Thomas Kyle Creative

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That’s a Wrap: Kings Island Season 1

I have been able to do so many awesome things ever since I started work June 19, and ended for the season October 4.

Here’s just some highlights –

The rest of June and early July was all about debuting our new $30 million investment, Orion, as well as highlighting the park opening up with new COVID procedures. We wanted to let our guests know to Kings Island is one of the safest places you can be, all while still having fun. I was able to shoot the media B-roll which was sent out to multiple media outlets this year, and Orion was just one of them. The park hosted an Orion First Riders auction where those who raised the minimum amount would be the first to ride Orion. I was able to produce, shoot, and edit the video that played to guests inside the actual ride’s queue lines, playing multiple times for thousands of eyes to see.

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A huge opportunity was given to me as I was able to try my hands at their YouTube channel. I was able to give it a refreshed look, add tags to videos, and make thumbnails for the page, allowing for more viewers. At the end of the season, the analytics were popping with activity. Impressions nearly doubled. I was also able to create a new video series – 4K Cinematic Series – for people to watch and feel like they are in the middle of all the sights and sounds at the park. While doing this, I had those who did not feel safe enough to return to the park this year in my mind – which is absolutely fine. After all, we are all in this together.

One of my favorite opportunities that came about this year was when I discovered the park’s archives of thousands of 35mm slide pictures, which the entire collection had been deemed lost for many years. Upon finding them, I offered to take initiative on scanning and preserving them, allowing them to be used digitally for the first time ever and be used for future purposes. Restoring and rebuilding the park’s entire history archives was something that I could have only dreamed of doing. After all, I am all for Kings Island history. Similarly, I was able to find and restore some never before seen videos of the park’s history, such as King Cobra, and release them to the public along with a blog.

The last month has been all about getting ready for the park’s Tricks and Treats Fall Fest, taking the place of Halloween Haunt this year. For opening weekend, I was able to produce, film, and edit over 20 different videos highlighting all the shows, activities, food, and fun.

I am so thankful for the opportunities I have been given here at Kings Island. While my time was shortened due to COVID, I am thankful that at least the park opened and I was still able to start. I cannot wait to return next season.

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Life IS a Roller Coaster – Ride It Out

Well, now that March is over, hopefully life will start picking up soon. Hopefully.

But what have I been up to these past 3 months? Lets begin…

January – nothing.

February – I learned that I had been accepted into the IAAPA Young Professionals mentorship program, and that I was paired up with my favorite person in the industry – Jessi O’Daniel, VP of Guest Relations at Kentucky Kingdom & Hurricane Bay. I’ve spent countless hours so far learning from her and getting advice from some of the best people I possibly can. One thing I love about KK is that they excel at guest experience, and just being able to hear some of the ways the leaders get their crew excited to serve is astonishing.

March – I received the biggest news of my life so far. I received a call from Kings Island Marketing, and they were asking if I had some samples to share with them of my video work. I remember applying early January (week 1), but gave up as I just figured they wouldn’t bother with me, that I was too young and inexperienced. The first step was the hardest, having a 45-minute over-the-phone conversation with two of the people who I admittedly look up to in this industry. It went really well. The next step was a group interview at the park, to see how well I could work with others. That was very insightful but very enjoyable for my first group interview, allowing me to introduce myself to others and start practicing more workplace social skills. I heard back another week later asking if I could go in for the last step, an in-person interview. I don’t think I had ever been so nervous, but I knew my passion and knowledge would get me through it.

Before I go any further, let me explain why this is my dream job at the moment.

My main goal is wanting to utilize either my PR, social media, or video editing/filming skills in an amusement park/entertainment industry setting. I watch and attend so much of these, that I often like to create my own “campaigns” to entice people to come have fun and enjoy what we may have to offer. I, personally, do not consider me a “roller coaster enthusiast”, only because the coasters are not the only thing that matter to me, let alone do they play a big part. My favorite part about this industry is using our talents and creativity for other people to enjoy, live life, laugh, and have fun. If I can get a family to leave their worries of the outside, scary world at the entrance, I know I’ll be doing something right.

