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Why? Does it really make a difference that they aren't replacing the track? Personally, I'd rather them invest the bulk of capitol in the figures/scenery...

I'm crying. We are so back.

Maestro cordially invites you to step inside the Phantom Theater on a stormy night for the grand (and ghostly) opening of a long-awaited performance at Kings Island! No Legs Larry, the Phantom Theater’s legendary usher, needs YOU to help seat the audience. But beware…just before the show, a lightning strike has released supernatural ghost notes from Maestro’s famed pipe organ and they’ve run amok throughout the theater. The entire cast is calling on you to return them back to the organ before the curtain can rise! Riding in enchanted opera boxes and armed with interactive spellbound flashlights, journey through haunted hallways, magical dressing rooms, and wild backstage chaos to capture the ghost notes before they ruin the show. Along the way, meet unforgettably familiar vaudeville stars, dodge a firing cannon, and witness operatic shrieks that shatter mirrors. Will you save Maestro’s masterpiece in time for the show? Only one thing's certain: in the Phantom Theater, all the world’s a stage, and ghosts love a good encore! https://www.visitkingsisland.com/new-in-2026

All I want is them to have Maestro playing the organ in the queue again and PLEASE NO FUN TV'S IN THE QUEUE!!!!

The new character sculpts look fantastic, excited to see more!

I enjoyed your whole post, but wanted to highlight this specific sentence. It really, really was—but, having been able to see it from every angle as an employee: it was even more impressive from the other side. The loop itself was massive, but even that was dwarfed by the rest of the amazing (in-appearance) structure. I never understood (I mean, logistically, I get why) how the most impressive parts of that ride were faced in a direction no guest could see them even from the tower (outside of special access). Everything about that ride really was disappointing. - I get that there’s a ton of nostalgia for this ride now, but take it from someone who rode it in every iteration and version: it always sucked.

One thing fingers crossed is for the Maestro returns to booth! (I hope they don't leave it empty for the new attraction.)

For those of you speculating the ending with the Crypt meant in that teaser... I'm sorry to break the news to you but...

This was a prop in phantom theater, yes. And the furnace is in Slaughterhouse. (Me when my degree in phantom theaterology pays off)

When it comes to IP at Kings Island, many have come and gone. These characters on the other hand always belonged to Kings Island. So to see something so corporate like SIX on its first year green light a project like this brings me a lot of shock, yet optimism. The library of IPs they could have gone with. But some people at SIX who loved Phantom Theater are the reasons we likely saw projects like Encore and this. Seeing how far along Sally might be with this project gives me so much confidence in what will be the final product. Especially since the refit already takes place in a preexisting building. I also in general love seeing the media team at KI posting updates like this! They probably have a good idea of how beloved this IP is. Plus I love watching the process. Keep’em coming!

For those who were wondering like myself, I got confirmation that Rick Bastrup (one of the original creators of the original Phantom Theater) is working with Sally Dark Rides on Opening Nightmare, so I’m even more confident this ride will live up to the original.

THE OFFICIAL LOGO LOOKS SOOOOOO GOOD!!!

When it comes to dressing up the exterior of the building, I'd like to see them attempt to make it like this old original concept art

The Crypt building is too small by comparison. I did a construction tour today and what Dollywood is building is massive.

I know this isn't likely, but something I was thinking about with the entrance and queue. Since this ride is going to be very popular and on busy days, Boo Blasters line tends to spill out on the midway, I think what they should do is connect the current queue house with the Peanuts Showplace and move the entrance to the ride to down by the Great Pumpkin Coaster in what is currently the entrance to the Peanuts Showplace. I honestly kinda like the wooded feel down there and it could make it feel like you're going into an overgrown/Haunted theater in the woods. Having 2 separate queue rooms also opens up potential to multiple scenes for this storytelling. I also was thinking if they choose not to go that route they could make the Peanuts Showplace into a Phantom Theater character meet and greet area and museum. If they wanted to create new props/decor for the new ride, they could then (if they still have them) display the old decor from the old Phantom Theater that they had in the PT Encore show lobby in the Peanuts Showplace.

I found out that one of my friends helped design PT:ON and from what I do know based on that, it'll be quality.

Big hopes that we can see the return of the stained glass piano in some form or other! It looks really cool and I think it'd be a good easter egg (is it an easter egg if it's just a reused whole prop?) to the original. Walking through the stores tonight, I noticed that they don't have any of the old Phantom Theater merch stocked anymore it's all just the new merch for Phantom Theater: Opening Nightmare. I really hope they bring the old merch back to one of the stores on International Street. I get that they're promoting the new ride, but there looked to be quite a bit of merch left last weekend and I think both would sell really well. Here's the promotion for PT:ON outside of Boo Blasters' entrance, to the left of the birthday sign.

