Orion is Kings Island’s giga coaster — and one of only seven in the world. It stands 287 feet tall, drops 300 feet at a near-vertical 85-degree angle, and hits 91 mph before tearing through seven more hills of sustained airtime. Since opening on July 2, 2020, it has cemented Kings Island as one of the premier coaster parks in North America.
Built by Swiss manufacturer Bolliger & Mabillard (B&M) and themed around the park’s Area 72 sci-fi zone, Orion represented a $31 million investment — the largest single attraction spend in Kings Island’s history at the time. Whether you’re planning your first ride or want to know exactly how it stacks up against other giga coasters worldwide, this guide covers everything.
Quick Answer
Orion at Kings Island is a B&M giga coaster: 287 feet tall, 300-foot first drop, 91 mph top speed, 5,321 feet of track, and a 3-minute ride with zero inversions — it does not go upside down. It is Kings Island’s tallest, fastest, and longest steel roller coaster.
Orion Stats at a Glance
Park: Kings Island, Mason, Ohio. Manufacturer: Bolliger & Mabillard (Switzerland). Type: Giga coaster (seventh in the world). Opened: July 2, 2020. Construction cost: $31 million. Height: 287 feet. First drop: 300 feet at 85 degrees. Top speed: 91 mph. Track length: 5,321 feet. Ride duration: approximately 3 minutes. Total hills after the drop: 7. Inversions: 0. Minimum height requirement: 54 inches. Train configuration: 3 trains, 8 cars each, 4 riders across per row, 32 riders per train. Estimated capacity: approximately 1,650 riders per hour.
Does Orion Go Upside Down?
No. Orion has zero inversions and does not go upside down at any point. It is an airtime machine, not an inversion coaster. Every element in its layout is engineered to generate negative G-forces — the weightless floating sensation — rather than to rotate riders through loops or rolls.
This is intentional and characteristic of B&M giga coasters as a design category. The 85-degree first drop, the wave turn, and the sequence of airtime hills all deliver that gut-lifting, out-of-seat feeling without ever flipping the train. If you want inversions at Kings Island, Banshee (7 inversions) and Flight of Fear are strong options nearby. But Orion’s inversion-free layout is the point — it is pure speed and airtime at giga scale.
The Full Ride Layout: Every Element on Orion
The ride begins on a 287-foot chain lift hill. At the crest, the track angles to 85 degrees and the train falls 300 feet — steep enough to feel nearly vertical from any seat. The train hits 91 mph at the base of the drop, the fastest moment of the ride, before launching into the layout’s first major element.
Element one is a 174-foot banked airtime hill, commonly called the wave turn, which delivers strong floater airtime as the train banks through the curve. Element two is a 202-foot horseshoe turn — a sweeping, high-speed arc that transitions riders through direction changes while maintaining momentum. After the horseshoe comes a 56-foot airtime hill, then a 147-foot airtime hill where a trim brake clips the speed slightly before a left-hand sweeping turn. The layout then hits two final airtime hills at 90 feet and 83 feet respectively. A 125-foot spiral leads into the brake run and station return.
The 5,321-foot track is shorter than some competing giga coasters, and this has been a point of debate among enthusiasts since opening day. What Orion lacks in raw length it makes up for in pacing: there are no dead moments, no slow mid-ride recoveries, and no filler elements. Every second of track is doing useful work.
Orion Among the World’s Giga Coasters
Giga coasters are defined by a height or drop of 300 to 399 feet — a narrow band that puts them above hyper coasters (200–299 feet) but below the one-of-a-kind strata-coasters above 400 feet. Only seven giga coasters exist worldwide, making Orion membership in this club genuinely rare. Notable peers include Millennium Force at Cedar Point (the first giga coaster ever built, opened 2000, 93 mph), Fury 325 at Carowinds (325 feet, 95 mph, 6,602 feet of track), Leviathan at Canada’s Wonderland (306 feet, 92 mph), and Intimidator 305 at Kings Dominion (305 feet, 90 mph).
