Never Been To Kings Island

[canobiecrazy]

Hi! This is my first post!

I am planing to go tho Kings Island this summer and I was wondering what are the must rides, best restraunts, ect. Also, what time of year has the least crowds? I really dislike waiting in line for 4 hours for a 2 minute ride. What is the best coaster? What is the best flat ride? I really want to go, but I know basicly nothing about this park.

[thatbandguy8807]

well first off welcome!!! as far as best coaster, they all are great in my opinion... i would say you could try the new coaster this year, but i dont blame you not wanting to wait in line for 4 hrs or so. this is an awesome park. most will agree with me when i say there is just something wonderful feeling about this park that others dont have. one of my favorite coasters however is Flight of Fear. its great, fast, short, but great fun...as for flat rides, people argue over delirum and Drop Tower i think its called now. used to be drop zone. the park is making many new changes this year and it is supposed to be one of the best seasons for the park in a while. im sure you will love the park. as for getting to know some facts, this site is one of the best places to get all the info you would ever want. take a special look at the history page as well..very great and intersting things in there...once again welcome. i know others will put in info that i have forgotten to put in here..

[fcbaseball]

Coasters you MUST ride:

Diamondback (can't say much about it, but almost certain it won't be a letdown)

Beast (too much history to pass it up; loooong ride that some very entertaining elements)

Flight of Fear (In my opinion the best ride in the park as of the end of the season last year; smooth ride complete with a few(4) inversions)

Firehawk ( totally different than any other ride in the park; the inverted loop is enough to make me want to ride)

Again this is my opinion and most coasters can be ridden in one day, unless you have children that will want to spend most of their time in Nick Universe, which is completely understandable seeing as though it is rated as the best Kiddie-land in the US.

Flat rides you MUST ride:

Delirium (very intense and thrilling; G forces are astounding)

Drop Tower (Huge rotary drop ride, if you think you are at the top, you're probably half-way there)

The Crypt ( Can't say it's high on my list but many people seem to enjoy the Huss Top spin)

Restaurants:

Wings diner/buffet: Montgomery Inn BBQ, need i say more?

Skyline: If not from the Cincinnati area, it's definitely something to try while in the park.

La Rosa's Pizza: Again another Cincinnati favorite of mine. In my opinion, one of the best pepperoni pizzas in town

Hope that helps you out a little... Sorry I couldn't offer more information on when to visit, I will leave that up to some of the more "frequent" park-goers on this site

[G-Force]

Flat Ride wise... I usually like The Crypt (Former Tomb Raider: The Ride). It offers a very intense experience that is great for people who like that sort of thing. With roller coasters (Although I love everyone of them!), you should try Diamondback, but I haven't rode that yet so I can't really list it as one of my favorites yet. I would say you should ride The Racer, a great classic woody with a usually short wait, and The Beast, another great and legendary woody! I would also recommend FoF for the same reason Bandguy posted above. Another flat ride I would also recommend is Drop Tower, although it still freaks the living daylights out of me! Food wise... as far as I know this season there probably won't be a sit-down restraunt, but everything is kind of expensive so I would recommend driving out of the park to get something to eat locally and come back afterwards. Usually the best times for smaller crowds is at the beginning (minus first day) and at the end of the season. Crowds are also usally smallest in the middle of the weekend as opposed to weekends.

[canobiecrazy]

What is Firehawk? A B&M Flyer? A Vekoma Flying Dutchman?

[thatbandguy8807]

another thing you could do food wise is bring a cooler and bring your food and leave it in the car, like PB&J or something like that. then just make sure to get your hand stamped when you go out to the parking lot to eat

[KingCobra]

What is Firehawk? A B&M Flyer? A Vekoma Flying Dutchman?

It is a Vekoma. It was first located at Geauga Lake/Six Flags World of Adventure/Six Flags Ohio, all of its millions of names it had, as X-Flight and had a green and black paint scheme before being moved to the southern part of the state to Kings Island

[Tomkatt7]

Here is what we do.

We start out heading over Towards Action Zone, but we stop Adventure Express. We then ride coasters in a chain, one leading to the other.

Adventure Express, Racer, FOF, Firehawk, Vortex, Beast, Back Lot Stunt Coaster, and then Runaway reptar.

I threw Firehawk in there because of it's location. We don't ride it. I have a 12 year old that is just starting to ride the coasters.

That list will get you around the park pretty quick without walking past any coasters. But it's not all of them.

I left out Invertigo, Son of Beast, and of course Diamondback. But those are the ones that she hasn't got the nerve up to ride yet.

Starting that way though, gets you going on the little ones, and building up to the more extreme rides, and then coming back down.

Give it a look on the park map, see if it works for you.

I also like it because it starts me out in Coney Mall, which is my favorite part of the park.

