Kings Island

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Kings Island
Kings Island Logo
Location	Mason, Ohio, United States
Website	Kings Island
Owner	Cedar Fair Entertainment Company
Opened	April 29, 1972
Previous names	Paramount's Kings Island
Operating season	April through November
Area	Available 775 acres (3.14 km2), Used 364 acres (1.47 km2)
Rides	49 total 15 roller coasters 3 water rides
Slogan	Kings Island... Where Else?

Kings Island is a 364 acre theme 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 (3.14 km²) of land, but only 364 acres 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. Kings Island is the second most visited seasonal theme park in the United States of America, behind its partner park, Cedar Point. Fellow former-Paramount-Park Canada's Wonderland is the most visited seasonal theme park in all of North America, making three sister parks the most visited seasonal parks in the continent.

Contents 1 Park history 2 Original attractions 3 Later attractions 4 New ownership 5 Lists of Stages & Theaters 6 Lists of Attractions 6.1 Action Zone 6.2 Oktoberfest 6.3 International Street 6.4 Coney Mall 6.5 Rivertown 6.6 Nickelodeon Universe 6.7 Boomerang Bay 6.8 Defunct 7 Slogans 8 Halloween Haunt 8.1 Indoor Mazes 8.2 Outdoor Mazes 8.3 Attractions 9 Awards 10 People 11 Events 11.1 Events Being Planned For 2009 Season 12 References 13 External links

[edit] Park history

Kings Island broke-ground on June 15, 1970 and first opened its gates on April 29, 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. Although Coney Island was very highly-regarded and successful, frequent floods forced the landlocked park to relocate to higher ground, closing after the 1971 season, 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.

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.

In 1984 Taft Broadcasting Company sold the company's Amusement Park Group, including Kings Island, to Kings Entertainment Company (KECO) which was formed through a leveraged buyout of the attractions by several members of Taft's APG management team. In 1987 American Financial Corporation purchased the park while KECO continued to operate it through a management contract. 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 in 2006 split into two companies - Viacom and CBS Corporation - with the latter company inheriting Paramount Parks, and subsequently selling them 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.

[edit] Original attractions

The centerpiece of Kings Island has always been its 1/3 scale replica of the Eiffel Tower, located just across the Royal Fountain from the main entrance gate. Elevators regularly take patrons up to the top of the 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 a 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".) Since 2008, the right side trains have been operating in the forward facing direction.

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 after the opening of The Beast; 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 30 years, it still holds the title of the world's longest wooden roller coaster at 7,419 ft (2,261 m), which is largely accredited to the rise and later dominance of steel roller coasters. In 1981, Kings Island introduced the world's first suspended roller coaster, The Bat. Plagued with mechanical problems, The Bat was 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.

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 (120,000 m²) expansion of Water Works occurred in 1997, and a further renovation and expansion in 2004 coincided with a name change to "Boomerang Bay".

In 1982 Kings Island 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 for a few years a nightly laser light-show was centered on the Eiffel Tower. Most rides were closed, except for a Holiday-themed train ride, hayrides, and the Enchanted Voyage, a water based dark ride; special shops and restaurants, as well as other holiday-themed activities, were available. Early on there were horse drawn carriage rides and hand made crafts for sale all along International Street. Live holiday shows could be seen at the American Heritage Music Hall (later the Paramount Theater and now called the Kings Island Theater) and Festhaus; carolers made regular appearances. 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 "FearFest"). 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. 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 14 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' eight consecutive times (2001–2008). 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 (45,000 m²) 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.

While no new rides were added to Kings Island for the 2008 season, the park expanded its live entertainment lineup . A redesigned Guest Relations office, and a Cinnabon outlet were added on International Street.

