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This season was definitely one for the books. I felt operations were really on it this season as well as the overall attention to detail and the little Easter eggs nodding to the past throughout. The concert series, the fireworks show. It was really something special this year for a lot of reasons. And as someone who attended a private event ( Pride Night ) I felt that they even went above and beyond for that as well. I'm excited to experience Haunt, Tricks & Treats Fest and Winterfest respectively to wrap up the remainder of the season to see what all they have and will do to finish out their 50th.

@Oldschool75 I don't believe there's any false information in the video. Maybe rather than leaving a rude comment, you can tell me what I got wrong so I can fix it?

Skylab…so big the card can’t hold it all!

25 and 26 have been released. Skylab and White Water Canyon. Sent from my SM-G986U using Tapatalk

For me personally, and I speak for no one but myself, I would rather them take their time on bringing in a new attraction rather than throw in some run of the mill kind of ride or experience ( a Larson Loop anyone? LOL ). I may be in the minority and I've stated it before, but I would absolutely love to see a new Vekoma sit down coaster in Vortex's place. Something that gives that classic looper feel but with today's technology. It probably may never happen in a Cedar Fair park, but a person can dream right? But I digress. My viewpoint is that I'm glad they're not just throwing stuff in just to say "here's something new". I'm sure we will get something amazing soon enough, but in due time. Again, just my own thought process.

Article pointing blame at the park: https://triblive.com/local/kennywood-shooting-raises-concerns-about-park-security-metal-detectors/ Another article on the gun being stolen from Columbus. I'm surprised they didn't blame the park for that either (100% sarcasm, but pointing blame at a venue as opposed to the criminal is nails on a chalkboard for me). https://www.wtae.com/article/kennywood-shooting-gunman/41391787#

To be fair, I feel like your implication is that the issues listed had something to do with incompetence or malfeasance (although I do not know if that’s your intention, but it reads that way.) That’s likely not the case. Look at the holistic situation: you had the relatively small decor team trying to simultaneously take down 50th stuff, plus do the massive feats of setting up Haunt and Tricks and Treats. I can tell you that these people work long, hard hours to get the changeover done. They do a great job. Some things are out of the control of the park. For example, I remember someone having to rush two flame heads up to the park from the Reds smoke stacks (yes - that’s what those are) because there are only so many to go around. They barely got it installed in time for the opening ceremony. If they hadn’t, it would have been an understandable situation but the park may have looked unprepared if two of the totems didn’t work. Plus, there’s third party stuff. Ever wonder why the 50th cartouche is still on the tower during Haunt? Doesn’t that look out of place? The company hired to take it down couldn’t make it out in time for opening day of Haunt. Is that the park’s fault? Does that make the park unprepared? What about the labor? No one wants to work. It’s hard enough to get and maintain Haunt actors, how is this year any different, if not far far worse? On a side note, anyone who thinks that Haunt’s budget was slashed (no pun intended) from last year is out of their minds. Have you not seen the two new shows? Love them or hate them, they’ve spent more on shows this year than they have in a while. The cost of those is far more than any maze. Also, I’m going to go out on a limb and say I’m glad a lot of the fog is gone. How did we have it as long as we did with the crowds… and types of crowds that Haunt attracts. A lot of the set pieces and scenery for Haunt is really creative and cool. You can’t see it with the fog. I know I’m probably unique in that though, but that’s okay.

The fist look at Tricks and Treats were Sunday. Here is a look: Photo Gallery: What did you like about Tricks and Treats?

The latest episode features a frank discussion with Taylor Bybee of Coaster Studios. We walk about his career as a coaster YouTuber and what it took to get there. https://linktr.ee/attractions_group

I just received an update for my Kings Island app saying it now has the ability to pick up food at a designated locker. Interesting. Same for my Carowinds app.

^ Yep! Can confirm it was torn down before the start of the 2009 season. I started going to the park as an adult in 2008 and remember being curious about that theater... and then they tore it down the next year. EDIT: Just realized I already replied to this thread and was unsure about the Omnimax theater. Guess I had a moment of clarity?

