MasonBuzz.com

Gary Coleman, pictured front right, of Monfort Heights, celebrates his 7,000th ride on Kings Island’s Diamondback roller coaster on July 4, 2012. Photo provided/Kings Island

Kings Island capped off a successful year that saw the park’s rides and attractions give a combined 25,371,572 rides during the park’s 40th anniversary season, the park reported.

Five attractions gave more than 1 million rides: Diamondback (1,812,311), The Racer (1,372,948), The Beast (1,130,830), Vortex (1,120,052) and the K.I. & Miami Valley Railroad (1,046,644).

The K.I. & Miami Valley Railroad surpassed its 50 million mark in rides given this year. It’s the second-most in park history to The Racer at 97,825, 493.

More than 1.25 billion rides — 1,254,044,426 to be exact — have been given since the park opened in 1972.  The Enchanted Voyage (47,380,374) and Kenton County Keelboat Canal (40,069,518) top the list of retired rides.

The Vortex is expected to give its 40 millionth ride in 2013, Dodgem its 30 millionth and Flight Deck is 20 millionth.

Posted in: Arts & Entertainment, Kings Island |

Tags: Tags: amusement park, diamondback, dodgem, enchanted voyage, flight deck, k.i. & miami valley railroad, kings island, mason, retired rides, rides, the beast, the racer, theme park, vortex

Kings Island has swept the competition once again to bring home the theme park industry’s top award for best kids’ area in the world.

The Mason theme park picked up its 12th consecutive Golden Ticket award from trade journal Amusement Today.  The award is the amusement park industry’s equivalent of the Academy Award.

The international journal gives Golden Ticket awards each year in about two dozen categories as determined by park fans from around the world.

KI’s Planet Snoopy includes a collection of “Peanuts”-themed rides for children, including four kids’ roller coasters, live stage shows and daily meet-and-greet opportunities with Snoopy, Charlie Brown, Lucy and Linus and other Peanuts characters.

For the fifth consecutive year, the Beast was ranked as the seventh-best wooden roller coaster in the world.  The Beast opened in 1979 and still stands as the longest wooden roller coaster in the world at 7,400 feet.

Diamondback moved up to the No. 10 spot in the steel roller coaster category.

A list of all the 2012 Golden Ticket Award winners is at www.amusementtoday.com.

KI is closed until Sept. 21, when gates to its sixth season of Halloween Haunt opens at 6 p.m.  Two kid-friendly Halloween events, the all-new Howl-O-Palooza and Trick-or-Treat with the Dinosaurs, open Sept. 23.

Posted in: Arts & Entertainment, Kings Island |

Tags: Tags: amusement today, best kids' area in the world, cedar fair, diamondback, dinosaurs alive, golden ticket, halloween haunt, howl-o-fest, kings island, mason, roller coaster, the beast, theme park, trade journal, trick-or-treat with the dinosaurs

Andy and Jordan Dalton ride the Diamondback with some of the children their foundation brought to Kings Island as part of the King for a Day program.

Joe Reedy reports:

With a day off between the dog days of training camp and preparing for the first preseason game against the Jets, Andy Dalton took time out to provide some fun for 75 families.

The Andy and Jordan Dalton Foundation held its first King for a Day at Kings Island for children with special needs or severe or chronic illnesses with their families. The children and their families had an all-expense-paid day at the theme park that included passes for rides, snack vouchers and lunch.

“It is going really well. Everyone seems to be having a lot of fun,” Dalton said. “It was a great turnout. I’m glad this thing worked out and everyone has been appreciative of what we’ve done.”

• Video: Andy Dalton rides Diamondback
• Photos: King for a Day at KI

Since announcing the formation of his foundation in late April, Dalton held a fundraising event in June and Monday’s event. There is a plan later this year for a Date Night where the Daltons would host sick children while their families would be able to enjoy a night out.

After lunch, Dalton and some of the children and their families went on the Diamondback roller coaster. Dalton said he had not been to a theme park in awhile, but he enjoyed the roller coasters.

“As long as it is not spinning around I’m good,” he said.

Dalton and his wife, Jordan, were in the front row and he seemed none the worse for wear after the ride. The mission of the Andy and Jordan Dalton Foundation is to provide opportunities, support and resources to children and families in need throughout Greater Cincinnati.

