**This is an attempt to repair audio quality issues from the first upload. Please excuse me for not noticing initially when I uploaded it that the sound was icky oops I legit do all this myself and I have no experience oops!**

This week we explore the history of Kings Island in Mason, Ohio. Kings Island is a park that has been through a lot of changes in its over 50 year history. Since 1972, the park has thrilled millions of guests, and we discover in this episode that the history started far before that, in the 1880's in an apple orchard along the Ohio River. Join us as we discover all of this and more on this week's Park History episode.

Sources used for this week's information:

• Kings Island : A Ride Through Time by Evan Ponstingle (ISBN: 978-1-7321210-8-9)

• Goodbye, Coney Island, Goodbye… by Paul Ilyinsky and Dick Perry (ISBN: 0-13-360230-3)

• Kings Island : A Photographic Journey by Barry R. Hill & John M. Keeter (ISBN: 978-1-7321210-9-6)

• ⁠Timeline of Kings Island’s History – Kings Island Central⁠

Please subscribe to the podcast on whatever your favorite platform is in order to keep up to date on the latest episodes! Also subscribe to our podcast social channels!Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/carouselofthemeparkspodcast/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet) Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61580854648465) X /Twitter (https://x.com/CoTPPodcast) Youtube (https://www.youtube.com/@CarouselOfThemeParksPodcast)

Welcome to Episode 1.1, Dollywood of our Park History Deep Dive Series. In this episode I discuss the history of Dollywood and then talk about my recommendations for how to experience the park as a first time visitor or a repeat visitor. This park is super important to me, so I have a lot to say on the topic!

Please note: The history portion is outdated (Already?!) as I recorded it before Dollywood's 2026 Wildwood Grove addition, NightFlight Expedition had been announced officially. I do mention it in the second segment of the episode, as I recorded it after the announcement.

Sources for the History in this Episode:

• https://www.dollywood.com/about-us

• The Inventor's Mansion

• Dollywood Through the Years: The Surprising Transformation of the Theme Park

• Lost Smoky Mountain Attractions - Rebel Railroad and Gold | HeySmokies

• The History of Dollywood - A Gaze Back to Memory Lane

• National Carousel Association - Index of North American Carousels

• Dentzel Carousel Company - Wikipedia

• Eagle Mountain Sanctuary - Dollywood

• Chasing Rainbows Museum - Wikipedia

• Dollywood Inventor’s Mansion: The Mysterious Lost House on the Hill

• Flooded Mine – Dollywood – Dark Ride Database

• Dollywood Map and Brochure (2025 - 1989) | ThemeParkBrochures.net

• 7 Old Dollywood Rides That You'll Be Sad to Learn No Longer Exist

Please subscribe to the podcast on whatever your favorite platform is in order to keep up to date on the latest episodes! Also subscribe to our podcast social channels!

Instagram

Facebook

X /Twitter

Youtube

Greetings and welcome aboard Zack Back's Carousel of Theme Parks Podcast. This is the first episode, created to help introduce you to me, the podcast idea and what we will be doing here on a regular basis.

Please forgive me for the probably awful audio quality, as this is the first time I have ever done anything like this and there is definitely a learning curve with audio! I hope that from here we only go up in quality and probably the introduction tracks will change eventually. But for now, enjoy! Look out for the first **official** episode coming soon: Dollywood!