Kings Island
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| Kings Island | |
|---|---|
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| Location | Mason, Ohio, United States  |
| Website | Kings Island |
| Owner | Cedar Fair Entertainment Company |
| Opened | 1972 |
| Previous names | Kings Island - 1972 to 1993, 2007-present Paramount's Kings Island - 1993 to 2007 |
| Operating season | April through November |
| Area | 364 acres (1.5 km²) |
| Rides | 41 total
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| Slogan | Kings Island...Where else? |
Kings Island is a 364 acre (1.5 km²) amusement park located in the city of Mason, in Warren County, Ohio, USA.[1] The park is located 24 miles (39 km) northeast of Cincinnati. The park owns close to 775 acres (3.2 km²) of land, but only 364 acres (1.5 km²) are currently developed. Kings Island is owned by Cedar Fair Entertainment Co., and was part of the former Paramount Parks chain that Cedar Fair acquired from CBS Corporation on June 30, 2006.
Contents |
[edit] Park history
Kings Island first opened its gates in 1972 in what was then Deerfield Township(close to Cincinnati, Ohio), developed by the Taft Broadcasting Company. Taft Broadcasting took the name from the previous landlord, the defunct King Powder Company, which founded the town of Kings Mills for its workers. The site is between I-71 and the Little Miami River. The park remained in Deerfield Township until it was annexed into the city of Mason in 1997.
Kings Island served as a replacement for Coney Island, a popular park on the Ohio River about 10 miles (16 km) east of downtown Cincinnati. Coney Island was forced to close due to frequent floods, but has since reopened on a much smaller scale. Many of the rides from Coney Island were moved to the new park; the only attraction left at Coney at the time was Sunlite Pool, the world's largest swimming pool, which has operated every single year since 1926. In 1992 Kings Island was purchased by Paramount Communications, along with four other theme parks in America and Canada; the park was renamed Paramount's Kings Island. Two years later, Viacom purchased Paramount, then split into two companies - Viacom and CBS Corporation - in 2006, with the latter company inheriting Paramount Parks, and subsequently selling then to Cedar Fair Entertainment Company later that year. The deal made Kings Island sister parks with two other prominent parks in Ohio: Cedar Point in Sandusky in between Cleveland and Toledo right off of Lake Erie and Geauga Lake's Wildwater Kingdom in Aurora near Cleveland.
The park received some of its first nationwide promotion from two ABC sitcoms filming episodes there: The Partridge Family in 1972, and, more famously, The Brady Bunch the following year. While they do not mention the name of the park, they do call it "a new park outside Cincinnati." Coincidentally, the latter was produced by eventual owners Paramount.
On October 25, 1975 Evel Knievel successfully jumped 14 Greyhound buses at Kings Island, setting a new audience viewing record for ABC's Wide World of Sports, garnering a 52 household share when his performance was broadcast live. He landed on the 14th bus, but held on. This was one of his last big jumps.
In 2008 Evel's son Robbie Knievel broke his record by jumping 24 Coke Zero trucks. This is expected to be the last of Robbie's big jumps.
On July 4, 1976, Kings Island played host to the wedding of Paul Revere of the pop rock band Paul Revere & the Raiders.
[edit] Original attractions
The centerpiece of Kings Island has always been its 1/3 scale replica of the Eiffel Tower, located just across the International Street fountain from the main entrance gate. Elevators regularly take patrons up to the lookout tower, which provides a chance to see the entire park and, at park closing, offers the best view of the nightly fireworks display. (Another Eiffel Tower resides at sister park Kings Dominion.)
Another star attraction is the Racer, which consists of twin wooden roller coasters that race each other side-by-side. Designed by legendary designer John Allen, The Racer is credited by many people with starting the second golden age of the roller coaster. In 1982, the trains on the right side of the Racer were turned backward, freshening up an old favorite. (Many coaster enthusiasts have nicknamed the backwards train "recaR".)The right side of Racer no longer operates backwards. Both sides are forward for the 2008 season.
Other coasters present in 1972 were the Bavarian Beetle, a small steel coaster brought over from Coney Island (and removed in 1979); and Scooby-Doo, a wooden coaster (renamed "The Beastie" in 1979; and renamed again as "Fairly Odd Coaster" for 2006) located in the park's Nickelodeon Universe area.
