How to handle July 4th at Kings Island

[tstidm5]

Heading out to Columbus/Cincinnati area over July 4th weekend and am probably going to Kings Island on July 4th. I am used to Universal Orlando and Walt Disney World Resorts, so that means you plan your vacation months ahead of time. My favorite types of rides are Water and Dark Rides (know about those things at Kings Island some). This leads to the following questions:

-How would you best handle crowds at Kings Island/Soak City on July 4th weekend (Rope Drop, early in Soak City, take a couple hour break at Jungle Jim's and then after 3 PM in KI or try for after 4 PM and do only one park)? 

-What sort of Roller Coasters would you recommend for someone who isn't a big Coaster enthusiast? I like Coasters like Revenge of the Mummy and Big Thunder Mountain Rail Road. Don't prefer to be put upside down. 

-What would you suggest for the rides at Soak City? Hear that it's fun and want some ideas due to never being at a Water Park before. It's too cold when I usually go to WDW/UOR for a Water Park.

-What do you like Shows wise? I'm not expecting Celestina Warbeck or Festival of the Lion King quality. Just entertainment for a 20-30 minute break from rides. 

-I see they have a Tom + Chee and Skyline Chili there (Restaurants as a Maryland I want to try). How are they? Are they comparable in portion size and quality to outside the Park locations?

-How early should you get a spot for the Fireworks? Where would you suggest? I've heard the best ones outside of Downtown Columbus on July 3rd in the state and want to get a good spot 

-How long should I stay after Fireworks before going to the Car? If I'm better off staying until Park close, then I would make my arrival later in the day.

I know some of these is speculation, but I want to make the best use of time and money at the parks. 

[MaestroJr]

Welcome to KIC! I'll answer the questions I know and let others answer the rest. There is 3 main water rides and one dark ride in the park. White Water Canyon is a ride you would enjoy which is a nice trip through some nice scenery in a boat. And Race for your life Charlie Brown is a log flume ride with some cool drops. Also Congo Falls is a water ride you take a big plunge on and get fairly soaked. Boo Blasters is the main dark ride where you basically blast ghost for points through a haunted graveyard with a black light type scenery. Haven't had Tom + Chee but Skyline is great and fairs well with outside locations. As for roller coasters, Adventure Express is a well themed small coaster that you may enjoy. And the new coaster is called Mystic Timbers which is wooden and about 120 feet tall and 53 mph. It's a very fun and fast coaster and has a fairly good theme. The coaster ends in the "shed" which is a cool dark ride like feature. You may also like Racer or Bat and maybe a few flat rides along the way. Hope this helps get you started and I know others will pitch in some ideas too. MaestroJr

[King Ding Dong]

First thing is you need to realize KI is not a theme park, it is an amusement park with a heavy emphasis on thrilling coasters, not dark rides or water rides.  Manage your expectations, this is definitely not Orlando.  In my opinion KI excels at two things, a lightly themed kids area with lots of ride options for them and thrilling coasters.  Two things you did not mention are your favorite things.   

We have seen lots of posts from first time visitors, "WDW is so much better"  Yep, and your credit card balance backs that sentiment up.  

Although White Water Canyon is an excellent raft ride and a ton of fun, it is just a trip through the woods and now has a coaster running over it. Degrading it in my opinion, enhancing it in many other's opinion because they somehow "interact" with each other, but I still haven't figured out how exactly.  

If you go to Soak City it opens at 11 and the rides to hit first before the lines get out of control are the large family raft ride and the tornado raft ride.  If you want a chair by the wave pools you must get there at rope drop because all the season pass holders were let in 1/2 hour earlier.  You may have to settle for the grass.  

The drop pod slide will get a long lines as well.   I find the other tube and body slides to generally have reasonable waits.  There is also a surfing simulator that looks really cool and I would check out if you are the well balanced type.  I just get banged up and limp away.  

 

[Magenta Lizard]

-What sort of Roller Coasters would you recommend for someone who isn't a big Coaster enthusiast?

Adventure Express, The Bat, maybe Backlot Stunt Coaster, and Woodstock Express is a fun small wooden coaster. Racer, maybe, but be sure to sit in a middle row of one of the three-row cars.

-What do you like Shows wise?

Origins, a Cirque Experience, hands down

-How early should you get a spot for the Fireworks? Where would you suggest?

You can actually see them pretty well from a good portion of the park, from the parking lot, from Great Wolf Lodge and it's parking lot. If you do ride Racer, ride the blue side and you will get a good view of the place where the fireworks shoot from, in a field near the turnaround of the coaster.

A really good spot to watch is the top of the Eiffel Tower but I suspect you would need to get up there hours before, on July 4th.  

If you don't watch from the parking lot (or surrounding areas outside the park), expect it to be a good hour before even bothering trying to leave. Traffic flow out of the lot is not great at the best of times and it is likely to be at capacity on the 4th, with nearly all those people staying for fireworks. 

[teenageninja]

If you liked Big Thunder Mountain and Mummy you would enjoy Mystic Timbers, I would think.