It looks a lot larger in person!

Unfortunately, this was the only time I would see Invertigo operate in the day. My main gripe with the park’s operations was the number of attractions not operating: Son of Beast (obviously), Invertigo, Flying Ace Areial Chase, and one side of the Racer (I’m a stickler for one-side operations). However, I understand this was opening weekend – hopefully many of these will open by the time the summer season really sets in, except Son of Beast.

Diamondback, the first ride of the day, can bee seen here protruding from the treeline.

I was pleased to see that Diamondback still had its new coaster shine!

Prepare for landing and…

…Splashdown!

I’d say that’s a pretty steep drop.

Planet Snoopy or a “Nickelodeon Universe with a new coat of paint.”

No, it’s not warm enough to ride the log flume.

I wonder if these could be recycled.

Don’t disturb the snake!

Who would’ve thought that Kings Island would have the world’s greateast funnel cakes?

Though I passed on taking a spin on “The Crypt,” my friends did not give the ride high remarks. Their complaints were that it was too short. Who knows?

I feel this is a great shot to advertise “Ride Warriors.”

Backlot Stunt Coasters, with newly-disguised cars.

Vortex was an enjoyable Arrow looper, far from the worst I’ve been on!

The corkscrews weren’t nearly as bad as some of Vortex’s sisters.

The ride has a spiffy logo as well, what more could you ask for?

The Beast changed everything I thought I knew about the wooden coaster experience. And after riding it in the dark, I can say with confidence that it is now my number one wooden coaster, bumping Dollywood’s Thunderhead to the number two spot.

She doesn’t know what’s about to happen.

It’s definitely unchained… except for the lifthill. It has a chain.

I’ve always had an interest in Backlot Stunt Coaster – I was excited about riding it and while I wasn’t expecting much, it turned out to be a pretty fun little ride.

This coaster has been Snoopified.

X-Base. Firehawk and Flight of Fear were both great rides but I don’t have a burning desire to reride either of them.

Firehawk is a very photogenic coaster, or that’s what it wants us to believe.

I was assuming it would be similar to the B&M flying coaster but the significant amount of “laydown” time really made this a unique ride experience.

The loop sure threw me for a loop.

Slingshot wanted $20 from me. No thanks.

Vortex seemed to get more orange as the day progressed.

This ride brought back the “holy crap why did I do this?’ moment for me. At what I’m guessing was the 200 foot mark, I began to tell the ride that it was alright to stop. I then realized I wasn’t on Giant Drop or Acrophobia, I was on Drop Tower, and while it might have a painfully generic name, the shock of being 315 feet in the air is not generic at all. Side note: do your feet hurt when you step off the ride or do I have a serious medical problem?

This was a sad sight. It looks like it has the potential to be a fun ride. Hopefully Cedar Fair can pull a miracle and turn it into greatness someday.

After the untimely closure of Big Bad Wolf, I made it a priority to ride one of the few remaining Arrow suspended coasters in the country. Flight Deck was a short but sweet coaster.

Delirium dominates this area of the park.

The sun begins to set over the park and that means it’s time for rerides!

Diamondback was definitely more powerful later in the day!

The Backlot Stunt Coaster was one of the last rides of the day, before another couple of nighttime spins on The Beast.

Overall, the day was a total success. Despite missing a few rides, I felt like I covered all the major parts of the park. The staff was friendly and, for the most part, seemed prepared. I’d say it was a smooth first day of the season, from a guest’s perspective anyway!

Feel free to share your own Kings Island experiences either in our forums or in the comment section below.