More attractions present at opening day were Haley's Comet, Kings Mill Log Flume, Les Taxis, Grand Carousel, Der Spinning Keggers, Sky Ride, Enchanted Voyage, Marathon Turnpike, Scrambler, Flying Scooters, Winnie Witch's Spinning Cauldrons, Kings Island and Miami Valley Railroad, Monster, and The Rotor.
[edit] Later attractions
Kings Island has set several roller coaster-related records. In 1979, the park unveiled The Beast, the tallest, longest, and fastest roller coaster in the world at the time. After nearly 30 years, it still holds the title of the world's longest wooden roller coaster at 7,419 ft (2,261 m). In 1981, Kings Island introduced the world's first suspended roller coaster, The Bat; however, it was plagued with maintenance problems and removed four years later. In 1984 King Cobra opened. It was the first stand-up coaster in the world designed specifically to be so, although previously a few sit-down coasters had been converted to stand-up. However, King Cobra was dismantled (and put up for sale) in 2002 when maintenance proved to be too expensive. In 1987, the Vortex roller coaster briefly set a new record with six inversions.
The Son of Beast, billed as the sequel to the Beast, opened in 2000. Currently, it is the tallest and fastest wooden roller coaster in the world, as well as the only one to successfully incorporate a steel loop into its otherwise wooden structure. That success was short-lived, however; in July 2006, an on-ride accident closed the coaster, and the vertical loop was removed in December 2006 as part of modifications being made to the ride as a result of the accident's investigation. Son of Beast re-opened July 4, 2007.
1989 saw the debut of Water Works, a family water park featuring several slides, a wave pool, a lazy river and other attractions. An approximate 30 acre expansion of Water Works occurred in 1997, and a further renovation and expansion in 2004 coincided with a name change to "Boomerang Bay".
The mid-to-late 80's also introduced a Christmas event called Winterfest, which ran from November 25 through December 31. The International Street fountains were turned into an ice-skating rink, and a nightly light-show was centered around the Eiffel Tower. Most rides were closed, except for a Holiday-themed train ride; special shops and restaurants, as well as other holiday-themed activities, were available. The event ended after the 1992 season, but made one additional appearance in 2005; slow ticket sales prompted new owners Cedar Fair to shelve the idea.[2]
Additionally, the park offers "Halloween Haunt" (previously "Fear Fest"). There are 13 attractions, which include dark mazes, haunted houses and haunted trails. The event runs late September through October.
For 2007 Kings Island announced the construction of Firehawk, a Vekoma flying roller coaster. It is the fourteenth roller coaster located within Kings Island. This ride originally operated at Geauga Lake under the name X-Flight. The coaster has been repainted from the neon green track and dark gray supports to a red track with steel gray supports. The two trains have been painted red and yellow.
Today, Kings Island has 13 roller coasters[3] and many large flat rides. It also has more tame rides as well as other attractions for those not interested in thrill seeking. Kings Island has also won Amusement Today's award for 'Best Kid's Area in the World' seven consecutive times (2001-2007). Its longtime kids' area, Hanna-Barbera Land, was joined by the Viacom-synergistic Nickelodeon Central, which debuted in 2001, which in turn was an extension of the Nickelodeon Splat City area. In 2006 the entire kids' area was rethemed by a Jacksonville, FL-based theming contractor as "Nickelodeon Universe". This huge retheming undertaking involved transforming the entire 11-acre children's area to the new "Nickelodeon Universe" theme. Based on this work, Amusement Today magazine presented "Nickelodeon Universe" with the prestigious 2006 Golden Ticket Award as the Best Kid's Area in the World.
[edit] New ownership
On June 30, 2006, Paramount's Kings Island, along with the rest of the Paramount Parks chain, was purchased by Cedar Fair Entertainment Co., for approximately USD $1.24 billion. [4]. With this purchase, Cedar Fair now owns all three major amusement parks in Ohio (Paramount's Kings Island, Cedar Point and Geauga Lake). The park continued to operate under the name Paramount's Kings Island through the end of the 2006 season, however Cedar Fair began removing the "Paramount" name and logo from the park in January 2007.
