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Here just to post about my excitement!! I still struggle to grasp the idea that they brought Phantom Theater back. It is something I never thought would happen! I can't think of any theme park ride given a second life like this. I always thought it was dead and gone. I fly up there from Orlando on Friday, at the park on Saturday. Just, wow. I will be buying a lot of the merch!! My mind just wont give it a rest haha

Man. Looking better and better with every new glimpse we get. Loved getting a few glimpses at some yet to be seen, new versions of old characters. Gonna be a long week. Few screen grabs. Some clearer images of things we’ve kind of seen. Some new. Obviously spoilers, but nothing too crazy.

Honestly, I don't really care if it looks like a castle or a theater. I do kinda wish they changed up the front a little besides some new paint and exterior details. But as long as the inside of the ride is good, the exterior doesn't really matter to me. And the GP will just see an abandoned/creepy building and think it's cool. The actual ride experience is what really matters. But I will say I really do like the new look of the castle/theater facade entrance! I like the maroon-ish color. Can't wait to ride this!!!

Prague's National Theatre has a stone bridge leading to that theater believe it or not.

I feel BGW is one of those parks that doesn't need a giga coaster. It's almost too scenic to have something that big kind of dwarf the park.

Aren't Dollywood's festivals the same old, same old, every year? Heck some of Dollywood's shows ran for years. What about Disney and Busch?

And the fence is gone.

Looks like the ribbons are going up on the trusses

Monster is getting it's arms!

Short video teasing the “new” facade has found its way to Instagram. Check it out! The disembodied flashlight hands are… a choice. But I’m impressed with the amount of work that went into this. Still think it looks like a castle, though. Looks good!

Thank you for reading! I'm glad you enjoyed it. It's hard to believe we are coming up on the five year anniversary of the book's release.

When it comes to relationships with groups like American Coaster Enthusiasts, they don’t see the picture at all. You can’t build long-term value while treating the very community and people who helped build your legacy like disposable assets.

Not a wise move to tamper with longstanding relationships with ACE and JDRF.

Looks like the top of the castle has been painted a browinsh/goldish color

Delaying the release of an events calendar until just before opening day is a missed strategic opportunity. By that point, many guests have already mapped out their 2026 travel plans around parks that announced their events months in advance. In a market where consumers are making decisions earlier than ever, waiting to communicate key dates means risking that Kings Island gets left out of the consideration set entirely. It’s not about timing. It’s about mindshare, trip planning influence, and ultimately attendance from guests who may have chosen differently if they’d had the information sooner.

Once again a Six Flags park didn’t control the narrative with a ride closure and only responded to the media because they had to with a photo in circulation.

Looks like media day is scheduled for next Thursday, April 16th. Check out the video on Instagram Looks like the park sent media outlets a “trunk” with a flashlight that can be used to reveal a hidden message within the box. Unfortunately, looks like the flashlight in this video doesn’t work. Ha. Hopefully not a sign of things to come. They also included a ticket that references the opening years of each version of the ride. The box itself features some throwback character images and Easter eggs. “Ship to Bosco” is a fun throwback. Hoping we see him in the ride, if he ever got that dressing room door open. Haha. The “Haunted Theater” was the original concept/name the park came up with before R&R got on the project, if I remember correctly. Happy to take one of these off someone’s hands…

I cannot imagine a ride of this scope and complexity hasn't been testing already for some time now. A ride like this is almost certainly going to be considerably more complex compared to any roller coaster, at least from a controls perspective. And as the controls system complexity increases, so too do the number of potential failure modes, etc. All of that takes time to work through.

In case you’ve not seen the updates to this dark ride at 6FoGa, you should check it out. Not only have they, over the last few years, continued the major maintenance AND restoration of this ride, they are actually adding new elements that add to the narrative. From adding back in original characters and updating all the show controls, to creating new characters, someone clearly has a lot of love for this attraction. What I love is that really, none of these expenditures have a direct ROI. It does seem they are featuring more MM merchandise, but I doubt a claw foot tub itself sells t-shirts. Kudos to the team in GA pushing for this plussing!

