BryanJay

Important to note that I still don’t think this is 100% what is in the ride vs early ideations: Bottom row,5th: Final scene where the Boiler Room was in the original. 4th row, 2nd: Larry turntable (with also the same flower setup as boo blasters) 4th row, 3rd: Peppers Ghost (??) stage scene. The 5th scene also looks to be Maestro at the organ again, so I wonder if this is before they got the budget and maybe used more elements from Boo Blasters retrofitted to Phantom (which they still could do but I think it’s a complete rebuild unless they use any props as easter eggs) 3rd row, 3-5: Houdelini, Hilda, and ?? Houdelini again??? Also after much reflection… I actually kind of feel bad at calling the documentary thing underwhelming I apologize. I think I expected more new footage of the animatronics, but this is also a good intro for someone who may not be extremely familiar with the phantom theater lore like me and probably everyone else who was refreshing for this all day. The next episode will be the best one yet.

Potential spoilers from new documentary episode

Simultaneously underwhelmed personally because I knew about this stuff before and not much new footage was shown (I get very high expectations so I expected a full ride pov in my mind ig lol), but very excited that this is a continuing series! What’s interesting to note is that there’s at least 3 private videos in that series, so either it’s a monthly thing leading up to March, or it’s on some other schedule. I also love the opening to the video so much. It’s very well done and honestly should be in like the commercial they’ll inevitably make for advertisements.

… guess I called off work for nothing today

I know Sally Dark Rides have done this with the past with other projects (Treasure Hunt the Ride) and I don't think it would involve much besides changing out the models they used in-game and adding decorations to the ride. Personally, I hope they wouldn't do anything until like 2028 for a Winterfest thing, but also people love the Haunted Mansion holiday overlay so who knows.

I actually really love this, animatronic theater shows are my favorite type of attraction and I’m sad that Kings Island never really had one (I don’t really count any of the action theater shows since they’re mostly movies). Absolutely with a phantom theater stage show, they’d have the bit where Garbonzo is shot out of the canon and shoots out to the back of the theater like Donald in Philarmagic. Semi related, but I always wondered what Phantom Theater would be like if they chose to build it in with Enchanted Voyage boat ride system (Flooded Theater?)

Thank you so much for sharing!! I’ve probably spent hours looking for this over the weekend so I really appreciate seeing this. Here’s what a noticed from it. First looks at Hilda and Houdelini. They both hook great digitally, and with all the others I’m sure they’ll look even better in person (Garbonzo looks sooooo good sculpted out). I’m assuming the character at the bottom is Sir Pretzel, they don’t look like they’d be Lionel to me. Based on how this figure is being constructed compared to the others (with pupils) I think this might be the static figure? Unless they count something like the culture of gargoyle which were also shown. Also the gum chewing comment on the poster is really weird to me, I wonder if that’s a reference to something in the new attraction. The no flash photography rule does make me feel better about this ride allowing photos on it, which I figured since Boo Blasters allowed phones out, but I’d be ****ed if I couldn’t take thousands of photos in this one.

Currently on the live cams, what I assume is some sort of ventilation or electrical work is going on. (Also for my last post I used ibispaint)

These are some very quick sketches I made, but this is sorta how I’m predicting the entrance will look like. At this point, I’m not expecting them to massively demolish the whole facade and more so do a paint job and overlay to make it look different enough to recognize it’s a different attraction, but not anything major since I think a majority of the budget is going into the animatronics and theming. I didn’t want to draw it, but especially since they’re canonically ghosts at this point, I think a small detail to add that would go a long way is putting tombstones in the grassy section of land to the right on the entrance.

