johnjniehaus

I started a thread last year titled "2024 Bucket List Parks" and we had some fun discussing our various trip plans and different parks we want to try to travel to. So here's a new forum for 2025 Bucket List Parks. Where does everyone want to go? What rides do you want to ride? Has the merger affected your travel plans due to having more parks included with all park passport? Have the recent ride closures across the chain affected your plans to visit certain parks? I'm just interested what everyone else is anticipating for this year My current trip plans: Feb: Las Vegas (Bucket List: Big Apple Coaster) Mar: Orlando - Sea World, Fun Spots, & BGT (Bucket List: Iron Gwazi seeing as it was closed during my 2023 visit) April: Carowinds, SFOG, Fun Spot Atlanta (Bucket List: Arieaforce One) May: ACE Spring Conference Virginia (Bucket List: Rapterra) June: Holiday World/KY Kingdom (no bucket list rides just wanna get back to those parks) July: Missouri Parks - SFSL, WoF, SDC (Silver Dollar City has been a bucket list park for me for 3 years now and I never seem to get out there) Aug: Six Flags Over TX (might not make it down there but I wanna ride shockwave again. I have heard the swirling rumors about it's end being near and I also spoke to someone who said ACE might be presenting it with a Landmark plaque this year however we know that doesn't always mean a Park still won't close the ride) Sept: California Great America/SFDK (Bucket List CGA - Berserker, Orbit, and Centrifuge - gimme those classic Schwarzkopf flats!) Oct: Universal Trip (Bucket List: Epic Universe) Nov: Magic Mountain/Knott's (Bucket List: Montezuma's Revenge - which will hopefully be open by then.... hopefully)

Hey that's a cool piece of information. Thanks for sharing

WindSeeker will be removed in the next 5 years Our next major coaster will be manufactured by Vekoma

I might try and go to coasterstock however after the ACE Spring Conference, I'm not sure if there's much at the park I haven't seen in terms of BTS tours they offer Now if it's trimless night rides on The Beast? Count me in!!

Actually now that I think about it, has Kings Dominion made a formal announcement yet about anaconda or have all the news articles just been going off of the public knowledge of demo permits? Does anyone know if KD has made a formal statement concerning their closures like Carowinds did or have they been waiting until after winterfest ends to announce anaconda and berserker closures?

At this point nothing this chain does makes sense to me. You just announced anaconda closure so why didn't you announce the berserker closure at the same time if that is the current plan? Seems like they are purposely not allowing anyone to have final rides now.

While I don't see how Coney Island has much nostalgic connection for the folks in Chattanooga, I am glad it's finding a new home vs just vanishing into history without a trace.

I'm not on X but for the fun of it I'll post my votes here - Best WF food item: Holiday Meatloaf Burger or Cranberry Pull Apart Bread Best KI Family Ride: The Log Flume (whatever name it goes by these days) Best KI Department: merchandise (public relations/communication when Done was still there) Best KI Event: Winterfest (I'm not much on haunted mazes) Best Winterfest Show: Tinker's Toy Factory Best Summer Show: Country Crossroads Best KI Rollercoaster: Diamondback Best KI Restaurant: International Street Restaurant Winterfest Buffet (best of the regular season is Coney BBQ)

I would love to see the Coney display find a new home inside a Kings Island restaurant or a gift shop however that'll never be the case. Second best would be if jungle Jim's acquired it and kept it on display to the public. If course union terminal has a Coney display but I think the one at entertrainment junction is slightly bigger and better.

It's an interesting thought and something that makes alot of sense from a corporate standpoint. I personally would not want to see Banshee themed as it's pretty well themed already with the graveyard and everything. I could see repainting Delirium to joker colors or Wonder woman colors. If this is the route they go, I envision a new standout coaster in the Invertigo/Congo, Timberwolf plot and a new flat or two in the Drop Tower/extreme sky flyer plots. If The Bat bites the dust, I don't think we will see it replaced. It is too far removed from the rest of the park to be high on the priority list for replacement keeping in mind we have prime real estate at the end of Coney Mall that is vacant as well. If The Bat goes, the path will terminate at the bathrooms down past Banshee. Now I am not saying I want 4-5 ride closures in Action Zone or that I want a DC Universe retheme. I'd prefer something a little more original and to see investment in the aging attractions however that is not the current climate of the chain and if I could settle for a new standout coaster and two unique flats, I'd trade Invertigo, Congo, Drop Tower, and Sky flyer for that .... The Bat hardly counts as an exchange because I think there's a less then 10% chance it gets replaced because of the investment cost and the poor location in relation to the rest of Action Zone.

Interesting move. I definitely see Action Zone getting a revamp over the next few years with alot of ride removals on the horizon. I honestly never gave WindSeeker much thought as to potentially removing that. I don't love WindSeeker but I would miss it as the end of Coney Mall already suffered from Vortex being gone.

Hoping for a good season. I'd like to see some updates to the park app this season as well as ironing out any post merger issues. River racers will be good for the water park visitors of which I am not one. I'm thinking we will see signs of the family thrill attraction with an announcement later in the season. Also, if they are planning any ride/coaster removals at the end of next season I hope they take final rides and fans feelings/memories into consideration. Vortex and Firehawk both had good send-offs and we understand that certain circumstances result in ride removals (few coasters last forever) but I would be thankful for a last chance at riding anything that is potentially being removed

If our 2026 "family attraction" is Phantom Theater 2.0 with animatronics and physical sets, I will retract many of the negative things I have said about the park management this season concerning investment and new ride additions.

I think Kings Island was probably the #2 park in the CF chain but we have dropped to a lower priority now that parks like magic mountain and great adventure have joined the club. Kings Island is also being marketed as a family park unlike the other thrill seekers destinations. I do agree that the pandemic most likely upset any plans to replace Vortex and that anaconda at KD will not be replaced in the foreseeable future. Let's be honest, almost anything removed at CP is so they can open up a available land for a new attraction... what plot at CP has sat vacant for years on end? (Well I guess they really never replaced the pirate ride). All I'm saying is that CP will always receive good investments and so far has been untouched by the old, maintenance heavy rides removal strategy despite having numerous old arrow coasters in their lineup. Don't get the wrong idea, I do not want to see any arrow coasters close anywhere but I'm curious how the ones at CP are all still going while others across the chain bite the dust. Sure the ones at CP are pretty tame, slower speeds, less stress and force on the track but I'm just wonder how they have lasted 10+ years longer in terms of service life than say Vortex and and anaconda for example?

I was able to do the Winterfest Holiday Buffet last night at the international restaurant. I thought the food was good and the restaurant is beautiful. For $40 it was worth it. I do question if $130 for NYE is worth it or not considering that's more than you'd pay for a meal at Jeff Ruby's. Last night I was able to get rides in on Racer, FoF (lights on), Mystic Timbers, cargo loco, zephyr, and boo Blaster. My dad, sister, and I all made master blaster which is what happens when all 3 guns in your vehicle actually work.