Hawaiian Coasters 325

I was like 6 years old when Diamondback debuted so I have no idea about this whole thing. What happened?

#timetocleanhouse #firewhoeverisinchargeofevents Meanwhile Great Adventure just added another summer event with their new Boardwalk area and continues to have a great relationship between the park and fansites. Yet KI can't accomodate an ACE event bc of "cost" and likely pushed JDRF and Spirit Song away along with other charity/outside organization events the park used to do before covid and during Don's tenture.

You for sure will see me in the park this year. First time since 2019 I have a season pass. Obviously I wouldn't be posting my constructive criticism if I still was employed by the company. The event lineup is a very minor issue to me. I'll still go when I get the chance. I just think the park can do better when it comes to special events and live entertainment. Obviously we still don't know the stage shows for this year but I'm sure Hot Rhythmn Nights is returning. Not sure about Showplace, Festhaus, or the KI Theater though as last year was the 2nd year for the shows in those venues. Even if the park just did a bands in residence program on select stages throughout the park like the carousel stage, LaRosas patio in Rivertown, Enriques patio, and Action Zone along with the existing entertainment lineup I'd be happy!

KI being in a mature market is a poor excuse to not do dive in movies or passholder ERT events or pop up events that would appeal more to the locals than those out of town. Agree with Don that is not a wise move to tamper with ACE and JDRF but KI may have not had a choice bc the economy isn't the best right now and costs continue to increase everywhere. ACE may need to consider increasing their membership fees to accomodate rising costs of doing events like this. I personally think the park needs to start looking at making changes higher up in event planning. While I hate calling for jobs, I'm starting to get really frustrated with those high up in that area. While they may have their hands tied by corporate, There are other parks in the chain that are thinking outside the box when it comes to events and live entertainment (see Jeff Siebert's parks) while KI is just "ok let's just do food and wine at the beginning of summer and then a bigger fireworks show for 4th of July and then a watered down Carnivale and then Haunt and Winterfest." While I know there are other parks out there who would love to have an event lineup like that, it is a bit lackluster for a park like Kings Island with a huge fan and pass base where not that long ago used to have stacked event lineups and partnerships with outside vendors and would do all these pop up events and even charity stuff. Remember Kicks Cancer or the color runs? Changing subject, but I noticed Pass Preview has been changed to "Perks and Play Pass Preview" like Carowinds. There's still time for them to throw some sort of charity donation event into there for that as well as a Q&A/Presentation session.

To be fair in 2016, KI really only put on select day/weekend pop up events or events put on by outside companies (SpiritSong and JDRF) in 2016. Interestingly, JDRF isn't doing their walk at KI this year and is instead doing it in a different location. I wonder what the deal is on why they moved it? Also ACE had a planned event this spring that was cancelled bc of rising costs to do it at KI. I wonder if that is also the reason for JDRF moving. I would love to see events like dive in movies and Island Nights return to Soak City as well as passholder night ERT events. The cost to do these pop up events can't be that much and would drive attendance. So I don't understand why the park just wants to do the bare minimum. They need to be thinking outside the box and they used to have people that do that.

Dollywood has made an effort to improve those events year after year while KI has been doing the exact opposite. If they would've improved upon Carnivale from 2019 and made it bigger and better instead of watering it down, we'd be having a much different conversation. I like the events KI puts on, but my frustration is more along the lines of them not "improving" the events instead they either keep it the same or water it down. Hopefully with Food and Wine being better last year and new leadership at top we see more of an emphasis on improving these events as well as adding new events. Again, if they would move Food and Wine to late April through May (which is imo the best time to do an event like that) they could do another event in June. Either a Kidzfest event in Snoopy or a Brew/BBQ event or why not both?

The special event lineup has been posted! Outside of a few extra nights for Star Spangled Nights, it's basically what we expected. Food and Wine and Carnivale are back. https://www.sixflags.com/kingsisland/events A few thoughts: While I'm glad Food and Wine is back, I will continue to die on the hill and preach it should be a late April through Memorial Day event not a late May through June event Carnivale has run its course imo. A little bit disappointed it's back but we all knew it was coming since Tony supposedly said it at No Coaster Con. Imo if they aren't going to return it to 2019 levels than they should retire it A big missed opportunity with Pass Preview by not doing what Carowinds did with some sort of charity donation event. There are plenty of charities around here and would be a perfect opportunity to do it. Also a pass member Q&A/presentation session would've been perfect. I don't like complaining, but I'm getting kinda bored of the same old same old at KI year after year when it comes to events. Food and Wine was a good start imo, but there hasn't been any new event added since. I personally think there should be some sort of new event added every other year or so. Moving Food and Wine to April/May would open up the door for some sort of June event in between that and a peak summer event (Carnivale). My request is some sort of Kids event like Peanuts Celebration or Kidzfest. Another event I want is some sort of BBQ/Brew event which I think I just heard CP is getting this year. Overall, I'll be happy with what we have and will enjoy the events, but I'm starting to get frustrated with leadership rn.

You scared me there for a second Don lol. I thought they were removing a coaster for a sec....I never ONCE considered Surf Dog a coaster. Same with Larson loops. I even have a hard time counting Alpine coasters even though they technically are.

Everyone with a brain knew merging with Six Flags would be a disaster like almost any merger that has happened in history! I literally can't believe coaster enthusiasts and CF employees/stockholders didn't try and at least attempt to organize some sort of revolt/protest to try and stop the merger. (not that it 100% would've worked but we've seen proposed mergers get stopped by protests in the past). Plus it would've gotten insane news coverage if a revolt got organized and happened. Sports fans remember Greg Schiano to Tennessee? That was stopped bc fans (and others higher up) put their foot down and spoke out against it as they knew it wasn't going to work. Also Mark Stoops to Texas A&M or Cracker Barrel and the proposed rebrand.

If they aren't going to fill the plot with a ride anytime soon, I'd like them to try and fill the perimeter as much as possible. For example: where the batwing was put some sort of building either a food stand or gift shop to hide the eyesore there and then transplant some grown trees from the area between Orion and the river to the area by The Beast station to hide The Beast again and make it feel like you're in the woods. You can then keep the drone launching pad and have the big open space for the drone show while hiding the eyesore as much as possible. I also wouldn't mind them building another vine tunnel on that walkway between Rivertown and Coney.

I feel decisions like this come from above him. Ik he talked about throughput/capacity being important to him, but multiple Six Flags parks that have opened recently have been only running either one or two trains as well as restaurants and stuff being closed. Ik that could be maintineance delays, but it very well could be six flags being six flags. John Reilly I fear will have his hands tied by the board and a lot of his visions/ideas for improvement won't make it past the board as they are basically penny pinchers. Then he'll get blamed for everything and be pushed out in a few years then rinse and repeat!

The backlash would be MONUMENTAL if they cut fireworks especially since KI has kept 10 pm closings throughout the summer. Cutting fireworks would be their ticket to closing at 9 pm instead of 10. It's been a tradition since 1972 to have nightly fireworks. Even Paramount did fireworks. The only year I remember them not doing nightly fireworks is the covid year 2020. Also the park on the special events page has a picture of a firework show so they're still sorta advertising they do fireworks so I don't see any reason why there won't be at least some sort of firework show.

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

Gemini wouldn't cooperate when I tried to make the building smaller lol

Me and AI at it again! lol