Paramount's Kings IslandParamount's Kings Island is a 364 acre (1.5 km²) amusement park located in the Warren County, Ohio city of Mason, 24 miles northeast of Cincinnati. (The mailing address is Kings Mills.) The park owns close to 775 acres (3.2 km²) of land, but only 364 acres (1.5 km²) are currently developed. Kings Island is owned by CBS Corporation, and is a part of a chain of Paramount Parks that are located throughout the United States and Canada. On January 27, 2006, the website of the Dayton Daily News reported that CBS Corporation would be selling its Paramount Parks division. [1] An arial view of The Racer, Vortex, The Beast, and Flight of Fear coasters at Kings Island.Park HistoryKings Island first opened its gates in 1972 in what was then Deerfield Township, developed by the Taft Broadcasting Company. Taft Broadcasting took the name from the previous landlord, the defunct King Powder Company, which founded the town of Kings Mills for its workers. The site is between I-71 and the Little Miami River. Kings Island served as a replacement for Coney Island, a popular park on the Ohio River about 10 miles (16 km) east of downtown Cincinnati. Coney Island was forced to close due to frequent floods, but has since reopened on a much smaller scale. Many of the rides from Coney Island were moved to the new park; the only attraction left at Coney at the time was Sunlite Pool, the world's largest swimming pool. In 1992 Kings Island was purchased by Paramount Communications, along with 4 other theme parks in America and Canada; the park was renamed Paramount's Kings Island. One of the first events to draw publicity to the park was the filming of an episode of The Brady Bunch at the park in 1973. An episode of The Partridge Family was shot there the previous year, in 1972. While they do not mention the name of the park, they do call it "a new park outside Cincinnati." On July 4, 1976, Kings Island played host to the wedding of Paul Revere of the pop rock band Paul Revere & the Raiders. The centerpiece of Kings Island has always been its 1/3 scale replica of the Eiffel Tower, located just across the International Street fountain from the main entrance gate. Elevators regularly take patrons up to the lookout tower, which provides a chance to see the entire park and, at park closing, offers the best view of the nightly fireworks display (except for the Independence Day fireworks, which are actually shot off from the observation deck). Another star attraction was The Racer, twin wooden roller coasters that race each other side-by-side through much of the ride's footprint. Designed by legendary designer John Allen, The Racer is credited by many people with starting the second golden age of the roller coaster. In 1982, the trains on the right side of the Racer were turned backward, freshening up an old favorite. (Many coaster enthusiasts have nicknamed the backwards train "recaR".) Other coasters present in 1972 were the Bavarian Beetle, a small steel coaster brought over from Coney Island (and removed in 1979); and Scooby-Doo, a wooden coaster (renamed "The Beastie" in 1979; and renamed again as "The Fairly Odd Coaster" for 2006) located in the park's "Happy World of Hanna-Barbera" kids' area. Kings Island has added, and removed, many thrill rides throughout the years. 1977 saw the debut of Screamin' Demon, which launched riders through a loop, then back through in reverse; this ride was sold in 1987. In 1979, the park unveiled The Beast, the tallest, longest, and fastest roller coaster in the world at the time. After more than 25 years, it still holds the title of the world's longest wooden roller coaster at 7,419 ft (2,261 m). In 1981, Kings Island introduced the world's first suspended roller coaster, The Bat; however, it was plagued with maintenance problems and removed four years later. The first stand-up coaster in the United States, King Cobra, opened in 1984, but was dismantled in 2002 when maintenance proved to be too expensive. 1985 saw the debut of White Water Canyon, a popular whitewater rafting ride that soaks its riders. In 1987, the Vortex roller coaster briefly set a new record with six inversions. 1989 saw the debut of Water Works, a family water park, and 1991 brought Adventure Express, a mine-train style coaster. The mid-to-late 80's also introduced a Christmas event called Winterfest, which ran from November 25 through December 31. It included visits with Santa Claus, Ice Skating, and a nightly light show. There were many shops and places to eat within the park, and a train ride through the woods was included with admission. This event ended in 1992, but returned for the 2005 holiday season. Top Gun, the last suspended coaster built in the USA, was built in 1993 and avoided the mechanical failures of The Bat. 1994 saw the addition of Action Theater, an indoor simulator ride. In 1996, the park added the world's first roller coaster powered by a linear induction motor (LIM), Outer Limits: Flight of Fear. In 1999, Drop Zone, the world's tallest free-fall tower, and Face/Off, an inverted coaster, were opened. The Son of Beast, billed as the sequel to the Beast, opened in 2000. Currently, it is the tallest and fastest wooden roller coaster in the world, as well as the only one to successfully incorporate a steel loop into its otherwise wooden structure. In 2002, the park added Tomb Raider, an indoor version of a ride commonly known as a giant top spin. Delirium, a 137 ft (42 m) rotating pendulum ride, opened in 2003. In 2005 the park introduced the Italian Job Stunt