Timchat2

I always make a point to do a slow stroll around the carousel in the evening as well. Hard not to feel grateful to have such a special place on a warm evening so close to home.

It was indeed a beautiful evening. The park has come so far in terms of atmosphere and charm these last few years, and nights like tonight really bring the point home.

We noticed the slightly odd focus on the day ending instead of adventure. I was hoping we would get a big Adventure Express "NOW YOU WILL PAY!!!" moment with the flames bursting on either side of the fountain. It felt like a natural addition for Fun, Fireworks and Fifty but I get that they were trying to cover a lot of ground last year. Still though Adventure Awaits is all sincerely presented and original music is almost always welcome.

Agreed. This feels like a "sustainable" level of spectacle considering how much time and money FFF likely cost the park. They didn't have to go as hard as they did, including a new original song, so it appears that the legacy of FFF will live on through higher production values for the nighttime shows.

The show casts really brought a lot of energy to their preview performances today with a lot of familiar faces along with some promising new talent. Phantom Theater Encore has some nice little changes as well that enhance the character beats.

That's unfortunate. The vibe around Adventure Port at night is lining up to be something special, and that's even before all of the elements are in place. Hopefully the park can figure out a way to keep some "nice things" around despite some of the guests' behavior.

The 70s on Demand and RetroSpect both had what looked to be full dress rehearsals today. It might be worth keeping an eye out tomorrow and Friday for other previews.

Showtimes have been posted on the official site. The schedules appear to shift a bit during Grand Carnivale: Phantom Theater Encore May 27 - 29 | June 1 - July 21: 2:00 PM, 3:00 PM, 4:30 PM & 5:30 PM July 22 - August 6: 2:00 PM, 3:00 PM & 4:00 PM August 7 - 13: 2:00 PM, 3:00 PM, 4:30 PM & 5:30 PM No shows Mondays. The 70s on Demand May 27 - 29 | June 1 - July 21 1:00 PM, 2:30 PM, 3:30 PM & 5:00 PM July 22 - August 6: 2:00 PM, 3:00 PM & 4:30 PM August 7 - 13: 1:00 PM, 2:30 PM, 3:30 PM & 5:00 PM No shows Wednesdays. RetroSpect May 27 - 29 | June 1 - July 21: 7:15 PM, 8:00 PM, 8:30 PM, 9:15 PM & 9:45 PM July 22 - August 6: 6:15 PM, 8:00 PM, 8:30 PM, 9:15 PM & 9:45 PM August 7 - 13: 7:15 PM, 8:00 PM, 8:30 PM, 9:15 PM & 9:45 PM No shows Tuesdays. Off the Rails June 10 - July 21: 1:30 PM, 3:00 PM, 4:30 PM & 6:00 PM July 22 - August 6: 2:30 PM, 3:30 PM & 5:00 PM August 7 - 13: 1:30 PM, 3:00 PM, 4:30 PM & 6:00 PM No shows Thursdays.

I've had the same experience. I love the idea of the new dessert items but they can sometimes end up "trapped" in a busy location like Enrique's. Fortunately you can grab-and-go at Coney BBQ and Sweet Spot.

https://www.visitkingsisland.com/events/grand-carnivale Grand Carnivale will run from July 22 - August 6 this season.

I definitely appreciated the gesture of the past and present connecting, but it also reminded me how the older logo has more warmth and distinct character.

The Golden Celebration would have been a perfect (golden?) opportunity to switch back to the classic logo. This addition is an encouraging sign that someone at the park loves it as much as we do.

Oops, my mistake! Whatever the dates I'm just happy to have the event back!

So far all of the Grand Carnivale parks have posted their dates except Kings Island. Carowinds, Kings Dominion and Valleyfair are June 24-July 9. Worlds of Fun is July 22-August 6. California's Great America (as Carnivale at Orleans Place) is July 19-August 6. Assuming there are two sets of floats the dates for Kings Island will likely be July 22-August 6.

RetroSpect is apparently a show being developed for five of the Cedar Fair parks this season. All of the those parks also will host Grand Carnivale so it might be happening in place of the Royal Rhythms this year.

I absolutely agree. It would be a perfect early-season event. After the expanded ambition of the Golden Celebration season I was hopeful that 2023 was the season we'd finally see it happen again.

I agree. I LOVE seeing the park put some more thought into how the colors of the ride interact with its surroundings.

I'd imagine we'll see a version of Let's Get Wild from Kings Dominion. It looked be very well-received there.

I suppose it is easy enough to consider Festhaus and Viking Fury as "extensions" of International Street.

Jingle Jazz.

I believe A Peanuts Guide to Christmas has been performed outside by Joe Cool's Dodgem School in previous years. Holly Jolly Trolley has been stopping in that general area more recently. Maybe Peanuts are moving back outside again?

https://www.kingsdominion.com/events/november-nights Kings Dominion will be doing what appears to be preview nights of some WinterFest shows and activities before the official start of the event. It would be fun to have this at Kings Island.

We really enjoyed NyteWalkers. There is so much to absorb that we liked it more and more with each viewing. My only complaint is that the audio system doesn't feel like it puts out much bass. A nighttime show like this should have a full sound to match the energy of the cast and the visuals. As for the other shows, it is GREAT to see a full live band return to Monster Rock. With a cast of veterans and newer performers it is back to its classic high-energy self. Terror Rising is already pretty solid, so hopefully any missing elements will enhance the show all the more. I liked having the extra energy of the live guitars and dancers. After the Golden Celebration further elevated the level of entertainment at the park this summer it's great to see the ambition continue into Haunt!

The only featured items that appear to be available in the evening are the specialty drinks around the park and the dessert items at Sweet Spot.

Another vote for Dent Schoolhouse. It's probably one of the best produced houses you'll find outside of Halloween Horror Nights. The sets are ambitious and very complete (as in no blank walls) so you really feel like you're in each environment. But like others have said it is less of an evening since the experience (minus the wait) is about a half hour. Land of Illusion is a good bet for an evening of Halloween fun, even if it isn't quite to the quality level of Dent. The Haunted Trail is indeed impressive in scope.