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It’s things like this that doesn’t put one at ease with having any add ons for the 2025 season. Today it’s this but tomorrow it’s another. I would stress to anyone to exorcise caution for the 2025-2026 season as the newly merged company figures itself out. There will likely be changes, and certainly no refunds.

https://fox4kc.com/news/worlds-of-fun-workers-say-staffing-maintenance-budget-leading-to-ride-shutdowns/

Welcome to KIC!! Yes, I usually wait for the 4x fuel points deal that Kroger puts on to buy gift cards for places I shop and eat at. It’s a great way to save money!!

This thread is 12 years ago. I am sure they do not do anything like that anymore. So many things have changed in 12 years

Pretty much the same at previous years. The show stops have been simplified (as they don’t select kids to drum on the India float, and drummers in general have been cut. Plus we haven’t gotten the airship float with the “explorers with flags” for a couple of years.

Just did a quick glance through the video posted by IndyGuy. Is it just me or are there fewer parade dancers this year as well? Maybe I'm not as observant as I think I am but the individual "groups" seem smaller.

@brenthodge, Brent I completely understand and appreciate your sentiment. It was evident that their gratitude was genuine, and their commitment to creating memorable, multi-generational experiences was deeply rooted in their strategy. It was a deliberate effort to foster a sense of tradition and shared memories. This authenticity made the experience believable and impactful. However, as you said, we fast forward to 2024, it is clear that attempts to replicate this sentiment in "Under the Stars" fall flat. While "Fun, Fireworks and Fifty" did pull at the heart strings...I still get a lump in my throat and a tight chest when I watch it on YouTube, the short version of the current show is logistically better to keep the drones active. But it doesn't elicit the same emotions. Granted, I've only seen it online and not in person, but this is my feeling. In short, I have not visited much this semester except for the spring conference and a very short visit in June...and I live two hours away. The FUN has been gone.

Oh I know. I had a great conversation with senior leadership toward the end of 2022. Truly thanking them for an amazing season. They agreed that if you got a little lump in your throat when the line “here in our own backyard” echoed through the park, it wasn’t happenstance, but very intentional to highlight the multi-generational, memory and tradition building aspect of the park. It sounded believable, because it was authentic, and , I believe, rooted in a strategy and sincere plan to do that. Fast forward to 24 and they try to force some of that into Under the Stars, but it just comes off as marketing buzz words, because I don’t think they really believe that, and certainly aren’t supported corporately any more, to do that.

@brenthodge, Brent, the promotional show, 'Fun, Fireworks and Fifty,' represented a strategic and deliberate effort to position the park's fiftieth anniversary as a mere prelude to an even more grandiose future. The nostalgic undertones and emotionally charged rhetoric employed in the campaign were designed to cultivate a sense of anticipation and excitement, implicitly promising that the park's best days were yet to come. And then 2023 happened. Hilda Bovine sang, the streak was over after this. That's the scariest thing.

Evan with the "cuts" I think the CP Boardwalk and Camp Snoopy at KI are vast improvements over how it was before. Same with adventure port. Absolutely love all the colors in that area and the flats really do add some excitement to the area

Oh, I agree that those were build up years to the peak of 2022. I get it was the 50th, and I don’t think anyone expected 15 minutes of fireworks every night the next year, but there were operational and strategic decisions being made that seemed to be setting the park up for long-term success and greatly enhanced guest experience. Those decisions, sadly have either been reversed, or so undermined by new objectives and strategies that it feels like nothing was learned from that time. I’m honestly surprised the darn dog show hasnt returned yet.

Not sure if they were actually planned or not, but the renderings for Camp Snoopy that Kings Island put out last year had several theming elements and landscaping that wasn't present in the final product.

@brenthodge Brent, your assessment is accurate, but I would argue that the period from 2017 to 2020 warrants inclusion in this discussion of peak performance. The introduction of Mystic Timbers in 2017 marked a significant departure for Cedar Fair at Kings Island, demonstrating a commitment to immersive theming and a high level of execution. While Firehawk, Diamondback, and Banshee were undoubtedly thrilling additions, their thematic elements were relatively superficial. However, the return of WinterFest in 2017 showcased the park's potential to create truly magical experiences through comprehensive theming and atmosphere. The following years saw continued progress, albeit at a slower pace. 2019, in particular, was a standout year with the revitalization of International Street, the reintroduction of the Glockenspiel and restoration of the beerstein and the successful execution of Grand Carnivale. The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted operations in 2020, but the park's response and subsequent performance in 2021 and 2022 were commendable. It is, therefore, disheartening to witness the current trajectory. A return to the levels of innovation and guest experience demonstrated in these previous years would be a welcome development.

What were these original plans for KI?

There is still time to add some of the cut stuff to the area in the future. The area where the little ampitheater and the water feature was planned is an empty field right now.

Well at least we know now KI’s Camp Snoopy wasn’t the only one that had its original plans gutted. This looks like it would’ve shaped up nicely for CP.

Grand Carnivale vs Bland Carnivale: how does 2024 stack up?

