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I’d much rather have Kings Island build its own RMC from the ground up.

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1Bmfm33Z54/ Looks like the Python has found a new home in a traveling circuit and is operating at the KY State Fair

I just had a little chat with park president Tony Carovillano. It was a very nice chat. He told me a Vortex replacement is a priority to him and that they're working on it, but cautioned that money is tight and that he hopes they can get the money soon. He also mentioned the drone show can be moved to develop the site. Also discussed a few other things with him and based on my conversations with him he really cares about the park and I actively saw him picking up trash when walking.

We know KIC keeps going down. We're in the process of building a new server to replace the older one. We are getting close!

You have to break a few eggs to make an omelette. Alternately, some times you have to plunge a toilet to flush a turd. For too long, alot of management at the company has been turds. Flush them out. With less passes sold, maybe they will take notice and new blood can reinvorgarate. The problem with a park like KI that is highly penetrated is that people will still come. Nostalgia can be a stronger motivator than price. KI is hurting from too much penetration.

The current stage scene is smaller than the original, and is also smaller than the library scene that existed in SDatHC and BBoBH. I wish they could've scaled down the animatronics and made the room feel bigger.

Ok this is the moment I've been waiting for - My review of Phantom Theater Opening Nightmare! So most of you probably know I relocated to Seattle last year and I was traveling through the area this past weekend and stopped by the park last Saturday and got two rides on Phantom Theater Opening Nightmare. The first ride I just rode through taking in the details and the second ride I used the flashlight to play the game with the ghost notes. First of all the entrance - I don't love the repurposed castle. I feel like they could have done better with that and made it more unique and different however I appreciate that most of the budget clearly went into the ride interior vs a fancy exterior. The que was fantastic. The darkness and the lightning effects were great and really set the tone of an abandoned theater. I was worried the purple wallpaper would be almost Dr Seuss like but the dark lighting makes it look really really good. The audio in the que was loud enough to hear it over all the talking so I was able to hear all the preshow dialogue. The hallway portraits were a nice touch considering that they were a stable of the older version of the ride and are absent from the current version. They actually look much more like paintings in person vs in photos you can obviously tell they are screens. Enjoyed the dialogue loop here as well and it was also loud enough that I could understand what each character was saying The shooting element of the ride I personally found to be distracting. I played the game the second ride through but in a way every target looks the same and I actually found it distracting and hard to take in the actual rooms and characters while chasing ghost notes. I think it's a nice feature for kids who don't appreciate the artistry of a classic dark ride but I personally would probably not play the shooting game on future rides. The sets and scenes were all great and some of the little details are fun - for example I got stopped in front of Hilda's dressing room and noticed all the little fan cards on her mirror (details you miss when just riding past the scene). The did think the stage scene seemed a bit small but loved they payed homage to Phantom Theater Encore. Also, the boiler room was working full force and I love the roses scent at the end of the ride. Hopefully the park will continue to keep all these effects working. Also the original bust on the left after Sir Pretzel was really cool. Glad they were able to incorporate that into the new version of the ride. All in all I really enjoyed the ride and I'd definitely ride it every visit if I still lived in the area. Sounds like I'll have another opportunity to ride it May 2 as my sister is getting married on May 1 this year so I'll be traveling back to Cincinnati then.

(You’re right, though. Totally nailed it.)