[touchdown62]

For some reason, my 'puter fouled up. See my post below.

[touchdown62]

The Beast is a MUST to ride. It is the longest wooden coaster in the world and the third longest coaster of any kind in the world (Daidarasaurus in Japan is listed as SBNO by www.rcdb.com). I also love The Racer. It's a classic wooden racing down-and-back coaster. I also make it a point to hit Firehawk, Vortex, and Invertigo. Three great rides with 3 distinct ride experiences. While you're back at Firehawk, ride Flight of Fear. Thrilling indoor ride with very little light. Even better when it's hot outside. Most of the line is indoors.

If the lines aren't too bad, Flight Deck and Back Lot Stunt Coaster are fun little rides. Only problem with Flight Deck is it's a long walk for a short ride. If the line is short, stay back there and ride it a few times. Adventure Express is another fun little mine ride. To me, BLSC isn't worth a wait any longer than 15 minutes.

Diamondback is the new coaster going in this year. Kings Island's first B&M hyper coaster. Hit that if you can. I know I will.

As far as the rides I've been on but not too crazy about, Drop Tower and Son of Beast. If you like plummeting over 250 feet to the earth, then you'll love Drop Tower. Son of Beast is the tallest and fastest wooden coaster in the world, but it beats the cr#p out of you. If you like your lunch shaken, not stirred, then you'll like this ride.

You MUST spend a bit of time on top of the Eiffel Tower. The view is tremendous up there. Take a camera. Other flat rides I like are the Dodge'Em bumper cars, the antique Carousel, and Scooby Doo and the Haunted Castle. The last one is nice because it's indoors and air conditioned. Just beware all the rug rats. Another way to cool off and slow down is to ride the KI&MVRR train.

If it's hot, be sure to hit Congo Falls and stand on the bridge after you get off. Bring a towel. White Water Canyon will get you wet, but the walk back there feels like you're closer to your house than the rest of the park.

[kings_island~thrill is me!]

The ride you can probably skip is Backlot Stunt Coaster,But you want to ride The Vortex the line will look long but it actually ain't it has high ride capacity,ride beast and Son of Beast there worth the wait,drop zone you have to ride,delrium is like the best flat ride ever,and don't ever forget The Racer!

[marcia]

Welcome aboard. You will love it there, especially the roller coasters there are 15 to choose from including The Beast and the new Diamondback coasters. Believe me you will love them!

They have lots of places to eat and shop, as well things for the kids. For more info go to www.Kings Island.com

Good luck your planning and have a wonderful time at the park this summer.

Take care, God Bless

Marcia

[Thrill_Biscuit]

Welcome! You definitely want to ride The Beast (it has a panoramic view from the first lift hill that is legendary), The Vortex, Flight of Fear, Racer, Delirium, Invertigo and Firehawk. Shake, Rattle & Roll is a surprisingly fun classic flat, but don't ride it on an empty stomach. Monster is another fun one if you're shorter than 6'3.

PotatoWorks has awesome bacon/cheese fries, not to mention a great view of Diamondback. Enjoy the park!

[clbehymer]

Don't forget about Boomerang Bay if you are going after Memorial Day. This water park has a lot of different slides and play areas, and its not a seperate admission price. If you want a locker to keep your things dry, you will have to pay for that.

I personally found Tuesdays to be the best day to go, but thats my opinion. Of course, weekdays are better than weekends, but if you must go on a weekend... make it a Sunday.

There are also special events that happen on certain days that may affect attendance. You can go to their website, www.visitkingsisland.com and check out the calendar under the "Plan a Visit" heading.

[Jaredap88]

The Beast, Flight of Fear, Vortex, and Firehawk!!

(i'd say Diamondback but you dont wanna wait so..there ya go)

[Mikewhy]

I personally think you should try Diamondback even though you do not want to wait. If you make it to the park 45 minutes before they open, position yourself as close to the ride as you can, and then go to Diamondback first, it is likely you will only wait 30-45 minutes, or even less if you are lucky. From my experience riding Behemoth at Canada's Wonderland last summer, Diamondback should load really quickly, the queue line will be moving all the time, and if you show up at the start of the day, you should make it on the coaster in much less time than you think, even if you are in the back of the first wave of people.

Don't miss Diamondback, Racer or Beast. They are the truly unique coasters here!

[tigellinus]

Also, feel free to smoke ANYWHERE you want...security at KI could give a crap....

[Thrill_Biscuit]

Also, feel free to smoke ANYWHERE you want...security at KI could give a crap....

As in a lot of places these days, you might see people paying little regard to rules about smoking, line jumping, etc., but at least from my own experience, I've always observed KI Security personnel doing a great job of keeping order and/or responding to guests' concerns.

