Grant is right about Son Of Beast. It is a pain...especially for those over six feet tall. You may have a better ride than I do, but if you are tall like me (6'3"), your knees may not like it so much. I think that I would like Son of Beast a lot better if I were six inches shorter. If you like to get wet, than White Water Canyon is the ticket. Scooby Doo and the Haunted Castle is also a fun ride for the family. It's a shooter dark ride. There are plenty of smaller family coasters and gentle rides, as well as some new shows that I haven't seen yet like School of Rock, but hopefully you can get your mother to drum up some courage and ride the good stuff with you.
If you have time, be sure to check out the waterpark Boomerang Bay. It's a good one. Most of the food places are good too, but here are my recommendations
LaRosas Pizza
Montgomery Inn Ribs
Potato Works
Bubba Gumps Shrimp Shack
Festhaus (food is good, but air conditioning is better)
If you are planning on visiting during a weekend, than I recommend that you get to the park as early as possible and ride as many rides early. Kings Island has enormous crowds on the weekends, but they are bearable in the mornings if you start from the back and work you way towards the entrance. If it is indeed a weekend, than be ready for some lines later in the afternoon, which aren't too slow moving, but hey, who likes to wait in line?
Hope you have fun!
And is the park going to do WinterFest again? We might be visiting Cincinnati for Thanksgiving and would like to go then if it will be open.
PKI's stuff for kids...where do I begin. Nickelodeon will probably be making a bigger splash in the next couple of years, as word is that Hanna Barbera may be on it's way out. Right now there are still only a few Nick themed attractions, but that will change soon. My top picks for the kids in no particular order...
Rugrats Runaway Reptar- kiddie inverted coaster
Scooby Doo and the Haunted Castle- MIB Alien Attack-like shooter dark ride
Adventure Express-Themed Mine train coaster
Wild Thornberries River Adventure- themed log flume
The Beastie- classic out and back wooden coaster.
Paramount Action FX theatre- simulator theatre...one side features a Spongebob themed movie.
Nickelodeon Celebration Parade- Daily Parade featuring all the characters they love
White Water Canyon- rapids ride well hidden back in the woods.
For kids a bit older and braver...
Italian Job Stunt Track- Thrilling, but 45 mph launch speed makes it kid friendly
The Racers- Classic wood coaster, not too big for the kids, but not too weak for adults either.
There is now a large selection of kid rides in Hanna Barbera Land, ranging from bumper cars to carnival rides to more kiddie coasters. A youngster will have a field day riding all of these time tested attractions. A lot of care has gone into the kiddie areas the past few years. Also, Boomerang Bay, the waterpark, has a lot for the kids to do as well. For those with kids who will ride anything, the sky is the limit.
Word is that there will be a big Nick expansion next year. The initial rumor is the addition of the Spongebob Crash Course Boating School, which you will know if you took the new rides guest survey, and also the retheming of Hanna Barbera to Nickelodeon. The last rumor is the Nickelodeon Carwash..which would be perfect for retheming those antique cars they took out for IJST. Mind you these are rumors, but they are the biggest ones out there right now.
The attractions that you don't want to miss are Boomerang Bay (great water park), Flight of Fear, the Beast, Vortex, White Water Canyon, and the twin Racers. For those looking for something smoother, Top Gun, the new Italian Job, Beastie Coaster, and Runaway Reptar are great fun and smooth coasters.
The kids area has been awarded as being one of the best in the country several times. My kids love it. There is lots to do. The Beastie, Log flume, Scooby Haunted Mansion, and Runaway Reptar coasters are great for older kids. And for the toddlers there is a ton of themed easy rides.
For Food, my personal favorite is Skyline chili. Larosas, and others are great as well. For dessert make sure to try the blueberry/vanilla swirl ice cream cones in the kiddie area. They are awesome.
PKI is a great family park, has something for everyone. I know Cedar Point is the coaster king of Ohio, but I still love taking my family to PKI. I hope you enjoy your visit!
