RingMaster

Seeing as how Cemetery Drive takes up the entirety of International Street and Freak Street took up a sizable portion of Planet Snoopy, I'm under the assumption that BB will be in another one of the major areas of the park (and that Nightmare Alley moves to Action Zone from last year's position in front of KI Theater). It's a toss-up between Rivertown and Oktoberfest, in my opinion. I had a nice, hard laugh reading the description of Board to Death. If the maze is built and staffed to its full potential, I can't wait to see how they poke fun at infamous games like Monopoly, Chutes and Ladders, Mouse Trap, etc. And then there's Delta Delta Die...and I'm once again reminded of the last maze that featured an all-girl cast, 2010's Death Row. Let's hope they found female actors who know how to scare and aren't from Club Blood and it should be a good maze; I've witnessed times where the chicks one-up male actors in intensity and scare tactics instead of being a mere distraction.

I don't know what's the crazier rumor, KI's Seeker moving to Knott's, or Knott's Seeker moving to Worlds of Fun: http://www.screamscape.com/html/knott_s_berry_farm.htm

They've done it for several years with Halloween Haunt, and they may do it again this upcoming season. But, I mean, this is the same exact thing that has happened TWICE within less than five years with the kids' area, once when the rest of the former Hanna-Barbera Land was transformed into Nick Universe, and again when the whole "Universe" changed into Planet Snoopy. Popularity issues notwithstanding (by that I mean arguments that the ageless Peanuts brand is less relevant in this age than the constantly evolving Nickelodeon brand), people are fine with the changes.

There's a difference between pushing the envelope by creating attractions that are well thought-out and creatively scary (Madame Fatale's, Urgent Scare), and pushing the envelope by resorting to shock value (Afterlife Idol, Half-Pint Brawlers). The latter is worse if you have nothing to back up the rest of your event should you get any kind of recognition from it, and even then you run the risk of putting your event in a negative light and/or turning potential customers away altogether, much like the whole Steve McNair fiasco. I think we might be leaving behind the use of attractions meant to get a rise out of people like Club Blood (although now I'm growing increasingly wary towards Delta Delta Die if what I'm thinking might actually come to fruition) and start to build houses that are meant to actually SCARE people and have creative elements. 2011 was the start with Holiday Horror and the new fear zones (Nightmare Alley & Cemetery Drive), and last year's Cavern of Terror knocked everyone out by delivering an incredible Haunt experience, so this season we should hopefully see more examples of this new direction they're going into.

YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS! I want my Phantom Theatre Mr. Ouimet!!! Phantom Theatre: R.I.P. (Reconstruction In Progress). That was the name I've always wanted/brought up for a new PT attraction should they ever build one.

There are some slight rumors that Universal Orlando will be doing a slender maze this year. A lot of that rumor is coming from the "root of evil" fake blog that they have been doing for quite a while now. Ill get a link to it shortly. Well, they've already got one house based on an "Urban Legend" with La Llorona, but I heard the Resident Evil franchise might get the HHN treatment; Universal Japan debuted a scare zone and house based off the video games last year. So far, the confirmed attractions include Cabin in the Woods, Evil Dead, The Walking Dead, Urban Legends: La Llorona, Havoc: Derailed, and After Life: Death's Vengeance. Another new house is being announced in just two hours from now, and that's rumored to be based off the film American Werewolf in London. I was under the assumption you were talking about the ones in the Greater Cincinnati area, of which even only a handful of those (Dent, Land of Illusion, maybe Nightmare) change their layouts on a yearly basis.

Those several, privately owned, haunted attractions have long since buried that "old idea", no pun intended. They realize that, in changing up a fairly large portion of their attraction year after year, they can catch last year's crowd off guard and, more importantly, get them to tell others about the new stuff so that they will go themselves to see what's new. Also, those same several, privately owned, haunted attractions are consistently ranked amongst and have to compete with the top haunted attractions in the nation, so change is good. KI's Haunt is super crowded only because 1) it's free with park admission, 2) it's at an amusement park, and 3) annoying, spoiled kids get dropped off there with no adult supervision just like during the regular season because 1) it's free with park admission. Not saying putting an upcharge on the event will put an axe to the massive crowds and the annoying, spoiled kids (again, no pun intended), but it would finally give the park a wake-up call when the crowds stop coming in droves because they don't want to pay for an event where everything stays the same.

Canada's Wonderland is in Canada. Does that mean California's Great America is in California, too? Or is it really in Illinois?

Oh lord, I'm so far behind... But at any rate, isn't the 27th the first Sunday after the first Saturday of the season? It couldn't POSSIBLY open to the public that day, as CinFin has their buyout that day every year. Leviathan opened up the 6th of May last year (Sunday), but opened up to passholders on the 27th...of April (Friday).

