MASON, Ohio — Kings Island is making some big changes to its award-winning kids zone, including the addition of a new family roller coaster.
When the park opens in 2024, the decade-old Planet Snoopy will be expanded with a "Camp" Snoopy area, in line with the kids zones at sister parks like Cedar Point and Carowinds.
Camp Snoopy areas typically have more trees and wooden walkways, and a more "summer camp" feel to them than the Planet Snoopy, with its expansive concrete walkways.
New family coaster
But the bigger news may be the addition of a new family coaster in the kids area.
Snoopy's Soap Box Racers will be a coaster that will race both forward and backward, along a 672 foot track.
The ride will not be a toddler ride, but rather will add a more family oriented coaster option to Camp Snoopy, which until now had only the wooden Woodstock Express (formerly The Beastie) that has been there since the park opened, the Great Pumpkin Coaster for tots, and the hanging ride, Flying Ace Aerial Chase.
It will be built by the Dutch manufacturer Vekoma, and will be similar to the new Good Gravy ride just announced at Holiday World in Indiana.
So, this will be much more than just a Planet Snoopy paint job with some new trees and benches: Kings Island guests will have a another new ride to look forward to, in addition to the two new Adventure Port rides added this year.