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Maybe I'm biased, but I don't see Flight of Fear going anywhere. The building is in good shape and would be expensive to tear down (just look at Tomb Raider), there is also a whole crane system in the ceiling for assembly of the ride. It's very integrated into Area 72, removing it would mean reshaping the whole area. FOF is also for the most part a crowd pleaser, I've seen a lot of people get off the ride laughing and saying it was worth the wait. The long line can be attributed to its poor capacity, but people still wait for it. People also go wild for the launch out of the station. I believe when FOF's time has come, it will get new track, supports, new more accommodating trains, and an updated launch. Maybe we could see a layout change, but for the most part I think the building and all the infastructure will stay.

I think adding the minimal upcharge with the Haunted Attractions Pass is doing wonders. Some folks will continue to refuse to pay for something that they used to get for free, but I can't imagine Haunt would be doing any better continuing down the path it had been on.

I know some people never have a good word to say about the park since the Six Flags merger, but they are improving the Haunt at a stunning rate. Last year, I may have thought Dragon was better than the Conjuring House and both were absolute top tier houses. If Metal Massacre and the Jason house both deliver, it will be unbelievable what they have done since taking over.

An important thing to note too, is that it is inside. That's a huge plus of bad weather days.

The new 2026 Halloween Haunt map has been posted! I'm happy to see that it finally only includes Haunt stuff again. From what I can see there is only one issue on it where the icon for Outpost Frozen Cocktails is in the wrong spot, but other than that it's just the gray vs green grass areas that look weird. It's too bad that Phantom Theater will be closed during Haunt and won't have an overlay. Kudos to the KI team for posting it more than 36 hours before the start of the event! Link to the map: https://qr1.be/AS58UZ

“What do Disney, Universal and Dollywood understand? The product comes first. They understand that yesterday's great ride eventually becomes today's old ride. Most importantly, they understand something financial engineers sometimes forget. The guest experience creates the financial result. The financial result does not create the guest experience.” Dennis Speigel

They know if it isn't sold, bankruptcy is likely next.

I agree that planning such events is not a huge hurdle, it's the cost and logistics of actually executing them that make these events unappealing for parks. I'm not saying that's how it should be, but it seems like that's the way these things are viewed by and large. In other words, I don't think it was some conspiracy or personal vendetta by Clark that any of these things get s-canned. Agreed, and I would assume these events did not result in the boost they hoped for, hence their becoming endangered. To be clear, I loved the smaller events I've attended over the years, mostly in the aughts, but they have become a different beast as years went on. Anecdotally it seemed more and more people complained every year no matter what parks did to accommodate them. "Too crowded! Boo!" So, parks raised prices... Cut to: "Now it's too expensive! Boo!" "Not enough ERT! Boo!" So, parks added rides to ERT... Cut to: "How can I possibly marathon MF and SV when they're so far apart! Boo!"

Coasterstock on paper may have looked copy & paste year-after-year but the itinerary wasn’t the purpose of the event. It was designed to create camaraderie, unity amongst the different clubs, and to be a gathering of like-minded people where new friends were made every year. It was designed to feel like a big family reunion for returners. That was the purpose of the event. And it worked as intended.

Apologies for the Facebook screenshot clutter, but kudos to Kings Island and Six Flags for finally snagging the kingsisland.com URL. It redirects to the sixflags.com/kingsisland website, but the thought is there. The visitkingsisland.com URL also still works/redirects in case you're wondering. I remember typing that into the address bar when I was a kid and it coming up as either a tourism website for somewhere in Australia or a domain for sale. (It entirely could've been registered before the merger, but I would've thought they'd used it on ads and such if that was the case.)

There is definitely a need for a launch coaster, but I'm not so sure that Flight of Fear isn't also on borrowed time. I know it's an energy hog and it's quite old. I wouldn't be shocked to see it gone within the next 6 or 7 years. I'm all for ArieForce One because most of what Cedar Fair / Six Flags have put out lately has just been ok rather than outstanding. AF1 is a surefire top 10 coaster. Also, I don't think that getting AF1 necessarily means that KI doesn't get another (launch) coaster 3 years later on The Vortex plot. AF1 might just be the odd one off.

