Woodstock Express was another surprise hit. The “floater” airtime that is standard on B&M hypers is consistent across Diamondback’s camelback hills.Įven the recently re-tracked sections of the coaster were uncomfortable.īut despite the discomfort, I’m thankful that Kings Island has kept this classic around and is still allowing the two trains to race. Its out-and-back layout isn’t groundbreaking, but its elongated trains and splash-down finale both make for a unique ride. Over 10 years after its opening, Diamondback remains one of my favorite B&M hyper coasters. But the slight rattle didn’t prevent me from enjoying every second of this inverted work of coaster art. The zero-G roll leads directly into a twice-inverting pretzel knot that transitions into a second vertical loop followed by an inline twist, which is rare for a B&M inverted coaster.īanshee was one of the rougher B&M inverts that I’ve ridden, which is surprising for a coaster less than 10 years old. The second half of the ride is incredibly relentless - in the best way possible. It’s one of the most photogenic coasters at Kings Island. Its first vertical loop encircles the lift hill. The coaster towers an imposing 167 feet above the Action Zone area of the park. It’s an easy coaster to miss due to its location, so ride it as soon as you can.īanshee is one of Bolliger & Mabillard’s (B&M) newest inverted coasters and remains the longest inverted coaster in the world. And though its layout is relatively short, nearly every foot of track is used to the fullest extent. The trains come near feet from those lining up to ride.įirst opening as Top Gun in 1993, then renamed Flight Deck in 2008, the coaster was again renamed in 2014 as simply “Bat,” a throwback to Arrow’s short-lived suspended coaster prototype of the same name, which operated at Kings Island from 1981-1983.ĭespite its age, Bat is surprisingly smooth. Guests approaching the coaster have nearly unobstructed views of its orange track. I like that the coaster is set away from the hustle-and-bustle of the park’s Action Zone area. The video below will give you an up-close look at Flight of Fear with the lights on: The 0-54 mph launch is forceful, the four inversions are snappy and the 2,700-foot-long layout is well-paced aside from a mid-course brake run. Built during the movie-inspired Paramount era of Kings Island, the coaster has retained its alien/UFO theme. But you won’t see it from the midway - Flight of Fear is totally enclosed.įlight of Fear’s heavily themed queue is one of my favorite things about the coaster. I was a little disappointed in the coaster’s anticlimactic ending (the aforementioned enclosed lift hill that returns riders to the station), but I appreciated the extra effort made on the theming and animatronics.įlight of Fear is a Premier Rides LIM coaster - I call it a “spaghetti bowl” coaster due to its tightly twisted layout. The coaster’s three tunnels add even more fun to the mix. It’s one of the more intense and unique Arrow Dynamics mine trains I’ve ridden. It’s a modest increase in intensity from the park’s smaller offerings such as Great Pumpkin Coaster and Woodstock Express. But if you can get past that, it does provide a dizzying - but perhaps not vertigo-inducing - ride experience.įlying Ace Aerial Chase is a Snoopy-themed, family-friendly suspended coaster, also manufactured by Vekoma. Vekoma’s boomerang-style coasters are notoriously rough, and unfortunately, Invertigo was no different. If you’ve ridden one of those, you’ll find Invertigo to provide a familiar ride experience. Invertigo is the suspended equivalent to Vekoma’s popular boomerang coaster. Note: I haven’t ridden the Great Pumpkin Coaster (I’m too tall with no kids of my own), so I didn’t include it in my ranking.

So let’s get started with the steel coasters. I separated my rankings into steel and wood categories, as I think it’s unfair to clump the two together when a park has so many coasters. After visiting the park several times over the last 10 years, I decided to take on the challenging task of ranking them. Kings Island is home to an impressive lineup of 14 roller coasters, one of which is a two-track racing coaster.

King island racer