Kings Island - May 19th, 2025

 From May 19th through May 21st, 2025, my Mom and I did a small road trip through Ohio, visiting Kings Island and Cedar Point!

On Monday, May 19th, we spent a day at Kings Island. While it was my fourth time visiting Kings Island in the past 11 years, it was my mom's first time visiting the park! We had a great day at the park, as it was sunny and warm. We used our legacy Six Flags memberships with the all park passport to gain admission and receive some in-park discounts too!  During the day, I was able to get on all the major rides and roller coasters in one day as the crowds were quite minimal. My mom and I rode the Antique Autos, KI and Miami Valley Railroad, and Grand Carousel together. I've always had a great time at Kings Island in the past, so I was glad to share that experience with my mom!

Be sure to enjoy the photos from our day at Kings Island! 🙂

Our day started out quite warm and sunny, making it a perfect day to visit Kings Island. I hadn't been to the park in a little over two years, so I was excited to be back!

New at Kings Island in 2025 is a "water coaster" and a kids activity area for Soak City, the park's water park. We arrived at Kings Island just before opening, so we got to experience the very welcoming and excited energy that the front gate admission staff provided before opening the park for the day. It's touches like that, which continue to make Kings Island a favourite park of mine!

Once inside, I captured this photo of International Street before heading off to the Action Zone section of the park.

The rides were testing before opening for the day. Here is Delirium swinging high into the sky. I would take a ride on it shortly after this photo was taken. it was nice to ride it again as it was closed during my last visit in 2023.

Drop Tower was also testing, dropping the empty gondola from 300 feet! I would also take a ride on it, which you will see shortly!

My first ride of the day was on Invertigo, the park's Vekoma Inverted Boomerang Coaster. I've always enjoyed Invertigo and was longing for a ride on it as I last rode it in 2016! It was still very smooth and intense as I remembered it!

After Invertigo, a ride on Drop Tower was next! The ride before I queued was full, but once I boarded, I was the only one on Drop Tower!

It had been nine years since I last rode Kings Island's Drop Tower as it was closed due to wind and maintenance on previous visits, so it was nice to be reacquainted again! I'll be truthfully honest that it was quite eerie riding it all by myself as you could here the humming and creaking of the ride as you approached the top of the tower! Usually other riders talking and screaming hide those noises! 🤣

I forgot how long it holds you at the top for! 😂Once in freefall, I put my hands up in the air, enjoying the drop from 300 feet above!

After an exhilarating ride on Drop Tower, I ventured over to The Bat, the park's Arrow Suspended Coaster. Due to its location in the park, The Bat is quite hidden, but the long pathway to the roller coaster allows for some great photo opportunities!

The Bat rode a bit smoother than I remembered, which is great as I love Arrow Suspended Coasters!

Up next was a ride on Banshee! This awesome B&M Inverted Coaster is still as intense as the first time I rode it! I love the g's that the train pulls as it goes through its inversions, especially the pretzel knot inversion! To my surprise, I did get pinned by the restraint like I had during a ride on Banshee years ago, which was great!

During my last visit to Kings Island in April 2023, the new for 2023 Adventure Port was under construction. It was nice to see the area completed in-person.

One of the two rides added to the area is Cargo Loco, a Zamperla spinning tea cup ride themed to barrels labelled with different products. It is a nice ride that fits the area well.

I really like the retheme of this area of the park. It looks really good!

The other new ride added to the Adventure Port section is Sol Spin, a Zamperla Endeavor ride. It also fits in really well with the area, and boosts the park's flat ride line-up, which is desperately needed!

From Sol Spin's queue, you can get a good view of Banshee and Drop Tower.

I love the sign for Sol Spin!

While not new, Adventure Express was incorporated into Adventure Port. It was given a slight retheme with some new audio and theming features.

There were many of these signs in the queue, which greatly added to the theme!

Some new theming was added to the queue of Adventure Express to fit in with the Adventure Port section. I've always enjoyed this Arrow mine train, so it was great to ride it once again!

Here is the 2025 park map of Kings Island. The maps at the newly formed Six Flags Entertainment Company now feature a more flat look with shadows to show the height of rides and roller coasters. Kind of an odd design choice in my opinion.

Sadly The Monster was closed during our visit.

While it is currently in pieces, it will be reassembled for this summer as that is when a long awaited part will arrive to make it operational again!

The Racer was riding exceptionally well, allowing me to keep my hands up the entire ride!