Track family coaster. Today, Kings Island has 12 roller coasters and many huge flat rides. But despite all of these thrill rides, Kings Island is much more than a park just for thrill seekers. Kings Island's "WaterWorks" water park was renovated in 2004 to become "Boomerang Bay," a waterpark resort that comes free with admission. Kings Island has also won Amusement Today's award for 'Best Kid's Area in the World' five consecutive times (2001-2005). Its longtime kids' area, Hanna-Barbera Land, was slowly being replaced with the Viacom-synergistic Nickelodeon Central, which debuted in 1995; the entire kids' area will be rethemed as "Nickelodeon Universe" for 2006, with the dark ride "Scooby Doo and the Haunted Castle" remaining as the last vestige of H-B. PKI, like the other parks in the Paramount Family, features a number of attractions - encompassing rides, live shows and restaurants - based on Paramount Pictures films and other CBS and Viacom brands. The park now seems to be making a conscious decision to attract families more than thrill-seekers. Roller Coasters
Past Roller Coasters
Other Thrill Rides
Records and firsts
This page about Kings Island includes information from a Wikipedia article. Additional articles about Kings Island News stories about Kings Island External links for Kings Island Videos for Kings Island Wikis about Kings Island Discussion Groups about Kings Island Blogs about Kings Island Images of Kings Island |
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The park now seems to be making a conscious decision to attract families more than thrill-seekers. Criticisms of the Accord generally come from the revolutionary left within Australia, who claim that it kept real wages stagnant for over ten years, destroyed union membership and strength, and caused real suffering for members of the Australian working class. PKI, like the other parks in the Paramount Family, features a number of attractions - encompassing rides, live shows and restaurants - based on Paramount Pictures films and other CBS and Viacom brands. The Accord broke down in the late 1980s and lead to the enterprise bargaining period. Its longtime kids' area, Hanna-Barbera Land, was slowly being replaced with the Viacom-synergistic Nickelodeon Central, which debuted in 1995; the entire kids' area will be rethemed as "Nickelodeon Universe" for 2006, with the dark ride "Scooby Doo and the Haunted Castle" remaining as the last vestige of H-B. At the beginning of the Accord, only one union, the New South Wales Nurses Federation (then controlled by radicals), voted against the Accord. Kings Island has also won Amusement Today's award for 'Best Kid's Area in the World' five consecutive times (2001-2005). This was seen as a method to increase productivity without reducing the living standards of Australians. Kings Island's "WaterWorks" water park was renovated in 2004 to become "Boomerang Bay," a waterpark resort that comes free with admission. The Accord was an agreement between trade unions, the government, and employers to restrict wage demands, inflation and price rises respectively. But despite all of these thrill rides, Kings Island is much more than a park just for thrill seekers. In Australian Industrial Relations the Accord period was a period of industrial peace and class collaboration, suggested by the Communist Party of Australia in the late 1970s as a response to a perceived productivity crisis, and actively taken up and implemented as government policy after 1983 by an Australian Labor Party government under Prime Minister Bob Hawke. Today, Kings Island has 12 roller coasters and many huge flat rides. In 2005 the park introduced the Italian Job Stunt Track family coaster. Delirium, a 137 ft (42 m) rotating pendulum ride, opened in 2003. In 2002, the park added Tomb Raider, an indoor version of a ride commonly known as a giant top spin. Currently, it is the tallest and fastest wooden roller coaster in the world, as well as the only one to successfully incorporate a steel loop into its otherwise wooden structure. The Son of Beast, billed as the sequel to the Beast, opened in 2000. In 1999, Drop Zone, the world's tallest free-fall tower, and Face/Off, an inverted coaster, were opened. In 1996, the park added the world's first roller coaster powered by a linear induction motor (LIM), Outer Limits: Flight of Fear. 1994 saw the addition of Action Theater, an indoor simulator ride. Top Gun, the last suspended coaster built in the USA, was built in 1993 and avoided the mechanical failures of The Bat. This event ended in 1992, but returned for the 2005 holiday season. There were many shops and places to eat within the park, and a train ride through the woods was included with admission. It included visits with Santa Claus, Ice Skating, and a nightly light show. The mid-to-late 80's also introduced a Christmas event called Winterfest, which ran from November 25 through December 31. 1989 saw the debut of Water Works, a family water park, and 1991 brought Adventure Express, a mine-train style coaster. In 1987, the Vortex roller coaster briefly set a new record with six inversions. 