I wouldn't call Wild Mouse a major addition by itself, but as part of the broader Boardwalk renovation I think it was a major enough investment to justify the saltiness from fans of other parks. There isn't really anything pointing to Cedar Point receiving something new in 2027, though I do think they could add a flat ride in 2028 to appease some of their rowdier guests. Kings Island is a park that definitely deserves something custom that fits better as well. Arieforce One would fit better at Carowinds or even a smaller Six Flags park. Carowinds especially since enthusiasts already flock there for Fury 325. The coaster seems to be getting dismantled now, so I guess we'll see where it ends up soon enough.

Per their Facebook, Baynum did some restorative work in addition to the painting. I still hate what’s happened to the park, but I’m happy to see that work is being done to save whatever is left of Coney. When it’s all said and done, my hope is that this “campus” can act as move of a public park space for people to enjoy without it being locked behind an over-priced, concert ticket paywall. Appreciate you sharing these updates,@BlondyRidesOn!

It's also worth considering that adding a block zone (a requirement for an additional train on the circuit) would not necessarily increase capacity, and could actually decrease it. Depending on interval, adding a third train could just mean a third train regularly stacks on the brake run. Before Siren's Curse was dumped into CP's lap, the last major installs were TT2 in 2024 and SV way back in 2018 (I think we would agree that Wild Mouse is not exactly a "big project"). We can infer that nothing is coming until 2028 at the earliest, so that's 3 "big projects" in 12 years and counting at CP. That said, I don't see CP getting AF1, and if KI were my home park I'm not sure I'd want it going there either. I'd much rather see KI get a proper RMC custom designed for the park, even if that meant waiting a few more years.

Yes, the immersiveness is why we go to Universal 4-5 times a year and keep a season pass. Every turn you make, any path you go down you are in another world. I know they have big budgets but I think the Cincinnati Zoo does a great job too . . just thinking about there is a street with old houses only 30-40 feet away while walking thru Jungle Trails. But you're in the jungle. Kings Island got me as kid in the 70's walking thru the gate and seeing International Street. The buildings, grand fountains, smells, sounds and then the Eiffel Tower. It was amazing. I miss walking around Swan Lake, The Beast lake, the Ivy Tunnel. I am not trying to beat on KI, maybe I just got too familiar.

Light/vague Haunt Spoilers for those who may care

I appreciate the park continually updating The Beast by refurbishing the 2nd drop hill this season.

Of course, but the question becomes whether it's worth it to invest a bunch of money in the ride to shoehorn it into a park that it's really not well suited for (KI, CP, etc.), or to install it in a park where its lower capacity won't be a liability. Regarding FoF, it would be interesting to see the ROI case for converting it to LSM. There are presumably some efficiency gains there, but does it make sense to invest significant money in a 30+ year old ride, versus putting in something new? Normally I would lean toward "no", but with the current price of steel, other tariff effects, etc...

Definitely Phantom Theater: Opening Nightmare! Yes, there are "wish list" ideas of mine, but I definitley feel it was done well! I also think the July 4th event was done fairly well despite basically being thrown together by corporate. I said before that 4th of July needs to be more than just "come experience the park as usual and stay for a bigger fireworks show" and they did more by having very good decor, special food offerings, as well as patriotic themed characters, photo opportunities, and entertainment! I also am very thankful they changed the International Street music back to being orchestral tracks which is something I have been begging for awhile and am glad they listened! Now I hope they build off of that and add more to the I-street playlist over time. If there's one song I would remove, it would be that piano piece (idk what the name of it is). It feels too much like the jazz to me. I think the music played should be grand orchestral pieces like what you hear in movies. It adds to the reveal of I-street. I'm also glad they changed the main park playlist as it was the same songs since 2022 as well. Now my wish is to get the Planet/Camp Snoopy playlist swapped out with Vince Guaraldi music and then swap out the Rivertown playlist with actual bluegrass instead of bluegrass pop covers. With all this in mind, I think 2027 is going to be the most important season for the park from a guest experience perspective. Like KI is imo dangerously close to a mass boycott based on what I've seen on the pass groups as well as tower topics video comments! Like as diehard fans we cannot let our love for the park cause us to not hold the park accountable! Like the longer the park goes without a major attention grabbing attraction and if the guest sentiment continues to decline, I see attendance plummeting in 2027/28 to a point where it'll be hard to build it back up! Like it's not just a few park superfans who nitpick everything that are noticing the declining guest experience. The general public who are the majority of the park's revenue source are also noticing! The park cannot rely on the "They'll come anyway" mentality anymore! People are taking note of that and will take their money elsewhere if nothing changes!