Then came the weekend. I was told I would know the net day, but Friday came, and then Saturday. I had received a Facebook message from one of them, which I was having a hard time trying to look into the meanings of sending it through there instead of the regular email updates. Just being friendly, I suppose. He asked if I could talk Monday morning.

So here I am, Monday morning, down at Kentucky Kingdom’s Admin building talking to my peers and mentors for advice. I don’t remember much that morning before the phone call, because my mentor caught me starting to black out a couple times on the chair I was sitting in from all the stress. Anyway, about 2 and a half minutes in to the call, I was offered the position of Video Content Producer on the team. I don’t think I had been more proud of anything else more in my life.

Here’s a screenshot from the moment I was offered

After that legendary moment for me, I headed out into the park (KK) with Jefferson, KK’s Social Media Coordinator, to check out what was going on in the park to get some photos for social media. I loved this opportunity because I got to pick his brains a bit and practice with some photo-ops.

I was able to get processing and my orientation in two days after the call, in a moment’s notice. HR called me saying my background check was cleared, and that I could come in sometime over the course of the next couple weeks to get settled. I asked, “what about in 30 minutes?” They were surprised to hear me say that, but said that there would be an opening within the hour. So I gathered everything and headed out the door to get my name tag, I.D., and uniform.

Unfortunately, what followed was not as great. That was March 11, and as I was leaving Kings Island for orientation, everything started to shut down that night due to COVID-19.

Now we live in a world where moments are fragile and contact is limited. As someone who takes part in the tourism industry, it’s really sad to see how this is affecting not only parks, but lives as well. My prayers and thoughts are with everyone who has been affected. I’m glad to be a member of IAAPA, as I am given learning opportunities and resources that better my PR skills during this weird times. They are very helpful for crisis communication. I hope through my job I will be able to have the opportunity to grow and open up other job opportunities among the ranks. For PR professionals, I know this has been a daunting and stressful time. I’m studying very closely (especially in the attractions industry) how companies are responding and adapting to these rapid changes, all while keeping solid communication with their patrons/guests.

With that, I’ve also been working on creating some at-home projects that fans all-alike of Kings Island can enjoy. From crossword puzzles to videos encouraging to hook up YouTube to their television, set up a chair in front of it, and pretend like you’re at the park riding them within the confines of your household. I refuse to stay immobile and absent during these times, so what better way to stay active than create things for people’s enjoyment? If anything, use this time as a learning period and be proactive the best you can.

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Hopefully this virus can get under control soon, and I can finally take that first step in the park and into my new career. Let’s not forget, there’s a 300ft drop waiting for you in Area 72 last I heard, and volunteers are still needed. No matter what, life will have its ups and downs. We have to learn to adapt, and take one day (or airtime hill) at a time. You never know, you might just enjoy the ride. 😉

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Elf Shenanigans and ACE Holiday Party

Now that exams are finally over, let me get to talking about this past week!

First, I had my last day as an intern with Newport Aquarium and WAVE Foundation. I have learned and gained so much through these experiences that I am forever grateful for. I spent my last week being an elf (now that’s something you don’t do everyday). I got to takeover their social media for a day and it was so much fun! (There’s also a subliminal message hidden in my 2nd picture:)

I had the pleasure of getting to attend the American Coaster Enthusiast’s Holiday Party at Great Wolf Lodge by Kings Island. It was a fun time filled with food, acquaintances, warm memories, guest speakers, and presentations. We got to hear from parks such as Kings Island, Cedar Point, Holiday World, Kentucky Kingdom, Michigan’s Adventure, Scene75, Kennywood, and more. Mike Graham from the Gravity Group was also gracious enough to bring the lead car from the IAAPA 2019 trade show they unveiled for us to sit it for ourselves!

