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Superior Shores seems like it will be a fun upgrade to Valleyfair's Soak City! There's some folks in the comments upset about the fact that the park's 50th celebration addition will just be a waterpark refresh, but at a time like this it's good that they're getting something. Being the smaller of the parks who turn 50 next year, it'll be interesting to see what they do. At least they also mentioned the attractions that will be removed BEFORE they're closed. Five days isn't a lot, but it's something. How many of the other 2026 announcements will actually be happening? I wouldn't be shocked to see the announcements themselves happen throughout this week like we saw with the starts of the MVP sales. Hopefully Kings Island gets theirs as well. I know Tower Topics did an episode about it, I haven't watched that one. Progress at Carowinds and Magic Mountain has stopped, Canada's Wonderland and Kings Island haven't seen much in the way of teasing/verifiable progress, Great Adventure has teased and continued their progress while delaying the completion date, and Valleyfair and Six Flags Mexico have (partially) officially announced their projects. Both of the Great America's will be interesting to see during their 50th celebrations next year since one is slowly closing while the other is expanding.

I was impressed too. Seems it took them longer in previous years. Since this is probably the last Grande Carnival, I wonder if they just brought in dumpsters and threw it all away?

I have to say I do enjoy that they switch out the sign for most festivals. The sign they put up Halloween Haunt is my favorite because its design was clearly thought out and made it through the design process. Kings Dominion's sign for Halloween Haunt is just a printout on a sign frame, which KI's Haunt sign blows entirely out of the water. The Grand Carnivale and Winterfest signs are similar to KD's Haunt sign, which I feel is a little sad. Some people have expressed that they wish the main Kings Island sign would just stay up during the events, but I think it would need to be beefed up for that to happen. It currently doesn't have the presence I feel it should. It's also interesting that they removed the three flag poles behind the sign at some point in the last few years. Those at least helped to give the sign a vertical presence. The 50th anniversary sign also helped since it had more of a horizontal presence.

I have a feeling that if more rides are closed for Haunt it will be a more sudden decision. So much effort seems to have been put into changing things up this year that we'll have to see what happens during the first couple of weekends. Cutting restaurant and shop operations would be an weird move to me (simply because of how the weekend operations have worked so far this year). I'd think having Planet/Camp Snoopy closed would help direct some operations to the rest of the park, but if Six Flags gets more and more desperate then who knows what could be suddenly cut from the lineup. Using the Trapped: Lock & Key model would definitely be a crazy addition to Haunt. The escape/torture room aspect might work out for the horror thrill-seekers, but there would need to be a clear line drawn in terms of who is allowed in the attraction. If it's as intense as this then there should be no strollers and no children allowed. Even if it is not as intense, I still don't think children should be allowed in, but I've aired my grievances with the children at Haunt topic. As much as I hate to say it, I'd rather see some operations cut from Winterfest instead of being cut from Haunt. There's not really even a guarantee from the park that — aside from the two new attractions — we'll see the other five mazes or the three shows return. Kings Island already needs more for guests to do during Halloween Haunt to spread out the crowds, so cutting more Halloween attractions from the lineup will only add misery (the non-Halloween fun kind) to the event. August 11th will be an interesting day for certain.

When I worked at the park, the disinfectant was called Voban....Voban is a granular, aromatic absorbent powder used to clean up and neutralize spills, particularly vomit and other bodily fluids. It is designed to quickly absorb liquids and odors, preventing staining on carpets and fabrics. The powder is fortified with enzymes to further eliminate odors The "janitors" you mentioned were called "litter gitters"... appropriately dressed in green and white stripes

Yeah I saw them taking down the Grand Carnivale sign earlier in the morning at 7:40, and putting up the Kings Island one. Here’s the pic.

Big shout out to the crews at KI. Looks like all Carnivale decorations have been removed overnight! Nice job.

^^ Those are almost always closed dates at KI as local students are back in school then which makes it harder to find staff.

Will some rides be cut from the Haunt lineup? Will fewer restaurants be open? Will cuts be made elsewhere at a park with higher attendance? Stay tuned! Addition by subtraction.

