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So, I do know John—I worked with him at SEA both when he was COO under Joel Manby and as acting CEO after Manby was forced out. He was not CEO when Blackfish came out (I believe he was still park president at San Diego when that occurred)—Jim Atchison & the remaining old guard at BEC were still in place when Blackfish dropped. Joel was brought in as CEO (from Herschend) to try to reverse the mistakes that had been made after Blackfish—if I recall correctly, he then promoted John to COO from the San Diego park. Personally, I like John—I thought he should have been named CEO after Joel and before they hired Gus from Carnival (who I was not a fan of). John started his career as a popcorn seller in college at BGW (he enjoyed telling that story ) so he grew up in park operations when SeaWorld/Busch were at their best. I’m a little biased probably, but I think this is a good choice.

I wanted to just trip down memory lane... for the sake of those that may remember, and those that maybe haven't been around long enough to remember, when Xtreme Skyfler was added. This is all from my memory - so I'm doing the best to recall some details... Xtreme Skyflyer was actually constructed after the start of the 1995 operating season. Originally called "Drop Zone", most of its construction happened during the week while the park was in weekends-only operation. It's assembly was highly visible from the Interstate, and many rumors actually swirled among enthusiasts/guests that it was potentially early construction of a new coaster. (The arch looked like a large inversion.) You have to remember that at that time, skycoasters were a brand new idea and most people had not seen one before. Kennywood opened one the year prior (If I recall) to great success. (Kennywood's did not have a rounded "arch" - rather a squared structure - so that led to some of the confusion about the one at KI looking like coaster track/support from I-71.) After the Kennywood success, virtually every theme park in the country hopped on the bandwagon and contracted to add a Skycoaster. To increase capacity at larger parks, the attraction now used an "arch" to double the throughput by allowing two sides to operate simultaneously. There were dozens built over the next couple years at every major theme park. (Causing a back-log of orders and mid-season construction/openings for many.) KI's "Drop Zone" opened as a larger version in late June (If I recall properly) as a part of the recently coined "Adventure Village." That area of the park - prior to the addition of the Skycoaster - had been in a complete state of theming flux. 1993 saw the addition of the first "new ride" added under the Paramount Ownership - Top Gun. It was also the first new coaster added to that area of the park since 1984 (King Cobra.) In reality, the coaster was planned prior to the Paramount takeover and has always been rumored to have been intended to carry a "bird" theme (I believe other names related to "Thunder" were also being tossed around.) Top Gun was odd name choice mix considering it was placed in an animal/congo themed area. The first season of Top Gun's operation, to get to the ride's entrance, you actually walked along a path that wound around and behind the Safari Monorail Station. The entrance was completely obscured and hidden and confused guests. (Then once you got to the main entrance, you still had to navigate the massively long meandering queue through the woods.) There were originally elaborate props along the path... Air-Craft Carrier artifacts, a revolving radar/scope movie props and posters. Not to mention the song "Danger Zone" on repeat over the speakers hidden in the trees. During Top Gun's original season, I think the area was still called "Wild Animal Habitat." (From 1974-76, it was called "Lion Country Safari".) But Paramount's intent was to re-theme a multitude of rides to capitalize on movie branding. I could be wrong. By 1994, the name of the area had definitely changed from "Wild Animal Safari" to "Adventure Village" to better suit the onslaught of movie tie-ins planned for the park. Also, the park knew in '93 it would be the last year of the Safari Monorail. They explored options of turning it into a movie-theme ride called "Movierail" that took guests past sets/artifacts from Paramount licensed movies & properties. Ultimately, the idea got scrapped - as did the monorail system. Also, if memory serves me, 1993 was the season when they also radically reworked the entrance to that area of the park. Prior, as you entered Wild Animal Habitat, you crossed a fairly narrow wooden footbridge over a stream that flowed from under King Cobra's helix over to a pond adjacent to Cafe Kilimanjaro (now Chicken Shack.) There were originally, cages/netting on the cafe side that housed exotic birds during the warmer months. On the other side, the stream culminated in a small pond under the King Cobra helix. There was a jet spray in the pond that was set off each time a King Cobra train passed through. This bridge area became a terrible bottleneck when Top Gun opened - so they remodeled it all to expand the midway and alleviate congestion. By the start of 1994, the old Monorail Station and track was removed. The western portion of the land on which the station sat is where the Skycoaster would be built for the following season. (It also necessitated the removal of a small wooded area between the old station and the "Congo Coolers" frozen drink stand. ) In 1999, the park gutted "Adventure Village" and gave the area it's current "Action Zone" re-theme. It was at this time that the park re-named the Skycoaster from "Drop Zone", demolished the "Congo Coolers" drink stand, and built the Intamin Giant Drop in its place - giving it the name "Drop Zone." Finally, here's a rare look at the gutting of Adventure Village during the Action Zone re-theme. Pics (taken by yours truly) start with the final weekend of operation as "Adventure Village including "Drop Zone" and Congo Coolers drink stand, and then show the gut-job they did over winter 1999.

