Standing in line for Orion, the first thing that hits you is the scale. Kings Island’s giga coaster climbs 287 feet into the Ohio sky, and from the crest of that lift hill you can see the entire park spread out below before the train tips over the edge and falls 300 feet in under two seconds.
Orion opened on July 2, 2020, following a media soft-opening on July 1, as the seventh giga coaster in the world and the single largest investment in Kings Island’s history at roughly $31 million. Built by Swiss manufacturer Bolliger & Mabillard and themed around a sci-fi mission to reach the Orion constellation, it instantly became the defining landmark of the park’s skyline. Below is every stat riders search for, plus how Orion stacks up against its closest B&M giga rivals, the records it holds at Kings Island, and the awards it has picked up since opening.
Quick Answer
Orion stands 287 feet tall, the height of its chain lift hill, and is officially classified as a giga coaster because its first drop measures 300 feet. It’s a Bolliger & Mabillard Hyper Coaster at Kings Island in Mason, Ohio, hitting a top speed of 91 mph on an 85-degree first drop, with a 5,321-foot track, zero inversions, and a 54-inch height requirement. It opened July 2, 2020, becoming the seventh giga coaster ever built and the third from B&M, after Leviathan (2012) and Fury 325 (2015).
Orion Stats at a Glance
Park: Kings Island, Mason, Ohio, in the Area 72 section. Manufacturer: Bolliger & Mabillard (B&M), Switzerland. Model: B&M Hyper Coaster, marketed as a giga coaster. Opened: July 2, 2020, with a media and pass-holder preview on July 1, 2020. Cost: approximately $31 million, the largest single investment in Kings Island’s history at the time.
Lift hill 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: 8, including the drop. Inversions: 0. Train configuration: 3 trains, 8 cars each, 4 riders across, 32 riders per train. Height requirement: 54 inches. Hourly capacity: approximately 1,650 riders. Thrill rating: rated at the park’s highest thrill classification. Replaced: Firehawk and the Dinosaurs Alive attraction, which previously occupied the site.
How Tall Is Orion? Height vs. Drop, Explained
Orion’s structure, the physical lift hill riders climb, stands 287 feet tall. That’s the number to use when someone asks how tall Orion is as a structure. But the coaster’s defining stat is different: its first drop measures 300 feet, 13 feet more than the lift itself.
The discrepancy is intentional. The drop track descends into an excavated valley below the surrounding grade, so the train falls further than the lift climbed. That extra distance is also why Orion qualifies as a giga coaster even though its tower height alone would fall just short of the 300-foot giga threshold.
Orion’s Full Speed and Ride Stats
Orion reaches 91 mph at the bottom of its first drop, making it the fastest steel coaster at Kings Island. That speed comes almost entirely from the 300-foot plunge; there’s no launch mechanism, just gravity acting on an 85-degree drop angle just five degrees short of vertical.
After the drop, the train doesn’t slow down much. It threads through an overbanked turn and seven additional hills, ranging from roughly 56 to over 200 feet, over a 5,321-foot layout that takes about three minutes to complete. With no inversions, every stat on Orion is built around sustained airtime and raw speed rather than loops or corkscrews, which is part of why it’s classified as a hyper/giga coaster instead of a multi-element thrill coaster.
When Did Orion Open? History and Cost
Orion opened to the public on July 2, 2020, after a media and season-pass-holder preview on July 1. The coaster had originally been slated for a spring 2020 debut, but Kings Island’s entire season was pushed back by several months due to COVID-19 closures affecting parks nationwide, delaying Orion’s opening alongside the rest of the park’s.
When it finally opened, Orion became the seventh giga coaster built anywhere in the world and the third built by B&M specifically, joining the manufacturer’s short list of coasters with drops of 300 feet or more: Leviathan at Canada’s Wonderland (2012) and Fury 325 at Carowinds (2015). At roughly $31 million, Orion was also the single largest capital investment in Kings Island’s history at the time it opened, replacing the Firehawk flying coaster and the Dinosaurs Alive walk-through attraction on that footprint.
The 287-Foot Chain Lift Climb
From the moment the train engages the lift chain, the ascent is steady and deliberate. B&M chain lifts are designed to build anticipation rather than rush it, and the climb takes roughly 30 to 40 seconds, long enough to take in sweeping views of the park, the surrounding Mason, Ohio landscape, and on clear days, the Cincinnati skyline to the south.
The chain is a continuous loop of interlocked metal links running in a trough beneath the track; a catch dog on the train’s undercarriage grabs the chain and is pulled upward until the train reaches the crest. At 287 feet, you’re at the highest vantage point in the park, with views of the Eiffel Tower replica, The Beast winding through the trees, and the full footprint of Kings Island below.
