FUN&ONLY!

I am interested to see what the timeline will be for a new rollercoaster at Kings Island. Obviously, Kings Island is not going to get one next year (unless it is a small rollercoaster like with what Canada’s Wonderland got this year). Instead, it appears Cedar Point and Dorney Park will get the new major rollercoasters in the Cedar Fair chain for 2024. So what about 2025? On ParkFans, there are numerous pictures of survey markings a stakes that have appeared in the past couple weeks all over the Volcano plot of land at Kings Dominion. These markings would coincide perfectly with a new 2025 rollercoaster, which seems to be what will happen. Similarly, there are a ton of markings at Canada’s Wonderland, and they are also rumored to get a major new rollercoaster for 2025. If both of these parks get major new rollercoasters in 2025, I am skeptical any other Cedar Fair parks would also see major new rollercoasters that year. Maybe it will be 2026? I guess there is still a chance for a 2025 new rollercoaster, but we would expect to see some sort of survey markings two years in advance of a major addition. For 2025, we would have to see survey markings before the end of the summer. If a new rollercoaster is planned for The Vortex plot of land, these markings would be quite obvious. However, if a new rollercoaster is planned elsewhere in the park (like Action Zone), we may never know until active construction begins. For example, for Mystic Timbers and Orion in 2015 and 2018, since most of the would-be construction zone was in the woods, survey markings were mostly hidden. However, some markers were spotted behind The Racer late in the season in 2018. That being said, 2026 is looking increasingly likely, but I wouldn’t rule out 2025 yet. That being said, I have heard that Kings Island’s next rollercoaster is more likely to go in Action Zone than The Vortex plot of land. I can see why this would be since Action Zone has not received attention in what will be a decade next season. Coney Mall, for comparison, last received attention in 2019. Nearby Area 72 last received attention in 2020. Rivertown last received attention in 2017. Oktoberfest/Adventure Port last received attention this year, which was long overdue. If we go based off what areas are “due” for some attention, Action Zone has been waiting the longest (2014), which is followed by Planet Snoopy (2015) and Soak City (2016). I would expect these three areas to see the most investment over the next several years.

The 3 million dollar disparity between Fury 325 and Orion ultimately should not make THAT big of a difference with the the length and layout. However, with the design of the layouts, it appears that the designers intended for Fury 325 to focus on low to the ground maneuvers and Orion to focus on more massive elements. Much of Fury’s track length is spent relatively low to the ground, which requires a lot less steel than huge elements because less support columns need manufactured, which allows for a higher track length within the budget. Orion only has a couple low to the ground elements. To an extent, I understand why Orion focuses on massive elements. Without massive elements in the very back of the park, it would not be as visible to guests or onlookers, so it would not be as impressive of a “advertisement” for guests already in the park or for those driving past of the park. Also, I think it is very important to point out that Mike Koontz mentioned in Kings Island: A Ride Through Time that Kings Island could have made Orion more like Fury 325 and more intense, but it was his desire to make it more family-friendly than Fury 325. Personally, while i do like Orion, I scratch my head at this explanation because a 300 foot drop already scares away a lot of the family. The same guests that ride Orion would ride Fury 325 if it were at the park instead of Orion. Also, while Fury 325 may be a little more intense than Orion, it is no Intimidator 305, and it is still very much a crowd pleaser. Even with a slightly smaller budget, Orion could have been on a similar level to Fury 325 or even better than it depending on the elements selected and intensity.

Carowinds spent so much money on new Zamperla flat rides that Cedar Fair could only budget for the 24 seat model of the Endeavor for Kings Island. The backlog created by Carowinds also caused Adventure Port to open late. I am kidding of course. Technically, Kings Island did get two old bumper cars from Carowinds when Carowinds got new bumper cars. The two cars do not exactly match the rest of the bumper cars on Dodgem, however.

I was happy when Mike Koontz said that Cedar Fair plans to continue to do the same level of theming with all new additions. With this, I hope Action Zone gets a new addition soon. I am also amazed with how great the area looks, especially considering that it came together in less than a year. I also was happy when Mike Koontz said that he wanted as many trees saved as possible. I know parts of Adventure Port do lack shade, but I applaud Kings Island for saving most of the trees. The only area that saw a noticeable loss of trees is around Cargo Loco’s queue, but I do not know how that could have been avoided. I do like how the trees to the left of Adventure Express’ original entrance (now near Sol Spin’s exit) were preserved as well as the trees behind Sol Spin. The area in front of Enrique’s unfortunately lacks shade, but there were really no trees already there to work with.