I believe it was supposed to be themed to Harley Quinn, as that's what SFM was teasing before it was moved to Cedar Point.

Valleyfair https://www.facebook.com/ValleyfairMN/posts/pfbid02BQZE9QBUf9gn7tGWaV8zwycNuCPcYuPrC9w7AycE2zZsmtEkCJzXsRE2bYCo5Zvtl #SomethingSuperior26 New waterpark adventures are coming to #Valleyfair in 2026. We're also celebrating our 50th anniversary. With that in mind, a portion of #SoakCity will close after August 10 to begin construction. Visit before then to ride these favorites one last time: Hurricane Falls Panic Falls Body & Speed Slides Ripple Rapids Splash Station The rest of Soak City will remain open through Labor Day.

My partner and I drove out to Silverwood last weekend for his birthday and had such a a wonderful time! I will go through our day in chronological order as to the rides, shows, and food we experienced. On the way home we took a pit stop at Riverfront Park in Spokane to ride the Looff Carousel which I'll also provide a review for. Silverwood When we arrived at the park we sprinted to the log Flume which often gets a rather lengthy line. This log Flume isn't particularly tall but has a fun layout that includes a shed/tunnel and winds through the foliage. Not a super soaker but a refreshing amount of splash on the drop. Next we hit the paratrooper. This is the carnival model that doesn't automatically lower so they load one car at a time. This results in super bad capacity and lengthy waits. It took us 45 minutes to experience this ride which ended up being the longest we waited for anything the entire day! Still a very nice breezy ride over the bumper boats Up next was the first coaster of our visit, Stunt Pilot. This RMC raptor is smaller than the Six Flags ones but is still whippy and fun. We rode it again later in the day when they project lights onto the track. Next we rode Tremors which has been completely retracked with metal track now and runs GCI trains. This ride still runs as great as ever and has higher capacity than ever with the addition of a second train. This coaster is my favorite in the park and is solidly in my top 10 woodies list. It also gives fantastic night rides. We rode this 4 times - twice at night! Timber Terror was up next and is the other wooden coaster at the park. This one is more of an out and back layout. This ride also runs fantastic and gives some good airtime in the classic PTC trains with ratchet bars. We rode this once during the day and once at night. While not as good as tremors, still a ride you can't miss! Aftershock is the only giant invented Vekoma Boomerang left in the USA and it is definitely a beast! I would recommend riding on the inside rows for a slightly smoother ride experience. Last year this was my 300th credit so it'll always hold a special place for me. We are at the Chuck Wagon buffet which was unlimited all day food for $29.99. this was a great deal and we filled up once around lunch and again around 7pm. They had pulled pork, hot dogs, chicken, and all the fixings. 100% worth it! The other water ride in the park is Thunder Canyon which is a wonderful rapids ride though a wooded section in the center of the park. This rapids also has a tunnel full of splashes and rapids sure to drench you if the geyser and waterfall didn't soak you first! The train ride at Silverwood is a classic experience with live actors including a train robbery. This ride is about 35 minutes long as it stops at various show scenes. Beware of the Sasquatch! We then went to see that Magic Show put on at the park pizza place. It included numerous card tricks and disappearing acts. One of my favorite tricks performed was the floating table. All in all a wonderful show. Reminded me of the old magic show at Kings Island when I was a kid. Before the evening set in, we grabbed a ride on the Corkscrew which is the oldest operating Arrow looper/modern looping coaster. It still rides fairly well for its age. We also rode their round-trip ride and scrambler which are both classic flats. Finally we grabbed a couple more night rides on the coasters and called it a night. Riverfront Park Looff Carousel (Spokane, WA) The next morning, we stopped in at Riverfront Park in Spokane, WA to ride the 1909 Looff Carousel. This park also has a sky ride but we didn't end up and ride it. We bought the all day wristband for the carousel which was around $10 vs a single ride for $4. This carousel is very beautiful and also moved at a decent clip. The ride had a ring dispenser and the garbage goat target to throw unwanted rings at. They used plastic rings on this carousel as compared to steel ones like they do at Knoebels with one yellow ring representing the brass ring which you can redeem for a free ride. We rode probably a dozen or so times and I did manage to catch the brass ring once. My partner would have also gotten one had I not missed a ring grab. I'd definitely recommend anyone traveling through the area to stop in and check out this amazing piece of history! PXL_20250802_193511312.TS.mp4

