[GRAIN AND GRILL NEW FOR 2023]

I feel like Kings Island has gotten a little “cheap” this year with food operations. Places like Coney Bar-B-Que and Chicken Shack have slimmed down their offerings while places like Enrique’s and Grain and Grill are nickel and diming guests for queso, guacamole, and sauces—all things that used to be free. People can say that it is fine because the meal plans are still a great value, and that is true. However, for all the guests that do not have a meal plan, some meals kind of seem like a rip-off.

[Adventure Port Construction Updates]

1 hour ago, Tr0y said:

I’m assuming Adventure Port will be open for Memorial Day weekend? I can’t picture the area being completed in regards to theming considering how far behind they are but the rides will be operational.

What is making me doubt a Memorial Day Weekend opening is that Kings Island has not yet announced an opening date for Adventure Port. For Carowinds, Worlds of Fun, and Knott’s Berry Farm, they announced the opening dates of their new attractions weeks in advance.

[Adventure Port Construction Updates]

10 minutes ago, Shawn Meyer said:

Is this area accessible to guests right now? I know by Coke Free-style it's closed. 

This section of the midway is open. About where Adventure Express’ old entrance was, the walking pathway has been temporarily re-routed through the Mercado patio and Enrique’s

Also, while I really like the new sign, there is only any signage in one of three entry points into Adventure Port. It would be cool if when (or if) the banners are hung around the area, they read “Welcome to Adventure Port” or something by the Coney Mall and International Street entrances into the new area.

[2023 General Kings Island Discussion]

23 hours ago, Tr0y said:

I’m curious how the park plans on completing painting Diamondback now that officially the regular season has begun. Unless they close it during the regular operating hours I have little faith it will be completed till the regular season is over.

@BoddaH1994 said the repainting of Diamondback would resume in August when Kings Island is closed during the week.

[Adventure Port Construction Updates]

28 minutes ago, BoddaH1994 said:

Wrecking ball or prop?

I think they are working on the bust of the head (like the ones on the final lift hill of Adventure Express) that is going in front of the Adventure Express entry plaza. There is a foundation poured for it, and it is also in the concept art.

[Adventure Port Construction Updates]

4 hours ago, Sixflags82 said:

On a more positive note they are now playing thematically accurate music in adventure port 

Did the music sound more custom or was it just more thematically appropriate song choices? Either one is an improvement, but a custom soundtrack would be REALLY cool.

[Adventure Port Construction Updates]

15 minutes ago, BeeastFarmer said:

My heart weeps for the two redbud trees they planted in the deforested grassy area in front of AE last year.  I sincerely hope they were relocated elsewhere.

Those are really some beautiful trees. I hope they were relocated, especially since the park lost some trees this off-season.

[Adventure Port Construction Updates]

33 minutes ago, IndyGuy4KI said:

Park Confirmed. We are getting the 24-seat capacity!

That’s really too bad. Seems like a big oversight on Cedar Fair/Kings Island’s part.

[Adventure Port Construction Updates]

I tried to find any similarities/differences between the 24 and 48 passenger models, but there are not many visible differences besides the solo and side-by-side seating. Kentucky Kingdom’s Scream Extreme (24 passenger model) at least has a similar foundation style to Kings Island’s Sol Spin with it not just being one massive concrete pad, and, while these pictures do not make the comparison apples to apples, Sol Spin appears to have a larger foundation than Scream Extreme, so maybe Sol Spin will be the 48 passenger model. Notice how the actual foundation in the middle extends into the outer ring on Sol Spin but not on Scream Extreme.

[Adventure Port Construction Updates]

17 minutes ago, rlentless said:

I had thought we already decided or confirmed months ago it was the 48-seat model.  I just really hope the article listed above was a misquote.  KI always installed the larger people eater rides in the past.  Like our giant spinner that pulled itself apart.

I thought so too.

