Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Need a break from city life? Head over to Tractor Town at HOWL-O-FEST

New for 2009 at HOWL-O-FEST is Tractor Town. Kids pedal their way through town on a John Deere tractor. From farmer Scheid's barn, the kids pedal their way through Shaferville Junction, Ms. Molly's Apple Orchard, Crooked K Ranch and Dry Gulch Canyon before ending at Sam's Pumpkin Patch.

HOWL-O-FEST takes place Saturdays and Sundays from Noon to 5:30pm at Kings Island and is included free with park admission or season pass.

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Day of fun and excitement begins with the Meijer Costume Parade at HOWL-O-FEST

The Meijer Costume Parade starts at Noon each day for the family-friendly HOWL-O-FEST event at Kings Island. The line begins near the Nickelodeon Theatre. Best costumes of the day win great prizes.

Saturday, September 26, 2009

Petting Zoo new for 2009 at Howl-O-Fest

There are a number of friendly animals to pet, feed and learn from at Howl-O-Fest at Kings Island. Can you believe some of the animals can even talk and do silly tricks?

Howl-O-Fest takes place Saturdays and Sundays at Kings Island from Noon to 5:30pm through November 1.

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Preparation continues for HOWL-O-FEST

Mary Slocum of Hamilton, Ohio paints a scene for the new Tractor Town attraction for HOWL-O-FEST at Kings Island on Tuesday. The family-friendly HOWL-O-FEST event takes place Saturdays and Sundays from Noon to 5:30pm, from September 27 through November 1 and is included free with park admission and season pass.

Sunday, September 20, 2009

All You Fear is Here!

There’s nowhere to run and nowhere to hide. Screams of pure panic pierce the night in the most immersive horror experience in the Midwest – Halloween Haunt at Kings Island!

Halloween Haunt 2009 has been expanded to 16 terrifying nights and will desecrate Kings Island with more blood, terror and gore than ever before! The bloodcurdling horror and mind-bending terror of Halloween Haunt features more than 500 ghastly creatures emerging from the darkness, 13 highly-intense and chilling haunted attractions including the new Slaughter House and Cut Throat Cove mazes and Hot Blooded “live” show, along with some of the most hair-raising rides on the planet such as the new Diamondback roller coaster, a 230-foot tall monster that screams through 5,282 feet of track at speeds up to 80 miles per hour!

Halloween Haunt is not for the faint of heart and will ravage all of your senses. This in-your-face horror experience continues to break new ground and is filled with terrifying chain-link mazes, frightening wooded trails, disturbing clowns in 3D and outrageous “live” shows. No other Halloween event in the region can match the number of scares, blood, terror and gore.

Parents, be advised. Halloween Haunt includes graphic scenes, suggestive themes and intense imagery and is intended for mature audiences; not recommended for children. No one and nothing is off limits!

Gates to the underworld are open from 7:00pm to 1:00am every Friday and Saturday night September 25 through October 31 and select Thursdays (October 8, 15) and Sundays (October 11, 18) from 7:00pm to midnight.

For more information on Halloween Haunt, including attractions, photos, videos and deadly deals on tickets, log onto www.visitkingsisland.com/haunt.

Saturday, September 19, 2009

Petting Zoo among new activities at HOWL-O-FEST

Several new activities have been added to HOWL-O-FEST for 2009, including a Petting Zoo. HOWL-O-FEST is the ultimate kids' Halloween Party and takes place at Kings Island on Saturdays and Sundays September 27 through November 1, from Noon to 5:30pm. The immensely popular HOWL-O-FEST event is included free with park admission and season pass.

Monday, September 14, 2009

HOWL-O-FEST the ultimate kids' Halloween Party

By now you’ve heard that Kings Island has been voted the “Best Kids’ Area in the World” for nine consecutive years (2001-2009) by Amusement Today readers. But did you know in the fall Kings Island is also where the ultimate kids’ Halloween Party takes place with the immensely popular family-friendly HOWL-O-FEST?

Little ghouls and goblins absolutely love HOWL-O-FEST. There are all kinds of things for kids to do that are fun-scary, not scary-scary. HOWL-O-FEST activities include a costume parade, a giant indoor maze, a dizzying hay bale maze, mask painting, trick-or-treating, a dance party, talking pumpkins, a talking witch, petting zoo, games, food, fun and so much more!

