Kings Island

Awesome questions this time everyone. Though that shouldn’t surprise anyone. Kings Island fans always have great questions.

Why was the last dip on the Racer removed and replaced with a long straightaway before the brake run? – Dylan B., Covington, KY

The last drop on the Racer before heading back into the station was removed on both the north and south sides to create an entryway for guests to get to the Flight of Fear roller coaster, which opened in 1996. That was the idea behind making that change.

Why doesn’t one side of the Racer run backwards anymore? Will it ever run backwards again? – Rich L., Loveland, OH

It was a management decision following the 2007 season to return the Racer back to the way the ride operated from 1972 until the spring of 1982 with riders on both sides facing forward. Guests vote with their feet and the number of riders on the backward side versus the forward side indicated that after 26 seasons the novelty had worn off. There are no plans to run one side backwards again. 

What’s lurking in the woods around where Firehawk stood? – Garry S., Baltimore, OH

Deer. They’ll browse and graze throughout the night, occasionally heading back to bedding spots for a few hours around midnight where they will remain for a couple hours before heading back out into open areas again in the early morning hours. Deer are fascinating creatures.

What was the first year Kings Island sold a season pass and how much did it cost then? – Carson G., Cincinnati, OH

Kings Island was the first park in the amusement and theme park industry to offer season passes, introducing them 40 years ago in 1979 for $22.50. Outside of unlimited visits, there were no perks or benefits that accompanied a season pass, like free season-long parking, early ride time, exclusive events, bring-a-friend days and discounts on meals and merchandise that Gold and Platinum passholders enjoy today.

Do you think Coasterstock could ever become available to Kings Island Gold Pass members who aren’t part of one of the roller coaster clubs? – Chrissa M., St. Marys, WV.

Coasterstock is a convention for members of the eight approved coaster clubs. It was created to just be part of a larger network of meet-ups for the members of these clubs, a place where they could take the virtual connections that they have on message boards to a real-life opportunity to unite or reunite with others who share the same interests. It’s similar to a Star Trek Convention for Star Trek fans. Opening it up to non-members would change the idea behind Coasterstock. There may, however, come a time where coaster club members would be able to invite a non-member as their guest. That’s something we’ve looked at but due to the limited capacity that we have for the event not able to offer at this time.

To submit your questions for possible inclusion in a future Kings Island Reader’s Mailbag blog, click here.