I’ve had a season pass every year for the last 10+ years. The last 4 years have been platinum passes, with the last two having all season/all park Fast Lane, the dining plan, and the drink plan. It goes without saying I’ve spent thousands over the past several years. I travel for work often, and when I find myself near another park I like to visit for a few hours. I was originally excited about Prestige+, as I could save myself from buying the all season Fast Lane if I could get one skip-the-line at each park. Now it appears that is not the case. If the benefits at your home park are being reduced, it stands to reason they’d do the same at other parks. If so, why would you limit prestige benefits to your home park? The number of guests (outside the KI/CP corridor) that would both visit another park and use the prestige benefits must be small. The 50th celebration was magical. It was truly next-level for a regional park to put on a show of that caliber. Next year, we have the return of Carnivale. As fun as it is, it’s not new. I understand that a park cannot get something big and new every year, but there has to be something that drives you to renew your pass. This year, for the first time since I’ve been a pass holder, there isn’t anything driving me to renew my pass. I am certain I am not the only person to feel that way.

The drinks and dining if one goes at least 6 or so times. Really if one doesn’t have the dining plan it’s foolish to eat at the park. It’s massively overpriced and just edible. Even the fast food outside the park is better quality.

tough crowd lmao

You win! Pleasure bantering with you, haha.

A minute in and already wrong information in the video. Go back and research. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Here’s a really interesting article on Zambezi Zinger and Worlds of Fun’s 50th Anniversary that ran in the latest Amusement Today: https://amusementtoday.com/issues/2022/202210/assets/downloads/AT-OCT-2022i.pdf I thought the section about how they’re going to be redeveloping and adding new theming to further differentiate each land was particularly interesting. Worlds of Fun is definitely high on my radar for 2023!

They used to do this during the days of FearFest with Boo Blasters. I wish they'd continue this tradition, especially with rides like the Train or Antique Autos. Ideally, I'd love for actors to hang out and scare folks or bring holiday cheer in various scenes during the train ride. Even some subtle overlays - maybe different lighting or projections - would look awesome. If all else fails, during Haunt, have a couple of scare actors jumpscare us in the queue...

Diamondback and now I feel that Banshee isn't too far behind. Those blue and bright fuchsia supports are really looking pretty dull these days.

I’d venture that all those you mentioned WITHOUT payroll of scare actors will STILL be a great add and not increase operating costs much beyond the initial investment and minimal time to switch out. Most are all lighting effects, or could literally be stored on site out of line of sight on the ride. Heck, even crazy demented carnival music and glitching lights in the brake tunnel of Racer would help.

Name only. Great poster design but did nothing beyond that. Could’ve been a whole story about how Santa partners with aliens to deliver all the presents in one night. Even do some silhouette projection in the queue of Santa loading gifts into crates with alien helpers. Do a crazy transsiberian orch soundtrack with lasers and lights in tyy by e spaghetti bowl. Have the final brake run be a projected blizzard as you return to earth.

To put this into perspective, it’s a team of about 20 people, split up between scenic, decor, tech, and warehouse crews. It’s an impossibly small team to set up such a massive event with such a short turn around. The number of hours myself and other people on these teams have worked setting up haunt would make your head spin. There’s just stuff that simply cannot happen in such a short time span with such a small crew. Can’t forget about buyouts, either, the park isn’t really closed on weekends, it’s just closed to the public, making turnaround even shorter. You make a good point about third party stuff, I can’t say much about it, but there’s a ton of third party work that happens and they all have their own issues that lead to delays as well, plus, they all have multiple projects that they’re working on at once, not just KI. It doesn’t help when people complain about haunt decor being out at the end of the summer season, saying it shouldn’t be there until the park closes, and then proceed to complain when stuff isn’t out in time for opening weekend. And no, I’m not talking about one person on here, I hear it in person, see it on here constantly, and even see it on social media sometimes, though I do think this forum is the worst offender, but that’s a discussion for another time.

