Smurfs’ Enchanted Voyage - 50th Anniversary Archives Kings Island
Ойын-сауық
A big thank you to Brian Lamm for donating this footage.
The year was 1984. It was a big year at Kings Island with the Mason, Ohio amusement park introducing a new standup roller coaster, King Cobra. But something else was also happening in the park that guests wanted to see and do in the Happy Land of Hanna-Barbera. But let’s not start there. Let’s go back to 1928.
Pierre Culliford was a Belgian comic writer born on June 25, 1928 in the Belgian municipality Schaerbeek. After completing school, he received his first career job at Compagnie belge d'actualités, a small Belgian animation studio. Knowing he wanted to be a comic writer, he went to work for a newspaper called La Dernière Heure, making some of his first comics. Out of all of his series he produced, one he had a passion for the most - Johan et Pirlouit (translated into English as Johan and Peewit. During this series, a certain notable character was introduced: a Smurf.
On October 23, 1958, the album La Flûte à Six Schtroumpfs (The Six Smurfed Flute) released, getting readers their first look at what would be later known to them as a Smurf. Pierre, who decided to be known by his pseudonym Peyo, saw the success and potential of these blue humanoid creatures and started his own studio along with other writers.
One year later, in 1959, the first published Smurfs series saw its debut, with over thirty comic albums being created over time. Merchandise was made side-by-side with the comics, and the comic strip soon gained international attention. The Smurfs eventually made their way to the United States, where in 1981, Hanna-Barbera studios gave The Smurfs their own animated television series, along with their ever-so-popular theme song. According to an article in The Wall Street Journal, retail sale for Smurf's merchandise in the United States alone exceeded $650 million in 1982.
Back to Kings Island. In 1982, The Happy Land of Hanna-Barbera had been renamed Hanna-Barbera Land upgraded with the additions such as Scooby-Choo (today known as Snoopy’s Junction), Rawhide Railway (hand crank cars, McScrappy’s Farm (play area), Shaggy’s Silly Sticks (play structure), Fool House (funhouse), Woodland Theatre (a small theater built for puppet shows in a tree), and the Hanna-Barbera Amphitheater. Huckleberry Hound blueberry ice cream was introduced to families for the first time. Kings Island saw the Saturday morning cartoon identity rapidly growing, and wanted to keep up with the demand.
Taft Broadcasting (soon to be Kings Productions), owner and operator of Kings Island at the time, already owned licensing to Hanna-Barbera characters, and soon received licensing for Peyo’s Smurfs. That meant that Kings Island could use them as meet-and-greet characters, merchandise, food, and of course, attractions.
Then in 1984, The Smurfs “invaded” Kings Island, albeit first appearing in a stage show the previous season. Guests could get a picture with Smurfette on a bench, or they could indulge their taste buds on a “Smurf cone”. The highlight of the additions that year was the Smurfs’ Enchanted Voyage. The attraction was largely an overhaul of the former Enchanted Voyage ride that took you on a boat ride to meet all your favorite Saturday morning cartoon characters. The Smurfs’ Enchanted Voyage retained its same water trough layout, but featured The Smurfs going on adventures brought to life by scenic designer Brad Kain through the four seasons, with the evil antagonist Gargamel not too far behind.
The attraction played its Smurfs’ notable theme song throughout the attraction in different renditions to match the scenes. To this day it is a beloved and remembered attraction by many.
The attraction operated through 1991, a total of only eight seasons before it was replaced by a new attraction. The ride building and trough system was gutted in favor for a more advanced storytelling attraction with the help of Morgan Manufacturing and R&R Creative Amusement Designs. This soon awakened the spirits of the Phantom Theater, which opened in 1992.
Celebrate Peyo’s birthday by taking an enchanted voyage through Smurf Village, which is part of our 50th Anniversary Archives series, exclusive to KZread.
#kingsisland #smurfs #amusementpark
Пікірлер: 65
Which was your favorite Smurf?
@BardTheDragonProductions
2 жыл бұрын
Didn’t go on it.
@raabeye
2 жыл бұрын
I did but I have a favorite
@AlanAvis
2 жыл бұрын
Clumsy!!!
@VBaskin2010
2 жыл бұрын
Grouchy Because he hates everyone and everything!
@trdadam2325
2 жыл бұрын
smurffett
This ride was a religion in my family. Our day at Kings Island began on the Smurf Ride and ended on the Smurf Ride. I DIED when it was replaced. Thanks for the video, Kings Island!!
@Jacen13
Жыл бұрын
I am with you! I am Baby Smurf, that’s my nickname! I loved the Smurfs so much! I even have a “It’s Called A Smurf Cone” t-shirt & my kids got me a blue ice cream Squishmallow stuffed animal from KI!
@AlanAvis
Жыл бұрын
@@Jacen13 Yes!!!!!!!
@pauls9034
5 ай бұрын
Nice of you to come back to life and tell us about it.
@derekb27
2 ай бұрын
This really was the best ride. I love the Smurfs, so just seeing them “in real life” as a kid was a thrill to me. But it was often scorching hot when we went to KI, and this was such an air-conditioned 5 minutes of paradise! I even miss the voice over the loudspeaker: “Boat 27, please keep your hands inside the boat!” (People would often stick their hands out of the boats to feel the water.) Everything about this ride was magical! As a kid, I thought it would be around forever. I was devastated when they took it down! I really miss it. I wish a better video recording existed. I am thrilled, however, that the blue cones came back due to popular demand shortly after they removed them! But they’ll always be Smurf Cones to me!
