How Kings Island was Almost Daniel Boone World!

In the late 1960s, a fascinating situation unfolded that would shape the theme park landscape in the United States. Fess Parker, a well-known actor famous for his roles as Disney’s Davy Crockett, and TV’s Daniel Boone, had a vision to capitalize on his fame and association with Disney by creating a theme park in Boone County, Kentucky. This location seemed fitting, given Parker’s association with his persona as an American frontier spirit. His goal was to bring to life a family-friendly pioneer park inspired by Kentucky’s history and culture. However, this idea, ambitious as it was, would be sidelined by a series of business moves that ultimately led to the creation of one of America's most beloved theme parks: Kings Island.

By the 1960s, Parker had garnered International TV fame and fortune, and was ready to transition his career toward entrepreneurial pursuits. So he saw an opportunity in Boone County, Kentucky (home of Daniel Boone) a chance to build a destination attraction that could celebrate the region's natural beauty and historical significance. His idea was to create an immersive experience, themed around American history, and pioneering adventures. Parker's unique celebrity appeal, combined with his vision for the TV-geared Pioneer Park, seemed like a winning combination to attract investment and make the project a reality.

However, Parker’s dream came at a time when local interests were already in motion contemplating growth in the Coney Island amusement park space. Gary Wachs, an officer at Cincinnati’s beloved Coney Island amusement park, had ambitions to expand and modernize. As Coney Island sat in a flood-prone area along the Ohio River, it faced logistical challenges that threatened its longevity. Wachs envisioned relocating and building a more extensive, cutting-edge park that could capture a regional audience and compete with the likes of Disneyland. He went to local Taft Broadcasting executives, who had recently purchased Hanna/ Barbera Studios, creators of the Flintstones and hundreds of popular cartoon characters. He presented his idea for a new park. Coincidentally, Taft was looking for a way to exploit these popular Cartoon personalities, so the idea of a theme park made a lot of sense.

When Wachs learned of Parker's plans, he recognized that a competing park in nearby Boone County could jeopardize his vision for Coney Island’s expansion. Parker’s Park would draw visitors away from Cincinnati, dividing the market in a way that Wachs feared could cripple both projects. Realizing he needed support to derail Parker's plan, Wachs turned to Charles Mechem, Chairman of the Board of Taft, and Charles Sawyer, a powerful Cincinnati businessman and major stockholder in Coney Island. With Mechem’s and Sawyer's influence, Taft moved to block Parker's ability to fund his Boone County theme park.

Their support gave Coney Island and Taft Broadcasting (recently merged) the edge needed, effectively putting a stop to Parker’s project, and shifting the momentum toward a new, more ambitious venture, the development of Kings Island. Parker’s Boone County concept was dead in the water, and Wach’s early idea to move Coney Island gained significant traction.

With Parker’s plans out of the way, the newly formed Amusement Park Group of Taft Broadcasting accelerated efforts to establish a modern amusement park that would not only replace Coney Island, but reimagine what a large regional amusement destination could offer. The project evolved into Kings Island, which opened its doors in 1972 in Mason, Ohio. It quickly gained a stellar reputation for its amazing family-friendly attractions, along with its introduction of the Hanna Barbera cartoon characters into a theme park setting.

Kings Island's success spurred the development of other parks in the Cedar Fair company (now SIX FLAGS), including Kings Dominion in Virginia, Carowinds in North Carolina, Canada’s Wonderland, and Great America in California.

Had Parker's dream of a Boone County theme park materialized, the amusement landscape in America might have looked very different. Without Wachs's strategic move to combat Parker’s idea, Kings Island and its sister parks may never have come to fruition.


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