Another amazing piece from the FUN Food Blog: https://cpfoodblog.com/the-cedar-point-boardwalk-that-might-have-been/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR3p5qMOPvYC7IzshRnz2bE2paHwxwNk_r5TyAM6N7hyl3an0TO4Axqu6LE_aem_ei1eWB55hwoMDw4td04p0A

2021-22 was truly a new “Golden Age” for the park. It felt “right” for the first time in a long time. I have to believe it also showed in revenue numbers. The problem with corporate structures though is, the highs have to carry the lows. That was a pretty dismal year for other parks in the portfolio, and unfortunately anything we “banked” was spread thinned to cover for others losses.

@brenthodge You're absolutely right, Brent. It’s disheartening to witness the park's downturn after the phenomenal 2022 season. That year was truly exceptional, a high point I haven't seen matched since my first visits in the 70s. I'm hopeful for a turnaround in the future. Perhaps when you next connect with Mike Kootnz, you could suggest that Mr. Zimmerman would benefit from gaining insights directly from a guest's point of view. Their firsthand experiences could offer valuable perspectives on what's working and what's not, helping to inform decisions that could revitalize the park.

I don’t know if you have Instagram, but they also posted something about Vortex on their IG page as well

Every time I go to ride SSBR, I see so many kids just having the time of their lives playing in the Beagle Scouts area.

Black Forrest Trifle totally not worth the price. I didn't event realize it was that much till I tried to figure out what the heck I bought last night that showed up on my card statement as $10.13.

I don’t know if we’ve taken the brunt of it. If so, it’s only because we got the lions share of good. Dominion’s CARNIVALE is dark on Wednesday nights (and was on Tuesdays last year) Carrowinds 50th was hollow compared to ours just one year prior (rehashed logo, reused parade parts without the actual fun of a parade, fireworks that reused a theme song from a ride that was never there, minimal live entertainment (and still next to none) . I think we got a great lucky run of: Initial concept event CARNIVALE that was essentially designed for the “International street parks”, followed up with a CARNIVALE (and season in general) that rode the “post Covid” wave of pent-up visits and spending. That funded an amazing 50th that got all of the budget that had been allocated for it, then the poop hit the fan. I’m impressed we’ve been able to hold onto what we have, but so many of these things I’m talking about could’ve been solved more more long-vision planning. I guess when the money is flowing, you assume it always will, then when the cuts come, it’s harder to “fake it”

Here’s my long-winded rants of what I’d add to each section: International Street: Could technically count as the Planet Snoopy one, but retheme Boo Blasters into an updated Phantom Theater. I feel like there’s been a recent trend in parks to bring back nostalgic past attractions (Think Knott’s Beary Tales or DarKoaster) and I think Phantom could be KI’s best attraction for that since the dark ride selection of the park is weak. Planet/Camp Snoopy: Retheme the remainder of Planet Snoopy into Camp Snoopy. Basically just making the exteriors of the current rides more rustic and replacing that Kidz Bob type music. Rivertown: The Tomb Raider/Crypt building desperately needs a replacement, as the park doesn’t have many indoor rides and it takes up a large spot of land. For the theme of the replacement, I can see a mineshaft as you’d be able to use some of the existing rockwork in the queue. Unfortunately, I’m not too familiar types of rides, especially that can fit into the building, but a wild mouse coaster similar to the newly added one in Cedar Point could be a good option. Vortex/Backlot Area: As I and I alone have uniquely noticed, the area where Vortex was remains empty. Unlike most who pitched ideas, I don’t know much about what coaster manufacturers to suggest what type of coaster it could be, but I think the park could use a spinning coaster akin to the Guardians of the Galaxy coaster at EPCOT. I have two themes I think could work well for this idea: Either set it in a new area make it a shipyard or move it to coney mall and make it carnival themed. For the shipyard, the queue could be a themed fishing village, and the coaster could be set over water with sunken ships to the side. I could see the coaster’s name being “Maelstrom”, as it’s another type of storm. For the carnival idea, you could theme it to going past a carnival ride graveyard (like going through the center of a Ferris wheel). This idea could keep the blinking lightbulbs on the lift hill, paying homage to Vortex’s lift. Coney Mall: There’s no way any park would invest in something like this any year past the 90’s, but I’d love to see a continually running theatrical show in the old action theater. As someone whose favorite theme park attractions include MuppetVision 3D and the Country Bear Jamboree at the Disney parks, a 10-20 minute air conditioned show that doesn’t require actors can be great for crowded days at a park. Unfortunately can’t think of a theme that’s not a blatant rip-off of one of the two above, but would love to see something like this regardless. Area 72: Currently a very solid area, but if they wanted another addition a themed indoor flat ride could be neat. You can have something like a Matterhorn attraction with a preshow and themed queue (similar in sale to Alien Encounter at Disney or the Alien Abyss Haunt House, minus the horror aspect). Adventure Port: Only unrealistic change would be to add more ability to spin to cargo loco, but I imagine you can’t randomly change the ride mechanics after opening (same applies for more capacity on sol spin) Action Zone: Bulldoze everything but The Bat and Banshee and start fresh. I have the same ideas basically everyone has suggested, either being a haunted themed area or a DC universe area. Invertigo has horrible capacity, and Congo Falls is the worst of the water rides. Thus ends my Action Zone roast. (Upon reading the initial question of this thread, I realized area was referring to different park aspects rather than park sections, but put too much effort into typing these out so enjoy my ideas lol)