Got to the park around half an hour after opening, and I just couldn't believe I was setting foot into Kings Dominion's much talked about sister park for the first time. I had known all about this place since my preteen years, and here I was, fifteen years later, walking through Kings Island. I don't have much to report general park experience wise, aside from having to leave the park temporarily to check my car for my friend's wallet (he and my other friend would show up later and he had lost his wallet. He did find it later, thank god). Without further ado, let me share what I did for the day -
Adventure Express - decided on this for my first ever ride at the park, as it was basically a station wait. And I had yet to realize I was in for one of THE rides of my life. As soon as my train left the station and swerved through the first two turns, I realized this coaster meant business. It was fast, aggressive, and janky, and I loved it. I couldn't hear Bubba's dialogue when climbing the second lift, though I know he says "you have disturbed the forbidden temple, now you will PAY!" This was actually the only ride throughout my day that I rode a second time, this time I could hear what Bubba was saying. The ride is really well themed too, especially the sight of monkeys scavenging a crashed train car while my train rounded a helix.
The Racer - rode the red side in the morning after Adventure Express, then the blue side later in the evening. Overall it's a really fun coaster. The recent track work made for a smooth ride, and I actually got some good air in the first two hills. That is why I might prefer this over Racer 75, although it did feel shorter and it doesn't have that dip into a tunnel at the end. Red side was my only front row ride of the day, and I sat in row 2 when on the blue side. Also something I noticed - are the lift chains always running at full speed? I thought they'd only do that when pulling trains up, but they seemed to be running all the time.
Sol Spin - my first Zamperla Endeavor. I had been looking forward to riding something like those Chance Enterprises. When the ride got going and began to tilt into vertical position, I swear I could feel my head throbbing from blood pressure as I went upside down countless times through the revolutions. I felt like Jacob the Carpetbagger whenever he gets on a scary ride and he's like "oh GODDDD!" Still, I think it was a decent ride.
The Beast - After the fiasco of checking my car for my friend's wallet, I saw that this absolute legend, one of the hallmarks of knowing Kings Island, had opened with a short wait. I immediately made my way to Rivertown and got in line. That lasted only fifteen minutes, but looking at the info boards that have facts about the ride made me truly realize just how big of a staple this was not just to coaster enthusiasts - but to Kings Island history, the people whom this is their home park, the locals, and the wider amusement industry. And what I immediately took note of before entering the station were the thematic signs warning you of a beast in the area. Those really helped set a tense mood before boarding what would be one of the wildest rides of my life. Finally going down that monstrous first drop, I'm not sure what was more overwhelming - my stomach dropping or the shrill screams of the people behind me piercing my ears. Which should tell you this was a serious drop. The first two hills after that, I got great airtime. While the trims did kill some momentum after that, there was no stopping such a ride that lived up to its name. This thing is probably the most unique wooden roller coaster in the world, going way out into the woods and, being a traditional PTC model, spending most of the time doing sharp curves low to the ground. And it wasn't over yet. After lift two, the double helix with the tunnel was probably the most intense part of the ride if it wasn't already. Do not underestimate it. It is loud and forceful. And towards the end of the ride, I was thinking what a pleasure and honor it was to be taking a ride on one of the most iconic roller coasters in the world.
Diamondback - my first B&M hyper coaster with staggered seating. This coaster had basically a station wait - a very short wait time for almost noon. I got a seat on the outer edge of the red train to get a good feel of what these staggered seating coasters are like. It was a really fun ride. The first drop was great, and I got some floater air in the first two hills. Operations were fantastic. And you have to be there in person to see how majestic that splashdown is. The water goes much higher than it appears on camera
Snoopy's Soap Box Racers - for a ride that only runs one train, I was glad to get on it with only a station wait. Having to wait for Dragon Flier at Dollywood is agonizing enough. Being my first family boomerang, it was super fun. I especially loved falling backwards from the spike and across that little hump. And even when you're waiting in the station, the audio of Franklin commentating on the race while others are riding is a nice touch that keeps you entertained.