So IAAPA is officially over. I have scoured literally every social media platform possible to find more/better footage of the BTS videos and concept art shown in the presentation, but if anyone took any they haven’t shown it yet (If anyone on this forum took it please share) but here’s all the new info/my predictions I have after the event. -Rather than being an abandoned theater that the guests just happen to stumble into, I interpret the vibe now as more as a theater for phantoms and wandering spirits (think the original retirement home idea for the haunted mansion at Disneyland) -The original soundtrack is rescored and will be present in this version. I interpret this as being Maestro’s new composition he discusses “Terror Toccata in D Minor” (unless of course he’s taking credit for bach’s work) -The animatronics on display went through 3 different spiels, and I believe this is the setup we’ll see in the queue. However, I think the particular Maestro animatronic they used will be located at the finale to the ride as opposed to the queue, as this figure has full legs and a “bowing” movement. The Larry animatronic could be in the queue to show off how to use the flashlight, or at the very beginning if they changed from the concept art for the opening scene they showed off. At this point, I think Maestro on the organ is a scene they’ll save for the physical ride (I think in the first room where the graveyard is now), but I really love the dynamic between Larry, Maestro, and the guests they showed off, so I’m fine with that. But I think there will be more that they say in the actual queue, I’d say more of a 15-40 minute loop. - We saw new bts videos showing off the Boiler Men, Arpeggio, the vulture from The Beastie, and Willard being wrapped up (by the ghost notes I assume) into the mummy. -They showed off the flashlight technology, which I’m very curious to see how it works. I wonder if the scoring system will be off of points or how many ghost notes you capture. -The park promises more updates throughout the Winter, which at this point I sorta hope they don’t show off too much more of the ride. Overall very impressed with the event, we got more than I expected. Thank you sally dark ride and Kings Island.

RIP to the Mighty Bosco appearing heavily in this thing, he’s probably still trapped in his dressing room

I already know I’m not going to last a day once the park actually releases merch, because I need phantom theater drink… I need $75 eBay reselling of the IAAPA poster which I’m not even sure is real because they’re selling like twenty of them… I need more footage because I’ve spent literal hours trying to find the footage they play on the side of the animatronics because I don’t know anyone going to IAAPA who can film it for me nor know if they even allow people to film that.

They might be taking down the Boo Blasters signage?? There’s been a storage container there for a few days but it would be for Winterfest so who knows… omg it’s the car how did you know??

I am really intrigued with this footage and I'm scouring every IAAPA video to find it lol. Arpeggio looks really good, I'm kind of surprised that they weren't included in the display as well so I'm not greedy. I don't have the screenshots, but I saw that they're showing off the character posters during it as well, and a vulture and mummy animatronic were in it too. I wonder if the top character they're working on in the third image is Houdelini or another character.

Also just saying tonight I’ll share anymore thoughts because there’s additional footage of the other characters that I only caught a glimpse of, but they did mention giving out exclusive posters to attendees of the unveiling… so likeeee if any of them happen to see this and wanted to discard of it I’m taking donations.

They’re perfect. The music. The voices. The posters. The dialog. Thank you Kings Island. This is better than I expected.

https://content.yudu.com/web/69r/0Aiy7l/ParkworldOct25/html/index.html?page=52&origin=reader So one last little find that might get immediately disproven/proven during IAPPA starting tomorrow (which I’m so excited for I can’t sleep). I found another magazine regarding PTON, which mostly goes over the same details that’ve been released elsewhere, but one line stood out to me that I’m alternating over the meaning of. It says fans will recognize “the signature music themes” and I’m split between interpreting it as “the original soundtrack from the ride is returning” or “the ride still has the themes of music like the original did with organ and musician rooms” But hopefully a lot of details are announced tomorrow and I’m sorta hoping they play whatever music there, but at the very least we’re seeing some animatronics so I’m very happy.

I’m literally so excited for Tuesday it can’t come soon enough. Looking at Sally dark ride’s past displays and from what they’ve shared: It’s publicly confirmed that two animatronics will be shared and the new flashlight technology will be demoed. With these two, 100% we’ll be hearing the new voices for the first time. Sometimes they record speciality audio for iappa, but especially if the two are used in the same scenes together they’ll just use those, which I’m very excited to hear I bet they sound amazing. While it’s not confirmed, I think there’s a good chance we hear a sample of the soundtrack they’ll use for the first time as well. I’m really hoping for a rescoring of the original, but I also have a gut feeling they’ll try to make a Grim Grinning Ghost style lyrical song so we’ll see. Basing it off of their previous headlining attractions they’ve promoted at the expo, there will probably be concept art for a few scenes of the attraction, which I’ll appreciate if they don’t show anything off because I really want good references for the characters so I can draw them. I don’t forsee the ride vehicles being highlighted since Sally isn’t directly involved with creating it. I’m REALLY hoping they don’t show a full layout of the ride, but if the park approves it directly, I’ll probably analyze that. I’m also sure there will be small details released through interviews, which I will probably be checking every source hourly to get.

