Herald-Leader’s interns took on Kings Island. What they saw, ate, rode & recommend

Blue Ice Cream, Camp Snoopy, the Diamondback.

All three have something in common: They’re part of the checklist that you need to tick off as you make your way through the Midwestern rite of passage that is Kings Island.

Two of the four Lexington Herald-Leader summer interns had yet to make the trek just north of Cincinnati to the famous amusement park. That prompted a recent Saturday assignment from the executive editor: Go to the park and ride, eat and soak up all the fun-in-the-sun and then write about it.

And bonus points if there was Skyline Chili dinner included on the way home.

Here’s a look at our wanna-be amusement park aficionados and student-journalists who have been part of our newsroom this summer:

Alexis Baker, 20, a senior-to-be at University of Kentucky.

Ali Costellow, 19, a rising sophomore at Western Kentucky University.

Daniel Kehn, 21, a rising Ball State University senior.

Maggie Phelps, 18, a sophomore-to-be at Western Kentucky University.

Here’s what they saw, ate and rode.

Twists, turns and loop-the-loops: The must rides

The interns took trips on the Banshee, the Racer, Orion, Flight of Fear, Diamondback, Mystic Timbers, Woodstock’s Air Rail and Woodstock Express. They intended to ride the legendary Beast, but the two-hour wait was too long.

Here are the picks.

Baker: As a Diamondback lover, my favorite ride that Saturday was Orion, which took the height and drop of the Diamondback to the extreme. I feel a tad guilty to admit that Diamondback is no longer my favorite, but I strongly believe Orion takes the prize. Riders can look forward to a nearly 300-foot drop suspending them out of their seat, twists and turns, and a surprisingly long ride time. The ride time may have seemed longer for me as we got stuck at the end for about 15 minutes, but we easily killed this time talking about the thrill.

Costellow: My favorite part of the day was the Flight of Fear. The waiting room is incredibly immersive, making riders feel they are part of the ride’s story, and mostly inside (bonus points for getting us out of the heat). After waiting for about an hour, we sat in the cars and buckled, ready to launch off from 0 mph to 54 mph in four seconds. The ride was inside with very dim lighting, which only allowed us to see a little bit of what was about to happen. I thought I was going to be scared, but I loved it.

Kehn: I was honestly surprised by my roller coaster performance at Kings Island. As someone who has historically struggled to find the nerve to ride a coaster, starting the day on the Banshee was somewhat nervy. Orion was the real showstopper for me (quick literally as we got stuck on the end of the ride for about 15 minutes there at the end).

Phelps: I’ve been visiting Kings Island routinely since around the age of 10, and every year it has never failed to impress. For the majority of my life, I have been strictly against riding a roller coaster that included inversions. I was horrified by them and it wasn’t until the past year that I mustered up the courage to ride my first upside-down coaster. I had never ridden the Banshee due to the many inversions on the track, but decided this trip would be the time I conquered that fear. It was our first ride of the day and a great way to start the day.

What are the go-to food options?

For lunch, the interns visited Enrique’s Cantina while snacking around the park throughout the day. Here’s what they got.

Baker: I ravenously ordered a burrito with chicken, two types of beans and rice, corn salsa, pico and lettuce — I was impressed the worker could wrap it by the end of the line. I would’ve added more, but I overlooked the part of the menu that said I had a limited amount of add-ins. I ordered queso on the side with little care for my bill racking up. It totaled $27 when all was said and done. I may have just been starving, but it was a great burrito. Do I still prefer Chipotle? Yes, but Enrique’s is still hit the spot for a long day at the park.

Costellow: My lunch consisted of a bowl with white rice, chicken, queso, and lettuce and a Diet Coke to drink for a whopping $23. While it was incredible, I’m not sure it was worth the price. Later in the day, I purchased a vanilla ice cream cone that was exceptionally good even though it began to melt pretty much immediately.

Kehn: For lunch, I ordered three steak tacos with the works, a side of chips and a drink. While the price tag was just about as tough as the steak, the portion size was filling, and I felt satisfied with my choice. It’s no Qdoba, but it will do. After a few more rides, I decided an impulse purchase of mixed candy from Coney Confections was a good bet. Boy, was I wrong? I don’t think a single piece of candy I had was really any good. I will pass on this next time. A blue ice cream cone on my way to Diamondback made my day though. Paired with a Diet Coke, it was probably the highlight of the day, outside of the coasters, of course.

Phelps: When I spend $23 on three tacos, I’m expecting the best tacos I’ve ever had. I was incredibly disappointed. As someone with a vegetarian diet, it tends to be a shot in the dark to find food at an amusement park that is actually filling. I was pleasantly surprised when I saw the Cantina because I thought it would be an amazing option for myself. Unfortunately, I couldn’t even eat a half of a taco. The fajita veggies were a little slimy for my liking, and the beans and rice were flavorless and cold. I believe queso would’ve made the meal better, but paying extra for it was something I wasn’t willing to do. It’s 2024 and we’re still paying extra for queso? On the bright side, blue ice cream will always hit the spot and was a great way to satisfy my hunger after the disappointment of a lunch.

What we could’ve done without

Baker: I could’ve done without The Beast — and I did! My family visited Kings Island every year and sometimes twice a year, so I am all too familiar with The Beast. I’m glad I’ve experienced it before, but I’ve sworn off the bumps and bruises. I rode it for the last time about five years ago, so I can only imagine it’s gotten more rough. I refrain from recommending it to first-time visitors, but it’s a historic ride everyone should experience at least once. Brace yourself for some whiplash!

Costellow: I cannot stomach roller coasters with steep or straight-down drops, and so I chose to sit out of Orion and Diamondback. The only ride I rode that was unenjoyable was Woodstock’s Air Rail, which was fine until the end when it shook us side to side pretty harshly.

Kehn: There wasn’t a ride I went on that I would say, “Yeah, I don’t want to do that again.” That being said, I didn’t think Woodstock’s Air Rail was that good. For a ride aimed toward the younger King’s Island visitors, it was awfully jerky and gave me a bit of a headache more than any of the higher thrill-level rides. Two of our rides (Flight of Fear and Orion) had technical difficulties on the day, which are never fun, but neither of them had more than a 15-minute delay. Some free Dippin’ Dots for our troubles would’ve been cool, though.

Phelps: I’m not a patient person, so when Orion and Flight of Fear were experiencing technical difficulties, I was a little frustrated. Unexpected events occur and I understand that, however, being compensated with a coupon or a free fast pass for one ride would’ve been appreciated. I could’ve also done without paying nearly $6 for a soda.

Final grades

Overall, we had a great day at Kings Island. The 52-year-old park has developed over the years and provides a great day-trip experience to everyone who attends, and our trip was no exception. However, we agree that the price you pay to have fun was a little high and not very accommodating at times. We suggest being prepared to spend a good amount of money when attending the park, be patient with wait times (bring a deck of cards or a game) and maybe get stuck on a ride or two, but have an overall good time.

Our final verdict: Kings Island doesn’t disappoint.