Kings Island

Since it has been over a week from my last blog post I figured now would be a good time to write about another topic. Today I will do my best to describe to you one of the best big name Amusement parks in the industry in Kings Island. Kings Island is located in Mason Ohio twenty miles Northeast of Cincinnati. I have visited the park in these years: early 1990's (don't remember the exact date), 1997, 2001, 2006, 2009, 2010, and 2014. For the longest time Kings Island had been the best amusement park I had ever been to. This was up until I visited Cedar Point in 2007 which put Kings Island in the #2 spot. Now I would rank Kings Island at #3 due to my recent visit to Hersheypark in 2013 which holds the #2 spot for me. I will base most of my descriptions and pictures off of the most recent trip I had to the park back on May 16-17 of this year.

Beautiful!

A new roller coaster!

Kings Island has changed so much over the years that I have visited. They have added new rides and removed old ones. My last visit to the park was by far and away the best visit that I have ever had to Kings Island. They have really improved their customer service to very high levels which is quite impressive since it isn't a family owned park but a huge corporate park. This is the first time that I have visited Kings Island and where it had the feel of a smaller family style park. The park was clean and ride operations were the best I have ever seen at Kings Island. The food was great and the atmosphere was so much fun. They were playing a variety of really good upbeat music everywhere in the park and the sound quality was outstanding. I know that may sounds silly to some but atmosphere in a park is a good thing and something that I definitely notice.

To the left after entrance

To the right after entrance

Kings Island is such a huge park. They have so many rides and attractions. They have tons of shows and eateries. They have one of the best entrances of any park I have ever been to (as seen below). As you walk into the park you see the iconic Eiffel Tower along with all of the beautiful fountains in the middle of the two midways split off to the side. There are trees lining these midways on the left along with souvenir, candy, coffee, and food shops on the right. The park is so big that it will take you a while just to see any attraction that you can actually ride.

Great Entrance

 

Shops on the right lining the midway

If you choose to take a left you will make your way over to what is known as 'Action Zone' where there are three roller coasters (Banshee, The Bat, and Invertigo) along with a few other rides. This is where the new Banshee inverted roller coaster is located. This ride is the reason I made the trip to Kings Island this year and it was totally worth it! It is quite an insane and intense roller coaster. It is the longest inverted coaster in the world at 4,124 feet and when you are riding it you know that is the case. It never lets up from beginning to end and just when you think the ride is over she (yes Banshee is a woman from the underworld...muhahahaha) turns you upside down slowly and puts you in a fast downward helix into the breaks! Phew! Mind-blown! It feels like every element you take puts you at over 100 feet in the air and the g-forces you experience are crazy. The ride delivers 7 heart-pounding inversions. I can't say enough good things about this ride here. The layout, the colors, the trains, the station, and the theming are all top notch. Kings Island pulled out all of the stops for this coaster and rightfully so with a $24 million price tag. It has really made Kings Island a destination park. Banshee ranks as my #17 roller coaster.

Awesome!

Great looking Station

High Elements

The Bat is a newly named ride this year along with new paint colors. It is a suspended roller coaster and one of the best of its kind. It is fast and thrilling but doesn't go upside down. The only negative about the ride is the fact that it's over really quick. Invertigo is an inverted roller coaster that goes forwards and backwards. It is quite disorienting and very intense. You go upside down 6 times total. After you have already ridden these three intense coasters you can hit up delirium a spinning flat ride. Oh and don't forget to ride Drop Zone the parks 315 foot drop ride. Yeah this one is scary!   

After you have had your fill of the Action Zone you can make your way up the Coney Island Mall area and hit up Adventure Express a really fast and fun mine train roller coaster. It may have the lamest ending to a coaster you'll ever see so be sure to check it out anyway. You can then hit Racer the parks original dual wooden coaster built in 1972. For a wooden coaster this one is very smooth. It has ample amounts of air time as well as lots of speed. It really is a great ride and a classic underrated ride in the park. From here you can continue up the midway and hang a left to ride Flight of Fear and Firehawk. Flight of Fear is an indoor steal launched looping coaster. It is pretty intense and fun and worth a few rides if the line isn't long. It has some jerky moments though but the launch is really fun into the darkness.  

Firehawk is absolutely an insane roller coaster. It honestly may be the most intense coaster I've ever ridden and I'am not even joking. It's a flying coaster and you initially start out on your back as you go up the lift hill. Then once you are 100 feet off the ground the ride turns you over into the flying position. Yeah, talk about disorienting. From there you hit loop after loop (five total) into the brakes. The g-forces on this are very high and if you are sensitive to intense rides I suggest sitting this one out. I only rode this thing a couple times back in 2009 mostly due to it being such a slow loading ride with constant breakdowns. Also, the lines are always long at around an hour. 

