MASON, Ohio — It's time for fun and thrills because Kings Island is set to open for the 2024 season Saturday.
The amusement park is back with new rides, areas and food options as well as its classic rides and roller coasters. For those wanting to get the most out of the park, here are the must-see attractions at Kings Island:
The Beast
The Beat is synonymous with Kings Island. The 7,361-feet long wooden roller coaster — the longest wooden coaster in the world — spans through 35 acres of woods as riders are whipped around turns and drops over 4 minutes of ride time. The roller coaster was first introduced in 1979, and it has been a staple at the park since. The roller coaster also had its own child, The Son of the Beast, which opened in 2000 but permanently closed in 2012 after multiple serious injuries.
Planet Snoopy
A family-friendly area in the park, Planet Snoopy is dedicated to Peanuts-themed rides and attractions. The area also has meet-and-great opportunities from Peanuts characters like Charlie Brown and Snoopy himself, and most importantly it's home to King Island's blue ice cream. New to the 2024 season, Planet Snoopy is expanding with Camp Snoopy. The new area will feature a new family roller coaster that races both forward and backwards, and an area where kids can run, play, crawl and relax in the shaded space.
Banshee
An inverted coaster, the Banshee sits in the park where the Son of the Beast used to reside. Banshee opened in 2014 as the world's longest steel inverted coaster, spanning 4,1234 feet. The coast has rolls, drops, loops, inversions and more as riders speed up to 68 mph.
The Eiffel Tower
Sitting at the forefront of the park, Kings Island's Eiffel Tower is a replica of the world-renowned one in Paris. Standing 314 feet tall, the Eiffel Tower's observation tower gives park-goers sweeping views of the amusement park and surrounding areas. The tower has been in the park since 1972, and it's located at the end of the fountains in the International Street section of park.
The Racer
A classic coaster in Kings Island, The Racer features two dueling coasters, the Blue Racer versus the Red Racer. The two sit side-by-side along twin tracks racing each other. According to the amusement park, The Racer helped ignite the wooden roller coaster building boom in the 1970s. Since 1972, the coaster has given more than 104 million rides, which is the most in Kings Island's history. In 1976, the ride's record year, 3,681,338 riders rode the coaster.
Drop Tower
Sitting one foot taller than the Eiffel Tower, Drop Tower is not for the faint of heart. Riders strap into the circular ride where their feet dangle as the ride ascends 315 feet over the course of 45 seconds. Riders then can take in some breathtaking views before they're screaming their lungs off as they free fall plunge 26 stories at speeds up to 67 mph before braking near the bottom.
K.I. & Miami Valley Railroad
Great for families or those that want to relax at Kings Island, the K.I. & Miami Valley Railroad traverses the park, and it also stops at the neighboring Soak City water park. The railroad's two trains have been at the park since 1972, and they are scale replicas of 1800s locomotives. The trains can take 960 riders through their track, with the journey lasting between 9 and 15 minutes depending on stops and if both trains are operating.
Orion
One of only seven giga coasters, or coasters have a height or drop of 300-399 feet, in the world, Orion opened to riders in 2020. The steel coaster's first drop plummets 300 feet as the ride then reaches speeds up to 91 mph over the course of 2 minutes. The ride sits in park's Area 72 area, which is also home to indoor coaster Flight of Fear.
The Grand Carousel
The oldest ride in the park, the Grand Carousel was constructed in 1926. The carousel features 48 hand-carved horses, which have been restored multiple times, including after the 1937 flood in Cincinnati. The carousel, which is one of two carousels in the whole park, is located near the Eiffel Tower in the International Street area of the park.