Passes and meal plans, etc. were too cheap. Maybe this could (in hindsight) be looked at as an over correction a year or two from now, but the reality of of the situation is that they spent years giving away the gate, handing out meal plans for a “dime,” and watched as the masses poured in. It’s not so much that the majority of passholders “abused” the situation, but it’s obvious, post merger, that that model is not sustainable in this new Six Flags reality. Seen plenty of plenty of negative reactions online about this today. These are a lot of the same folks who bragged about much “advantage” they got out of their pass, dining/drink plan, etc. Interpret that however you want. Theres a balance. At the end of the day, the situation is what it is. Between the merger and the ultimate failed strategy of passholder add-ons, cheap passes, and whatever… things have changed. The price of gold/prestige passes have, for a long time, been priced way under what they should have, market value be darned. Look no further than the returns, reaction, and overall value when it comes to attendance vs. in-park spending. Whether it’s Disney or Six Flags, less can be more if/when it comes to attendance if guest are still spending money. And in many cases, guests are still willing to renew and pay regardless. That being a good or bad thing is certainly up for debate. Trimming the fat, increasing prices, etc., I hope would/will result in a higher quality output in terms of new additions, cleanliness, added events, and more. Look no further than Haunt. Sure, it’s an upcharge now when it historically wasn’t, but the quality of the event been better, right? I mean… Conjuring? Order of the Dragon? The reported $60k investment in the new Jason maze? Not to mention the concerns about crowds, clientele, and beyond. I personally don’t want to see anyone out-priced from visiting KI the same way I want to be able to take my family to Disneyland without selling a kidney. But it’s hypocritical to celebrate the perceived value of season passes, drink and meal plans, perks, etc., and then turn around and complain about crowds, added retail/alcohol sales, increased prices, lack of non, thrilling “thoosie additions.” I don’t care for the majority of any of these changes. But I’m personally willing to let my dollar go farther when it comes to the overall park experience, given the current status of the chain as a whole. And ironically, it’s not all bad. Look at the aforementioned Haunt experience, PT:OE, certain food experiences, operations… I mean, it’s stellar. But that’s not to say there hasn’t been a handful of miserable fails over the last season or two. Because there are plenty. At the end of the day, I hate to come across like a fanny pack wearing, apologist, thoosie chud. but looking at this as an opportunity to “right the ship” and increase quality as a whole could be for the best. If corporate is committed to that. That’s a big “If.” Who knows. Shareholders are weird. Business is weird. Eh. I don’t know, gang. It’s ultimately irrelevant in the grand scheme of it all, in life, and everything. This is what’s supposed to make me happy…. More importantly, what’s your favorite seat on Adventure Express? I need some levity and optimism.

A Camden Park season pass is $160 plus another $40 for parking for those that want to say it’s too expensive.

Take this with a heavy grain of salt, but ElToroRyan on YouTube stated that he's heard recent rumors of Kings Island being the park that bought ArieForce One. I do consider him a credible source, as he previously was the first to report about Top Thrill Dragster being redone by Zamperla and Kingda Ka being retired after 2024. This is unconfirmed, so it's entirely possible that this could be false or there could be a change of plans, so please don't take this as fact until we hear otherwise.

I used the FAQ feature in the app to ask if PT:ON will be open during Halloween Haunt and it encouraged me to reach out to Enchanted Parks. 🤙🏻 Great job, chain! Appreciate the Mid-Answer.

I didn't like the merger when it happened, and I still don't like it today. I think it's possibly the worst thing to happen for our specific park.

Decided to have some fun with AI and modernize Timberwolf into a more modern venue while keeping the rustic lodge feel to the venue. Safe to say I like the way these turn out. Sadly I don't think the park or corporate would it would be worth the investment. Also please excuse the kiddy ride in Drop Tower's spot in the 3rd one. I liked the way the venue concept turned out, but I didn't want to potentially ruin it by trying to get rid of the kiddy ride and putting Drop Tower back there.

IMO I feel like I got my value out of my pass this year. The first part of the season I had a very light attendance schedule as I was testing for certifications for work (the 9/10 aka a management cert for the financial industry) BUT I feel like I did get to use my pass at Cedar Point quite a bit in July, my free snacks and exclusive VIP parking enough to warrant the pass. Now I’m planning on heading out west to LA this October and I believe Knotts will be doable on that trip. I believe at this point I have the cash so im just going to buy my pass outright and all of the works for 2027.

Jennifer Hoban is one of the best people I worked with in my years at Kings Island.

If enthusiasts who are just about coasters stopped going, it would have minimal impact on annual attendance. The majority of guests visiting have been, are now and will always be families.

Color me (not at all) shocked- nothing new and no additions. That game show thing is a fine pre-show for a real show at the bandstand. As it is, why even bother with building a set? This is pathetic.

Don't worry, guys, they updated the app! That ought to take care of it, right?

Possibly, but closing loopholes helps maintain pricing integrity. That, along with the chain seeming to understand that their products are priced way too low, is refreshing to see after too many years of what seemed like a "race to the bottom" strategy of giving away the gate.

