Kings Island

A lot happened at Kings Island during the decade that just ended, the 2010s. Here are just a few of the park’s biggest stories:

• 2010: Kings Island’s kids’ area was rebranded from Nickelodeon Universe to Planet Snoopy.
• 2011: WindSeeker, a 301-foot tall tower swing ride and the world’s largest animatronic dinosaur park, Dinosaurs Alive!, debuted.
• 2012: The region’s premier water park was rebranded to Soak City Water Park and a new wave pool opened, Tidal Wave Bay. The decision was made to remove the idle Son of Beast roller coaster to make way for future park expansion.
• 2013: A new Cincinnati Reds-themed restaurant opened in the Rivertown sector of the park with the addition of the Red Hall of Fame Grille.
• 2014: The world’s longest steel inverted roller coaster, Banshee, opened in Action Zone in an area previously occupied by Son of Beast. A Chattanooga, Tennessee woman scored the 100 millionth ride on the Racer.
• 2015: Two new rides were added to Planet Snoopy with Woodstock Gliders and Snoopy’s Space Buggies. A new event for roller coaster aficionados was introduced with Coastertock.
• 2016: Soak City Water Park was expanded with the addition of Tropical Plunge, a six story tall water slide complex featuring six different slide experiences. The park’s original toll plaza entrances were removed in favor of a modern, more welcoming entrance at the north end of the parking lot.
• 2017: Kings Island celebrated its 45th anniversary season. Mystic Timbers opened to rave reviews with the 3,265-foot long wooden roller coaster earning the Golden Ticket Award as the year’s Best New Ride. Soak City received a new addition with the Island Smokehouse restaurant.
• 2018: A new restaurant, Coney Bar B Que, opened in Coney Mall, offering various barbecue favorites including smoked St. Louis-style ribs, pulled pork, rotisserie chicken and Queen City Sausage along with a fresh selection of side dishes. The Firehawk roller coaster was retired after 12 seasons of service at Kings Island.
• 2019: A guest favorite returned with the addition of the new Kings Mills Antique Autos in Coney Mall. International Street and the Royal Fountain received a makeover, and the beloved Festhaus Glockenspiel was restored. Grand Carnivale, a larger-than-life festival celebrating the rich traditions of India, China, Italy, France and Germany, debuted. The Beast celebrated its 40th anniversary and the Vortex was retired after 33 seasons.

What were some of your favorite Kings Island memories from the 2010s? Share in the comments below.