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About 14 years ago after my daughter was born, I developed a strong desire to check out more coaster parks near St. Louis. I wrote down a short list of places that I hoped to visit in the next few years. Kings Island was one of the first that I considered and only about five hours away. It took me a while to get there, but I finally got the chance to visit Kings Island last month. This episode of the Tomorrow Society Podcast is all about this trip and my first experience at this Mason, Ohio destination.
Kings Island opened in 1972 and recently celebrated its 50th anniversary. Purchased by Cedar Fair in 2006, the park looks amazing and continues to add new attractions. It contains 14 roller coasters (15 if you count both sides of Racer), and the headliners rank among the best anywhere. During my trip, I rode eight of these coasters, and three recently made my updated Top 10 List. My first stop was the classic woodie The Beast, developed in-house and opening in 1979. Its River Town area includes several of the park’s best coasters like Diamondback and Mystic Timbers in a cool setting.
Along with those awesome rides, I also experienced my first Giga with Orion. Located in the Area 72 section, this massive coaster is the park’s most recent major addition in 2020. Kings Island offers more than just thrill rides and includes an eclectic collection. My final rides were on a old-style railroad and interactive Sally dark ride. During this podcast, I describe what I think about the food, theming, and costs along with the rides. There’s too much to cover in one visit, and I can’t wait to get back to Kings Island.
Show Notes: Kings Island
Check out my ratings for all the roller coasters and other rides that I experienced on my first visit to Kings Island.
Read my updated Top Ten Roller Coasters rankings, which include several from Kings Island.
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What’s a Sally dark ride?
It’s a dark ride created by Sally Dark Rides, who produce rides across the country for amusement parks. They typically involve shooting targets, though not always. A good example is something like the Justice League: Battle for Metropolis attractions at Six Flags parks or the Scooby Doo rides that used to be a lot more prevalent. They also just did Volkanu, a high-tech dark ride at Lost Island in Iowa.