When it comes to season-pass value, the lowest price doesn’t always mean the best deal. Dollywood, Holiday World and Kennywood continue to stand out to me because of what guests get beyond rides: friendly guest service, clean and well-maintained parks, strong seasonal events and an overall sense that the guest experience matters. There’s also something to be said for integrity—delivering an experience that matches what was promised and making visitors feel valued after they’ve spent their money.

Unless more property’s are sold. I can’t envision Six Flags avoiding bankruptcy at this point. Too little too late to be jacking the prices up to what it is so far for the 2027 season. Not suggesting what they are asking for is wrong per se but doubling the price on add ons is going to be a hard pill to swallow for most folks. This price point should have been achieved by steadily increasing the prices on these add-ons and passes since post-covid when the parks saw a boom. But the past is the past and I hope this works out for them. Considering Legacy SF attempted to jack up their prices only to reverse course doesn't give me much hope that it will.

I feel weird about all of this. I totally understand the reasoning and justification for raising prices to basically give a better experience for guests. But as a teacher with a young family... it's hard out there right now financially...

Right, this an opinion. Which you are absolutely entitled to, like everyone else. But to phrase it as fact (based on your own feelings and opinions) is misleading, and is maybe 50/50 at best. You have an equal chance at being right or wrong. No insight there. Do you want to circle back with me about the 2026 family thrill coaster? Or about the screen/projection heavy new Phantom Theater that opened this year? The fact that we can all speculate and share our wishes, opinions, and predictions is what makes this site and the fandom fun. But making baseless claims centered on your own personal rhetoric is just wrong, whether it ultimately comes true or not.

I think the problem is that there's no indication that there will be any actual improvements to the guest experience next year to go along with the increased prices. Even just publishing an operating calendar, committing to continuing Winterfest, and publishing a menu for their $400 dining plan would go a long way, but I don't think it's surprising that people aren't happy about a place that's gone downhill so much over the last few years demanding more money from them. The slight increase in pass prices isn't going to help with the crowding or clientele issues, and the ruining of the dining plan just makes me think there will be even more reduced staffing and reduced availability for food next year.

When you go to watch BeachBlast X-Treme! and you see the last Vice President and General Manager of Kings Island, Mike Koontz, in the audience with you. Mike says he is enjoying retirement and doing well!

I watched the video and he put 2 different potential locations. One in Area 72 replacing some of the maintineance buildings and the parade float tent which I don't see happening for obvious reasons. The other is back behind Banshee and he mentioned he heard a pre merger rumor of the park potentially expanding the park's footprint to connect A72 and Action Zone which I don't see happening as KI can't even staff the park consistently as is. What makes you think they'd be able to staff a major expansion like that?

Dollywood is preparing for a future without Dolly Parton—but her presence will remain woven throughout the park and the Smoky Mountains. Here’s how Dollywood plans to carry its Dreamer-in-Chief’s legacy forward. FULL STORY: https://themeparksbydon.com/dollywood-future-without-dolly-parton-legacy/

I think it is interesting that back, at the 50th year at KI we were so happy we were a CF park and so proud of our park. When word that SIX and CF were thinking about merging we panicked (rightfully so). Now here we are discussing if/when we can get sold off from SIX. Right this minute I am glad we are a SIX park over Enchanted though.

Luckily, we have not seen to much of a change inside the park, but I still as not a big fan either.

You are not the only one, mate. I can't keep all the generative AI out of my life, but there's not a chance I'm going to support any new to me thing that uses it.

A few months late lol, but I can confirm the seatbelts were not shortened. I think the confusion stems from some rows being more accommodating. Even numbered rows have more leg room than odd numbers. I’ve seen many times how the even rows are drastically more accommodating for taller and larger guests than odd rows.

Does it matter LOL. My Big Mac never looks like the ad 🤣

Who remembers when the Kings Island sleuths were convinced they had cracked the code on the park’s website and uncovered what the big announcement on this day in 2013 would be? It was so much fun watching it all unfold from my end.

