| Adventure Express | |
| Adventure Express Logo | |
| Location | Kings Island |
|---|---|
| Park section | Oktoberfest |
| Status | Operating |
| Opened | April 13, 1991 |
| Cost | $4,000,000 |
| Type | Steel - Mine Train |
| Manufacturer | Arrow Dynamics |
| Model | Mine Train |
| Track layout | Steel |
| Lift/launch system | Two chain lift hills |
| Height | 63 ft (19 m) |
| Length | 2,963 ft (903 m) |
| Max speed | 35 mph (56 km/h) |
| Inversions | 0 |
| Duration | 2:20 |
| Capacity | 1600 riders per hour |
| Max G force | 3.8 |
| Height restriction | 4 ft 0 in (122 cm) |
| Fast Lane available | |
| Adventure Express at RCDB | |
| Pictures of Adventure Express at RCDB | |
| Amusement Parks Portal | |
Adventure Express is a Mine Train roller coaster located at Kings Island amusement park that opened in 1991.
The ride is located in the Oktoberfest section of Kings Island near Outer Hank's and the SlingShot. The ride is considered a mine train and has the typical lap bar designed trains, abrupt turns and does not feature inversions. Adventure Express is dedicated to Robert Rinkel, a head of maintenance who died prior to the opening of the coaster. The park placed a plaque dedicating the ride to him on a stone by the entrance to the ride.
The ride begins with a few turns out of the station and into the "jungle". Riders quickly gain speed as they descend down a drop into the first of four themed tunnels, labeled with a large sign stating "Track Closed". Following the first tunnel is the second, themed to a booby-trap ridden temple. At one point in time, there were animated spikes in this tunnel. Today, however, the spikes no longer move. Other theming elements in this tunnel- tiki masks, a skeleton, etc.- still remain.
Riders move from the second tunnel up the first lift-hill. The lift-hill is outside and features five crooked archways, each decked with a Polynesian tiki mask. At the top of the lift-hill, the train begins its descent downwards and to the right. From here, the "roller coaster segment" of the attraction begins, with a variety of turns, ancient ruin archways and a third tunnel themed to a volcano. This third tunnel once contained fog and strobe lights. The fog effect has been removed, but some lights still remain.
The final tunnel is the most highly themed of the ride's tunnels. It features the ride's largest lift hill, pulling riders between large stone warrior statues with glowing eyes who bang on drums rhythmically. At the top of the hill is the "head" stone warrior, nicknamed "Bubba" by park fans. As riders approach, he states "You have disturbed the forbidden temple, now you will pay!" As the front of the train passes under the idol, an urn of "boiling lava" tilts towards the train, as if it will flow out and onto riders. At the top of the tunnel, the train turns to the right and returns to the station.
Adventure Express is famous for its "anticlimactic" finale, with the ride's largest and most highly immersive lift hill ending in a turn into the station and not the large drop which is seemingly being built up to.
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