For lunch, I went to Skyline Chili in Coney Mall and had the always tasty Three Way. I just love chili and spaghetti topped with a mountain of cheddar cheese! 😋

After lunch, I headed to Area 72 to ride Orion and Flight of Fear.

Orion and Flight of fear both rode very well like they had before!

After I took thrilling rides on Orion and Flight of Fear, my mom and I took a spin on the Kings Mills Antique Autos.

Kings Mills Antique Autos provides a relaxing and scenic ride.

Up next was a ride on Queen City Stunt Coaster, formerly known as Backlot Stunt Coaster. To the surprise of many, I had never been on Kings Island's version of the roller coaster despite being at the park three times before! Well, I finally got the "credit" this time around, completing the Stunt Coaster trio. 

Just like the version o\at Canada's Wonderland, Kings Island's version is celebrating 20 years of operation in 2025!

For its 20th anniversary, it received a retheme to honour the city of Cincinnati, which is just south of the park! I really like the fresh, clean look of Queen City Stunt Coaster and can only hope that a similar retheme tying into Vaughan (or Toronto) happens to the Backlot Stunt Coaster at Canada's Wonderland!

After a quick ride on Queen City Stunt Coaster, my mom and I ventured to Rivertown to ride the KI and Miami Valley Railroad. On our way over, I captured this photo of Diamondback. I would return to Rivertown later in the day to ride The Beast and Diamondback.

From the KI and Miami Valley Railroad, you can get great views of Diamondback.

Hands up is the best way to ride Diamondback!

You also get close to Mystic Timbers along the scenic journey. I would ride this fun, airtime filled wooden coaster after my ride on KI and Miami Valley Railroad.

Here is my mom and I riding the KI and Miami Valley Railroad.

The locomotive was chugging along the wooded track.

The old western town was a little quiet today.

After a ride on Mystic Timbers, we ventured over to Camp Snoopy, a new expansion of Planet Snoopy that arrived at the park in 2024. With the addition of Camp Snoopy in 2024, came the addition of Snoopy's Soap Box Racers, a fun Vekoma Family Boomerang Coaster!

Each car is themed to one of the Peanuts comic characters. The ride is accompanied with audio and theming, enhancing the overall experience! It was a smooth ride, with the backwards portion being a bit disorienting, which was fun!

Also while in Camp Snoopy, I got on Woodstock's Air Rail (recently formerly known as Flying Ace Aerial Chase). It rode well and is a clone of Silver Streak at Canada's Wonderland. it's funny how it took this long to ride Woodstock's Air Rail but I guess the small crowds helped.

Before leaving Camp Snoopy, I took a spin on the classic log flume, Charlie Brown's Rushing River Log Ride. Last time I rode it was known as Race For Your Life, Charlie Brown. The name is still the same length as before! 🤣 But it is great to see the park maintain this classic log flume ride!

Up next was a quick visit up the Eiffel Tower.

I've always enjoyed the views from the top of the Eiffel Tower.

Here's a view overlooking Oktoberfest and Action Zone.

Adventure Port is very colourful from below as it is above!

Banshee still prominently stands out from atop the Eiffel Tower.

Here's a better view of a dismantled Monster, set to return later this summer.

You can see a far distance from the Eiffel Tower on a clear day!

I've always liked how hidden The Beast is amongst the trees!

Diamondback snakes its way through Rivertown.

Here's a train full of riders about the descend the first drop on The Beast!

If you look closely, you can see the narrow twisted layout of Snoopy's Soap Box Racers behind Woodstock's Air Rail.

Delirium was still swinging skywards on this beautiful late-afternoon.

The Bat is easily visible from the Eiffel Tower.

Here's an interesting perspective of The Racer!

Once back on the ground, I joined my mom for a ride on the Grand Carousel.

The Grand Carousel, a 1926 PTC Carousel is still riding well at 99 years old. It will be 100 in 2026!

With closing time quickly approaching, I headed over to Rivertown to get my rides in on The Beast and Diamondback.

The first lift hill on The Beast is always a fun experience as the train slowly climbs the lift hill before plunging down the 141 drop into the tunnel below!

My final ride of the day during our visit to Kings Island was on Diamondback!

After a fun day at the park, it was time to head out!

Here's my Mom and I posing in front of the Eiffel Tower before heading out! Until next time, Kings Island! Up next are photos of our first-ever visit to Cedar Point! 🙂