I agree with this, and would like to add that Kings Island was a pass heavy park for years before we "stopped" receiving interesting things. (The park is still getting good major investment, the stoppage/slowing mentioned is simply a sentiment many have shared on here and other social media sites.) I'd argue that Kings Island is the status quo that Carowinds and other parks are being told to aim for in terms of attendance and quality, while KI/SF management are firmly content with where the park is now. This is naturally leading to a feeling of stagnation since the focus has been shifted. If the park wants to think outside of the box for new events or update their current ones then they'll need to find a way to increase guest interaction without forcing them to pay $20 each time they visit the event. Unfortunately I think the company will try to use whatever they can to pay off debt, so events that change from year to year like the ones at Dollywood are out of the question for now. Most passholders will probably be fine with lower quality because KI is their home park and is a family tradition. Families feel the price of a pass is worth it, even if they only ever visit twice. If they take a year off it might be hard for the park to regain their trust, which is why it's important to at least keep the status quo. In other news, the Royal Fountain is being filled for the season. Does anyone know how they fill it? It looks like there are a few hoses being run into it, but I feel like that would be inefficient way to fill such a large basin. There was also someone working on a few fountain sprayer nozzles earlier today. I wonder if they'll reinstall the park sign after it's done being filled or wait a little longer.

Not quite, but then again—no one was trying to steal a first ride or challenge the “integrity” of a first rider auction. My point is this: I understand ACE’s disappointment with the current situation, but you can’t rewrite history as some like to do. This type of park/enthusiast balance isn’t new. Especially at KI.

New episode of “Behind The Curtain has been dropped. And on Opening Day. Go Reds. Nice interview with Rick Bastrup. Can’t wait to see more.

Might finally be getting that Little Bill’s Giggle Coaster RMC reboot we’ve been wishing for.

Love Camp Cedar. We rent a cottage at least once a summer for a staycation. Excited for these changes and to have a bit of HB back in our KI experience.

I think you could do quite a bite with the existing facade to make it work. The castle dental molding should go, as well as the turret style features (which they seem to be addressing now). A lot of the existing colors in the art design (from what we’ve seen) could be incorporated into what’s there. Mocked up this concept over the last few days to try and visualize what it could be. Not sure how it would work, but I’d really love to see some kind of marquee added to the front inspired by the original: Excited to see what they do.

Headed to Kings Island this weekend? Have a good day—if you choose to. Most days, whether it's a good one or not is up to us. Some things during your visit will be beyond the park's control, but how you respond to them will ultimately decide the kind of day you have.

And sadly it looks like the Kings Island Theater will be dark during the peak summer season. I really hope we see something else in there after Brad leaves. KI really needs that indoor AC during that peak July/August heatwave!

The Sally Dark Rides newsletter today featured this great video with interviews, concept art, and footage of the attraction's development:

New small look from KI’s instagram story which confirms there is a built in extended queue (which I hate short term because I am dreading any long wait times) but I know that the Boo Blaster’s queue did spill out frequently during the busier days, so this should save the employees from having to bring out temporary barriers.

I for one am hoping that they bring back in an on ride photo of sorts, I think that is a nice souvenir that is something you can take with you for cheap

But once again. they weren’t in front of it and were reactive instead of proactive.

I will be upset if I get to the park next week (!!!) and they aren’t selling plushies of the characters. Also figures and a flashlight toy and other unique stuff like that.

When was the last time we saw a media preview package like this? Orion's announcement? This is cool to see.

How in the world is Kings Island/ Six Flags NOT capitalized on the Orion Spacecraft that is currently reaching the furthest point away from a manned spacecraft has ever been??? I don't think it would sell tickets, but it could be a small piece of KI lore for years to come.

Because they moved heavy machinery in there and didn't use small man and machinery crews so work on the exterior of the building. They did it as fast and a cheaply as they could which probably includes ripping out trees that are in the way. I know the Cincinnati Zoo gets quoted higher prices by construction companies when they mandate that certain large shade trees must be saved during the construction process

Whirly birds and racer currently running. We're getting close!

