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| Status: |
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Operating since 4/29/1972 |
| Also Known As: |
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Paramount's Kings Island |
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513-754-5700 |
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800-288-0808 |
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Kings Island's site |
| Address: |
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6300 Kings Island Drive
Kings Mills, OH 45034
USA
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| Visits: |
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618 |
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| Reviews |
Sir Willow
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 3552
View Park/Ride Count
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Thursday, May 30th, 2002
The Guys- me, Brian (AFLAC!), Josh, Jeremy D (CoasterClown), and we met
up with Jon Zerkel not Zucker there. Nate also arrived a good bit later.
Weather- partially cloudy for most of the day, one major shower while we
were on FOF. very humid.
Crowds- heavy. turns out it was "bring a friend free day" and boy did
they! Parking lot was pretty full to, and if it wasn't I can't imagine
what a full lot would look like.
Scoring- I'm going to use a 1-10 scale with 0's being really bad and
negatives meaning "taer is down now!"
Josh, Jeremy and I rode along in Brians shiny new Mercedes coup from
Wadsworth, OH (near Akron) down to PKI, arriving at about 11:30. We
wanted to get there before opening for the walkbacks, but little things
prevented that from happening (like some people up til 1:30 and others
wanting some sleep before we left). We met up with Jon at the Eiffel
tower shortly after we entered, and knowing that it was going to be a
busy day from the crowds, cars, and buses pulling in, figured we better
get going. Jon was hobbling a bit due to having hurt his knee a couple
of days before, but outside of the hobbling he fit right into our whacky
little group.
We started out and went right over to The Beast, that classic woodie
that is still the longest wooden coaster in the world. And she was
still running great, popping over the crests of her hills, and rumbling
around the corners. The only slow part of the coaster was the lift hill
which was reported to me as being because they removed a block brake and
now have to use the lift as a block (and boy was it slow). But the
Beast was a blast of a ride and quickly moved itself up onto my list of
favorites (which, by the way, is a major disaster after this trip with
almost 50 new coasters) I can only imagine what it must be like on the
fabled night rides. Score- an easy 8.
Next we wandered around in some disbelief at the size of the crowds
since we figured that during the day on a Thursday it would be a lot
less crowded. We finally stopped over at Flight of Fear. We hopped in
the short line outside the building hoping against hope that the line
inside would be short. Alas, almost every queue line inside was filled
with people. But at least it was air conditioned! After waiting for
about an hour to an hour and a half we started to get into the cramped
trains. They may not have otsr's anymore, but they do have these
crushing foot holders that I ended up with my feet overlapping and one
under the center foot divider. ouch. A little more room would be nice.
As for the coaster itself- incredible. The theming was awesome
throughout the queue and even on the ride itself. But this was also one
of the most disorienting rides that I've ever been on. After the first
couple of loops and dives I literally had no idea what direction I was
going in (except forward) and whether I was up, down, or sideways. It
was a great ride that had only a couple of rough spots. Those would
have been major problems with teh otsr's, but without them it was a lot
of fun. FOF scored an easy 9 on my strange little scale.
We emerged from the ride to discover that there had apparently been a
decent downpour while we were on the ride and in the line but alas that
didn't chase anyone away. While I'm very skeptical of the claims of
some that call the park home that more people come to the park when it
rains, it sure didn't seem to ease the crowds much. But based on the
circumstances (like gnawing hunger) we decided it was time to grab a
bite to eat. One person suggested the Festhaus, but when we realized
that it was a bit busy there was some discussion as to whether or not to
eat there or leave the park for cheaper food. We pretty much decided at
that point that we were to hungry, and Jon's leg to sore, to leave the
park so all but one of us ate there. Food was good- about average park
fare for the price.
From there we tried to hit some more coasters before it got much later.
Next up was Adventure Express, their mine train, whose line wasn't to
long. But this isn't any mine train. The landscaping and theming
throughout the ride are incredible, giving you a feeling of cruising
around an ancient Incan city. Starting off with a drop and some running
around before the first lift was great, and we were close enough to the
plants that both Jeremy and I hit our hands on some of the shrubbery
nearby as we cruised by. This easily became my favorite mine train of
the bunch I've been on (except maybe BTMRR at DL), and scored a 6.5
(very high for a mine train)
Next up was the John Allen Racer, running only one side, that one being
backwards. Here comes the good old, "if you're going to build a racing
coaster Six Flags, then race them!" complaint again. Oh, wait, whoops.
