Longtime Coaster Radio listener CPCoasterKing had a chance to ride Kings Island's new Hyper-Coaster Diamondback.Here's his review!
I was so excited to be able to get up to KI on opening day. Last fall my friends and I took a construction tour of Diamondback at an ACE event called Fall Freak out. I have been dying to get on its since!
The queue area was really nice. They had some cowboy jugglers entertaining people in line, with several flat screen tv's in line as well.
We got in line expecting a very long wait but as soon as an employee walked by, he said it would be an hour and a half. I was then all pumped up again.
The line moved really quickly and they had someone assigning seats which is good and bad in my opinion. The trains were beautiful and had good theming on them. The restraints are wonderful as well.
The only complaint I have is that you don't have to be very heavy at all and you could be too big to ride. Cedar Fair has made all the rides have 2 clicks on the restraints on every ride. It all depended on where your weight was distributed on your body if you could ride or not.
This poor woman in front of us was so excited to ride and when we came up to the test seat, she couldn't fit. It was heart breaking. And she wasn't even that big. I know its hard to design seats to fit the large array of body types, but it seamed a bit extreme.
I joked with my friends that they should sell a diet book called, "The Cedar Fair 2 Click Weight Loss Plan," because apparently Cedar Fair doesn't realize they are operating in America.
So we get on the train and I rode in the 2nd half of the car the first time, and it was really odd to have your riding partner that far away from you. I will say that it was a BEAUTIFUL view from my seat and the freedom of that view and of your restraint was amazing. I felt like I was the only one riding the ride.
The lift is very quite and fast. I almost though it was an elevator lift, but it isn't. I didn't hear a chain dog at all. The lift is also very steep! It didn't look bad at all from the ground, but as soon as you start up, it wakes you up!
The first drop was fantastic. You can see so much of the midway. The air time on all the hills is amazing. I was constantly smiling ear to ear every time we hit one.
The first large banked turn was a lot of fun as well. The camera is after that first banked turn, then you bank up and left to the block breaks. After that, the first hill I think is a bit slow, but the second makes up for it with plenty of air time.
Then you turn into the helix which again, I thought was just a bit slow, but then you even get some air time on the next drop into the water splash. The water splash looks beautiful while watching the ride, but I only felt a slight drag on the train. If you weren't looking for it, you could miss it.
Wonderful ride! Great drops and plenty of Airtime! It may be my new favorite ride at KI.
Talk more about this ride in the CoasterRadio.com forums.
