Cedar Point/Kings Island Kid Fun

Cedar Point's Kiddy Kingdom is a great place for very small children. The rides don't go high or fast. A Lost & Found is here as is a First Aid Station. There are also three other areas for kids: Planet Snoopy, Camp Snoopy and the Cedar Point Barnyard.

Kings Island's Planet Snoopy is an entire amusement park for kids with two new rides for 2015 plus a barnyard. There are rides for kids of all ages, designated by height. The littlest ones will enjoy the purple ride on the right: The Great Pumpkin Coaster for kids between 36 and 60 inches tall, with their adult partners.

Welcome to Planet Snoopy at Cedar Point! This is the Kite Eating Tree, just for kids 36-54 inches. The Kite Eating Tree is a level two ride where the kids go by themselves and parents wait behind the gate. It rises just a few feet and is quite a bit different than the Kite Eating Tree at Kings Island.

The Kite Eating Tree at Kings Island is for kids of all ages. The minimum height is 36 inches (riders 36-40 inches need an adult companion), and is a level three ride. There are many rides between Cedar Point and Kings Island that may seem very similar, but could actually be very different.

The level-two Flying Ace Balloon Race is for kids 42 inches tall. Other Planet Snoopy rides are Joe Cool's Dodgem School, Snoopy's Deep Sea Divers, Snoopy's Express Railroad, Peanuts Road Rally, and Woodstock's Whirlybirds. Woodstock's Whirlybirds is a very different ride at Kings Island.

The Flying Ace Aerial Chase at Kings Island is for riders 44 and 76 inches tall and is described as a "high thrill ride." This suspended steel coaster has been at Kings Island since 2003 and lasts for a minute and a half. This smooth-as-glass ride is also found at Carowinds in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Snoopy's Space Race at Cedar Point is for riders 36-54 inches and is a level two attraction. The ride spins from a center axis at a moderate pace, and the kids can move their buggies up and down. Kings Island has a similar ride called Snoopy's Space Buggies.

Woodstock Gliders is one of two new rides at Kings Island's Planet Snoopy for 2015; the other is Snoopy's Space Buggies. Woodstock Gliders is similar to Cedar Point's Lake Erie Eagles, and the Flying Eagles ride that was popular ten years ago at Kings Island. These rides replace a splash park.

Snoopy's Deep Sea Divers at Cedar Point (seen here) and Sally's Sea Plane at Kings Island are both level two rides and are very similar. There is a slight difference, however. The minimum height at Snoopy's Deep Sea Divers to ride alone is 42 inches. Sally's Sea Plane has a similar height requirement, but persons over 60 inches must be accompanied by a child.

Kings Island's Surf Dog spins along the rails and grabs air at both ends of the track. This level four ride has a minimum height of 44 inches, with riders 44-48 inches needing an adult partner. There is no maximum height. Pipe Scream at Cedar Point is very similar with a minimum height of 42 inches.

Welcome to Cedar Point's Camp Snoopy, which is for older kids. To the left is the Snoopy Bounce house. Snoopy Bounce is a level two attraction for kids 36-54 inches; no accompanying adult needed.

Race for your Life Charlie Brown is a flume ride with big thrills and is rated at level four. Riders will get wet, which is what happened here. (For best results, put the heaviest rider up front.) The minimum height to ride is 36 inches and the minimum height to ride alone is 47 inches. There is no max height.

Cedar Point's Woodstock Express in Camp Snoopy is very similar to Kings Island's Woodstock Express. Both of these wooden coasters are level four thrill rides with hills but have different height requirements. Riders 36 inches may ride, and those under 48 inches must have an adult partner.

Kings Island's Woodstock Express used to be known as the Scooby Doo, The Beastie, and the Fairly Odd Coaster. There are similar designs at Carowinds, Kings Dominion and Canada's Wonderland. The minimum height requirement here is 40 inches, with riders over 47 inches able to ride alone.

The Cedar Point Barnyard is a lot of fun, and Kings Island has one too. The Barnyard is not in the kids area but is in a fun area called Frontier Town. Sometimes, the Barn (seen in back) is open for quick tours and there are small cups of feed for sale. There are lambs, goats, llamas, alpacas, and chickens. A working display called the Grist Mill is nearby, and it shows how corn flour was made.

Kings Island now has a season-long petting farm that is similar to the Barnyard at Cedar Point. Both attractions are run by Honey Hill Farms in Kentucky. There are similar animals but no barn; however, the area is under shelter with daily shows by animal-care workers. Kids can participate in the shows.

This lit-up sports-car ride for riders 42 inches and up has a cute concept and had quite a queue. Riders under 42 inches need to have an adult companion. A similar ride at Kings Island is not the Peanuts 500 but the Peanuts Off-Road Rally, which also lasts for a little more than a minute.

Boo Blasters on Boo Hill is not in Planet Snoopy, but it's close by and is a "low" thrill ride at level one. On a hot day, this ride is tops. Boo Blasters is air-conditioned, in which up to three people sit in a carriage with laser-tag pistols to hit targets while moving through a comically haunted fun-house.

This is Cedar Point's Red Baron located in Camp Snoopy. This ride turns on a central axis as the rider moves the bi-plane up and down and is for riders 36-54 inches. Kings Island has a very similar ride in its Snoopy vs. Red Baron ride. These are level two attractions.

Kings Island's Linus Launcher ride is a very popular level three attraction for riders 42 inches and up. This double-flyer spins fast on a central axis as these face-down rockets sail through the air. Riders of all ages are locked in fairly tightly and strapless sandals and hats are best left on the ground.

Other than Mr. Potato, the Corral is the place closest to Kiddy Kingdom/Planet Snoopy that takes the cost-effective "Meal Deal" plans. (The Joe Cool Cafe, right in Planet Snoopy, is a sit-down, air-conditioned, kid-friendly place but doesn't take meal plans.) Near the Corral is a Coca-Cola freestyle beverage stand, and behind it are shady tables with umbrellas. (Bring wipes to clean off the tables.) Burgers, chicken fingers, pizza, hot dogs, and the funky walking taco are available. A Subway is too.

The Snoopy Grill offers burgers and fries, chicken sandwich and fries, chicken fingers and fries, and corn dogs. The sandwiches have a nice slice of tomato with fresh lettuce, though they can be dry. Condiments are around the corner. Unlike at Cedar Point, fries can't be swapped out for a small salad or a fruit cup. There is a seating area in front of the Snoopy Grill, but unless the umbrellas are in place, the sun is overbearing. The air-conditioned Festhaus has the best meal options in the park.