This isn't a Six Flags park either! Blast. Guess they aren't the only
ones guilty of that sin after all. ;-) Anyways, running backwards
was moderately fun, but there just wasn't much to the Racer anymore.
Some small pops of airtime, but not much to it. A little fun with the
split turnaround, but, well, it might have been a lot better if it was
racing both sides, but even backwards it just wasn't a hugely exciting
coaster for me. A nice middle of the road 5.
Here we split up a bit because I wanted to ride Vortex and Jeremy was
the only one really willing to ride it with me. So the others headed
off and Jeremy hopped onto Vortex, the world's first coaster with 6
loops and built, of course, by Arrow. Unlike the other major
multiloopers, this one doesn't go right into a loop after it's first
drop but instead has another high hill with a turn around before
dropping into 2 vertical loops, and boomerand, and a corkscrew, along
with a few twists and turns. It is also the first real example I've
encountered where Arrow bashing makes some sense. While it's still a
fun coaster, there are some definate moments of head banging on it. It
is not by any means unrideable as some would have you believe, but it
can cause some definate discomfort. And there were some sections of
track that seemed like they didn't mesh with the rest of the track-
where a straight spot would suddenly have a twist on one part of track
before becoming straight again. It looked more like pieces of track had
been replaced, and not done real well, than it looked like a lousy build
job and I would be curious as to how much retracking has happened to the
coaster over the years. In any case Vortex rates around a 3 for me, but
it has the potential to be so much higher.
From here we knew Nate was almost in the park (thank God for cell
phones), so the two of us headed out to meet him. Once he arrived, the
three of us headed over to PKI's second suspended coaster (the first
being the now defunct Bat, built where Vortex now stands). Top Gun is a
fun little ride, not anything great, but very nice the way it sweeps
through the trees, grasses, and shrubbery, with several spots where it
looks like it's going to make a hit. It's only problem is that it's so
short. I would have liked a little more to it. Not a big knock, but
that's the major reason I didn't like it as much as Ninja at SFMM. But
it still rates a good 6.5, and is one that I would like to get more ride
time in.
After this we met back up with the other guys and our group of 6 for the
weekend was complete. Beware- RCT has hit the streets! And our first
place of assault was Son of Beast! In only I'd known in advance just
how badly we were going to lose this battle.
Son of Beast has 2 major problems- jackhammering roughness throughout
the coaster, and the most boring layout that I've ever seen on a
coaster. To sum up the whole coaster it goes like this: the longest
loudest lifthill you've ever seen, big drop into jackhammering helix,
jackhammering helix, surprisingly smooth and fun loop, jackhammering
helix, jackhammering helix, station. Or you could put it this way:
shouting on lift hill, ow, ow, ow, whee, ow, ow, ow, uggggggg. Sad that
a coaster that could be so good is instead so crappy. 2
From here we went over the eiffel tower, took some pictures of the
park, took one more evening ride on the Beast that lasted until park
closing, then headed out to our hotel.
NOTES AND OTHER COMMENTS
I really liked PKI. I didn't like the crowds, and felt that I missed so
much of the park because of it. I never got to see the kids area at all
(one part I really wanted to do) and also it meant no rides on Drop
Zone, Face Off, or several spots that I wanted to experience. But it
was still a great time. I was worried for a bit that we wouldn't get
our money's worth out of our admission but I think it worked out in the
end (ACE discount sure helped to). And hopefully some year in the
future I can make a return trip.
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| 1-21-04 12:59:37 |
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gennifire
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 5
View Park/Ride Count
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We spent 2 days from opening to close at this park. Both days were extrememly crowded even for the first part of August when most park crowds seem to decrease. We really liked the park atmosphere. When you walk in the gates to the fountains and the Eifel Tower looming over you. We first headed to the highlight of my son's trip, to The Beast. It was the best wooden roller coaster ever! My son and husband rode it again and again. We were there the year Tomb Raider the ride was opened. Talk about a different and extrememe thrill! Falling head down to the lava below. When they assure you that you must secure all loose articles, you better secure them!!! We rode on Top Gun, evidently an older coaster at this park however still a fun ride. We had to wait in line over 1 1/2 hours but the ride was smooth and enjoyable. Not heartpounding thrilling, but still got a smile going. In the 2 days we were there we never ran out of things to do. We did go to the adjoining water park for 1/2 of the 2nd day, then back to the rides that evening. Go and enjoy however, as my family says, nothing beats Disney.
