Losantiville Mining Co.

Opening night, here we come!

I'm hoping that Kings Island can continue its streak of amazing operations and being lauded as one of the best non-Disney/Universal parks in the country. With John Reilly being named CEO and Marilyn Spiegel being Interim Chair (is she Chair-Elect?) there is a lot of possibility for change — whether it is for better or for worse, only time will tell. I'm sure Reilly already has some ideas for changes he'd like to see fulfilled. Ticket and Season Pass price increases would be a very good thing in my book. Raising other prices in the parks (as has been seen in both Busch parks) would not. Selim Bassoul raised prices and changed Six Flags' pass system during his tenure as CEO and it completely backfired. The company returned to the Gold, Platinum, and Diamond pass structure shortly after. I completely agree that some of the parks should find a way to return closer to their original intent/forms. As we all continue through a tough time people will look for a fun escape which can be accomplished through theming and quality offerings. Hopefully operating like Busch Gardens does not mean a 9% added surcharge on purchases or worse operations compared to the good operations KI already has.

Something to note: Kings Island will not offer the Winter Wonderland Dinner in the International Restaurant for Winterfest 2025. The park confirmed this change in a comment on their Facebook page.

Did I hear correctly that he was also SeaWorld Parks CEO after the release of the Blackfish documentary? If he does an awful job right out of the gate then at least the Board is still there and functioning. It's entirely possible that he was chosen in case the company is led into bankruptcy. A smaller name who could help bring the company up from the edge or guide it through Chapter 11 proceedings. I'm am personally convinced that his resemblance to Mr. Six also factored into his selection

I think we might see references to it (see photo #3 on my last post), though any "ghosts" of that sort would probably be on the screens now. Does anyone else think that might look like the Pepper's Ghost wall or is it just my imagination?

Okay I know how I normally write so I've compiled my thoughts using these photos. Garbonzo gets some more dynamite I think this is the clay casting model for No Legs Larry. If you look at how it is being formed, there are plastic shells where his eyes go and the artist is either sculpting or applying a coat of something (possibly to release the mold) This wall is very intriguing to me. While it looks like it might just be a backstage wall, I kind of thought it also looked like the Pepper's Ghost glass wall covered in dust and grime and cracked in places. Could this be a reference to what was? Arpeggio, my beloved <3 He looks so good! Look at this view of a dressing room (?) door! The green above it in the transom also makes me think they could've installed a Green Room during their renovations This lower shot shows the wreath and some of the nice blue wallpaper. I hope we can see lots of color like this throughout the rest of the ride! It seems our resident electrician is still dealing with mechanical knobs and levers We've seen the boiler prop itself, but check out this nice drawing of it (Just go along with it) As the adage to new beginnings goes: "Something Borrowed..." The vulture has found his way over to the Phantom Theater to leer over guests young and old. "Something Blue..." This glowing blue cabinet is indecipherable — perhaps it contains some Ghost Notes "Something Old..." It's a little dusty, but we call it home! This outer molding for the gargoyle does make it look a little dusty... "Something New..." Look at these three characters in their newer, more corruptible state Did somebody call for a sarcophagus? Oh, it seems Willard (or Lionel, I can never remember which is which) seems to be wrapped up with the sarcophagus This movement test has me very curious. Is Maestro rehearsing his greetings or his final bows? Or is he rehearsing both? Much to think about! I believe the reference to chewing gum is from when guests would get it stuck on the glass during the Pepper's Ghost scene. All of the characters look so much better now that they're not withering away like they were all those years ago. They have something to work towards instead of just reliving the glory days of the Phantom Theater! Thank you for the video and photos @KIghostguy!!!

I think if they put up a marquee I'd rather see one like the original had, but there's a chance they could make this kind look good too. My other hope would be that they keep the pieces on top of the gates. Those add a little flair to the structure. What program did you use to make these?

