. Any increase is profitable
I wish they would have added Hulk/Kumba style trains instead.
Worlds of Fun gets "new" trash cans AND park benches every other year, thank you very much. LOL
I don't think Orion is KI's worst decision for CF, was it what people expected? No, is it still a really good coaster? Yes! The length is fine, just wish they made it stand out more in height and drop, giving it a 300ft height and a 310 drop would have been awesome. The park will not get another opportunity like this probably for another 10 + years or longer. It was a big, missed opportunity to give the park something really special. The biggest mistake CF has done with KI is where they put Diamondback, getting rid of Swan Lake, which used to be a nice, picturesque area with tree's, the park already lost Les Taxis, which was the 2nd most beautiful area of the park, but that was by Paramount, then losing Swan Lake 5 years after is another big blow.
If I can’t feel the difference with Fury’s extra 20 feet there is no way I’d notice 10 feet it wouldn’t even look any taller
Seriously, Orion is an AWESOME roller coaster and tor you to say it was the worst decision of KI is awful
I agree with you.
Agreed. I’m curious why he didn’t put intimidator 305 as KD’s worst decision, but put Orion as KI’s worst. Definitely made a lot more money that’s for sure.
no that land where dinos was at Valley fair should have never been changed from the classic antique cars that was under the amazing tree filled area. The view from those cars of the wooden coaster in the evening with the sun shining thru the old coaster was a treasure
As for Carowinds, I think the worst decision was removing Thunder Road especially after a few years of renovating the ride and retracking it.
Imagine Thunder Road after an RMC convervsion. That would've been awesome
@@dwhitman12341 Hurler probably needed an RMC treatment more though
@@markvolpe2305 Every off season I check to see if they’ve announced plans to convert it. I was never a big fan of that coaster even when it was new
Brandon, I agree with what you said about Orion. While I love the ride, it could’ve been Cedar Fairs best giga to date. That layout you presented would’ve made it just that. As of now, Fury 325 is the top giga for me with Millennium Force a close second.What are your thoughts on The Bat being shut down for what might be the reminder of the season, possibly for good? Also, do you think KI could tear that ride out and add a new coaster there? Thanks and keep up the awesome work!
I have felt for a while that the overall insanely long queue line (counting the sidewalk back to Banshee almost) and The Bat's actual layout is a massive plot of land to build a new coaster. I also agree that The Bat might be going the way of Vortex. I would say time and maintenance would cause the girl to meet Banshee's graveyard more than popularity. I think plenty of people still ride it, but it's just dated at this point. Imagine a new ground up RMC in that plot of land. Could really bring back the "action" in what was once the Action Zone of the park.
@@davidfrance2915 I would love to see something similar to Maverick or Copper Head Strike go there. I love your idea David!
Hey Jeremy - sorry for being so late to respond. As of today they are working on the bat. I’d suspect it will reopen in July. No need to remove it just yet :) hope you’re well! Thank you for the support
Having seen the footprint of Maverick and Copperhead, I believe either of these styles could fit in the vacant Vortex lot right now, and it would bring back that Vortex coaster feel. One thing is for certain, KI is not without options.
The bats down? I was just there the other week and didn’t get the chance to ride it, I hope it comes back up soon
I have one. Cedar Fair removing the Antique Cars from Cedar Point’s Frontier Town for yet another restaurant.
Yeah but the farmhouse is delicious:)
A lot of these are due to failures or short-sidedness on the part of management/maintenance. Either the rides are too expensive to upkeep (over-engineered or expensive parts), or did not stay popular due to downtimes/incidents (Knott's Plunge/Windseeker, Stinger, and Shoot the Rapids come to mind). I think it's fair to note that parks take a risk/gamble with every new attraction, and it does not always pay off. Beyond the operating CF parks, I think there are other examples of this, like deciding to purchase Geauga Lake (and operate it as a mega-park in the shadow of Cedar Point), not following through on purchasing smaller waterparks like Schlitterbahn Kansas City (right around the time they noticed an uptick in growth in KS), and not pushing hard enough for resort hotels to be added to more parks in the chain.
ProSlide Tornadoes, even at CF's other properties, tend to be reliable and very popular. Funnel of Fear at Michigan's Adventure can sometimes have a 90 minute wait.
