++Please note that Kings Island will be closed to the public and to pass holders from September 4th to the 22nd. Click here to be taken to PKI.com's operating calendar.++

As 2007 draws to a close, 2008 season pass information is beginning to be released. The old Maxx Pass program has a new name, new benefits, and a few new teaks. Click here for more information about 2008 Kings Island season passes.

Kings Island is proud to have been once again awarded the Golden Ticket for the #1 Kids Area for Nickelodeon Universe by Amusement Today Magazine. Nickelodeon Universe was expanded in 2006 and has rides and attractions inspired by some of Nickelodeon's most popular characters including Dora the Explorer, Blues Clues, and of course Spongebob Squarepants. It features eighteen rides and attractions in two neighborhoods inspired by Spongebob and Dora the Explorer. Click here to see photos of Kings Island's Nickelodeon Universe.

Kings Island was also recognized for The Beast being rated the #8 wooden roller coaster in the world. This 7,359ft monster travels through the woods and versatile terrain and holds the Guinness Book of World Records record for the longest wooden roller coaster on Earth!

"Kings Island would like to thank Amusement Today, Golden Ticket voters and park guests for honoring Nickelodeon Universe as the Best Kids' Area on the planet for the seventh year in a row!" said Don Helbig, Public Relations Area Manager of Kings Island, "We are also thrilled that the readers of Amusement Today have once again named The Beast as one of the top 10 wooden roller coasters in the world."

For Kings Island's official press release about the Golden Ticket awards, click here.

Other notable awards went to Kings Island's sister park, Cedar Point, for being voted 'best park' by Amusement Today. They also took home #2 best steel roller coaster for Millennium Force and #5 best steel roller coaster for Magnum XL-200. Congratulations to our friends up in Sandusky!

The Golden Ticket Awards are presented by Amusement Today magazine. Amusement Today is an authority in the amusement industry and it picks a panel of judges to carefully critique each park by category. The Golden Ticket Awards are some of the most prestegous awards a park can be recognized with and are known as the 'Grammys' of the amusement industry.

Also don't forget that summer may have come and past, but the season at Kings Island is far from over! This year, Kings Island has revamped its Halloween-inspired event by adding new mazes and adding even more monsters to create Halloween Haunt, which will bring this typically warm and sunny amusement park to an all-new level of evil! Gates to the underworld for Halloween Haunt will be open from 7 p.m. until 1 a.m. every Friday and Saturday night September 28 through October 27 and daily from 7 p.m. to midnight October 28-31. For general information about Halloween Haunt, please go to the Halloween Haunt home page. Also don't forget to prepurchase your Halloween Haunt tickets!!

Halloween Haunt will include graphic scenes, suggestive themes and intense imagery and is intended for mature audiences. Parents, please be advised.

A warm-hearted employer seeks cold-blooded employees as Kings Island continues its search for members of the Halloween Haunt Scare Team. Scare Fairs are held every Friday and Saturday from 2-6 p.m. through September 8 at Kings Island. Ghouls and ghosts who transform the park from a sunny summer destination into the Midwest's largest and scariest haunted event can earn up to $10 per hour.

Are you an avid Kings Island fan or do you casually visit once a year? No Matter! KICentral.com is the site for you. Why not register on the forums of KICentral and tell us about your thoughts and experiences involving Kings Island! Registration is fast, FREE, and easy. Don't forget to keep checking KICentral.com for the latest news, rumors and information about Kings Island amusement park!

Regards,

Ryan

New mazes? Really?...

Any news as to when the haunt site will be complete? Also, is there going to be a site for Nick-Or-Treat activities? -Hauntguy

The Beast it says it is the ranked #8

The Beast it says it is the ranked #8

ha -- good catch. Isn't it funny how you can proofread something 10 times but still get a vital fact wrong? The Beast is in fact #8, NOT #9. Thanks for the heads up. I fixed it.

your welcome Ryan

The Golden Ticket Awards are some of the most prestegous awards a park can be recognized with and are known as the 'Grammys' of the amusement industry.

