FUN&ONLY!

I like some of your ideas especially the newly upgraded pathways and the ivy tunnel. Those pathways really could use some love. I think Backlot Stunt Coaster is out of place as well, but I don’t see the park relocating it anytime soon. I would love to see it revamped into something that fits the theme of Rivertown. I would love if Kings Island gave it a forest theme and replaced the shipping containers with a ton of trees and theming. I unfortunately don’t see any of this happening anytime soon, but maybe Kings Island will at least repaint the rusty and faded shipping containers and billboards. They probably won’t do anything with the coaster until they put something in Vortex’s plot.

Judging off the webcams, it appears all three of Diamondback’s trains are in the maintenance bay!

I could see Kings Island bringing back smaller things for their 50th anniversary. Things like the Coney Mall sign, the Oktoberfest sign, the large ivy tunnel, and old food items could be brought back. I could also see them repainting The Racer to its original color scheme and focusing on older rides. Other things Kings Island could do include building a new restaurant, adding a legacy walk, or maybe bringing back a smaller ride like Der Spinning Keggars or re-theming Boo Blasters to Phantom Theater. Those are probably more unlikely though. In terms of 2021, I would like to see shows return as well as full trains and all trains.

My only concern with this coaster is capacity. It only operates 2 trains with 20 riders each which does not indicate good capacity. I think Busch Gardens Williamsburg should have gotten three trains which Intamin probably could have made work, but the switch track may have made it harder to do. Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure can run like 10 trains, so three trains probably could have been possible. I would love to see something like Pantheon at Kings Island, though, but hopefully with additional trains.

I think we need a 2021 season discussion thread.

That is interesting. Maybe the success of Orion will pave the way for Vortex’s successor.

I remember when Mike Koontz flat out told the crowd at Coasterstock 2018 that he put in a request with Cedar Fair for Kings Island to build a giga coaster. Anyways, it is nice to see that the park has not abandoned Vortex’s plot of land and that they are still looking into a replacement someday. Edit: At the top of the page I am curious about what success paved the way for Orion. Was the article talking about Mystic Timbers?

We can only hope the buffet returns with COVID-19. Maybe they can have the same experience but just with servers? I wonder if they will add the Winterfest parade that Carowinds added in 2019. At the beginning of 2020, Cedar Fair said they would be adding the parade to two additional parks for the 2020 season, so I wonder if they will still do this or if they have cancelled those plans.

I just don’t see how Kings Island can expect to have a somewhat high attendance season this year if they choose to skip rows on their rides again. Last year, every day the park had decent crowds, lines were terribly long especially when they only ran two trains on most rides that are capable of running three trains. I think masks, health screenings, and social distancing everywhere else should stay at this moment, but the social distancing on rides needs to go. I believe that the CDC says that you are only at high risk of catching COVID-19 when you are within close proximity of someone with COVID-19 for more than 15 minutes. As far as I know, Kings Island has no rides that last that long. Also the riders are already wearing masks which offer a strong layer or protection.

On Kings Island’s new website, there no longer a star next to the early ride time pass holder benefit indicating that it is not currently available. Is Kings Island bringing it back this year? It also says on the website to check back for early ride time attractions for this year. https://www.visitkingsisland.com/season-passes https://www.visitkingsisland.com/season-passes/early-ride-times

Kings Island actually closed the lines for The Beast and Orion early last year to have everyone off before the fireworks when they first started later closings. I remember some people not being too happy about this because the lines closed up to an hour early without notice, and many people were unable to obtain night rides on two of Kings Island’s most popular coasters. Even with notice of early line closings, guests would not be able to experience more than one major coaster at night in a park known for world class night rides. You basically have to get in line when it is still light outside and just wait in line for your one night ride while it gets dark. Luckily, this only lasted a few weeks last year before they started letting people get in line right up until 10:00 PM, waiting out the fireworks, and riding the ride no matter how late it was. Basically, they went back to how it should be.

Is Dollywood unloading only one row at a time? That was one of the most pointless things Kings Island did last year because they let out all passengers at once on Orion, but they staggered it on every other ride.

I do think Kings Island is currently planning on having Winterfest this year, but it is probably somewhat dependent on how the season goes. They will also likely have Halloween Haunt because Worlds of Fun already has it in their calendar. I am very surprised, though, that Kings Island has said nothing about events or entertainment this year. I know in previous park updates, Mike Koontz said that they look forward to holding Grand Carnival and Summer Nights in 2021. If smaller parks like Valleyfair and Worlds of Fun are doing in Grand Carnivale, I would expect Kings Island to hold theirs. I hope they announce the 2021 event lineup soon if they are planning to have anything.