I thought those chemical crates were for the Area 72 Launch Party in 2021. I do wish some of them stuck around past 2021 and were used as theming around the area, though.

I agree with @disco2000 that Kings Island would get some investment regardless of Fast Lane for the sake of staying relevant. However, I am not sure Kings Island would get as much investment as it currently does without Fast Lane. Kings Island is a more mature park compared to other Cedar Fair parks like Cedar Point (a true destination park) and Carowinds (a park in a fast growing area), so it does not see the same attendance bump with the addition of a brand new coaster like other parks might. However, Cedar Fair still sees it beneficial to add major additions to Kings Island (beyond additions to just stay relevant) because it does boost revenue. When Kings Island adds a new coaster, it gets long waits because it it new, which drives Fast Lane sales and Season Pass sales because people want to experience the big new attraction. This quote from Brian Witherow (Cedar Fair CEO) during the company’s 2019 fourth quarter earnings call sums it up perfectly. He is responding to a question about what increases in attendance or sales the company expects to see as a result of the addition of Orion to Kings Island: Source: https://www.fool.com/earnings/call-transcripts/2020/02/19/cedar-fair-lp-fun-q4-2019-earnings-call-transcript.aspx This is different from back in the 70s, 80s, and maybe even the 90s when Kings Island had significantly less market penetration, so a major addition would boost attendance more dramatically. Even in 2009, Diamondback made sense without Fast Lane because Kings Island lacked a modern thrilling coaster (Son of Beast did not count). Therefore, the addition of Diamondback likely did attract many new guests as Kings Island had not added something like it in a while, and it allowed them to further penetrate the market. Also, the addition of Diamondback would have helped with Season Pass sales.

If Phantom Theater does come back, I really hope Kings Island does it right. I also hope the area around a new Phantom Theater gets overhauled as well. While some might want it to be where Boo Blasters is for nostalgia reasons, I do not think it matters where a new version of Phantom Theater goes. Phantom Theater really does not fit the theme of any area of the park (unless Kings Island decides to make Action Zone a haunted-themed section of the park). I would almost prefer it to be placed in a different section of the park and not its original location because I would rather see there be more indoor rides (even if one of them is Boo Blasters). Also, areas of the park like Rivertown could really benefit from new life if a new Phantom Theater was placed inside The Crypt building and the surrounding area was revamped. Finally, the park could try out new, more interactive dark ride technology in a new location. Of course, Kings Island could put a new ride system in Boo Blaster’s location, but I feel like it would remain the same if the ride system is already there.

I feel like 2023 would have probably been an off year without the last-minute addition of Adventure Port with just park improvements like what we already saw. I wonder if Kings Island had big 2024 plans (like a coaster), but when Cedar Point decided to revamp Top Thrill Dragster for 2024, those plans got delayed to a later year (in order to accommodate the nearby Top Thrill Dragster project), and Cedar Fair gave Kings Island some more capital in the meantime for smaller 2023 and 2024 additions instead of just for one massive 2024 addition. While this sounds crazy, something very similar happened in 2016 with Canada’s Wonderland and Cedar Point. Canada’s Wonderland was supposed to get a B&M Dive Coaster, but the project was moved to Cedar Point as Valravn, and Canadas Wonderland’s B&M Dive Coaster, Yukon Striker, was delayed until 2019. In the meantime, Canadas Wonderland invested in unique flat rides. I also assume Cedar Point’s intention was never to open a massive rollercoaster in 2024 right after the renovation of the Boardwalk, which already included a new rollercoaster and was definitely an expensive project. According to permits filed, the Grand Pavilion cost $12,000,000 alone. Usually, parks like to spread out massive capital projects by at least a couple years. If Kings Island did have plans for a massive 2024 addition and these plans were delayed, which is a big “if,” then there is no telling how long these plans would have been delayed. Cedar Fair plans rollercoasters and other major additions at least a couple years in advance, so they already probably have big additions lined up for 2024 and 2025. A delayed project at Kings Island cannot necessarily just be inserted into the following year because, by this point, capital has most likely already been allotted for other projects for the next couple of years, and it makes more sense to just delay Kings Island’s project until a year like 2026 to avoid delaying and moving other projects with delivery dates already locked in. This is probably why Canada’s Wonderland’s B&M Dive Coaster was delayed until 2019 because Mystic Timbers, Steel Vengeance, Twisted Timbers, Hangtime, and Railblazer were probably already in the works for 2017 and 2018.

