Orion (roller coaster)


Orion is a steel roller coaster located at Kings Island amusement park in Mason, Ohio. Manufactured by Bolliger & Mabillard, Orion became the seventh giga coaster in the world when it opened to the public on July 2, 2020. It is the largest investment in park history, costing Cedar Fair an estimated $30 million. The coaster stands, features a, and reaches a maximum speed of. It is situated in the Area 72 section of the park on a site formerly occupied by Firehawk.

History

In early 2019, Kings Island submitted construction blueprints to the City of Mason for approval. Dennis Speigel, a former park executive who helped with the transition from Coney Island to Kings Island in the early 1970s, speculated that the blueprints revealed a likely height estimate of at least, qualifying it as a giga coaster. The plans were approved on April 24, 2019. Cedar Fair also applied for national trademarks for the names Orion and Polaris as a marketing teaser tactic to keep enthusiasts guessing between the two. On August 15, 2019, Kings Island held an evening event open to both the media and public that officially announced the new coaster as Orion. It was confirmed to have a, making it the seventh giga coaster in the world. The announcement also stated that the unofficial X-Base section of the park would be revamped and renamed Area 72 for the 2020 season.
In November 2019, Orion's train design was revealed at the annual International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions Amusement Expo in Orlando. Unlike previous train configurations from B&M that feature staggered, two-seat rows, Orion's trains were designed to seat four across in a straight line.
In February 2020, Orion successfully completed its first test run. It was originally scheduled to open on April 11, 2020, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the opening was postponed to July 2, 2020. A media preview event was held the previous day on July 1, 2020.