The price of $130 for an addition to the (largely free) event is cheaper than the price of 1 ticket to Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party, which starts at $169 and reaches a whopping $229 cost per person, not including tax. While the price is high, it seems to include an indoor VIP Lounge experience ($40 for one day at the outdoor lounge), unlimited drinks ($20 for the Single Day Drinks wristband), a special holiday dinner (around $50 at a restaurant outside the park), a midnight champagne toast, and views of International Street. That's at least a $110 value for an event that most will get into for free. If you add the $37 NYE online park ticket price on top of that, you get everything for less than the cost of one MVMCP ticket. Everyone can debate whether you actually get similar value out of each event elsewhere. I won't defend the park's pricing structure too much, but I feel like you can get your money's worth out of this limited seating special occasion Dinner Party. https://www.wdwmagic.com/events/mickeys-very-merry-christmas-party/news/16jul2025-2025-mickeys-very-merry-christmas-party-ticket-prices-full-breakdown-by-date.htm

I think if they can change these three elements (the mouth, the "BH" medallions, and the tops of the towers) it will help a lot. It would definitely help everyone feel like PT:ON is not just a re-skin of SDatHC and BBoBH. Changing the colors of the castle should be on the list of changes as well. They should definitely try to find a way to add a marquee and change the castle turrets to be less castle-y.

A full re-route and separation would probably be the best option for it. Widening the path would still require a new bridge and might not solve the separation issue. I'm hoping the parks can take some time over the next few years to build dedicated Fast Lane paths for any ride that's still missing one. The Beast is the first that comes to mind, but I think there are a few other rides (especially at other parks) that still have Fast Lane going up the Exit path (which should be exclusively reserved for Accessibility and exiting purposes).

I really hope they're taking down the Boo Blasters signage. I think for any other ride at any other major park it would've been taken down almost immediately. The castle modifications might be done closer to the start of the season so they could use the entire pathway while they work. I'd like to see them remove the turrets and add a marquee board, but I guess only time will tell what's in store. Did there used to be another turret cap on the right side of the castle (looking from this direction)? It'd be right below where the black pickup truck's door is. I could also just be seeing something on the Eiffel Tower's star wire, but that bulb does not appear to be oriented in that direction.

2 more group events have been added to the 2026 calendar, bringing the total 2026 event count to 4 so far. Music in the Park — April 24, May 1, May 8, & May 15, 2026 Physics, Science, and Math Days — April 24 & May 1, 8, 14, 15, & 22, 2026 Performance in the Park — Any Public Operating Day During the 2026 Season STEM Days — May 8 & 15, 2026 Unless something changes — which there is a chance that it might — we now know that the season will start by Friday, April 24th, 2026. I'm still holding out for the official release of the 2026 operating calendar and the Festival Events schedule, but as I said before, this is more than we knew about by this time last year.

Here's my concept for a Rivertown expansion. It isn't as pretty as any of my other maps, but it gets the point across well enough. There is: a new indoor VIP Lounge like at Kings Dominion a new lake much smaller than Swan Lake, but more water in Rivertown nonetheless hopefully the new trees and foliage could grow in nice and tall any new trees would also be placed far enough away from Diamondback's helix the water finally returned under The Beast's pre-lift section this would presumably come alongside a Gravity Group rebuild of the pre-lift the ride exit and Fast Lane lines would be relocated/reworked to be separated a new Refresh Station, bar, or gift shop in the former Beast Canyon Cold Drinks area housed in an addition/new construction to the right of the queue entrance this is where the exit would empty into, with the Fast Lane line entering nearby a new outdoor amphitheater spiritual successor to the Rivertown Reel and the Back Porch Stage perfect for smaller shows a new family-friendly flat ride I have no opinions on what it could be, but the ride pad is a similar size to Shake, Rattle & Roll All of this would replace the Tomb Raider building and provide new things to do in this recreation of early Cincinnati that celebrates its roots as a river town. I think the outdoor amphitheater could instead be an indoor venue like the Red Garter Saloon — though I hesitate to use the word "saloon" because of its Frontier/Western theme area connotations. The last new building on this expansion map could be anything, although I wouldn't be opposed to having it be a new quick-service restaurant. The service road that is behind TR:TR's building would be relocated further behind the new construction. The removal of the Tomb Raider building would likely mean that we also lose the foliage growing on top of it, but I think it might be worth it for this kind of expansion. The size of the new lake is another pain point for this idea. I would love to see something closer to the size and feel of the original Swan Lake return, but I think this is more realistic in the short term. One thing I'd like to see that isn't in this map is some theming or foliage near the railroad tracks. The area as it stands is very barren and lifeless. This might even offer up a new opportunity to reuse some of the old nature trail path for a new Trail Haunt.

Double posting to share this video Orlando Experience took at IAAPA. You can see the screen on the left side as well as a less crowded view of the display at the end of the video.

At least they also get to show off that pretty orange tree in the background! I'm excited to see how this part of the retracking turns out after a year of not being able to ride some of my favorites.