Of course, the highlight of the day was the construction tour of Area 72 – featuring the one and only Orion giga coaster.

It was truly an honor to see how quickly this amazing coaster is being erected. I love compact and intense the layout will be. I can’t wait for Spring 2020!

Shipwrecks and Rogue Penguins

This week has been very exciting! In this blog, I’m going to highlight: my trip to Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, internship on-goings, an Orion update, and Newport Aquarium’s 2020 Announcement!

I had the opportunity along with some amazing Newport Aquarium staff to visit Columbus Zoo and Aquarium to be taken behind the scenes and see what it takes to run a zoo/aquarium and what they do to help conservation efforts. For our first part of the day, we were taken to meet some of their ambassador animals. They were some of the most cutest and amazing animals I’ve ever seen, such as a bearcat, and a baby kangaroo!

Then we were taken to see the lions, tigers, and cougars (almost “Oh My!”). We learned how they are trained the right way and we got to meet the three golden labs that help train some of the them when they are cubs. We also got to see their aquarium as well – so many similarities! They are doing an amazing job at all they do, and have a fantastic facility.

We were also taken behind the scenes of their penguin house, where they took us inside their habitat where all 16 of them walked up to us. When I was distracted and backed up in a corner, one of them went rogue on us, managed to be at eye level with me, and while I was distracted from trying to avoid his poop, he BIT me on the forehead! I knew these guys were pesky, but I didn’t really find out HOW pesky until afterwards.

I was so thankful to be able to go, and had an amazing time!

On to Newport Aquarium’s 2020 Announcement: “Shipwreck: Realm of the Eels”. I am absolutely so excited about this brilliant expansion, because not only does it have interactive elements to it to engage others, but show and theme elements as well to excite and add to that Herschend Family Entertainment magic, which they do so well at. As someone who loves the entertainment/amusement industry, this is a perfect investment and fit for NAQ, as it opens up more space where the former Dangerous and Deadly Gallery was and provides a more magical, brighter atmosphere. I cannot wait for when it opens to the public in Spring/Summer 2020. It was an honor and dream to get to help put on the whole media press event. I even got to shoot along side with Channel 5, 9 and 19!

“We’re always listening to our guests to figure out what new adventures they want in their next visit,” said Newport Aquarium Executive Director, Eric Rose. “To be able to create an artificial reef teeming with ocean life, thriving in a sunken ship is really going to wow them. But it’s not just the fun of this environment that we get excited about, it’s also the chance to teach visitors about the value of artificial reefs and ocean conservation.”

Shipwreck: Realm of the Eels will feature five zones, each with its own unique ship elements and animals to discover: the Captain’s Quarters, the Treasure Chest, the Cargo Hold, the Ship’s Anchor, and the Ropes and Rigging. Learn more about Shipwreck: Realm of the Eels here.

Here’s a shameless plug while I’m at it: For a limited time only, when you purchase any 3 Annual Passes, you’ll receive a fourth pass for FREE at Newport Aquarium. Annual Passholders will also be among the first to experience the untold treasures of Shipwreck as well. More details here.

Orion has been topped off! What this means is that the tallest piece of the track has been put into place, which now makes the break run all the way to the bottom of the first drop is now completed. The track was put into place Wednesday afternoon.

Picture 1 provided by Kings Island, 2 by WCPO Channel 9

My favorite aspect of this is how cool Orion looks next to Diamondback, tag-teaming the Kings Island skyline.

To close this week’s blog, looking back I’ve had an amazing internship. So much so I got to present my internship at Northern Kentucky University’s Griffin Fest, a “reverse career fair”, and won the Business Choice Award along with $300. That was something very honoring that made me feel great about myself, because I’ve always had doubts from the start. Through this internship, I know that I am exactly where I want to be in my professional career. The internship have given me so many great opportunities and experiences. For example, just last night I got to help with a commercial shoot for St. Elizabeth Hospital in the bitter cold (but still fun and good experience)!

