Losantiville Mining Co.

I think if the park really wanted to have a good spot for it, Timberwolf amphitheater is right there. It wouldn't be the easiest to accomplish, but would theoretically only require the removal of the stage and seating sections closest to it. After that a new stage could be built closer to the remaining seats. The park might even be able to splurge a little and get a covering for the area like the International Showplace has. If there's no more use for the whole amphitheater, why not reuse some of it and demolish the rest? I think it was removed as part of the cuts seen across the chain. Kings Island was one of the only big Legacy Cedar Fair parks that didn't suddenly lose a coaster (Wonderland-Time Warp; Carowinds-Nighthawk, Scream Weaver, Drop Tower; Cedar Point-their skycoaster; Dominion-Anaconda, Berserker, Skyflyer, go karts, and two children's rides). Canada's Wonderland removed theirs for AlpenFury, possibly planned before the merged financial situation was clear to the then-CF execs. If the 2026 attraction goes there I think it will either have been a sudden change or a poorly planned exit for Xtreme Skyflyer. Kings Island didn't lose any events (RIP to KD's Winterfest), the entertainment seems to have stayed its course (thank goodness), and the park is receiving some much needed maintenance across the board (especially with all of the restroom renovations). I think the park made it out far better than expected considering what has been happening throughout this new Six Flags chain. Now for my specific thoughts on the 2025 lineup. I thought this entertainment release timing was somewhat standard for Kings Island, although I can't remember much about it prior to 2023. I'd prefer if they would release it and the events sooner for everyone who has to plan trips before February though. I know everyone was going crazy waiting for the events lineup, but that was released on March 4th — the same day it was released in 2024. Kings Dominion is celebrating their 50th anniversary and the only entertainment I've heard about is their Clown Band, a parade, a Peanuts show, and the Gazillion Bubble Show (which is also in their big theater). Is it cheaper to hire an outside group/production than it is to make one in-house? Is that why we keep seeing bubble and stunt shows? If anyone has some kind of data to share on this, I'd love to know. Country Crossroads: Hooray!!! I love this show. I'm really happy that it's back for most of the summer. My only complaint is how packed the Festhaus will probably be on hot days. Funny fact: the description is still the same as last year and calls it "all-new". Gazillion Bubble Show: I seriously thought "Bubble" was plural, but I guess not. I enjoyed this one when I saw it last year, but it's not something I'd come back for. It doesn't use much of the theater and seems to use a lot of performative happiness. That might just be what it's like when something is made for toddlers and young children; again, this show's not my thing. It would be awesome if another show could come in for the other half of the summer, but I have a feeling that the Tinker's Toy Factory set is behind one of those curtains and nobody wants to move it : ( [put Wake The Dead in there during Haunt, gosh darnit] HiFi Honey & River City: I'm putting the bands together because they're very similar setups. I really like them, and wish there were more throughout the season. A Bands-in-Residence program would be awesome. Hot Rhythm Nights: Seems very nice! I hope it can be better than RetroSpect! was for me. I saw a show with a very similar name at Dorney Park last summer, and if this one lives up to the hype that one had then I'll be a very happy camper. Kings Island's Nighttime Spectacular: Very very very happy we get to keep our fireworks. I wish the park didn't have to constantly fight to keep them. The name is a little bland for me, but I think that's just because I like to name things even if they don't need one. I hope we get to see many many more years of nighttime fireworks. Meet-N-Greet Experience: Not a show, glad it's there for the kiddos, I wish the Peanuts Showplace could be used for a show though. Trailblazers X-treme!: Speaking of being a happy camper... I won't sugarcoat this: I don't like the stunt shows. The cast and everyone involved are great! I just don't like them. I think these fall into the "Shows for families with toddlers" and "Hype show" categories. I do wish this could be the last year we see a stunt show in the International Showplace. I think even having something like Hot Summer Nights (but a little bigger) would still bring the crowds into the Showplace, it just hasn't happened because of either contracts or because nobody wants to take the set apart. In conclusion, I'm very pleased with this lineup, but hope we can see a little more variety next season. Thank you for coming to my rant : )

There is a drink stand there! it's a bar cart : )

Maybe I'll have to try this concept out in my 2025 map style. I figured it would be better to use the amphitheater and Invertigo plots for this coaster since they're both a bit out of the way and since the Timberwolf plot is not flat at all. The Skyflyer plot would be much better (imo) for any flat rides since it's already flat land and could lead people over to the line for The Bat. The bridge over to the entry plaza would be super nice for anyone coming from the Bus/RV and Banshee lots as well. That section of Columbia Road between the security checkpoint and the dead end doesn't see much action (if it sees any) and a bridge would almost definitely help out the flow of people into the entry plaza. What I really like overall about the entrances at Canada's Wonderland and Kings Dominion is that they jut out into the parking lot a little and feel really centered in them.