I experienced PvsZ at Carowinds four days ago, and it was pretty odd. Most of the exterior cutout elements were gone along with the 3D glasses and only one side was operating. Odd attraction, interesting enough, but yea it's still running.
Oh, and I also did the tornado slide at KI and it had no issues.
Yeah the whole tornado thing, I just don’t get. PVZ will be closing at the end of the month. :)
@@KeepRidinCoasters Wow! I had no idea it was closing. 🤣
I’d love to see Michigan’s Adventure expand to be a much bigger park and include a hyper coaster!
Not happening as long as CF owns them.
It doesn't need to. It isn't a destination park, nor does it need to be. It serves a purpose and serves it well.
King’s Dominion for me would be I305. Now from an enthusiast perspective it was the greatest decision ever but from the GP and business perspective it definitely was not, if KD could delete I305 and recoup all their money like in RollerCoaster Tycoon they would have done that.
Are you sure you want to completely demolish Giga Coaster 1?
@@johnfoltz8183 yeah lol
@@HockeyGUY66871 but i305 is my favorite Coaster
@@johnfoltz8183 its one of my favorites too but from a GP perspective it was a flop.
I know that someone got severely injured on the tornado at kings dominion, maybe that’s why they are removing them.
and literally the day after this video was posted they announced they were closing California’s great America
I know right! Horrible timing 😂
Removing Thunder Road was Carowinds' worst decision IMO
Yeah I can see that. But Carolina harbor was a great overall addition
I’m definitely not one for teasing, BUT, I want to say : Look Out America, Intamin Is Back With A Vengeance!
Watching this makes me interested to see the worst decisions added to the six flags parks. I already know SFOT’s…either the addition of joker or Justice league battle for metropolis
I already made a video about this :-) check it out my friend
You should do this for all the SeaWorld/Busch Gardens parks.
Six Flags as well.
Orion, It cost more money to go through the woods, also the other money that they spend is the theme around the ride. Orion is a great ride, but When I heard about your complaint and the reason why Orion isn't your favorite cause it's boring and short, is sort of nit picking.
Precisely this. That’s exactly what I was thinking. It was already $30 mil as it was, let alone doing all of what he suggested.
@@Queue_Thrills I glad that you agree with me.
@@vinnycamarata4907 haha thanks! Calling a perfectly functional ride a mistake over removing popular events or hard to maintain/removed coasters/extremely rough ones/ is beyond me lol.
@JJV1224 And I agree with all of this actually. Orion really does feel more like a hyper. I have yet to ride Fury or Intimidator, but I have ridden Millennium Force. While I still prefer Orion (more airtime, although I do still like the speed), it isn’t very inspiring. I don’t think it quite makes the ‘mistake’ category, but I think they could have put in something smaller and maybe inversion heavy to replace Vortex and that would’ve been better.
Cedar Fair's worst decision for Michigan's Adventure: buying it
They bought it so no one could improve upon it and be competition for Cedar Point. I live in SE Michigan and have been to Cedar Point over a hundred times. I’ve been to Michigan’s Adventure once! MA could be a much better park with just one more good coaster with a path that connects Thunderhawk to Wolverine Wildcat, making a complete circle around the lake.
Yes, they ruined the park. It was on a really good trajectory and then Cedar Fair took ownership and hasn't really done anything with it
Orion will probably be the best investment for king island. Enthusiasts probably make up 1-2% of the attendance for kings island. The 99% that also spends more money absolutely love it. Some enthusiasts are too entitled because parks mostly do not care about us because we just aren’t important.
kings island is my home park and i can agree with your statement on orion your idea would have been a much better ride. you see i was impressed when i first rode it. the impression didnt last. i also became more of a coaster enthusiast since then.
I don't know personally I think Windseeker was Cedar Fairs worst decision for Kings Island. The placement is just awful. When Vortex was still around, the action theater, and that piece of crap all shoehorned in such a small area. Couple that with the fact that maybe its just the times I go but Windseeker is either always, down, or has no line at all. Where as Orion always has a line, and people love it. Just seems so pointless and out of place considering you have the Eiffel Tower, and Drop Tower in the same park.
Fair points!