Surprise guest Gary Wachs.

2026 is not a coaster. It’s exactly what they’ve been saying - a family thrill ride. Across the new merged chain, the large Capitol investments are planned for legacy SF parks over the foreseeable future to drive attendance. SFMM, SFOT, SFOG, SFGADV are all receiving the bulk of Capitol expenditures over the next several seasons. This is a move to boost Season Pass sales and attendance figures which have severely dipped in those major metro markets. SF has also regionalized several park GMs/Presidents that have successfully proven their ability to increase their parks attendance rates. Siebert single-handedly flipped the once struggling SFFT into a major player in the chain. He’s now overseeing 6 SF parks-including the original -Six Flags Over Texas. Jessica Naderman is a similar story - her tenures at Valleyfair and Dorney have seen major attendance boosts. So she was named a Regional Manager now overseeing more than one park. The mass removal of rides at the various merged parks was an immediate knee-jerk business move to rid parks of costly attractions that have lost all marketability and immediately reduce operating costs. It’s also an effort to “clean up” parks that, quite frankly, had evolved into a hodge-podge of janky rides. This also served the dual purpose of clearing valuable real estate best used for future expansion/capitol. KI was really the least phased park of the chain - mostly because Koontz had done such a great job of removing costly and run-down attractions and reviving dated areas of KI prior to the merge. You can bet that had Vortex, Firehawk, Sling Shot all still existed at KI when the merger happened- they would have been on the wrecking-ball list. KI will likely not be the recipients of a large coaster in the foreseeable future. They’ve been able to maintain (actually boost) attendance over the past few years with the addition of more conservative investments and broader-based family attractions. (The company actually views the re-addition of the antique cars as their most successful recent investment at KI.) Like it or not, Orion is largely viewed as a failure among CF(now SF) execs because it hasn’t seen a ROI. There was an internal struggle over when to open Orion. The park pushed to proceed and open the summer of Covid which ultimately compromised any gate bump the ride would have seen in a normal year. Add in mediocre reviews of the ride (including bad-mouthing by enthusiasts-yes they hurt) and you get an overall disappointment by company leaders that now feel it has not warranted its cost. None of this is secret news. Investors have all been told this. The goal is to focus on boosting attendance and improving infrastructure in the parks in the largest metro areas where they see the most potential for gate growth. KI is a cash cow, and isn’t seen as a priority currently. Season pass sales remain some of the highest rates of any park in the chain. So top brass will not want to mess with that recipe. A sizable coaster project will definitely come to KI in the future… it’s just not a priority right now. It will come when they feel a coaster will be needed to market and boost the gate. Financial projections and forecasting will decide that timeline -not the need to fill an empty plot of land. My prediction is River Racers will ultimately be viewed a success. Had the ride not been “conservative” in its size and scope, then Execs would probably be biting their nails (given the unusually colder weekends) and (so-far) soft reaction. My advice: enjoy whatever they add. Any “plussing-up” at KI is a good. Remember- there was a recent season when the new investment was simply a Barbecue restaurant (and that was long before any merger.) And there’s lots of really great flats/thrill rides out there that (IMO) KI is more in need of currently.

Mr. Six is that you?