Surprised that no one here mentioned the fact that, not only are the footing markers from Son of Beast on the blueprints, but the footing markers from King Cobra are on there as well.

I'm still of the camp that believes the "Amusement Dark" trademark is for marketing purposes for the Haunt.

He really does! Anybody know who this guy is? Any background on him? Is he a local actor or just a long-time member of the Haunt team? It seems like he definitely has an acting background just based off of how well he plays his character. He's been a part of Haunt for quite some time. He was the DJ the first year of Club Blood but then became a back-up Undertaker when the original (from 2006) left. He, along with the Undertaker character in general, has been the event's mascot ever since, despite Corporate's insistence on the addition of a chain-wide mascot, the Overlord.

It is so obvious double lift hill They're gonna be double lift hills themed to rainbows... ...wait. Rainbows? Little woodland critters? Oh, no... It's gonna be the world's first coaster themed to My Little Pony named RAINBOW DASH! RUN FOR THE HILLS!!11!!1?!!

That's a logo for a metal band called Banshee. I've seen it before. Actually, it's the logo to one of Netherworld's (based in Atlanta, GA) haunted attractions called Banshee: http://www.fearworld.com/haunts.php I was waiting for someone to bring this up as someone on here has said logo as their profile picture.

Did you email Lance your thoughts about what these three may be? 'Cause his post is almost word for word the same thing: http://www.screamscape.com/html/kings_island.htm Aside from that, this got me thinking about Board to Death. I assume BtD to be replacing Mysteria, a haunt that, at first glance, I thought would be similar in nature to one of Halloween Horror Nights' own mazes the very same year it debuted - The In-Between: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g-Jz7loJSJE The story behind the house is that two college dorm-mates snag a board game from a professor's office, unbeknownst to them that the "game" is actually comprised of cursed ancient runes that transport them to a demon world simply called the In-Between. I could potentially see Kings Island doing their own take on said attraction as it would leave a majority of the former Mysteria relatively unchanged (this wouldn't be the first time a KI Haunt and an HHN haunt shared the same theme, see Club Blood). Or, I could be completely wrong and this could instead be a trek through a toy factory that specializes in manufacturing demonic board games and other children's novelties. At least then it would finally give people the Doll Factory maze they've been wanting for years now.

B&M builds whatever Kings Island wants. Just because they built a giga somewhere doesn't automatically mean that KI's will be a giga. And to your remarks on the last invert being built in '06, there have been a few built in the last few years, heck, OzIris was new this year. Also realize most US parks by 2006 already had a B&M or Vekoma inverted coaster. Kings Island does not. Also, a B&M inverted coaster rides very differently from Invertigo, Flight Deck and Firehawk, not to mention it'd be a nice line chewer, something Kings Island needs, particularly in Action Zone where most ride lines can get pretty long.Just because ki lacks a[ giga] doesnt mean they want/need a[ giga] You kinda set yourself up there. I also think you're quite adamant on remaining ignorant of the vast majority of coasters outside the US. Save for the lone B&M Giga. In CANADA. Speaking of which, that Mitch Hawker poll from last year? The one someone touted as saying Intamin took most of the honors on the top 12 (and because no one apparently trusts the Golden Ticket Awards anymore)? The ones in bold are American coasters. And to add further insult to injury, Skyrush and Shambhala debuted last year alongside Leviathan. Skyrush is 200 feet tall and was ranked 7th, Shambhala is 250 and was ranked 6th and Leviathan is 300 and was ranked 18th. Aside from the fact that B&M's premier giga ranked second to last in the top 20, the only other giga in the top 5 (Millie was ranked 14th) was beat out by two hyper coasters, 1st Place being in Germany. Also, Nemesis has been around since 1994 and has been in the top-tier list since this poll's inception.

The renderings had the track a bright yellow, but someone decided on black for the real deal. I still wished they would've went for the yellow.