I do wonder if the centurion or the other statue character would count as the static figure, since they were only technically classified as animated statues in the original ride. Depending on what the classify as one of the 33 animatronic, I’m personally predicting that if the turntable is used, the static figure will be on that since it gives it the illusion of motion and would probably depict a character, but I wouldn’t be shocked if the Centurion would also count for this. Also, with the conditions of the building and such, I wonder if the original paper mache statue that survived could be placed in the new attraction as an Easter Egg. Another random aside, next season I would love for some of the artifacts that they don’t use for the new ride to be placed somewhere in the park. One of the gift shops could be cool if they have a PT area, but I would be worried about sun damage. If the attraction is like REALLY popular consistently throughout the season, maybe making an extended queue into the peanuts showplace and displaying these there could be neat.

The green cobwebs were added after PT. I wonder if the queue will have the red rope queue lines like the original? Also I’d put an almost 0% chance of them doing this, but I wonder if any of the scrap wood/floor tiles could be like chopped up and sold in like the front gift shop like The Beast track or those Vortex slices. That would be cool, but I don’t know if a dark ride carries the same appeal to manufacture that, and I also doubt anyone cares enough about Boo Blasters to have an unrecognizable item like that lol. (I did perhaps take a crumbling piece of flooring from when I worked Boo Blasters and it was going to be thrown away, so maybe I have a rare, one of a kind artifact)

Them reusing that gag would actually fit really nicely since every ride in that building except the original Phantom Theater used it. Also funnier if they blatantly dress up the same figure as like Larry getting chased by the ghost notes or something and that’s their static figure. “Ahhh get away from me, help, save me, oh they’re gonna get me!!! Hey guys, the show is just about to begin, helppp!!”

Demolition Video I didn’t actually think they’d show something like this, but this is officially like the coolest video Kings Island has ever posted for me. This ride is going to be so good Also rip Boocifer

Everyone on this forum's been cool with it, but I dislike all the people who are like "Six Flags cancelled KI's family thrill attraction for 2026 it was going to be a coaster!!! Phantom's a cheap replacement" as if in less than a year they completely cancelled their plans for a coaster, and completely developed a completely original dark ride and built all the effects for it. (Even if I personally would've preferred a family coaster)

I’ve been aware of this concept art for awhile now. On one hand it’s a leak so I didn’t really want to give it more attention, but since it’s been cycling around now, I do truly think these are conceptual sketches and not the actual scenes from the ride because it contradicts with what I’ve been hearing from some people building it. From my view most of these are too low quality to make out, but for example there’s two versions of the theater scene: One with a smaller-scale version of the pepper’s ghost effect and one with a screen. I believe the 3rd concept art is of Larry in place of Maestro’s stage in the beginning scene, and from what I’m told that’s something that’s been changed by this point. Slightly related, but I do hope after the ride opens, they display or share this concept art somewhere. I know recently Knott’s Bear-y Farm released a book about the history of the Knott’s Bear-y Tales dark ride, and while I was there around the time it opens I got a very cute illustrated kid’s picture book telling the plot of the ride, and I’d absolutely love for Phantom Theater to get something like that.

PTON question of the day: I don’t mean to spread negativity through this, but this is more of a thought experiment: What’s one thing that would immediately “ruin” the ride for you if it was included? From everything I’ve seen, I’m really optimistic that this may even be better than the original, but I also have a fear that one aspect will be included that just completely makes me hate the ride for some reason. For me, I think something like including like “toilet” or gross out humor really cheapens some rides I’ve seen used that, and I’m really hoping nothing like that shows up in the new ride. Also I don’t think it would ruin it since two of my other favorite dark rides have them, but I dislike water splash effects in non-water attractions (think the Spider-Man or Transformers rides at Universal) and for my personal re-rideability I kinda hope PTON doesn’t have them.