Kings Island Camp Snoopy

Kings Island is located at 6300 Kings Island Drive in Mason, Ohio. Mason, Ohio, is 24 miles (39 km) north of downtown Cincinnati, Ohio along Interstate 71. Camp Snoopy, which is part of Planet Snoopy, is located between International Street and Rivertown. The newest rollercoaster here is called Snoopy’s Soap Box Racers.

Although part of Planet Snoopy, Camp Snoopy has a theme of Peanuts at Summer Camp for slightly older kids as opposed to that of Peanuts Circus or Carnival for young children. There are two real rollercoasters here;  a flying, rotating, carriage ride; a kite-flyer ride; a log flume; a molded playground; and a dining area.

The kid-sized log flume has been here since 1972. Called Race For Your Life Charlie Brown until 2023, this ride is now Charlie Brown’s Rushing River Log Ride for Camp Snoopy. A hollowed-out polyurethane “log” tractors up a hill to reach the slide. Riders get splashed here, which runs from Memorial Day through Labor Day.

This kite-flying ride has been here since 2006. Linus Launcher has new camp-themed paint and color details for 2024, but is the same fun ride it’s always been with the same name since 2010. Riders zoom around a rotating pole on one of Linus’ “blankets” and must be at least 36 inches tall (91.5 cm) with a chaperone.

Franklin’s Flyers, which is a Level 3 thrill-ride like Linus’ Launcher, was previously known as Woodstock Gliders and has been in this area since 2006. The idea behind this ride is for guests (44 inches or 112 cm alone, or 36 inches or 91.5 cm with a chaperone) to sail through the air in the flyers that Peanuts character “Franklin” has built.

Although Snoopy’s Soap Box Racers is the big news in Camp Snoopy, the junior inverted steel suspension roller coaster formerly named Flying Ace Aerial Chase is still here as Woodstock’s Air Rail. This smooth, Level 4 ride has been at Kings Island since Spring 2001, and is designed for riders between 44 and 76 inches (112 and 193 cm) tall.

Snoopy’s Soap Box Racers is the new Level 4 thrill ride in Camp Snoopy. This ride is designed for riders who are at least 38 inches (96.5 cm) tall with a ride-alone height of 48 inches (122 cm) up to a maximum of 80 inches (203 cm). Soap Box Racers is a boomerang-style coaster with quick side-to-side movements that goes forward and backward.

The Camp Snoopy Supplies & Photo kiosk sells rider photos from Snoopy’s Soap Box Racers. There are Camp Snoopy t-shirts for sale, plus Peanuts bubble blowers, candy, lapel pins, and Snoopy head coverings. The merchandise here is summer camp-themed and different than what is in the Snoopy Boutique in Planet Snoopy.

The Beagle Scout Acres playground is located between Snoopy’s Soap Box Racers and Pig Pen’s Mess Hall. A petting zoo has been located here in past years, plus various Christmas shows with animals during WinterFest. There is stroller parking just out of frame on the left and there are gently graded walkways into the area.

Beagle Scout Acres provides respite from the sun and the glare in the late afternoon. There are chairs, benches, and seating areas for parents. The kids using this playground look to be between 3 and 11 years old. On the date of this visit, which is Saturday, August 10th, this area is completely free of litter of any kind.

Camp Snoopy has its own themed eatery, Pigpen’s Mess Hall. Pigpen’s Mess Hall takes meal plans and has vegetarian options. There is hot food and cold food here, plus main dishes, side dishes, and dessert. There is no respite from the sun or the rain. A better option for that is next door in Rivertown’s Miami River Brewhouse.

Pigpen’s menu has some mix-and-match to it, which is great for pasta, potato, and veggie lovers. Drinks are not included with a platter, and a drink must be purchased separately. It is best to purchase meal and drink plans if spending an entire day here. Another option is to eat tail-gate style before and/or after coming to the park.

Note the Allergy QR code on the right for food allergen info. The “Peanut” rondelle in the upper right indicates that peanuts or peanut/tree nut oil is used. At visitkingsisland.com, there are PDF’s for food allergens for all food stands, including Pigpen’s Mess Hall. The only two allergens not present here are fish and shellfish.

This is the end of the serving line at Pigpen’s Mess Hall, where beverages and desserts are selected and the purchasing is completed. Kings Island is cashless. Milk and bottled water are not available today, which is Labor Day 2024. (Neither were available on a previous visit, either.) Only the Campfire S’mores dessert is available today.

The beef hotdog at Pigpen’s Mess Hall is similar to, but not the same, as the Miami River Brew House hot dog. The hot dog here is specifically listed as an All-Beef hot dog with bun. Allergens for this platter are soybean, gluten, and sesame for the hotdog; milk for the cheese sauce; and milk, soybean, and gluten for the mac ’n’ cheese.

The regular chicken tenders, which are not the hand-breaded type, are listed with peanut, soybean, and gluten food allergens. The hand-breaded chicken tenders, like those offered at Coney Bar-B-Que, have milk, egg, soybean, and gluten allergens. Looking closely at the allergen PDF, many similar food items have different allergens.

Pigpen’s Mess Hall right in Camp Snoopy; and shown here is Beagle Scout Acres. The guests are using the gently-graded ramp to take their wee ones to the playground. If they had wanted to, they could have parked their stroller on the left, up top. As to the empty tray shown here, it was filled after about 20 minutes with the requisite barbecue sauce.

The umbrella tables at Pigpen’s Mess Hall offer no escape from the sun. (More tables are around back.) There is also not the quality and quantity food or drink options that other eateries have. The cole slaw is dry and tasteless while the potatoes in the potato salad have an odd mouthfeel. Marzetti dressing could have fixed them both.

The Eiffel Tower provides a 360-degree view Kings Island. From almost 1,000 feet (305 m) up, Camp Snoopy is due south of the Eiffel Tower. The Diamondback coaster is on the far left, plus Miami River Brewhouse. Looking left to right, Camp Snoopy is bounded by Charlie Brown’s Rushing River Log Ride and Pigpen’s Mess Hall next to Planet Snoopy’s Surf Dog roller-ride.

Is Camp Snoopy worth the dollars required for park entry? The answer is yes if using a Season Pass or reduced-price ticket. Camp Snoopy by itself may not justify the expense of a regular-priced ticket, however. Planet Snoopy is an award-winning kids’ zone, but only careful consideration will determine if Camp Snoopy is worth the cost of that ticket.