Timchat2

The Good Gravy queue is very impressive. So much detail to take in!

On the Grand Carnivale page the text mentions "As the parade concludes, thunderous music builds to a crescendo and our King and Queen kick off an end-of-night finale filled with fireworks, lasers, lights and drones." Does this mean the parade will be later this year? Didn't it start at 7:00PM last year?

I wish I could like each of these comments more than once! Having flames coming out of the pedestals would have been spectacular. As much I loved Fun, Fireworks & Fifty it felt like a missed opportunity with the flame effects to have a major "NOW YOU WILL PAY!" moment to honor Adventure Express. There is something really special about having the familiar daytime environment totally transform during a nighttime spectacular. Fantasmic at Disneyland is especially impressive since all of the show infrastructure is essentially invisible (or at least as invisible as that much equipment can be) during the day.

The new International Street has been great for the additional seating and the ability to host parades and nighttime spectaculars but the fountain redo was definitely a major miss. It's unfortunate the park did not seem to recognize how much the pedestals and larger fountains are a big part of what made the Royal Fountain so iconic. I can't imagine it will happen anytime soon but hopefully they revisit the fountains to make them truly royal again.

While I enjoy RetroSpect, having the Royal Rhythms during Grand Carnivale made the event feel all the more special since you got an entirely different Bandstand show for a couple weeks. A big part of what made Grand Carnivale great in its best years was the interaction with all of the GC characters throughout the evening. You would meet them at the opening ceremony, take pictures with them around the park, dance and sing with them during the parade and then they would all gather at the Bandstand for the big goodbye of the finale. In 2023 (and presumably 2024) with the performers still doing their daytime shows during the event it doesn't leave them much time to be the characters for Grand Carnivale. The opportunity for those special guest connections are lost.

Impressed by the scope of the decor. It's a bit like a localized Grand Carnivale. Also, there is different music playing on International Street presumably for the festival.

Narration can have its place but I agree that with nighttime spectaculars it is better to show than tell. Ideally the music and visuals will let the audience know how to feel.

The Food & Wine Festival could be a preview of the summer events that might replace Grand Carnivale at some point soon. Worlds of Fun and Dorney Park are both offering Summer Nights events instead of Grand Carnivale this season, so Kings Island might do something similar next year.

The setup is looking pretty nice so far throughout Tower Gardens with the tables and small Grand Carnivale-style tents, along with the decor in Oktoberfest to tie that area into the event as well. It will be interesting to see how guests react to the offerings.

Like Adventure Awaits before it, Under the Stars is great way to end an evening at the park. During a time when entertainment offerings are being cut back at many regional parks across the country we are fortunate to have a nightly spectacle of this scope so close to home.

The hot dog and the Ranch potato salad are really good. The potato salad in particular is one of the better tasting sides I've had in the park even if it isn't the healthiest. The red potatoes appear to have been roasted and then mixed into the salad so there is that added dimension of flavor.

There appeared to be a full rehearsal with drones and fireworks Wednesday night according to posts on the season passholders Facebook group.

On a similar note, it appears that some live shows at Six Flags Great America and Six Flags Fiesta Texas will only have performances on the weekends, unless these are just the schedules for the early weekends of the summer. The Six Flags live entertainment lineups are already pretty lean, so it will be interesting to see if this is a way to save on performer hours at the parks that still have shows.

Snoopy's Soap Box Racers was cycling tonight. The sound bites from the characters as the train moves through the course are a cute touch.

At Thursday's preview event we waited probably 75% of the inside queue (after the metal detectors). The ride ran consistently and our total wait was probably around 45 minutes. Re-rides were allowed in the last hour and we essentially walked on twice.

https://10best.usatoday.com/awards/travel/best-theme-park-entertainment-2024/ It's interesting to see Under the Stars coming in at number five on the list of Best Theme Park Entertainment considering the show doesn't debut until May 24th.

Along with Melt's issues as a chain lately, table-service restaurants don't really fit the current Cedar Fair dining plan model so it was only a matter of time. I wonder how much longer Chickie's & Pete's will stick around.

The new lagoon show has a lot of potential as well. Marathon of Mayhem and Ghoulish were great at HHN so it feels like Universal is getting a stronger sense of what makes a good nighttime show. If they can tie in all the beloved classic Universal Parks IP like Ghostbusters and Back to the Future we could have something pretty special.

Outside the Kings Island Theater:

Racing (Racer) Mini Eclairs at Sweet Spot:

The space under the stained glass window at the Festhaus has been painted dark brown. It is apparently becoming the Festhaus Bar. The existing Oktoberfest Bar is still outside by Viking Fury.

Some of the beef, which has a chopped brisket texture, was a bit fatty but otherwise had nice flavor. The portion was very carefully measured and ended up seeming like a better amount of protein than the shrimp and pork skewers. The potatoes are the same as the potatoes bravas but without the sauce/coating. The pierogis don't seem to be an option this year.

Honey Soy Glazed Beef and Garlic Potatoes from Grain & Grill:

Is "Axe Axe Baby" an axe-throwing game? It appears to be replacing the soccer game under Diamondback. Also, has the Coca-Cola Refresh at the train always been called "Libation Station"?

Valleyfair seemed to do a nice job on Grand Carnivale working within their means but it did seem like a large event for a smaller park. Between the reduced 2023 version and now only three parks still offering the event in 2024, will this be the last year for Grand Carnivale overall?