MASON, Ohio — The gates of Kings Island will open on Saturday to welcome riders for a new season — the first since a few changes have been announced for the park.
The park officially opens for the 2024 season on April 20.
It's the first season since Cedar Fair, Kings Islands' parent company, announced it would merge with Six Flags. That merger is not complete yet, but is an ongoing process, according to a spokesperson with Kings Island.
Cedar Fair and Six Flags Entertainment Corporation announced in November they would enter into a definitive merger agreement; when complete, the combined company will be valued at roughly $8 billion, based on both companies' debt and equity values as of Oct. 31, according to Cedar Fair.
Despite this, no changes as a result of the merger are expected to be apparent for the 2024 season — although the merger will eventually open the doors for new intellectual properties to possibly appear at Cedar Fair parks. Those include Looney Tunes and DC Comics alongside Cedar Fair's existing access to Peanuts imagery.
Still, that doesn't mean Kings Island isn't still planning new things of its own.
New to the park this year, Kings Island enthusiasts will be able to enjoy the park's expanded Planet Snoopy area, which will include a new Camp Snoopy space featuring more green space and a summer camp-like theme.
The new Camp Snoopy area will be home to a new coaster, Snoopy's Soap Box Racers, which will race forward and backward along a 672-foot track.
Other more familiar attractions in Camp Snoopy will also receive new names: "Race For Your Life Charlie Brown" will become "Charlie Brown's Rushing River Log Ride;" "Flying Ace Aerial Chase" will become "Woodstock's Air Rail;" and "Woodstock Gliders" will become "Franklin's Flyers."