Congo Falls - only two boats were in use when I rode, so operations were inefficient in that the second boat would dispatch when the first boat was cresting the lift hill, resulting in a long period of time before a boat returned to the station. Just an observation, there appeared to be two loading zones in the station area, with just one being used since only two boats were running. Anyone know if this ride has a dual dispatch setup? Not even Escape from Pompeii has that. Now this Intamin spillwater ride is one of those that has a hump in the middle of the drop, which actually gave me some good air. Just be advised, this ride GETS YOU WET. Even if you're sitting in the back row like I was. To make matters worse, there's even water cannons around the final turn that soak you - like not even coin operated ones - ACTUAL SENSOR DRIVEN WATER CANNONS! The fact that I headed to Delirium after that should tell you the level of H2O I was drenched with. However, Delirium ended up going down, so I thought it would be a good time to get lunch.
Chicken Shack - the chicken platter I got was $19.99. Came with fries and I also got myself a raspberry lemonade. It felt good, except it took me a minute to find an open table.
Eiffel Tower - my friends had arrived at the park. They don't do thrill rides like me, so we went to the Eiffel Tower for a view of the park. I think the elevator was actually faster going up than the one at Kings Dominion. And at the top, it didn't feel as windy. Regardless, it was a great view. Even my friend who gets vertigo from these things was impressed.
Phantom Theater: Opening Nightmare - this ride was consistently showing an hour wait all day. Yet the line wasn't even going out the facade. When we entered, the line was only backed up to about halfway through the preshow room with the Maestro and No Legs Larry, which was a pleasant surprise. The animatronics, especially in this room, were very impressive. The cracking and flashing of thunder every now and then was a great touch, something that the former Boo Blasters didn't offer (I think). Getting into my opera box, I tried out my flashlight, except it wasn't lighting up. I began to fear that my flashlight was broken until the first ghost note scene, where it did work after all. After the ride, my friend, for some reason, thought the whole thing was a nothing-burger. Probably because tagging the notes reminded him of Villain Con: Minion Blast at Universal. But in my opinion, this ride is a home run. Kings Island hit a double whammy here; bringing back the nostalgic Phantom Theater theme while turning one of the worst Boo Blasters rides into a very immersive interactive dark ride. And I really mean that. It's not just a screen-based shooter. There are animatronic characters and physical stunts intertwined with the ghost note projections which adds depth to the experience. And tagging the notes as they're projected is just a fun vibe: it's like playing one of those video games where you're trying to grab as many items as you can - which is an even better experience than riding through a room and trying to aim for a limited number of set targets. There'sjust so many of them projected at any one time. In the end I got Head Usher, which wasn't bad for a first ride.
Surf Dog - I've ridden Dizzy Disk when it was still around at Dollywood, but I was very excited to try my first Zamperla Disk'O coaster with a middle hump. I enjoyed it - the hump really did add excitement to the experience as the car was spinning while going over it. The half pipes at each end were fun too.
Kings Island & Miami Valley Railroad - figured my friends wanted to do more gentle rides, so I showed them this train. We went on the green train pulled by the Lew Brown locomotive. Along the way we got some great views of Diamondback, White Water Canyon, and Mystic Timbers, and also passed by the Kenny Van Meter train as we neared Soak City, which was a neat interaction. Unfortunately I neglected to bring my swimsuit today, which ruled out Soak City. I just felt like I needed more dry park time. Which was a shame, as Soak City looks like it has some nifty slides. On the way back it was great seeing the crude but charismatic western town theming, which reminded me of the sawmill scene on Kings Dominion's WWC. I don't know if it's just me but the train seems to move slower than the one at Magic Kingdom. Maybe because tighter turns or that Crown Metal Products makes the trains that way? Not that I'm complaining.
White Water Canyon - it was no surprise that this had a very long line on a hot day, but it was worth it. It was great watching Mystic Timbers rush over the queue line while we waited. Unlike at Kings Dominion, White Water Canyon here has a turntable station with a wooden plank lift hill, so rafts were moving continuously which made for efficent loading - most of the time. Sometimes they had to stop the turntable to give guests more time to secure themselves. Not a problem. While the ride still gets you wet even from just the rapids, it doesn't have the sawmill scene at the end like KD. It does have that waterfall that spills from the upper flume into the lower. And of course, watch out for those geysers.