HOWL-O-FEST takes place Saturdays and Sundays at Kings Island from Noon to 5:30pm from September 27 through November 1 and included free with park admission and season pass.

For more information visit www.howlofest.visitkingsisland.com.

Thursday, September 10, 2009

Amusement Today readers award Kings Island with Golden Ticket for Best Kids' Area in the World

For the ninth year in a row, Amusement Today readers awarded Kings Island with the prestigious Golden Ticket Award for Best Kids’ Area in the World.

Eighteen attractions, including four children’s roller coasters, numerous children’s rides, waterplay areas, a haunted interactive dark ride and a family flume complement the expansive kids’ area.

Not resting on its laurels, Kings Island’s kids’ area will receive a fresh new look with a timeless classic in 2010 as it becomes home to the beloved PEANUTS Gang. Planet Snoopy will feature an elaborate collection of PEANUTS-themed rides and attractions for every age, including a live stage show and daily meet and greet opportunities with the PEANUTS characters such as Snoopy, Charlie Brown, Lucy and Linus.

The Diamondback roller coaster was voted as the second-best new amusement park ride for 2009, receiving the most votes among new steel roller coasters. The tallest and fastest roller coaster at Kings Island debuted at No. 7 on the chart of the Top 50 Steel Roller Coasters.

The Beast roller coaster jumped from eighth place to seventh on the list of the Top 50 Wooden Roller Coasters. The legendary ride made its debut 30 years ago in 1979 and still stands today as the world’s longest wooden roller coaster at 7,400 feet.

The Golden Ticket Awards are the result of a survey conducted by Amusement Today, a respected amusement park trade publication. Every year, hundreds of well-traveled theme park enthusiasts are chosen to share their expertise to determine a winner in each category. A list of all the Golden Ticket Award winners can be found at http://www.amusementtoday.com/.

Monday, September 7, 2009

Curtain closes on Flashback: Totally 80's

The final performance of Flashback: Totally 80's in the International Showplace Theatre at Kings Island took place on Labor Day. More than 250,000 guests were entertained by the show's singers and dancers as they paid tribute to leg warmers, mullets, Rubik's Cube and the songs that defined a decade the past two seasons.

"Humble" Bob Shoudt repeats as Skyline Chili Spaghetti Eating Champion

“Humble” Bob Shoudt repeated as champion in the second annual Skyline Chili Spaghetti Eating Championship Monday at Kings Island, out-dueling his rival Joey “Jaws” Chestnut in an epic contest that pushed both gluttonous gladiators to the brink. In a classic Labor Day battle that tested the very depths of their distended stomachs, the Royersford, Pennsylvania native downed a record 13.9 pounds of chili spaghetti to Chestnut’s 12.6 in 10 minutes to retain his crown.

Sunday, September 6, 2009

Skyline Chili Spaghetti Eating Championship set for Labor Day

The greatest competitive eaters on the planet will gather at Kings Island on Labor Day to battle in the second annual Skyline Chili Spaghetti Eating Championship. Major League Eaters, an increasingly celebrated breed of American athlete, will test their jaw strength and stomach capacity in a bid for the chili spaghetti eating world record and $5,000 in cash prizes.

Last year in the inaugural Chili Eating championship,“Humble” Bob Shoudt out-dueled his rival Joey “Jaws” Chestnut in an epic eating contest that pushed both gluttonous gladiators to the brink.

In a classic Labor Day battle that tested the very depths of their distended stomachs, Humble Bob downed 13.5 pounds of chili spaghetti to Chestnut’s 13.25 in 10 minutes to be crowned the event’s first champion.

Shoudt will look to hold onto his crown on Labor Day against Chestnut –currently ranked No. 1 in the world – and a field of other top-ranked competitive eaters.

The Skyline Chili Eating Championship will take place at 1:00pm on Labor Day in the International Showplace Theatre and is included free with park admission and season pass.

Saturday, September 5, 2009

Wachs, Walburg inducted into Walk of Fame

Former Kings Island employees Gary Wachs and Rich Walburg were inducted as the newest members of the Kings Island Walk of Fame Saturday morning. Wachs developed the concept and design for Kings Island in the mid 1960’s while serving as the assistant general manager of Cincinnati’s popular Coney Island and served as the park’s first general manager in 1972. Walburg was employed as a seasonal associate at Kings Island from 1983 through 1991, working in various departments including admissions, communications, ecology and food service. The class of 2009 was selected by the Kings Island Walk of Fame Selection Committee, raising the number of inductees to five. Carmen Electra, Dennis Speigel and Janeen Coyle were inducted in the inaugural Walk of Fame class last year.