In February 2007, it was announced that Geauga Lake's X-Flight flying coaster would be relocated to Kings Island for the coming season, and be re-painted and re-branded as Firehawk. This decision was made because of a combination of Geauga Lake's declining attendance, and Kings Island's thrill-seeking guests wanting a new thrilling coaster experience. The ride opened officially Memorial Day weekend of 2007.
Kings Island, like the other parks in the former Paramount Family, featured a number of attractions — encompassing rides, live shows and restaurants — based on Paramount Pictures films and other CBS and Viacom brands. A number of these attractions, including three rollercoasters formerly known as "Face/Off", "Italian Job: Stunt Track" and "Top Gun", were renamed in the 2007-08 offseason.
There is also now a stronger emphasis on safety and cleanliness under Cedar Fair management[citation needed]; more trash cans, with labels identical to those found at Cedar Point, have been placed, along with ground-sweeping teams wearing bright yellow shirts; and the addition of safety belts to several coasters and rides in the park. Kings Island's live entertainment department has also received greater support, with five new shows, including shows at venues that were otherwise empty in 2006.
While no new rides will be added to Kings Island for the 2008 season, there will be a larger line-up of live shows, including at the Festhaus. Save for the 2005 Winterfest, there haven't been any live shows in the Festhaus since the mid-1990s. There will also be upgrades to International Street, such as a redesigned Guest Relations office, and a Cinnabon outlet.
[edit] Events
Robbie Knievel, son of famed dare devil Evel Knievel, successfully jumped over 24 Coke Zero trucks in the Kings Island Parking Lot on May 24, 2008.
[edit] Lists of Attractions
(not all rides designed for children are listed here. See [1] for a full list of children's rides.)
[edit] Roller coasters
[edit] Operating
| Ride | Year Opened | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Racer | 1972 | A John Allen/Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters racing wooden coaster. Both sides began racing forwards again for the 2008 season. |
| Fairly Odd Coaster | 1972 | A John Allen/Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters family wooden coaster. Previously known as Scooby Doo (1972-1979) and Beastie (1980-2005). |
| The Beast | 1979 | A giant wooden roller coaster designed by the park themselves that remains a top 10 coaster among many industry experts and enthusiasts. To this day, it retains the record for longest wooden roller coaster. The ride features extensive use of available terrain and has two separate chain lifts throughout it's course. |
| Vortex | 1987 | An Arrow Dynamics designed "Mega Looper" coaster that opened as the world record holder for most inversions (6). |
| Adventure Express | 1991 | Arrow Dynamics designed family Mine Train roller coaster. |
| Little Bill's Giggle Coaster | 1992 | Formerly known as Top Cat's Taxi Jam and Scooby Zoom, this junior roller takes guests up a small hill and then circles around and goes up the chain again. It was remodeled in 2006 to reflect its new theme as part of Nick Universe. |
| Flight Deck | 1993 | An Arrow Dynamics Suspended roller coaster, the last of its kind built in the US. Cars are suspended below the track and are free swinging. Known as Top Gun until 2008. |
| Flight of Fear | 1996 | A Premier Rides LIM-launched roller coaster prototype. Previously known as Outer Limits: Flight of Fear (1996-2000).Over-the-Shoulder harnesses were also removed and replaced with lap bars in 2000. Identical to the coaster with the same name that opened at Kings Dominion the same year. |
| Invertigo | 1999 | A Vekoma inverted Boomerang roller coaster. Known as Face/Off until 2008. |
| Son of Beast | 2000 | A Roller Coaster Company of America designed wooden roller coaster. Was the first hyper wooden coaster and the first wooden roller coaster with a vertical loop. Closed July 9, 2006 due to a malfunction, injuring 27 riders. The vertical loop was removed in December 2006 to allow for lighter weight trains. Reopened on July 4, 2007 with trains formerly used on the Hurricane Category 5 roller coaster from the former Myrtle Beach Pavilion. |
