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^in other words, going like many of us predicted....

Yikes ...two industry experts are giving a very frank opinion: What’s next for Six Flags? Cedar Point parent faces park sell-off, possible bankruptcy - cleveland.com https://share.google/pcBea8M1gcQqXNvRT

I love Elvira, so I have to get that shirt before the season is over! Fun aside: her memoir is a must read. Cassandra Peterson led a fascinating and eventful life even before she became the "Mistress of the Dark." Elvis makes an appearance and there's a story about a house she once lived in and its pool, which embellished or not, is creepier than any of movies she showed on her program. Assuming Cinema Slasher was indeed an unused maze concept, I wonder if it would've went in the KI Theater? The concept is right up my alley, so what a bummer we don't have a maze like that. I mean, who wouldn't want to be chased by a murderous bucket of popcorn welding a knife?

My question with Rick is: does he consult for Sally on a project such as this? I'd love to think that he is involved with the project. It would really suck of they picked his brain for ideas, shelved the redo until "later" and then just gave the ideas to Sally. But I don't know how all of this stuff works.

Going off topic a little-I’ve been to the park twice this fall and I’ll have to say I’ve had good experiences both times. That being said, DB seemed shaky and I’m guessing it needs wheels. Orion-holy heck that was great! I’ve kinda changed a bit the last few years and just kinda appreciating good when I can find it. There are a couple I’m avoiding, but I’ve been impressed with the engagement of the staff. (Unpopular I know lol)

I've always felt that Rick didn't come to KI from California just to watch the show. I believe he had plans with him back then.

I don’t think Xcelerator is going to last forever. With Six Flags already taking down the world’s tallest hydraulic launch coaster in New Jersey, it seems like the writing’s on the wall for Intamin’s hydraulic coasters in general. They’re maintenance-heavy, parts are harder to come by, and Xcelerator was the prototype. If/when Knott’s replaces it, there are some interesting directions they could go. In theory they could go the TT2 route if they wanted to preserve the ride- and add some length and duration with a swing launch. If they were looking to completely demo and rebuild- an S&S air launch could deliver the same burst of speed with far less downtime. Or, Knott’s could even be a test site for something like the S&S Axis coaster, which would give them a real marketing hook. With all this said, I can’t help but wonder if Siren’s Curse would’ve been a better fit for Knott’s than Cedar Point. I know Cedar Point will always get the massive record-breakers, but Siren’s Curse might have made a bigger impact at Knott’s. I think it would have felt different enough from HangTime to stand on its own.

Which honestly gives me hope that Cedar Fair will eventually move away from relying on external IPs in their parks. Cedar Fair’s own history shows why. I was never a fan of the “Intimidator” coasters, because those names won’t last forever. Even on a broader scale when they acquired the Paramount parks in 2006, they had to strip away most of the branding. Even small details like the Mini Cooper theming on Backlot Stunt Coaster had to go. It showed how fragile licensing can be, and how quickly a park’s identity can get lost. That said, IP has its place. In kids’ areas it works, and in seasonal haunted attractions it’s fine too. Haunt mazes and indoor overlays are temporary by nature, so swapping one IP for another is like changing a storefront sign. A Thriftway can become a Kroger overnight, and no one thinks twice about it. Permanent thrill rides, on the other hand, need long-term staying power. Not to be overly critical of Six Flags, but their decades-long reliance on superhero branding has always felt like a shortcut. With so many different versions of characters across movies, TV, and comics, it’s tough to keep the branding consistent. Batman and Superman are universally known, but characters like Green Lantern, The Flash, or Cyborg don’t have the same reach. As a comic book fan, I appreciate them, but it still feels like a narrow, dated strategy rather than something timeless and memorable.