A Bolliger & Mabillard steel hypercoaster called Diamondback replaced the former Swan Lake. It opened in April 2009. On July 22, 2008 dark red track sections were delivered to the park and set on site of the construction. The park launched a teaser program on their website the same day. On August 6 2008 the park announced the new ride.^[4]

[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.^[5] With this purchase, Cedar Fair would own 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 roller coasters formerly known as "Face/Off", "Italian Job: Stunt Track" and "Top Gun", were renamed in the 2007-08 offseason. Face/Off became Invertigo, by coincidence the name of its design, the Italian Job Stunt Track became the Backlot Stunt Coaster, and Top Gun became Flight Deck, like other Top Gun themed rides.

There is also now a stronger emphasis on cleanliness under Cedar Fair management^{[citation needed]}; more trash cans were placed, along with highly visible ground-sweeping teams; 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 new shows throughout the park, including shows at venues that were otherwise empty in 2006.

The addition of the Diamondback hyper coaster to the park is another sign of Cedar Fair's commitment to the park, being one of the most high-profile attractions and greatest investments to the park since opening in 1972. It is also an addition that will elevate Kings Island's status as a "roller coaster capital" - coming thirty years after The Beast—still highly regarded as one of the greatest wooden roller coasters^{[citation needed]}—was introduced in 1979.

[edit] Lists of Stages & Theaters

Venue	Year Opened	Location	Show	Description
Festhaus	1983	Oktoberfest	The County Line, Down Home Country
Timberwolf Amphitheatre	1982	Action Zone
Kings Island Theater	1976	International Street	Endless Summer on Ice	Known as American Heritage Music Hall and Paramount Theater.Renovated in 2004 with new seating and digital systems.
International Showplace	1972	International Street	Flashback: Totally 80's!
International Street Bandstand	1972	International Street	Don't Stop The Music
Action Theater	2001	Coney Mall	SpongeBob SquarePants 3-D	Known as FX Theater
Putz HQ	2009	Nickelodeon Universe	Marty's Party	Known as FX Nickelodeon Theatre (2006-2008)

(2006-2008

[edit] Lists of Attractions

(See here^[6] for Kings Island official ride listing.)

[edit] Action Zone

Opened in 1974 as Wild Animal Habitat. Renamed Adventure Village in 1994. Renamed Action Zone in 1999. This area has three of the park's roller coasters.

Ride	Year Opened	Description
Delirium	2003	A HUSSHuss Giant Frisbee.
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.
Invertigo	1999	A Vekoma inverted Boomerang roller coaster. Known as Face/Off (1999–2007).
Drop Tower: Scream Zone	1999	An Intamin gyro drop. At 315 feet (96 m), it is the tallest gyro tower in the world. Its original location was set to be the site Launch Pad occupies today. Drop Tower was closed for inspection in June 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: Scream Zone at Kings Island, but it was closed until it could be thoroughly inspected. The full name of this ride is Drop Tower: Scream Zone. It was built with a movie theme, entitled Drop Zone: Stunt Tower (1999–2007).
Thunder Alley	1996	Go-kart racing track is a pay-per-ride attraction originally based on the hit movie Days of Thunder. Known as Days of Thunder (1996–2007).
Xtreme Skyflyer	1995	Double Skycoaster with a 153-foot (47 m) dive. Pay-per-ride attraction. Known as Drop Zone (1995–1999), after the Paramount movie Drop Zone, but was renamed in preparation of a new ride in 1999 to bear the name.
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 (1993–2007).
Congo Falls	1988	A shoot-the-chute boat flume ride with a 34' drop. Known as Amazon Falls (1988–1999), after the Paramount movie Congo.

[edit] Oktoberfest

Opened with the park in 1972. Contains one roller coaster.

Ride	Year Opened	Description
Sling Shot	2002	Catapults riders in a steel cage 260 feet (79 m) in the air, and then flips multiple times before returning slowly to the platform.
Adventure Express	1991	Arrow Dynamics designed family Indiana Jones unofficially themed Mine Train roller coaster.
Viking Fury	1982	Swinging pirate ship ride.