That is exactly where it was going. Now we have to start over. LOL

The website has been published, featuring the two new Halloween Haunt experiences for 2026! New this year are Jason: Blood Reign and Metal Massacre. These mazes are included with the purchase of a Haunted Attractions Pass or a Haunted Attractions Express Pass. All-Season HAP/HAEP are available for purchase online and are only valid for admission to mazes within a guest's home park. Note: The Conjuring: Beyond Fear is a separate charge attraction and is not included with either Haunted Attractions Pass option. Official website: https://www.sixflags.com/kingsisland/events/halloween-haunt While I'm still a little upset at the lack of a new show and the retention of the game show on the bandstand, I think the two new mazes will be great and worth the money that the park is spending on them.

Just don't put your data center on my farmland!

The thing is, the park likes to drag their feet on information that’s not really new news. They act like they have some huge announcement to make but in all reality it’s always a let down. Here’s to hoping that Pumpkin Eater or Coney Maul finally goes away and is replaced with a new theme. Would love to see them do a “Die-In Movie” themed zone over where the shooting star drive-in is. That would save them so much time in turn around for Winterfest.

I'll share a little something in the spoiler...

Yo, post it under a spoiler tag. Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeease

I love the boiler room scene the best as it reminds me the most of the old scene

I don’t have to be there to know exactly what’s going on. People send me photos, what’s open, what’s closed every day. I have no ill will towards the park, either. False narrative on your end. I want the park to do well. I want the guest experience to be top tier.

How is your narrative for someone who claims they haven’t been in the park for almost two months? How would you have an accurate idea of what’s open and what’s not if you're not even around? It’s easy to cherry pick what you need to fit your arguments, whether they be true or not. Notice, no one mentioned you by name, blog, YouTube channel, podcast, or whatever. But you felt the need to make it about your own opinion, regardless. Is this about the reality of the situation or about your ill will toward the park for personal reasons? Personally, my life doesn’t rely on the food and beverage situation at the park for better or worse, especially if I haven’t visited in “59 days.” I’ve never been one to mince words or hide any criticisms when it comes to the park experience and how things are. I’d even argue that I can be overtly vocal about said criticisms, to a fault. But this vendetta you’ve got going on is just silly. Even within this thread, I’ve joked about the consistent closures of other drink stands in the park. I‘m a realist. And this isn’t that serious. But I’m not going to sit on the sidelines and claim the sky is falling when I’m not even visiting the park regularly. Mostly because I have enough going on in my life, otherwise, to let this affect me. But more importantly, I like to enjoy the things I enjoy, and have a greater understanding of what’s actually important in the grand scheme of life as a whole. Makes me a happier person, and more enjoyable to be around. Just a bad look, all around. This is coming from a fan and regular listener of Tower Topics and an email subscriber of your blog. Dude, there are more important things in life. Plenty to be upset about. Really. The drink stands can open and close day to day. The ice situation is what it is. But by and large, these issues are being exaggerated for personal reasons alone. Be critical when it’s constructive to be. But to harp on this over and over again is just miserable. It’s not that serious. Chill.

I'm a firm believer in the idea that 2027 add-ons should not work until 2027 (and so on in the future). Being able to get into the park(s) during 2026 with your new 2027 pass is admittedly a good perk to have, but, for example, guests should not be able to use their limited-meal dining plans until the year they were bought for. The company would then be able to avoid the confusion as to whether or not a 2026 pass is still used alongside a 2027 pass. As for the politeness of employees and quality of service I think most of Kings Island's issues could be resolved with a different management style. Maybe it will be better in 2027, but we won't know until then. One comparison I can make is between the perceived cultures of food service team members at Kings Island, Dollywood, and Chik-Fil-A. A common sentiment made online by Kings Island guests is that the dining staff is neither friendly nor unfriendly: that they're just going through the motions of the job. Dollywood famously has friendly staff that will interact with you during your visit, without feeling forced. Chik-Fil-A, on the other hand, also has famously friendly staff, but the interaction is mostly famous for the term "my pleasure" and feels a little plastic every time I hear it/about it. All three businesses pay about the same starting wages for food service (KI $15.50; DW $16.50; CFA $12-$17), but one doesn't emphasize friendliness in their training while the other two have made it part of their brand connotation. All of this to say that I think Kings Island's management and training teams could easily focus more on employee friendliness as long as they create a good work environment. I can't remember if someone said it on here or another forum, but Herschend also does not take as good care of the parks not named Dollywood or Silver Dollar City. They've certainly been sprucing those parks up, though I'm not sure that we'll ever see Kennywood surpass Kentucky Kingdom in terms of quality. A fear of mine for Kings Island under an HFE ownership is that they would not put it on the same level as DW and SDC. If our beloved park leaves the Six Flags chain then I'd much prefer to see it start its own company with a few other parks. That might also help with the folks who think Six Flags/Cedar Fair should "de-merge" (as if that's a real option at this point). The company has not spent all of this time integrating itself just to say "oopsie" and split without a very good reason. The merger's "calm" year was originally predicted as being 2028 and I'd like to hope that everything will be a lot better by then.

