Kings Island To Debut New Themed Area With 2 New Rides in 2023
Kings Island is set to debut a new themed area in 2023 featuring two new family rides, enhanced theming for Adventure Express, Enrique’s quick service restaurant and the Mercado.
The new themed area called “Adventure Port” will be located between Coney Mall and Action Zone. (where former rides Skylab (1986-1997) and the Flying Dutchman (1973-1990) once stood).
The park said, in a statement: “The myths of an ancient civilization and its mighty city carved out of stone have lured travelers from around the globe to this bustling port community for more than a century. Welcome to Adventure Port”.
The new area, based on an ancient city “carved out of stone”, will feature two new family rides plus, updates to Adventure Express, Kings Island’s mine train family roller coaster that debuted in 1991. The coaster will receive enhanced theming as well as a relocated queue line. The ride was just repainted prior to the start of the 2022 season.
The area’s dining options will also get a refresh to match the aesthetic of Adventure Port. Hank’s Mexican Grill will be transformed into Enrique’s quick service restaurant serving traditional burritos, burrito bowls, tacos, salads and sides — while the Bier Garten will be re-imagined into a portside Mercado offering drinks, shopping and more.
Adventure Port will feature two new on the ground-based rides often referred to as “flat rides”. (where the Slingshot ride was formerly located). The rides include Sol Spin and Cargo Loco, both from Italian manufacturer Zamperla.
Sol Spin is a small open-air ferris-wheel-like ride that inverts and suspends riders 60-feet in the air at 25 mph. Below is a video from the ride manufacturer showing a demo of how Sol Spin will operate:
Cargo Loco riders will board shipping barrels in a dizzying ride, where they will be able to manually control the speed of their spin with a wheel in the middle of the barrel. (similar to the tea cups ride at Walt Disney World FL).
“What I love about Adventure Port is that we’ve taken parts of the Adventure Express story and built upon it to create this new themed area,” Mike Koontz, vice president and general manager of Kings Island, said in a release. “When guests who have been coming to the park for years visit this area for the first time, the story will feel familiar, but it will be told in a whole new way.”
The new area is slated to be ready for opening day of the 2023 season. The project’s design is being led by Cincinnati-based JRA, part of the RWS Entertainment group.
Kings Island is currently celebrating its 50th anniversary that kicked off with a historic Birthday Party! If you missed it, you can see the highlights in the video below, or watch the Full Presentations HERE.
For more information and tickets, visit the official Kings Island website by clicking here.
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