Losantiville Mining Co.

Kings Island already needs two more slow-moving attractions like the Kings Island & Miami Valley Railroad, Grand Carousel, Kings Mills Antique Autos, and Boo Blasters. I'm hoping for a Phantom Theater revival to replace Boo Blasters. A river cruise attraction would be a good addition elsewhere in the park. Addition through subtraction is not a good model for a park that needs to expand by another attraction or two. Replacing Boo Blasters with another slow-moving dark ride will be a well-needed refresh.

What's weird to me about this particular use of AI is that it looks a lot worse than last year's Fright Fest websites that Six Flags put out. Those looked really good and you couldn't tell it was AI unless you were specifically looking for it in the background images. Speaking of which, brutal opinion here, the Fright Fest websites that are currently published look like absolute garbage compared to the ones from last year. This could be a consequence of the fact that the new versions of the websites/apps have yet to be released, but they don't load correctly, include information from the wrong park(s), and look like a beginner web designer put them together. At least the Halloween Haunt/SCarowinds/HalloWeekends websites still look somewhat good.

That new stage is a much nicer venue than having it by the Festhaus especially with all of the new seating. As much as the design of the festival structure might irk people, it was a much needed space.

I'd assume the current structure is staying unless Six Flags is willing to drop the dough for an entirely new warehouse-style building. The cost of the building itself probably wouldn't be too high, but factoring in the cost of a new ride system and a company that is hemorrhaging money, they need to reuse what they can. If they can get by with using the building as it is now they'll do it. If they do tear down the building I hope they choose to save as many of the surrounding trees as they can and make the entrance not as awkward. It would also be a great opportunity to move the entrance over to be across from the First Aid building so the attraction is not permanently tied to whatever IPs stay/take over Planet Snoopy. You might be thinking too logically for Six Flags... Closing it sooner gives them about 7-8 months to do everything instead of a 3-4 month timeline with even more potential to spill into the normal season. Kings Island has barely opened any attractions on time in the last 5 years and needs to start a course correction. I don't think the building will sit vacant for a year unless Six Flags is willing to further degrade the guest experience at one of their most reliable parks. I'm really hoping we see the return of Phantom Theater, and am made more hopeful by the fact that we haven't seen a similar announcement from the other 3 parks with Boo Blasters rides. Six Flags has historically used Scooby Doo dark rides in their parks, but replaced all of them. I would not like to see a DC Universe / Battle for Metropolis take over that building either. The spooky ride theme has been present since 1992 and I hope it stays. Bring back the Phantom Theater!

If a parent is willing to spend $20+/kid just to potentially traumatize their kids for the night then I'll just look down on them more. The park can say that No-Boo Necklaces do not work inside of the mazes, but if someone is willing to spend $40+ total/person just to ruin the experience then I'll have to assume they don't care about their money. People already complain about how "expensive" Kings Island is to visit, I think this will be a good experiment to see how much guests are willing to put up with while doing upcharge attractions.

I remain hopeful that the money made from the added upcharge will go into staffing the event and making it better than it has been before. We're also seeing three mazes adding sponsors (Alien Abyss/Snickers, KillMart/M&Ms, Slaughterhouse/Skittles), so maybe that will bring some well needed revenue. It should at least cut down on the amount of young children coming into the mazes. I'll be waiting until after the first night of Haunt to decide whether or not I want to purchase a Haunted Attractions Pass, though I may go ahead and buy a ticket for The Conjuring: Beyond Fear. I've spent that kind of money on much less exciting things. Hopefully the park(s) also wait to sell some tickets until later in the season so it doesn't completely sell out before the event even starts. Something I am confused about is why SCarowinds is the only park celebrating 25 Years of Fear, despite both it and Kings Island having run a nighttime Halloween event for the same amount of time. We also aren't seeing any new shows with Dr. Nightmare's Game Show returning again this year. I would've really liked to see Wake the Dead come to Kings Island this Fall, but maybe we'll get lucky next year. The fact that Six Flags is an unethical company is something I've accepted at this point. Nobody at the top seems to publicly understand or have a willingness to run a more ethical company (an oxymoron, I know). Maybe we'll see some change if the new CEO comes from outside the former Six Flags/Cedar Fair realm.

I believe the difference would be that Fast Lane and the Express Pass are now completely separate, unlike previous years when Fright Lane + Fast Lane were combined into one pass at a lot of parks. This is looking like a good way to generate more revenue while cutting down on the number of people who use both the Fast Lane and (now) Express Pass lines on any individual night.

I believe I saw that Six Flags Over Texas completely cancelled their new water parade, possibly for the reasons given above.

