Best Time Era at Kings Island

[kingsislandfan1972]

Which time era was the best at Kings Island when was the best time for rides, shows and attractions? I personally like the late 90s early 2000s.

[Kyle100991]

I really miss the mid to late 90's era. Ah the memories.

[KIBeast]

Being a little older fellow, I'm going with the 80-89 era. There were some really cool flats back then that are long since gone. There was a show my family used to like to watch, but I can't remember the name. Also, Hanna-Barbera Land was totally cool. Plus, I remember riding The Racer in their glory days as the main attraction at KI. It's hard for me to believe that I used to think it was such a large coaster, considering I've been on Millennium Force and Top Thrill Dragster. I remember when The Beast opened. My uncle used to have 8mm footage of a ride on The Racer. I really miss the Bayern Curve, the Rotor, Der Spinnin Keggers, the Zodiac.

Come to think of it, some of that time was in the 70's as well.

[jdf21972]

The mid 90's were great time at PKI. great rides and remember going to a couple of concerts at Timberwolf. Most of the major attractions are still in operation today as they were back then.

Sent from my iPhone using Taptalk

[Existential]

I would imagine this could be dealt with by one poll question:

The Best era of Kings Island is:

[ ] The era in which held your childhood.

[Voicetek]

It was hard for me to pick. Since I was born in 1980, I have great memories of the park all through that decade. However, I have some great memories of the park from the 90s as well. Plus, there were some really great rides added to the park in the 90s like Adventure Express and The Phantom Theater. Also, that was the decade I really started liking roller coasters and took my first rides on The Racer, Vortex, and The Beast. Plus it also helped that Hanna-Barbera was still around in the park during that time period as well. So my vote was for the 80s and the 90s.

[BeastForever]

Considering I've only been around long enough to remember witnessing the park grow and develop probably from 2001 like and beyond...

I really wouldn't have a fair say in this poll...

[bkroz]

Hindsight is always 20/20, but this is a dang good era in Kings Island history. I think in 50 years people will remember this as a highlight. Not all of Cedar Fair's input, but definitely 2009 - 2015...

[OleShawn]

Right now is the best era, we got Banshee and we got Diamondback + all the other greats. I liked the 90's era but we are in the best time right now. IMO

[BB1]

2004, period. Best time for Kings Island, one of my most memorable years period.

[LoraX]

I think now is the best. The park has grown much more dear to me as I have gotten older. The memories are priceless. I think now most of the love comes from having to spend so much time with my daughter. It surpasses even when either of my children were younger and when I was a child. Today is a wonderful culmination of a life time of love that just gets better with time.

For the record, I remember back through the mid '70's and loved a lot of things from each era. My least favorite is the Paramount years. I wish I could vote from mobile.

[BB1]

You can, just press the little button to change to desktop view, then click.

That's usually how I go on KIC.

[The Interpreter]

I would imagine this could be dealt with by one poll question:

The Best era of Kings Island is:

[ ] The era in which held your childhood.

Help!

Terp, stranded.

[LoraX]

You can, just press the little button to change to desktop view, then click.

That's usually how I go on KIC.

Thank you very much. I didn't realize you could view it that easily.

[coasterfanatic83]

Null vote because I was not around for all of these eras, so I don't have a fair say. I began attending in 2009.

[Delirium13]

I voted for the Paramount's Kings Island years of 1994-1999 (and into the early 2000s as well). Reason being, as others have said, that was during my childhood. It was before I had a season pass, my family would make 1 trip each summer and it was always my favorite day of the summer (or fall some years).

I have fond memories of all the "eras" listed up there for different reasons though. I think the current era that we are in is shaping up to be a very good one for the park too! When I go to the park now, I get feelings of nostalgia for past memories and excitement for the memories to come.

I just wish I could've experienced the park in the 70s and 80s...

[bs_78]

I went with the 80's (the era that held my childhood). It may have not had the super rides that we are accustomed to today, but it had many great flat rides (Eagles, TumbleBug, Flying Dutchman, Witches Cauldrons, Der Spinning Keggers, Zodiac, Skylab, the Slide) that I loved in my youth. My first big coasters (Racer, Beast, Vortex, Screaming Demon, King Cobra), Other cool stuff (Monorail, Smurf's Enchanted Voyage, House of Cards, Sunshine Turnpike, Antique Cars). This is also when I developed my love of blue ice cream. (I refer to my gold pass as my blue ice cream pass).

I miss the little things like keeping an eye out for all the costumed Hanna Barbara characters. (The day was not complete until we spotted Jabber Jaws) and those little silly Kool-Aid type drinks that came in the plastic containers shaped like Yogi Bear and things (Sippers?)

Good Memories.

[The Interpreter]

Kool-Aid is a registered trademark, and, as such, is always capitalized here.

