The Best Ways to Meet the Peanuts Gang at Kings Island

If you're like me, chances are you grew up watching the Peanuts Gang holiday specials each year; It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown, A Charlie Brown Christmas, The Easter Beagle and now you're sharing those specials with your kids. My toddler has really taken to Snoopy and I was so excited to find out there was an amusement park that had an entire Snoopy (and Peanuts Gang) themed land! ​

Disclaimer: I was given complementary tickets to visit Kings Island, any other expenses incurred that day were taken care of by me. Thoughts & opinions are my own.

Kings Island: The Details 

Location: Manson, Ohio just north of Cincinnati and about a half hour drive south of Dayton. 

Days of Operation: Beginning August 18, 2019 Kings Island moved to a reduced operating schedule. They will be open on select Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays throughout the rest of the summer and then their Halloween activities begin in October!

Tickets: Kings Island has a season pass, daily tickets and 2-day tickets available to purchase online or at their front gate.

They offer a generous military discount and children 2 and under are FREE!

The Best Ways to Meet the Peanuts Gang at Kings Island

Planet Snoopy is a Peanuts Gang themed land inside Kings Island with rides specialized for toddlers and young kids. The decor is fun (you can step inside Snoopy's famous red dog house), there are games and souvenir shops where you can purchase your favorite character plush, shirts, mugs and so much more!

Have Lunch with the Gang

Festhaus is actually located outside of Planet Snoopy, near Oktoberfest but offers a Lunch with the Peanuts Gang!

Inside the large dinning hall are large bench-style tables with counter service options that include chicken strips, pizza, and a Panda Express. Bring your trays to your table, sit back and enjoy the show! Times may vary but during our visit the show started at 12PM and 1PM and ran for about 20 minutes. We got to the hall around 12:40, I sat at our table while my husband got our food and we ate while the 1PM show was performed. Reservations are not needed and you can sit at a table without eating anything so just be mindful that during peak season this hall may fill up.

The show is filled with fun songs and our favorite characters, Charlie Brown, Linus, Lucy and of course, Snoopy. Towards the end of the show they'll announce that it is time to meet the gang! Families are welcomed to the front of the stage to hug and take photos with the characters; lines form for each one and you can hop in line for as many characters you can before they announce it is time to continue on with the show. We were able to meet and take pictures with all four characters well within the time constraints. The lines moved quickly and the best part was we weren't outside in the August heat!

Watch the Space Beagle show

New this year, Space Beagle is performed each day inside Peanuts Showplace. Inside there are rows of folding chairs and ample space to park strollers along the back of the room. There aren't any stairs to worry about! The premise of the show has NASA calling Charlie Brown to have Snoopy to be the first beagle up in space! He'll even get to walk on the moon! During the show there's an opportunity for a conga-line around the room which is a lot of fun for parents and small children.

When the show is over, stick around because you'll get an opportunity to meet Snoopy (in his space suit), Lucy and Charlie Brown! Again this meet and greet is located inside and out of the heat and with very short (and fast moving) lines. We took a group shot with all three of the characters and as we were getting to leave, my toddler decided she just HAD to hug Lucy. So we hopped back online and she was able to give her a big bear hug!

I have read that the Gang walks around Planet Snoopy for photo opportunities however during our visit I did not see any characters just out and about. That's why I feel the best way to meet the Gang is to either have lunch with them or watch the show inside Peanuts Showplace (or both!). Lines will be short and you'll be inside. Plus, watching the shows first will allow for your child to decide if he or she wants to approach them close-up without waiting in a long line only to get up to Charlie Brown and have them scream right in his face!