I say firehawk, maintenance nightmare
@@cre8tive320 I saw a comment talk about removing winter fest. Personally I think it was son of beast. Either way, Orion is farrrr away from being KI’s worst decision.
Agreed on the placement
100% disagree Carowinds was obviously fury 325 they keep removing the classics for those.
(This is a joke)
Damn, you are right! What was I thinking 😂
Shoot the Rapids and Perilous Plunge, the overlooked reasons why Cedar Fair won't work with Intamin
Others say Time Warp is a mistake. I haven't had the pleasure of Guardian yet. I was at Canada's Wonderland last August and I don't think that it was open.
But remember, time warp was added under paramount, not cedar fair
Update: Selling CGA is now number 1 on the list.
Oh ya
Orion is a good ride especially if you like speed. The drop feels like any other B&M giga so I really don't care if it doesn't technically meet the giga classification. The height difference is barely noticeable..and that wave turn has some of the best sideways airtime in the front of the train I've experienced...and the high speed airtime hill is great too. Plus it is the most heavily themed "giga" in existence and I'm here for it. I find that the layout is actually more unique than the other B&M gigas. I enjoy the fact that it's not like Fury 325 or Leviathan and sure it could be longer but the length and no block brakes are what keeps the line short and moving. I'll take that over length any day on a coaster.
Kings Islands worst decision was removing Vortex. The park hasn't felt complete since and the ride should have been preserved imo or at least had something else lined up for its spot. Like seriously is that field going to be empty for another few years? They could at least open up some games or food stand in that area...that entire area has the worst atmosphere in the entire park now...even worse than the paths leading to the bat.
Vortex HAD to be removed. Kings island didn't take care of it. It was rusting away. If you look at an offride video of Vortex a month or 2 before it closed, you can see brand new bracing installed on the batwing, rusting on the lift hill and pitting going on in the structure of the ride. I'll forever believe metal fatigue is what killed Vortex. Vortex was literally at the end of its service life.
Hey, Brandon! Have you thought about worlds of fun getting an rmc prowler? And I think the worst decision for valley fair was Excalibur. The ride is just rough and is probably gonna close. (I don't live in Minnesota).
I just did a video on WOF raptor - check it out and I really enjoyed Excalibur ;)
The worst decision for Valleyfair is that dreadful Fireball ride. That cheesy flat ride needs to remain at the state fair. And I call it a flat ride because it is definitely not a coaster.
@valleyfair, delirious is another terrible ride. Stupid Larson loops.
As a regular at CGA at the time. I CANNOT AGREE with you more with that Invertigo plot of land,. The fact it took them THAT LONG to address it. However they were going to install a Screamin Swing in the area but was cancelled back in early 2012. That money saved was actually put into original stampede project which later resulted in the announcement of Gold Striker that same year. Which opened in 2013. Which was a FANTASTIC addition but come on maaaan. At least they actually utilized it well for movies but it was a major eyesore other than that. Oh and notice I didin't mention Mass Effect? Yeah uh i forgot about it. That's how irrelevant it was and always has been. Bring back Spongebob 3D.
I didn’t know about the S&S Screamin Swing! Wow! That’s interesting!
Well they aren’t gonna bring anything now that the park is closing. I actually thought the mass effect thing wasn’t too bad
Knott's: I think Perilous Plunge had reached the end of its life span and it made sense to remove it and replace it with 3 other attractions. More people are heading to Knott's as they are getting outpriced by the Mouse House down the street. Windseeker was a lemon. It was stuck at the top for several hours on two occasions. Knott's had to implement a new means of rescue for such occasion and California's strict CalOSHA department shot down device (stating it would take too long to set up and implement when needed). Knott's decided to move the attraction rather than spend any more money on the rescue device. This makes sense as bad press pretty much killed the desire to ride this. I think the bad decision came after the Windseeker removal and keeping the attraction pad vacant for a few years. Sol Spin, a Mondial Top Spin, finally went onto the Windseeker pad, but it seems like an off fit for the park. Knott's could have added something much better.
Looks like Mass Effect has been topped as the worst Cedar Fair decision at CGA, and perhaps in general.
Michigan's adventure also has a tornado slide
And that's the most popular ride in the water park and probably one of the most popular in the entire park. If they removed it it would be a huge mistake.
