If you grew up anywhere near the tristate area, you probably have a specific memory of the Eiffel Tower. Not the one in France. I’m talking about the one that sits at the end of International Street, the one that smells like funnel cakes and sunscreen. Honestly, Kings Island amusement park Mason Ohio isn't just a place where people go to get motion sickness. It’s a massive, 364-acre institution that has basically defined the summer experience for millions since 1972.
Most people think they know the park. They think it's just The Beast and blue ice cream. They’re wrong. There is a weird, deep history here that involves everything from the Brady Bunch to a literal lion safari that used to roam where the parking lot is now.
The Beast is still the king (and it's not even close)
Let's talk about the wooden elephant in the room. The Beast. It’s been around since 1979, and it’s still the longest wooden roller coaster in the world. 7,361 feet. That is a lot of wood.
What people don’t realize is that The Beast shouldn't really exist by modern engineering standards. It was designed in-house by the park’s own team, lead by Al Collins and Jeff Gramke, without a computer. They basically hacked it out of the woods. If you ride it at night, it’s a completely different experience. You can't see the track. You just feel the tunnels and the smell of grease and old timber. It’s terrifying. In a good way.
Recently, the park spent a fortune "re-tracking" huge sections of it. Gravity Group came in and fixed the vertical drop and the turns. It’s smoother now, but it still has that signature "I might actually die" rattle that makes wooden coasters great.
Why Orion changed the skyline
Then you have Orion. It’s a "giga" coaster, which is just a fancy way of saying it drops more than 300 feet. It’s one of only seven in the world. When you’re at the top of that lift hill, looking out toward Mason and Lebanon, you realize just how massive this operation is. The drop is 300 feet at an 85-degree angle. Basically vertical.
Some enthusiasts complain it's too short. Maybe. But the speed—91 mph—is enough to make your eyes water for ten minutes straight.
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The weird truth about the blue ice cream
If you go to Kings Island and don't eat the blue ice cream, did you even go? It’s officially "Blueberry," but everyone knows it's just blue. It was introduced in 1982 to promote a Smurfs ride. The Smurfs are long gone. The ride is gone. But the ice cream stayed because people in Cincinnati would probably riot if it left.
It’s blueberry-flavored soft serve. That’s it. But there’s a strange nostalgia to it. It’s part of the lore. You’ll see grown men in business suits sitting on a bench in Planet Snoopy eating a blue cone like their lives depend on it.
The Diamondback and the splashdown
Diamondback is the workhorse of the park. It’s a B&M (Bolliger & Mabillard) hypercoaster. These things are known for "airtime." That feeling where your stomach stays at the top of the hill while your body goes down.
What most visitors miss is the engineering of the splashdown at the end. It uses these scoops on the back of the train to spray water into the air. It looks cool, but it’s actually a braking mechanism. It uses the resistance of the water to slow the train down before it hits the station. Science.
Why the location in Mason matters
Mason, Ohio, wasn't always a booming suburb. In the early 70s, it was mostly farmland. When Kings Island moved from its old location at Coney Island (on the banks of the Ohio River), people thought the owners were crazy. Coney Island kept flooding. The rides were literally underwater half the time.
The move to Mason changed everything. It turned a quiet town into a major tourism hub. Now, you have Great Wolf Lodge next door and the Lindner Family Tennis Center across the street. The park pays a massive amount of tax revenue to the city. It’s a business juggernaut.
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The dark side: Haunted history and the safari
Every old park has legends. Kings Island is no different. Ask any long-time employee about "Tower Johnny." The story goes that a guy fell down the elevator shaft of the Eiffel Tower in the 80s. People claim to see him near the base of the tower at night.
Then there’s the Lion Country Safari. From 1974 to 1993, there was a literal monorail that took you through a wildlife preserve. You could see lions and giraffes in the middle of Ohio. It sounds fake. It wasn’t. Eventually, the costs of keeping exotic animals in a climate that fluctuates between 100 degrees and negative 10 became too much.
Strategy for the modern park-goer
Don't just walk in and go to the first ride you see. That’s what rookies do.
The crowd usually flows to the right toward Action Zone (Banshee, The Bat) or straight back to Orion. If you want to beat the lines, go left toward Rivertown. Hit Mystic Timbers first thing. It’s a wooden coaster built by GCI, and it is incredibly fast. Plus, it has "the shed" at the end. I won’t spoil what’s in the shed, but it’s a fun piece of storytelling that most parks don't bother with anymore.
The Fast Lane dilemma
Is it worth the extra $100? Honestly, on a Saturday in July, yes. If you’re visiting from out of town and only have one day, you’ll spend four hours standing in line for Flight of Fear otherwise. If you go on a Tuesday in May? Don't waste your money. You can walk onto almost everything.
Soak City: The park within a park
Your ticket includes the water park. A lot of people forget this. Soak City is huge, but it gets packed by 2:00 PM. If you’re a water person, do the dry rides in the morning when it’s cool, hit the water park around noon, and then head back to the main park once the sun starts to set.
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The "Tropical Plunge" is the standout here. It’s one of those slides where the floor drops out from under you. It’s terrifying for the first three seconds.
What most people get wrong about the food
Park food is expensive. We know this. A slice of LaRosa’s pizza is going to cost you way more than it does at a regular parlor. But if you're going to spend the money, go to the Miami River Brewhouse. It’s actual food—burgers, wings, craft beer—and it’s air-conditioned.
Also, the dining plan is actually a decent deal if you're there for more than six hours. You can eat every 90 minutes. You’ll feel like a human trash can by the end of the day, but you’ll get your money’s worth.
The seasonal shift
Kings Island isn't just a summer thing anymore. WinterFest has become a massive deal. They turn the fountains into an ice skating rink. They put millions of lights on the Eiffel Tower. It’s actually kind of beautiful.
And then there's Halloween Haunt. It’s loud, it’s foggy, and it’s full of teenagers screaming. If you have kids, go during the day for the "Tricks and Treats" fall fest. If you want to get jumped at by a guy with a chainsaw, go after 7:00 PM.
How to actually handle a trip to Kings Island
- Download the app. Seriously. It shows live wait times. They aren't always 100% accurate, but they're close enough to help you pivot if the line for Diamondback is two hours long.
- Drink water. It sounds like "mom" advice, but the humidity in Mason in August is brutal. You can get free cups of ice water at any concession stand. Just ask. Don't pay $6 for a bottled water.
- Park in the back. If you arrive late, the front of the lot is a nightmare. Drive toward the North exit side. It’s a longer walk to the gate, but getting out at the end of the night will be twenty minutes faster.
- Hit the Beast at night. I mentioned this before, but it bears repeating. There is no experience in the coaster world quite like the final helix of The Beast in total darkness.
- Check the weather. If it rains, they shut down the big coasters. But usually, if it’s just a quick summer shower, the crowds clear out. Stay. Put on a poncho. When the rides reopen, you’ll have the place to yourself.
Kings Island amusement park Mason Ohio stays relevant because it balances nostalgia with genuine thrills. It’s not a plastic, corporate "theme" park in the way some Florida parks are. It feels like Ohio. It feels like summer. Whether you’re there for the record-breaking coasters or just to sit by the fountains and eat a blue ice cream, it’s a place that actually lives up to the hype.
To make the most of your next visit, check the Cincinnati Reds schedule before you go; if there's a home game, the park is often slightly less crowded. Buy your parking pass online in advance to save $5 and skip the gate line. Finally, start your day at the very back of the park and work your way forward to stay ahead of the primary crowd surge.