Flight of Fear – Is it good? Or is it Joker’s Jinx?
In 2018, I was lucky enough to take not one, but two trips King’s Island in Mason, Ohio. On my first visit in August, I managed to ride every coaster at the park (excluding the kiddie coasters) except for one: Flight of Fear. I made the ride my top priority for my return trip in October, and was able to ride it as soon as I got to the park. My expectations weren’t super high for the ride, because I had ridden Joker’s Jinx (a coaster with the same layout, but outdoors) in 2017 and thought it was very mediocre. Luckily, I was pleasantly surprised.
Invasion at King’s Island!
Even before I got on the ride, I was already enjoying it. The queue is far better than anything else at King’s Island, and it’s complete with actual theming! The building is made to look like some sort of Area 51 knockoff, there’s a big UFO inside, and there’s plenty of spooky alien noises to create a unique atmosphere. It’s easily the best queue at King’s Island, and although it’s no where near Disney or Universal theming levels, it’s still pretty darn cool to see.
It’s like Rock n’ Roller Coaster at Disney, but better.
After you walk through the queue, you make it to the alien-themed station and board your train. The coaster’s cars are fairly comfortable, as they only have lap bars and a small seat belt attachment. Once you’re latched in, the ride begins with a 54 mph launch. This feels much faster than it is, probably because of the ride being pitch black. Immediately after the launch, you go into the first inversion(s): a cobra roll. This is probably the most I’ve ever enjoyed a cobra roll, which was also probably thanks to the darkness. The rest of the ride was filled with lots of compact turns, as well as two more inversions (a sidewinder and a corkscrew). The ride honestly felt a lot like Rock n’ Roller Coaster at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, except I’d give Flight of Fear the edge due it being a much smoother experience.
The Downside
Unfortunately, Flight of Fear is no perfect ride. Similarly to Rock n’ Roller Coaster, the ride has a pretty short duration. Yes, you could argue that it is jam-packed with elements, but I would disagree with that. The 4 inversions and launch are fun and all, but other than that it’s just a bunch of turns making up the rest of the ride. You do pull some G’s on some of the turns, but there’s not that much force compared to other launch coasters out there. Finally, King’s Island doesn’t actually provide bins for the ride, so if you want to ride Flight of Fear, you need to purchase a locker. It’s not terrible, but it’s definitely an inconvenience for you and your wallet.
The Verdict
Overall, I would place Flight of Fear in the upper half of King’s Island’s lineup. It isn’t nearly as rough like some of the other rides in the park, and the fact that it’s an indoor coaster makes it a more unique ride than it would be if it was outdoors. That said, I could also see this ride being labeled “forgettable” or “boring”. Although I want to love Flight of Fear, I don’t think I would completely disagree with those labels. The coaster is definitely better than rides like Joker’s Jinx or Rock n’ Roller coaster, but it falls way short of being outstanding.
Coaster Grade: 6.5/10
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