Banshee (roller coaster)

Coordinates: 39°20′44.39″N 84°15′55.70″W / 39.3456639°N 84.2654722°W / 39.3456639; -84.2654722
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Banshee
Chain lift hill
Height167 ft (51 m)
Drop150 ft (46 m)
Length4,124 ft (1,257 m)
Speed68 mph (109 km/h)
Inversions7
Duration2:40
Capacity1,650 riders per hour
Height restriction52–78 in (132–198 cm)
Trains3 trains with 8 cars. Riders are arranged 4 across in a single row for a total of 32 riders per train.
Fast Lane available
Banshee at RCDB

Banshee is an

trains
, each with eight cars, giving it an hourly capacity of 1,650 riders.

Banshee was built at the former location of a wooden roller coaster named Son of Beast, as well as the Thunder Alley go-kart attraction. The ride was officially announced on August 8, 2013, although the "Banshee" name had been trademarked that April. The first track pieces were installed on August 27, 2013, and work continued through the following January. When Banshee opened, it was well-received, accommodating one million riders in less than three months. Amusement Today's annual Golden Ticket Awards has consistently ranked Banshee among the top 50 steel roller coasters in the world.

History

Banshee replaced Son of Beast (pictured), which closed in 2009 before being demolished three years later

Banshee was built at the former location of Son of Beast, a wooden roller coaster plagued with issues and demolished in 2012, and the Thunder Alley go-kart attraction that was removed the same year. A memorial for Son of Beast is in the queue line of Banshee. Following their removal, it was not immediately clear what would replace the attractions.[2]

Construction

Construction on a new attraction began on April 22, 2013,

owls were placed in nearby trees.[13]

On July 31, 2013, Kings Island detailed plans to reveal a new world record-breaking attraction at 10 p.m. on August 8. Media packages containing a silver comb, artificial hair, and a tag were sent out to media outlets to notify them of the upcoming announcement.

Diamondback, which opened in 2009),[22] as well as the park's 14th operating roller coaster.[23]

The foundation work for the supports was done by R.E. Middleton, and the rest of the ride's construction was performed by Adena Corporation.[24] The first pieces of track and supports were delivered to the park from Clermont Steel Fabricators on August 16, 2013;[7][25] the first track piece was erected on August 27, 2013.[26] The lift hill was completed on September 29, 2013,[27] and by the end of October, other elements such as the first drop, dive loop, and vertical loop were installed.[28][29] Work on the station commenced that November,[29] and the ride was 40 percent complete by the next month.[30] The final piece of track was installed on January 23, 2014.[31][32] Workers began installing the ride's trains that February,[33] and testing began on March 15.[34][35][36]

Operation

Kings Island hosted a preview event for Banshee on April 17, 2014. Several hundred journalists and members of the public, coming from 28 U.S. states as well as Canada and the UK, gathered at the park at as early as 4:00 a.m.[37] The ride officially opened to the public the next day, April 18, 2014.[38][39] At a cost of $24 million, the ride was the single biggest investment in Kings Island's history at the time.[37][40][41] Banshee's opening coincided with increased ticket sales at Kings Island, which opened for the season on the same day. Kings Island officials reported that more people visited the park during the weekend of April 18–20, 2014, than on any other opening weekend in the park's 43-year history.[41]

Banshee had attracted one million riders by July 10, 2014, less than three months after its opening.[42][43] On that day, Kings Island gave the ride's millionth guest a gift package and a commemorative sign.[44] At the time, Banshee was projected to be Kings Island's most popular new ride in 25 years; by comparison, Vortex had given 2,183,642 rides the year after it opened in 1987.[44] The ride recorded its two-millionth rider on November 2, 2014.[45]

Characteristics

Banshee stands 167 feet (51 m) tall and features a first drop of 150 feet (46 m).

Busch Gardens Tampa for achieving the most inversions on any inverted coaster.[51] Riders experience speeds of up to 68 miles per hour (109 km/h) on the ride, which lasts two minutes and forty seconds.[46] Due to the terrain underneath Banshee, the highest point of the lift hill is 208 feet (63 m) above the lowest point of the ride, which is at the bottom of the pretzel knot.[3][29] As a result, Banshee reaches its maximum speed approximately halfway through the layout, rather than after the first drop, as is the case in most roller coasters.[3][47]

A view of Banshee from the Eiffel Tower

Banshee operates with three

trains made of steel and fiberglass with eight cars per train. In each car, riders are seated four across in a single row for a total of 32 riders per train.[46] The configuration has a theoretical capacity of 1,650 riders per hour.[29][46] Riders are secured by flexible, over-the-shoulder restraints and interlocking seat belts, known as vest restraints, similar to those used on Bolliger & Mabillard's Wing Coaster models.[52] Each train is painted a different color: blue, green, or purple.[24]

Banshee's tubular steel track was manufactured by Clermont Steel Fabricators in Batavia, Ohio.[53] The first vertical loop on Banshee wraps around the lift hill. This element can be found on two other Bolliger & Mabillard roller coasters, which are The Riddler's Revenge at Six Flags Magic Mountain and Kumba at Busch Gardens Tampa.[54] At night, the ride is illuminated and features fog effects.[55]

As the name suggests, the ride is themed after the mythological female spirit

station being themed appropriately.[57]

Ride experience

The station of Banshee

After departing from the

brake run leading back to the station.[58]

Reception

Following the announcement of Banshee, Screamscape amusement park enthusiast Lance Hart called the new roller coaster "The perfect addition to an already great coaster line-up" at Kings Island.

Golden Ticket Award for being the 16th best steel roller coaster worldwide.[63][64]

Golden Ticket Awards: Best New Ride
for 2014
Ranking
2[62]
Golden Ticket Awards
: Top steel Roller Coasters
Year 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2021 2022
Ranking 16[64] 20[65] 13[66] 22[67] 29[68] 33[69] 37[70] 37[71]

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External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Banshee (roller coaster).
Preceded by World's longest inverted roller coaster
April 2014–present 		Current holder
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Banshee_(roller_coaster)&oldid=1218978994"