It’s that time of the year again! Regional parks are awakening out of their winter slumber and opening their doors to what has been going on behind the scenes over the off-season.
We had the privilege to visit Kings Island this weekend to take a construction tour of their expansion within their award-winning Planet Snoopy section and are here to give you three reasons to get excited for 2024!
1 – All New Food Options
One of the best parts of spending the day at any park is the food! That case is especially true at Kings Island. Over the past several years, the park has put an emphasis on upgrading their food game and it hasn’t gone unnoticed. From classics like the blue ice cream, new BBQ options, fresh cut fries, and my personal favorite, the Miami River Brewhouse Nachos, Kings Island has one of the best food lineups in the industry. With the addition of yet another new option for 2024, Pigpen’s Mess Hall will offer even more for guests to enjoy.
Located in Planet Snoopy, the counter service restaurant will have kid-friendly favorites that have yet to be announced (but we have some guesses!), giving families an easy go-to choice when the kids are getting hangry! We were however given a little glimpse into a new specialty dessert that will be coming to Pigpen’s Mess Hall… let’s just say it involves peanut butter, jelly, and fried dough. Say less. We can’t wait to check out the new eats when the restaurant opens later this Spring!
2 – A Perfectly Shaded New Kids Attraction
Kings Island asked what it could do for their patrons and they listened. The public wanted more space to simply take a break while at the park and Kings Island is giving them just that. Families with young kids will now have a incredible space in Planet Snoopy to take a rest in the shade and even better, have a place to sit and watch their children play while the parents have a breather.
Photo courtesy of Kings Island
The space is aptly named Beagle Scout Acres and will take over the pavilion that used to house shows and meet and greets. While Peanut’s favorites will still be hanging under the overhang, there will be plenty more activity as well. Along with meet and greets, kids will have a chance to participate in activities that will exemplify good character. The main feature of the space will be the playground themed to Camp Snoopy with slides, tunnels, grassy areas, hills, and more. This is definitely going to be a much appreciated attraction for parents and kids alike!
3 – The Park’s New-for-2024 Roller Coaster
Last, but certainly not least, get excited for Kings Island’s new roller coaster! Snoopy’s Soap Box Racers will become the parks 15th coaster when it opens this Spring. The Vekoma Family Boomerang will reach speeds of 36 mph after being released from a backwards spike. Afterwards, the beautifully detailed train will make it’s way along 672 feet of track, crossing over itself, before stalling at the top of another spike and repeating it all over again in reverse!
After seeing the layout up close, the ride is certainly larger than expected! I love how the second spike has almost a double-up, double-down feature to it. The park always finds exactly what it needs next to help round out their stellar coaster lineup and with Snoopy’s Soap Box Racers they’ve done it again. This will be the perfect next step coaster for young thrill seeker’s ready to try out a launched coaster and one that has some more height to it.
Bonus – The Theming
The land surrounding the ride and throughout the whole area is also getting a facelift. Nearby rides such as Charlie Brown’s Rushing River Log Ride, Woodstock’s Air Rail, and Franklin’s Flyer, have been renamed, repainted, and now fit the Camp Snoopy look as cohesively as one could ask for. The brighter blues and oranges have been muted to woodsy greens and browns, with the just right amount of color.
Kings Island’s Camp Snoopy Construction Tour
Get an up close and personal look at Kings Island’s Camp Snoopy as well as Snoopy’s Soap Box Racers in the video below.
Once again, Kings Island has done a remarkable job during their off-season, which is why it is consistently one of the best amusement parks around. We can’t wait to get back to the park later this year and see the new attractions in action!
We’d also like to give a shout out to Chad Showalter for having us out and giving us the tour of the new area—it’s always a blast to get a sneak peek behind the scenes and have the opportunity to share it with our readers. Best of luck to Kings Island and their staff for a great 2024 season!
For a full gallery of photos from our tour, check out our Facebook album!
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