After riding those two coasters you can hit up Windseeker a 300 foot swing ride. I rode this thing on my past trip and I'll say if you are scared of heights you might not want to ride. While not intense it does offer a scary feeling of being suspended 300 feet in the air with nothing between you and the ground but a plastic two-person seat! Also along the Coney Island Mall you will find shops, games, food stands, spinning flat rides, and a great arcade where I managed to set the record on one of their basketball machines (pictured below). I had a blast in there for almost two hours only spending $20 and winning a few prizes for Bri. 

Seek some Wind aka Windseeker

That's right my score!

Before you leave the Coney Island Mall area you will see the entrance to Vortex the steel looping coaster built in 1987. Do not let its pretty looks fool you as this ride is a little on the rough side. Some people still enjoy it though. I used to but now that I am getting older rough looping coasters just aren't my thing. It's 3800 feet long and turns you upside down six times along the way. I didn't get to ride it on my visit this year but I have ridden it many times in previous years.

Vortex - Nice to look at but not to ride

Let's make the trip back to the front of the park and instead of taking a left this time we will take a right. If you take a right you will run into one of the biggest kids themed areas of any amusement park anywhere in the country. They have three roller coasters in this area one of which is wooden. They also have a lot of other great flat rides that kids would love. They have a log flume that looks fun as well. Do not, I repeat DO NOT leave this area without getting the blue ice cream! It is some of the best ice cream I have ever had at an amusement park. Shame on me for not taking a picture of the blue ice cream!

Kids Coaster with Diamondback towering in the background

After leaving the kids area you will walk into an area where Diamondback is located. Head straight for it and ride it as many times as you can stand it. If they are running three trains on this the line will usually not be that long. Diamondback is a hyper coaster meaning it is over 200 feet high. You won't go upside down on this ride but you will go fast and get insane amounts of air time. It's over 5200 feet long with a 215 foot drop reaching speeds of 80 mph. It goes over many tall hills (air time) and finishes with a helix into the splashdown element. I have it ranked as #14 on my best coaster list. It is a really great ride.

230 foot lift hill

SPLASH!

Isn't that pretty?

After riding Diamondback you will pass a nice sit down restaurant (pictured below) themed to the Cincinnati Reds MLB baseball team. I didn't eat there but it does look nice. You will also pass the parks water raft ride making your way to the very back of the park. You will then continue up the path and see Backlot Stunt Coaster (stupid name). It is more of a family oriented coaster with a 40 mph launch into an upward helix. There are also other special effects with explosions, loud noises, and fire. It's a pretty fun ride but not worth a long wait if there is one. 

Reds Hall of Fame Grill

That is pretty much it. Or is it? I have actually saved the best for last. Sure you now have the new Banshee and the incredible Diamondback but I have left out one other incredible roller coaster at the park that is iconic. Tucked away in the very back corner of Kings Island lurks a ride that you can't see. It's in the woods. It's so long it takes two lift hills to finish. It holds a world record. It is hidden away beckoning you to take the challenge. Will you make it out alive? What is this ride? It's the Beast the longest wooden roller coaster in the world at 7,359 feet! The Beast is a fun, fast, and thrilling ride by day. By night, it's something that will haunt your dreams. There are tunnels, straightaways, and a closing helix that will make you think, "how is the train not ripping off the tracks!?" It was built in 1979 and to this day is still regarded as one of the world's best wooden roller coasters.

Beast Station

35th Anniversary

By night the Beast turns into an out of control, in your face, insane, fly off the tracks ride that will make even the most seasoned thrill junkies wet their pants. Ok, ok, maybe I am exaggerating a little bit on that last comment (haha). I will say this though that I am not kidding about night rides on the Beast. They are some of the best night rides you will ever take on a roller coaster period. Trust me. It is pitch black in those woods so you can't see where you are going which adds to the thrill. This gives you the sensation of out of control speed making it feel as though you are going faster than you actually are. I could go on and on about the Beast but you have to get out there and experience this coaster for yourself, especially at night. The Beast delivers and lives up to its name.

ACE Coaster Landmark

Do NOT Feed the Beast!

There you have it. Kings Island is a wonderful park. My experience there this past May solidifies a #3 spot from me for this great amusement park. Kings Island has thrills, great rides, great roller coasters, a great kids area, great customer service, great operations, and a great atmosphere. I know some people think I am crazy when I say this but if I had to choose between Kings Island and or a park closer to me like Six Flags over Georgia, I would choose Kings Island. Maybe it is the coaster enthusiast in me but I know a gem of a park when I travel to one and Kings Island is a gem of a park.