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

We’re nearing mid-July, and let’s be honest—this has been really rough season at Kings Island and for the company. From staffing shakeups to cutbacks, to things like no ice, no cups, and restaurants closed—it’s all added up. Guests have noticed. I’ve noticed. But here’s the part we don’t say enough: there are still a lot of hard-working associates out there showing up every day, doing their best with what they’ve got. And they deserve credit—a lot of it. The message about what’s wrong? It’s been heard. Loud and clear. The park knows. It’s on them to fix it. As we head down the homestretch for daily operation, let’s shift the focus and talk more about the good things happening during our visits.

If I had a dime for every time someone said they weren’t renewing their season pass if Kings Island did this or did that, I’d be living on a yacht in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Humor me as I trip down memory lane for a bit... Most know that the park gave behind the scenes tour to Acer's and members of Dafe when they were loading out PT late in the season after its closure... But in addition, I was fortunate enough to "play" (park personnel supervised - of course) throughout the building during conversion of PT to Scooby. Although it broke my heart to see things in shambles, junk piles, tossed into garbage cans etc (aside from the animatronics - which were all gathered into the maintenance bay in one big bunch.) it was pretty cool to actually handle the props & figures. When they cleared out PT - it was done in stages. They first removed all the figures. then removed all major props (like the cannon, gargoyle, furnace etc) Most of what remained were the wall props, signage, antiques, small chandeliers etc. Those all were literally thrown into garbage cans & dumpsters. I've got a slew of pics somewhere - but here's a handful I found on an old thumb drive. Bear in mind these were taken on a really bad digital camera - in very, very dim light. Not sure these add much to the topic - but figured some might enjoy. I think I shared some of these pics in the past - can't recall for certain. Some notes: The prop room "sword" I'm holding was very light-weight... like a blow-molded plastic or lightweight plywood. It was in a trash can and I pulled it out to fake a "chop" at a friend (whom I edited from the picture for privacy...) The other was still on the wall. If you look, you can see where the loose one had previously been bolted to the mechanical rod on the wall. The washers on the back of the handle were there to help counterweight the length of the sword as it rocked up and down. If you look closely, one of the handle "scrolls" was broken off - a testament as to how they just tossed it in the garbage during removal. As for the "electrical panel" it was all simple plywood panels with aluminum handles hinged and what equivalated to Christmas lights fed through the various holes. You could access the scene other side of it via a hidden passage... it basically masked the back of the figures in the dressing room doors on the other side of the wall. Of all the things in there - I wanted to take the "Schedule" sign home with me... Oh, I begged to no avail. I wonder if it somehow survived. But I doubt it, since most of the non-animatronic props & signage was being thrown away. Everything was filthy. Dust covered, spit on everything, gum blobs everywhere - and lots of real spiderwebs. There were hydraulic fluid stains and grease where the figures were located. So much so, I felt like I needed to shower when I came out after crawling around in there... You could tell precisely where every prop and figure had been - because when they first installed them they used black spray paint to "age" everything - they lightly sprayed all around every item to make it seem like it had been there for decades. By January, the full Scooby install was underway - and PT was a memory by then. The most shocking thing was how they just built a plywood platform over the big pit that housed the Peppers Ghost scene. Every single time I rode SDATHC as well as Boo Blasters, as I passed the fireplace scene I thought "The stage is still under here." When I first saw them building the platforms over the old stage I thought to myself "At least it makes it easy to convert back if they ever wanted to." I wonder if they will..... Most of the scenes were on platforms that were about a foot or so off the actual building floor and matched the level of the omnimover track. The height of the platforms increased as the scenes progressed in order to achieve the height needed for the Pepper's Ghost "performance" scene. There were trap doors in most where maintenance could crawl under to inspect/fix wires and electrical components that powered the figures. The figures were all on independent stands that bolted to the floor or scenic element. Their power cords then ran through holes in the floor to a cable system that ran from scene to scene. I suspect that, with today's technology and the "ghost light" added effect - they will avoid any authentic Peppers Ghost effect. More than likely they'll use large digital screens for those effects. The original was achieved (of course) by giant floor-to-ceiling panels of glass which were (from what I was told) lowered in through the roof for PT. Those large panes were used for the projection/mirror effects but there were separate windows between the guest vehicles and the reflection panels. (I was also told this was done to avoid what happened at Disneyland - where a guest shot a bb gun at the large glass panels in the Haunted Mansion and cracked one. DL later installed a second set of smaller glass panels between the vehicles and the large Pepper's Ghost ballroom panes.) When PT was removed - the large panels were literally shattered and removed. I cannot imagine they'd spare that expense, or go to the lengths required, to re-install them.