Because it's a forum, a collection of fans with their own opinions.

I have already made plans to attend my first Haunt of the season this coming Friday and I am ready to get spooky!

There was a brief moment when I considered the Prestige+ pass as I thought it sounded like a pretty good deal with some of the extra perks and such, but by the way things are going with this I can't help but feel sad for anyone who spent the extra money and aren't getting what they paid for. Granted yes, things could improve next season ( and I truly hope it does for those of you who purchased one ) I'm sure right now it doesn't feel too promising with the quick omittance of the variety bottled drinks, Lays snacks and by the sounds of it, charging cords from the lounge. I truly hope the park is really working on a realistic game plan to get these things back and also ensure this doesn't become a fruit infused watered down shell of a perk again and or remain as such.

It just feel like there are some reallocation of existing assets that would accomplish that though. There are some clear narratives that could be stronger using existing infrastructure, buildings, theming, and ride experiences. I don’t think it needs a “radical reinventing, just a tightening up and leaning into sone of what is already there. Even adding effects and lighting to existing “daytime” attractions like Adventure Express or TheBat would be a way of enhancing the experience without the expense of scareActors. I just don’t feel the park is being very creative or resourceful with this event.

Even if haunt isn’t as cohesively themed, it’s still come a VERY long way from what it used to be back in the day and is still a fantastic event. Though I may be biased…

It has been on their website and all over social media with people complaining about it... https://www.visitkingsisland.com/events/haunt/conduct-policy-and-guidelines

Doubt it happens in 2023, but man Lazy Bear Lodge at Canada's Wonderland looks so stunning and the food looks awesome! I think something like this would be perfect in Rivertown where the metal box is currently. Basically add this but flip the kitchen/service counter to the left side of where you enter so you can put seating and patios facing Diamondback kinda like how this views Yukon Striker. I really like the fish of the day option and brisket. I'll continue saying I want prime rib like KD has!

Just paint Diamondback 100%, power wash the pool concrete, and perhaps add some theme elements to better fit with how the rest of Rivertown is, tie the "Miami River" background into it somehow. Mystic is an abandoned lumber company, Beast is a mining operation, Diamondback is... just there. Wouldn't mind some re-forestation in the area behind the Crypt building where it was over-cleared in 2008.

True, the ride box itself really has nothing worth saving. It’s pretty much just the first 3 sections. It looks like each segment of the building had separate HVAC runs and could probably be fairly easily further separated if they wanted to demo the largest building. It really only has height in its favor as someone else mentioned and unless it was a ride similar to the topspin with a tall arc path, I don’t see much use for it.

Not just that, Fun, Fireworks and 50 got 2nd place for best show and Phantom Theatre Encore was 4th! Congratulations to everyone involved in the shows at KI this season. Truly one for the books!

It's a recreation of the entrance sign, with the logo and then the entrance lane indicator signs which were below it. They're in the correct order, just don't match the photo used on the card.

I, for one, would absolutely purchase my first pin of the collection if they made one of the register of the International Street LaRosa's. Your move, Kings Island.

The next pin has gotta be Marge

This will come off as a complete fanboy type post…but here goes anyway. I received my latest batch of pins today…and I will say that I don’t care if this batch & all of the future pins are $9.99 each, they are worth it. I have purchased about every pin that the park has released over the last few years and I can easily say that the quality of this series is above any of those. In the past, if you don’t count the Paramount days, the pins have been a single layer…this series has raised the bar on quality. Several of the pins in this series have “3D effects”. The Clown Band, Skeeball & Spinnen Kegger pins all have a spring that suspends an object above the bottom layer. The Flying Carpet pin has a groove cut in it so that the kid can slide up & down the slide when you move him! I also like The Sky Ride pin with the dangling gondola. Another thing that I like about this series is the backing cards that the pins come on, I like that the park has gone to the trouble to have each card specifically made for each pin instead of having a generic 50th Anniversary type card for the whole series. I am looking forward to the upcoming pins…personally I am hoping for a Rotor pin and hopefully a Viking Fury one.