[edit] International Street

Main strip featuring many shops, the Eiffel Tower, and the Royal Fountain with light and water shows. Opened with the park in 1972.

Ride	Year Opened	Description
Eiffel Tower	1972	An approximately one-third scale replica of the Eiffel Tower in Paris; manufactured by Intamin AG. Known as Sherwin-Williams presents The Eiffel Tower (1972-)
Grand Carousel	1972	The classic carousel was built in 1926 and is painted with more than 20,000 sheets of 23-karat gold and 1,000 sheets of sterling silver and 48 hand-carved wooden horses.

[edit] Coney Mall

Opened with the park in 1972 as Coney Island, named after the park's predecessor, Coney Island. Renamed Coney Mall in 1986.

A new sub-area, X-Base, opened in 2007 with the addition of Firehawk. Since Firehawk was built next to Flight of Fear, the area took on the new theme, claiming to be a government area testing new flight-and-propulsion systems. This area has five roller coasters.

Ride	Year Opened	Description
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 located directly beside of Flight of Fear in the X-Base themed section of the park. The ride itself carries the same theme as it did as "X-Flight," a government flight prototype looking for test subjects codenamed FireHawk. This ride is Kings Island's 14th coaster, and the Midwest's only flying roller coaster.
Backlot Stunt Coaster	2005	A Premier Rides family launch coaster based on the chase sequence of the 2003 remake of The Italian Job. Features an indoor dark section, as well as water and fire effects, some of which were turned off for the 2008 season by Cedar Fair. Known as The Italian Job: Stunt Track (2005–2007).
Flight of Fear	1996	A Premier Rides LIM-launched roller coaster prototype. Over-the-Shoulder harnesses were also removed and replaced with lap bars in 2001. Identical to the coaster with the same name that opened at Kings Dominion the same year. Known as Outer Limits: Flight of Fear (1996–2000).
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. Temporary attractions are housed in the theater during Fear Fest, which have included Elvira's Superstition, Dracula's Haunted Castle, and Funhouse Express.
Vortex	1987	An Arrow Dynamics designed "Mega Looper" coaster that opened as the world record holder for most inversions (6).
Zephyr	1985	A giant suspended swing ride.
Shake, Rattle, and Roll	1973	Huss spinning ride. Known as The Troika (1973-)
The Racer	1972	A John Allen/Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters racing wooden coaster. Both sides began racing forwards again for the 2008 season.
Monster	1972	Traditional "Spider" ride.
Dodgems	1972 Remodeled in 1985	Special 2-seater bumper cars from Italy with working headlights, taillights, rear-view mirrors, and hazard flashers.
Scrambler	1972	Traditional amusement park ride.

[edit] Rivertown

Opened with the park in 1972. This area is home to two roller coasters.

Ride	Year Opened	Description
Diamondback	2009	A steel B&M hypercoaster, 230 feet (70 m) tall and 5,282 feet (1,610 m) long, and a top speed of 80 mph (130 km/h). The ride is unique in being the first B&M hypercoaster to feature a splashdown water effect.
The Crypt	2002	An enclosed Huss Giant Top Spin. Highly themed to the film Lara Croft: Tomb Raider until the park was sold to Cedar Fair. The themeing, musical soundtrack, and pre-show were removed in large part for the 2008 season. Known as Tomb Raider: The Ride (2002–2007).
White Water Canyon	1985	Whitewater rafting adventure ride, originally to be named White Water Rafting Adventure.
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 its course. Originally supposed to named the champion
Kings Island 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. Known as Kings Island & Miami Valley Railroad (1972–2008).