All I’m asking… please be phantom theater!!

Nobody from the park has ever said anything to us about the Tower Topics podcast, except they enjoy it and learned things they didn’t know. As for retiring the Tower Topics X, it simply wasn’t proving enough value for the podcast. We have chosen to put all of the channel’s social media efforts into the Tower Topics Facebook Group. That has been providing us with far more value. We did have good engagement with the content we published on X, better than many of the posts the park makes on X. It just wasn’t proving enough value for us. A lot of what we’d post on X can still be found on my personal X. Ryan and I are not going to be shills for the park. We’re going to keep doing the podcast the same way. Genuine and authentic with honest and frank discussion about Kings Island.

Although we didn’t get a new coaster this year it is reassuring to see how much was invested in the park infrastructure during the offseason. It always makes the future of the park look a lot better when things are renovated and will be preserved for years to come.

Some things I expect to see happen with John Reilly as CEO are ticket and season pass prices being raised, a stronger focus on customer service, and less regionalization with departments. It will eventually get back to the way it was and should be with more boots on the ground at the park level.

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

As angry and sad I was about my beloved original Flying Eagles leaving the park, I never once thought about not getting a pass. KI is my second home and always will be. Rides come and go...there is always still a ton to do and enjoy at KI.

What are you talking about? Magic Mountain has 20 something rollercoasters while other parks are basically rotting. I think six flags has their favorites just like any other chain does. What I'll say about future additions at KI is that while they may never be a 30million giga coaster again, at least we are getting improvements - food/bev, family rides, etc. some parks in the chain don't get anything and to be fair KI is pretty stacked as it is so compared to some other parks in the chain we're doing pretty good. Of course people always want to compare us to Cedar Point and will we ever be better than Cedar Point? Absolutely no way no how. Never going to happen but we all knew that when Cedar Fair bought Paramount. One could argue CP was still the better park even before they bought KI. But what I'd like to call attention to is that while we might not ever be better than CP, we are definitely better than probably 90% of the other parks in the merged SF chain all things considered. I don't think that is anything to complain about. Go live for a year in Oklahoma and have frontier city as your home park and then complain about Kings Island. I'd also like to add at least Kings Island is FIXING the monster and not REMOVING the monster. I'd actually take the preservation of a park original flat over getting anything new next year.

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=1128440032657017&set=a.644361881064837

Here's some photos I got from the Tower when it was opened for the last few hours on Saturday.

Adventure Express has trains on the track!

I see this as a good sign that management decided that Action Zone should be prioritized over The Vortex plot which I strongly believe was the correct decision. Action Zone is the ugliest area of the park with little shade and no discernable theme. There is no balance to the ride lineup in the area. Everything there —outside of Congo Falls— could be considered on the thrill side. The rides in Action Zone are quite old and won't be around forever so replacements will need to move in. The eleven-year-old Banshee is the most recent attraction. Action Zone is a ton of land with relatively few attractions, and only one marque attraction. I seriously doubt Skyflyer netted much if any money in its final years. The Vortex plot will be addressed after AZ at some point, but that area of Coney/Rivertown is in much better shape overall than AZ.

Calling out to all of the Monster lovers... WE HAVE PROGRESS!!! I spotted a notable change behind the fence this evening: the rotor (spinny middle thingy whatchamacallit) has been reinstalled in some manner! We didn't get to go over that way to peer over the fence, but this is an amazing change after nearly 8 months of nothing except a new fence and paint on the ride pad. I'd love to see it in the daylight if anyone can get a good photo in the park (without breaking rules or trespassing) or even on the webcam! I'm so excited to see this small bit of progress <3

They’re perfect. The music. The voices. The posters. The dialog. Thank you Kings Island. This is better than I expected.