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| 7-17-04 8:39:45 |
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Phil
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 9164
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One of my absolutely favorite parks. Its got great rides and a very good atmosphere.
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| 8-4-04 22:17:20 |
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RllrCoasterFan
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 745
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Great Rides. Great Layout (for the most part)...Great Park.
I've been twice and enjoyed it a lot both times. Beast is the best wooden coaster and it is just a great all around park.
My second favorite park.
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| 9-23-04 13:30:58 |
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RLLrCoastrLover
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 1059
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This is a really nice park. I spent a great afternoon, rideing most of it's attactions. I was very surprised by this park.
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| 4-14-05 9:56:05 |
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James
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 10559
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You know a park is bad when the best ride is its freefall tower......
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| 6-19-05 14:02:04 |
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pkiknowitall
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 28
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BEST PARK EVER!!! thats all you need to know! Great park with a great water park! Its got EVERYTHING from woodies from the '70s to revolutionary flat rides! It has broken many a record including Son of Beast, Beast, Tomb Raider(Worlds Biggest Top Spin), Drop Zone, Flight of Fear(Worlds first LIM launched coaster), Vortex(Worlds First Coaster w/ 6 Inversions) and several more! Its a Must Visit! 1000000000/5
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| 6-27-06 13:26:35 |
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coastrfreak2000
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 797
View Park/Ride Count
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A very nice park. Wonderful atmosphere, rides and coasters. The park is stunning at night.
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| 8-7-06 15:56:35 |
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Wookiee
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 55
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When your at the park make sure you go to La Rosa's pizza. This pizza joint is a Cincinnati tradition, and one of my favorite pizza joints. It is also located next to the midway fountains, which makes for a beautiful setting.
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| 4-29-07 15:41:33 |
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Freddie
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 170
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Kings Island is a nice park, but too bad all the rides suck.
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| 8-15-07 12:02:09 |
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SFGAFan4
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 929
View Park/Ride Count
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Trip Report - 7/10/07
After a stop for lunch on the way, we got to Kings Island at 3:30. From the parking lot, it looks like they have a great collection of coasters, and an awesome skyline. Once we got in the park, great, rain. We went on the Eiffel Tower, and then looked around on the Vortex side of the park, and everything was closed. We asked someone working at a game what indoor rides they had, and where they were and they pointed us to Tomb Raider: The Ride. It was a 5 minute wait.
Tomb Raider: AMAZING theming, and a really fun top spin, but like most it hurt like freaking hell. 7/10
We walked over to Vortex, and it was closed. We then decided to wait 15 minutes for Italian Job: Stunt Track.
Italian Job: Pretty good family ride, with some great theming. Not too exciting though. 7/10
It started pouring again, and we went to the arcade for about an hour. We just decided to eat an early dinner. It got sunny out after awhile, and we went to Racer. Backwards was closed! So, we went to forward for a walk on.
Racer (Forward) - It was really rough, with limited airtime. Not something I would ride again. 5/10
We went over to Top Gun, which was a 20 minute wait. Took the back row.
Top Gun - Looked small and boring, but really wasn't. It was an exciting ride, with good airtime. 8/10
Next was the ride that I've heard really bad about, the tallest, fastest woodie, Son of Beast. After a 15 minute wait, we got on.
Son of Beast - Right out of the station, you go flying around, and I immediately get a headache. Uh-oh. Then we see the camera before the lift.. why? After a really long lift, the drop was great! I would love to ride this ride with a loop, as the rest of the ride was really fun. This ride slid into my top ten, as number 4. I don't get why everyone hates this ride. 9/10
Now that we rode Son of Beast, where was The Beast? We went over to Drop Zone, and it was closed. We headed over to Face/Off for my first Vekoma. After a 5 minute wait, we got on.
Face/Off: Vekoma, heard bad about this too, and it wasn't. It was a real exciting ride, with some great speed. 8/10
We then went to Firehawk. 45 minute wait, we skipped it, and headed over to Flight of Fear, for a 20 minute wait.
Flight of Fear - An indoor ride with loops?! This had to be good. It was. Great airtime, fun ride, but the MCBR ruined the ending. 8/10
We headed over to Vortex for a 5 minute wait. Uh-oh arrow looper with a short line, not looking good. Took the 3rd row.
