Jump to content

The Bat flies again at Kings Island


Guest KingsIslandPR

Recommended Posts

So much for offseason speculation! :D

You got your answer quick!

Official Press release!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Don Helbig

October 29, 2013

The Bat flies again at Kings Island

Kings Island, Ohio – Thirty-three years to the day it was first introduced in 1980, The Bat will fly again at Kings Island. The 364-acre amusement and waterpark is changing the name and colors of the Flight Deck roller coaster to The Bat. The change will take effect for the 2014 season. “There was a lot of passion and enthusiasm around this name change by our guests,” Kings Island’s vice-president and general manager Greg Scheid said. “They told us this is a name they wanted us to bring back. We listened and we’re excited our guests will again be able to fly The Bat at Kings Island in 2014. “The name also fits the characteristics of the ride. Similar to a bat in flight, riders soar through the air, swooping, circling and diving unexpectedly as they enjoy this ride.” The newly named Bat is similar to its predecessor as a suspended roller coaster with the tracks above the trains. When the coaster train turns a corner, the cars are designed to swing out to the side, sometimes swinging the riders parallel to the ground. The new color scheme for The Bat will feature orange track with two shades of charcoal for the columns and structure. Black will be the featured color of the trains. Designed by the Arrow Dynamics Company, The Bat was custom designed for Kings Island when it debuted as Top Gun in 1993. Riders soar over the tree tops and through a hilly wooden terrain and a series of sharp turns on this seventh generation steel roller coaster. The attraction celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2013, giving its 20-millionth ride in June. The Bat is one of 15 roller coasters at Kings Island, including the new world record-breaking Banshee set to debut in 2014. The original Bat operated for parts of three seasons from 1981 to 1983, giving 1.8 million rides. Kings Island is owned and operated by Cedar Fair Entertainment Company, a publicly traded partnership that is listed for trading on The New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “FUN.” In addition to Kings Island, Cedar Fair owns and operates ten other amusement parks, three outdoor water parks, an indoor water park, and five hotels. Cedar Fair also operates the Gilroy Gardens Family Theme Park in Gilroy, Calif. under a management contract.

TheBat_zpscf3533f2.jpg

  • Like 32
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I don't see why you'd need to wait for another source to post it to Wikipedia - it doesn't get any more official than a press release from the park.

Andy there are two sources. Don posted it to KIC, and I posted the press release he sent to the media.

I am very excited to see Top Gun turned, Flight Deck, and now turning into The Bat!

  • Like 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

This is genius move by KI.

1.) First off sprucing up the area and changing the ride's paint scheme will make FD (errr The Bat) a bit better.

2.) It pays homage to the original ride.

3.) Sad to say this but it will be true. Some of the general public will think this is a new ride.

All in all this, plus the addition of Banshee, should make the ride way more popular than it was before.

  • Like 5
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Oops, should've bought some Flight Deck gear on Closing Day...

But otherwise, oh my gosh this is going to look incredible! :blink:

And I must say, with the epic teasing of Banshee that went on this year and now this, I've never seen Kings Island so in touch and interactive with it's everyday visitors before, enthusiast AND General Public.

KI is in very good hands right now...

  • Like 9
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...