Yall realize that sign isn't new right? It was just finally fixed to work like it used to. Sent from my SM-S936U using Tapatalk

Kinda shocked that I didn’t get around to making this before, but here’s my first speculation map (to steal horror nights terminology) of what I think we could see in Opening Nightmare. I hope it’s clear which most of the scenes are but I’ll highlight my base thoughts before anything major is shared about the ride so that it’s impressive if I get anything right: - One of the areas that I’m 50/50 split about is if the Boo Blasters bridge entrance will be reused, or if a new short outdoor section will be built to enter the attraction. I’m not sure if this is feasible or a priority, but it would be cool to make the queue wheelchair accessible so that everyone can enjoy (what I’m very much assuming) will be theming in the queue. -I’m also pretty split on what the actual queue ‘preshow’ will look like. I’m really hoping there’s a Maestro animatronic on organ like the original. Only two maestro animatronics being on the sheet from the construction teaser worries me, but this could also be a more advanced figure so who knows. Also I’m assuming the lightning affects return to this space. -I think the statue busts are repainted and reused, but I also have a gut feeling there will be a tv screen placed at the end of the hallway to explain the game mechanics by Larry. - I’m fairly confident that the ride track won’t be changed in anyway, include the path the car’s face. I’m also reallly hoping at the first scene with Maestro holding the curtain stays with “So you wanted to see the theater did ya?” because that’s just one of those iconic scenes (even being featured on the made to thrill poster they put out). -I think either in the spot for Scooby Doo or the portrait hallway, there’s going to be a flash of lightning that disguises an onride photo. I don’t think it’ll be something they sell, but I think the scoreboard at the end will show photos of each guest and there score. -I don’t have many thoughts on the rest of the scenes individually because they’re hard to guess. I think where ever they put Garbonzo firing out of a canon, it’ll be in a spot where the cars make a 180 spin to see his feet dangling out of a wall or something. -I think Arpeggio (the cat character) could be a thing where he’s hidden in each scene somewhere. -I think the part where the original peppers ghost scene was is going to be the section with the most new scenes, and I’m very confident on the stage section being used in the final room. I think pepper’s ghost is going to be used in someway within the ride, either at the ending stage scene using screens, or with No Legs Larry at some point in the ride. Overall I’m very excited, I’m basically just using two photos and a press release to go off on, so if I got any of this correct I’ll be impressed lol.

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 the merger was announced, I said on the Tower Topics podcast one of the things people would see is the mazes being an upcharge at Kings Island and legacy Cedar Fair parks. I was told by a lot of people that I was wrong, that wouldn’t happen. I haven’t heard from any of those people today.

I don't think they would need to close it before the end of the season if it were going to sit empty next year. I think it makes sense to close it at the beginning of september so they can start gutting it for construction to begin asap if the goal is to have whatever is next open by next spring. Ik we're still concerned about 2026 capital still happening based on the conference call, but from what I understand they mentioned parks that received major investements in 2025 (ie AlpenFury at Wonderland) helping carry attendance over to next year so I think parks that received major investments this year (ie Wonderland, Cedar Point, KD, SF Great America) won't see anything new in 26 bc they can keep marketing their new for 2025 coasters. KI on the other hand got a Soak City expansion this year so I think a 2026 new ride/attraction is still on the table.

Currently at the park this evening for an evening trip and have to complement all the ride ops. Everything is moving great and not stacking. Great evening to be here!

