Other notable rides include Delirium, which opened in 2003 as the largest Giant Frisbee ride in the world, and Banshee, the world's longest inverted roller coaster which opened in 2014 at the former location of Son of Beast.Īn inverted roller coaster with seven inversions located in the former location of Thunder Alley and Son of Beast. As a result of a number of structural issues and two accidents, the ride closed permanently in 2009 and was eventually demolished in 2012. It was the tallest and fastest wooden roller coaster in the world and the first of its kind to feature a vertical loop. Son of Beast opened in 2000, the second year of the area's two-year expansion.
The water tower was originally part of a skit with stunts and special effects that imitated a live movie set with a director and stunt performers.
When it debuted, Action Zone resembled a movie stunt set featuring a water tower as the centerpiece. In 1999, a two-year expansion initiative began with the area's renaming to Action Zone and the addition of two new attractions – Drop Zone: Stunt Tower and Face/Off. The following year, the entire area was renamed Adventure Village coinciding with the removal of the animal habitat and monorail ride. Located next to the habitat attraction, it was titled after a film of the same name and was the first ride to be added to the park with a Paramount theme. In 1983, the area became known as Wild Animal Habitat and included Adventure Village, a new area within the rebranded section.Over the years, it featured rides such as Screamin' Demon (1977–87), the first steel looping roller coaster to run both forward and backward in the United States, and King Cobra (1984–2001), a stand-up looping roller coaster that was the first of its kind in the world.Įarly in its tenure after purchasing Kings Island, Paramount unveiled Top Gun, a suspended roller coaster from Arrow Dynamics, in 1993. It was later renamed Wild Animal Safari in 1977. This was part of a network of other safari-style zoos also called Lion Country Safari.
Action Zone opened in 1974 as Lion Country Safari, a 100acre section of the park featuring a monorail ride that took guests on a safari-style tour through an animal preservation.