I had actually just joined PRSSA (Public Relations Student Society of America) the other night, and am already gaining connections and wanting to get involved with NKU’s Chapter. I really hope to be a Social Media specialist someday, hence why I chose EMB as a minor and PR as a major, so I could market myself as someone can do social media AND knows how to create their own content as well. I love making videos and photography, but it they all play just a part in social media content creating, which is what I really want to do in life. In these last few weeks of my internship, I really hope to learn more about social media content and what it takes to run one or more accounts. Hopefully we’ll have time, because SCUBA SANTA his swimming his way towards NAQ!

Baby Gators and One Final Ride

I’ll get right into it – a lot to talk about.

First, my internship at Newport Aquarium has been going great! We just finished our Mermaids and & Pirates event, and have gone straight into announcing Bayou Babies – 24 2-MONTH OLD baby american alligators!!! They are the cutest little monsters ever.

The social media engagements and reach have been OUTSTANDING! I guess there’s something about baby animals that people just love. To celebrate, we’ve introduced a Bayou Babies BOGO deal, where you can buy-one-get-one free from now until November 3rd! I had the honor of creating a B-Roll for this and it has been featured on all kinds of local media outlets and broadcasts. I would’ve never imagined that my work would get so much exposure. I’m not someone who wants credit for a lot of things, so this internship is a perfect way of helping others (the aquarium) and volunteering! I LOVE THIS PLACE! Besides that, a huge congrats to my amazing mentor and friend Jennifer Chochola Tan (PR Manager for NAQ)! She was a finalist on behalf of Newport Aquarium in the Cincinnati Chapter for the Public Relations Society of America’s Blacksmith Award in the category of Best Use of Social Stories! She is amazing, and her hard work does not go unnoticed! (The Blacksmith Awards honor the best of Greater Cincinnati’s public relations community, from talented, experienced practitioners to stellar work that has local, national and international impact)

In terms of life, I’ve noticed that I’ve been loosing some sleep as work and school is starting to pile up. A struggle of mine is not knowing when to rest and and not work myself as hard. But then again, when you love what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life. I am still plowing through getting assignments done ahead of time, and making sure they are high-quality. I’ve hit volunteering over 150 hours currently, and I can tell that I am exactly where I am supposed to be. I hope I can continue to network and make my way up the ranks in this amazing industry. Since the semester is going to wind down soon, I hope that Newport Aquarium and WAVE Foundation will take me back next semester, as I want to learn even more from them and offer what I can.

In other news, I was at Kings Island this past Sunday for the final operating day of the season. Not only was it the last day, but it was the last day EVER for the multi-looping roller coaster Vortex. I got to hang with some amazing people and meet some even cooler ones, one of them who came all the way from New Zealand just to ride it. I spent the whole day documenting it’s final moments (which you check out here) and sharing memories with fellow friends who came to celebrate it’s final day. I got three rides on it, and said goodbye. I’ll always miss riding in the very back row, and lifting up out of my seat on the first drop. Once I watched the line cut off at 7pm sharp for the last riders, I went over to the boomerang section one final time to see a beautiful orange and blue sunset, for an orange and blue ride – the most beautiful sendoff I have ever seen.

pictures taken by me

It’s sad to see a legend go, but we look toward the future.

Until next time,

Mermaids and Vortices

Hey all,

Welcome back to my blog! So much has been happening in my life:

Mermaids and Pirates at Newport Aquarium is in full gear
Nauti Nite, WAVE Foundation’s annual fundraiser was this past Friday
Vortex, a staple of Kings Island, is being removed

So let’s get started.

2 weeks ago was Mermaids and Pirates preview/media week, as I had the privilege of creating a video for a campaign called #ACleanerWorld in order to help promote conservation efforts (see the video here). It was the most difficult short film I had to ever put together because I was my own director, videographer, producer, and editor. It was the first shoot I ever had to do on a set time schedule, which I admit had me nervous and a bit of anxiety kicked in, but I always welcome a challenge as I know I will learn and better myself in the process. My photography skills have also been put to the test as getting pictures of mermaids can be quite difficult, especially when they’re swimming!

