Mystic Timbers facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Mystic Timbers |
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Mystic Timbers' lift hill
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| Kings Island | |
| Location | Kings Island |
| Park section | Rivertown |
| Coordinates | 39°20′28″N 84°16′07″W / 39.3412°N 84.2686°W |
| Status | Operating |
| Soft opening date | April 13, 2017 |
| Opening date | April 15, 2017 |
| Cost | $15,000,000 |
| General statistics | |
| Type | Wood |
| Manufacturer | Great Coasters International |
| Designer | Skyline Design |
| Lift/launch system | Chain lift hill |
| Height | 109 ft (33 m) |
| Drop | 98 ft (30 m) |
| Length | 3,265 ft (995 m) |
| Speed | 53 mph (85 km/h) |
| Inversions | 0 |
| Duration | 2:00 |
| Capacity | 1200 riders per hour |
| Height restriction | 48 in (122 cm) |
| Trains | 3 trains with 12 cars. Riders are arranged 2 across in a single row for a total of 24 riders per train. |
| Mystic Timbers at RCDB | |
Mystic Timbers is an exciting wooden roller coaster located at Kings Island amusement park in Mason, Ohio. It was built by a company called Great Coasters International and designed by Skyline Design. The roller coaster opened in the park's Rivertown section on April 15, 2017. Mystic Timbers is the fourth wooden coaster at Kings Island. When it opened, Kings Island became the park with the most wooden roller coaster track in the world! Mystic Timbers is famous for its mysterious ending inside a shed, which was kept a secret until the very first riders experienced it. In 2017, it won an award for "Best New Ride."
Contents
History of Mystic Timbers
Kings Island started giving out hints about a new ride during the 2016 season. In the Rivertown area of the park, a construction wall appeared with signs saying, "Caution - Watch For Falling Trees." This made people wonder what new attraction was coming!
Planning and Early Clues
In June 2016, plans for a new roller coaster, called "Kings Island Project 2017," were sent to the local planning board. Before this, some fans thought the park might be building a bigger log flume ride. Later that month, news reporters received a small toy axe with a note hinting about activity in Rivertown. The next month, another clue appeared: a blue toy pickup truck with logs in the back. It came with a note saying that an official announcement would happen on July 28, 2016.
The Big Announcement
On the night of the announcement, over 1,000 park guests waited for two hours to hear the news. It was finally revealed that the new ride would be a roller coaster named Mystic Timbers! This new ride would be the park's sixteenth roller coaster and its fourth wooden one. With Mystic Timbers, Kings Island would have the longest collection of wooden roller coaster track in the world. This includes its other three wooden coasters: The Beast, both tracks of The Racer, and Woodstock Express.
The ride's logo was shown, along with a video of what it would be like to ride it. However, the video stopped right before the train entered a mysterious shed at the end of the ride. Park officials said that the secret of what happened in the shed would not be revealed until opening day! This mystery made Mystic Timbers one of the most anticipated roller coasters of 2017.
Construction and Opening
Building the tall parts of Mystic Timbers began in August 2016. On March 20, 2017, the ride had its first test runs. The attraction opened early for the press and roller coaster fans on April 13, 2017. It officially opened to all park guests on April 15, 2017.
About the Ride: Mystic Timbers
Mystic Timbers has a cool story behind it! It's themed around a made-up logging company called Miami River Lumber. This company bought the land around the ride to cut down trees. They planned to use the nearby Kings Island & Miami Valley Railroad (the park's steam locomotive train ride) to ship out the timber. But then, strange things started happening, and the company shut down. The land was taken over by wild plants and nature.
Ride Design and Stats
The ride was designed and built by Great Coasters International, a company from Pennsylvania that builds amazing wooden roller coasters. Mystic Timbers is 109-foot-tall (33 m) and its track is 3,265 feet (995 m) long. It can reach a top speed of 53 miles per hour (85 km/h)! The ride features a 98-foot-long (30 m) first drop and sixteen "airtime hills." Airtime hills are those bumps that make you feel like you're floating out of your seat!
The ride has three trains, and each train can carry 24 passengers. This means about 1200 people can ride Mystic Timbers every hour. The roller coaster's path uses the natural ups and downs of the land. It also goes near both the Kings Island & Miami Valley Railroad and the White Water Canyon water ride during its two-minute journey.
Mystic Timbers Ride Experience
The adventure begins as the train leaves the station. It makes a turn to the right, crosses over the railroad tracks, then turns left before climbing the tall lift hill. As you go up the lift hill, a recorded voice warns you, "Hey! Hey! I see you up there! What on Earth do you think you're doing? This is security. Seriously, guys, you need to take that truck, go home to your video games. This place is not safe."
At the top of the 109 feet (33 m)* lift hill, the chain slows down. Another voice tells riders over loudspeakers, "Whatever you do, don't go in the shed!" Then, the train plunges down a swooping 98 feet (30 m)* drop to the left. After that, it goes over another hill. At the top of this second hill, the train turns left again and crosses over the lift hill. It then dives close to the ground and speeds over a series of airtime hills, giving you lots of floating sensations!
The track briefly enters a covered tunnel as it makes a left turn, changing direction to head back towards the station. The return track runs next to the first part of the ride until it veers off near the second drop. It then reaches a brake run, slowing down just outside the entrance to the mysterious shed.
The Shed: What Happens Inside?
When the train stops on the brake run, you hear a recorded message. A security guard's voice says, "Don't go in the shed. This is a restricted area." This audio repeats a few times and then starts to glitch and skip, eventually changing to, "Go in the shed."
The train then slowly moves into the shed. It's dimly lit by flickering lamps and fluorescent lights. Inside, you can see old saws, vines, leaves, and other items left behind by workers. A cassette player starts playing music from the 1980s. Suddenly, a loud screeching sound is heard! Large screens show one of three random creatures that appear to interact with the train. After this surprise, the train makes a quick 90-degree turn to the right and re-enters the station.
Here are the three creatures you might see:
- Bats: A big group of bats flies towards the train, followed by a giant bat that seems to swarm the middle of the screen.
- Snake: A huge snake appears on the screen and looks like it's lunging to bite the riders!
- Tree: First, you see many insects crawling on tree branches. Then, a giant tree comes alive, giving the illusion that it's grabbing the train as it passes by.
Awards and Recognition
In 2017, Mystic Timbers won the "Best New Ride" award from Amusement Today in their yearly Golden Ticket Awards. These awards are like the "Oscars" for amusement parks! Overall, Mystic Timbers was ranked eleventh among all wooden roller coasters in the world.
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