I think if the entrance building were to receive a new facade with a renovation of the ground floor, it would look and work much better. Any coaster that might occupy that front gate view would need to work in context with the entrance buildings without interrupting the reveal of the park too much. Concepts for this, like the one I drew below, would also require a high amount of trees to be cut down. I don't like that one bit. I may not be the Lorax, but I love trees. In the spirit of putting my idea on screen so I can hate it for myself, I chose to create what you see below. Meet Timberwolf (or something else that could be wolf related), a front gate coaster that could give the park a reason to renovate the entrance plaza. It exits the former Congo Falls station, curves over the water, and heads up the lift hill, down toward the creekbed, over a new bridge, turns around in that middle planter, goes under the new bridge, and does some more stuff before heading back to the station. The pink is the coaster, the red are new/renovated building facades, and the green are a best case scenario for leftover trees. Like I said, I really don't like the idea of having a total front gate coaster. This is just my idea for if it had to happen.

I hope this years Kings Island map shows the trees like it does on the app! With the switch to this new style, none of the maps currently released (Carowinds, Knott's, Kings Dominion, and Great Adventure) have any trees on them and it makes it look very bare. That was also my complaint about the Winterfest map last year, when it looked even more bare with lots of rides and parts of the map missing.

I hope that if/when they fully redesign the entrance plaza, they either add a bridge from the ticket windows to that side of the parking lot (similar to what Carowinds has) or complete a massive project that would make the entrance more like Canada's Wonderland or Kings Dominion (1-2 central sets of scanners with an exit on either side of the plaza). For this redo I just hope they put up some signage directing guests into each line. That and some retractable fencing dividing the turnstile lines during busy times would be awesome. Nobody wants to wait through a line only to find out that they should've been in a different line because they have a bag or a stroller or something like that. Side note: I think if Kings Island really feels the need to build their own version of GateKeeper, they would find it best to rebuild their entrance/security plaza to be more like Canada's Wonderland has with Leviathan. It's been noted that the offices and warehouses likely prevent any coaster from going over them, so having it curve onto a small "island" in the middle of the center walkway would give the same effect while providing an excuse to do a full security plaza update.

I understand that Cedar Point is advertising on YouTube using one of their YouTube videos, but this feels a little odd. It makes me wonder if the ad is set up to pull from their entire video catalog or if someone just didn't remove this particular ad from the list.

I'll be making a quick trip to the restroom and the renovated store

On the topic of landscaping and the little things, I wish the park would bring back the two planter carts that sat at the front of International Street after the 2019 renovation. They looked like the old taffy carts and added some visual interest, even when there were no flowers in them. I think installing things like those carts, some small kiosks, raised planter beds, and a few other small decorations would give the park a little more charm than it already has.

I think the image on the feed is from yesterday. It has a little timestamp in the corner that didn't update with the others.

I think a fun and innovative addition could be a smaller river rapids ride between Tidal Wave Bay and River Racers, behind Breakers Bay. It would be shorter than White Water Canyon, but would provide a new experience for waterpark guests and a new island for more attractions in the center. The biggest issues I can foresee are space and the lack of tree coverage. My initial concept below includes the removal of Tropical Twister and some cabanas (replaced elsewhere). Additions include: a new river rapids attraction (described above), a new station building for the KI&MVRR (where Tropical Twister was), a new food stand or shop near Splash River and the Zoom Flume, a couple of new slides/attractions within the river rapids footprint, and a new path connecting Stormwater Bay (Tidal Wave Bay) to River Racers. Most of this would coincide with the overdue retheme of Soak City into Wildwater Junction. The theming would move away from "generic loose tropical" and more toward "local watering holes and wild riverside play places". It could play into the area's river history while being upgraded since it is now the only big waterpark in the immediate area. I decided to go with the name Wildwater Junction instead of something like Waterworks because Waterworks sounds more like a municipal plant and some of the other options don't feel like they would fit as well.