I also had the rare opportunity to film a news segment for ABC 36 News out of Lexington to promote Mermaids and Pirates because they did not have a spare videographer to film it. Luckily I had my camera equipment with me as well as a handheld omnidirectional reporter microphone!

So far Mermaids and Pirates has been a huge success, bringing smiles and wonder to so many children, as well as some adults! I mean, #MermaidsAreReal after all, right?

This past Friday was Nauti Nite, WAVE Foundation’s annual fundraiser where all the proceeds benefit their conservation efforts and youth education outreach. I love being a volunteer/intern for WAVE because many kids do not get the opportunity to ever see these beautiful animals, let alone an ocean. It is through this amazing organization that I can help not only youth, but the animals as well. I remember being a kid and always using my hands to shield all the worms crawling around during the hot summer days to keep them from being getting burnt. I forgot how much I love animals through this wonderful experience. Even though have always owned pets, its amazing how much your viewpoint changes when you get to interact with all these amazing creatures on a daily basis.

Nauti Nite was tons of fun, as there are over 40 different drink and food vendors, as well as live entertainment and a massive silent auction! Eat, play, and enjoy – all for a good cause! I’d like to give a shout out to the amazing sales team, Jenny Greber and Scott Wingate, who help put this amazing event on every year. Be sure to mark your calendars for October 4th, 2020.

In more somber news, Kings Island recently announce the demise of Vortex, the 33-year old Arrow Dynamics multi-looper. In honor of it, I’d like to give the history behind it and what made it so special.

(C: BrianLamm Media)

In 1981, Kings Island debuted the world’s first modern suspended coaster – The Bat (not to be confused with the 1993 one at the front of the park today, formerly named Top Gun: The Jet Coaster). The Bat was a prototype coaster by Arrow Development, a swinging suspended coaster where the rails would ride above the cars – something relatively new for riders as there was nothing else like it at the time. Unfortunately, due to many maintenance issues and it being a prototype, the park had to remove it. By opening day in 1984, the ride was completely removed – all except for the station and some footers.

3 years went by, and in Winter of 1986, Kings Island announced the first roller coaster to ever go upside down six different times, a new world record.

(A Vortex car on display during WinterFest 1986)

Vortex was set to debut in the spring of 1987 in the former spot of The Bat, and it would reuse the same station. Many of the footers from The Bat can still be seen today throughout Vortex’s layout. Arrow Development (then named Dynamics) gave the coaster to them at a discounted rate – $4 million – since the demise of The Bat was essentially their fault (but it was a prototype and KI knew this, so they never pursued legal action, of course). It opened on April 11, 1987 as the tallest roller coaster in the world (148 ft) and held that record until June of 1988. It also had the highest drop on a roller coaster at the time, at 138 ft at 55-degree angle. The ride features 2 vertical loops, 1 corkscrew, a boomerang turn, AND A 360-degree helix finale, with a maximum speed of 55 mph. The ride is a 2 and a half minute experience on 3,800 ft of track – 750 tons of steel. Over the past 33 years, over 45 million riders have felt the grip of Vortex, and have been flipped upside down a total of around 275,000,000 times. Vortex also holds a significant place in the heart of Kings Island because it helped Kings Island exceed 3 million visitors for the first time.

On September 27, 2019, Kings Island announced in a blog post that Vortex’s time had come. Over time, as guests had mixed reactions with it, and ridership declined. Plus, a coaster like this is only designed to run about 25-30 years, park spokesperson Chad Showalter had mentioned in an interview with WCPO Channel 9. I was shocked to see this, as Vortex was the first coaster to get me over my fears. I had never been upside down on a ride prior to that, and was tricked to get on when I was 8 years old. I was obsessed with The Beast at the time, and my cousin begged me to ride Vortex with her, but I was too scared. She tricked me by saying it was shorter and slower than The Beast, but once I was on that lift hill and glanced towards the left, I knew that was not the case. But when I got off, it was amazing! What a rush!

