Kings Island has something new to brag about: The Mason amusement park just took home some national recognition from readers of USA Today for the Orion giga coaster.
Orion won the title of Best New Amusement Park Attraction in the paper’s 10Best.com readers poll, beating out two new Disney rides (and many others).
During the poll, experts pick a handful of their favorites in any given category and then readers have four weeks to vote for No. 1.
By noon on Dec. 31 (the last day of the contest), Orion had made it to the top spot.
Per USA Today:
Each summer, amusement parks across the United States introduce park goers to a new lineup of attractions, from extreme thrill rides that push our adrenaline pumping limits to themed areas that welcome us into whole new worlds. Despite everything that’s happened this year, 2020 was no exception.
The top 10 winners in the category Best New Amusement Park Attraction are as follows:
- Orion at Kings Island – Mason, Ohio
- The Bourne Stuntacular at Universal Studios Florida – Orlando
- Cheetah Chase at Holiday World – Santa Claus, Indiana
- Candymonium at Hersheypark – Hershey, Pennsylvania
- Texas Stingray at SeaWorld San Antonio
- Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance at Disneyland – Anaheim, California
- Mystic River Falls at Silver Dollar City – Branson, Missouri
- West Coast Racers at Six Flags Magic Mountain – Valencia, California
- Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway at Disney’s Hollywood Studios – Orlando
- Catwoman Whip at Six Flags Over Georgia – Austell, Georgia
Orion opened in July for the 2020 season and is one of only seven giga coasters in the world.
What is a giga coaster, you ask? To be specified as such, the ride must have a height or drop of 300 to 399 feet. To put that into perspective, Kings Island’s iconic Eiffel Tower is 315 feet.
The coaster’s first drop is 300 feet.
Orion runs on a 5,321-foot track with seven hills and travels at speeds of up to 91 miles per hour. It is the theme park’s fastest, tallest and longest steel coaster. According to the park, “Switzerland-based Bolliger & Mabillard, which also designed the park’s popular Banshee and Diamondback roller coasters,” designed the award-winning new ride.
Learn more about Orion and Kings Island at visitkingsisland.com.
This article appears in Jan 1-31, 2021.