Hawaiian Coasters 325

I believe Carowinds and KD waited until like a week or 2 before opening to release the events calendar. Im honestly not expecting much new outside of Carnivale, Food and Wine (if it returns), Star Spangled Nights (which I'd like to see a full on celebration like CP is doing), and Haunt/WF Also interesting the park hasn't officially dropped the hours for preview day (ik Jim from the pass group emailed the park and got a response awhile ago, but the park hasn't publicly published the hours for pass day). Im curious if the park is going to go the Carowinds approach and do stuff like a charity donation and a Q&A session (which I hope KI would do theirs more thought out as I heard Carowinds Q&A wasn't really that well done) I would like to see more pop up/short run events this season like 5ks, charity events, food truck events (remember Food Truck Fridays?), sports team meet & greet events (like Reds, Bengals, or FCC day), and maybe concerts or most logical a bands in residence program like what Carowinds and KD are introducing.

^^And PLEASE some new music on I-street NOT the Jazz again!

These people need to go to United Parks and ask them how private equity is working out for them.....newsflash its NOT!

Big news for the area near KI as Camp Cedar is now going to be Yogi Bear's Jellystone Park Cincinnati! This honestly is a good idea and a very nice nostalgia throwback to the old KI Campground that I believe was also operated by Jellystone! https://www.campjellystone.com/ohio/jellystone-park-cincinnati/attractions

I'm guessing landscaping or maintineance people doing work at the autos.

A little thought of mine: When it comes to construction timeline of a potential replacement project, I could honestly see them choosing to not do much during the season when it comes to construction and run the drone show as usual with maybe minor construction happening in the part towards The Beast if anything. Then after the drone show raps up (usually around Labor Day) they go full steam ahead and start construction on the plot. While that would likely be pushing it when it comes to opening the new ride on opening day, I would honestly be willing to sacrifice an opening day opening if it means keeping the drone show going the season before a potential replacement. The land is already cleared if they don't want to go beyond the old Vortex footprint so all they would need to do is rip out the grass and the current drone pad as well as the leftover concrete from the transfer track and then basically can start digging for footers/foundations. They can still spend the season before teasing the crap out of it if they wanted which is what I hope they'd do and not just drop a teaser or 2 a week before the announcement.

It likely means very little if anything, but I just noticed a bunch of trucks in the area behind Racer by the parade float tent including a digger. Just curious what they could be doing.

**DOUBLE POST** Add Kings Dominion to the list of the parks doing Bands in Residence. Also it's cool they're doing a Circue show in the KD theater.

The boom truck looks to have moved to the side facade towards Great Pumpkin and the showplace

I don't remember the last time KI did a first rider auction on a ride that wasn't a major coaster. I'm sure they'll do a media day though (if it opens on opening day then probably the Thursday morning before) but it would just be select invited people.

**DOUBLE POST** Looks like the "boom truck" has moved to the other side of the facade

Carowinds is bringing a "Bands in Residence" program this summer. If they can do it, why can't KI? Cincy has a ton of local bands both small and up and coming that I'm sure would love the opportunity to play at KI. Also pretty cool they're opening up The Conjuring during Spring Break. Part of me wishes KI could open earlier and hold a Spring Break event.

Looks like there's some sort of boom or reach truck right by the facade:

When it comes to potential artists/music groups for concerts, I'm honestly surprised the park hasn't attempted to bring in Kidz Bop to do a concert at Timberwolf. Ik they have a contract with Live Nation, but they've played one off shows at non Live Nation venues. Also I did some research and apparently in the early 2010s KidzBop and Six Flags partnered and did auditions and concerts at their parks. Also the fact the park plays mostly Kidzbop in Planet Snoopy. I know Kidzbop wouldn't be my type of artist to go see, but I think with KI being more "family friendly" a Kidzbop concert would I think do very well at KI. The park could even use them to help promote the kids area and/or Phantom Theater. Just imagine the marketing possibilities with "The Kidzbop Kids ride the new Phantom Theater: Opening Nightmare" or "The Kidzbop Kids enjoy Kings Island's Camp Snoopy"!

If I were to ever be in a meeting with John, that would 100% be a question of mine. I feel like Zimmerman wasn't really a concert person, but okay'd it when KI and Carowinds pushed for it, but immediately pulled the plug when they didn't bring in the ROI they wanted. I'm guessing that's why the Christian Festivals at the parks didn't make a return post Covid as Zimmerman was probably looking for a way out of those and Covid was their excuse to get rid of them. I'm curious with John Reilly's experience with SeaWorld/United Parks if he would be open to doing concerts and keeping it a yearly thing instead of try it and pull the plug after one year. SeaWorld and Busch Gardens do concerts at basically all their parks and they're all successful.

Yeah we need more people like Jeff running these parks! I think all regional GMs and park managers should take notes from him! I mean they usually bring in Hifi Honey and River City to do shows opening weekend and those weekends up until Memorial Day. I've said it before and I'll say it again they need to branch out and bring in more local bands than just those 2. Spread it out and maybe have one band in Festhaus, one on bandstand, and one on top of the bar in Action Zone (like Carowinds does). Then you also have some acoustic artists come in and do sets in the gazebo by Diamondback and the Mercado patio.

I love how opening day used to have its own logo. Kinda like MLB/Reds Opening Day. I wish they would do that again. Make opening day more special.

I could see it going if they become desperate, but I believe John Reilly mentioned it as a park with lots of potential at his meeting with a few KD fans a few weeks back.

Google Gemini and no it is a stationary image. I just screenshot a pic from Google Earth and paste it onto Google Gemini and I describe what I want to add to the image (for example I said "add a hotel in the grass area in foreground and name it the Kings Island Inn.")

Used AI to come up with a Beast Canyon Saloon concept:

I made another hotel concept with AI for that plot that is a little more realistic imo. This actually was mocked up before the water park hotel shared above

Is it just me or am I getting serious 2016 vibes with this ad on the website? Reminds me a lot of the banner on the entrance back in 2016 Photo source: https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=122124750639113270&set=pcb.2797682560564843

They probably would, but Sandusky literally has like 3 indoor waterpark hotels near each other including a Great Wolf. Competition can be a good thing. Plus I'm not envisioning a major indoor waterpark on the size of Great Wolf. I'm thinking something more along the lines of the little indoor waterpark that used to be connected to the thirsty pony years ago or the indoor waterpark at the YMCA in Lebanon.

The idea would be to convert the field behind it that's empty in the pic where that old baseball field was into more hotel parking I had the same thought, but with Great Wolf Lodge looking to add another tower and with more hotels popping up at the Kings Mills/Mason exit over the last several years we know the demand for housing is there. Plus with the new regional pass, I think this could be a way to attract more out of town visitors to make a trip out of KI and add more revenue with on site lodging as the other hotels don't provide KI or Six Flags with any extra revenue.

Just playing around with AI a little lol tbh I actually kinda like how this turned out! If this actually came to reality, it would give Great Wolf some legit competition!