I could not think of a better comparison than the Grammy's to the music industry. I really can't think of an awards show that is any less in touch with the music buying public than the Grammy Awards.

Can I still consider KD our sister park and not CP? For some odd reason, I still dont like that title.

Are the full awards out anywhere yet? I tried to look but it just seems like everyone still has the 2006 awards up.

Hope they keep Nickelodeon Central or whatever it will be in the future #1 Always by refreshing, investing, and maintaining and quite possibly adding one more or two dark family rides.

But wow they've had this award how many years now!!

Are the full awards out anywhere yet? I tried to look but it just seems like everyone still has the 2006 awards up.

Click here to open the 48 page PDF of the current issue of Amusement Today magazine. It contains all of the winners.

The official 2008 season pass page is up at PKI.COM, though its not obvious, I stumbled upon it:

Kings Island 2008 Pass Sales

Edited to add all the gory details:

(This will mostly sound like Ryan's post but with prices!)

First off: Premium for early purchase: 1 Cedar Fair jacket - valued at $39.95

Must purchase pass between 9/7/07 and 11/11/07 - available in Youth Large - XXXL. Jacket will not be given at time of pass purchase, must be picked up at park from 10/28/07 - 11/11/07 - pick up hours 10am-4pm each day. Jackets left unclaimed may be picked up during the 2008 season.

Now the three tiers:

Regular Pass - Your most basic pass, access to Kings Island only, no perks. However if you RENEW a 2007 pass by 11/11/07 they will throw in a FREE parking pass.

Adult: $84.95 ($79.95 for 4-12 bulk purchase)

Junior/Senior - $59.95

Stepping up to the GOLD level: Comes with Gold Pass Perks - still valid Kings Island Only. FREE parking permit offer for renewing passholders offer valid through 11/11/07.

Adult: $89.95 ($84.95 for 4-12 bulk purchase)

Junior/Senior: $64.95

Now for The Pass We've All Been Waiting For:

The PLATINUM LEVEL pass - All the perks of a GOLD pass PLUS - Valid at ALL Cedar Fair Amusement Parks and Water Parks, includes a FREE PARKING pass also valid at ALL Cedar Fair Amusement Parks and Water Parks.

Adult : $140.00

Junior/Senior: $89.95

Very little fine print out there so far:

For those NOT eligible for the 2007 renwal FREE PARKING offer, a Kings Island ONLY parking pass may be added to your pass for $34.95 (recall Platinum includes the chain wide parking pass as one of its perks)

Very little fine print out there so far:

* 2008 passes NOT valid for remainder of 2007

* 2008 passes NOT valid for Halloween Haunt

* A 2008 Platinum Pass must be processed at Kings Island before use at another park

They have set up a season pass hotline for your questions: 1-800-952-PASS

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My own comment:

That makes the Platinum pass $55 more than a REGULAR pass and $50 more than a GOLD pass. Recall that this years MAXX pass was $50 more than the GOLD pass and did not come with chain wide parking, let alone the water parks. Those who bought the Maxx Plus this year will see their pass costs go DOWN and get more for it. Those of us who bought the Maxx Pass, consider it a chain wide parking upgrade for only $15 more than last years cost.

Toss in one trip to Cedar Point and Geauga Lake - and the deal pays for itself. I think it's gonna be platinum for me.

To see this page on pki.com for yourself, either use the link above, or if you don't trust that, go to pki.com

DON'T click on season pass

instead click on Tickets (as in single day)

then click on OVERVIEW

then click on 2008 season passes now on sale.

Yes we know. But if you can't find it, for some odd reason they stuck in under the ticket tab. You have to click on tickets, and then it brings up the screen, and on the top is says 2008 season passes now on sale. Sometimes tells me they did that because they still want to sell a few more 2007 passes, but it doesn't really matter I suppose, since 2008 pass are not valid until 2008.

Hmm, I notice all the pass specials expire November 11, 2007., and the prices are only good through 11/11/07.

In the past the specials and pass prices were good through the last day of the season, I wonder if the park is about to announce Extra Bonus Weekends on 11/3-11/4 and 11/10-11/11.

Just a thought, or I might be reading too much into this.