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I knew I went to a PP night a few years ago, and just found the pics...April 15, 2016...a few shots from that evening:

I had the day off and wanted to go to PP day, but when I saw the forecast, I knew it would be insanely packed. I'm happy for Kings Island, but going to wait a little while for my first visit. I appreciated everyone that posted updates/pics of some of the new changes.

I got the opportunity to a preview day to Universal's Epic Universe on Thursday, April 17th . . the new park and all 5 sections are great. But I would love to see a Mack like the Stardust Racers either in either Action Zone or The Vortex spot. It's an amazing ride and I easily put it up there to VelociCoaster as far as intensity but would say it has more airtime. You could almost flip a coin to which you think is better. Stardust Racers is a great ride and would immediately be a fan favorite at KI. Not sure if KI can budget a duel coaster, but it is a people eater with 2 trains going on both sides. Love it . . hope we can get Mack like this one since it seems we'll never get an Intamin.

I have not gone to Passholder Preview days in a long, long time. The price point of a pass is set so everyone and their dog can get one now. And the amount of people in the park anymore on that day is insane. Especially when the weather is nice. My first trip to the park this year of many is going to be in early May.

It happens. This guy doing the POV and those breaking rules during passholder preview should be an immediate ban as they know better!

My issue is that I feel like the BBQ selection has been diluted. When we had Tri Tip, pulled pork, ribs and rotisserie chicken. We had a brilliant season with the first seasonal run, burnt ends just doesn't cut it for me in terms of BBQ quality. I found it funny that even Tower Topics is highlighting that there are so many locations with chicken tenders. I believe that yes, giving something for everyone is important; however I feel like this push really just rubbed me the wrong way. Put it in certain locations, Grain and Grill which is supposed to be fresh, Coney BBQ which is supposed to be BBQ items, should not be the venues for a fried product like chicken tenders.

KD chose the black walled “mystery box” for its FoF queue:

I'm in the camp of no spinning coasters please. I do not do super spiny stuff. And for me personally, I realize I do not speak for the trees, but as a longtime fan of Xtreme Skyflyer, I would really hate to see it replaced with something I simply cannot ride. A Screamin' Swing would be ideal as I love those things like most of you, but by the sounds of it that may not be what goes there. I will again say I just hope that whatever takes place there will be something worthy of that plot. I have a lot of great memories with Xtreme Skyflyer and I am hoping to be able to make many more there. I will also say that I would rather see the "family thrill attraction" go in that plot vs Vortex's. That land is sacred ground

Almost all of the restaurants at the park sell tenders so families with picky eaters (kids) can eat together. Last season Coney BBQ would at times have Ribs on the menu in lieu of Burnt ends.

The Pep and Chee was really good!! The only thing I wish they would have had was a bit more sauce on the sandwich. The taste was great! Friday, I left the park and went to try out Dolly's instead of standing in the lines. When my friend and I got back, the line for Skyline was still past the Dodgem entrance queue (as it was when we left). Saturday I had lunch at Miami River Brew House. Got the Pub Burger as I always do when visiting there. It was extremely greasy, but tasted great. Let me tell you, I really wish they'd give an option other than tots. I ate maybe half of the serving given...the potato of them....tasted just meh...but they were coated (and I mean coated) with salt. I'd rather have fries or some other side.