The Daltons weren’t the only ones doing community outreach. Head coach Marvin Lewis and three players – Jermaine Gresham, Geno Atkins and Adam Jones – toured Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton. Lewis and the players visited the museum, did the F-16 flight simulators, ate with airmen and then did an autograph session for families.

The Bengals are doing a ticket promotion with the base for the Oct. 5 game against Miami. They will also honor members of the base at that game.

Posted in: Arts & Entertainment, Community, Kings Island, News |

Tags: Tags: adam jones, andy and jordan dalton foundation, andy dalton, bengals, children, cincinnati bengals, diamondback, football, geno atkins, illnesses, jermaine gresham, jordan dalton, ki, king for a day, kings island, marvin lewis, mason, quarterback, special needs

Kings Island’s Vortex roller coaster will be featured at 9 tonight on Travel Channel’s “Insane Coaster Wars” program.

Designed specifically for Kings Island, the Vortex began churning tummies in April 1987.  Its debut placed the Mason amusement park in the national spotlight, drawing crews from Entertainment Tonight, Good Morning America and a Chinese television station.

The $4 million coaster constructed with 750 tons of steel rockets through six inversions, more than any other ride in the world when it opened, at speeds of 55 mph.  At the time, it was the most expensive ride since the park opened in 1972.

In its 25 years, the Vortex has given more than 36 million rides, the sixth-most in park history, according to park officials. Its record year was 1987, when more than 2 million riders thrilled to its 3,800 twisted feet of steel.

Consider this: The Vortex flips riders head-over-heels six times per ride; multiplying that by total rides, it comes to more than 216,000,000 upside down flips — easily enough to make you lose your lunch.

Kings Island’s Diamondback roller coaster will be on the same show July 29.

Kings Island is celebrating its 40th anniversary this season.

Posted in: Arts & Entertainment, Kings Island |

Tags: Tags: diamondback, insane coaster wars, kings island, mason, roller coaster, travel channel, vortex

Thelma Gratsch, right, celebrates her 90th birthday on Friday, July 13, 2012 with a plunge down Kings Island’s Diamondback roller coaster. Photo provided

Thelma Gratsch celebrated her 90th birthday in a big way Friday.

The Mt. Lookout nonagenarian marked the milestone with a plunge on Kings Island’s Diamondback roller coaster.

Gratsch, who park officials believe to be the oldest park guest to have ridden the Mason amusement park’s tallest and fastest coaster, says she’s racked up more than 100 rides on Diamondback since the ride opened in 2009. She’s purchased a season pass to the park every year since they were first offered in 1979.

Considered one of the top-ranked steel coasters in the world, Diamondback hurls riders through “5,282 feet of steep drops, twists and turns through 10 acres of terrain at speeds up to 80 miles,” according to KI.

Gratsch isn’t the only senior to brave Diamondback.  Gary Coleman, 70, of Monfort Heights, took his 7,000th plunge on Diamondback last week.

Kings Island, which is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, is open daily through Aug. 26.

Posted in: Arts & Entertainment, Kings Island |

Tags: Tags: 90th birthday, diamondback, gary coleman, kings island, mason, mt. lookout, roller coaster, thelma gratsch

Gary Coleman, pictured front right, of Monfort Heights, celebrates his 7,000th ride on Kings Island’s Diamondback roller coaster on July 4, 2012. Photo provided/Kings Island

A Cincinnati man celebrated ride number 7,000 — yes, that’s right — on Kings Island’s Diamondback roller coaster this week.

Gary Colemen, 70, of Monfort Heights, took the milestone plunge Wednesday on the Mason amusement park’s tallest and fastest coaster.

Considered one of the top-ranked steel coasters in the world, Diamondback hurls riders through “5,282 feet of steep drops, twists and turns through 10 acres of terrain at speeds up to 80 miles,” according to the park’s website.

Coleman began riding the coaster in 2009 “just for fun,” but said it soon turned into an all-consuming passion.  He has spent more than 350 hours on Diamondback in the past four years and has coasted roughly the equivalent of a ride across the U.S. and more than halfway back, park officials estimate.

Coleman, who has a platinum season pass, has racked up more than 1,100 rides on Diamondback in just 30 visits to the park this season, for an average of 37 rides a day, including a personal single-day record of 111 rides on June 17.

Kings Island, which is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, is open daily through Aug. 26.

Posted in: Arts & Entertainment, Kings Island |

Tags: Tags: 000, cincinnati, diamondback, gary coleman, kings island, mason, rides, roller coaster 7, senior