I have a feeling that if Six Flags actually finds a way to right themselves more by July 2026 we will not see as nice of a deal next year. The new CEO could bring some good changes to what gets cut and how those things get cut, which could help the sentiment we're currently seeing. It definitely will not be that "40+" parks for the already-discounted price of one unless they somehow retain every park for '26/'27 and split more water parks into completely separate admission. Maybe the FUN Jumper pass (regional All-Parks add-on) will be expanded across the entire chain. I could be entirely wrong about my prior statements, but with a company hurting this bad it would be foolish to keep either the pass prices this low or to keep the number of parks so high. For those wanting some quick math: The current number of "separate" park properties is 41 and has everything where you have to cross a road listed as a separate property/park. That number keeps parks like Fiesta Texas and Hurricane Harbor San Antonio together while Separating Cedar Point and Cedar Point Shores — all being parks that require separate tickets for entry. Removing Six Flags America brings that down to 40, but separating more water parks from their respective dry parks would drive that number back above 40. At the very least I could see Worlds of Fun/Oceans of Fun, Carowinds/Carolina Harbor, and Kings Island/Soak City all being split into separate admission parks for 2026. That would take the total up to 43. The "total" number of parks (including Six Flags America and all included-but-separately-named waterparks) is about 58.

I didn't really think about the part where they'd take partial ownership, which as you said doesn't make a lot of sense. My understanding about the automotive industry bailouts is still coming into focus (even though it's been almost 20 years). Thank you for reminding me about that. Alienating sections of the customer base would indeed also be bad. I will mention the fact that (IIRC) Kings Dominion only gave "finishing our theming efforts" for Pantherian. Six Flags is going to be in some trouble when they officially announce that they've cancelled a number of their previously promised 2026 additions, so hopefully they will do some actual work to offset that.

According to a poster between the Kings Island Theater and the newest refresh station, Kings Island's Halloween Haunt is now presented by Snickers. While no sponsor is currently listed for the event on the park's website, it can be believed that the event website is currently under extended revision/maintenance. There's no body text on the Haunt website right now either. As I've said before, I'm mostly fine with the sponsors and ads because they are a way to generate more money for the park. I think the logo with the sponsor looks a lot better than the Fright Fest logo with the sponsor. My main qualm would be how they go about attaching a sponsor sign to the big gravestone-esque event I.D. sign. It would be a travesty if the big sign was either heavily modified or replaced entirely just to add a sponsor's logo. Long Live the Big Sign (Photo: https://www.visitkingsisland.com/events/haunt)

I wonder if Six Flags is avoiding listing tariffs as a secondary cause/scapegoat for project delays because they either 1) are euphemizing everything including tariffs, or 2) are hoping to get some kind of relief from the federal government if/when they declare bankruptcy (as companies like GM have in the past).

I would say to go with Door #1, renew and get a $99 Kings Island Gold Pass for the rest of 2025 and all of 2026 included. This is a low enough price point where two visits to any park would make the price worth it, and it allows you the choice of going/not going to Six Flags parks on your own terms. With an all-parks meal plan and standard drink plan that price goes up to about $300 total (after taxes and fees). Even that is a good deal considering the fact that Dollywood and other chains passes are up around $250-$300 without the dining plans. I wouldn't get Prestige unless you plan to go on days where crowds are normally lower because otherwise you'll be contending with all of the other new Prestige guests for access to Preferred Parking, the VIP lounges, and the Fast Lane lines. Buying now for 2025/2026 would let you visit any parks that might soon be sold/closed by Six Flags. It might even make for a good series of on-site blog posts for you to write for themeparksbydon. If Six Flags ends up declaring bankruptcy or selling assets sooner than expected then you would also be able to document that. You could wait until 2026 to see if (and when) this offer comes back out for 2026/2027, but then you would lose out on the pre-paid pass access to all of the Six Flags parks and not be able to go as spontaneously as you might want to. If you'd like to continue the course you're currently on in regards to access to parks, dining plans, and other benefits: renew now. If you're fine with going to the parks less and paying for access each time, wait until 2026.

I wonder if that could have been caught and fixed while the ride was down, or if the water system is only able to be thoroughly tested while the ride is in operation.

That is true, but I'd still like to see another stand-out coaster beyond Vortex's replacement and more attractions that the entire family can handle

I wouldn't be so quick on the Warner Bros. Discovery naming schemes. They are currently looking to un-merge and become separate Warner Bros. and Discovery Global again in 2026. I can't recall which company would get which properties, but I think the DC characters and licenses will stay with Warner Bros. while the Looney Tunes properties may go with either. I fear that any changes beyond new signage and paint will only lead to the area having less trees and awful appearances.

I'd assume any agreement they have would either include a clause either allowing time to remove all of the branded theming/characters or one stipulating that the business may continue to run any rides using those characters until the end of the operating day on the specified date. Since the park's NYE operating day would technically still be ongoing for those wee hours on New Year's Day, they'd likely have the ability to at least run some things. They might run into issues for parks that stay open until January 4th (or around then), but there may even be a clause allowing usage until the end of the park's operating season. It all depends on what the contract says about the transition between IPs. Taking down a sign is easy, but they are not going to do that while the park is in operation and the area(s) is (are) open. The license agreement with the Nickelodeon characters would have allowed them to be used beyond 2010, but Cedar Fair chose to end it early. Rights-holders may be super-picky about their IPs, but I doubt anyone involved in this most recent Cedar Fair (now Six Flags)/Peanuts licensing agreement would have allowed it to be so strict about having IP areas closed/removed by midnight on the date the license ends.