The reason Coastermania has had more issues with unruly attendees is because it is an event that is open to everyone. Not just specific coaster groups which Coasterstock was limited to. Coastermania did happen this year. Tony Clark flushed his Morning Rush idea down the drain and "quickly" came up with a Coastermania event. Which unsurprisingly, sold out: Coastermania | Roller Coaster Event | Cedar Point I mean how hard can planning an event like CM be when it's almost rinse, recycle, and repeat, every season. Surely, Coasterstock wasn't much different in that regard. It wouldn't surprise me if Tony Clark had an event lined up for Kings Island, similar to his Morning Flush event, and when people didn't buy CP's morning flush, he canceled the event for Kings Island before it even went to market.

I very much doubt FoF would be completely refurbished. You can count on one hand the number of steel coasters that have gotten that treatment. I think it becomes disposable once there is another large scale launching coaster in the park. I'm pretty shocked that Invertigo has lasted as long as it has given we have Banshee.

It's ridiculous that based off the map, Phantom Theater will be closed during Halloween Haunt. I get that it saves on labor costs, but wouldn't it make sense to showcase your new, spooky-themed ride during your spooky-themed event?

The thing is, with the state of the economy, the state of Six Flags as a whole… I wouldn’t be surprised if KI continues to not get another major roller coaster until past 2030. I hope I’m wrong… but there’s a lot of parks out there in need of new rides and since KI still manages to make sales they may not view this park as a place that needs a new ride to keep attendance up. AFO could be the only chance for a new ride for the foreseeable future. I really hope I’m wrong.

Might as well post something supporting the Carowinds location predictions A map shot from Theme Park Brandon: Add in the flight themed area and the ride just fits there better. No offense to KI. Anyway, in my opinion, KI needs two things when it comes to coasters: A launched coaster that isn't from the Paramount days. More inversions. Only Banshee, Flight of Fear, and Invertigo have them now, and the latter is on borrowed time. ArieForce One may be the more fun coaster, but KI would be better off with the Intamin multi-launch and spinner combo. The optimal location would probably be Action Zone, which includes removing Invertigo, Congo Falls, and Timberwolf Amphitheater. I included the spinner because KI has neither that or a wild mouse. I think I should root for that now. I think it does more to fill in gaps at KI. And I also favor retheming Action Zone into a spooky theme while we're at it.

I really don't see this current Six Flags putting another Drop Tower in a park that already has one especially putting a smaller one in when KI already has a 300 plus foot one. Personally, I think if Six Flags bought along with Arie the Intamin package and Switchback here's where I think they'd potentially end up: AF1 - Carowinds (South gate area expansion of Aeronautica) I think also Harley Quinn from SFA would go to Carowinds. 7 inversion multi launch - KI (Either Vortex site which would need to be leveled or Action Zone) Spinner - KD (GoKart area in Old Virginia) Switchback - Dorney (heard rumors of their chute the chutes being on the chopping block) Half Pipe + Drop Tower - Great Adventure (Shoreline Pier/Boardwalk Phase 3)

If they go that route I see it being a relatively easy/cheap modification. They put a roughly train length block zone directly behind the loading station. After hitting the final brakes, the track is changed to bend to the left and eventually makes a right hand or u-shaped turn depending on the angle to link up with the new block zone. Given that RMC is already going to be there to modify supports that doesn't seem all that bad or expensive. You don't even need to worry about having a grade/slope on the new track because the coaster already uses rollers so they'd just add a few more of those. Lastly, RMC has all the incentive in the world to get in good graces with a company it had largely stopped working with. AF1 will be a showcase of what their ground up i-boxes can be for Cedar Flags.