I attended Coasterstock for the first time this past weekend. Day 1: The day started out with bad weather, moderate rainfall and cold. Entered the park and was greeted by from KD’s digital marketing person. Which was odd, considering we have PR people in our park? Which they would end up showing up later during the tours. Even with the weather to the parks credit they had their coasters opened and operating. I was pleasantly surprised by the donuts being served. They weren’t the generic Kroger kind but instead were Holtman’s donuts. Chef Perez was on site as well serving donuts to attendees, he did this both days. Chef Perez is always a familiar face to see in the park. Obviously passionate for what he does. The only complaint I would have about the morning donuts was because of its location. Due to the rain there was a lot of people crammed in the Diamondback Trading Post. I think given the weather, having one side of the brewhouse open would have been better suited for the occasion. I got to ride of bunch of rides as well as finally get a glimpse of the KIMVRR roundhouse. This proceeded with lunch at Picnic grove. The food provided was so-so. If it wasn’t for eating with a friend who didn’t have a dining plan. I would have ate elsewhere, the chips were the star of the picnic. Koontz also missed this which he apologized for later. But given the rumors surrounded his retirement and likely bombardment of questions from thoosies. I cant say I don’t blame him. Lol There were a few surprises throughout the day. One being an exclusive preview to the bubbles show for Coasterstock attendees. They also had a Graeters truck hidden behind Slaughterhouse where we were given Beast Ice cream. I prefer soft serve but it was good nontheless. Best part of the first day in my opinion was the guest speakers. It was during this time that Mike announced his retirement. PTC gifted us lanyards and gave us their story with the park. Mike surprised us all by having the mastermind behind Kings Island Gary Wachs make an appearance to speak. I was impressed for the amount of respect the park had shown, Gary. There were a lot of gold tags in the seating area for this event, as well as the new park manager. Very classy by everyone involved. Finished the day by closing out the bar at Brewhouse then getting plenty of ERT rides in. 12am in the morning and Kyle from KD is serving soft drinks to Coasterstock attendees and asking us how everything has been so far for the event. Which was nice. It was apparent that he cared that this event went well. Day 2 (Mike Koontz Day): There was a banner hanging from the tower marking the day as Mike Koontz day, being that it was his last day with the park. I proceeded to walk to Scream Zone for Holtman’s donuts, no complaints. I got in some morning ERT rides followed by tours sprinkled throughout the day. Lunch at picnic grove for the second day was an improvement from the first. Closed out the day at Brewhouse again. Watched the nighttime firework / drone show which was dedicated to Mike Koontz. Kyle again, was present for the late night ERT. However this time, joining attendees on the nighttime rides. Overall, for being my first Coasterstock, I had a great time and would attend again.