[edit] Nickelodeon Universe

Opened with the park in 1972 as The Happy Land of Hanna-Barbera, later shortened to Hanna-Barbera Land. The upper part was renamed Nickelodeon Central in 2001, and both sections were renamed "Nickelodeon Universe" in 2006. Amusement Today has awarded Nickelodeon Universe with the Golden Ticket Award for the Best Kids' Area in the World for the past eight years.^[7] Expanding over two neighborhoods dedicated to SpongeBob SquarePants and Dora the Explorer, Nickelodeon Universe features more than 18 attractions and more kids' coasters than any other park in the world. There are three coasters in this area.^[8]

Ride	Year Opened	Description
Avatar: The Last Airbender	2006
Phantom Flyers	2006	Known as Danny Phantom Flyers (2006–2007)
Plankton's Plunge	2006
SpongeBob SquarePants Bikini Bottom Bash	1995	Known as Nickelodeon Green Slime Zone (1995–2005)
Rugrats Runaway Reptar	2001	A Vekoma family inverted coaster based on the TV show Rugrats.
Timmy's Airtours	1998	Known as Atom Ant's Airways (1998–2005)
Lazytown Sportacopters	1998	Known as Yogi's Sky Tours (1998–2005)
Little Bill's Giggle Coaster	1992	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. Known as Scooby Zoom (1992–1997), Top Cat's Taxi Jam (1998–2005).
Backyardigan's Swing-Along	1992	Known as Pixie and Dixie's Swingset (1992–2005)
Blue's Skidoo	1992	Known as Dick Dastardly's Biplanes (1992–2005)
Nick-O-Round	1982	Known as Hanna Barbera Carousel (1982–2005)
La Adventura de Azul	1982	Known as Quick Draw's Railway (1982–2005)
Jimmy Neutron's Atom Smasher	1976	Known as Flintstone's Boulder Bumpers (1976–2005)
Nick Jr. Drivers	1979	Known as Fender Bender 500 (????-2005)
Fairly Odd Coaster	1972	A John Allen/Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters family wooden coaster. Known as Scooby Doo (1972–1979) and Beastie (1980–2005).
Scooby-Doo and the Haunted Castle	1972	A Sally dark ride experience for families which involves shooting laser guns at ghosts and ghouls. Known as Enchanted Voyage(1972–1982), Smurf's Enchanted Voyage(1984–1991), Phantom Theater(1992–2002).
Go Diego Go	1972	From Coney Island (1969–1971). Known as Huck's Hotrods (-2005)
The Wild Thornberrys River Adventure	1972	Themed log ride from Coney Island (1968–1971). Closed during the 2000 season, reopened with new name and theming in 2001. Known as Kings Mills Log Flume (1972–1999).
Swiper's Sweepers	1972	From Coney Island (1967–1971) Known as Alley Cat 500 (-2005)

[edit] Boomerang Bay

Boomerang Bay opened in 1989 under the name WaterWorks. It was renamed Crocodile Dundee's Boomerang Bay in 2004. The movie theming was dropped in 2007. The park is a 15-acre (61,000 m²) water park with an Australian theme; features a wave pool and variety of water slides. Boomerang Bay is free with park admission. Kings Island official site - Boomerang Bay

Ride	Year Opened	Description
Coolangatta Racer	2004
Jackeroo Landing	2004
Tazmanian Typhoon	2004
Kookaburra Bay	2004
Five Star Amenities	2004
Pipeline Paradise	1998	Known as Wipe-Out Beach (1998–2003)
Great Barrier Reef	1997
Kangaroo Lagoon	1997	Known as Buccaneer Island (1997–2003)
Snowy River Rampage	1990
Koala Splash	????
Wallaby Wharf	????
Sydney Sidewinder	????
Awesome Aussie Twister	1989
Bondi Pipeline	1989
Down Under Thunder	1989	Body slides
Crocodile Run	1989	Lazy river

