Question: What year did the Kings Island ride often compared to a combination of skydiving and hang gliding open ?

text: Kings Island
Areas and attractions -- Action Zone
Action Zone opened in 1974 as Lion Country Safari , a 100-acre ( 40 ha ) section of the park featuring a monorail ride that took guests on a safari-style tour through an animal preservation . This was part of a network of other safari-style zoos also called Lion Country Safari . It was later renamed Wild Animal Safari in 1977 . [ 50 ] [ 51 ] In 1983 , the area became known as Wild Animal Habitat and included Adventure Village , a new area within the rebranded section . [ 52 ] 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 . [ 31 ] [ 53 ] [ 54 ] Early in its tenure after purchasing Kings Island , Paramount unveiled Top Gun , a suspended roller coaster from Arrow Dynamics , in 1993 . [ 55 ] 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 . [ 55 ] The following year , the entire area was renamed Adventure Village coinciding with the removal of the animal habitat and monorail ride . [ 31 ] 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 . [ 7 ] [ 31 ] When it debuted , Action Zone resembled a movie stunt set featuring a water tower as the centerpiece . 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 . [ 56 ] Son of Beast opened in 2000 , the second year of the area 's two-year expansion . It was the tallest and fastest wooden roller coaster in the world and the first of its kind to feature a vertical loop . [ 57 ] As a result of a number of structural issues and two accidents , the ride closed permanently in 2009 and was eventually demolished in 2012 . [ 57 ] 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 . [ 58 ] [ 59 ]
Kings Island is a 364-acre (147 ha) amusement park located 24 miles (39 km) northeast of Cincinnati in Mason, Ohio. Owned and operated by Cedar Fair, the park first opened in 1972 by the Taft Broadcasting Company. It was part of a larger effort to move and expand Coney Island, a popular resort destination along the banks of the Ohio River that was prone to frequent flooding. After more than $300 million in capital investments, the park features over 100 attractions including fourteen roller coasters and a 33-acre (13 ha) water park. Early in its history, Kings Island has appeared in popular sitcoms and received widespread recognition for its record-breaking attractions and events. One of the park's most well-known attractions, The Racer, is often credited with reviving worldwide interest in roller coasters during the 1970s. Others, such as The Beast and Banshee, have set several world records, some of which remain standing. The largest investment in park history is Orion, a giga coaster scheduled to open in 2020. The park has also suffered through times of negative publicity, particularly surrounding the early demise of roller coasters The Bat and Son of Beast. Kings Island is divided into several themed sections and operates seasonally from early spring through the fall, partially reopening for Winterfest during the holiday season. In 2017, Kings Island was the second-most visited seasonal amusement park in the United States behind Cedar Point, with an estimated 3.47 million visitors. It was third overall for seasonal attendance in North America, which was led by Canada's Wonderland.
Name Opened Manufacturer Model Description Thrill rating
Banshee 2014 Bolliger & Mabillard Inverted Coaster An inverted roller coaster with seven inversions located in the former location of Thunder Alley and Son of Beast . It is the longest of its kind in the world 5
The Bat 1993 Arrow Dynamics Suspended A suspended roller coaster in which free-swinging cars are suspended below the track . Formerly known as Top Gun ( 1993-2007 ) ; Flight Deck ( 2008-2013 ) 5
Congo Falls 1988 Intamin Shoot-the-Chute A Shoot-the-Chute water ride with a 34 ' drop . The ride opened as Amazon Falls ( 1988-1998 ) and was later renamed Congo Falls after the Paramount film Congo 4
Delirium 2003 HUSS Giant Frisbee A Giant Frisbee ride that swings riders at an angle of 120° creating a maximum arc of 240° , lifting riders 137 feet ( 42 m ) into the air . Riders reach speeds up to 76 miles per hour ( 122 km/h ) 5
Drop Tower 1999 Intamin Gyro Drop A rotating drop tower ride which at 315 feet ( 96 m ) is the tallest of its kind in the world ( although sister park Kings Dominion has one with a longer drop that does not rotate ) . Formerly known as Drop Tower : Scream Zone and Drop Zone : Stunt Tower ( 1999-2007 ) 4
Invertigo 1999 Vekoma Invertigo An inverted Boomerang roller coaster . Formerly known as FACE/OFF ( 1999-2007 ) 5
Timberwolf Amphitheatre 1982 N/A N/A Concert venue built to replace Stadium of the Stars
Xtreme Skyflyer 1995 Sky Fun 1 Inc Dual Swing Pay-per-ride Double Skycoaster with a dive of 153 feet ( 47 m ) 5