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| Manufacturer | Intamin | ||||||||||
| Product | Gyro Drop | ||||||||||
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| Height | 315 feet | ||||||||||
| Speed | 67 mph | ||||||||||
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]
As part of a multistate radio and television promotion, approximately 15 couples were married or renewed their vows on the ride on May 20, 1999. The park provided a judge, paid for marriage licenses, and hosted a reception for the couples.[2]
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).[3] On November 8, the park announced that it would add seatbelts to Drop Zone and that it would reopen with the park in April 2000.[4]
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 Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom (now Kentucky Kingdom), where a cable cut off a 13-year-old girl's feet.[5]
In 2008, the ride was renamed to Drop Tower: Scream Zone.
Images
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The seating system -
The entrance sign
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References
- ↑ Aldridge, Kevin (September 4, 1998). "Kings Island puts $35M into thrills". The Cincinnati Enquirer. p. 26. Retrieved December 22, 2021.
- ↑ Tresslar, Tim (1999-05-21). "Couples take plunge". Dayton Daily News. Retrieved 2024-07-24.
- ↑ Aldridge, Kevin (1999-09-14). "Drop Zone at Kings Island in limbo". The Cincinnati Enquirer. p. 22. Retrieved 2021-12-22.
- ↑ Aldridge, Kevin (1999-11-09). "Kings Island's 'Drop Zone' ride safer". The Cincinnati Enquirer. p. 15. Retrieved 2021-12-22.
- ↑ "More thrill rides closed after teen injured". Pensacola News Journal. June 23, 2007. p. 4. Retrieved December 22, 2021.
