King’s Island (USA)

 

Kings Island is a 364-acre amusement park located 24 miles northeast of Cincinnati in Mason, Ohio. Opened in 1972 by Taft Broadcasting Company and now owned by Cedar Fair Entertainment Company, Kings Island is the most visited seasonal amusement park in the U.S. with an estimated 3.1 million visitors in 2010.

Originally part of a 1,600-acre purchase, Kings Island currently owns 773 acres of land. It offers over 80 rides, shows, and attractions including 14 roller coasters and a 15-acre water park. Kings Island has won Amusement Today's Golden Ticket Award for having the "Best Kids' Area" in the world for eleven consecutive years (2001–2011).

The central attraction at Kings Island is International Street featuring the Royal Fountain, a 600,000-US-gallon pool capable of shooting 10,000 US gallons of water into the air each minute, and the signature Eiffel Tower, a 1/3 scale replica of the original which offers a view of the entire park to its guests. Also located here is the Grand Carousel, Kings Island Theater, and a variety of restaurants and souvenir shops.

Another original attraction is The Racer, a wooden roller coaster consisting of two trains that race each other side-by-side on identical tracks. Designed by legendary designer John C. Allen, The Racer is recognized as being an integral part of the roller coaster renaissance of the 1970s. On June 18, 2007 American Coaster Enthusiasts (ACE) awarded it the Roller Coaster Landmark plaque.

Other roller coasters present at the opening in 1972 were the Bavarian Beetle, a small steel coaster brought over from Coney Island, and a new junior wooden coaster in the Happy Land of Hanna-Barbera originally named Scooby-Doo.

Additional attractions present on 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.

Kings Island is an enormously popular theme park. Coasters are king here, and the legendary The Beast, the world's longest wood coaster, is thrill machine royalty. Diamondback, introduced in 2009, is a world-class hypercoaster and among the best steel coasters in North America.

The Peanuts characters, such as Charlie Brown and Linus, come to life in Planet Snoopy and provide inspiration for some of the rides, including Sally's Sea Plane, The Great Pumpkin Coaster, and Woodstock Express. The park offers shows as well, including musicals and fireworks.

Soak City water park is included with admission and offers tons of slides, two wave pools, an interactive water play station, and an action river. Among the features is a funnel ride and a FlowRider surfing attraction. The official website is http://www.visitkingsisland.com/