I went down to Coney today to take a look at the work. I took the time to look at the vendors that had set up their displays, but my main focus was getting a look at the site. What was confirmed by Jonathan Martin, the CEO of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra (CSO), last spring: The iconic Kellogg Avenue auto gate, built in 1924, will remain. Lake Como, the manmade lake in the front if the property, which was dug out and filled in 1892 (some sources say 1896), will also remain. The picnic grove, shelters and playground will also remain. This was where Coney Island got its start in 1870 when apple farmer James Bell Parker was approached by a Cincinnati church group requesting to set up a picnic on his apple orchard. I have included photos below. Sunlite Pool: This is still a surreal visual. Once the site of the world's largest recirculating swimming pool is nothing more than a field of gravel and dirt. According to Coney Island Central, the pool was designed by W.J. Lynch of New Haven, Connecticut and was 200 feet wide by 401 feet long. The pool could hold 3.5 million gallons of water and could clean and filter 47,000 gallons of water per hour the year it opened. Sunlite Pool would have celebrated its 100th anniversary this season, originally opening in 1925 as simply the Natatorium. The name Sunlite Pool would come later in the 1930s. LaRosas Pizzeria: While it was home to Cincinnati's staple Italian eatery during the park's "modern era" (Post Kings Island), the LaRosas Pizzeria at Coney Island had originally opened in 1967 as a souvenir and gift shop on the Mall. It had replaced the old Penny Arcade. I took a visit to Coney for Summerfair in 2024 to get a look at the site. Last season the building was open for restroom use and concessions. This year it was closed with concessions being located on the patio next to the building. A quick peak in the window revealed that the building is undergoing renovations. For fun, I did a side by side comparison of this building to a photo I found in the book "Cincinnati's Coney Island" by Charles J. Jacques Jr. The photo, taken from the book, shows Bingo the gorilla from Hanna-Barbera's "The Banana Splits" entertaining people on the Mall. To the right is my photo taken at a similar angle (and similar lighting). This was taken in the early 70s following Taft Broadcasting's merger and acquisition of Coney Island in 1969 to begin the development of Kings Island. I had previously made a comparison using a photo I took last year, but the way the sun was shining today influenced my decision to recreate it. Mini Golf: The mini golf course was visibly torn up from construction equipment. MEMI had set up barrier fences to keep people from going into the area (This didn't stop some people though). I think it is safe to say that the Cincy Mini Golf is not long for this world. Moonlite Pavillion & Tivoli Fountain: Moonlite Pavillion, named after the famous Moonlite Gardens just down the Mall, was originally built sometime in the 1960s and served as the rides shelter for the Cuddle Up, Whip and Dodgem. It was renovated in 1976 and renamed Moonlite Pavillion to host special events. This was part if the initiative by Taft Broadcasting to redevelop the site as a non competitive alternative to Kings Island. For Summerfair, this was the congregating place for the vendors and crafters as well as a lost and found station. The building is being put to great use and is most definitely going to stick around. It was most recently used for a Memorial Day party this previous week: The little fountain pool on the Lake Como side of the building once featured bubbling tubes, mimicking the fountains of Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen, Denmark: below is a screenshot from the 1968 film "A Dream of A Park:" This was no doubt influenced by Gary Wachs' 1963 trip to Europe. Today, however, the Tivoli fountain is gone, replaced in later years with simple cascading jets. Now it's empty and void of water, but it does not look like it's going anywhere anytime soon. On a side note, if there's one feature I would love to see revived and replicated at Kings Island from Old Coney, it's the Tivoli fountain. EDIT: A fun fact about Moonlite Pavillion/ Rides shelter is that it was replicated in smaller scale at Kings Island in 1972, housing the Dodgem and Cuddle Up. While the children's Whip ride, now called Linus' Beetle Bugs, made it to Kings Island, the full sized Whip gave its last rides on September 6, 1971 was presumably scrapped. Moonlite Pavilion's little sister building was demolished in 2017 to make way for Coney BarBQue. Rivergate and Lighthouse: Steamboat travel was a common early method to reach Coney Island, dating back to its beginnings as Parker's Grove. Many steamers would land here and deliver passengers. Steamboat captain William F. McIntyre, who bought the property from James Parker in 1886 renaming it to the Coney Island we know it as today, ferried people from Cincinnati's Public Landing to the park on his ship the Guiding Star. Eventually others joined the mix. The Princess, Island Maid and even the Delta Queen. The most beloved and remembered, however, were the two Island Queens. The river gate at Coney Island had seen several changes over the years, but the most iconic version, the one standing today, was built in 1925 using stones and rocks from the riverbank of the Ohio River. With the increased popularity of automobiles, and the disastrous explosion of the second Island Queen in Pittsburgh on September 9, 1947, guests would begin to drive to Coney Island. This would eventually lead to the problem of limited parking, a major factor in the development of Kings Island. **HERE TO STAY** Following the press release in Spring of 2024, I sent a follow up email to the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra's CEO Jonathan Martin inquiring about the lighthouse and river gate. In a response email, Mr. Martin confirmed the preservation of the iconic river gate. "Current plans are to save the lighthouse and storey pole near the river which marks the many historic floods." On top of this, I had received a double confirmation from an employee sitting near the river gate. She was preventing attendees from going down the ramp to the river as the Ohio River had risen overnight due to the large bouts of rain this past weekend. I had a pleasant conversation with her regarding the future of the site. Which is a perfect transition to the information I'm sure most people are interested in. Moonlite Gardens: Built in 1925 by the Philadelphia Toboggan Company, Moonlite Gardens was the park's ballroom. In its heyday, Moonlite hosted some of the nations biggest acts. While Moonlite Gardens was built in 1925, the current New Orleans French Quarter style front entrance was built in 1947. The old band shell and dance floor was made from wood and had seen severe damage from years of flooding by the Ohio River. The band shell was demolished shortly after the opening of Kings Island in 1972. In its later life, Moonlite was used for wedding receptions and small concerts. **HERE TO STAY** The employee I had talked to today confirmed that Moonlite Gardens isn't going anywhere. The Symphony had expressed interest in restoring the building, stating in response to my email inquiry: "The venue, its history and its use are aligned with our mission to serve the community through music." With that said, the building is apparently in sorry shape. The floor has deteriorated and is crumbling and the building was denied an occupancy permit by the Cincinnati Fire Department a few years back as a result. But from the news that was shared with me, Moonlite Gardens is slated for restoration and preservation as the new amphitheater is taking shape. Skill Games building/Hampton Court/ Moonlite Square: Neighboring Moonlite Gardens on the shore of Lake Como, this building was designed by UC architect Darrell "Dusty" Daniels and constructed in 1966. This building is a steel frame structure and a brick exterior, designed in the French Normandy style of architecture. Complete with a slanted roof and a cupola with a clock tower, this building is probably one of my favorite buildings on the site. While the building was primarily used for Skill Games for the guests, the building also housed the Group Sales offices for the park. The offices inside the building are now occupied by MEMI, so this iconic beauty is definitely safe from the wrecking ball. Sorry for the long post. I know it was packed with information, but I hope this helps answer some questions. There are a few photos that show land clearing beginning. I plan to share those as well. If need be, to cite my source, I can provide screenshots of the email I had received from the CSO last year.

