Drop Tower: Scream Zone (Kings Island)

Ride
Watch the on-ride POV
Drop Tower: Scream Zone
Kings Island
Location Mason, Ohio, USA
Coordinates 39°20′46″N 84°15′59″W / 39.346040°N 84.266378°W / 39.346040; -84.266378
Status Operating since May 21, 1999
Statistics
Manufacturer Intamin
Product Gyro Drop
Height 315 feet
Speed 67 mph
HELP

Drop Tower: Scream Zone is a Drop Tower located at Kings Island in Mason, Ohio, USA. There is a similar ride at Kings Dominion, but this one has a rotating feature. The ride first opened on May 21, 1999 as Drop Zone: Stunt Tower, being themed to the 1994 Paramount film.

History

In 1998, Kings Island announced the addition of a new themed area named Action Zone. The area would include two new rides, which were Face/Off and Drop Zone: Stunt Tower. The latter attraction would be a Gyro Drop model built by Intamin.[1]

Drop Zone: Stunt Tower officially opened for the first time on May 21, 1999.

In June 1999, Drop Zone was closed for eight days while components were shipped from Europe. In August, it closed for four days after being struck by lightning. Drop Zone was closed indefinitely on August 23, 1999 following the death of a 12-year-old boy who fell from Drop Zone, another Intamin drop tower located at Paramount's Great America (now California's Great America).[2] On November 8, the park announced that it would add seatbelts to Drop Zone and that it would reopen with the park in 2000.[3]

All five Drop Zone: Stunt Tower rides at Cedar Fair parks were forced to close on June 22, 2007 after a major accident on Superman: Tower of Power at Kentucky Kingdom, where a cable cut off a 13-year-old girl's feet.[4]

In 2008, the ride was renamed to Drop Tower: Scream Zone.

References

  1. Aldridge, Kevin (September 4, 1998). "Kings Island puts $35M into thrills". The Cincinnati Enquirer. p. 26. Retrieved December 22, 2021.
  2. Aldridge, Kevin (1999-09-14). "Drop Zone at Kings Island in limbo". The Cincinnati Enquirer. p. 22. Retrieved 2021-12-22.
  3. Aldridge, Kevin (1999-11-09). "Kings Island's 'Drop Zone' ride safer". The Cincinnati Enquirer. p. 15. Retrieved 2021-12-22.
  4. "More thrill rides closed after teen injured". Pensacola News Journal. June 23, 2007. p. 4. Retrieved December 22, 2021.


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