Kings Island History - The King Cobra

I was bored at work the other day and started looking up roller coasters on various websites…mostly I checked out King’s Island, and the Disney parks. But I found out some pretty interesting stuff.

I love King's Island, and have been there more times than I can count.  I don’t remember the first time I went to King’s Island, but do know that I was very young. The park today doesn’t resemble much at all what I saw as a child.  Other than the tower, fountains, and the shops, and a handful of rides, the park looks much different today. 

There was episode of the Brady Bunch several years back that was filmed at King’s Island. Though the episode was filmed years before I ever went there, their footage looks more like the park I remember visiting at an early age.

Anyhow, on several websites I saw photos and sections on specific rides, many that are no longer at the park. (I remember a Smurf’s themed ride, but could only find a little information on it).   I became somewhat obsessed with uncovering any information I could on these rides that gave me so many memories as a child. 

One of the most intriguing to me was the King Cobra; as it was a coaster I was always too scared to ride as a kid.  I remember just looking at the coaster in awe, hoping one day I would find the courage to take a ride.  From a kid's P-O-V, the King Cobra was kind of stunning.  It was fast, it was green, it went upside down, and the riders were standing!   Sadly, the coaster was gone before I found my love for coasters.  Shame.

The King Cobra opened in 1984 (and was originally located where Delirium is today), and was America's first true stand-up coaster. The Cobra lasted about 2 minutes, and reached a top speed of 50mph.   Even as rides around it were removed and others built, Cobra held its place for many years, until problems began. King Cobra would operate successfully for 17 years.

In 2001, King Cobra's manufacturer closed their US offices. This posed a problem for Kings Island officials, as getting replacement parts for the ride's systems immediately became difficult.  Faced with mounting bills for parts, and the fact that King Cobra's popularity had greatly dropped over the last couple years, the park made the decision to remove the coaster.

In April of 2002, at about the same time Kings Island opened for the season, crews arrived and began to dismantle the ride. The last known status of the King Cobra is that it was up for sale, but has never sold. 

So what happened to the King? What happened to this impressive green structure named after one of the deadliest snakes known to man? What happened to this Sadly, The King Cobra was taken down in 2002 to make space for Delirium. I remember going back after a couple of summers and was shocked to see The Cobra missing.

 

Today, remnants of this once massive stand-up thrill ride, that provided thousands if not millions of people a good time, are stored throughout the park.  The trains are located inside Flight of Fear's main ride building, and a lot of the track and supports are stored back behind Racer and Flight of Fear, next to the fireworks launching strip. Additional track and supports are stored in the prairie land behind Son of Beast, which once housed animals for Lion Country Safari.