I'm of the mindset that they took away from other parks to add to a park with a better attendance and season pass base. With the addition of an upcharge maze (mazes?) it would seem counter productive to cut hours that could bring profit. This is an answer to those that were becoming critical of how tame the haunts had become.

Well, this is that sad time of the year when looking at the park's calendar you start seeing the 'Closed' dates. Makes me wonder if we will see more 'Closed' dates next year or more 10am-8pm dates throughout May/June/July. Maybe even no dates for April. Hope not, but we will see.

Don’t count your chickens before they hatch. Fridays for Haunt were just cut in September for Valleyfair and Worlds of Fun. Michigan’s Adventure had its entire fall season cut. Several legacy Six Flags parks just had their holiday event cut. While Kings Island added Thursdays in October, other parks lost days or entire events. There’s a trade off for adding those Haunt nights. They didn’t add without taking something away.

Wonder if Siren’s Curse was originally supposed to be themed like that before it went to Cedar Point

If the ride truly does take flight, take a plunge, and follow the light, this ride will be the first of it's kind. I feel like the ride will be rocking boat meets Navi River Journey and includes screen elements. We shall see. I look forward to finding out more! This last teaser definitely gave a little more information than the previous ones

Yea, I also remember the massive backlash when it wasn't a droptrack. darned if you do situation. Many (not me) are still sore and using it as a critisizm of the marketing department at the time.

I love seeing them do this the fun, engaging way that gets people talking… you know, the way KI used to do things?? Shed anyone?

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DM8UE0sSl-g/?igsh=MTM0eDF3aHlnenN3OQ==

Oh Dolly, you TEASE!

My 3 favorites so far are as follows - 1. Knoebels Grand Carousel: such a beautiful ride and still has the brass rings! My sister and I rode this togetheron 2023 and had an absolute blast! She only caught one ring and I got maybe 4-5 rings. Besides the rings actually being real metal, the craftsmanship is impeccable. My only slight complaint with this one is that the outside horses are stationary. 2. The Looff Carousel at Riverfront Park, Spokane WA: I just got to ride this beauty last weekend and it gave Knoebels a run for their money. This carousel while not as gaudy as some others is beautiful in its own way and also still has a ring dispenser! Unfortunately due to the cost of replacing many stolen metal/brass rings, the park decided to switch to plastic rings. The outer row of horses on this carousel are jumpers and provide arguably a better ride than the Knoebels carousel, however the fact Knoebels still uses real metal and brass rings gives them the slightest edge. 3. Bella Musica at Kentucky Kingdom: I'm not sure why but I've always LOVED the way this carousel looks. I've done some research and there's a chance that it was built by guess who? --Chance Rides but the history on it is inconclusive and it sort of remains a mystery as to who built it, when, and where did it operate before opening at KY Kingdom in the 1990s. Fortunately or Unfortunately it has been repainted to a more forest color pattern in the new makeover of that section of the park. I personally prefer the old color scheme but the design still is very beautiful to me. I'm not sure if this one is truly hand carved like the park often claims (some sources suggest the horses are resin). However, still one of the most overlooked beauties to me. ***I will be visiting Santa Cruz Boardwalk on Labor Day in hopes of riding their Looff Carousel which has brass rings as well. Considering that the outside row of horses are jumpers and they supposedly still use metal rings, this one might have the potential to take over my top spot!***

I didn't realize WoF had the one from geauga lake. Such a cool piece of history! I hope to visit that park next year. From pictures I found online it is such a beautiful carousel!

Extreme horror stuff isn’t my thing, but I’m happy for those who are big into it. My brother and his family are pretty excited.

Yeah I just wanted everyone to know the most logical theory that I piece together.