Mystic Timbers - wow. I mean, WOW. Between this and Thunderhead, I don't know WHICH is the better GCI. While this ride stays closer to the ground on its out-and-back run, you hit those turns HARD. This is certainly THE most intense ride at Kings Island. In the shed, Total Eclipse of the Heart came on (rest in peace Bonnie Tyler, too) and I encountered this gargoyle-like monster when leaving the room. When waiting in line though, I kept hearing this message over and over: "do not enter the Miami River Lumber Co." I swear there's supposed to be more themed audio messages from a radio in the queue line, but that was all I got. Unless I'm mistaken.
Queen City Stunt Coaster - had been looking forward to riding this version of Backlot since, for a while, it was the one with the superior helicopter attack scene. Now that it's been rethemed, I can't say that anymore. With no more gunfire or fire effects, is that scene literally just supposed to be an encounter with an abandoned helicopter prop with Ride of the Valkyries randomly playing in the background? Ride experience wise, I was in the back of the blue train. The coaster rode no different than the KD version.
Orion - the only other giga I've ridden at the time of this ride was Pantherian. As a B&M giga, this is a completely different beast. Sitting in the back of the silver train, when going over the drop my stomach dropped like never before - because it was a LONG and steep drop. Took me aback. I don't have much to say about the rest of the ride other than some moments like the turnaround and the low-to-the-ground speed hill that I got some decent airtime. The ride was also quite short, but I enjoyed it.
Banshee - first thing I got to say about this is - why do the trains move so FAST through the station?? I've never seen other B&M's do that. I mean, props to Kings Island for wanting to roll trains on this thing. As for the ride experience, Taylor Bybee wasn't joking when he said there was a rattle. Riding on the blue train, it rattled the WHOLE way. Unfortunately, the layout didn't have anything remarkable to me, at least anything I hadn't experienced on other coaster. The one thing I did notice is that unlike other inverts, that zero-g roll is super drawn out - meaning you get extra hangtime.
Delirium - though I couldn't ride it earlier due to a breakdown, I was able to snag a ride on this in the evening. I think this is better than the one at KD. The restraints are more comfortable, and the gondola swings much higher. What a breeze of a ride.
The Bat - I've always heard talk about how far away this coaster is from the rest of the park, and I agree. It is a HIKE to get from Action Zone to the station. As the queue line navigated past the coaster and through denser foliage, it didn't feel like I was in the park anymore. It was almost like a path through an empty zoo. I was also shocked at how bare bones the station is - it's literally on columns high off the ground with no theming at all, which I'm aware this used to be Top Gun but still. It's so bizarre. Even so, I was really excited to try my first ever Arrow suspended coaster. While ascending the lift hill took ages, the rest of the layout wasn't so bad. A little janky in some sections but the suspension and swinging helped reduce any roughness. When I got off, there was no one in line, only for me to find out the ride had gone down. On the way out I saw a train going up the lift only for it to stop. Wonder what's up with that? I'll never know.
Windseeker - was on the fence about this since I already have it at KD. I don't know the exact time of the ride cycle here, but it felt like I was up there longer than on KD's version. I'm not sure what song was playing either, although the ride before mine had Ride of the Valkyries. Nonetheless, I think it was a sensible and picturesque experience for my last ride of the night.
I do think this park was objectively a better experience than KD. There are coasters like Adventure Express and The Beast that have ride experiences like no other, and Phantom Theater was a blast. Ride ops were also killing it in most areas. My biggest complaint about Kings Island, though, is the atmosphere. Kings Dominion is known for its charm, dense trees, and background music that sets the mood for each area. I can't exactly say the same for Island. Areas like Action Zone and Coney Mall are so barren in terms of theming, like Mall doesn't even have classic carnival music or the old-fashioned vibe Candy Apple Grove has, you're just hearing pop music (which for some reason also plays in the parking lot) most of the time. The park is very spacious, too, and while that does help relieve some stress, I've known KD for being filled with something in almost every nook and cranny. Regardless, the culture of Kings Island seems a lot deeper than Dominion. It's more popular, it's right outside Cincinnati, millions of people know what it is. Heck, each parking section is named after a coaster there! Overall, I had a really great time at this world class amusement park, and hopefully the next time I'm in Ohio, I can come back to show my family what this place has to offer.
