Diamondback roller coaster trains get new seats

January 25, 2018

Don Helbig

Area Manager, Digital Marketing - Kings Island

The tallest and fastest roller coaster at Kings Island will have a new look when the 364-acre amusement and water park opens for the 2018 season April 14.

New black seats are replacing the original red-colored seats on each of the three trains on Diamondback.

Designed by the world-renowned coaster designers Bolliger & Mabillard of Monthey, Switzerland, Diamondback stands 230 feet at its highest point with a first drop of 215 feet at a 74-degree angle. Riders snake their way around 5,282 feet of track at speeds up to 80 mph.

Diamondback introduced U.S. roller coaster fans to open-air, stadium-style seating, which allows riders no matter where they are seated on the train to experience an unobstructed view of all the thrills and excitement the coaster has to offer.

Since its debut in 2009, Diamondback has given 15.2 million rides – the most of any attraction at Kings Island over the past nine seasons. Its record year was its fifth season in 2013, when 1.8 million rides were given.

Don Helbig

Area Manager, Digital Marketing - Kings Island

This Day in Kings Island History: Banshee track work completed

It was a bone-chilling 4 degrees on this day five years ago (January 23, 2014) when the final track piece for the Banshee roller coaster was lowered into place. Track piece No. 100 was the final piece of track installed on the 4,124-foot long steel coaster.

Readers’ Mailbag: How many parking spaces are there in the parking lot?

Thank you to our readers for their submissions as we kick off a new feature, the Readers’ Mailbag blog. The Readers' Mailbag blog will be posted each week throughout the year, so if you've got Kings Island questions, the Kings Island blog is the place to ask.

Construction on Kings Mills Antique Autos moves forward in cold and snow

If you think the winter weather conditions – the kind of weather that brings traffic to a halt – has slowed down construction at Kings Island on the new Kings Mills Antique Autos, think again.

International Street and Royal Fountain to get major offseason renovation

Kings Island’s International Street is set to receive its first complete makeover since the park opened in 1972. No element of the street will be left untouched as crews update the Royal Fountain, install more than 130,000 new pavers, improve each building façade and enhance the landscaping. The renovation will take guests back to what Kings Island looked like when the park first opened, allowing guests to discover the magic of International Street again.

Kings Island site for PiviP preview event

ESK Presents is hosting the first-ever PiviP tournament and gaming conference at Kings Island on May 18. The combination of the Kings Island park experience and high-energy gaming will create a unique experience for the video game community and park guests, making it unlike any other video game event.

Workmen paving the road for the Kings Mills Antique Autos

Construction is taking shape for the Kings Mills Antique Autos with workmen this week pouring concrete to make the quarter-mile track that will include parts of it running alongside the park’s iconic Racer roller coaster and through a covered bridge. The attraction, which opens this spring, will feature two-third scale replicas of the 1911 Ford Model T. The leisurely rail-guarded drive will last approximately three minutes.

It's not too early to start planning for a summer job at Kings Island

Kings Island is hosting a job fair Saturday, January 19, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. to fill more than 5,000 seasonal positions for the 2019 season. The job fair will be held at the park in the Human Resources building.

New track part of Racer roller coaster's annual winter work

An incredible amount of care goes into the Racer each winter to keep the ride in peak operating condition. Annual work during the winter months may include replacing a number of the running rails made of flattened steel strips mounted on the wooden track, replacing support bents and ledgers, or sections of track. Some years one side of the ride may be in need of more extensive work than the other, such as this winter with the back turnaround on the north (blue trains) side retracked in December.

Construction on new Kings Mills Antique Autos taking shape

What’s old will be new again at Kings Island in 2019, with the addition of the Kings Mills Antique Autos set to debut in the spring. Construction on the station for the attraction is taking shape and concrete has been poured for the track in the load and unload areas of the ride.

After 48 years, Kings Island bids farewell to retiring Sam Hill

Nadora (Sam) Hill may not have been one of the most recognizable faces to Kings Island guests, but behind the scenes at the 364-acre amusement and water park, she's an icon to many of the full-time and seasonal staff members. Sam retired after 48 years of service to Kings Island on January 2.

2019 Gold Passes Now On Sale

Miami River BrewhouseNew for 2019

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