Thanks For The Memories, #Kings Island!

Last week, we headed up to Ohio for a two day mini-vacation to Kings Island. I have to admit, the day before our trip, I was freaking out. The weather forecast had changed from a sunny, beautiful day to a 70 percent chance of showers and strong storms. I was SO upset, and afraid that our entire day would be ruined! When we got up at 6am to head out, the rain was pouring down,and continued to pour the whole two hours as we made our way up to Mason, Ohio. I was actually quite nervous. My hubby is a roller coaster aficionado  but me, I get sick on the teacup ride at the fair. ( I am NOT EVEN joking.) I was afraid that Tater, who just turned 7, would be too small to ride anything "Fun", and that Beanie wouldn't be able to ride anything at all! However, our time at Kings Island turned out to be one of the best days we have EVER spent as a family! 

 In case you don't know, Kings Island is the largest amusement park and water park in the Midwest. It's home to The Beast, which in case you don't know, is the longest wooden roller coaster in the world. There's Diamondback, which is over 5200 feet long and takes you through ten acres, at speeds of up to 80 mph! And we're just getting started! There's Flight Of Fear, which takes you from zero to 54 mph in just four seconds in complete darkness, Firehawk, which makes you literally feel like you are flying, Delirium, which I can't even talk about (toooo scary for me!), The Racer, which is a super iconic roller coaster, Drop Tower, the tallest gyro drop in the world, and I'm not even close to done yet! 

What's that over there in that pile of dirt, you ask? Well, noboddddyyy knowsssss (say it in a spooky voice!) That spot is where the (also iconic) Son Of Beast once stood. It has now been removed, and Kings Island is working on something super special for 2014 to go in it's place.. They are staying incredibly mum on what is going on, but they are teasing fans with pictures and hints on a daily basis. Can't wait to see what's going on there!!! 

 I know I sound redundant, but I just can't say it enough, my family had an amazing time at Kings Island. The weather cleared up within a few minutes of us getting there, and it was a wonderful day! Tater, incredibly, measured in at 48 inches, which means he could ride all but SIX rides at the park! How nuts is that? My baby is not a baby anymore! And Beanie? Imagine my shock when he measured up for the 36 inch wristband! I never in a million years thought he was that big! This made for an amazing day! We stayed in Planet Snoopy for the entire day, only venturing out for a few turns on my favorite ride, White Water Canyon, and of course, our ride on the train and hanging out at Soak City! 

Here's my baby (big baby) riding the Great Pumpkin Coaster, his very first ride EVER!  

After this ride was over, all I have to say is IT WAS ON! That boy did NOT stop all day long! He is just like his daddy, he wasn't scared of the roller coasters at all, the bigger the better! He is even begging me to ride The Beast when we head back up to KI next time! I have to say, I can see why Planet Snoopy has been voted the World's Best Kids Area for the last TWELVE years in a row! I even rode rides in there that were "thrill rides" for me! Race For Your Life, Charlie Brown, is probably my favorite ride of all time! 

Flying Ace Aerial Chase and Woodstock Express (The Beastie, for you old folks!), are probably two of my favorite rides as well! I know that sounds silly, but I just can't handle those big rides! I almost lost my lunch on Surf Dog! 

Look at that, that is a KIDS coaster people!! LOL! I am such a baby! Tater had a wonderful time, I don't think he's ever had that many thrills in his whole entire life!!

As for Beanie, my sweet baby had a great time on a TON of rides! I didn't think he would be able to ride anything, but I was pleasantly surprised! I have never seen him smile so big! 

I really can not say enough good things about Kings Island. My hubby and brother in law went and rode all the "big kid" rides, and they had a great time! The weather turned out to be wonderful! We waited out two storms that passed through, each one lasting around ten minutes each,and once they were gone, the park was completely empty again, so we had it almost to ourselves! 

 I knew that we would have fun at Kings Island, but I really had no idea that we would have SO much fun. We are even talking about buying season passes for next year, so we can try to go up at least once a month or so. 

If you've never been to Kings Island, you need to go! If you haven't been in awhile, a lot has changed, and is changing all the time, so head back! If you are there all the time, you know what I'm talking about! 

Kings Island has so many great rides, but it's so much more than that! There are shows, and of course, Soak City, where you can catch some rays and chill out by the pool, and the food , OH! the food! There's nothing like it anywhere! Make sure you get a blue ice cream while you're there, because it's the only place you can get one! There's also Dinosaurs Alive, which your kids will LOVE if they are anything like mine! 

This place is top notch, guys, I'm telling you! Every single person I encountered, employee, ticket taker, ride operator, food worker, was happy, helpful, kind and friendly. There was so much to do, we arrived 30 minutes before opening, and stayed til the fireworks show at night, and we still didn't get to do everything! I could have went back the next day too! If you are heading up to Kings Island, make sure to check out their website at https://www.visitkingsisland.com/, before you go. There are great deals on there for tickets, food, drinks, parking and more, so make sure to plan your trip out well in advance! 

Keep checking back on the blog for more Kings Island updates, because we are going back again real soon, and we're going to make a "cheat sheet", to make sure that everyone can get the most out of their visit! Until then, head on over to Kings Island's website, and enjoy the thrills! My family sure did! Thanks again Kings Island, for making one of the best memories ever for my little family!