This is a very nice mock-up, but I don’t see Zephyr being moved. I don’t see a coaster going there at all. A MACK Rides Spinning Coaster like this would be nice, though, and it would be a great family ride. They could build one in reply any area of the park and theme it to that area. Something like this in Planet Snoopy would be great addition if Kings Island wants to go for the best kids area in the world again.

Weren’t there also markers behind the Kill Mart building? They could use that space for a new restaurant or a new flat ride, but the markers could have meant nothing significant.

I hope Kings Island does the same thing. I also hope they bring back Early Entry like Cedar Point.

I seem to recall Cedar Point also opening at 11:00 AM like Kings Island, but I may be wrong. Now their calendar has 10:00 AM opening every day.

Hopefully the webcams return online soon, but Kings Island said they would return soon almost a year ago at this point.

I would rather Kings Island bring back an old more beloved ride like Der Spinning Keggars, Phantom Theater, or Enchanted Voyage in some form or another. I know Kings Island used to have a Ferris Wheel for a few years, but I don’t think it is missed too badly by longtime fans of the park. Also, in my opinion, Ferris Wheels are not really worth riding that often with their terrible capacity and lackluster ride experience. If you want good views, the Eiffel Tower has you covered with much better views than any Ferris Wheel could provide at Kings Island.

Cedar Point is reopening their indoor theater. They are also bringing back early entry, and they are opening at 10:00 AM for the general public. It is too bad Kings Island isn’t doing any of this. However, if attendance is good at Kings Island, I could see indoor shows returning in the Fall and Winter, and I could see 10:00 openings resuming. Also, this is off-topic, but it looks like Cedar Point updated their website design. Knott’s Berry Farm did the same thing, so I could see this being rolled out for all Cedar Fair parks.

Here is Kings Island’s 2021 operating calendar through Labor Day! There are a decent amount of 10:00 PM closings this year, and Soak City will open on May 29th. https://www.visitkingsisland.com/explore/calendar-and-hours

I wouldn’t say Mystic Timbers is in the back of the Kings Island, but I do think The Vortex void needs to be filled. I also really hope another coaster is not removed before Vortex is replaced because that would leave a bad impression on a lot of fans. I could see a new coaster announced to leave right after a new coaster is announced similar to what happened with Orion and Vortex.

So the big question when it comes to a Vortex replacement is when it will happen. In Cedar Fair’s conference call yesterday, they said they want to go back to investing 9% to 10% of revenues back to what they wanted to invest before the pandemic, but they can only do so when their financial situation improves. They also said that for 2022 additions and beyond, they will only activate capital projects as the situation improves. It is also important to note that Cedar Fair is not currently committed to any future capital projects that have not been announced. For any projects that are already in development, Cedar Fair has no binding commitments to go through with these plans. With this, I think that the investments Kings Island gets next year for its 50th anniversary are somewhat dependent on what attendance looks like this summer. In regards to a new coaster, I don’t think Cedar Fair will have a normal year until 2022 at the earliest, and if Kings Island started planning a new coaster in 2022, we would likely see it open in 2024 with Kings Island usually starting the development of a new major coaster 2 years out. Realistically, I don’t know if Kings Island will start development of a new coaster until the year following or later, so I think an opening of 2025 or 2026 makes more sense. If I had to pick a year, I think we will see a Vortex replacement opening 2025 with development starting in 2023, but it really is too early to tell when Cedar Fair will be in a better financial position. https://www.fool.com/earnings/call-transcripts/2021/02/17/cedar-fair-fun-q4-2020-earnings-call-transcript/

Hershend simply buying the park likely won’t affect competition much. Hershend needs to invest a decent amount into Kentucky Kingdom in order to trigger a response from Kings Island and Cedar Fair. My only concern with Hershend investing a lot into Kentucky Kingdom is that there is really not much room to put in a major new attraction. Also, they are probably only going to get the operating contract for Kentucky Kingdom and not own it outright, but I may be wrong in that regard.

That color scheme looks exactly like Copperhead Strike. I really like the color scheme, though, and if the ride is going into Rivertown, it fits great! Would the entrance to this ride be near The Beast?