It will be hard to try and imagine what the park will be without this beautiful coaster lining the skyline of the park. After all, besides Banshee and the Eiffel Tower, I think this is the most picturesque object/background at the entire park. There are currently no plans as to what will replace it. Be sure to join me and the Kings Island: 50 Years of Memories Movie team on October 27th to say our goodbyes and feel the grip one last time.

WAVEs of Excitement: Double Play

Hey all (assuming people are actually reading this)! I hope everyone is having a great weekend.

It’s starting to get very busy at the aquarium, as we are prepping for Mermaids and Pirates, arriving September 28th – so busy that I am covering two weeks of the internship in this one post because I didn’t have time for the last weeks. This week was filled with brainstorming, meetings, and filming (Oh my!) while looking ahead to the weeks and months to come. I had the opportunity to create another quick video, highlighting our Albino American Alligators – Snowball and Snowflake – for Alligator Awareness Day on September 12th. You can view that video here. I must say, filming them before public hours was quite a treat, as I was the only one there, so they seemed very playful with me! However once the guests poured in for the day, they went back to hiding like they’re regular selves. I think we really bonded!

Next was to create a video for the Aquarium that featured all of our animals “dancing” – that is, make Instagram boomerangs of them moving around, compile them in to one big mashup, and make a “Git Up Challenge” video. I just took my phone, not really having too big of a vision for it, and just did a LOT of videos of our friends. Luckily, many of them were very playful and in good moods, so I got pretty lucky when it came to footage. You can view that fun video here.

The weekend was kinda the same. I got to do photography for a wedding, which was the first one I’ve done since I’ve devoted more time to editing and shooting. Always a good time getting experience. (see below)

The annual Golden Ticket Awards was that night as well, which are presented annually to honor the “Best of the Best” in the amusement industry and are calculated from an international poll conducted by Amusement Today. The survey asked experienced amusement park voters around the country and world to rate the “bests” in 22 categories. It’s always fun watching these as I hope to go into the amusement industry one day. I have to give a huge shoutout to my home park Kings Island, which was presented with the Renaissance Award, “for respecting its roots and being committed to guest experience as evidenced in the installation of the Kings Mills Antique Autos and makeover of historical park attractions and aspects.” The marketing and PR crew over there did a fantastic job this season, running campaigns constantly and back-to-back. For example, if looked at from a PR’s perspective, Opening Day, the debut of Kings Mills Antique Autos, AND the beginning celebration for The Beast’s 40th Anniversary season started right away when the park opened to the guests for the season on April 20th. A few highlights of the year included events like the first ever PiviP Tournament hosted by the park, the world-unveiling of the world spectacle that is Grand Carnivale (Can’t wait for it to return in 2020!), and the announcement of some ride for preschoolers called Orion or something (learn more about that here). Probably nothing to be too excited about – (can you read the sarcasm in my writing?)

(Cedar Fair accepting the award for Kings Island) *@aceonline

I also recently became a member of IAAPA – the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions, which represents over 5,300 amusement-industry members in more than 100 countries worldwide and operates several global amusement-industry trade shows. I’m very excited for the new connections I can make, and I am planning on attending IAAPA Expo when it comes to Orlando in November – fingers crossed!

Back to the aquarium. This week is First Responders week, and I got permission from one of our amazing on-duty officers if he would allow me to follow him around and capture just a glimpse of what his job looks like – at least, here at Newport Aquarium, of course. We’re so thankful for all our first responders do, and could never thank them enough.

This week I also got to tag along to Local 12 News and WLWT News 5 for segments with our ambassador animals. I think it’s so awesome to see the connections we have with others be shown in action.