Pretty

Eiffel Tower at Dusk

Classic Carousel 

Coaster T-Shirt

Eiffel Tower at night

   

     

  

Family Visit to Holiday World

Here it is. The moment you have been waiting for. This is a long overdue blog post regarding one of the best little amusement parks in the country. Trust me if you were to visit this place you would see what I am talking about. The park is Holiday World located in a small town called Santa Claus in the state of Indiana. The park it pretty much in the middle of nowhere with lots of cornfields and farmland. I always get a kick out of it when I tell someone about Holiday World and they ask, "where is that?" I then proceed to tell them, "Santa Claus, Indiana." Then I usually get this look of surprise from them like they are thinking surely that isn't a real place. Oh, I can assure you it is very real. All the the roads are named to Christmas themes too like Tinsel Circle, Snow Ball Drive, Holly Drive, Comet Lane, Dancer Lane, and Mistletoe Drive. A unique place for a unique amusement park. 

Look! It's Santa Claus!

My family and I had the privilege of attending Holiday World this past Labor day on Monday, September 1st. It was a beautiful day with temperatures in the low to mid-80's with clouds but no rain. The park opened at 9:30 am and we got there around 9:45 am. Ticket prices for the park are very reasonable. Adult tickets are $44.95 and $36.95 for guests under 54 inches. If you book tickets online you can save more on tickets. Luckily my coaster club membership saved us $19 total bucks off of the tickets. A few things of note about Holiday World regarding admission to the park. They have free parking, free sunscreen, free WIFI, and free soft drinks. They also have very fun shows/attractions as well as great prices on food and souvenirs. Did I mention they have free soft drinks?!

Free Soda! Pepsi too = Mnt Dew!

Front Entrance with Raven looking on

After being greeted nicely by the admissions person my family was inside Holiday World. It was a good feeling entering the Christmas section of the park with the big Christmas tree and decorations. We got lucky and shortly after we got into the park the mascot Holidog came out and took a picture with Bri (below). She was excited and it put a smile on my face as well as hers. 

Holidog says Hello

Christmas in September

It was now time to ride some rides. We went over to the kids section in the Christmas themed area of the park. Bri rode a couple of rides there including the drop ride which to my surprise she loved. It was fun to watch her while she rode with Ashley. She was laughing and having a good time. From there we went and grabbed some free soda's which was nice. There's nothing like sugar-laced drinks to keep you going throughout the day.

Time to have fun

Having more fun

Next up we went to Splashin' Safari the parks waterpark. I will say that this part of the park is one of the reasons Holiday World is so successful. It is a remarkable waterpark with a TON of attractions. I have been to many waterparks on my coaster trips and this is the best one I have ever been to by far. It usually ranks behind only Schlitterbahn in Texas as the best waterpark in the USA.

Watercoasters Mammoth & Wildebeest

Safari Sams great kids area

We all had a blast at the waterpark. There is just so much to do that you could spend the whole day just inside the waterpark. Bri loved the big tree house-like play structure where the bucket drops water on you. Holiday World has two of these (yes awesome) and we spent time at both. I love how it is an attraction that you and your kids can enjoy together. I also really like the fact there are a lot of small body slides you can go down with little to no wait.

Ashley and Bri in the wave pool

Landyn and I chillin

It was lunch time so we decided to check out the new Wildebeestro restaurant. They serve a more healthy variety of food with wraps, salads, and fruit. The food was great! We both had the chicken bacon ranch wrap ($8.49) and Ashley ordered a side of fruit. I also subbed the apple that the wrap came with for the mozzarella sticks. I mean I couldn't go all healthy. They also had other items on the menu that looked good like the chicken salad on croissant ($6.99) as well as the buffalo chicken sandwich with fries ($8.99). This is another reason Holiday World is awesome because they really don't gauge you with food prices. It makes buying food inside the park much more enjoyable.

Some food prices

Chicken BLT wrap with mozzarella sticks 

After lunch we went and rode the Jungle Racers a series of speed slides that race alongside each other. I was surprised at how she had no fear on these things. They had a 42 inch height requirement which she just made so I didn't know if she would want to ride some of the big slides just yet. I was wrong and she had a blast riding them four straight times in a row with Ashley and then me. From there we went to the other water play structure Kima Bay towards the backside of the park. Bri had a blast and I enjoyed following her around and going down all of the water slides it had to offer.  I also enjoyed letting the big bucket o water splash over me.

