Kings Island Tickets: Prices, Discounts, and Where to Buy (2024)

It’s one of the best and most popular amusem*nt parks in the nation, with an incredible collection of world-class roller coasters and other rides. Ohio’s Kings Island is so famous, noted children’s book author R.L. Stine even wrote about one of its legendary coasters, The Beast–twice! With a great outdoor water park that is included with admission and an onsite Great Wolf Lodge indoor water park and hotel, there are many reasons to visit. Daily tickets start as low as $45 when purchased online. There are discounts available, including an after 4 p.m. admission and season passes to consider.

How Much Are Tickets to Kings Island?

• Single-day regular (over 48 inches tall, ages 3 to 61): $45 (weekdays) and $54.99 (weekends)
• Single-day Jr. or Sr. (under 48 inches tall or 62 and older): $45
• Two-day passes (for ages 3 and older): $80

To receive the prices above, tickets need to be purchased online in advance at the official Web site of Kings Island. Tickets purchased at the gate are $20 to $35 more.

Kings Island is a pay-one-price park. Tickets include admission to the amusem*nt park and Soak City Water Park (when it is open) and all rides and attractions. The park’s fall event, Halloween Haunt, is included with admission. Its holiday event, Winterfest, requires separate admission.

Discount Pricing

After 4 p.m.

As stated above, be sure to purchase tickets in advance online to save on tickets. However, one exception to this rule is the park’s after 4 p.m. discount ticket, which is available at the gate. Be sure to contact the park to make sure the ticket will be available on the day you plan to visit. Also, check how late the park will be open to ensure you will have enough time to enjoy the park.

Season Pass

If you plan on visiting Kings Island at least twice a year, consider purchasing a season pass. In 2021, the cost for a Gold Pass is $130. In addition to unlimited admission, it includes free parking, discounts on food and merchandise, early ride time, early access to Soak City, and other benefits. It also includes Bring-A-Friend discounts, which allow pass holders to purchase up to four additional tickets for $39.99 each. A Platinum Pass, which costs $225 in 2021, tosses in unlimited admission to all parks in the Cedar Fair chain, including Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio.

Other Kings Island Discounts

• Members of the military can purchase discounted tickets at $43.
• Groups of 15 or more can purchase discounted tickets online for $41 each.
• The grocery store chain, Kroger, offers Kings Island tickets. The stores may have discounts available.
• aRes Travel offers tickets, including weekday-priced tickets good for admission on weekends.
• The park has offered a Coaster Combo ticket that combined passes to both Kings Island and Cedar Point for a discounted price. It bundled park passes, parking, Fast Lane passes, dining, and other features into an All-Inclusive ticket. Check with Kings Island to see whether these or other special offers are available.

Plan Your Visit

When to Go

Kings Island is open seasonally, generally from May to December. It is typically open daily from mid-June through mid-August and on weekends and select weekdays at other times of the year. Saturdays are traditionally the busiest days. Crowds are usually lower early and late in the season. Consider visiting on rainy or overcast days (or days when inclement weather is forecast) for lighter crowds. On very hot and humid days in the heart of the summer, the water park can be quite crowded, leaving the lines for the coasters and other rides in the amusem*nt park shorter–especially in the middle of the day.

Fast Lane

On days when wait times are likely to be long for the rides, consider purchasing Fast Lane, the line-skipping pass at Kings Island. It comes in two flavors. Fast Lane lets you bypass the regular lines on 20 attractions, including the coasters Banshee, Diamondback, and The Racer. The higher-priced Fast Lane Plus includes additional rides such as Orion, Mystic Timbers, and The Beast. Costs for the passes vary depending on the day and the anticipated crowd levels.

Dining

You can purchase food a la carte at the park’s eateries. Or you could consider purchasing an All Day Dining pass. For $31.99, it includes an entree and a side dish at most restaurants. Pass holders can order food once every 90 minutes throughout the day. The park also offers a souvenir bottle for $13.99 that includes free refills every 15 minutes.

Parking

It costs $20 to park in the regular lot and $27 to park in the "Preferred" lot closer to the gate. If you purchase parking online in advance along with admission tickets, you can save $3 on parking.

Cabanas

If you plan on spending a good portion of your day at Soak City, you could consider renting a cabana. They accommodate up to six guests and include two lounge chairs and a lockable storage box; Premium cabanas toss in souvenir towels, a mini-refrigerator stocked with water, and a TV.

Onsite Accommodations

In 2021, Kings Island opened Camp Cedar, a 53-acre luxury lodging and RV resort. It features both RV sites and fully appointed cottages that accommodate up to eight guests. The resort offers packages that include admission to the amusem*nt park and early ride time on select rides.

The Great Wolf Lodge at Kings Island is open year-round. When Kings Island is open, it offers a great way to stay right next to the park. The nicely appointed hotel offers various suites and rooms, a large indoor water park, and other attractions. Water park passes are included with room rates. The water park makes day passes available to the general public as well.