So I decided to just make a post in this thread instead of making a trip report update on my trip report topic as it's a little more relevant here. I want to be very clear, I am not pessimistic about the park to be a downer, far from it. I worked in the park for years, I still know people in the industry, I respect their careers and the employment of every employee at the park as I know the struggles they go through throughout the year. The park today was an interesting reflection on market pressures that we have seen on people buying season passes at lower rates. The fact that I got to the park around 12:50 and the parking lot was already to the brim was shocking. Better yet, being a Prestige passholder expecting to check in at the preferred parking guard shack, I found no one. In fact, anyone could park there today which I honestly didn't appreciate. I paid money for this perk, I want to make sure those who also paid for the perk are being allowed but everyone and their brother parked there. In fact, as I was leaving there were cars parked in non parking zones without tag or ticket which just added to the proverbial circus going on there. The new security entry just screams issues in the future. I hope the park can be flexible and move the stations to support higher volume days but the current set up has me concerned for lines out the door for events like Haunt and Winterfest. The park itself was busy, and that's an understatement. Lines went all the way out into the midways, there were no precautions to support guests and lines accumulating to the point where the enrique's line and Racer was practically back-to-back. Alas, eventually turnstiles were eventually opened but the park was packed beyond belief. That coupled with the fact that Coney BBQ had to open the second side around 1:20 says everything about the crowd situation. As for operations, I know it's the preview day, people are new, I'm not going to disparage anyone for being fresh and getting on board as that is normal to have going into the season. The fact Diamondback is in 2 train operations was concerning. I will say that doesn't mean that the visit was without concerns. I walked into the Larosas today and the ac was Off or just not running at a high enough tempo the fact that it felt more intensely hot in the Larosa's quick service in International Street than what it was outside made me seriously consider the working conditions for the employees in that moment. Could it have been that something was going on in that given moment and was fixed after my visit? Who knows, my point is that it was intense and I couldn't believe it. The merchandise situation, well that's changed as well. Emporium itself has a new line of cosmetic soaps and lotions, which my sister who would be in that target demographic was even confused as to why the park would offer this. The middle section just felt off in comparison to the rest of the store, which I wish the park offered some home goods for the park in that section as I think it would fit well with the flow of the store in general. The merchandise at Island Collection & Trading company was the usual flare, but the park is seriously pushing squishmellows, even those not associated with the park. Which the new layout for Trading Company just feels very Point Plaza, which is a great thing to have a modern, fresh location that has easy access to park merchandise. I have to give credit where credit is due, the new button up shirts are a welcomed addition to the merchandise line up in Island Collection, same for the quarter zip jacket. I will most certainly be wearing this in the office Monday but I wish we had more business wear from the park like this. I want to lastly touch on the VIP Lounge experience, the people who work there are honestly some of the most hospitable people I spoke to the entire day. Ride ops in Boo Blasters didn't even ask us if we enjoyed the ride, just stayed silent and pointed for the exit. The group who works it is incredible, and I cannot say anything ill to them. What I can say is that the Coke machine was flat, but at least I got my cookie. My capstone is this: The park overall is trending in positive directions in most directions. Tropical Plunge got a new paint job and it looks stunning. River Racers looks amazing, so I have no major qualms there. I feel like the food quality (rather have more fleshed out menus than almost every location having chicken tenders, am I really the only one who has a problem with every location that isn't Larosa's, Enriques, Skyline or Panda having chicken tenders?) has some improvement, I'm a foodie at the end of the day, we were spoiled by Major taking chances and bringing our experience up a level. I APPRECIATE the fact Chef Perez was in the kitchen at Coney BBQ and was really bringing everything he could to support the team, I think he has amazing talent and I'm hoping he has the chance to showcase that more with improved offerings throughout the year. I know he makes good food as the Chef's Plate is wonderful, I just would like to see more robust menu options and more catering of certain foods to certain venues to drive more demand. (hint hint chicken shack) Also, Mike Koontz was on location and met with Perez at Coney BBQ. That's the kind of leadership I want to see from the park and I support that a million times over. As always, I am hopeful for the future, I am critical as I know the level of professionalism the park can bring to the table; I want the park to thrive, I want new enthusiasts to have memories like I did when I was younger.

Well considering they restored/upgraded the lighting in the hanger queue, I think FoF will be sticking around for a few more years. I hope whoever put in the work for these effects can get the credit they deserve! Credit to KI Central for capturing the lighting in action, videos don't capture how great it looks! https://www.instagram.com/reel/DIo36bup5Ew/?igsh=MThkdTJkeHRmaDRlbg%3D%3D

Seeing that "falling trees" teaser gave me quite the nostalgic memory. I remember first coming to this website during the 2017 decoding thread (which spoilers alert, ended up being for Mystic Timbers)

