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Kings Island ready for 37th year

Staff photo by Gary Stelzer/Tim Mancini works on the track of the Nick Drivers ride Thursday, April 9, 2009 in preparation for the April 18 opening of Kings Island in Mason, Ohio.

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By Laura Dempsey, Staff Writer Updated 11:27 AM Monday, April 13, 2009

KINGS ISLAND — In Ohio, there’s one island destination that’s been pulling us in for 36 years.

Kings Island, the 364-acre amusement and water park in Mason, is a constantly evolving hotspot of rides, food and people-watching — and lunch-tossing, if you don’t time your restaurant breaks and coaster-riding just right.

Home to the mighty Beast (still billed as the world’s longest wooden roller coaster) and its Son of Beast offspring (the tallest and fastest wooden coaster), Kings Island has a new contender in the competition for coaster-riders: Diamondback, a $22 million design with a first drop of 215 feet at a 74-degree angle, and speeds that reach up to 80 miles per hour.

The park opens to the public for a 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. run April 18. Bonus: The first 10,000 people to brave the brand-new Diamondback will receive a free “First Rider” T-shirt.

Know this: The park will be closed on April 19 for a private event, but will open again from 5 to 10 p.m. April 24.

Starting April 25, Kings Island is open Fridays (10 a.m. to 10 p.m.), Saturdays (10 a.m. to 10 p.m.) and Sundays (10 a.m. to 8 p.m.) until May 24, when Sunday hours are extended until 10 p.m. and the park is open every day — from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. On June 8, weekday hours are extended until 10 p.m. Those hours are in effect through Aug. 30, when the park goes back to weekends-only for seven weeks.

ADMISSION

The best deal is online at www.visitkingsisland.com, $32.99 for a single-day adult ticket, $29.99 for junior/senior ticket; $47.99 for admission any two days in 2009.

At the gate, daily admission is $47.99 and $31.99. After 5 p.m., admission drops to $24.99. Active military and their families may buy six tickets, $29.99 each, with ID.

SEASON PASSES

Available at three levels:

• Regular — $94.99 adults, $69.99 ages 3 and older and 62 and older.

• Gold — $99.99 and $74.99. Daily entry plus parking, early ride opportunities and special events (available only through Memorial Day weekend)

• Platinum — $160, $89.99. Daily entry plus parking, early ride opportunities and entry to 12 other Cedar Fair amusement and water parks (including Cedar Point) during the 2009 season (available only through Memorial Day weekend)

All levels offer discounts for renewing members and purchases of four or more passes.

WHILE YOU’RE THERE

Throw out some cool KI trivia to impress your friends:

■ Both the Partridge Family (1972) and The Brady Bunch (1973) filmed episodes at the park.

■ Karl Wallenda, then 69, completed a record-breaking high-wire walk at the park in 1974, walking 1,700 feet in the air on a wire stretched on two cranes across International Street. In 2008, Karl’s grandson Rick topped that with a 2,000-foot-high walk from the Eiffel Tower to the entrance and back.

■ Evel Knievel jumped over 14 Greyhound buses on a motorcycle in 1975, becoming the highest-rated “Wide World of Sports” show of its time. In 2008, Evel’s son, Robbie, made it over 24 delivery trucks.

CONTACT this reporter at (937) 225-2403 or ldempsey@DaytonDailyNews.com.

How to go

What: Kings Island

Where: 6300 Kings Island Drive, Mason

More info: (800) 288-0808 or www.visitkingsisland.com

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