On the Sally Corporation website it does say there will be animatronics in the ride as well, so it's not going to be a completely screen based ride!

How did they not use #whatsinthetheater

This is correct... The new "Six Flags" has stated emphatically on all investor calls that their goal is to increase the attendance base on the flagship SF parks to bring them to a level that matches the legacy CF parks. That's why they are focused on major installs and general park improvements in flagship SF parks located in huge metro areas. Kings Island far surpasses virtually every other park in the chain when it comes to its huge season passholder base. Its essentially the litmus test by which they are trying to mirror with the other parks in the chain. Execs see no need to rock the KI boat as they view KI's formula as highly successful. Why mess with success? A major install will come... but as stated many times before... they are completely focused on maintaining the passholder base which consists primarily of locals and families. I have noticed that KI has been terrific about investing in infrastructure improvements. That doesn't read to most enthusiasts as "major", but if they had not continually re-invested millions upon millions in maintaining general esthetics, KI would be a trash park. Its actually, by far, one of the most well maintained parks in the country. That doesn't mean there haven't been disappointments along the way.... that year they added Coney Bar-b-Que was very wah-waaah.... Yes, a new Coney Mall restaurant was needed - and welcome - but even I thought it was the least interesting season in terms of new additions and improvements. (Granted, this followed a season where a new coaster was added, and Winterfest returned.)

I have said for years, good or bad, that because KI is so woven into the fabric of the community that enough people buy passes for themselves or grandchildren and never go and still buy passes every year because of the perceived value that the park could cut back on spending without much loss of revenue. Sad but true. Sure they lose some enthusiasts, but it is more than made up with new families. This is supported with Six Flags stating KI is the most oversaturated park in the chain. That dictates the spending. I have joked here that we could Geauga Lake the place and still sell 100,000 passes to a closed park LOL. KI passes are that much of a summer tradition to many people. I have also joked here we could go years without spending any money before enough would say "I am not renewing" to make a measurable impact. Now who knows if that is 2, 5, 10, or 15 years LOL. Let's hope they don't go that extreme. They will never admit this, but they probably wanna see how little can they spend before they see measurable drops in passes and attendance at KI. KI is not in growth mode. They are in maintain their base with small incremental growth mode and that drives the spending amount. That is what happens when a park is oversaturated in their market. The small enthusiasts communities don't like that, but you would be surprised how many people rate their experiences as great because they are not following the "drama" found here and on social media. They go and have a great time and don't care who the PR person is or that a trash can hasn't been emptied yet. One could say they are complacent. And in a sense they are, but as long as people keep coming and spending, they have no incentive to do more than what they need to.

From the KI passholders group

Paul Bonifield shared this on Linkedin a few weeks back. For those who don't know, Paul was one of the many who were unfortunately laid off by Six Flags back in May. Also in the comments, Chad Showalter (who was also let go) commented a bit about it. Based on those comments, it sounds like this project was planned for awhile and may have been the "family thrill attraction" planned all along. https://www.linkedin.com/posts/paulbonifield_phantom-theater-returns-to-kings-island-ugcPost-7366851910231855104-Oe2X

The Golden Tickets 2025 was just announced and Six Flags took home 3 Golden Tickets. Kings Island had a good showing, the Kids Area went back up to #2, RiverRacers took the #2 spot for Best Water Ride and the park came in at #5 for Best Guests Experience. Here is a couple links. Six Flags Entertainment Corporation - Six Flags Parks Win Three Golden Ticket Awards for 2025 2025 GTA Winners – The Golden Ticket Awards | Presented by Amusement Today

This is actually for sure true, I updated the comparisons. Honestly I’m sorta torn on a few of the designs (I think having their pupils be like 20% smaller would fix most of my issues) On one hand I think a few of the concepts for the designs look off (especially the bunny unless the eyes glow in this one too, it doesn’t look scary enough). I think a good comparison is like, these versions look more like muppets rather than the original which emulated the haunted mansion figures. I think the hard aspect about what we’ve been currently given is that most of the characters have really only had their heads shown rather than their full bodies, and also the sculpts are still a work in progress so it’s hard to judge them too far. No matter what my feelings are, it’s insane to me that we’re in the universe where a non-IP, non-Disney or universal dark ride is getting at least 17+ animatronic figures. Like there will be screens in the ride, but honestly considering that they’re putting effort into making custom figures for this I honestly don’t mind.