[Adventure Port Construction Updates]

2 hours ago, KI Guy said:

If it is in fact the 24-seat model, this is the definition of a short-sighted decision. The equivalent (24 seat ride) at Kentucky Kingdom gets a line and far less people go there. 

I could understand the 24-seat model at a smaller park like Michigan's Adventure, but not Kings Island. For the relatively few dollars saved (or time saved on the build date?) they are getting half the ride in terms of capacity.

What’s crazy is that Kings Island may be getting the exact same low capacity ride model as Kentucky Kingdom with more than three times the annual attendance. Skylab had a capacity of 60 riders per cycle. 24 riders per cycle is pathetic in comparison. People are also going to be scared away from the ride if they have to ride it solo because they will not be able to sit next to anyone.

[Adventure Port Construction Updates]

9 minutes ago, SonofBaconator said:

Call me blind but I see 48 seats in the concept art

Unfortunately, it is just “concept art,” so it may not be accurate in regards to the current plans. I really hope the text in the Amusement Today article is a typo because the 24 passenger variant would not have great capacity for a thrill ride like this. That would be really unfortunate for Kings Island.

[Adventure Port Construction Updates]

58 minutes ago, Sixflags82 said:

According to the latest issue of amusement today it's going to be the 24 seat model

That’s too bad. I wish Cedar Fair would have purchased the 48 seat model for more capacity. Even Six Flags has purchased the 48 seat model. What’s odd is that a November edition of Amusement Today mentioned that Kings Island’s Sol Spin would be the 48 seat model.

[Adventure Port Construction Updates]

9 hours ago, Aaron88stang said:

I would guess they just stained that concrete to match the midway. They need to do the whole area. 

I do not think the concrete is “stained” necessarily. The concrete mixture itself is a different color, so I do not think Kings Island could just “stain” the Mercado patio without removing all of the concrete and pouring new concrete.

[Adventure Port Construction Updates]

6 minutes ago, SonofBaconator said:

Is it safe to assume that the brown roof of Mercado/Enrique’s is here to stay- or rather not to be changed?

It seems like the brown roof will not be changed at this point, but I suppose there is still a chance. Unfortunately, I also think the shade structures on the Mercado patio are not going to happen as the support beams likely would have been built before the concrete was poured or foundations for the support beams would have been poured before the concrete was poured. I guess anything is possible, though, considering they just ripped up some of the newly poured concrete.

[Adventure Port Construction Updates]

One interesting change that Kings Island made this past week was that they ripped out part of the plain concrete from edge of the Mercado patio bordering the midway and replaced it with the colored concrete of the midway. I really like this change. It makes the midway seem a lot less like a bottleneck compared to before even though it is technically the same size. Before, it seemed a lot tighter than it was. I attached two Kings Island Central pictures for reference. One is from April 14, and the other is from this past weekend.

[Adventure Port Construction Updates]

Adventure Port is looking really nice. I especially like the theming in the queue for Cargo Loco and around Adventure Express’ entrance. I do hope that before it opens, the banners from the concept art are put up around Enrique’s. That is the one part of the new area that looks a tad like a “concrete jungle” in my opinion.

[2023 General Kings Island Discussion]

With weekday operations starting this Wednesday, May 17th, I wonder how the Diamondback repaint schedule is going to look going forward. While a lot of progress has been made, there is still a decent amount to be done. I doubt that Baynum Solutions will be able to finish in the two days the park is closed before weekday operations start. Maybe Kings Island will close it during the week for repainting? That would be my best guess.

[W&S Tennis Tournament to possibly move to Charolette]

1 hour ago, Hawaiian Coasters 325 said:

I'm honestly not surprised that they are considering the move. Charlotte is one of the fastest growing cities in America and while I'd hate to see it leave here, I think there is more room for growth in a place like Charlotte who has better infastructure than a mature market with not the best infastructure like Cincinnati. While I will say infastructure has been improving around here, it is hard to pass up a fast growing market like Charlotte over a mature market like Cincinnati who's growth is very slow. 

