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Kings Island, 7/20 and 7/21


cdubbs727
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Took a trip to the park last week with my wife, son (he's 4) and my sister and her sons (8 and 5). We tried doing KI with our son last year, but he was a tad too young (and my wife too pregnant with our second) for it to be a great trip. This year, we left the baby with grandparents and the three of us drove from Detroit to the Kings Island area. 

 

We stayed at the Shaker Inn, which I kind of hate mentioning, if only because I don't want anyone else to find out about it. You can't beat the price, it's clean and quiet, and we had the pool all to ourselves when we checked in. Great little location, and it feels like our own little secret. 

 

It was hot as blazes both days, which I think kept the crowds down. Planet Snoopy was packed early in the day both days, but the longest wait we had was about 20 minutes for Diamondback. My wife and I used parent swap or we took turns watching the kids, so we were able to ride pretty much all of our favorites. I've been riding The Beast since I was 10, and it's so great that it still holds up nearly 30 years later. Banshee's quickly becoming one of my favorites at the park and I don't think you can beat the airtime on Vortex (well, maybe with Diamondback). 

 

As a parent, I'm simply amazed how great Kings Island's kids area is. We obviously spent a lot of time there and I never felt like it was drudgery. Sure, there were things we had to sit and wait for our kids to ride, but we had fun shooting ghosts with our kid on Boo Blasters. I took the boy on the Great Pumpkin, which he loved. I also as able to get him on Woodstock Express (which I'll still always call The Beastie). He got done and just said, "that was fast," but wouldn't go on again. Still, no tears, so that's good (but I couldn't get him on Race For Your Life, Charlie Brown). 

 

My wife and I did each did the $30 meal option the first day, which was a lifesaver. We thought the food options we had were great and it kept us full without breaking the bank. 

 

The only thing that I would count as a negative is that whenever we had to deal with non-ride employees, like at stores or food stations, there always seemed to be an issue. Sometimes they would appear to be spacing out a bit. Other times, they were a bit rude. Sometimes they didn't seem to know what they were selling or how to deal with the offers that came in through the app (I had a heck of a time trying to redeem 40% off an Icee). But that's kind of par for the course when dealing with high school and college help, whether at an amusement park or elsewhere. I will note, however, that so many of the ride attendants -- particularly in Planet Snoopy -- were extremely friendly, funny and outgoing. The only other negative was totally our fault; when it came time for the fireworks, we gathered on the side of International Street closest to Planet Snoopy (where we had been), but close to the Eiffel Tower and the fireworks were obscured behind a tree. Bummer. But it was also the shortest firework show I can remember. 

 

Although Cedar Point is our "local" park (still about 2.5 hours from us), Kings Island has always felt more like home to me. My grandparents started taking me and my cousins when I was about 4, and it was a yearly tradition until my late teens. In my twenties, I'd grab friends and go to Spirit Song and power through three days of riding and music until we were exhausted. I met my wife seven years ago and we started going together the next year after we got engaged, and we've tried to make it into an annual tradition, just like I had growing up. It's amazing how much nostalgia can be had just from glimpsing the Eiffel Tower on the freeway, standing alongside the Royal Fountain, or even smelling the lumber on The Beast on a hot day. Kings Island's a different park than when I was a kid, but not that different. So much of it has remained unchanged. And it's very moving to see my son get excited about the same things I loved as a kid and even try to rationalize himself to get on rides as I did. It's a special place for me, and I'm kind of glad I only get to come once a year, so that it stays that way. 

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