I would say that Windjammer was a WAY bigger mistake for Knott's than Perilous Plunge
I have no idea why Skyscraper was removed from Valleyfair. I confess I don't recall seeing heavy lines for it, but that doesn't really look like something you would see for an upcharge attraction anyway.
CGA: selling the park
I always have to say with Carowinds too, the Windseeker was a huge mistake too. The amount of times that thing gets stuck and "makes news" because of it is absolutely absurd.
I love i305, but it is by far kings dominions worst decision ever. It never has a line, and costed an insane amount of money. Orion on the other hand, was a much better decision. While it’s definitely not as good as a ride as i305, it with out a doubt generated more profit. Coaster enthusiasts are less than 1% of the people going to amusement park. Orion is wayyyyy more appealing to the crowds, and with out a doubt was a better decision.
You are correct. But I love i305 :) I can’t call it the worst decision bc that lol
@@KeepRidinCoasters lol same. It’s top 3 for me🤣
As someone with KD as their home park this statement is getting annoying. People have always lined up for that thing ever since opening. It always has at least a 15 minute wait and has its constant fans enthusiast or not
why is there never a line??
@@brycej7961 Orion has a hour plus wait with 3 trains and 4 across seating😂
I have 2 Better ones for Worlds of Fun:
- Removing Zambezi Zinger, Especially for a Vekoma Boomerang
- Adding Coasters Drive In Restaurant to Africa... But sure Six Flags doesn't care about theming
Those Tornado slides are notorious for injuries. I personally dated a girl who broke her cheek bone and got a concussion on one.
Ouch! Which one was that on?
@@KeepRidinCoasters HH in New Jersey
The biggest mistake WoF possibly made was getting rid of Orient Express.
I know! God that ride was great!
Thought you forgot Canada's Wonderland. The clip of The Guardian was so fast compared to the rest of the park features. I wonder if the Guardian will exist after the new coaster is built...
Hey, at least Cedar Fair added Delirious, a fireball to Valleyfair lol
Man, hating on the dark rides? I really enjoy Mass Effect and Wonder Mountain Guardian. I don’t really care for Plants vs Zombies, though. Having everyone in the same big room makes it confusing. But it’s still a nice escape from the heat.
Cedar fair really makes good decisions usually so it was hard to pick which ones for certain parks 😂
Dumb take on Mass Effect. It was a great ride, and a great supplement to the games. Far from the worst decision for the park. I would say closing it is the worst decision for CGA.
Well that Video was released yesterday :) a day before we found out about the closing
@@KeepRidinCoasters I know lol, I just really enjoyed Mass Effect and don't see it as an awful addition, since nothing had to be built for it, it just took over the Action Theater. Either way, it will be gone next year as the contract with EA expires.
You should make a video about the canceled coaster at Michigan's Adventure, I would like to know more about it since that's my home park. I haven't been able to find any information on it besides that people think it was supposed to be made by Arrow and then Arrow went bankrupt after Michigan's Adventure already paid millions of dollars to them and then Michigan's Adventure on the was on the brink of bankruptcy and that's why they had to sell to Cedar Fair???
The worst decision for Carowinds, in my opinion, was removing Thunder Road.
Yea I rode Orion this month and Fury 325 last October. I agree had I ridden Orion first it would be higher up my list. Loved the Fury and it’s in my top 5. Overall had a blast on my first trip to KI! Absolutely loved it.
But I bet you they did Orion like that so they could make an actual monster in vortex’s plot of land
First of all, Invertigo is down a lot… Every time I go it’s down at least half a day. And I think Orion is just fine, it wasn’t going to be a taller, faster Fury and the plans that you gave to it would’ve cost so so much more money. I don’t think they wanted to pay for that much at the time. It’s a little shorter but I like the elements that it does have. And as said, the general public, who roller coasters are actually made for, love it.
Orion was effected by an increased steel price at the time.
Orion is awesome. Don't forget Fury was built using a big chunk of local taxes. Kings island didn't get the same benefit. Orion cost 30 million with its current layout. Your layout would be outrageous.
Yeah but a great outrageous :)
I think the worst decision for Carowinds was getting rid of Thunder Road. Sure, the waterpark was getting an upgrade, but did it have to come at the cost of losing the best dueling coaster in the southeast?