Whenever you have lots of people in one area, there's bound to be some fights. Passholder Preview Day was hot and lines were long. To be honest, I wasn't the happiest when I got out of a 1 and a half hour Beast line and needed a drink (because I was so thirsty) and the line was super long. People were very tired, and when people are hot, hungry, and tired, they get agitated easily. Like you said, there's only so much you can do with security and chaperone policies. As for doing something with monitoring the crowds, I would recommend excluding Silver Passholders from Preview day. I don't know a lot of people that have Silver Passes, but I feel like if you are going to cut some people, cutting Silver Passes is the way to go. I think a reservation system would work well, but it's not really something Six Flags or Cedar Fair ever did. I don't know if this is possible, but a second preview day would also help, although I understand staffing could be an issue. With this extra preview day, it also gives the staff more preparation for the rest of the season. Some system where you can either reserve the first preview day or the second could work well, but I feel like it would be difficult to pull off.

Screamscape came out with an article today saying that there are new rumors circulating Flight of Fear at both KD and KI. Kings Island seems to be at the center of attention in regards to ride removal rumors. Who knows if these rumors are true, but they are all pointing towards a 2025-2026 removal. REMEMBER: This is just a rumor! https://screamscape.com/html/kings_island.htm

If the 3rd train was not in the storage shed, then your statement would carry more weight. I know that you know that they completely take apart and put back together the coaster trains. The fact the 3rd train is in the shed indicates it was ready to go, so one can conclude that either during cycling or state inspection an issue popped up that they were not able to address for opening weekend.

^ This is an illegal POV that is against park and KIC rules.

Sadly Juke Box removed it late last year and hasn't made a reappearance.

California's Great America now currently lists a few events/celebrations on their website. Not listed above are Early Ride Times and the South Bay Shores opening day.

It would have came with them, had I not asked for them to not be on the burger.

Did your Pub Burger come with any toppings? I've seen comments that Jukebox Diner removed their toppings bar, so the Brewhouse might be the only place in the park that someone can find lettuce for their hamburger now.

Guests say the darndest things... I'd be curious to see the results of a survey that asks some basic questions such as: "Did you know that Kings Island is part of the Six Flags Entertainment Corporation family of parks?" "What are your opinions of the Six Flags Entertainment Corporation since July 2024?" "How does the value of a Six Flags park pass with the All Park Passport add-on compare to similar passes from other park chains?"

Call it The Bat cave

Hi Logan!

Park looked great today. Food lines went quick and the only long line in the park was The Beast with a full queue. Love that touches on Stunt Coaster, nice refresh to tie it to Cinci. The number of trees cut down by The Vortex plot's fence is very obvious. Not sure why all the clearing but it seems to me like they are preparing for something. My thoughts are that next year the Family Fun Attraction will be in the old Xtreme Flyer spot along with a refresh to the area in general and constuction will begin early-mid next year for a large coaster in The Vortex plot for 2027. 2027 would be the 50th anniversary of the opening of the Screamin Demon, also the 40th anniversary of the opening of Vortex. Just sayin

I went to Enrique's for dinner, and they had both sides open. But, one side was clearly faster, and the other was hardly moving. The right side had supervisors and experienced staff, while the other side did not. They should try to balance it out better, because people in the slow line were waiting 10+ minutes longer than the people in the other line. My food was good, although they didn't give me much chicken in my bowl. I mainly had rice and cheese in my chicken bowl. It was still good, but I could use more chicken.

I 100% agree! I think it would be perfect for that plot of land. I can picture it just towering over the back half of Action Zone as you walk in.

Looks like there's a survey flag in the fourth photo. Could this fit the bill for a family thrill attraction?

Season Pass Holder Day 2025!

I imagine we will see the same food issues tomorrow if not more due to the very large amount of people that went through today. But next weekend is when I would look for big changes to dining,.

Last year I was told that they "don't do it when it's busy", which defeats the entire purpose of the benefit.

Along the preferred parking issue, I heard from several Prestige passholders that the park was not enforcing the two-hour Prestige Line that is marketed either as a benefit they paid for. Supers were telling them the priority of the park was to get all passholders in quickly. If you can't provide the benefit, then don't offer it! But to be fair, KI never enforces that line like KD does....