Of course they cut down the trees around the entrance This chain is incapable of building anything new and preserving the trees. KI continues to have less trees every season.

Hopefully to a new better soundtrack. I swear if the jazz returns for a 5th time....

I think it will definitely look better if/when the foliage grows in. Removing the eyes does make the windows look a little plain, but the issues with the parapet could be solved by adding a roof trim like the original had. It could either be flat (like the image below) or still be curved to go with the rest of the current structure. The rubble and missing stucco details are fine IMO. They add to the rundown look the ride is going for. (I think this image was made by either BryanJay or Hawaiian Coasters 325, sorry if I got it wrong though!) One thing that keeps getting me is all of the people who are baffled to see that the ride will have a very cartoon-y art style. I completely understand why they wanted a more refined look, but this should not be a shock to anyone who's seen the singular piece of promotional art that's been used for the new ride since August.

So I'm digging the color scheme. I am still on the band wagon of they should have gotten rid of the castle and made a custom facade for the building but hey I get it sometimes you just repurpose what you already have. For reusing the castle it looks pretty darn good. Love the new colors and the treble clefs on the towers are spot on. I do think the wooden slats with the eyes cheapens the look (has really bad boo blasters vibes for me). Overall looks decent and I hope at a minimum they got rid of that stupid mouth with the teeth you walk into...like replace it with theater doors at least please. What kinds of theater haunted or not has a giant mouth with teeth as the entrance?

I don’t like the eyes or the notes, the rest of the facade looks solid though. I’m not sure if it’s the finished landscaping or just a result of construction, but I love how deserted it looks. I actually really like the flashlights pointing at the sign, I think it’s clever. I’m curious what logo they’ll use.

A living testament along with phantom theater why unique dark rides stand the test of time even outside of Disney Parks

I attended ERScream. I thought ACE put together a nice event and made the best of the way things turned out with the weather.

Share more on your FL experience with their new system.

Well, I’m keeping the credit. *adjusts fanny pack and glasses*

I hope Dollywood continues to be a beacon of light in a very dark corporate end game world... So many private equities and companies out there buying out beloved chains and local places just to shut them down...

So... we basically go back to what it was like before the merger happened in the first place? LOL... I'm with you though. It's a mess and probably shouldn't have happened... Also, I still find it interesting how Cedar Fair didn't learn from the sins and mistakes of Premier Parks during the first Six Flags acquisition process years ago. Newsflash to corporate executives, it's probably not a good idea to take the name of the struggling company you're buying out... Especially when that struggling company's name and brand is synonymous with "lower quality" to the general public...

More than just tradition, too. Hate to be so corporate minded about this long standing tradition, but it keeps people in the park until close. More people in the park = more money to spend. I feel like John Reilly’s recent comments about the lack of revenue as a result of canceled seasonal events would apply here, too. But who knows.

Keep in mind that Congo Falls is almost 40 years old and the other two water rides are over 40 and over 50 years old. That is quite old for any kind of ride let alone a water ride. I think a water ride makes sense if the plan is to put a large coaster where Congo Falls is now. In my opinion, Action Zone should be addressed before the the old Vortex plot.

The private equity ownership is the problem. Hill Path Capital owns 49.7% of the company, creating significant influence and putting greater focus on share buybacks and driving value. The ownership structure of private equity means that any losses from this lawsuit will go against United Parks, not against Hill Path Capital. At least I think that's how it works, but unlike the other cases I've heard about, this isn't a leveraged buyout. Still, the priority is financial gain for Hill Path, not for United Parks. Customers don't matter. Employees don't matter. Only the shareholders matter. If the parks go downhill (and they will), possibly even bankrupt, Hill Path Capital may just sell off the remains while keeping the profits they made from stripping apart the parks. Private Equity has a large (and incomplete) list of bankruptcies on Wikipedia, and I wonder if United Parks could eventually join it.