Jungle Racers - Bri and Ashley on far right slides

Kima Bay

Next up was Hyena Falls a four slide complex with some nice tube slides and a unique drop/uphill slide (picture below). Bri wanted to ride the three tube slides but she was too small to fit inside the tube so we rode the other more thrilling slide instead. Go figure. For some reason the tubes they used for this slide were more conducive for a 42 inch four year old. I have to say this was a pretty intense slide and the look on Bri's face illustrated that point as we dropped down the 20-25 foot drop into the upward hill propelling the tube upward and then back down again. I don't think I will ever forget the look on her face. I fully expected her to be upset and never want to ride another slide again but it was totally the opposite. She not only loved it but wanted to go again. She rode it again with Ashley and loved it again. 

Hyena Falls

It was at this point we made our way back to the middle of the waterpark to ride Wildebeest one of the parks watercoasters. Bri said she wanted to ride and again I was a bit nervous for her. I mean this is a pretty intense ride with tons of hills, drops and tunnels. It is pretty much like a roller coaster with a raft on water. It even offers great moments of airtime! And again my nervousness turned into happiness as Bri said she loved it after we got off and wanted to ride again. I can't help but feel so proud of her. She rode two of the parks more intense water rides without crying or getting upset at all. I guess she is going to take after me after all. 

The best water ride I've ever ridden.

By this time it was around 4 pm and we figured we had better go to the dry side of the park and ride some more rides there before the park closed. We made our way to the Thanksgiving section of the park. There are a lot of great attractions in this section from The Voyage (best wooden roller coasters on the planet), to the Turkey Whirl (tilt-o-whirl), Gobbler Getaway (indoor dark shooting game), and the new Mayflower (swinging ship). You also have Plymouth Cafe home to some of the best amusement park food I've ever eaten and no I am not kidding. You can literally have a Thanksgiving dinner with your family here for $10.99 a plate or $12.99 if you want a THIRD side! Kids plates are $5.99. They also offer a Prime Rib steak dinner for $14.99! Yeah this place rules.

Thanksgiving section with The Voyage, Plymouth Rock Cafe, & Turkey Whirl

It's a ship that swings!

I split up from Ashley and the kids because I just had to ride The Voyage. I was a little sad because they were only running one train which made the wait a little longer. I could have ridden it a couple more times if they had two trains going. Oh well I feel grateful Ashley let me ride it once. I won't go into detail here but The Voyage and my experiences on it could make for an entire blog post so maybe I will bring that to you someday in the future. For now just know that it is a super intense wooden coaster that is relentless from beginning to end. It is usually rated as the #1 wooden coaster in the world among critics and enthusiasts as well.

Beautiful

The Voyage Station and lift hill

Ninety degrees!

We were really wanting some funnel cakes at this point so we went up into the 4th of July section of the park to get them. The funnel cake price at Holiday World is only $3.99! Yes please I will take two (picture below). At Six Flags it costs $7.99 for the same funnel cake. Again, Holiday World wins. They also had deep fried Reese's peanut butter cups which unfortunately we didn't try. I think if I had attempted to eat these my day at the park would have been over.

Not one but two!

No caption needed

After gorging ourselves in funnel cakes we went to Holidogs Funtown where some more of the kids rides are. Bri and I rode the Howler (kids roller coaster) three times in a row without stopping (thanks ride operator guy...NOT). This is one area I think Holiday World could improve. They need a better kids roller coaster. This one isn't very good but Bri liked it so I am glad she enjoyed it. We also rode the tea cup spinning ride which was fun. Then we left the Funtown section to ride the 60 foot swing ride Sparkler. Of course Bri wanted to ride it and she loved it riding the ride once with me and once with Ashley.

Ashley believes she can fly

At this point it was around 6:15 pm and the park was going to close at 6:30 pm. I really wanted to get on one more roller coaster before I left so with Ashley permission I dropped them off at the front of the park by the kids rides. I then made a beeline dash to the Raven and just made it inside the line queue right as the Holiday World employee was closing the gates. I thought he might tell me that the ride was closed but nope he just smiled and said, "enjoy the last ride." Another positive from Holiday World is their employees friendliness. They are very nice and always seem to be happy. 

The Raven - Edgar Allan Poe is impressed

That concluded our wonderful day at Holiday World. My family had a blast. We really only got to do around half of what the park had to offer us too. I was not able to ride The Legend wooden coaster (pictured below) but still had a blast. We were also not able to ride countless other rides because we just didn't have the time. If you want to take your family to a family friendly well-priced Amusement park I suggest Holiday World. Along with all of the free things you get while there you also get treated well by the staff. The park is also clean and voted cleanest park by Amusement Today magazine. Whenever someone asks me where they should take their family on a vacation getaway I usually always suggest Holiday World. I have visited Holiday World the last three seasons and hope to continue to visit. If you choose to visit someday I promise you that you will not be disappointed.

This is what Landyn does in the waterpark

Voyage you are awesome

Tired Family

The Legend

Landyn lets you know how her day went