Kings Island wooden roller coaster capital of the world

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Kings Island wood coaster capital of the world

Don Helbig Photo Don Helbig |
April 10, 2020

Kings Island and roller coasters are synonymous, particularly wooden roller coasters.

The 48-year-old amusement and water park boasts four wooden roller coasters (five if you count each side of The Racer separately). Together they combine for a total of 18,804 feet of wooden coaster track, the most at any amusement or theme park in the world!

Kings Island’s wooden roller coaster lineup is highlighted by the legendary Beast, which opened in 1979 and still stands today as the world’s longest wooden roller coaster at 7,359 feet. Literally millions of guests have visited Kings Island over the past four decades for the singular challenge of “taming” The Beast.

Designed and constructed by Kings Island personnel, The Beast is nestled on 35 acres of wooded acres in the park’s Rivertown area. The location heightens the aura of mystery surrounding the ride, since only the first lift hill is visible to park guests. They have to board The Beast in order to see and experience the two longest vertical hills, a 135-foot hill at a 45-degree angle that drops into a 125-foot underground tunnel, and a 141-foot hill, at a 180-degree angle, that sends riders into a 540-degree helix tunnel, all at speeds up to 64.7 mph.

A ride on The Beast takes over four minutes, making it one of the longest ride time experiences in the world.

Back in 1972, when Kings Island first opened, it featured The Racer as the star attraction, which was the first double-track racing coaster built in modern times. Designed by the famous John Allen of the Philadelphia Toboggan Company, the Racer is credited with reviving the interest in wooden roller coasters in America. The classic two-minute, 30-second ride over 6,830 feet of double track brings riders out of their seats on several hills and has been the site of several world-record riding attempts. It is also notable for its appearance in the “Cincinnati Kids” episode of “The Brady Bunch” filmed at the park in 1973.

A special roller coaster designed for children and their parents and grandparents to enjoy together also opened with The Racer in 1972 at Kings Island. Originally called the Scooby Doo, its name was later changed to Beastie, followed by the Fairly Odd Coaster, and since 2010, as Woodstock Express. This scaled-down coaster is continually one of the most popular rides at the park.

The park’s newest wooden roller coaster, Mystic Timbers, was introduced in 2017 and added to Kings Island’s collection of industry-changing and record-breaking wooden roller coasters. Voted “Best New Ride” in its debut season by the industry trade publication Amusement Today, riders traverse 16 airtime hills along 3,265 feet of track through wooded terrain at speeds up to 53 mph.