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I took some photos while attending Summerfair 2026 as well as the USO Concert & Swing Dance. Sunlite Parking Lot: Sunlite Pool's former location has become a parking lot to make up for the loss of parking as the new Farmer Music Center rises where the West parking lot was once located. Tivoli Fountain & Moonlite Pavilion: This area is relatively unchanged from previous years. The little fountain Pool is still there and Moonlite Pavilion is still being utilized for events. They have even started painting the front of the building. Administration Office: Coney's old administration building is still standing and being utilized by full time Riverbend staff and full time Coney staff who were retained following the park's sale. Moonlite Gardens: The historic dance hall was featured in the latest renderings for the new Music Center, indicating that there are plans for its refurbishment. Inside the building, construction lighting as been set up along the ceiling which is a sign of activity going on inside. On the North wing of the building, crews added what looks to be an air conditioning unit and electrical panels, which should point to long term plans for the space. In addition to this, looking at the park from the street, a temporary ladder had been erected on the North wing in the weeks leading up to Summerfair and the USO Concert, possibly for work on the roof, and the building looks like it has seen a fresh coat of paint (although it may have just been the light from the sun). LaRosa's Pizzeria (RIP) As previously shared, the building which housed LaRosa's Pizzeria during Coney's "modern era," which had been built in 1967 as a souvenir shop between the Skee Ball building and Penny Arcade, was demolished over the winter. It was used for refreshments and restrooms in 2024 and looked to have been undergoing renovations in 2025. Unfortunately, for reasons unknown, the building was reduced to rubble with only the back wall and electrical boxes remaining. Picnic Grove Restrooms The restrooms near the picnic grove, located near Moonlite Gardens, were mysteriously torn down. Whether new restrooms are built in this location or not remains to be seen, as they do plan on retaining the park area. From what I have gathered, bad plumbing may have contributed to the buildings demise as well as possibly the LaRosa's building. Famous Fairways/ Cincy Minigolf The minigolf course, which was located across from LaRosas and next to the Dodgem when the park still had rides, is now nothing more than a patch of grass among trees. Only a lone light pole remains. Flood Storeypole & River Gate Has previously shared, the River Gate, built in 1925, will remain and the Coney Island logo on top will continue to mark the site from the Ohio River. The Storeypole which marks the various floods over the years, including the 1937 Flood (79.99 feet; "The Champ"), will also remain. The pole is currently peeling and in dire need of repairs. A new Riverbend and PNC Pavilion version of the famous "Floods Come In All Sizes! They Begin Here" sign has been added. Farmer Music Center: Originally marketed as Riverbend 2.0, the Farmer Music Center is being built on the West side of the property behind Moonlite Gardens where the park's old athletic fields were located and the parking lot where the Nights of Lights display was held. To protect the new venue and its amenities from flood damage, Lake Como was temporarily drained and the lakebed dug out and used as landfill to elevate the structure. When the water fully returns to Lake Como, it will be around 30 feet deep in some areas, whereas previously it was only 3 feet. It was amazing how large it was actually seeing it in person.

I'm in the same boat. I think if Kings Island ever got an RMC, it would be best if it had 3 trains for better capacity. AF1 has two trains with only 5 cars instead of the usual 6. I think the layout for AF1 would also make it awkward to fit into either Vortex plot or Action Zone, assuming that's where it would go. I think AF1 would be a better fit at a park like Holiday World (especially the 4th of July area with that color scheme) but there's still no telling what's going to happen to AF1 at this point in time.

https://www.wcpo.com/money/consumer/dont-waste-your-money/kings-islands-next-big-roller-coaster-may-be-hiding-in-atlanta A key statement: The coaster is definitely moveable," wrote Darren Torr, president of Rocky Mountain Construction. "Based on ranking by coaster enthusiasts, it's a top 10 coaster in the world. It has angle iron structure, which means it will require new hardware. It has some topography changes, so a new site will need to be modified or the structure will be need to be reworked to match the site elevation. Ballpark, the cost to move is probably ~$10M less than building new. I have no idea what the future holds for AF1, hopefully, it continues to deliver smiles for guests." This tells me that relocation is in fact feasible for AFO. But while many want it to come to KI (and this could be in The Vortex plot), I wouldn't consider it a certainty that it will happen. There's other parks for consideration, including within Six Flags and from other chains including Herschend, United Parks, and Enchanted Parks. I'm not going to look into detail at all of these, but any park that has the capacity for it (and doesn't already have an RMC like it) could be in the running.

You want to do what with your what?!?! This is a family park! ( Done in my best pte Maestro voice)

I would love an RMC, but I think we need a ground up RMC, not a relocation. Now, if this is the only way to get one, I am all for that too. What are your thoughts?

Let's hope we start seeing some positive changes across the chain. I have to say the past 2 weeks I have been to SDC, Six New England, Great Adventure, Enchanted's Great Escape and WOF. We really have it good at KI. Now, we can always improve and should, especially the details like the fountain spouts not working, but we are a top tier park in the SIX portfolio.

It would be a really nice thing to see a little park again, but unfortunately MEMI isn't in the ride and attractions business. But with a lot of the pre-Kings Island buildings still there, it will be as if Coney Island never closed (minus Sunlite Pool obviously). I think MEMI started calling the site Riverbend Park a while back after the sale. With both entrances still marked with the Coney name, I would love to see them retain the name for the new development. A YouTuber flew over the site a few weeks ago also. On the topic of Moonlite Gardens, the video shows some work had been done on the north wing of the building closer to Lake Como. It looks like two new electrical boxes/ panels were added, which would not make sense if they're set on demolishing the structure. As mundane as it sounds, it is a positive sign and suggests a longterm goal.