Who knows, it might be a great place to install the new* Riddler's Revenge! *Actually about 50 years old and relocated from Six Flags America, America's most recently closed amusement park. It would also be unfortunate because Kings Island was already lacking a little on the other end in terms of things that non-riders can do. If the chain wants to keep it as strictly a family park, why aren't they installing more family attractions that the whole family (including grandparents) can enjoy at once? The KI & MV RR, the Grand Carousel, KMAA, and Boo Blasters are pretty much the only four attractions at the park that I would feel good taking my grandparents on. Add the five shows (with some that don't even run most of the normal season) and that's only nine things for older/non-rider family members to do. That's a market Kings Island could play into more that they aren't. There's also the argument that the park needs 1-2 more super thrilling, stand-out coasters in its lineup beyond the imperceivable Vortex replacement. Families can come to the park all they'd like, but when those kids get to the age where they are looking for a place to go, they won't find as high intensity coasters as they'd like at Kings Island.

Photos have popped up on social media showing crews removing items from Invertigo's station with what looks to be a dumpster on or near a path in front of the coaster. Is Invertigo the next ride on the chopping block? I'll admit the photos appear to be from a known poster (I saw them second-hand in a cropped screenshot), but I would not put it past this company to remove a coaster mid-season with no warning. The temporary fence could itself soon be replaced by a more permanent fence if this turns out to be more than just some temporary movement. Do you think this movement around Invertigo is a sign of it's imminent removal, or is it simply a mid-season temporary closure like we've seen for White Water Canyon and Snoopy's Space Buggies?

I'm sure the parks would miss the ad revenue they bring in.

You could also see a lot of "Why is [coaster x] down???" while you're standing in line for [coaster x]

A new purchasing website for Kings Island's new The Conjuring: Beyond Fear experience has been found. Ticket prices range from $15-$25 based on date of admission and do not include admission to the event or to other attractions. I'm going to withhold from posting a screenshot and from giving out the link out of respect for the park, but I have seen it with my own eyes. I'd like to allow them to provide more information and to release that specific ticket link on their own terms.

The new Haunted Attraction Pass and Haunted Attraction Express Pass have been returned to the Kings Island ticket purchasing website with dates lining up for each night Halloween Haunt is open. Prices are currently set to (HAP/HAEP) $10/$29 for Fridays in September and Thursdays in October, $15/$34 for Fridays and Sundays in October, and varying prices on Saturdays throughout the event. The first Saturday of Haunt is listed as costing $20/$39, while the next Saturday is listed at $30/$54, and the following and subsequent Saturdays listed at $30/$59. November 1st is listed as $30/$54 as well. So it is all but confirmed that Kings Island's mazes will be upcharge attractions this Halloween Season, and that the new HAP/HAEP will not include admission to The Conjuring: Beyond Fear. This information is currently only available by going directly to the website and cannot be found on Kings Island's Halloween Haunt webpage or on the normal ticket purchasing portal. Are you excited? Does this throw a wrench in your plans? I remain hopeful that the mazes will be upgraded this year, at least in terms of staffing. I will have a second post about tickets for The Conjuring: Beyond Fear. Kings Island's ticket purchasing website where this information can be found: https://cf-ki.store.cffunki.com/fastlanewizardstatic/HauntedAttractionsPass?_cid=1750345194.1744563098

I'd think most of the unused land around Kings Island would be harder to develop than it is worth. A nicely-sized neighborhood could probably fit to the east of the Associate Dorms and south of the new Kings High School area, but the entrance(s) to it would be super odd to handle. Then as you get closer to the river you get into flood zones and everything. Anyone who moves into that area would also have to deal with the Kings schools traffic/activities in addition to having Kings Island in their backyard. If they're looking to sell a larger park to another chain I'd hope they could choose something that isn't a former KECO park either. Bankruptcy would be an interesting time to live through. I wonder if they'd force a rule where potential buyers cannot buy two parks that are in the same state/region. That would at least separate Kings Island and Cedar Point from competing in the same chain.

Renovate the food serving lines/register setups to be more like Harmony Hall and put in an American Fare (hot dogs/hamburgers), Chinese Fare (Panda Express), and an Italian Fare (LaRosa's pizza) each as its own line. They've got Mexican fare taken care of at Enrique's and the BBQ at Coney Bar-B-Que, so those may be redundant. Someone else mentioned that the Festhaus might also be a good place for the stunt show to move to. Whatever they do, I just hope it is comprehensive and done well. We do not need to see the building become another soulless gray and beige eatery like so many places like to do these days.