Adventure Express - decided on this for my first ever ride at the park, as it was basically a station wait. And I had yet to realize I was in for one of THE rides of my life. As soon as my train left the station and swerved through the first two turns, I realized this coaster meant business. It was fast, aggressive, and janky, and I loved it. I couldn't hear Bubba's dialogue when climbing the second lift, though I know he says "you have disturbed the forbidden temple, now you will PAY!" This was actually the only ride throughout my day that I rode a second time, this time I could hear what Bubba was saying. The ride is really well themed too, especially the sight of monkeys scavenging a crashed train car while my train rounded a helix.
The Racer - rode the red side in the morning after Adventure Express, then the blue side later in the evening. Overall it's a really fun coaster. The recent track work made for a smooth ride, and I actually got some good air in the first two hills. That is why I might prefer this over Racer 75, although it did feel shorter and it doesn't have that dip into a tunnel at the end. Red side was my only front row ride of the day, and I sat in row 2 when on the blue side. Also something I noticed - are the lift chains always running at full speed? I thought they'd only do that when pulling trains up, but they seemed to be running all the time.
Sol Spin - my first Zamperla Endeavor. I had been looking forward to riding something like those Chance Enterprises. When the ride got going and began to tilt into vertical position, I swear I could feel my head throbbing from blood pressure as I went upside down countless times through the revolutions. I felt like Jacob the Carpetbagger whenever he gets on a scary ride and he's like "oh GODDDD!" Still, I think it was a decent ride.
The Beast - After the fiasco of checking my car for my friend's wallet, I saw that this absolute legend, one of the hallmarks of knowing Kings Island, had opened with a short wait. I immediately made my way to Rivertown and got in line. That lasted only fifteen minutes, but looking at the info boards that have facts about the ride made me truly realize just how big of a staple this was not just to coaster enthusiasts - but to Kings Island history, the people whom this is their home park, the locals, and the wider amusement industry. And what I immediately took note of before entering the station were the thematic signs warning you of a beast in the area. Those really helped set a tense mood before boarding what would be one of the wildest rides of my life. Finally going down that monstrous first drop, I'm not sure what was more overwhelming - my stomach dropping or the shrill screams of the people behind me piercing my ears. Which should tell you this was a serious drop. The first two hills after that, I got great airtime. While the trims did kill some momentum after that, there was no stopping such a ride that lived up to its name. This thing is probably the most unique wooden roller coaster in the world, going way out into the woods and, being a traditional PTC model, spending most of the time doing sharp curves low to the ground. And it wasn't over yet. After lift two, the double helix with the tunnel was probably the most intense part of the ride if it wasn't already. Do not underestimate it. It is loud and forceful. And towards the end of the ride, I was thinking what a pleasure and honor it was to be taking a ride on one of the most iconic roller coasters in the world.
Diamondback - my first B&M hyper coaster with staggered seating. This coaster had basically a station wait - a very short wait time for almost noon. I got a seat on the outer edge of the red train to get a good feel of what these staggered seating coasters are like. It was a really fun ride. The first drop was great, and I got some floater air in the first two hills. Operations were fantastic. And you have to be there in person to see how majestic that splashdown is. The water goes much higher than it appears on camera
Snoopy's Soap Box Racers - for a ride that only runs one train, I was glad to get on it with only a station wait. Having to wait for Dragon Flier at Dollywood is agonizing enough. Being my first family boomerang, it was super fun. I especially loved falling backwards from the spike and across that little hump. And even when you're waiting in the station, the audio of Franklin commentating on the race while others are riding is a nice touch that keeps you entertained.