I also voted no. SlingShot was fun to watch, but it was kind of an eyesore. I kind of hope Xtreme Skyflyer meets the same fate as SlingShot if and when Action Zone gets revamped. Like SlingShot, I think Xtreme Skyflyer is a bit of an eyesore. Removing that ride would also open up that section of Action Zone and possibly allow for the addition of a flat ride or two.

People’s complaints usually do not stem from intense hatred for the park but rather from their passion for the park. I have not seen a single person on this forum or anywhere else comment that, as a whole, they do not like Adventure Port. People are just offering their critiques on the area because they want to see Kings Island be the best it can be. As good as Adventure Port is as a whole, it is not perfect (nothing is), and they want to see the park improve what it can. We have already seen the park fix some of the audio and theming on Adventure Express. Why can the park not fix the rest of the audio and theming on the ride?

I kind of hope that Kings Island closes Adventure Express the next couple of days to really work out the kinks with the audio on the ride and in the queue. There is also now audio in Cargo Loco’s queue, but it is very quiet. The speakers in front of Enrique’s still seemed to be off. I unfortunately did not get a chance to see if the speakers were working in Adventure Express’ entry plaza. I hope all the technical glitches get resolved before Adventure Port officially opens.

I wonder if Kings Island is the “test park “ for this new Single-Use Fast Lane system. Kings Island was the “test park” for the original rollout of the Fast Lane system in 2011, and by the next year, it was rolled out to other parks.

A lot of the water slides have been down in Soak City through the week. I know some have been down for maintenance reasons, but is it typical for a few of the slides to be closed during the week at this time early in the season?

I definitely feel that Cedar Fair and Kings Island have been nickeling and diming guests recently. The price of lockers (which should be free) has gone up this year. Food add-ons that used to be free (like queso and guacamole) are now an up-charge. Some food items are now just gone. Now the Ride Photo Booths around the park are trying to sell you a Coca-Cola product in addition to an on-ride photo and pins. Now there are single-use Fast Lane stands trying to sell you more. Paper maps are now a thing of the past. On top of that, now you can ride Kings Mills Antique Autos and see a Progressive advertisement. While this does not affect Kings Island as much, Cedar Point has tried to save money on labor by not only cutting Forbidden Frontier altogether but also cutting most of the live actors from Snake River Expedition. That being said, I really do like the money Cedar Fair has put into theming recently. That should not come at the cost of guest experience, though. Like how much more revenue does charging for queso and guacamole actually bring in? How much of the budget does printing paper maps really take up?

I agree that these Single-Use Fast Lane passes need to be high priced and limited in supply or else Fast Lane lines are going to get way longer, which will also make the standby lines move slower. Also, if you look closely at the top of the cart in the picture, it used to be an Oreo Churro stand. LOL!

This picture was posted by Roger Goffinet on the Kings Island Season Passholders page on Facebook. It appears that Kings Island is getting ready to roll out a new Single-Use Fast Lane System similar to Disney’s Lightning Lane or Six Flags’ Single-Use Flash Passes. I assume carts or stands similar to this one will pop up in front of other major attractions like Mystic Timbers, Diamondback, The Beast, and Banshee. What are your thoughts on this new Fast Lane product?

It closed after 9:00 PM last season, which I thought was already too early.

Does the train close even earlier now than last season? I think I saw it backing up around 8:00 PM the other day.

I saw a post on Facebook claiming there are pink markings on Vortex’s old plot of land. Can anyone confirm or debunk this claim?