I think it's being substantially underestimated just how involved, and therefore costly, it would be to add a block zone to this coaster, assuming the existing track isn't already long enough to add one just by adding the necessary hardware, which doesn't seem to be the case. Adding a block zone would then of course require additional track length, which would therefore require there to be substantial excess energy/speed as the train hits the existing brake run in the worst conditions - cold, empty train, headwind, etc. It's hard to tell if that's the case with this coaster.

Here me out: ArieForce One to Carowinds. I've seen multiple videos on it and imo after much thought it makes more sense to put it there. Sorry KI fans. However not all hope is lost: How about KI gets that 7 inversion Intamin multi launch coaster that's for sale for under 15 million dollars. Plus it has green track I believe which would be ironic (iykyk).

Uh huh……………… ………………………..

Failure to prepare is preparing to fail,

Maybe the first day the park has been open to the public in weeks wasn't a great time to start using SLOW mobile devices to scan people's passes. Just a thought!

No one saw them getting Siren’s Curse, either.

That depends on their strategy. Is AF1 a stand-in for what would have been a $25-30M investment in better financial times for the company (B&M, Mack, Premier)? Is this the only significant investment for a Kings Island or Cedar Point for the next 3 years? If so, the cost of an additional block zone added onto the costs of the purchase, shipping and land grading may be not all that significant. I think it will go to KI or Carowinds. It probably fits into Carowinds better regarding location and capacity-wise. I think KI is in worse shape and could use the investment more given the state of Action Zone and the fact that Carowinds is already getting a large capex project next year. I don't see Carowinds getting a big project in 2 out of 3 seasons. Only Cedar Point has been getting that kind of treatment lately.

The problem is that with PE, there is often little overlap between what is good for the parks in the long term and what is good for PE in the short term. Growth is not generally going to come from parks increasing attendance, but rather from extracting more money from the guests that do show up. This is why Ouimet's longer-term vision was so refreshing, since he recognized the potential value of the parks and foresaw the basic steps to maximize that value. And much of that was tossed aside after his departure.

Pushing out Reilly this soon would be a HUGE mistake when none of this is his fault! Most if not all of the financial issues are the fault of leadership before him. You can't expect someone to come in and wipe out 5 billion dollars debt overnight! Also they literally just replaced most of the board. JANA may need to be the ones to go.

I still really like this

PKI??? You really are old! (Said in jest, referencing Maestro chiding NoLegs Larry for having Myspace)

John Reilly said on the last earnings call that Six Flags has a signed purchase agreement for the land. Due diligence is going to take some time and the transaction won't close until late 2027/early 2028.

Every once in a great while, my fingers still want to type 'pki' to get to the Paramount's Kings Island page.

Update 9/19/2026 I drove down to the Coney Island site to snap some photos of the progress from the sidewalk along Kellogg Avenue. (No laws were broken, all taken from the public sidewalk along the street) Sunlite Pool/ Sunlite Parking Lot The location of Sunlite Pool has officially been paved with asphalt. Last time I was at the site was during Summerfair in June; the lot was still gravel. Farmer Music Center The amphitheater is nearing completion and the covered canopy close to the stage has been installed. I'd be lying if I said it isn't a cool looking building from the sidewalk. It was monstrous when I saw it up close during Summerfair. Hampton Court/ Former skill games building Currently housing the offices of Music & Event Management Inc. (MEMI), the steel framed, brick constructed French Normandy inspired structure, designed by UC graduate Darrell W. Daniel, still stands and it looks as if the cupola and clock tower have been painted. Moonlite Gardens Construction lights are still hanging from the ceiling and lit up, suggesting that work is happening inside. Sometime in 2025, the North wing of the former dance hall was fitted with electrical equipment, possibly an AC unit and electrical boxes, indicating long term future use. However, a new development shows that several window panes and shutters have been removed from th he building. If they are refurbishing the building, it would not be surprising if the old windows were in poor condition and needed replacement. However, one would think they would cover the openings with tarps or plastic. Unfortunately, I'm not familiar with the construction of the building and don't know if it's all open air or if some rooms are enclosed and climate controlled; I had only been inside briefly one time when I was younger. Judging by recent renderings of the new complex featuring Moonlite Gardens prominently, I think can assume Moonlite Gardens will live. Above is a zoomed in screenshot of the computer generated renderings of FMC showing a refurbished Moonlite Gardens in the foreground, complete with festoon lighting on both wings.