Here’s a cute picture of our sharks to leave you with – see you next time!

WAVEs of Excitement: The One with Overnight Adventure

I just finished my first week of my PR Video Production internship at Newport Aquarium, and may I say that it is just so much fun and rewarding! Things I did this week included:

Film my first video, “A Day in the Life” segment and edit it, a video that follows one of our lead biologists
Meet everyone from marketing, sales, guest services, care takers and more
Get to know my mentor more
Stay overnight at the aquarium and see what animals do at night for a fun video package
Rounding up some crickets that got loose
Get up close for a shark ray feeding
Get to attend the world-premiere of a Herschend mini docu-series highlighting the love we GET to show to our co-workers, guests, and communities (we were featured in it!)

Met an octopus that was wielding a light saber (how cool is that???)

Got to meet CEO of Herschend Family Entertainment Andrew Wexler (super nice guy!)⬇️

If I had to pick my favorite part, I would have to say without a doubt getting to meet a youngster who’s family drove him all the way from New York for the sleepover at the aquarium! The special occasion, you ask? It was his birthday! His family asked what he wanted to do and he heard that there were sharks at Newport Aquarium. Mom said that he didn’t want to do anything else BESIDES this! He was so excited to be there, it just made my day!

I also got to take on the role of a character I created called “Investigative Intern Kyle” at the Overnight Adventure, as I went “undercover” to see what animals really do at night and the kids thoughts on it. I disguised myself with sunglasses and a fedora hat saying “PRESS” on it. The guests seemed to really like my persona, as I was able to keep kids entertained, was followed around, and had my investigator sunglasses stolen from me multiple times by sneaky individuals 😉

So far the coolest part about interning at Newport Aquarium is not only getting to work with animals, but watching families be educated, excited, and engaged in all the experiences and teachings we offer here. Guest service is a very important part of the entertainment industry (which I hope to go into someday as I’m sure some of you may know), and seeing what you can do to make a families day, a kid smile, or even just have the opportunity to ask how someone’s day is going is an honor. “Creating Memories Worth Repeating” is HFE’s mission, and I could not agree more. You never know if that one interaction you have with a guest may be the only positive interaction they may have that day!

Well that’s it for this week’s blog, check back next Saturday for my week 2 of my internship!

Orion: A ‘GIGA’ntic Addition to Kings Island

B0964485-6793-4BF6-BE37-626D67CDA6D8 Ever since people found out I had a blog, many have asked my thoughts about Kings Island’s 2020 addition – Orion. People know me and know how much I value and appreciate Kings Island – so I thought I’d put my official thoughts here so I can direct people here next time they ask. I also covered announcement day for the ride as well on August 15th – I highly recommend that you check that video out here: Orion Announcement Recap

To start off – WOW – what an exciting and massive attraction! I have absolutely nothing negative to say about this at all. We are BLESSED! The size is perfect, the speed is fantastic, and the drop is gonna be SWEET. Exactly what I hoped it would be. This will do wonders for the park, I believe, as it has something for everyone:

A cool apocalyptic-space theme to appeal to the younger generation
Speed (91 mph) and height (300 ft drop) for those adrenaline junkies
Something to rival the park’s main attractions – Diamondback, Banshee, The Beast, and Mystic Timbers
Something new for the locals to conquer
A rare and unique experience for out-of-town travelers to take on
A new coaster to photograph for photographers like me 🙂

I remember thinking a few years ago what a Giga coaster may look like at the park, and I remember thinking something with that solid darkish blue track. Fast forward a couple years later, seeing its exactly that makes me very excited as it will add some awesome photography opportunities to the already photogenic Kings Island skyline.

I’m almost just as excited for X-Base getting some love, too. Now being called Area 72 (a sweet but subtle reference to all the recent viral craze with Area 51, but putting a KI twist on it with adding 72 – the year Kings Island opened to the public), I do hope that the area will feel a little more separate from Coney Mall, and more like it’s own area of the park. Keep in mind, however, that this is just a rendering and things can always change.