Today, Saturday, May 31st Kings Island announced it is Mike Koontz Day. Mike was always supportive of KIC and answered any questions when asked. I am personally very sad to see him go. KIC admin wish Mike all the best in his next adventure in his life. Let's use this thread to post your congratulations , appreciation, and wish Mike all the best! Here you see KIC interviewing Mike at the opening of Adventure Port.

https://www.visitkingsisland.com/dining/shooting-star-cafe

So Long

Sell? Well, now, let's not get ahead of ourselves. Plenty of exciting changes are on the way that will be sure to increase shareholder value!

Was at the park last Wednesday. We stayed late for a beast night ride, Anyway, it was past 10 PM and as we were leaving, we cut through Rivertown and then through Planet Snoopy towards the exit. When we got to the Boo Blasters area, a security guard stopped us and said that we would have to go around because they were filming something at Boo Blasters. Now it is probably nothing, but with folks speculating about Boo Blaster's future, figured I'd see what you all thought.

Especially when one merges with the Temu of theme parks and then decides to start adopting their ways in what was a decent company.

But at the same time just about every new ride has the kinks to work out, it is just social media is capturing everything.

I have a story that seems appropriate to share with today being Mike Kuntz days. I worked at KI for a couple of seasons back during college, and Mike was new to the GM role at the time. It was the season where there were about 3-5 power outages a week for the span of a couple weeks, causing massive headaches park wide with rides being shut down for extended periods, and people being stuck since a power outage trips all the safety mechanisms and causes the rides to hold at break runs/safe spots. I worked in guest services at the time, and each power outage was awful, because we knew that meant that the rest of our day was going to be lines out the doors and non stop guest's who were rightly upset and asking questions about the situation and resolutions that we didn't really have good answers for. The day the last power outage happened, the lights flickered and that sense of dread and doom hit like a punch to the teeth. Before any guest's could even get to the office to make complaints, Mike had made his way in to the office to tell us that he had just spoken with Duke Energy and got to the root cause of the issue. Duke was putting in new power lines to while the employee entrance road was being done, and a slightly leaning pole was the culprit, and he had worked with Duke to ask that any work involving that pole be put on hold until outside of park hours, and Duke agree. Mike's very first stop after hanging up the phone was to the guest service's office to thank us for our work, and to say he appreciated what we do because he knows that we were the one's taking the brunt of the guest's anger. He personally thanked each one of us and gave us reassurance that it would not happen again. I cannot tell you how much easier that made the situation, and how much harder that made me want to work for him and the park. It would have been so easy to not face us and to just let things resolve, but to have a leader come and face you and take accountability told me everything I needed to know about him as a leader, as a boss, and as a man. Sad to see him leave.

The current wait time for The Beast is 48 hours and 49 minutes...

The tan dome building to the left of the "WindSeeker Restrooms" .