Kings Island Tips and Tricks: How to Have the Best Day Ever

This world-class theme park boasts more than 100 rides, 36 water slides, and the world’s longest wooden and steel-inverted roller coasters.

Of course, a fun day at an amusement park requires a bit of planning. With these Kings Island tips and tricks, you’ll be all set!

• Before You Go
• What to Bring
• At the Park

Before You Go

Everyone knows prepping for a theme park is key. To maximize your time at Kings Island, use this advice before you go.

Buy Your Tickets in Advance

Kings Island is a popular family theme park. As a result, the ride lines aren’t the only lines with lengthy wait times. Ticket lines can be just as long!

To avoid waiting in seemingly never-ending lines before even entering the park, purchase your Kings Island tickets online. On top of skipping the ticket line, you’ll take advantage of great discounts!

Download the Kings Island App

Of the Kings Island tips and tricks on our list, this one is among the most important. The Kings Island app, available for iPhone and Android, is home to a wealth of information pertinent to your visit.

Using the app, visitors can:

• Look up ride wait times
• Use park maps to find their way around
• Remember where they parked using Car Finder
• Take advantage of special food and entertainment discounts

Most guests find the maps and wait times to be the most useful features while at the park.

Download the app before you go!

Know the Height and Weight Restrictions

As with every theme park, Kings Island has specific height and weight restrictions in place for the safety of riders. If traveling with children or those with different physical abilities, look up the height and weight restrictions before you go.

Doing so ensures you know exactly which rides are acceptable and those to avoid during your visit. You can find this information on the app, too.

Remember to look up the height, weight, and age restrictions for the rides and activities at Soak City, too.

Plan to Visit During the Week

If possible, schedule your visit for a weekday. You’ll enjoy fewer crowds and shorter wait times, which means more time on the rides for you!

Although, if this is not possible, arrive at the park early on the weekend and go in when it opens. This allows you to experience as much of the park as possible before the weekend crowds arrive.

What to Bring

Understanding what to bring and pack for your day is a key Kings Island tip. Overpack and you’ll find yourself lugging around the park all day. Bring too little and you’ll find yourself scrambling to buy extra necessities.

Keep our Kings Island tips and tricks in mind when packing for your day at the park.

Wear Appropriate Attire

Choosing the wrong outfit can wreak havoc on your day. It’s recommended that guests dress for the weather forecast and wear comfortable walking shoes.

You’ll be doing a lot of walking all day long, so be prepared! Skip the flip-flops and high-heels and opt for comfortable walking shoes like sneakers.

In addition, if you plan to visit Soak City, the following dress code applies:

• Appropriate swimwear is required. Thongs and transparent clothing are not permitted. We reserve the right to determine the appropriateness of swimwear.
• Guests wearing bathing attire with metal buttons, rivets, zippers, or snaps will not be permitted to ride Paradise Plunge, Pineapple Pipeline, Tropical Twister or Tropical Plunge.
• Footwear is not permitted on Soak City attractions. Aqua socks and aquatic style footwear are permitted on Mondo Monsoon and Zoom Flume.

Do or Don’t Pack Food – Your Choice!

Kings Island does not allow guests to bring outside food or beverages into the park. However, this doesn’t mean you can’t save money and bring your lunch. You will just need to exit the park to eat it.

But don’t worry! You won’t forfeit a full day’s admission by exiting the park. Before you exit, have your hand stamped by the attendant. Upon returning, show this stamp to the staff member at the ticket station.

And, if you need a drink, skip the expensive bottled water and ask for a courtesy cup of water instead. These free cups of water are available wherever you can order food throughout the park.

Budget Accordingly

Unfortunately, many families make the mistake of believing the park admission is the only cost they’ll have for the day. This is far from the truth.

Extra costs at Kings Island can include:

• Parking
• Food and drinks
• Locker rentals
• Souvenirs
• Purchasing forgotten necessities (i.e. Sunblock)

As you’re preparing for your day at Kings Island, make sure you budget extra into your day for expected (and unexpected) expenses.