Here is my review of Cargo Loco and Adventure Express as well as my thoughts on Adventure Port as a whole. During this review, I am keeping in mind that not everything is necessarily 100% finished so far. For starters, I thought Cargo Loco was really fun. The ride is very quiet, and the barrels can be checked quickly by the ride operators since there is not really a restraint. The presentation and theming of the ride are also on point. The queue line is on the short side but well themed. I do not think any of the speakers in the queue line were tuned on yet, but I hope that the speakers play themed music once they are activated. Overall, Cargo Loco is a great addition. With Adventure Express, I absolutely love the new entry plaza and theming in it. I also really enjoyed the posters and props in the queue and station. The theming is on point. Again, the speakers were not turned on in the queue or entrance plaza, so I cannot comment on the music selection. When it comes to the actual ride experience, I like the additional props and signage throughout the ride as well as the station master spiels. I also liked the audio in the final tunnel was more audible. I know Kings Island is probably still working on it, but the effects in the final tunnel were not great. Many of the statues were at least not lit up at all, but I assume this will be addressed soon. I also was sad that the audio is the station is still very quiet. There is a whole new station master spiel in the station or at least the old one has returned, but I could barely hear it. Overall, I really did like the new Adventure Express, and I hope Kings Island addresses the broken effects soon. Moving on to the area as a whole, I LOVE the theming around Adventure Port and the overall aesthetic of the area. It is just really presented well. I especially love the physical props placed throughout the area and the details painted on the buildings. The Coca-Cola Marketplace, especially, looks really nice (the park just needs to replace one of the lightbulbs). I am not crazy about the the brown roof of the Mercado and Enrique’s or the unthemed exterior of the restrooms building, but these shortcomings do not detract much from the area in my opinion. I do feel like the theming is a little bare in the open space beyond the planter and seating in front of Enrique’s, but I hope the hanging flags over the midway do happen in that area. Once again, the speakers around the area have not been turned on yet (outside of the Mercado’s patio), so I cannot really comment on the music selection in the area. Also, is it just me, or should there be sign hanging from that one pole in front of Enrique’s. These are just nitpicks about an area that may not be complete. Like I stated above, I really do love the new area so far. The pictures below are from the Coaster DAD. I cannot wait to see Adventure Port once it is all finished and ride Sol Spin!

I saw this on Twitter. Not a fan at all of ads like this, especially on a ride in a place where I believe a themed poster used to be. I always preferred Cedar Fair’s method of advertising on the FunTV’s instead of physical props and posters around the park. I guess this is what needs to happen to bring in advertising dollars when half the FunTV’s are not maintained and do not work. Speaking of things not working, Mystic Timbers’ theming is in a sorry state. One of the TV’s in the queue showing the video cameras is out. Additionally, a lot of the shed effects are broken, and most of the flickering shed lights are not on. Also, I have not heard the audio spiel on the stairs leading into the station in over a year. Moving over to Area 72, the audio on the Werd Radio car is broken. Also, I feel as if the soundtrack in the area as a whole needs to be turned up as it is kind of hard to hear. Also, I do not get why the gate leading into the pre-show building on Orion is closed half the time. I get that it may be guests that are flipping the gate, but it should not be that easy for guests to do. I unfortunately did not check to see if the lights that had been broken in the meteor had been fixed or if the soundtrack was playing in Orion’s station. On a positive note. I do like that the Bud Light Seltzer stand has been reskinned to fit the theme of the area better. Please know that these complaints are not meant to bash Kings Island but to bring awareness to areas that I know Kings Island can do better in. I love the attention to theming around the park, but theming is really only effective and valuable when it is working properly. Kings Island has restored broken theming and effects like with the Adventure Express overhaul and brining back the Festhaus glockenspiel, so there is no reason why these effects that worked just a couple of years ago cannot be restored. I just want Kings Island to be the best park that it can be.

A lot of people seem to have had a hard time spinning the barrels on Cargo Loco. Apparently, some of the barrels were tighter than others, and that is supposed to be adjusted. I had the chance to ride in one of the “looser”barrels, the potatoes barrel, and I was able to spin so much that it hurt (in a good way). Hopefully, the other battles are like this soon.

https://jobs.cedarfair.com/kings-island/jobs/18191?lang=en-us This is really good for Kings Island. There is currently a waitlist to apply for a seasonal job as all seasonal positions have been filled as of now. This also means that there is no reason for staffing to be bad this year around the park or Soak City once all the local schools are out for the summer.

I am honestly pleasantly surprised with the level of theming in Adventure Port so far. I hope Kings Island keeps it up.

I really do not get the decision to go for the lower capacity Zamperla Endeavor. If money was an issue, Diamondback’s repaint or The Racer’s retracking could have been pushed back. Theming could have even been cut to budget for the larger capacity model. It doesn’t really make sense why Kings Island went with the lower capacity model. I think it is either a deliberate business decision (Fast Lane sales will probably increase with such long lines) or Kings Island had to settle for the lower capacity Zamperla Endeavor to get it open in time for the season.