This almost brought me to tears. I’m from Kentucky, and the first weekend of June every year we went to Kings Island to celebrate my lil sister’s birthday. We both loved this ride, we would ride multiple times a day. My uncle usually would ride with us and scream and try to scare everyone on the ride. He passed a couple months ago. This video instantly brought those memories back. Thank u
It’s funny how this ride’s biggest legacy is its ice-cream.
@Jacen13
Жыл бұрын
Smurf Cone!
@seraphineraevenwulf
5 ай бұрын
They still sell it under a different name. I don't know what it is though.
@derekb27
2 ай бұрын
I just like how they the blue cones away when Hanna-Barbera went away, but they quickly brought them back when they realized the demand for them!
Would be nice if they brought something like this back
I tell my kids about being a kid riding this ride, it was my favorite as a kid!
It was in a section of the park named “Hanna-Barbera Land.”
@Antoniowilsonjr2002
2 ай бұрын
This ride was named enchanted voyage before the smurfs and it features hannah barbera characters in the 70s
God, Smurfs, I remember them. I watched it. Oh boy, you never forget them either. Days of Hanna Barbera land. A nice trip down memory lane. Thanks.
Living in Kentucky, Ohio’s Kings Island is closer to me than either Disney World or Disneyland. We would make the trip over every summer when I was a kid. The Smurfs Enchanted Voyage was a tremendous boat-based dark ride. This ride is noteworthy for being arguably the only piece of Smurfs media that plays Gargamel in a genuinely scary light.
The smurfs was a great ride but come on, Hanna barbera enchanted voyage was a legendary ride
Man I wish this ride was still around today I've been a Smurfs fan since 2011 when I saw the first live action movie and I remember my older siblings (One of my older brothers born in 1981, My older sister born in 1982 and and my other older brother born 1984) used to go on this ride when my mom took them to Kings Island when they were little even though she does quite remember it and I don't know if my oldest brother (Born in 1970) went with them and rode this cause he was a teen at the time and my brother in law (Born in 1979) remembered this ride as a kid too and that was long before he married my sister. So this was before my time (Born in 1994) and the only time I went to Kings Island was when I was 7 years old in the summer of 2001 and it still had a bit of Hanna Barbera but no smurfs and it had mostly Nickelodeon I remember the original Rugrats was popular at the time still and I have a pic of me with Tommy and Angelica and I have a pic of my and my parents on the Wild Thornberries water ride (Anybody remember that ride and the Nickelodeon cartoon?) I also remember riding The Runaway Reptar ride it was fun. As for those old pics I have them somewhere.
@derekb27
2 ай бұрын
You would have loved it! I have such fond memories!
This is SUCH a beautiful memory jogger. Who else remembers the little surprise lift hill and drop at the end? That, and, “Now, Chopper Smurf, be careful!”…
Bring back the boat ride!!!
This was my favorite ride at Kings Island.
I miss this so much ❤❤❤❤
King’s island. We want you to bring back the phantom theater. Where never gonna stop asking unless you do
Oh, Papa Smurf was my favorite.
Has some one who loves loves king Island history but is not old enough to have ride most classic rides I am so so excited that ki is most these remembering video because research I can get pretty difficult. Also can we just a knowledge that the phantom theater is not 50 years. if the monster wake up every 50 years they should not be a wake unless they were a sleep during when they're ride was open. Were they a live before the ride was open? Yes I thought way too hard about this🎭
I didn't get the split screen at first, but it was very smart to film one side at a time, and then take both to show the whole ride at once. Kind of strange that I don't remember a lot of the scenery, but boy I sure remember the moving feet sticking out of the snow.
@thunn35
2 жыл бұрын
Yeah this is the best video I have seen from the ride and the split is for obvious reasons
This is from the Hanna-Barbera era of Ki!
@MrJmwkdw
Ай бұрын
Actually, back then it was called the enchanted voyage
Oh I loved this ride so much as a little girl . Loved watching all the mechanical Smurfs and laughing at their antics. Thanks so much for posting this!!
BRING THIS RIDE BACK!!!
@SnoopyMan6000vids
2 жыл бұрын
Cedar Fair does not have the rights to use the smurfs.
@YokozunaNumber1
2 ай бұрын
@@SnoopyMan6000vids Yeah, I kow that. I was just being nostalgic.
Todays my 10th bday and I’m going to Kings Island
Always loved this ride when I was a kid. The ac was always cranked up good during hot days.
I wish the scooby ride was still a slow Hannah barberra water ride.
This is what my friends mom was talking about! Also, that looks really scary
It's interesting. Nickelodeon now owns the Smurfs. If you kept the Nick license, you could have gotten this ride back. Well 30 years later, anyway.
@thunn35
2 жыл бұрын
They dumped it in the early 90's and made that shitty Phantom Theater replace it
😊
This was my first ride as a baby
Papa Smurf
Various KZread Recordings from WGN Morning News
Loved this ride as a kid so much, hated to see it torn out for that crap Phantom Theater
The Original Version of the Enchanted Voyage was Better
Fn smurf me
Oh stop calling the Beastie the stupid Woodstock Express. Tear down that god awful Adventure Express the next time you wanna kill a coaster you should have left the damn Vortex alone you bastards
@srenee8112
2 жыл бұрын
And King Cobra and the Eagles 😭
@anthonytaylor1371
2 жыл бұрын
@@srenee8112 oh yeah the screechin eagles that ride has now been in the kiddie land of planet snoopy and is not as big and does not go as high as it used to what a really good great super fun ride that was back in the day and miss it so much when it was made for older kids and adults 😓
NRA smurf