I was extremely pleased with the reprofiling of the turn into the brake shed as well as the removal of the first set of trims on Beast. Going over that 2nd drop without the trims the first time totally took me by surprise. I'm excited to get to try it in a few different spots along the trains to see where it gets the most air on that 2nd drop. Seeing Queen City Stunt Coaster get some love was also a pleasant surprise. I will say it was a pretty good preview day all things considered, especially with the food service. And good googly moogly was it crowded. I may or may have not parked nearly to the Soak City entrance today (though I came at around 3). A solid first step into the Six Flags era.

The trash is the piece de la resistance!

This park kills me. They care so little about a lot of details, yet are still adding little finishing touches to Adventure Port 3 years layer. The fact that they finally distressed the LED fixtures they added last year is impressive. They were just shiny black last year. Wish we could have that level of finish and care applied to everything.

I think the updated billboards are a nice touch, but the new name is terrible, and there is still a nonfunctional splashdown, run down 20 year old shipping containers, etc.

They missed a golden opportunity here to really give riders a true Cincinnati coaster experience. Make the brake run where the helicopter scene is the Big Mac Bridge and instead of helicopters shooting at you, make it a car accident and you sit in traffic for awhile. Put a big screen at the top of the tunnel with bumper to bumper traffic and make the coaster train inch forward slowly like you're really in it. Now that is a true Cincinnati experience! scariest part of the ride!

Google Earth now shows March 2025 imagery, you can see the footprint on the updated areas:

I saw someone claim to know about Xtreme Skyflyer being removed via a Facebook post yesterday. While I don't trust anything strangers say on social media, the idea is there. Time to start up a new thread, I guess. Canada's Wonderland removed theirs (part of AlpenFury is occupying that plot) and Cedar Point removed theirs (presumably for whatever 4th coaster in 4 years will be going to that park (just kidding... unless...)), so it doesn't appear to be fully out of the realm of possibility. Kings Island could use the plot for another attraction (I vote for a Wild Mouse) or some expanded dining/retail (much needed in Action Zone). If Carowinds also removed theirs it would free up more of the original riverboat path in the center of the park. Is this the end of the sky flyer attraction at these parks? Only time will tell.

I had heard that the Flight of Fear at Kings Dominion was slated to go to Carowinds. I also believe that they turned part of the indoor queue of the Kings Dominion version into a Haunt for several seasons.

While I agree with that, remember that Slingshot was repainted/refurbished in 2022 only for it to not operate again so you never know.

Same here. Plus if there's rain in the forecast, I know it's a solid coaster I can still rely on some rides. And it's a great winterfest attraction

Not entirely, but they're repainting it to fit in with the Jungle Xpedition area.

The KD one is getting rethemed?

KD is re-theming and refurbishing their FOF for 2025. KI's continually has one of the longest waits in the park, and its a co-anchor of Area '72. I don't think they are going anywhere anytime soon.

Snake River Falls, Professor Dilbert's Frontier Fling, Forbidden Frontier (and the playground) have all been removed during the 2024-2025 off season, you could even consider TTD removed as well (2022ish-2023). Cedar Point is one of the top earning parks in the chain....why not continue to boost it, especially for the recognition and what not. It's not fishy, it's business.

If FoF gets removed, don't expect that land to be used anytime soon. Vortex was removed over half a decade ago and that land is still sitting mostly vacant.

That would open up more space for a new coaster in Area 72, which would be nice, but I still think Action Zone is the area that mostly needs a new coaster, one that goes over the entrance plaza like Leviathan does at Canada's Wonderland, or at least can get closer to it.

FoF definitely has it's fans, and so does The Bat. People aren't going to like it if either gets removed. Personally, FoF and The Bat are not on the top of my rankings, but every once in a while I want to change it up and go on it. I would hate to see either one of these go, but understand that they are old and expensive (Don't care if they remove Invertigo though).

It's not my favorite coaster in the park by any means, but I know it is a favorite among many others. It holds a more nostalgic place in my mind than anything. It would be a pretty great loss though seeing that would eliminate yet another one of our already dwindling list of inverting coasters and it is the more intense of our two launching coasters. So one-two punch there if this rumor comes to fruition. So at this time the rumors of The Bat or FoF are on the radar of possible removals by the sounds of it. And either one of those would be a sad loss. Not enjoying this theme of removal rumors vs theme of replacement rumors. Because at this time we have no idea what our 2026 addition will be.