I think I'd support this layout even more if the park were able to either keep some of the structures from the old South Carolina entrance, or use some of the space under the lifthill for a new SC entrance/exit. That gate isn't really used much at all anymore, but I think it added a unique feature to the park. If anything, it might just be good to have something there as a way of future-proofing in case they ever decided to bring the south gate back online for any reason. I could see AFO taking the place of whatever ride these parks were supposed to receive next, just as I'm sure Orion took the place of whatever might've theoretically been planned. In reality, I don't think most of the parks that really need something new and exciting will really have the chance to get anything since it seems that the totem pole has only been slightly reorganized. A lot of flat rides and such might still be coming out of Six Flags America, but that remains to be seen. The next few months will probably be very crucial for Six Flags in terms of attendance, appearance, and overall sales; so I hope the company will be doing all that it can to be positive in that time.

I could see the smaller Drop Tower happening as a way to further cater to KI's family audience, but then again I also think it should instead be a space shot tower that shoots you up instead of dropping you down. It would probably be less intimidating for younger riders than the 300ft tall one as well while being more able to hold adults than the froghopper tower. Switchback is an interesting case right now. I saw some planning diagrams from Valleyfair that made it look like they were going to prepare a SB-sized plot for construction, meaning Enchanted would've bought it. Then again this could help with Six Flags' "head turning" announcements.

While they're at it, they might as well retheme the rest of Crossroads into Aeronautica Landing. I always found it odd that they didn't integrate Afterburn into Aeronautica Landing despite it already having an aviation theme.

He said that it would return in an ACE event. Only for it not too afterwards. A lot of people considered Coasterstock the superior event to Coastermania. That didn’t sit well with Tony Clark, considering Coastermania was his thing and not Coasterstock. https://www.ridewithace.com/blogs/ace-news/2026/02/21/ace-western-great-lakes-no-coaster-con-2026

Arieforce One could to Carowinds' DA! plot or elsewhere in Aeronautica Landing. I feel like that could mean the loss of their Crossroads area, but to me it's a better option than sending it to GAd, KI, or CW. Has anyone done the size calculation for that $15 million Intamin launch coaster? Also I thought it was $15M for all four rides. I'd still prefer something custom, but it would be cool to see the larger coaster and the 157ft tilting Drop Tower come to KI. The smaller coaster's description made it sound like it has a lower capacity, so I'd send that to one of the small parks.

I've seen a lot of conversation about altering a chunk of ArieForce 1's layout to accommodate an unload station, but what if the alteration would actually occur with the prelift section? Seems like that could be more cost-effective while preserving the ride's layout, and it could potentially allow them to add a car too. (Not taking into account how grading will impact its location or layout.)

I'd say this is becoming less of "Cedar Fair and Six Flags merging" and more of "Six Flags has bought out Cedar Fair and is now dumping off assets".

I created this concept of how ArieForce One could fit into Area 72. Not exactly how feasible this would be, especially with the relocation of maintenance buildings. I think if this coaster does get relocated to Kings Island, I feel Area 72 would be the best fit thematically for this type of attraction. Action Zone would also work, but I think that area needs a new haunted theme to coincide with rides like Banshee and Bat. I don't think Arieforce One would fit with that if Six Flags plan on preserving the ride name.

I would demolish Jukebox and have the larger restaurant replace its functions. If they reuse some of the layout from the Grand Pavilion then the lower floor could serve the hamburgers and chicken tenders while the upper floor has the bar and/or second restaurant. (cough... Coney Potato Works 2... cough) This is a concept I made a while back with the new Grand Pavilion-style restaurant and pathway straightening. The orange circle could be some new Flying Eagles or another flat ride. Would it be the easiest addition to the park (especially considering Jukebox's "recent" renovation)? No, but I think it'd be worth it for guest flow and area revitalization. It feels much more achievable than the admittedly-impressive Starlight Plaza.

I wonder how many on this site are interested in wedding dresses LOL. That is the full screen ad that keeps popping up for me!