[flightoffear1996]

Take 2 days at the park and ride all the rides. You dont want to miss any hidden gems and you want to be able to take your time at the park and not have to worry about a broken ride ect... I learned from experience never count on a ride to be open and plan an extra day at the park if you can. You will have much more fun that way.

[KIFAN!]

^^^ I was just going to say that. If you can get a two-day pass and go on a tuesday and wednesday that would be good. Don't waste you time or money w/ any games head straight for the coasters and rides they are all great try to ride the new coaster Diamondback. Also, since it is your first time your probably going to need a map. I found you can get a lot of rides in if you plan it out the night before look on the map on the website and do all the rides in some order of conveinience

[jrstacy98]

It's a very fun park - someone mentoned the water park - that often seems overlooked, it is a top notch waterpark!

[CoastersRZ]

Yes it is. Sadly, I have to admit that the last time I was in Boomerang Bay to enjoy the water attractions was MANY years ago. In fact, it was for the season pass preview day back in 2004 when Boomerang Bay opened. Which is a little ironic since my thesis topic is focused on entertainment architecture and indoor water park resorts. I have, however, been to both Disney water parks in Florida. Talk about top notch water parks! A nice feature about those parks is that they actually have sprinkler heads spraying parts of the pathway to keep the concrete from burning your feet on hot days if you aren`t wearing sandals!

[IBEW_Sparky]

Best resturaunt = getting in your car and driving the 2 blocks (or less) to any of the fast food joints, or Ruby Tuesday depending on your tastes/financial desires. Regardless of your choise, you will be better of in price and quality.

[IndyGuy4KI]

Yes it is. Sadly, I have to admit that the last time I was in Boomerang Bay to enjoy the water attractions was MANY years ago. In fact, it was for the season pass preview day back in 2004 when Boomerang Bay opened. Which is a little ironic since my thesis topic is focused on entertainment architecture and indoor water park resorts. I have, however, been to both Disney water parks in Florida. Talk about top notch water parks! A nice feature about those parks is that they actually have sprinkler heads spraying parts of the pathway to keep the concrete from burning your feet on hot days if you aren`t wearing sandals!

I have been a Gold Pass member since 2002, and I still have not been in the water park since it was renovated to Boomerang Bay. The Beast starts calling my name as I enter the park and everything else is a blur.

[BavarianBeatle]

Yes get a map. And start with The Beast, then turn right and you will find Backlot Stunt Coaster then Vortex. Turn left from The Vortex exit and you will see signs directing you to Flight of Fear and Firehawk. After that go back the way you came, make a right at coney mall and you will reach The Racer and Adventure Express... Keep going to your right after that and you are in Action Zone. Ride Delerium, Drop Tower, and the three coasters in whatever order you prefer... But, above all else, ride The Beast at night!!! After 30 years, that is still my favorite ride in the world.....

[mech]

there are many ways to enjoy the park ... i quick walk thru nick puts you into rivertown.

you could start with Dimondback(if thats where you go in at) then hit crypt and The Beast. then go and ride Backlot Stunt Coaster. after that your in coney mall. Vortex then loop back for Flight of Fear and Firehawk. then follow coney mall down to The Racers and ride that then go around the corrner to Adventure Express. go into Action Zone and ride everything there (dont ride thunder ally)... unless you dont like pay rides then skip them.

[violakat03]

The best time to go is early in the season, before all the local schools let out. Especially if you hit it in those few weekdays it'll be open in May. Watch out for Math & Science days, those are always packed. If you're going on weekends, definitely go on Sunday. Friday and Saturday are the two worst days to go and late June through July is also the worst time to go. The days to completely avoid the park are Math & science days, any kind of event day (like the Robbie Kneivel event last year, or big corporate picnics where they don't rent out the park - such as Saturn Day), and Saturdays during Halloween Haunt. Those kind of days bring in a lot of people who don't normally go to the park, so lines will become outrageous. I went the last Saturday of park operation last year and it was insane with no ride having less than an hour wait, and when I went to Saturn Day a couple years back (they had free parking for Saturn drivers, all the new cars out on display, the Saturn lightship flying overhead, etc), I remember waiting an hour and a half for Son of Beast.

For rides - try to ride everything. It is very manageable in one day with proper timing. I'll break them down into section - you can go either clockwise around the park (Action Zone - Coney Mall - Rivertown) or counter-clockwise (Rivertown - Coney Mall - Action Zone). The park is laid out in essentially a spoke-and-wheel pattern with the

Eiffel Tower at the center. I tend to work counter-clockwise on the first pass, and then just go wherever for re-rides.

