The Italian Job Stunt Track at Paramount Kings Island

by: Niki Kapsambelis

Kicking off the 2005 operating season, Paramount Kings Island in Mason, Ohio has opted for special effects over sheer thrill factor in its latest major attraction, The Italian Job Stunt Track.

Nestled between the park’s signature Eiffel Tower and the high-octane Vortex, The Italian Job is largely style over substance – though there’s a lot to be said for that style.

The park rates the ride as a medium-speed, mild thrill ride, making it an ideal “bridge” attraction for parkgoers who want to ride a coaster but aren’t quite up to handling the park’s more notorious Beast, Vortex, or Flight of Fear.

As is customary at Kings Island, guests to the ride’s media preview were treated to the red carpet treatment – literally. After signing in, we boarded a stretch limousine that circled through the park and dropped us off at the end of a red carpet bordered by ropes leading up to the ride’s entrance. As the announcer counted down to the ride’s first run, three skydivers dropped from a small-engine plane, while an armored car screeched in with two Mini Coopers in hot pursuit. All that was missing was a gaggle of paparazzi.

The queue is fairly standard, though the video monitors show interesting behind-the-scenes footage of the movie on which the ride is based. If you haven’t seen the film (which I hadn’t), you’ll be able to catch the final chase scene re-created in the ride while you wait.

The cars are one of the ride’s most appealing features, running as a string of red, white and blue Minis complete with windshields, doors, sideview mirrors, headlights and a rear license plate that reads “CHASE ME.” Each car seats two people pretty comfortably. As you wait for takeoff, a prerecorded voice sets you up for the premise: that you are a stunt driver filming the movie’s chase scene in just one take.

Setting aside the ride experience for a minute, the use of Mini Coopers raises an interesting question: Won’t this date the ride more quickly? Imagine if a coaster used avocado Camaros for its cars. What happens when the Mini novelty wears off? But judging from its popularity among riders, park officials won’t have to worry about that issue anytime in the immediate future.

The Mini races off to a respectable 40-mph start, zooming through an upward spiral that simulates a parking garage ramp. The track goes down a few relatively tame hills and bends, then stops abruptly in front of a helicopter that fires simulated gunshots. The surrounding debris spurts water and then ignites into flame, which is hot enough to give your cheeks a slight flush before the car takes off again into a completely dark tunnel.

Ironically, despite all the special effects, it’s the tunnel that provides the most thrill on The Italian Job as the steel track twists through complete darkness. There’s no free fall like you might expect on a more serious coaster, but the surprise factor offers some adventure.

Once you emerge from the dark, you zip down a moderate hill into a water-filled trench built to look like an L.A. aquaduct. You’ll get a little wet, but it’s more sprinkle than splashdown, before you round the final bend and end up back at the station.

According to Jeff Siebert, the park’s marketing communications manager, The Italian Job has earned a top-five ranking among new rides by the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, and USA Today.

If you aren’t looking to pick your stomach out of midair, or you’re visiting the park with kids who aren’t quite ready to graduate to the biggest coasters, The Italian Job provides a fun (and overdue) alternative to Kings Island’s more outdated mid-range attractions such as Top Gun. More serious coaster addicts will appreciate the effects and the dark portion of the ride, but will be best off riding when the waiting time is 30 minutes or less. Much longer than that, and the ride isn’t worth the return on your time investment.

Aesthetically, The Italian Job looks somewhat out of place for its location, like a Hollywood backlot plopped in the middle of a manicured garden. The corrugated metal rear of the ride’s tunnel can be seen from the park’s scenic floral clock, which I imagine will spoil some photo opportunities. On the other hand, the landscaping was unfinished at the time of the preview, and with the whimsical Mini Coopers as a dominant theme, the park has a lot to work with.

MANUFACTURER - Premier Rides Inc.
TOTAL STUNT TRACK ELEVATION CHANGE 53.3 feet
HEIGHT FROM GROUND - 36 feet
TRACK LENGTH - 1,960 feet
OVERALL DIMENSIONS - 56,000 feet squared
SPEED - 40 miles per hour
MAXIMUM DEGREE OF BANKED TURNS - 88 degrees
RIDERSHIP - 3 trains of 3 cars each, with 4 riders per car
CAPACITY - 1,000 riders per hour approximately
RIDE LENGTH - Over 2 minutes
HEIGHT REQUIREMENT - 48 inches (4 feet)

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.5 License.