First thought: Whoa whoa WHOA. They got rid of Mysteria?! That only leaves CarnEvil as the last haunt from the 2001 Paramount FearFest. Anyway, I think I have a good guess to where at least one of the new attractions will go. - Delta Delta Die (DDD): I can almost guarantee this will take Massacre Manor's spot; most of the previous theming can stay intact as I'm assuming we're receiving a sorority house under siege (Cedar Fair's take on Busch Gardens' Delta Epsilon Delta [DED]). Although now I'm worried this will be the same as the change from Death Row to Mysteria (or more like from House of Darkness to Fear Street Nights/Massacre Manor), with a minor costume change and maybe one or two new scenic details. Please make this wow me. - Backwoods Bayou: The Bier Garten patio now looks to be almost unusable without a roof over some of the seating, but it looked as if they replaced the old benches with ones that easily be taken out to make space for a maze. Unless, of course, they move CornStalkers yet again and BB goes inside Tower Gardens. Or it could be in a whole new location (maybe a brand new trail has been built?) or maybe a new fear zone taking over either Oktoberfest or Rivertown. Either way, cannibalistic inbred maniacs (not counting Slaughter House) making a return to the Island after they went extinct from the dinosaurs? Count me excited. - Board to Death: At first, I thought this would go in Hangar 13 (opposite Flight of Fear), but I think they might permanently axe that location for Crowd Control purposes (X-Base has always been a literal nightmare trying to weave through traffic for two coasters and a haunted house in an alley). If not, then perhaps we may set sail aboard a ship; maybe the pirates will make a return back to an indoor location, or the focus will shift more to a cruise liner reminiscent of the Titanic. Or this could actually be a new show. Have no clue. And yes, I did just come up with all of this in my head just now.

With what has occurred within the past 48 hours, I believe said thread may have been deleted from existence.

Ever been on Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey at Universal? It doesn't go 200+ feet in the air and isn't made by Intamin, so, no, he hasn't.

With the recent teases involving owls and the "No Camping" signs pointing to a potential forest-themed attraction, I am now thoroughly convinced that these guys: ...aren't scarecrows. They're woodsmen. The name is actually meant to describe the sport seen in lumberjack competitions, but either way goes. And while plenty of axe-wielding maniacs in lumberjack garb have terrorized campers and unsuspecting passersby in pop culture over the past several decades, I think there is one in particular dangerous and legendary enough to warrant a ride named after him - The Huntsman. Anyone who has either read the fairy tale of and/or has seen Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs remembers the Evil Queen ordering a huntsman to take Snow White out into the forest and kill her, bringing back her heart as proof. Thankfully, and in the spirit of a happy ending, the huntsman lets Snow White free and brings back a pig heart instead. But what if it were the opposite, and the huntsman actually succeeds in 86ing 'Ol White-As-Snow and, overcome with blood-lust, stays in the forest to prey upon more victims? Numerous times people have hypothesized the idea that this new attraction may be revealed during the run of this year's Haunt, and if this batch of pure speculation somehow manages to bear fruit, then we could see a potential maze tie-in dubbed...Feary Tales (Scary Tales is taken by Universal's Halloween Horror Nights). A trek through horrific incantations of popular fairy tales and children's nursery rhymes, all leading up to a finale scene with the big bad Huntsman himself? Sounds like a plan. Of course, this is all speculative conjecture and should not be taken as 100% fact.

Spoiler alert: EVERYONE looks to pop culture, literature, and entertainment for inspiration. And in reality, HHN should be the one seen as a cash grab as they go for mazes based directly off a popular film and outnumber their original IPs 2-1. Last year's Orlando HHN saw Silent Hill, Walking Dead, Alice Cooper, Penn & Teller, and the Classic Universal Monsters take front and center with only two original houses (Gothic & Dead End); this year already has mazes set up for Cabin in the Woods and Evil Dead, and is rumored to have ones based off Resident Evil and American Werewolf in London alongside the return of Walking Dead. Knott's Scary Farm has proven they don't need to utilize direct adaptations of films to get guests through their turnstiles (or at the very least prove their own IPs come first) and they are the only Haunt in the chain that can literally compete with BOTH Halloween Horror Nights events, no matter how hard Kings Island tries to market their version.

For several weeks I had been wondering why I hadn't heard of an event or even a mention of this being the tenth year for KIC. Now I can wonder no longer.

At the rate the park has been going since 2009, Action Zone is essentially the last section of the park to receive a facelift. Most of Rivertown's pathwork was relaid with brick pavers to coincide with Diamondback (as well as a new entrance plaza for Beast), the kids' area underwent yet another (although less drastic) transformation to Planet Snoopy, the entirety of Coney Mall was relaid with the same pavers as Rivertown along with Windy Seeker and DA!, our water park was gifted a brand new entrance, a second wave pool, and a new path connecting the family raft slide to the kids' water areas, all under the new moniker Soak City, and International Street has been given incremental changes to its scenery with new pavers and the removal of several large concrete planters. The only other area left relatively untouched is Oktoberfest.

Do you not remember the controversy a few years ago about some props for haunt and live animals in Slaughter house? They've had controversial elements ever since they received the Haunt moniker in 2007 when Club Blood debuted (really since 2006 with the first incarnation of Holiday Horror).