๐ขBacklot Stunt Coaster: Opened in 2005
Kings Island opened the family launch coaster Italian Job: Stunt Track in 2005. It was based on the 2003 remake of classic heist film. Guests would board trains modeled after the filmโs iconic Mini Coopers and launch into a special effects-filled layout, reaching speeds of 40 mph.
After Kings Island and its sister parks were sold to Cedar Fair in 2006, the ride was renamed to Backlot Stunt Coaster.
To celebrate the attractionโs 20th anniversary, Kings Island decided to reimagine the ride. Now named Queen City Stunt Coaster, the ride has been given a Cincinnati makeover, complete with local landmarks and road signs.
๐ขShake, Rattle and Roll: Opened in 1975
Built by German manufacturer Huss, this spinning attraction is an installation of their Troika model. Since the Shake, Rattle and Rollโs opening, Huss has continued to create rides across the world, and it currently offers an updated version of the Troika model with higher capacity.
To celebrate the rideโs anniversary, Shake, Rattle and Roll was refreshed with a new coat of paint.
๐ขWhite Water Canyon: Opened in 1985
Created by the Liechtenstein-based manufacturer Intamin, White Water Canyon opened in 1985 as one of the parkโs biggest water attractions.
Featuring round, six-person ride vehicles, guests are taken through the dense forest where they encounter waterfalls, waves and other water features.
Kings Islandโs then-owners, the Kings Entertainment Company, opened similar attractions at Kings Dominion and Canadaโs Wonderland in 1983 and 1984, respectively.
๐ขZoom Flume: Opened in 1990
One year after Kings Island opened WaterWorks, now Soak City, the water park saw its first major expansion with the addition of Rushing River in 1990.
Built by ProSlide, the attraction takes four guests down a winding track on a large raft, ending with a splash into the exit pool.
After opening, the attraction was renamed to Zoom Flume, and the ride has seen minimal changes since.
๐ขBoo Blasters on Boo Hill: Opened in 2010
Throughout its five decades of operation, Kings Island has always had a dark ride within its childrenโs area. The first of these attractions, The Enchanted Voyage, opened with the park in 1972. The boat ride took guests on a journey featuring popular Hanna-Barbera cartoon characters such as the Flintstones, Scooby Doo and more.
In the 1980s, televisions across America were smitten by Hanna-Barberaโs latest creation, The Smurfs. To capitalize on the brandโs popularity, Kings Island completely rethemed The Enchanted Voyage in 1984 to โThe Smurfsโ Enchanted Voyage.โ
This overhaul lasted until 1991, when the park closed the Smurfs attraction and removed the boat track. With the help of Morgan Manufacturing, Kings Island built a brand-new ride system inspired by Disneyโs iconic Omnimover.
Instead of tying the new attraction into a known property, the park decided to take guests through a haunted opera house, complete with original characters. This idea developed into the cult-classic attraction Phantom Theatre, which operated from 1992 through 2002.
After its closure, the ride was replaced by Scooby Doo and the Haunted Castle, which utilized a similar ride system as Phantom Theatre, with the addition of a shooting gallery mechanic. Guests take aim targets placed throughout the layout with blasters connected to their vehicles.
After the Cedar Fair buyout, Kings Island would remove all mention of Scooby Doo from the ride in 2010, renaming the attraction to Boo Blasters on Boo Hill. Despite the name change, most of the rideโs effects and theming remained the same.
Credit: Contributed photo
Credit: Contributed photo
Boo Blasters on Boo Hill has now lasted longer than any other attraction housed in the building, as it celebrates its 15th anniversary this year.
๐ขFranklinโs Flyers and Snoopyโs Space Buggies: Opened in 2015
Franklinโs Flyers, originally named Woodstock Gliders, opened inside the Planet Snoopy area in 2015. The ride received its new name and theme as part of the Camp Snoopy expansion in 2024.
2015 also saw the addition of Snoopyโs Space Buggies, a childrenโs spinning ride created by Italian ride designer Zamperla.
๐ขOrion: Opened in 2020
Kings Islandโs last major addition, the 300 foot tall Orion, was scheduled to open for guests with the park in April 2020.
However, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the parkโs opening for the season was delayed. Guests finally got to experience the coaster in July 2020, when the park opened with various protocols to keep guests safe.
Classified as a โGiga Coaster,โ Orion is the seventh roller coaster to take guests between 300 and 400 feet in the air. Riders plummet down its nearly 90 degree drop and reach speeds of 91 mph throughout its 5,321 feet of track.
๐ขSon of Beast: Opened in 2000, closed in 2009
Over two decades after creating the longest wooden roller coaster in the world, Kings Island decided to create a sequel to the legendary Beast.
Known as Son of Beast, the attraction was once the tallest and fastest wooden roller coaster in the world, and even featured a full loop.
However, the rideโs creation did not go as planned. The park originally hired the Roller Coaster Corporation of America to build the attraction, however the company was fired before construction was completed.
After opening, Son of Beast continued to face problems, with it quickly becoming infamous for its rough ride experience and accidents. The biggest incident occurred in 2006, when 27 guests were injured after a wooden beam cracked during the ride.
Kings Island attempted to fix the attractionโs issues by removing its iconic loop in 2007. It operated for two more years before being closed permanently after a a 39-year-old woman reported she had been hospitalized after sustaining a burst blood vessel in her brain as a result of riding the roller coaster.
The ride stood closed at the edge of the park for several seasons, before it was demolished in 2012. After its closure, the rideโs station was used during Halloween Haunt for the former Wolf Pack haunted maze. Much of the space taken up by the ride was also utilized by the inverted roller coaster Banshee, which opened in 2014.
HOW TO GO
What: Kings Island
When: Now open select days through May 14 and fully open daily through through Labor Day. Soak City set to open May 24
Where: 6300 Kings Island Drive, Mason
More info: visitkingsisland.com
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