Rivertown:

The Beast is usually walk-on early in the morning and sometimes all through the day if it isn't too busy. I rode it four times without leaving the station (they didn't make me get out if no one was waiting for the seat) on a week day in mid-June right around lunch time. Fair warning, The Beast WILL have a line once it gets dark out, because everyone knows that's the best time to ride. It could be walk-on all day, but as soon as dusk falls, it will be no less than 30 minutes. I've waited as long as 2 hours for it at night on incredibly busy days (like Saturdays during Haunt). The Crypt is often times walk on but it has a deceptive queue line, so you can't ever tell if it's long or not. Hit it early or late, but not when it's hot out because it's an indoor ride, with air conditioning in the ride and queue, that everyone will flee to if it gets too hot outside. Being a new coaster that everyone is very excited about, Diamondback will have a multiple hour wait for most of the day unless you're there first thing, and then you might get away with 1-2 hours (including time spent waiting to be allowed to walk back to it).

Coney Mall:

Vortex and BLSC will be walk on in the morning, but neither of them get incredibly busy if it's a normal (a.k.a. not busy) day. On Vortex, they actually have the middle rows closed early in the morning because there's so little line, however that can mean you'll miss the best seats (5-1 and 7-1 are both popular on this board, 5-1 being the seat the ride was designed around). Both rides have fairly fast moving queues so they may look deceptively long but be a 10 minute wait. The Racer is a cannot-miss ride, it is known as the coaster that began the Second Golden Age of coasters and making the wooden coaster popular again, not to mention just an all-around fun woodie. Unless the park is insanely busy, it will be walk-on. If you see that one train isn't running or they aren't racing them, skip it and come back to it, because it is infinitely more fun when they are racing and you can taunt the other train going up the chain hill.

X-base (inside Coney Mall - accessed by going under the lift hill of The Racer):

Flight of Fear and Firehawk tend to have long lines, even when the park isn't that busy. Firehawk because it is low capacity, and Flight of Fear because it's inside and everyone flees to it's air conditioning when it starts getting hot out. FOF is usually shortest very early and very late - if you can get there in the last hour of park operating hours, even on the super busy days it'll only be a 30 minute wait. On normal days it will be walk on late at night, but on those days you'll be able to get a 30 minute wait earlier and use the late hours for night rides on The Beast. Firehawk, expect to wait 30 minutes, be excited if you get on it in less. Mornings and evenings again are best.

Action Zone:

Son of Beast and Flight Deck, unless it is a very busy day, will have short waits pretty much all day. Ride Flight Deck in the very last car, back seat if you can manage it. You get more swing out of the car back there. Son of Beast, ride in the front unless you want to need a chiropractor afterward. Drop Tower and Delirium usually have nice short waits, so you can enjoy them multiple times if you like them, but make sure you hit both at least once as they're both great rides. Invertigo has horrible capacity, so unless it looks walk-on or you just really want to ride it, skip it. Even with 30 people in line, it's a 10 minute wait.

Other areas to hit include International Street with the Eiffel Tower. Definitely make a trip up to the top for great photo opportunities and an awesome view of the whole park. Not far from the Eiffel Tower are the Tower Gardens, which is a nice quiet and peaceful walk through some trees for a nice time-out if you need one. The Grand Carousel is something you should ride if you like a historical ride or just a good carousel. I make it a point to ride every carousel I come across, personally, I believe they are highly under appreciated rides. Also, hiding in what's left of Oktoberfest is Viking Fury, which is arguably one of the best placed viking ships out there (it sits over the water) and is always walk-on. Just be wary of screaming girls, there will be plenty. In Nickoldeon Central, the Runaway Reptar is a fun little mini-inverted coaster, and Fairly Odd Coaster is a historic family wooden coaster that is worth a look if you have time. Avatar: The Last Airbender is also a very fun ride if you can get to it with no wait - it's usually really busy on weekends and early in the day when there's the most kids in the park. If you're into water parks, Boomerang Bay is a great one with lots of slide types to choose from and a nice big wave pool.

And if you make sure to post in the "Trip Reports" section before you go, you can be sure to meet up with some KICers and get a personal guide while there!

[sgshredder33]

Well I will just touch on the restraunts since the rides have been covered. I always eat at juke box diner, It is my favorite restraunt. It is a 50's diner type restraunt. If burgers aren't your thing I suguest going to the Festhaus. The Festhaus has a Panda Express and a LA Rosas, which are some of my favorite restraunts. If money is in issue pack a lunch, You will be glad you did.

[Atomheartmother616]

We actually usually go to Kings Island first till' it gets buzy, if the lines are crazy its off to boomer-rang bay. We actually spend 50/50 between the 2. This is the blessing of the pass you have the luxuru of going back and forth no worries. As when you go once or twice you feel you have to get it all in at once. I feel visitors that come from a distance miss out as they never jump over to the bay as they came for KI after all. But the waterpark is top notch no question!

[Atomheartmother616]

Dont skip any rides ride them all. But as stated and not to beat a dead horse:

Must rides The Beast, Vortex, db if you lucky, racer, FOF, umm nevermind just ride everything.