Thursday, September 3, 2009

Kings Island's "Best Kids' Area in the World" to receive fresh new look with a timeless classic

The world’s most popular beagle, Snoopy, will have a new home at Kings Island, beginning with the 2010 season.

Planet Snoopy will be located in Kings Island’s “Best Kids’ Area in the World” section (Amusement Today Golden Ticket award 2001 through 2008) and will boast an elaborate collection of PEANUTS-themed rides and attractions for every age, including more kids’ roller coasters (four) than any other park in the world. Planet Snoopy will also feature a live stage show and daily meet and greet opportunities with the PEANUTS characters such as Snoopy, Charlie Brown, Lucy and Linus.

Starring an unlikely round-headed hero and a unique cast of young characters wiser and wittier than their years, Charles Schulz’s PEANUTS is not just the best-known, most-loved comic strip ever created, but a true global phenomenon. The PEANUTS characters are featured in 2,200 newspapers, in classic television specials and on re-mastered DVD’s, on stage, in hundreds of books and across the Internet. They have inspired every kind of consumer product from t-shirts to toothbrushes.

“PEANUTS are an international icon,” Kings Island’s vice president and general manager Greg Scheid said. “Snoopy and his pals are instantly recognizable among children and adults alike. We look forward to the PEANUTS Gang becoming part of the world-class thrills, fun and family entertainment for our guests.”

Planet Snoopy and the PEANUTS Gang will replace Nickelodeon Universe and Scooby-Doo.

Wednesday, September 2, 2009

Kings Island cuts prices on 2010 season passes

Kings Island is rewarding its most loyal guests by slashing prices on 2010 season passes with a four-day renewal sale.

A 2010 Kings Island Gold pass will cost $69.99 for guests that renew their 2009 season pass, a savings from last year of $20 for an individual and $80 for a family of four. A guest must visit the park on one of the following dates and show their 2009 season pass to take advantage of the four-day renewal sale: September 7, September 25, September 26 and September 27.

All season passes that are renewed during the four-day period will automatically be upgraded to Gold at no additional charge, providing the guest with free season-long parking – a savings of $39.99 per family – along with a number of VIP benefits such as early rides every day on the Diamondback and Beast roller coasters, early entry into the 15-acre Boomerang Bay waterpark and a reserved parking area.

“Our renewal offer is a way of helping families cut back on expenses without comprising family fun and entertainment,” said Matt Shafer, director of marketing at Kings Island. “When all is said and done, the average family will save more than $100 by taking advantage of this deal.”

Labor Day, September 7 will be the best of the four renewal sale days to visit and lock in this deal for next year, Shafer said.

Kings Island 2010 season passes (Regular, Gold and Platinum) go on sale September 4. There is no increase on any season pass price for next year. A few areas, including Regular adult passes and Platinum four-packs, are priced lower than last year at this time.

Beginning September 4, all 2010 season pass options can be purchased at the park on public operating days and hours through November 1. Season passes can also be purchased by phone toll free at (800) 288-0808 or online at www.visitkingsisland.com.

Tuesday, September 1, 2009

Kings Island names new Walk of Fame inductees

Former Kings Island employees Gary Wachs and Rich Walburg will be inducted as the newest members into the Kings Island Walk of Fame.

The 2009 Walk of Fame class will be inducted Saturday, September 5 during a 9:45am ceremony on International Street.

Wachs developed the concept and design for Kings Island in the mid 1960’s while serving as the assistant general manager of Cincinnati’s popular Coney Island. He was named the first general manager of Kings Island and is accredited for bringing back roller coasters and other thrill rides into the amusement and theme park industry when the park opened to the public in 1972. Wachs currently is general manager and co-owner of the Garfield Suites Hotel in Cincinnati.

Walburg was employed as a seasonal associate at Kings Island from 1983 through 1991, working in various departments including admissions, communications, ecology and food service. He has spent the past 16 years at 700 WLW radio in Cincinnati where he currently serves as assistant program director and executive producer.

The class of 2009 was selected by the Kings Island Walk of Fame Selection Committee, raising the number of inductees to five. Carmen Electra, Dennis Speigel and Janeen Coyle were inducted in the inaugural Walk of Fame class last year.