1985 saw the debut of White Water Canyon, a popular whitewater rafting ride that soaks its riders. The first stand-up coaster in the United States, King Cobra, opened in 1984, but was dismantled in 2002 when maintenance proved to be too expensive. In 1981, Kings Island introduced the world's first suspended roller coaster, The Bat; however, it was plagued with maintenance problems and removed four years later. After more than 25 years, it still holds the title of the world's longest wooden roller coaster at 7,419 ft (2,261 m). In 1979, the park unveiled The Beast, the tallest, longest, and fastest roller coaster in the world at the time. 1977 saw the debut of Screamin' Demon, which launched riders through a loop, then back through in reverse; this ride was sold in 1987. Kings Island has added, and removed, many thrill rides throughout the years. Other coasters present in 1972 were the Bavarian Beetle, a small steel coaster brought over from Coney Island (and removed in 1979); and Scooby-Doo, a wooden coaster (renamed "The Beastie" in 1979; and renamed again as "The Fairly Odd Coaster" for 2006) located in the park's "Happy World of Hanna-Barbera" kids' area. (Many coaster enthusiasts have nicknamed the backwards train "recaR".). In 1982, the trains on the right side of the Racer were turned backward, freshening up an old favorite. Designed by legendary designer John Allen, The Racer is credited by many people with starting the second golden age of the roller coaster. Another star attraction was The Racer, twin wooden roller coasters that race each other side-by-side through much of the ride's footprint. Elevators regularly take patrons up to the lookout tower, which provides a chance to see the entire park and, at park closing, offers the best view of the nightly fireworks display (except for the Independence Day fireworks, which are actually shot off from the observation deck). The centerpiece of Kings Island has always been its 1/3 scale replica of the Eiffel Tower, located just across the International Street fountain from the main entrance gate. While they do not mention the name of the park, they do call it "a new park outside Cincinnati." On July 4, 1976, Kings Island played host to the wedding of Paul Revere of the pop rock band Paul Revere & the Raiders. An episode of The Partridge Family was shot there the previous year, in 1972. One of the first events to draw publicity to the park was the filming of an episode of The Brady Bunch at the park in 1973. In 1992 Kings Island was purchased by Paramount Communications, along with 4 other theme parks in America and Canada; the park was renamed Paramount's Kings Island. Many of the rides from Coney Island were moved to the new park; the only attraction left at Coney at the time was Sunlite Pool, the world's largest swimming pool. Coney Island was forced to close due to frequent floods, but has since reopened on a much smaller scale. Kings Island served as a replacement for Coney Island, a popular park on the Ohio River about 10 miles (16 km) east of downtown Cincinnati. The site is between I-71 and the Little Miami River. Taft Broadcasting took the name from the previous landlord, the defunct King Powder Company, which founded the town of Kings Mills for its workers. Kings Island first opened its gates in 1972 in what was then Deerfield Township, developed by the Taft Broadcasting Company. [1]. On January 27, 2006, the website of the Dayton Daily News reported that CBS Corporation would be selling its Paramount Parks division. Kings Island is owned by CBS Corporation, and is a part of a chain of Paramount Parks that are located throughout the United States and Canada. (The mailing address is Kings Mills.) The park owns close to 775 acres (3.2 km²) of land, but only 364 acres (1.5 km²) are currently developed. Paramount's Kings Island is a 364 acre (1.5 km²) amusement park located in the Warren County, Ohio city of Mason, 24 miles northeast of Cincinnati. Son of Beast: Tallest, Fastest, and only looping wooden roller coaster. The Beast: Longest wooden roller coaster in the world. Flight of Fear: First coaster to use linear induction magnets to launch. Rugrats' Runaway Reptar: First inverted coaster for children. Scooby's Ghoster Coaster (1998-2005): First suspended coaster for children. The Bat: First suspended coaster. Vortex: First coaster with 6 inversions. Screamin Demon: First shuttle loop coaster. King Cobra: First stand-up coaster in North America. Drop Zone: Feel your heart drop when you plunge 26 stories from a height of 315 feet straight down at speeds of over 61 mph on the tallest Gyro Drop in the World!. Tomb Raider: The Ride. Delirium A giant frisbee. Opened in 1998 and Closed in 2005. Scooby's Ghoster Coaster: Steel Coaster with Suspended design. Opened in 1977 and closed in 1987. Demon: Steel Coaster with Sit Down design. Opened in 1972 and closed in 1979. Bavarian Beetle: Steel Coaster with Sit Down design. Opened in 1981 and closed in 1983. Bat: Steel Coaster with Suspended design. Opened on April 11th, 1987. Vortex: Steel Coaster with Sit Down design. Opened on April 9th, 1993. Top Gun: Steel Coaster with Suspended design. Opened in 1992. Top Cat's Taxi Jam: Steel Coaster with Sit Down design. Opened on May 26th, 2000. Son of Beast: Wood Coaster with Sit Down design. Opened in 2001. Rugrats Runaway Reptar: Steel Coaster with Inverted Design. Opened in 1972. Racer: Wood Coaster with Sit Down design. (Currently in storage). Opened in 1984. King Cobra: Steel Coaster with Stand Up design. Opened on May 20th, 2005. Italian Job: Stunt Track: Steel Coaster with Sit Down design. Opened in 1996. Flight of Fear: Steel (Indoor) Coaster with Sit Down design. Opened on April 17th, 1999. Face/Off: Steel Coaster with Inverted design. Opened in 1972. Beastie: Wood Coaster with Sit Down design. Opened on April 14th, 1979. Beast: Wood Coaster with Sit Down design. Opened on April 13th, 1991. Adventure Express: Steel Coaster with Sit Down design. |