The more they advertise this, the more excited I get that they’re putting effort into this rather than just making a half-hearted retheme. It’s rare that theme parks announce what’s replacing an attraction before they announce what’s replacing it (Boo Blasters wasn’t particularly beloved but people still seem to be somewhat sad about it) and I’ve NEVER seen a giant sign advertising a new attraction right outside of the attraction it’s replacing, alongside a merchandise line that they released the day after the announcement into the park (I don’t think any recent additions like Camp Snoopy or River Racers had anything like this).

From the release: “Along the way, the enchanted opera boxes travel through fully built dimensional scenes, including backstage areas, haunted hallways, dressing rooms and a fiery boiler room as they meet other performers who are ready to take the stage. From animatronic forms of Houdelini and The Great Garbanzo to Hilda Bovine and Lionel Burymore, the Phantom Theater’s beloved crew returns, getting caught in the chaos while guests simultaneously search for the ghost notes. New surprises await guests around every corner, including the introduction of Arpeggio, Maestro’s furry feline friend. In total, 26 interactive scenes feature added multi-sensory effects like wind and sound, hidden Easter eggs throughout and a grand on-stage musical finale with all cast members. Manufactured by Sally Dark Rides, the leader in indoor family dark ride experiences, Phantom Theater: Opening Nightmare is a true nod to the original that made its home at Kings Island from 1992 – 2002.”

Indoor Projects like these always intrigue me. No drone or aerial photography is going to give much away which imo makes them all the more mysterious. when a rollercoasters is announced everyone can speculate about what the experience will be like. We get POVs, outdoor construction, etc. Dark Rides in general are always more mysterious when you have no idea of what ride experience you are even in line for.

That's all it was... a rumor. A "new" Phantom Theater attraction was not planned for previous seasons. The waterpark expansion was supposed to be 2023. It was pushed back (first by a year, then by two) when Koontz decided an Octoberfest facelift was a bigger priority. That's why AP opened late, because it was a last minute switch and rides/theming outsourcing were not contracted well in advance as they typically are. The following year, the Camp Snoopy expansion took priority, in part, to try and regain the "Best Kids Area" title. (Didn't quite pan out.) Koontz was very up-front in that no major coaster install was planned for the forseeable future. That is because they did not see a significant return on investment with Orion. BTW - For those questioning if the Crypt building has something to do with a "new" PT... it doesn't. Boo Blasters is closing early for a reason.

Update:

https://x.com/kingsislandpr/status/1958529528403271795?s=46 Literally shaking, it’s 100% phantom theater

“Who’s out there? No one’s allowed backstage!”

In my opinion, Action Zone should have been completely overhauled either with or shortly after the debut of Banshee. When the record-breaking invert opened in 2014, the park did invest in some welcome changes: the new seating plaza where the water tower once stood, the revival of The Bat, the repaint of Delirium, and even the back patio of Festhaus that allowed guests to watch the action. But much of the area remained untouched. Drop Tower, Xtreme Skyflyer, and Congo Falls stayed exactly the same, with only Invertigo receiving a repaint in 2012. The result was an area that looked half-new and half-forgotten. What always stood out to me was how split Action Zone felt after Banshee’s arrival. One side had modern touches - Banshee dominating the skyline, The Bat tying in nostalgia, and an energized central plaza. The other side was the “old” Action Zone, with Invertigo, Drop Tower, and Congo Falls still carrying their early-2000s extreme-thrills aesthetic. It was almost like two lands stitched together, each telling a different story. Now, with the merger in play, the uncertainty around Action Zone is even greater. Banshee needs a repaint, Skyflyer is gone, Congo Falls feels out of place, and Invertigo seems like it’s living on borrowed time. The Bat still runs well, but its future is uncertain. Then there’s the empty Son of Beast station - once reused for Wolfpack during Haunt - now cleared out and sitting vacant, a reminder of unfinished potential. This is why I’d like to see Action Zone addressed before The Vortex plot. Back in the Paramount era, the park felt unbalanced - Top Gun, Son of Beast, King Cobra, and Drop Tower were all piled into one corner. Today, the lineup is more evenly distributed: Orion anchors Area 72/Coney Mall. Rivertown has Diamondback, Mystic Timbers, and The Beast, and other coasters are scattered more thoughtfully throughout. But Action Zone, which was never part of the original master plan, has gone through so many transformations - from wild animal habitat, to Adventure Village, to Paramount’s extreme-thrills hub, and now to its current patchwork state - that it badly needs a clear, consistent identity moving forward. That lack of focus also makes the area vulnerable. With DC Comics IP so readily available, it would be easy to rebrand the entire section overnight. Drop Tower could become Lex Luthor: Drop of Doom. The Bat could be renamed Batman: The Ride. Banshee could turn into Superman: The Ride. From a marketing perspective, it’s effortless, but it would strip the park of originality. IP can work at Disney or Universal where it’s deeply integrated, but in regional parks it often feels like a shortcut. There is reason for hope, though. Kings Island’s decision to bring back Phantom Theater in place of Boo Blasters shows the chain is willing to lean into creativity and history instead of outside brands. I truly hope I’m wrong about the DC angle, because what Action Zone needs isn’t a quick rebrand - it just needs to be completed.