Those Sippers were delightful. I seem to recall they had real fruit juices in them, not ersatz crapola.

[bs_78]

Kool-Aid is a registered trademark, and, as such, is always capitalized here.

Those Sippers were delightful. I seem to recall they had real fruit juices in them, not ersatz crapola.

Corrected. Sorry.

[BoddaH1994]

How do you quantify something like "best time era" for a park? It's a fair question but it's difficult to answer.

I began visiting in 1992, so I can only really make a fair assessment from then. If the question were, "when was the best time era from which you visited?" I'd have to say now. The beauty of the situation that we have is that Cedar Fair, LP is in the business of parks. If the parks fail, the company fails. They NEED the parks to succeed. Under nearly every other ownership group there was at least one ownership partner in which the park or parks were just a fraction of the portfolio. Therefore, you always ran the risk of budget cuts which came at a cost of the guest experience.

One thing that I don't think people understand is that in 1972, when the park opened, there was little to distinguish it from the likes of Disneyland. Disney hadn't taken the turn towards the huge price tag technological advancements that it has now. It was a theme park with costumed characters and distinguished areas and shows - not unlike Kings Island.

Today that wouldn't be enough. Don't forget that The Racer was a huge thrill ride at the time. Many of the most daring riders would brave its twin out-and-back track, but even more chose to stay on the ground and enjoy it from afar. I think many of you are like me in that The Racer was your first "big" ride. The standards have certainly changed over the past 40+ years.

It is my cautious optimism that thinks that the best years for Kings Island are in the years ahead of us - hopefully sooner than later. Things continue to grow, boundaries are pushed, new ideas are shared, and we as guests benefit from this.

[westcoaster]

I like the thought the future, the stuff we cannot touch, what we cannot smell, the best is yet to come. Maybe hotels, 365 day a year restaurants, more dark rides?

[purdude86]

I agree with Bodda. I believe the park is in the best hands right now and is on track to have it's best era yet. The love they have been showing different areas of the park and sprucing them up along with adding attractions has been great. Especailly looking at Soak City I feel it looks better now than it ever has.

There are defintiely things from earlier eras that I miss attraction wise liek Phantom Theatre and the Les Taxis. But we have some great rides now we didn't back then as well such as Banshee and Diamondback. Most of the other areas I feel were more nostalgia for remembering them being so great (not that any were real bad and some were great too). Some of my favorite attractions were during the Paramount years with rides like Crypt and I liked IJST (aside form it taking out Les Taxis) and had great theming too. But they were good about putting out a great product but they would not maintain them well. Whereas Cedar Fair keeps things up a lot better.

[The Interpreter]

What is, is.

The past isn't coming back.

It was fun.

But today we can pine for the past or we can savor what we have.

These are the good old days....

[Voicetek]

I like the thought the future, the stuff we cannot touch, what we cannot smell, the best is yet to come. Maybe hotels, 365 day a year restaurants, more dark rides?

Yes, yes, and yes. And I'm really keeping my fingers crossed for that last "yes." Hopefully more dark rides (or at least 1) in the future. And I'm rooting for near future.

[kingsislandfan1972]

I like today's new Cedar Fair rides such as Diamondback, WindSeeker, and Banshee. But I also liked the ride theming when Paramount owned Kings Island such as Face/Off, The Italian Job, Tomb Raider, and Top Gun. As for Top Gun, I didn't like it when Cedar Fair changed it to the Flight Deck, but I did like it when Cedar Fair themed Flight Deck to be The Bat because the original Bat wasn't at Kings Island that long and it was really creative for Cedar Fair to bring it back since I wasn't even alive when the original was operating.

[Magenta Lizard]

The next ten. The park is in a really good place right now, and with the addition of things like Cirque Imagine, has things I never expected twenty years ago (but would miss terribly if I had to return to the way the park was then). There are some small things I would like (a good dark ride, more flats, money put into adding and repairing theming) but I know the park seems to be in good hands and listening to us. I really see great things for the park in the near future.

[shark6495]

^^ Were you even old enough to appreciate the underside of Top Gun when it had movie props? The Bat has nice paint, but I wouldnt say its themed. Its named, but not themed.

Right now is probably the best the Park has been in years. Slowly bringing things that matter to the park (not just coasters). Plus I get to see the park through my son's eyes. That is the amazing part.

[kingsislandfan1972]

Sorry I meant that's what I should of said named not themed.

[shark6495]

Understood please take my above statement as more sarcasm jokey than accusatory mean

[Voicetek]

You know what I'd really like to see? Some love for Adventure Express. All it would take would be an off season refurb job. Nothing major, just a little bit of work on the theming and some other stuff. Especially the last tunnel. God help it. It's not looking too hot this year. A little love could breathe new life into that awesome little ride. Just a thought.