While Charlotte is a much faster growing city than Cincinnati, a growing population does not really matter that much for a major tennis tournament where most people are coming from out of state and out of country. Cincinnati is more centrally located than Charlotte, allowing many people from the Midwest to be able to drive to the Western and Southern Open every year. The advantage Charlotte has is that it is near a large international airport with flights to many more cities and countries than you will find in Cincinnati these days.

Where a growing population would come more into play is with the events like concerts and festivals the new facility would host. An entertainment district could also be built up around the facility much easier in the city of Charlotte than in a suburb of Cincinnati. In my opinion, I think the tournament should stay in Cincinnati, and the new owner can just build a new entertainment district in Charlotte if he really wants to as abandoning the Linder Family Tennis Center would be a huge waste. The tennis center exists for the sole purpose of hosting the Western and Southern Open, and if the tournament leave, it will likely sit largely abandoned. Without the millions in maintenance it receives each year, it may fall into disrepair and may even just be demolished after a while.

One of the alternatives to moving to Charlotte that is being considered is expanding the existing facility in Mason to be able to host the expanded Western and Southern open in 2026 as well as its concerts, festivals, events, receptions, and junior tennis tournaments. I would personally love to see that as it would be great for the local economy and would bring more visitors to Kings Island.

[2023 General Kings Island Discussion]

It looks like the asphalt was either redone or seal coated behind the Eiffel Tower and maybe in Rivertown as well. Although I would rather Kings Island replace the asphalt with anything but asphalt, the touching up is nice as the asphalt was not looking great as of recent.

[Adventure Port Construction Updates]

From the webcams, it appears new colored concrete was poured today around the new Adventure Express entry plaza.

[Adventure Port Construction Updates]

1 hour ago, BeeastFarmer said:

I'll see for myself in a couple of weeks, but it looks like this will be a home run.

I wish they had chosen a different surface for the Mercado (beirgarten)  patio, from the pictures it looks like plain concrete. 

I hope they put themed garbage cans in. 

Everyone, enjoy the park today!

Kings Island have the nicer “Disney” trash cans in Adventure Port. I hope Kings Island puts decals on them with an Adventure Port logo like at Aeronautica Landing or the Boardwalk. Also, I feel like many of the other trash cans in the park have had their decals removed. Most do not even say Kings Island anymore. I would like to see Kings Island put new Kings Island logos on each trash can or area specific logos, but it has been like this for at least a year.

 

3 minutes ago, Benjamin22 said:

Noticed two things yesterday. 

1: It looks like an old arrow mine train is being used as theming, it looked like a crash train near the track.

2: it looks like it might have gotten a new or refurbished chain lift. Ik that it got The Vortex chain but yesterday I noticed maintenance Unpacking a new chain.

It would be cool if Adventure Express’ lift(s) got programmed like Mystic Timber’s lift to go along with an audio sequence or even a whole show sequence (on the final lift hill.

[Adventure Port Construction Updates]

24 minutes ago, PKIDelirium said:

Despite what the map says, I think they might have dropped it from being part of Adventure Port. No repaint, and no new concrete to or around it.

It doesn't really fit in either AP or I-Street, honestly it would probably fit best in Coney. There are better things that building could be used for.

I don’t mind too much if it is not part of Adventure Port as it would not add much to the area, but it would have been cool to see the banners hanging all the way down that pathway. I do hope that we still see the banners around the area, though.

[Adventure Port Construction Updates]

Does anyone know if the Airbrush stand is actually going to be a part of Adventure Port? Right now, the map lists it as being in Adventure Port, but the colored concrete does not even extend all the way to it, and its color scheme does not fit the theme of area at all.

[Fence Ring around flag pole]

To be fair, the one set of temporary mental fences around the right side of the entrance has been there for at least a year. Kings Island could at least have installed a nicer more permanent fence. Even nicer temporary fencing like the fencing surrounding the temporary VIP Louge would be a huge improvement.