Six Flags just released a new "New Hire / Funsultant" ad for various parks across the chain. It begins with a worker man setting up a desk in front of Carolina Cyclone at Carowinds, putting his feet up on it, and getting comfortable as other employees in the background frantically run to get the park ready for the season. The camera then shows the feet of a person wearing high heels walking up to the desk, scaring the man, and adjusting the "Funsultant" title plate on the desk before cutting to a shot of dancers from Grand Carnivale. The ad then shows three shots from whichever park it is specifically advertising and ends with a short promotion of the Silver Pass. I think it's a fun ad (pun intended) with my only question being if we'll get to see more of this "new hire" character. It seems like a good setup for some potential legacy Six Flags parks to update their image, like we've seen through physical changes in parks like Great Adventure. The Cedar Fair side has been shining through in a lot of the new updates and additions, so we will continue to see more as time goes on. (I don't have a link to the video, but if anyone does then feel free to share it)

Bluegill Lagoon Cabana rentals are now on sale from the park, with prices beginning at $359 per cabana. They're decently sized, can accommodate up to 14 people, come with free water + sundries, and "upgraded furniture". You still only get 4 souvenir towels with no passholder discount, but something tells me that anyone willing to split a cabana for more than $350 between (realistically) 10 people, you can probably bring your towels and buy the theme park food and beverages without caring about any discounts.

There's certainly some amount of room on the bottom (long closed) observation deck, but that would surely be too good of an experience for the park to offer (/s). Also, I know Six Flags is purging a lot of employees, but is there really nobody in the office who can photoshop something over a real picture of the Eiffel Tower? I can't dictate if places are allowed to use AI to make stuff, but Cedar Point's April Fools joke looked like it had a little more effort put into the images than just typing the prompt, generating, and posting. Despite all of the AI, I did enjoy the April Fools joke on the Season Passholder page as well lol.

Maybe this and Siren's Curse will do something to help everyone not be shoulder to shoulder on some of the midways this year. I don't think it's a good idea to limit guest attendance, but some of those crowd pictures (especially from Haunt) looked straight up dangerous.

It was a little confusing trying to figure out how the queue line moves through the ride layout. The way the FastLane line and standard line both go under the tilt made me think they were connected horizontally and not vertically. It's interesting to see how the FastLane queue has a little cattle pen area as well. The fact that almost the entire queue is also under the coaster will be very interesting to experience, especially the little bridge over the track.

I got bored and did a cost breakdown comparing 1 day at Epic Universe to 1 day at Kings Island to a Kings Island Gold Pass and thought I'd share it here. I looked it up and here's the math for a Saturday 6/14 visit for anyone who's curious: 1 Single Day Epic Universe Ticket $179.00 1 Single Day Epic Universe Express Pass $239.00 Tax (calculated at checkout) $27.24 TOTAL COST: $446.23 That's nearly $500 for one person, not including travel, hotel, parking, food & beverage, or any other expenses. Everything was about $50-100 higher than the listed "Starting from" price. Not gonna lie, I expected it to be expensive, but it makes me happier about that being the same price for a Kings Island All Park Gold Pass with some of the bells and whistles on it. That cost breakdown for the same day at Kings Island is currently: 1 2025 Single Day Admission to Kings Island $55.00 (online price) 1 all day Fast Lane wristband $135.00 1 2025 Premium All Day Dining $45.99 1 2025 Single Day Parking $30.00 Processing Fee $8.99 Tax (calculated at checkout) $3.10 TOTAL COST: $278.08 And lastly for those wondering what you can get for $14 more than the price of admission to Epic Universe with an Express Pass, a new Gold Pass with the All Park Passport, Gold All Season Dining—All Park, and Drink Plan Plus Paper Cup is only $460.63 at checkout! That's for access to all Six Flags parks with food and beverage included for a good number of them. I'm not going to say they are even close to comparable experiences, but this just reinforced for me how good of a deal this is.