I am SO HAPPY. I never thought I'd see the day they bring Phantom Theater back in any way. I always looked at it as a dead idea. The stage show was great, but I didn't think it would lead to this. I definitely do not expect the animatronics to return in the same way they were, but I'm sure what Sally comes up with will be great. I'm just glad to see it back in the park.

They literally just announced shirts with that logo lol

This is my theory of what International Street will look like when more and more lore base ride (Like Phantom Theater) is added. Edit: For everyone who want to know how the interactive flash light with mix media will play out, there's Monster Inc. Ride & go seek at Tokyo Disneyland with almost the same system. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IAmqZCKJEMA

Quick thoughts because I'm freaking the heck out, but I've also had an hour to reflect on it: - 99% of my fears were relieved when they said there's multiple animatronics in this, especially that Lionel Burymore gets one, he's so underrated. Hopefully there's a few more characters that aren't listed that make a cameo in this. - I think two things are true: 1. The design of Maestro looks off and it'll take time to get used to. 2. The original animatronics looked like they were melting even during construction, so I think it's not horrible. I'm very curious if AI was used to make the promo art. It looks like it might be to me, but I'm optimistic it's not. The designs will look better in person I'm sure . - I wonder if the track will be extended/a preshow will be added. The release says there's 26 scenes, and even in Boo Blasters saying there's 20 scenes in the ride is generous. Considering it hasn't been used the past year, it wouldn't be shocking if the track was extended into that space, or maybe even use some of the space in the original theater scene (I'd be SHOCKED if the pepper's ghost effect returns in any actual way during the ride considering the flashlight aspect.) It's my hope though that the Maestro animatronic stays in the queue and no screens are placed there. - I'm split about the shooting aspect, because on one hand the musical note ghost bit sounds childish, but also when I zoomed in to see what they looked like, they made me laugh with how stupid they looked, so I think it could be silly. -I hope they keep the original music, even if it's a new recording. It's just so iconic to me, and I hope it makes an appearance. - The name is perfect, I'm glad they didn't use "Phantom Theater:Return of the revenge of the Maestro" I'm sure I'll have more to say tonight when I'm done with work, be those are my initial thoughts. I have some fears, but honestly just really happy people will know these characters again.

100% agree here. This attraction seems to the be most reasonable compromise between what the old die hard PT fans wanted and also what the GP and average guests want. Alot of kids love the shooting aspect of boo Blaster so realistically it was a stretch to think that was ever going away. I agree that it can make a ride more re-rideable especially if the story isn't Disney caliber. I for one view this as a win - it should be better than boo Blaster. Will it be as good as the original PT? Probably not but hey it probably never was going to be that good and frankly the original was not built for the screen addicted generation of kids we have today. This ride will be more popular amongst families than if they brought back a carbon copy of the original

Agree to aLL of this and to say the 50th got no major investment - thats not true TONS of money was invested into historical decor, 4 original shows, a daily "mini parade" and closing show infrastructure thats in use nightly though the summer. In additiona to ride and facilities refreshes. I'd say it was a lot of invesment and more than most got for their 50ths.

I don't know, I think you're underselling some of those and forgetting others. Orion's been a good addition to the park. Is it the biggest, most thrilling coaster in the world? No, but it's a very fun addition to the lineup. Adventure Port gave a retheme to a fairly dead area of the park. The Camp Snoopy addition is popular with kids and Soapbox Racers is a really good family coaster. They also have added good restaurants in the Brewhouse and Coney BBQ, and you left out that in 2022 they also gave International Street some much-needed improvements. They've added Carnival. I kind of hate this idea that a great investment has to be a major coaster or thrill attraction. A major part of theme park audiences is not thrillseekers but families and people who are coming to get a dose of nostalgia. I think the park's additions have been good for that -- and it might be an investment that only pays off years down the road when today's kids are old enough to bring their kids.