Vortex - Wow, amazing ride. Great airtime on the first drop, and the rest of the ride was just plain fun. It was smooth, unlike GASM. This easily slid into my top 10, as my new number 1 ride. 10/10
We still couldn't find the Beast, and left the park. Oh, there it is. Right after we leave the park, we see it, damn. We left at 10 and got to the hotel for another fun day in Ohio the next day.
Kings Island was a great park, with excellent theming, and had an atmosphere like no other. I can't wait to go back in a few years.
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| 8-26-07 16:32:46 |
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KY_THRILLBILLY
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 237
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Okay, so today was the big day, the day I finally got to return to Kings Island. I must say that the trip went pretty well, and that my entire group had alot of fun. I pretty much got to ride everything, and the wait were generally pretty small, many of which were walk-ons, or no more than five minutes.
Im gonna rate the rides that I have ridden today, on a scale of 1-10. If you disagree with my ratings then thats your perogative, you cant persuade me differently, this is all based on my personal preferences.
Vortex-This was probally the smoothest Arrow looper I have ever been on it, which is saying quite a bit. It did have a few uncomfortable moments, but for the most part it was pretty fun. Score: 7.5/10 (walk-on)
Firehawk-This was one of the better rides in the park, its something that PKI really needed, so Im glad I got to ride it. I think it can easily rival any of the B&M superman clones, which shows that Vekoma really stepped their game up. Score 8/10 (25 minute wait)
Flight of Fear-I thought this was a really cool ride, and its probally the best indoor coaster I have been on. I just love how this coaster intertwines with itself, but hate how it creeps through the MCBR so slowly, so that part was a let down.
Score: 7.75/10 (15 minute wait)
The Beast-The last time I rode this ride it was awesome, it was simply amazing from start to end. Unfortunately, I cant say that anymore. It was pretty brutal, its seems alot rougher than from my previous experience, so Im curious as to what happened. I was really disapointed with the Beast. Score 4/10 (walk-on)
Son of Beast-I heard through the grapevine that this coaster was extremely painful, and I can honestly say now, that it is. I was literally praying to reach the MCBR, just to relieve the horrific pain on my chest, which made me feel as if I were gonna have a heart attack. This coaster was unbelievably painful, from the drop out of the station, to the very end. I dont see this lasting another five years, and it wont surprise me if someone dies on it, its just that bad. -?/10 (walk-on)
Top Gun-I really liked Top Gun, its probally one of the best rides in the park, and a hell of alot better than Iron Dragon. The only down side is that it seems too short, it would be so much better if it was just a tad longer. It also is in dire need of a paint job. Score: 8.25/10 (2 minute wait)
Face Off-This was a really cool ride, and what made it so good was that I could watch the reactions of the people in my group. I know boomerangs are generally not favored upon with coaster enthusiasts, but this one was really good, and perhaps one of the best coasters in the park. It was really smooth, it was fun, and it was unlike other coasters I had ridden. Score: 8.25/10 (5 minute wait)
Adventure Express-Now, I have been on a few mine trains before, and this is most likely the best one of them all. Its not a very great coaster overall, but for families its rather great, as well as fun. Score: 6/10 (10 minute wait)
Italian Job-I got in the line for this ride rather skeptical, it just didnt seem so appealing, so I wasnt expecting too much. So after waiting about twenty minutes or so, I finally got my chance to ride this ride. Now, its not the greatest thing in the world, but I thought it was a fun decent coaster, so I dont regret riding it. In fact, this thing would probally be perfect for families, which is something all parks need to cator too. Score:7/10 (20 minute wait)
Racer (Backwards)-I thought this side was better than the other, although both sides are beginning to show their age. It had some pretty good air time, which is something I cant say about the other two big woodies. Score: 6.5/10 (walk-on)
Racer (Forwards)-This side wasnt quite as good as the other side, it was just a tad bit rougher, and provided about the same amount of air. Score 6/10 (walk-on)
Delirium-This was the first time I rode on such a ride, and I loved it. This ride was just amazing. Score: 10/10 (7 minute wait)
Drop Zone-I hate drop rides, to be quite honest they scare the s#it out of me, but yet I still ride them. They seem so much more intense than coasters IMO. Score: 10/10 (walk-on)
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| 9-24-07 12:27:05 |
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urka08
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 106
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I only went once a few years ago but I really enjoyed this park. They had a lot of great rides.
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| 1-24-08 19:14:33 |
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