[edit] Defunct

Attraction	Year Opened	Year Closed	Description
Back Porch Stage	????	2008	Located in Rivertown, this stage was removed for the entrance to Diamondback.
Nickelodeon Central	2001	2005	Nickelodeon themed area. Renamed Nickelodeon Universe (2006)
The Happy Land of Hanna Barbara	1972	2005	Hanna-Barbera themed area. Also known as Hanna-Barbera Land. Rethemed Nickelodeon Universe (2006)
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.
Emergency Green Slime Shower	1995	2005	The slime shower in the middle of Nickelodeon's Green Slime Zone
Boo-Boo's Baggage Claim	1972	2005	Removed in 2005 as a part of the Hanna-Barbera Land removal for Nick Universe.
Jetson's Jet Orbiters	1972	2005	Removed in 2005 as a part of the Hanna-Barbera Land removal for Nick Universe.
Baba Louie's Buggies	1972	2005	Removed in 2005 as a part of the Hanna-Barbera Land removal for Nick Universe.
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 (now Backlot Stunt Coaster), 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.
Les Taxis	1972	2004	An Arrow Development 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).
Flight Team Aerial Helicopter Tours	2000	2003	Helicopter Tour of the park and surrounding area.
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.
King Cobra	1984	2001	Prototype TOGO Stand-up roller coaster. It was the world's first stand up coaster with a loop. It was taken down in 2002 because TOGO had gone out of business making it harder to find new parts. King Cobra's track has been scrapped, but the cars remain inside Flight of Fear's enclosed bowl.
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.
Nickelodeon Splat City	1995	2000	Nickelodeon themed area. Renamed Nickelodeon Central (2001)
Gulliver's Rub-A-Dub	1972	1998	Small water raft ride in Hanna-Barbera Land.
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.
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.
Flight Commander	1990	1995	Intamin AG-designed flight trainer. Parkgoer Candy Taylor, who was highly intoxicated and fighting with the ride operators, fell to her death from Flight Commander on June 9, 1991 after removing her safety restraints and leaning out of the gondola and waving to her friends on the ground.[9]
Sunshine Turnpike	1972	1994	Yet another Arrow Development sports 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.
Lion Country Safari Monorail	1974	1993	An air-conditioned monorail system in Wild Animal Habitat, now Action Zone, 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.
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.
Winnie Witches Cauldrons	1972	1991	Small spinning teacup-like ride located between the First Aid Station and the then Flintstone's Boulder Bumpers
Oktoberfest Ferris Wheel	1983	1990	Most likely an Eli Bridge model. It was located immediately next to Festhaus.
Flying Dutchman	1972	1990	A HUSS designed ride where shoe-shaped swings would rotate around a tower. Sold to Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom.
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. It closed in 1987, SBNO for two years, and then was removed in 1989 and replaced by Flight Commander. Zodiac was relocated to Australia's Wonderland in Sydney, Australia, another Taft venture park. The ride was demolished in 2004 when that park closed.
Der Spinning Keggers	1972	1989	An Intamin Drunken Barrels model which consisted of rotating barrel-shaped cars. Replaced with landscaping behind Viking Fury.
Demon	1977	1987	An Arrow Development shuttle loop roller coaster and the first of its kind as well. Located approximately where Congo Falls currently resides. Moved to Camden Park in West Virginia as Thunderbolt Express, then scrapped in 2004. Originally known as Screamin' Demon.
Boo-Boo's Buggies	1972	1985	Hampton motorcycle ride from Hanna-Barbera Land.
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).
Bayern Curve	1973	1985	A Schwarzkopf Bayern Kurve in which passengers traveled on a bobsled running around a circular track. It closed in 1985 and moved to the newly-constructed Australia's Wonderland. It operated under the name Wizard's Fury until it was closed and demolished in 2002.
Tumble Bug	1972	1985	A 1920s Harry Traver classic that pulled linked cars around an undulating circular track, similar to Turtle at Kennywood Park. Relocated from Coney Island (OH).
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.
The Bat	1981	1984	Prototype Arrow Development suspended coaster. Although intense, the ride had a fair share of downtime as a result of the designers not banking the track as they did with later suspended coasters. This concept was reintroduced with Top Gun in 1993, which was significantly more reliable. The Bat was replaced withVortex.
The Rotor	1972	1982	A Chance-designed ride where passengers lined a circular room. As the ride began to spin, the floor descended several feet, leaving riders held against the wall by centrifugal force.
Skyride	1972	1980	A cable car skyride that took passengers from Oktoberfest (where Adventure Express' entrance is today), over the International Street fountains, to Hanna Barbera Land.
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.
Bavarian Beetle	1972	1979	An SDC designed "Galaxi" steel roller coaster. Moved over from the original Coney Island Ohio park.
Kenton's Cove Canoes	1972	1978	Canoe on the ponds in Rivertown. This attraction was removed for construction of The Beast.