Only Bring the Essentials

It can be tempting to bring everything under the sun to the theme park, especially if visiting as a family. However, packing lightly is key. You don’t want to be carrying a massive bag all throughout the park!

When packing for Kings Island, bring the essentials including:

• Wallet/Purse
• IDs
• Sunscreen
• Keys
• Hat/Sunglasses
• Kids items (if necessary)

A small daypack should do the trick.

At the Park

Once you arrive at the park, these Kings Island tips and tricks will help you navigate your day for never-ending fun.

Consider Purchasing a Fast Lane Pass

Since Kings Island has more than 100 rides, it’s easy to see why it’s a popular park. With this in mind, wait times can be excessive during peak seasons and days of the week. If you’re a huge thrill ride fan, these lines tend to be the longest no matter when you visit.

By purchasing a Kings Island Fast Lane Pass, you’ll skip past the line and right onto the ride. Kings Island offers different types of passes, including:

Fast Lane:

Skip the line on 20 rides including Banshee, Diamondback, Vortex, and Drop Tower.

Fast Lane Plus:

Enjoy skipping the line on all Kings Island and Soak City rides, plus unlimited rides on Kings Mills Antique Autos, The Beast, Mystic Timbers, Flight of Fear, Tropical Plunge, Rendezvous Run, Zoom Flume, and Thunder Falls.

This is an additional cost on top of your park admission. The cost can add up quickly when buying passes for an entire family, so budget accordingly.

Head Straight to the Thrills

Those who want a day filled with adrenaline rushes should head right to the biggest and fastest rides first. If you manage to arrive early enough in the day for a rope drop, you can practically walk right onto the best roller coasters if you go there right away!

The longer you wait to ride, the longer the lines will be.

Take Advantage of Lockers

Even if you followed our Kings Island tips and tricks and packed lightly, lockers can still be an advantageous addition to your trip. And, some rides like Banshee require riders to use lockers for all personal belongings due to the nature of the attraction.

Lockers are available to rent for a small fee throughout both Kings Island and Soak City. Lockers are helpful when you get tired of holding your belongings or when everyone in your party wants to ride a particular attraction.

See a Show

When you need a break from the rides, excess walking, or the weather, go see one of Kings Islands’ shows. From jaw-dropping acrobatics to kids shows featuring Snoopy and Charlie Brown, these shows are wildly entertaining.

Plus, the air conditioning is amazing on a hot summer day!

Use the Boarding Pass Program

If you’re visiting Kings Island with an individual with specific restrictions, take advantage of the Boarding Pass Program.

This program grants guests with mobility restrictions and/or Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) access to rides at specified times. Guests can enter the ride using the exit ramp in order to avoid crowds and waiting in the regular queue lines.

To use this program, Kings Island asks visitors to follow these steps:

• Visit Guest Services upon your arrival at the park to express the inability to wait in the regular line and interest in the Boarding Pass Program. Some questions will be asked to ensure the rider has the required physical criteria in order to safely experience rides. From here, a Boarding Pass is issued for the guest in question and up to 3 riding companions.
• In addition to a Boarding Pass, the guest will receive a “Rider Access Form” that lists the rides the guest can safely enjoy.
• The rider (or a member of their party) obtains a boarding time from the ride associate at the Alternate Access Entrance, equivalent to the length of the ride line. The rider can then wait comfortably away from the queue area.
• The guest listed on the Boarding Pass must be present as a rider when a Boarding Pass is being utilized.
• Guests may not accumulate more than one boarding time at a time.

For more information on visiting Kings Island with mobility restrictions, Autism, or other concerns, download the park’s Guest Assistance Guide.

Kings Island Tips and Tricks: Enjoy Your Trip!

With our advice in your back pocket, you’re more than prepared for a thrilling day at Kings Island.

Remember to purchase your tickets in advance to skip the ticket line!