“Over the past several months I’ve been truly amazed to see how this area of the park has been transformed into telling an immersive story of adventure and exploration,” said Mike Koontz, vice president and general manager of Kings Island. “The rides we’ve added are a perfect complement to the park’s offerings, and we took advantage of the new area to continue to showcase the quality of our food and beverage offerings.”
Credit: Nick Graham
Credit: Nick Graham
Two new rides, Sol Spin and Cargo Loco, anchor the area, while the Adventure Express roller coaster has new theming enhancements and experiences for park guests. Enrique’s restaurant and the Mercado Patio Bar has an adventure-themed culinary experience.
Adventure Port’s backstory is derived from myths of an ancient civilization, and a mighty city carved out of stone, which have lured travelers from all over the world to this bustling port community for more than a century.
Resting in the foothills of overgrown mountains and dense tropical terrain, Adventure Port is a hub for explorers searching for the lost city’s forbidden temple, fabled riches and mysterious wonders. If asked, locals will tell tales of those who came before and vanished.
Credit: Nick Graham
Credit: Nick Graham
“We were looking at what would best complement the line-up of rides that we have at the park, and we realized we needed to add a couple of what we call ‘flat rides,’ which are the fixed to the ground, they’re not roller coasters, they are stationary. We knew that would provide a great addition to our line-up and provide more options for families looking for rides to ride together,” said Chad Showalter, director of communications for Kings Island.
Guests will become travelers themselves as they journey through Adventure Port, discovering new rides. Sol Spin emulates an ancient sun disk that sends riders 60 feet into the air at 25 miles per hour. Sol Spin can be described as a high-thrill, modern Ferris wheel.
Cargo Loco is a tea-cup style ride, where the ride vehicles resemble shipping barrels, and riders can manually control the speed of their spin with a wheel in the middle of the barrel.
Credit: Nick Graham
Credit: Nick Graham
“With Cargo Loco, you’re climbing into a shipping barrel that’s going to be transported, although the route it takes is a little dizzying for most. It’s your traditional spinning tea-cup ride, except you’re riding in barrels. Kids and adults love to climb into those. You can manually spin your barrel, while the ride platform is spinning itself, so it provides a unique experience that we absolutely love and our guests who have been testing out for us love it as well,” Showalter said.
On Adventure Express, an existing family coaster, riders will embark on a surprise mine train expedition in search of a Forbidden Temple. The coaster, which debuted in 1991, has a 63-foot drop with speeds up to 35 mph. With a relocated line, more theming has been added in the loading station and throughout the ride.
Quick-serve restaurant Enrique’s will feature burritos, burrito bowls, tacos, salads and sides. Mercado Patio Bar will be highlighted by small bites, specialty drinks, and a great view of the lake, which has a new ship in it that’s part of the theme.
Credit: Nick Graham
Credit: Nick Graham
“Throughout Adventure Port, you’ll also find stonework and different things that point to the backstory of the whole land, and as our guests have seen glimpses of it revealed over the past couple of weeks, they are just in love with it. They are taking pictures, they are sharing them, and talking about what a great addition this is to Kings Island to introduce Adventure Port for the 2023 season,” Showalter said.
The amusement park and Adventure Port will open at 10 a.m. for the general public. Season Passholders will have the chance to ride the enhanced Adventure Express beginning at 9:30 a.m. Saturday. More details are available online at visitkingsisland.com.
Credit: Nick Graham
Credit: Nick Graham
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