| Rugrats Runaway Reptar | 2001 | A Vekoma family inverted coaster based on the TV show Rugrats. |
| Backlot Stunt Coaster | 2005 | A Premier Rides family launch coaster based on the chase sequence of the 2003 remake of The Italian Job. Named after that movie until 2008. It has 3 trains. |
| Firehawk | 2007 | A Vekoma Flying Dutchman (1018m) Flying roller coaster. Originally operated at Geauga Lake as X-Flight until the end of the 2006 season. Firehawk is the second attraction in the X-Base section of the park, located directly beside of Flight of Fear. This ride is Kings Island's 14th coaster. |
[edit] Defunct
| Ride | Year Opened | Year Closed | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bavarian Beetle | 1972 | 1979 | An SDC designed "Galaxi" steel roller coaster. Moved over from the original Coney Island Ohio park. |
| Demon | 1977 | 1987 | An Arrow Dynamics shuttle loop roller coaster and the first of its kind as well. Moved to Camden Park in West Virginia as Thunderbolt Express, then scrapped in 2004. Originally known as Screamin' Demon. |
| The Bat | 1981 | 1983 | Prototype Arrow Dynamics suspended coaster. Although intense, the ride had a fair share of downtime and complaints of pain. It was closed all of 1984. This concept was given another try with Top Gun in 1993, which was significantly less intense. The Bat was removed in 1986 to make way forVortex. |
| King Cobra | 1984 | 2001 | Prototype TOGO Stand-up roller coaster. It was the world's first coaster designed specifically to be stand up. It was taken down in 2002 to make space for Delirium. King Cobra's track has been scrapped, but the cars remain inside Flight of Fear's bowl. |
| Scooby's Ghoster Coaster | 1998 | 2005 | Prototype Caripo Batflyer suspended roller coaster (billed as the first suspended coaster for kids). The ride had poor capacity and roughness complaints. Removed in 2005 as a part of the Hanna-Barbera Land removal for Nick Universe. |
[edit] Other attractions
[edit] Operating
| Ride | Year Opened | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Eiffel Tower | 1972 | An approximately one-third scale replica of the Eiffel Tower in Paris; manufactured by Intamin AG. |
| Kings Island & Miami Valley Railroad | 1972 | A steam train ride which provides transportation between the main theme park and Boomerang Bay. Before the water park and its station were built, the train ride was a narrated excursion, traversing a mostly isolated wooded area with multiple old west-themed props. Re-named as "Kings Island Railroad" for 2008. |
| The Wild Thornberrys' River Adventure | 1972 | Themed log ride. Formerly Kings Mills Log Flume; closed during the 2000 season, reopened with new name and theming in 2001. |
| Shake, Rattle, and Roll | 1973 | Huss spinning ride. Formerly known as "The Troika." |
| White Water Canyon | 1985 | Whitewater rafting adventure ride, originally to be named White Water Rafting Adventure. |
| Congo Falls | 1988 | A shoot-the-chute boat flume ride with a 34' drop. Originally "Amazon Falls", renamed in 1999 after the Paramount movie Congo. |
| Action Theater | 1994 | Simulator movie theater. Originally based on Days of Thunder; several other movies have screened in recent years. These movies have included James Bond 007, SpongeBob 3D, The Funtastic World of Hanna Barbera (previously located at Universal Studios), and 7th Portal. Temproary attractions are housed in the theater during Fear Fest, which have included Elvira's Superstition, Dracula's Haunted Castle, and Funhouse Express. |
| Xtreme Skyflyer | 1995 | Double Skycoaster with a 125-foot dive. Pay-per-ride attraction. Was previously called "Drop Zone", after the Paramount picture of the same name starring Wesley Snipes, but was renamed in preparation of the new ride (in 1999) to bear the name. |
| Thunder Alley | 1996 | Go-kart racing track is a pay-per-ride attraction originally based on the hit movie Days of Thunder. Until 2008 it was named Days of Thunder. |
