Kings Island’s New Giga Coaster Completes Its First Test Run

Kings Island’s Orion Coaster Completes it’s First Test Run and is Set to Open in April 2020

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Ryleigh Whittaker, Staff Writer

On Saturday, February 22, Kings Island’s new giga coaster completed its first test run. The coaster known as the “Orion Coaster” is set to open in April of 2020. Even though it doesn’t open for another month, crews are taking extreme measures to make sure the ride is ready for opening by testing electricity, speed, safety factors, and more.

According to WLWT5,  “Orion will make its public debut on April 11 when Kings Island opens for the 2020 season, becoming one of seven giga coasters in the world and the 10th fastest.”

The ride will now take Diamondback’s place as the tallest and fastest in the park. The ride is also at the former site of Firehawk which closed in late 2018.

According to Dayton Daily News, “Riders sit four across on a 32-passenger train traveling a high-speed journey of eight hills and 5,321 feet of track. With a top speed of 91 mph, it is the 10th-fastest roller coaster in the world.”

The ride also is said to have cost the same as it was to build the park in 1972. The ride had a budget of $30 million and is made out of 160,000 truckloads of steel and 4,000 gallons of paint. 

According to Cincinnati, “Riders can expect to go over eight hills at speeds up to 91 miles per hour.”

Kings Island is expecting many people from around the world to come ride it because of it being one of seven giga coasters. Orion is expected to be a new park favorite because of its massive drops and speed.