Chain Lift, Not Cable: Getting the Record Straight
Some sources describe Orion as using a cable lift. That’s incorrect; Orion uses a traditional chain lift, standard across B&M’s entire coaster lineup. Cable lifts, which replace the metal chain with a lighter wire rope, are primarily found on Intamin coasters such as Millennium Force at Cedar Point and Intimidator 305 at Kings Dominion.
The practical differences are real: cable systems run faster and handle steeper inclines, while chain lifts provide the smooth, controlled ascent B&M builds into its large-scale designs. There’s no engineering reason to use a cable system at this angle and height on Orion; the chain does the job as intended, and the slower, deliberate pace is part of the ride experience.
Orion’s Drop: 300 Feet at 85 Degrees
Orion’s first drop measures 300 feet, 13 feet more than the 287-foot lift hill, because the valley at the bottom is excavated below the surrounding terrain. The train doesn’t fall to ground level; it plunges into a low point carved into the earth, and those extra feet are what push Orion into giga coaster territory.
The drop angle is 85 degrees, five degrees short of vertical. At that pitch, riders in the front row get significant ejector airtime over the crest before the train rockets through the valley at 91 mph. The overbanked turn that immediately follows hits with strong positive g-forces, a sharp contrast to the weightlessness of the plunge itself.
Is Orion a Giga Coaster?
Yes. A giga coaster is defined by a first drop between 300 and 399 feet, and Orion qualifies because its drop is exactly 300 feet, even though its lift structure alone is 13 feet short of that mark. The classification comes from the drop measurement, not the tower height, which is why Orion’s specs sheet lists both numbers separately.
How Orion Compares to Other B&M Giga Coasters
Orion is one of only three giga coasters B&M has ever built, and it sits in the middle of the pack on raw stats. Leviathan at Canada’s Wonderland, the first B&M giga (2012), stands 306 feet with a 306-foot drop and hits 92 mph. Fury 325 at Carowinds (2015) is the tallest and fastest of the three at 325 feet with a 320-foot drop and a top speed of 95 mph.
Orion, at 287 feet tall with a 300-foot drop and 91 mph top speed, is the shortest and slowest of B&M’s three gigas, but it’s also the newest, built with the smoother, more consistent airtime pacing B&M refined across the earlier two. Despite being the smallest of the trio, it remains the tallest, fastest, and longest steel coaster at Kings Island.
Records and Awards Orion Holds
At Kings Island specifically, Orion holds three park records simultaneously: it’s the tallest steel coaster, the fastest steel coaster, and the longest steel coaster in the park, surpassing longtime records held by Diamondback. It’s also the park’s only giga coaster.
Orion was named Best New Amusement Park Attraction for 2020 in USA TODAY’s 10Best.com Readers’ Choice Travel Awards, a national poll that beat out several new rides from other major parks the same year, including two new Disney attractions.
Where to See Full Ride Details
For current operating status, height policy, and ride videos, Kings Island’s official page for Orion is the best source: the official Orion ride page at Kings Island.
Orion Kings Island stats FAQs
How tall is Orion at Kings Island?
Orion’s lift hill and overall structure stand 287 feet tall. Its first drop, however, measures 300 feet because the track descends into an excavated valley below ground level, which is the number that qualifies it as a giga coaster.
What are Orion’s full stats?
Orion is a 287-foot-tall B&M Hyper Coaster with a 300-foot first drop at 85 degrees, a top speed of 91 mph, a 5,321-foot track, an approximately 3-minute ride time, 8 hills, 0 inversions, and a 54-inch height requirement. It opened July 2, 2020, and cost roughly $31 million to build.
How fast does Orion go?
Orion reaches a top speed of 91 mph, achieved during the first drop, making it the fastest roller coaster at Kings Island.
Is Orion the tallest coaster at Kings Island?
Yes. At 287 feet with a 300-foot drop, Orion is Kings Island’s tallest, fastest, and longest steel roller coaster, surpassing records previously held by Diamondback.
How does Orion compare to Fury 325 and Leviathan?
All three are B&M giga coasters. Fury 325 at Carowinds is the largest at 325 feet tall with a 320-foot drop and 95 mph top speed. Leviathan at Canada’s Wonderland is 306 feet with a 306-foot drop and 92 mph. Orion is the smallest and slowest of the three at 287 feet, a 300-foot drop, and 91 mph, but the newest of the trio.
Does Orion have any inversions?
No. Orion has zero inversions. It’s built entirely around airtime hills, speed, and a single overbanked turn rather than loops or corkscrews.
Get More from Orion Kings Island stats
Log the coasters, stadiums, and venues you’ve experienced, rate Orion Kings Island stats, and see what your friends thought. Get the ThrillZing app.
Want the day’s theme park news in your inbox? Subscribe to ThrillZing Daily — free.