Congo Falls - only two boats were in use when I rode, so operations were inefficient in that the second boat would dispatch when the first boat was cresting the lift hill, resulting in a long period of time before a boat returned to the station. Just an observation, there appeared to be two loading zones in the station area, with just one being used since only two boats were running. Anyone know if this ride has a dual dispatch setup? Not even Escape from Pompeii has that. Now this Intamin spillwater ride is one of those that has a hump in the middle of the drop, which actually gave me some good air. Just be advised, this ride GETS YOU WET. Even if you're sitting in the back row like I was. To make matters worse, there's even water cannons around the final turn that soak you - like not even coin operated ones - ACTUAL SENSOR DRIVEN WATER CANNONS! The fact that I headed to Delirium after that should tell you the level of H2O I was drenched with. However, Delirium ended up going down, so I thought it would be a good time to get lunch.
Chicken Shack - the chicken platter I got was $19.99. Came with fries and I also got myself a raspberry lemonade. It felt good, except it took me a minute to find an open table.
Eiffel Tower - my friends had arrived at the park. They don't do thrill rides like me, so we went to the Eiffel Tower for a view of the park. I think the elevator was actually faster going up than the one at Kings Dominion. And at the top, it didn't feel as windy. Regardless, it was a great view. Even my friend who gets vertigo from these things was impressed.
Phantom Theater: Opening Nightmare - this ride was consistently showing an hour wait all day. Yet the line wasn't even going out the facade. When we entered, the line was only backed up to about halfway through the preshow room with the Maestro and No Legs Larry, which was a pleasant surprise. The animatronics, especially in this room, were very impressive. The cracking and flashing of thunder every now and then was a great touch, something that the former Boo Blasters didn't offer (I think). Getting into my opera box, I tried out my flashlight, except it wasn't lighting up. I began to fear that my flashlight was broken until the first ghost note scene, where it did work after all. After the ride, my friend, for some reason, thought the whole thing was a nothing-burger. Probably because tagging the notes reminded him of Villain Con: Minion Blast at Universal. But in my opinion, this ride is a home run. Kings Island hit a double whammy here; bringing back the nostalgic Phantom Theater theme while turning one of the worst Boo Blasters rides into a very immersive interactive dark ride. And I really mean that. It's not just a screen-based shooter. There are animatronic characters and physical stunts intertwined with the ghost note projections which adds depth to the experience. And tagging the notes as they're projected is just a fun vibe: it's like playing one of those video games where you're trying to grab as many items as you can - which is an even better experience than riding through a room and trying to aim for a limited number of set targets. There'sjust so many of them projected at any one time. In the end I got Head Usher, which wasn't bad for a first ride.
Surf Dog - I've ridden Dizzy Disk when it was still around at Dollywood, but I was very excited to try my first Zamperla Disk'O coaster with a middle hump. I enjoyed it - the hump really did add excitement to the experience as the car was spinning while going over it. The half pipes at each end were fun too.
Kings Island & Miami Valley Railroad - figured my friends wanted to do more gentle rides, so I showed them this train. We went on the green train pulled by the Lew Brown locomotive. Along the way we got some great views of Diamondback, White Water Canyon, and Mystic Timbers, and also passed by the Kenny Van Meter train as we neared Soak City, which was a neat interaction. Unfortunately I neglected to bring my swimsuit today, which ruled out Soak City. I just felt like I needed more dry park time. Which was a shame, as Soak City looks like it has some nifty slides. On the way back it was great seeing the crude but charismatic western town theming, which reminded me of the sawmill scene on Kings Dominion's WWC. I don't know if it's just me but the train seems to move slower than the one at Magic Kingdom. Maybe because tighter turns or that Crown Metal Products makes the trains that way? Not that I'm complaining.
White Water Canyon - it was no surprise that this had a very long line on a hot day, but it was worth it. It was great watching Mystic Timbers rush over the queue line while we waited. Unlike at Kings Dominion, White Water Canyon here has a turntable station with a wooden plank lift hill, so rafts were moving continuously which made for efficent loading - most of the time. Sometimes they had to stop the turntable to give guests more time to secure themselves. Not a problem. While the ride still gets you wet even from just the rapids, it doesn't have the sawmill scene at the end like KD. It does have that waterfall that spills from the upper flume into the lower. And of course, watch out for those geysers.