My thoughts exactly! Having all of the parks on one app is very nice, but the current Six Flags app does not work well for me. I'm very biased on this though, so I might have my rose colored glasses on. The best case scenario for having multiple parks on one app would be to separate it by the park regions. I downloaded the Schlitterbahn app to look at their maps and found out that they have both of those parks on there. It still works very well and looks good. Looking at Great Adventure's opening day as well, it's obvious that the Cedar Fair part of the new Six Flags is the dominant one by far. The new map (why do none of them have trees??? just turn on the tree layer I know it exists!!!), the new Coke Refresh stations, the Sweet Spot(s), signage, and the new Great Adventure logo at the front of that park are all in the CF style.

There is, at least in some parts of the construction world, a completion date clause in the contracts where if substantial completion is not done by a set date/timeline then the company has to pay/give a discount to the client. I don't know that it's a common practice, but that would give some incentive to have work done by opening day. I get the feeling that it's more to do with either a new Six Flags policy/practice (or lack thereof) that says it's fine if work is not completed by opening day. Part of it this year could be growing pains. So much reshuffling going on, it's probably easier to not push strict attraction completion dates until a little after park opening.

I wonder how long it will take to merge the two companies systems together. The park mobile apps, pass add-ons, and common offerings seem like things that should be standardized as quickly as possible. Something like FunPix might be a little harder to change since it is based through a third-party (Colorvision International) and PicturePass looks to be done in-house. Fast Lane and Flash Pass might also be lower priority. The mobile apps and websites take some time to develop and change, but at least the framework already exists. I also can't imagine a world in which the Six Flags season pass memberships survive as they currently exist without being brought to other parks. I think I can understand what they're meant to be, but the ticket systems should be more consistent than not. One thought that I haven't seen too much conversation about is this: Does the new Six Flags want to market itself as one big cohesive chain of 42 parks and resorts, or does it want to be seen at the level of individual regions or parks? The pre-merger Six Flags did the first idea. Almost every park was branded using the Six Flags name, there was (and so far still is) one mobile app for all parks, and each park seemed to be the same in terms of how people perceived the company. The pre-merger Cedar Fair did the second idea. While each park offered the same branding and experiences, park names did not include "Cedar Fair", each park got its own mobile app, and, despite having the same baseline factors, each park retained its own distinct identity. Having said all of this, the new Six Flags definitely still feels like it is two separate companies at the guest experience level. Getting into all of the parks is about the only thing guests can do on one All-Park pass. We'll see how much might be changing as more parks open for the season, but I don't think we'll see too much change until after July. Even then, 2026 will hopefully see a turning point for the better where everything is more stable and standardized. I could be talking complete nonsense throughout this post — I just want to be able to use my meal plan everywhere I go. Thank you for coming to my TED Talk.

It is a little interesting that this press release pointed out SF Great America's 50th anniversary, but didn't say anything about a celebration at California's Great America. Now, only 9 out of the 27 Six Flags amusement parks were listed, but I wonder if this will turn out to have been another indication about how soon CGA will close. At this point I'm just more curious as to what the parks will look like as the merger continues. Will we see the Cedar Fair style 50th celebration at SF Great America? Will their new kids area be Peanuts, DC Comics, or Looney Tunes? Will Carowinds and Canada's Wonderland's record-breaking water attractions be clones or will they be special in their own ways? Will Knott's Soak City's refresh be like South Bay Shores or Kings Island's Soak City refresh (barring the potential for SBS signs and stuff to just be moved to Knott's)? Will we see another good thrill coaster at Kings Island after this family thrill attraction? I ask too many questions.

Is there a reason why there is a fence by the wave pools? I think I've seen people post about it but I haven't gone to Soak City in years.

I've always thought Kings Island could use a Derby Racer there like Cedar Point has (even though I don't think anyone makes those anymore).

According to Google Maps, the stated size of the structure would fit into this space. I did not draw a good circle but this shows the amount of space it could take up.

It looks like the page has been completely deleted and is not just temporarily hidden. Adding /summerbration (which normally works for hidden pages) returns an error 404. I wonder if the event is being moved to a different park or needs to be reworked to a point where it had to be taken off the events lineup. Worst case scenario, it's flat out gone and Carowinds has to rely on their other 7 events to bring people in.