Valid point. But I look at it. Like this. The water park is way more popular than TR unfortunately. So I hate it. But I get it
@@KeepRidinCoasters Imagine if Thunder Road got an RMC rebuild like Twisted Colossus did. That would definitely draw in lots of extra coaster enthusiasts.
The reason tornado got removed at kings dominion was because of an accident that sent a passenger to the hospital. Later on that person sued the park and with that they closed the ride and tore it down.
I honestly agree with your opinion about Orion. The layout is underwhelming and it really could have been one of the best if it had a better layout.
Absolutely agree with you about Orion, certainly not a bad ride, but nothing special
King’s Island should tear down and rebuild Orion from scratch complete with a new layout!
Sure maybe the layout was uninspired, but what exactly makes you say that? Orion is a fine, good even, coaster. Unless of course you’re saying this as a joke, then disregard this lol.
😂
I have to get to Dorney Park before they drop Demon Drop. Free Fall at SFMM used to be my favorite. I was shocked to hear one is still in operation.
bwhahaha!! didn't even know Carowinds had that ride/game whatever. so yeah def not going to lose or miss anything there. A ride like Demon Drop still exists. Amazing. When I grew up in Texas I would go Six Flags Over Texas in the 80's and would ride their drop ride all day. So simple but so cool!! Totally agree with your assessment of Orion. I felt so uninspired by that layout. i felt i got more airtime and ride thrills from Mako at Seaworld Orlando recently than this ride provided. The wife and I always say once you ride Fury 325 (especially in the front row) everything is slow and low. I would like to believe that money was the issue to hold back what could have been a potential game changing ride but I also think that the proximity to Cedar Point played a role as well as to not take the shine off of the main park. Just my thoughts.
Yeah I totally get what you’re saying about Orion too! And fury front row is fantastic!
Yes it would be nice if Orion was longer, but it’s still the most popular ride in the park with the longest lines, so I’d say it’s a success
I chickened out on demon drop when I was younger at cedar point, at least now I have a chance to redeem myself as it is at dorney and I live outside of Philly
So for kings island I would actually say that not re theming tomb raider and trying to run it as a normal top spin is the worst
I think one thing is undeniable about Orion. Love it or hate it, the controversy surrounding it has kept it in conversation since it's layout was even leaked. For a coaster that typically gets described as "what could have been", it seems to garner a lot of attention as is. #GigyperGate? #HypigaGate?
(Your redesigned layout though was fucking awesome. That would have been cool as hell. Can someone model this layout version in a simulator please? 😊)
Lol! Thank you David! I appreciate that! And agree with you totally about the Orion buzz!
Orion gets dogged on for the coaster community’s unrealistic expectations.
Taking winter fest away when first acquired was the worst decision they did and thankfully they brought it back better than ever.
Firehawk addition is way worst than Orion was and was a maintenance nightmare on top of that
Also, Son Of Beast would be a huge contender for that title of worst decision.
@@Queue_Thrills son of beast was kings island worst decision but Cedar Fair acquired it with acquisition and did everything they could to save the thing before ultimately tearing it down for Banshee
He hates Orion because it’s not 20 feet taller out of 300 feet
@@JJJJ-he8bz I mean the drop makes it a giga, but people love to overlook that and just look at the lift hill height lol.
My main beef with orion is that it replaced Firehawk I loved it so much bro
Are you not aware that Orion was originally meant for Great America as a Hyper named Megabite? The final permit wasn't approved so the project was moved to KI and the first drop was redesigned.
8:00 oh, why you just murdered me internally. What Orion could have been.
I know right? This is the type of stuff I love thinking about!
Perilous Plunge looks like something that came out of planet coaster but that isnt a bad thing. That ride looked insane. 😭
why is time wap so hated??? i love tomb raider. i even went on it recently after watching a few of these videos saying how much time warp is hated. in terms of pain, i find top gun more painfun (but still fun once each visit)
They are both just lower tier coasters . That’s all :)
Michigan's Adventure also still has their Tornado water ride.
Yeah and yet no issues. Wild 😂
Orion is terrifying but it's fun, although I wish it was a bit longer.