Mystic Timbers - wow. I mean, WOW. Between this and Thunderhead, I don't know WHICH is the better GCI. While this ride stays closer to the ground on its out-and-back run, you hit those turns HARD. This is certainly THE most intense ride at Kings Island. In the shed, Total Eclipse of the Heart came on (rest in peace Bonnie Tyler, too) and I encountered this gargoyle-like monster when leaving the room. When waiting in line though, I kept hearing this message over and over: "do not enter the Miami River Lumber Co." I swear there's supposed to be more themed audio messages from a radio in the queue line, but that was all I got. Unless I'm mistaken.
Queen City Stunt Coaster - had been looking forward to riding this version of Backlot since, for a while, it was the one with the superior helicopter attack scene. Now that it's been rethemed, I can't say that anymore. With no more gunfire or fire effects, is that scene literally just supposed to be an encounter with an abandoned helicopter prop with Ride of the Valkyries randomly playing in the background? Ride experience wise, I was in the back of the blue train. The coaster rode no different than the KD version.
Orion - the only other giga I've ridden at the time of this ride was Pantherian. As a B&M giga, this is a completely different beast. Sitting in the back of the silver train, when going over the drop my stomach dropped like never before - because it was a LONG and steep drop. Took me aback. I don't have much to say about the rest of the ride other than some moments like the turnaround and the low-to-the-ground speed hill that I got some decent airtime. The ride was also quite short, but I enjoyed it.
Banshee - first thing I got to say about this is - why do the trains move so FAST through the station?? I've never seen other B&M's do that. I mean, props to Kings Island for wanting to roll trains on this thing. As for the ride experience, Taylor Bybee wasn't joking when he said there was a rattle. Riding on the blue train, it rattled the WHOLE way. Unfortunately, the layout didn't have anything remarkable to me, at least anything I hadn't experienced on other coaster. The one thing I did notice is that unlike other inverts, that zero-g roll is super drawn out - meaning you get extra hangtime.
Delirium - though I couldn't ride it earlier due to a breakdown, I was able to snag a ride on this in the evening. I think this is better than the one at KD. The restraints are more comfortable, and the gondola swings much higher. What a breeze of a ride.
The Bat - I've always heard talk about how far away this coaster is from the rest of the park, and I agree. It is a HIKE to get from Action Zone to the station. As the queue line navigated past the coaster and through denser foliage, it didn't feel like I was in the park anymore. It was almost like a path through an empty zoo. I was also shocked at how bare bones the station is - it's literally on columns high off the ground with no theming at all, which I'm aware this used to be Top Gun but still. It's so bizarre. Even so, I was really excited to try my first ever Arrow suspended coaster. While ascending the lift hill took ages, the rest of the layout wasn't so bad. A little janky in some sections but the suspension and swinging helped reduce any roughness. When I got off, there was no one in line, only for me to find out the ride had gone down. On the way out I saw a train going up the lift only for it to stop. Wonder what's up with that? I'll never know.
Windseeker - was on the fence about this since I already have it at KD. I don't know the exact time of the ride cycle here, but it felt like I was up there longer than on KD's version. I'm not sure what song was playing either, although the ride before mine had Ride of the Valkyries. Nonetheless, I think it was a sensible and picturesque experience for my last ride of the night.
I do think this park was objectively a better experience than KD. There are coasters like Adventure Express and The Beast that have ride experiences like no other, and Phantom Theater was a blast. Ride ops were also killing it in most areas. My biggest complaint about Kings Island, though, is the atmosphere. Kings Dominion is known for its charm, dense trees, and background music that sets the mood for each area. I can't exactly say the same for Island. Areas like Action Zone and Coney Mall are so barren in terms of theming, like Mall doesn't even have classic carnival music or the old-fashioned vibe Candy Apple Grove has, you're just hearing pop music (which for some reason also plays in the parking lot) most of the time. The park is very spacious, too, and while that does help relieve some stress, I've known KD for being filled with something in almost every nook and cranny. Regardless, the culture of Kings Island seems a lot deeper than Dominion. It's more popular, it's right outside Cincinnati, millions of people know what it is. Heck, each parking section is named after a coaster there! Overall, I had a really great time at this world class amusement park, and hopefully the next time I'm in Ohio, I can come back to show my family what this place has to offer.