Rivertown Rider

I'm thrilled to see the two new flats getting added next year. As we look to the future beyond 2023, hopefully they continue expanding the flat ride collection. If Action Zone eventually turns into Oktoberfest, a Bayern Kurve and Musik Express would be great fits for that area.

A few additional thoughts: Even though Cedar Fair did go on a Zamperla shopping spree it is nice that the parks got different Zamperla rides. This gives more of a reason to ride those when I go to Carowinds. I am extremely happy with the two we got as capacity should be pretty good and they fit in well as spiritual successors to rides that were in that general vicinity in their previous incarnations. As others have said these rides will be there for generations. I do think the next area to get rethemed will be Action Zone and I think the whole area of AZ will become part of the remaining Oktoberfest. If O'Rourke starts tearing down the SOB station and Timberwolf things will get very interesting. I just hope they reroute The Bat queue closer to the midway. This has the feeling of the Antiques before Orion. Action Zone needs some love and a retheme. My thoughts on some of the companies being the same is that I have wondered if the park planned on tearing down the SOB station and/ or Timberwolf back in 2020 but paused due to the pandemic.

I'm thrilled with this addition. A Spanish themed area takes care of a lot of criticisms that Hank's location got. The Teacups and Endeavor will be wonderful family flats for that area. Nice to see AE get some love as well.

A flat rides collection in Oktoberfest makes a ton of sense. Especially if the park is looking to go year-round, family flats would be good there with Festhaus, Hanks, Chicken Shack, and Coney BBQ close by, the flats could run year round. A new Spinning Keggers and a Nebulaz would be very nice additions to the park. If the park is open in January thru March, I wonder if they will close some sections off. I could also see some small additions in Planet Snoopy as well.

^ That would be my thoughts as well. I could see the Zamperla flat rides installed for next year and demolition during the offseason with cleared ground by Opening Day 2023.

There are some easements posted in the last couple years (one earlier this year) on the Warren County Recorder site between the park and Duke Energy which makes me wonder if that is related at all to this project. Action Zone does need a refresh. If O'Rourke is being brought in to take out Timberwolf and the old SOB station the park has a real opportunity to revamp that whole area including lessening the walk to The Bat. Another B&M in that area will help rebalance the crowds. The main question is do they go Dive or Wing.

One of the vendors listed is Arenas Americas who specialize in temporary staging and flooring so they could easily put the temporary staging in the parking lot if they get rid of Timberwolf.

I would agree that area is saturated with restaurants. You can stand at that location and see three restaurants (Chicken Shack, Festhaus, and Hank's) and that doesn't count being a short stroll from IS or Coney Mall. That doesn't even count the ice cream stand by Banshee. That area could use a flat. Doing some quick measuring on Google Earth you could easily fit anything from a Top Scan to a Musik Express to a Teacups style ride. With the amount of Zamperla flats they are putting in the chain, this is the ride KI needs in that spot (https://www.zamperla.com/products/tea-cup/). Get rid of that pirate on the top and you can easily bring back a new version of Der Spinning Keggers. It 1. Fits the theme of the area, 2. give you a super high capacity flat ride (according to their site around 1,500 people an hour), and 3. gives you a ride that easily run during Winterfest. During Winterfest that area is quite dead and it would help the area tremendously.

I'm happy that they continue to improve food service but I don't think there are many people who buy a season pass solely because of food. KI needs flats in the worst way and adding some smaller family flats would have greatly improved the park.

https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220811005015/en/Cedar-Fair-Announces-Exciting-Capital-Plans-for-2023-Operating-Season Here is the release.

I expect them to announce something. I don't think it will be anything huge but something like a flat in the Slingshot space, a Camp Snoopy conversion, or something at Soak City. With KI's season pass holder base being as large as it is I would think the chain realizes the importance of adding something. I'll renew regardless, but I think they need a little hook for the larger population. A Camp Snoopy conversion and a family or thrilling flat in Oktoberfest would be my preferred scenario.

Worlds of Fun announcement is going to be on August 11.

Do tell. I guess I was too busy eating that golden vanilla ice cream.

Carowinds has announced the closure of Southern Star, Yo Yo, and Plants vs Zombies so the area expansion that leaked earlier in the year looks to be coming to fruition. As far as KI is concerned while there have been no markers anywhere to my knowledge I do think a Planet Snoopy overhaul/expansion is coming sooner rather than later. It is one of three areas that haven't really been touched much (i.e. more than just paint jobs) since Mike Koontz became GM (the others being Action Zone and Soak City). I would love to see the Camp Snoopy improvements like Carowinds got several years back. I am excited to see what the GCI rumored Titan Track for WOF ends up looking like. I see it as a test and learn similar to when they put GCIs in the smaller parks. If it is successful and not as maintenance heavy as SV is I could certainly see a bigger version in KIs future.

In addition to one's already mentioned, King Cobra and Firehawk would be two I'd like to see.

I am surprised they aren't letting GCI do the Titan track on it.

I would send Railblazer to WOF and Patriot to MI for 2 and 3. I love the idea of us getting the Wild Mouse. I would love to see them put it into the Crypt building and then it could run all season long. Gold Striker would also be great at Carowinds. It is also good to see you back.

I got to see the first show yesterday and it was incredible. The combination of this and the Phantom Theater Encore show are two of the best things I have ever seen the park do.

I finally rode it yesterday for the second time this season (this time in a non-wheel seat) and I got one of the best rides that I have gotten on it in years. I do agree that they need to get the issue fixed when you get back into the station though. It is hard to say how much capacity they are losing to that on an hourly basis.

Great trip report. If you had gotten to ride Nighthawk I think that would have probably been your least favorite ride in the park as it is pretty painful.

Here is the link to the permit https://www.bsaonline.com/CD_PropertySearchDetails/PropertyRecordDetails?recordKeyType=4&recordKey=e12f4947-8331-4ea2-b9c7-ae6f00a93cb2&uid=2714

Some pics I took this weekend as they now allow you to take photos from the Giant Wheel.

^ I didn't see one.

The most depressing sentence in park history is found at the end of the 2004 stone.

I finally got to ride it yesterday and in the places where it was re-tracked it is running the best it has in years. The double helix which was my favorite part back in the day and had become pretty uncomfortable for me over the last several years it back to its greatness again. I was in a wheel seat but look forward to riding it in a non-wheel seat. I definitely give the park a lot of credit for investing the money in re-tracking this and Racer over the last few years. They are both must-do rides again and that is saying something for the two oldest "big kid" coasters (not counting Woodstock Express) in the park. As I write this I am kind of surprised that the third oldest "big kid" coaster is AE.