I have been asked a lot the same question: “Isn’t it just a taller and faster Diamondback?” No, no it is not. If you think about it, Diamondback focuses more about those little moments where you float out of your seat. Even though it is the fastest coaster in the park, it does not utilize the speed as much as it could with a max speed of 80 mph. Orion has less of those big hills (although it’s third hill is 202 ft, almost as tall as DB’s max height 230 ft) and focuses more in the area of speed and g-forces. Every turn and dive on this ride you will feel in your body, just like a space-simulator.

I love the theming to it: It’s The End of The World As We Know It. If you were living under a rock the past month and a half, Kings Island started their brilliant teaser campaign for the ride (led by Chad Showalter, Director of Communications) by putting up these posters along the wall where the former Firehawk once stood, each a ride relating to a part of Kings Island’s past.

It started with Invertigo and Firehawk, and as time went on, more and more went up. Once guests were able to decipher the hidden behind TEOTWAWKI, a hashtag poster went up, with QR codes that led to a Change.org petition.

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The petition reached over 2,500 signatures in just a matter of two weeks. The park eventually “gave in” and announced that they would be making the biggest announcement in the park’s history on Thursday August 15th, 2019, with coordinates set to X-Base. Media and guests flocked to the park all day, trying to see if they could find any last minute information. _MG_9303

^(Chad Showalter taking interviews with media on announcement day)

It seemed that about 2,000 people were on hand for the announcement, and it was one they were sure never to forget. The part of the ride I’m most excited for? The mini-ampersand. ki-orion-mg4

“The ride features the latest prototype vehicle developed by the Project X initiative. Scientists are in a race against time to develop technology capable of weaving transport vehicles through a coming meteor storm and traveling to a new planet within the Orion constellation. For the program to be successful, it needs volunteers to help with testing. Riders on Orion will plummet down an exhilarating 300-foot first drop, sending them on a high-speed journey over seven more hills and 5,321 feet of track at speeds up to 91 mph on Kings Island’s tallest, fastest and longest steel roller coaster.”

I’m definitely ready to volunteer for the Project-X initiative when testing begins in Spring 2020. Are you?

WAVEs of Excitement

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As I am writing this, my very first “official” internship will start this Monday (8/26/19) at the Newport Aquarium with the WAVE Foundation. I will be interning as a PR Video Production Intern and will be working with an amazing award-winning PR mentor, Jen Tan. I just went through orientation Friday and I could instantly tell I was going to love it. Actually, I wish it would have lasted longer (when was the last time you ever wished an orientation lasted longer?). I am so excited for an extraordinary opportunity for a list of reasons:

It gives me an internship opportunity to do what I love with making videos with Adobe Premiere and my equipment (essentially my minor in college) in a workplace environment and learn the PR side of things as well (my major).
It places me in an environment where I can have fun and still learn from hands-on experience, guided by a world-class mentor.
Newport Aquarium is also owned by Herschend Family Entertainment, a company that owns many well-known entertainment properties such as Dollywood and Silver Dollar City. Being a part of the entertainment industry is one of my biggest dreams in life to utilize my skills in one day, such as an amusement/theme park.
I get to work with animals!!!

I’ve already had to empty my brain countless times of ideas and strategies I want to bring to the aquarium, so I am very excited to share them and hopefully bring them to life. A few things I hope to do/learn in this internship are:

To utilize digital media sites/platforms in order to promote the aquarium and help them build up their “fan base”.
Get hands-on experience when dealing with PR situations such as customer unsatisfaction or unfortunate situations (The Newport Aquarium does an amazing job at this, so I am especially excited to learn in this area).
Learn what it takes to upkeep and run social media platforms for a company (I have experience with running some for non-profit organizations, but none with an actual company in an industry).
So, so much more.

Here’s to an awesome fall semester!