I think it's generally an unwise business practice, though I also have a feeling that the company does not lose out on that much money all things considered. The type of people who are likely to visit parks in more than two regions are also probably the type who are willing to spend more in the parks. As with the rest of the season pass/membership sales I think seeing the numbers would help us understand a lot. The current leadership team probably does see the looming hand of bankruptcy coming down at some point and could be working to lead the company away from it. John Reilly especially is trying to at least improve the guest experience with what he has. If that leads to Six Flags declaring bankruptcy even after the quality upgrades then that's what will happen. We'll see corporate reorganization, parks sold off, and maybe even some parks closed. In that case I just hope Kings Island can be part of a new company instead of being handed over to Herschend. They're too big for what they need to be IMO. Their hands are in too many pots for them to hold any more big ones. If Six Flags ends up selling more parks, I don't think it would be until 2028. Unless they want a repeat of 2026 with the sale of 7 parks it just doesn't seem like a good idea if they can help it. All of this said, my field is creative arts and planning so I'm also not the most in-the-know about good business practices. I just call it as I see it.

On a tastier note, the pastry chef at least understood the assignment this year. Elvis may have left the building, but he is alive at KI. Yes thats banana with peanut butter and BACON

Im one who is willing to pay more for a better experince but if I am paying more I better see ice at the drink stands and all the drink stations open and working. I have also noticed the parks gardens are very lacking this season and I thought they used to compete with the Cincinnati Zoo pretty well. Also I would love to see the empty spaces filled. The old days of thunder area, Vortex plot and hthe concert area.

Hahaha goodness me I can't believe I forgot the ending to that part of the story! So it's raining pretty hard, quite windy, but we don't mind too much since we're still in our swimsuits. We get to the locker and I select the option to open... and then I stare at the screen for a long moment. My wife, puzzled, asks what's wrong and I just point to the screen: It's asking for a PIN. Standard procedure right? Completely normal. Only problem was, I didn't recall the darned thing asking for me to create a PIN... Uh oh... I start putting in stuff like phone numbers and birthdates... nothing worked. A staff member happened to walk by and must've immediately noticed the looks of dread on our soaked faces hahaha... Within minutes she's got guest relations talking with us and after we explained our situation they got one of the service support staff to come unlock the locker for us. And this guy was fantastic. Very humorous, light hearted and smart. He asked us a few questions about what was in the locker: we tell him the exact brand of backpack and color, even the make and model of the vehicle we were driving. He told us this stuff happened all the time and most likely someone before us initiated the locker rental process but stopped just short of paying. He said a lot of people see the price, not realizing lockers aren't free so they just walk away when it asks for payment. It went from a very stressful experience to one we've been laughing about for weeks now. And when we came back the second time for our worry free weather day, I made sure to check the screen asked for a PIN before paying! Live and learn!

The passes are priced higher than last year but still a very good deal. I think they are still too low. But with higher pricing comes greater expectations.

The market isn’t buying what Six Flags is trying to sell. Wall Street gave Six Flags Entertainment a chilly reception after the company released its second-quarter 2026 earnings. Shares fell more than 5% in pre-market trading as investors reacted to revenue that came in well below analyst expectations. Six Flags reported approximately $865 million in second-quarter revenue, missing the consensus forecast of $935.2 million by about $70 million. The company also posted a net loss of $203 million, compared with a $100 million loss during the same quarter last year. The year-over-year comparison is complicated by the company’s sale of seven parks to EPR Properties before the start of the 2026 operating season, reducing its operating footprint and affecting direct comparisons with last year’s results. Even so, the earnings miss appeared to fuel investor concerns about how quickly Six Flags can deliver on its post-merger turnaround strategy. UPDATE: Now down 16% as of 9:42 a.m.