| Drop Tower | 1999 | An Intamin gyro drop. At 315 feet, it is the tallest gyro drop in the world. Its original location was set to be the site Launch Pad occupies today. Drop Tower was closed for inspection in June of 2007, along with 5 similar rides owned by Cedar Fair due to an incident from a similar ride made by the same manufacturer, Intamin AG. No passengers have ever been injured on Drop Tower at Kings Island, but it was closed until it can be thoroughly inspected. Originally named "Drop Zone", it was re-named for the 2008 season as "Drop Tower." |
| Sling Shot | 2002 | Catapults riders in a steel cage 260 feet in the air, and then flips multiple times before returning slowly to the platform. |
| The Crypt | 2002 | An enclosed Huss Giant Top Spin. A highly themed darkride. Known as Tomb Raider: The Ride until 2008. |
| Delirium | 2003 | A Huss Giant Frisbee. |
| Scooby Doo & The Haunted Castle | 2003 | A Sally dark ride experience for families which involves shooting laser guns at ghosts and ghouls. |
| Boomerang Bay | 2004 | A 15 acre water park with an Australian theme; features a wave pool and variety of slides. An expansion and refurbishment of the WaterWorks park which opened in 1989. Named Crocodile Dundee's Boomerang Bay in 2004; the movie theming was dropped in 2007. |
| Dodgems | 1972 Remodeled in 1985 | Bumper cars. |
| Monster | 1972 | Traditional "Spider" ride. |
| Scrambler | 1972 | Traditional amusement park ride. |
| Viking Fury | 1982 | Swinging pirate ship ride. |
| Zephyr | 1985 | A giant suspended swing ride. |
[edit] Defunct
| Ride | Year Opened | Year Closed | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenton's Cove Keelboat Canal | 1973 | 2001 | Traditional log-flume, acquired from the 1964 New York World's Fair, removed to make room for Tomb Raider: The Ride. |
| Flight Commander | 1990 | 1995 | Intamin AG-designed flight trainer. Parkgoer Candy Taylor fell to her death from Flight Commander on June 9, 1991. [5]. |
| Wild Animal Habitat | 1974 | 1993 | An air-conditioned monorail system that ran at ground level that allowed guests to view many wild animals. Kings Dominion also operated a similar attraction. The trains were later sold to Jungle Jim's International Market in Fairfield, OH. Son of Beast was later built on part of the site. |
| Halley's Comet | 1972 | 1979 | A round up style ride. Riders stood up against a metal cage-like wall inside a rapidly rotating "basket". When running, the ride gradually rose up to an angle. Located at the far end of the Coney Island mall, the ride was removed to make way for The Bat. |
| Zodiac | 1975 | 1989 | A double Ferris wheel designed by Intamin. Unlike most Ferris wheels, this ride had a wheel mounted on each end of a massive hydraulic arm. While one wheel was rotating high up in the air, the other was perpendicular to the ground so that the cylindrical gondolas (which were suspended from finger-like spokes) could be loaded all at once. Closed in 1987 as SBNO for 2 years and then removed in 1989 and replaced by Flight Commander, Zodiac was sold to a park in Australia, then demolished in 2004. |
| Enchanted Voyage | 1972 | 1991 | A dark boat ride, akin to Disney's It's a Small World. In a building shaped like a giant TV set, guests sailed through several rooms featuring animatronics of new and old Hanna-Barbera characters. A very catchy theme song played throughout the ride, which included the lines "Yabba dabba dabba doo, bosom-buddy Barney too, and Scooby-Dooby where are you." In 1984, the ride (and the song) was completely changed over to a Smurf theme, and after 1991 the boats were removed altogether and the ride converted to The Phantom Theatre. The building is now home to Scooby Doo & The Haunted Castle. |
| Der Spinning Keggers | 1972 | 1989 | An Intamin Drunken Barrels model which consisted of rotating barrel-shaped cars. Replaced with landscaping behind Viking Fury. |
| Wheel of Fortune | 1972 | 1984 | A Chance Trabant ride with a spinning roulette wheel next to Kings Mill Log Flume. Sold to Bland's Park in Pennsylvania. |
| Skylab | 1986 | 1997 | The HUSS Enterprise ride with two seats in one car which would spin vertically like a fast moving Ferris wheel. Centrifugal force would cause the cars to go upside down. |
| Tumble Bug | 1972 | 1985 | A kiddie ride that pulled linked cars around a round track, similar to Turtle at Kennywood Park. |