[edit] Slogans

• 1972-??: "America's Family Entertainment Center"
• 1992-93: "Let Yourself Go"
• 1994: "Where the magic of the movies meet the thrills of a lifetime"
• 1997-??: "Memories That Last a Lifetime"
• 2005-06: "The Best in Hollywood Entertainment, Now Playing"
• 2007-current: "Where Else?"

[edit] Halloween Haunt

Halloween activities and Kings Island.^[10] Formerly known as Fear Fest.

[edit] Indoor Mazes

• Urgent Scare
• Club Blood
• Death Row
• Red Beard's Revenge
• Massacre Manor
• CarnEVIL

[edit] Outdoor Mazes

• Cornstalkers -
• The Worksite
• Cemetery Drive
• Trail of Terror
• Tombstone Terror-TORY

[edit] Attractions

• Ghouls Gone Wild
• Dead Awakening

[edit] Awards

• Amusement Today - Gold Ticket for the Best Kids’ Area in the world. (2001–2008)
• Amusement Today - Best Concert Venue (2007)

[edit] People

• Carmen Electra - Started her professional career in 1990 as a dancer at Kings Island in the show “It’s Magic”.
• Susan Perkins - “Miss America of 1978,” worked as a live shows performer at Kings Island.
• Susan Kay Johnson, “Miss Ohio of 1987,” worked as a live shows performer at Kings Island.

[edit] Events

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.

July 4, 1976 - Kings Island played host to the wedding of Paul Revere of the pop rock band Paul Revere & the Raiders.

May 24, 2008 - Robbie Knievel, son of famed dare devil Evel Knievel, successfully jumped over 24 Coke Zero trucks in the Kings Island Parking Lot. This is expected to be the last of Robbie's big jumps.^[11]

July 4, 2008 - High wire artist Rick Wallenda, grandson of Karl Wallenda, broke a world Skywalk record, walking the distance from Kings Island's Eiffel Tower to the park entrance—and back again—setting a world record breaking distance of 2,000 feet (610 m) on a 5/8 inch high wire 75 feet (23 m) above the ground. Karl Wallenda set the previous record in 1974, also at Kings Island.^[12][13]

August 31, 2008 - Barry Williams, Susan Olsen, and Mike Lookinland return to Kings Island for A Very Brady Reunion, a 4 show special of song, dance, and Brady Bunch stories.^[14]

[edit] Events Being Planned For 2009 Season

   Saturday, June 27 

Tattoo Highway Thomas Pendleton

   Sunday, August 16 

High Wire Walk Nik Wallenda

[edit] References

[edit] External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Kings Island

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Kings Island

• Official Website
• Kings Island at RCDB
• Kings Island Central (formerly PKICentral) (Fan Website)
• KIExtreme (Fan Website)
• King's Island Ghosts
• Banana Splits in Hocus Pocus Park and Fan Pictures of Kings Island c1972
• Northern Cincinnati Convention & Visitors Bureau
• Diamondback Media Site

Coordinates: 39°20′29″N 84°16′21″W / 39.3413°N 84.2725°W / 39.3413; -84.2725

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