In my opinion, Action Zone should have been completely overhauled either with or shortly after the debut of Banshee. When the record-breaking invert opened in 2014, the park did invest in some welcome changes: the new seating plaza where the water tower once stood, the revival of The Bat, the repaint of Delirium, and even the back patio of Festhaus that allowed guests to watch the action. But much of the area remained untouched. Drop Tower, Xtreme Skyflyer, and Congo Falls stayed exactly the same, with only Invertigo receiving a repaint in 2012. The result was an area that looked half-new and half-forgotten. What always stood out to me was how split Action Zone felt after Banshee’s arrival. One side had modern touches - Banshee dominating the skyline, The Bat tying in nostalgia, and an energized central plaza. The other side was the “old” Action Zone, with Invertigo, Drop Tower, and Congo Falls still carrying their early-2000s extreme-thrills aesthetic. It was almost like two lands stitched together, each telling a different story. Now, with the merger in play, the uncertainty around Action Zone is even greater. Banshee needs a repaint, Skyflyer is gone, Congo Falls feels out of place, and Invertigo seems like it’s living on borrowed time. The Bat still runs well, but its future is uncertain. Then there’s the empty Son of Beast station - once reused for Wolfpack during Haunt - now cleared out and sitting vacant, a reminder of unfinished potential. This is why I’d like to see Action Zone addressed before The Vortex plot. Back in the Paramount era, the park felt unbalanced - Top Gun, Son of Beast, King Cobra, and Drop Tower were all piled into one corner. Today, the lineup is more evenly distributed: Orion anchors Area 72/Coney Mall. Rivertown has Diamondback, Mystic Timbers, and The Beast, and other coasters are scattered more thoughtfully throughout. But Action Zone, which was never part of the original master plan, has gone through so many transformations - from wild animal habitat, to Adventure Village, to Paramount’s extreme-thrills hub, and now to its current patchwork state - that it badly needs a clear, consistent identity moving forward. That lack of focus also makes the area vulnerable. With DC Comics IP so readily available, it would be easy to rebrand the entire section overnight. Drop Tower could become Lex Luthor: Drop of Doom. The Bat could be renamed Batman: The Ride. Banshee could turn into Superman: The Ride. From a marketing perspective, it’s effortless, but it would strip the park of originality. IP can work at Disney or Universal where it’s deeply integrated, but in regional parks it often feels like a shortcut. There is reason for hope, though. Kings Island’s decision to bring back Phantom Theater in place of Boo Blasters shows the chain is willing to lean into creativity and history instead of outside brands. I truly hope I’m wrong about the DC angle, because what Action Zone needs isn’t a quick rebrand - it just needs to be completed.

Orion had a giant banner on the fence after it was announced. They also did a daytime Haunt in what was Chaos themed around the Orion storyline as a "pre launch" preview. Tbh I really want to see the daytime/HallowTween Haunts return in the future. I liked what they would do with the corn maze and even last year with the daytime tour of Madame Fatales.

I feel like 4D Freespin will go where Skyflyer was and will act as an Invertigo “replacement.”

They used to do this back in the day after something was announced. If any of you recall, Banshee had a bunch of its concept art along the fence after the ride was announced in 2013. I cannot speak for post announcement stuff like Mystic Timbers and Orion because I don’t remember- but I do I remember Adventure Port had stuff as well. The park is stepping up their game when it comes to advertising future attractions in general. I was at the park recently and there’s a huge sign for their Dragon’s Layer (or whatever it’s called) Haunt where Blackout once was. It gives you a sense that they are just as excited about what’s to come as the fans are- which reminds me of what they used to do back in the early Cedar Fair days with their additions. Also, I’m sure there’s a marketing strategy behind it too- people are more willing to check out a coming attraction if they have a physical advertisement of it in the park.

I imagine you could ballpark it by knowing the wait times from certain spots given what parts of a certain queue are in use and doing a bit of calculations regarding the capacity (though you have to subtract the Fast Lane capacity on those affected rides).

Thats awesome to hear! Did your friend ride the original PT?

I know the idea I've heard is that each switchback is supposedly an estimated amount of time, which is effectively an amount of people, so there has to be a number

Is there an official capacity number out there for the total capacity for full coaster ques at KI? For example, how many people can Diamondback’s que hold with all the switchbacks open? The Beast? Mystic? I feel like that number is out there somewhere, or maybe former ride ops know, so I’m curious to find it out!

Unfortunately, I believe Xcelerator's fate is pretty much inevitable regardless of any rumors. It also doesn't help that Knotts' is extremely land-locked, so they need to remove attractions if they ever plan on putting in any new ones. I would hope that Xcelerator could get the Zamperla treatment, given that TT2 has been running pretty well now, but I wouldn't get my hopes up.

I found out that one of my friends helped design PT:ON and from what I do know based on that, it'll be quality.

Any pics of the fence with posters?

New trains are a few Million and they need at least 2. That doesn’t look likely under the new Six Flags. Hate to say it but I think the rumor may have merit if true.

You're right! Why not make it the tallest, fastest, longest, stock drop FUN has ever seen!

Taken from the KI Facebook page, the facade’s been constructed for the Boo Blasters tribute haunted house (Nah JK it’s order of the dragon, which I’m also really upset is about a vampire and not the mythical creature)

You're going to need a bigger drop than that...

Generally things like this aren’t thrown together in a year. I have a feeling early plans were being formed even then. I seem to remember Koontz saying something new in that building and TRTR were 2 of his goals “before he retired” since his retirement was forced a bit early, I think we can have him to thank a bit for keeping this idea alive these past few years. For the quick turn on this (less than 8 months) a lot of development has already happened and probably some set pieces will be ready to go in as soon as the space is cleared. Pivot can be changed with these ride vehicles (it was for Scooby) so I think it can still feel different.