In enthusiast rankings, Fury 325 has consistently sat near or at the top of steel coaster polls and won Best New Ride at the 2015 Golden Ticket Awards before holding a multi-year run as the world’s top-ranked steel coaster. Orion, by comparison, ranked 43rd in the 2024 Golden Ticket Awards and won the USA TODAY 10Best award for Best New Amusement Park Attraction in 2020. It ranks well for a coaster of its age and sits comfortably as one of the best rides in the Midwest.
The most common enthusiast comparison is Orion versus Fury 325 — both B&M gigas. Fury 325 has the height, speed, and length advantage. Orion’s defenders argue that the layout is tighter and more purposeful, with no wasted real estate. Both are worth the trip to their respective parks.
Theming: Area 72 and the Fort Mason Research Compound
Orion sits in Kings Island’s Area 72, a dedicated sci-fi themed zone built around the concept of a classified 1970s-era aerospace and extraterrestrial research facility. The queue area is themed as the Fort Mason Research Compound, with mission briefing displays, classified document aesthetics, and easter eggs referencing other Cedar Fair — now Six Flags Entertainment — parks hidden throughout.
The name Orion connects directly to the constellation and the space-exploration narrative. The ride’s original score was composed by IMAscore, the same studio behind music at several major theme park attractions in Europe and North America. For guests who notice park theming, Area 72 is one of Kings Island’s most fully realized themed environments outside of the main Coney Mall district. The original opening date of April 11, 2020 was delayed due to COVID-19 park closures; Orion ultimately opened to the public on July 2, 2020.
Visitor Tips: Getting the Most Out of Orion
Height requirement: 54 inches minimum. This is enforced at the ride entrance. Orion carries a maximum thrill rating (5 out of 5) from the park and is not appropriate for guests with heart conditions, back or neck problems, or those who are pregnant.
Best seat: Front row gives you the clearest sightline down the 300-foot drop and the most immersive open-air view of the Ohio landscape at 91 mph. The front right seat in particular showcases the 174-foot wave turn with nothing blocking your view. Back row delivers more aggressive, whip-style airtime on the drop and the smaller hills — the train pulls over the crest faster and the negative-G forces hit harder. Both are worth experiencing if wait times allow a second ride.
Wait times: As the park’s flagship attraction, Orion draws some of Kings Island’s longest queues, especially on peak summer weekends. Arriving at park opening and heading to Orion first is the most reliable way to minimize wait. The three-train operation helps throughput at roughly 1,650 riders per hour, but early arrival still makes a significant difference.
Viewing: Even before you ride, watching Orion from the Kings Island midway is worthwhile. The train’s ground-level speed through the final airtime hills and the scale of the 287-foot structure are genuinely impressive from any viewing angle.
Orion roller coaster Kings Island FAQs
How tall is Orion at Kings Island?
Orion’s lift hill stands 287 feet tall. The first drop is 300 feet — the terrain slopes downward from the lift peak, so the drop is longer than the structure’s standing height. The drop angle is 85 degrees.
How fast does Orion go?
Orion reaches a top speed of 91 mph at the bottom of the 300-foot first drop. This is the fastest point in the ride.
Does Orion go upside down?
No. Orion has zero inversions. It does not loop, roll, or go upside down at any point. The ride is focused entirely on speed and airtime — negative-G floater and ejector sensations — with no rotating elements.
Is Orion a giga coaster?
Yes. A giga coaster is defined by a height or drop of 300 to 399 feet. Orion’s 300-foot first drop qualifies it. It is one of only seven giga coasters in the world and the only one at Kings Island.
What is the height requirement for Orion at Kings Island?
Riders must be at least 54 inches tall to ride Orion.
How long is the Orion roller coaster ride?
Orion’s ride lasts approximately 3 minutes and covers 5,321 feet of track, including 7 hills after the initial 300-foot drop.
When did Orion open at Kings Island?
Orion opened to the public on July 2, 2020. It was originally scheduled to open April 11, 2020 but was delayed due to COVID-19 park closures.
How does Orion compare to Fury 325?
Both are B&M giga coasters, but Fury 325 at Carowinds is taller (325 feet vs. 287 feet), faster (95 mph vs. 91 mph), and longer (6,602 feet vs. 5,321 feet). Fury 325 consistently ranks higher in enthusiast polls. Orion is praised for having no wasted moments in its layout and is considered one of the best coasters in the Midwest.
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