| Flying Eagles | 1972 | 2004 | A Bisch-Rocco Flying Skooters ride where the suspended passeneger tubs would spin around a vertical axis. The ride was removed to make way for Italian Job Stunt Track, and was relocated to Carowinds as "Danny Phantom Flyers." 3-Point Challenge, a basketball game new in 2006, currently sits where the ride used to be. |
| Flying Dutchman | 1972 | 1990 | A HUSS designed ride where shoe-shaped swings would rotate around a tower. Sold to Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom. |
| Bayern Curve | 1973 | 1985 | A Schwarzkopf Bayern Kurve which spun the passeneger on a bobsled running around a circular track. |
| Phantom Theater | 1992 | 2002 | Dark ride themed by R and R and animatronics done by AVG Inc. A behind the scenes tour of an abandoned theater, where phantoms either helped or taunted riders. Used the omnimover system now employed by Scooby Doo & The Haunted Castle. |
| The Rotor | 1972 | 1982 | A Chance designed ride where passengers lined a circular room. As the ride began to spin, the floor would drop out, leaving riders stuck to the wall by centrifugal force. |
| Les Taxis | 1972 | 2004 | A Arrow Dynamics antique car ride where guests could drive their own gas-powered car around the track, with help from a guide rail. Also known as "Antique Cars." Removed for Backlot Stunt Coaster (Italian Job: Stunt Track). |
| Ohio Overland Auto Livery | 1972 | 1997 | Another Arrow Dynamics antique car ride, this one intertwined with the previously mentioned Les Taxis. The Auto Livery last operated in 1997, but the ride was not removed until 2004 along with Les Taxis. |
| Sunshine Turnpike | 1972 | 1994 | Yet another Arrow Dynamics antique car ride, this one was located in Hanna Barbera Land. Originally named Marathon Turnpike, it was removed after the 1994 season, to make room for Nickelodeon Splat City (today's Nickelodeon Universe). |
| McScrappy's Slide | 1972 | 1994 | This was a Giant Slide, originally from Coney Island, it was located where Zephyr is today, and named the Flying Carpet Slide. It was relocated to Hanna Barbera Land for the 1986 season and renamed McScrappy's Slide. It was located about where Rugrat's Runaway Reptar is today. It was removed for the addition of Nickelodeon Splat City. |
| Winnie Witch's Cauldrons | 1972 | ???? | A spinning cups ride, the Witch's Cauldrons were located in front of the Fairly Odd Coaster. |
| Skyride | 1972 | 1979 | A cable car skyride that took passengers from Oktoberfest (where Adventure Express' entrance is today), over the International Street fountains, to Hanna Barbera Land. This ride was notorious for stranding riders for hours at a time. |
| Oktoberfest Ferris Wheel | 1983 | 1990 | Most likely an Eli Bridge model, the Ferris Wheel replaced the Rotor. It was located immediately next to the Festhaus. |
| Bumper Cars/Cuddle Up | 1972 | 1985 | Standard bumper car attraction occupied half of the building, and a Cuddle Up (tea cups) attraction occupied the other half. These rides were located on the opposite side of the Scrambler that today's Dodgem attraction is. The Cuddle up was removed after the 1985 season, and the cars from the Bumper Cars ride were moved to a new, much larger floor and opened in 1986 as today's Dodgem (which is located in the original location of the Flying Eagles). |
[edit] References
- ^ McNutt, Randy. "Bite by bite, neighboring cities take land", The Cincinnati Enquirer, 1998-8-31. Retrieved on 2006-12-28. (English)
- ^ Magan, Chris. "Kings Island cancels WinterFest after 1-year revival", Dayton Daily News, 2006-04-24. Retrieved on 2006-12-28. (English)
- ^ Kings Island (Kings Mills, Ohio 45034 USA). www.rcdb.com. Retrieved on 2008-05-10.
- ^ Cedar Fair, L.P. Completes Acquisition of the Paramount Parks (HTML). Retrieved on 2006-12-28.
- ^ Riepenhoff, Jill (1991-06-11). "KINGS ISLAND DEATHS BAFFLE PARK OFFICIALS". The Columbus Dispatch: 01A.
[edit] External links
- Official Website
- [2] Banana Splits in Hocus Pocus Park and Fan Pictures of Kings Island c1972
- Kings Island Central (formerly PKICentral) (Fan Website)
- Northern Cincinnati Convention & Visitors Bureau
- Kings Island at the RCDB
- KIExtreme (Fan Website)
- Kings Island is at coordinates Coordinates:
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