A haunted indoor bar Instead of The Conjuring it'll be "The Stumbling"

Yeah. I left back in July. It was voluntarily and I wasn't fired or forced out. I have no bad blood with the park or company. I had 6 great seasons as a ride op.

Even though I'm disappointed that we are not getting a Vekoma Madhouse, Getting a Vekoma isn't off the table as well. We could be getting something like this if they're replacing the omnimover style ride. https://www.vekoma.com/suspended-dark-ride

Here is the video tease.

Park's social media announced an announcement coming 8.28. Interestingly, in the video, a crew member is walking around Boo Blasters and stops at the organ and finds a music sheet, which I would think all but confirms it's a Phantom Theater return. More interestingly, the final shot of the video was shot in The Crypt. Not sure if it's just an ending for the video or if it's teasing something going into that area (it's a very obvious cut, but could just be for dramatic effect...but it's so obviously The Crypt that it feels weird they'd include it if something wasn't coming there...they could have easily shot that moment in the queue or elsewhere in the ride instead of a wholly new building). What if the Boo Blasters building is going away and the new Phantom Theater is in the Crypt building? (But that wouldn't explain why they have to close BB in September)

Great sign that they are working on it. Absolutely love that ride and it would be such a loss for the park both for families and for nostalgic old timers to see a park original and a former Coney Island ride meet it's end. So glad the park is putting the money into fixing it

That’s exactly what they did. They pulled the passes off sale just long enough for KIC, Facebook, TT, etc., to start blasting out “sold out!” posts. Then, magically, the very next morning, they’re back on sale—only at a higher price. It’s not that they sold a certain number of passes. They sold however many they happened to until a set date, then jacked up the price. Same old “Price goes up September 1!” Gold Pass gimmick—just slimier. And look, for those who don’t listen to Tower Topics and for whatever reason care what I think: I’m totally fine with this IF it actually means a better product. I’ll pay for an improved experience. But if 2026 rolls around (assuming we even get Haunt—never underestimate Six’s ability to screw things up) and we’re stuck with a bunch of half-staffed, low-effort mazes besides the new ones then this whole thing’s going to blow up in their faces. That said, I get why people are mad. Folks bought passes expecting the mazes to be included—like they had been for almost 25 years. Yeah yeah, I know someone will run in waving the T&Cs saying, “Technically they can do this!” (have fun at media day, by the way). But come on—this rollout was about as shady and non-transparent as we’ve all come to expect. My take: 30% chance: They actually deliver something elevated, it catches on, and people come to see the upcharge as worth it. 70% chance: The new stuff is solid, but the rest is the same tired filler. People may feel like maybe Conjuring is worth it, but everything else is a ripoff. By 2026, sales dip, by 2027 the mazes are a Prestige perk, by 2028 they’re back in Gold, and by 2030, everything’s reverted to how it’s always been. At the end of the day, Kings Island’s Haunt worked because the mazes were included, and that’s why the lines were huge. If you wanted haunted houses specifically, there’s already plenty of competition around here. So is this going to stand alongside Dent Schoolhouse, Land of Illusion, and the rest? Or is it going to be, in my brother’s words, “a crap sandwich, hold the bread”? Your move, Kings Island.

I just hope that when they cancel Winterfest at the 11th hour in 2026 to "focus on the core Spring and Summer seasons," people flood the park with questions about how cancelling Winterfest will add value to their Spring and Summer seasons to offset the loss of Winterfest. Not just words. Examples. Of course, I'm sure there will be certain shills that will defend the park to the bitter end for pulling the event after selling you your 2027 pass. Spoiler alert: it's the same ones who keep quoting the "gotcha" language in the fine print when people express (what I think is valid) frustration for charging extra for the Haunt stuff when they never did in the past... in exchange for VIP parking and access to media days. Someone correctly alluded above— if you can pack tens of thousands of people into a single place during the Christmas season and can't find a way to make money off them, then you shouldn't be working in a serious role in the theme park industry. You should be bagging groceries.

You can thank KIC for that even being there. Once it became a hot thread after everyone noticed it was fenced off (and no info from the park.) I reached out to the gold tag I communicated with, and the next day that was on their website.