Losantiville Mining Co.

If my math is correct, this year will be the 25th Halloween Haunt/Fearfest event (2000-2025, skipping 2020). Maybe we'll see something fun for it, maybe not. Dorney Park did Halloween Haunt V for their fifth Haunt. On the topic of the seasonal events calendar, I looked and it appears that last year they were released on March 4th. I wonder if we'll see them sooner or later than that.

I believe Boo Blasters is a Sally Ride trademark, so whatever goes in would either need to be a collaboration or not use any of the current BBoBH themes/IP. There would also possibly be some issues trying to fit a coaster in there due to the ceiling heights — no matter how low to the ground it is. Personally, I'd like to see another omnimover dark ride go in there. Save the coaster for an already vacant spot in the park.

The park website has been updated with attraction pages for RiverRacers and the new/renamed slides in Splash River Junction. It looks like Bluegill Lagoon is the water tower area, Riverbank Slide Out is the renamed Aruba Tuba, Salamander Sliders is the 7 new slides, and the Tadpool is a pool for the smallest swimmers. Nothing has been added yet for the new blue ice cream stand, but the pages for all of the front gate shops (KI Trading Post, KI Collections, and Convenience Corner) have been removed. Maybe they'll be renamed, but who knows. Off-season is quite exciting this time around! April can't seem to come fast enough!

Update: I've been doing some more work on my KECO park design, including seasonal events! Right now I'm working on FearFest (and a rebrand of Halloween Haunt) and getting some ideas out as a branding exercise. For those wondering, the font is CCPrimalScream (from AdobeFonts), it comes in red and in green, and it looks like the original FearFest logo without being a direct copy. I'd like to add some blood drops or textures to it so it can be its own thing, but that can be done later. The current Halloween Haunt logo uses Gill Sans Ultra Bold with modified kerning and a rough texture applied. I was directly inspired by Billie Haas' rebranding exercise of Six Flags FrightFest (https://www.billiehaas.com/six-flags-fright-fest). She has more awesome work all over her website, so be sure to check it out! The new FearFest logo in red and in green. The new logo with a (fake) sponsor. (FYI: FrightFest is sponsored by Snickers and Haunt was once sponsored by SafeAuto) And finally, the new logo in monochrome — you can't always rely on colors in your logo! Let me know your thoughts! I also have a summertime haunt event idea in the works that I may share soon.

If Kings Island put you (yes you, dear reader) in charge of one non-ride/non-coaster last minute addition to the park for the 2025 season, what would it be? Assume all of the permitting/ordering/installation is taken care of and goes smoothly. I would put some money and effort into upping the amount of trees, shade, and dedicated cooling stations around the park. That way guests who would like a cup of cold water can get one without needing to go to a bee-covered soda dispenser or spend $4 per bottle. It would also help the park in their hypothetical quest to remove water dispensers from soda machines. Maybe put one in that Rivertown refresh stand by the arcade that is always closed.

Maybe it will be the fourth coaster to be added to Cedar Point in four years (I kid, I kid — I hope they don't get another major coaster before Kings Island does)

I thought Georgia Surfer just got renamed/rethemed to Georgia Goldrusher? It would be a fun thing to see either way!

Not that it means anything, but it looks like Cedar Point is the only park in the Six Flags Midwest Region that has released their events for 2025. Every other park in this Region either has no events listed yet or they have Education Days and Grad Nite (which I think was only shown on SF Great America's website). East Region: Carowinds, Six Flags Over Georgia, Great Adventure, Great Escape, Six Flags Over Texas, and Six Flags Fiesta Texas have all posted their events. Dorney Park still has last year's events/event dates listed. It's also notable that Kings Dominion's passes are all the same prices without Winterfest as they were with it... West Region: It looks like Knott's is the only park that has any events listed so far. I'm hopeful that the company deems Kings Island worthy of keeping/expanding it's events, but I also hope that parks across the chain don't get the short end of the stick like CGA and KD have gotten so far.

Viva La Fiesta is a similar event from Six Flags Over Texas and Six Flags Fiesta Texas. I'm curious to see what it will look like at Carowinds this year!

Carowinds released their events schedule this morning with some notable differences. They now have the Legacy Six Flags Spring Break daily operations for two weeks in April, a new Summerbration event (dates not yet listed), and Star-Spangled Nights and Viva La Fiesta are coming in July. As of now, neither Grand Carnivale or the Summer Music Fest are returning in 2025. The Legacy Cedar Fair SCarowinds, Oktoberfest, Tricks and Treats, and WinterFest (+ NYE at WinterFest) are all returning. Now that we have confirmation that events are being shared between parks across the whole chain, I'm eager and a little worried about what we will see at all of the parks who have yet to announce their events.

The progress on Epic Universe has been looking great! The trees are growing in nicely and all five lands are themed really well. I'm really interested to see what it looks like from the ground once June rolls around and the park has been open for a little bit.

Serious question because I don't know the answer: Is there another park in the chain that brings in the numbers/cash/positive business more than Cedar Point does? People already travel multiple hours to go to Cedar Point, is there a reason to not try to get those numbers at another park that people would travel to?

Just realized that I forgot to put the Food and Wine Festival on the topic list, whoopsie! Also, I feel the need to clarify that Dorney Park's Summer Nights is a Latin festival— more like Viva La Fiesta than the similarly-named events at Knott's and Cedar Point. It was a really cool event and I hope it returns to Dorney next season! I'd also like to see Grand Carnivale and Viva La Fiesta combined into the same event on paper, but I think they should keep their names. Keeping the names/branding would help keep the overall cost per park down and would probably save the chain from over-extending their brand recognition. Haunt and FrightFest would be good for this treatment as well! Share some of the mazes (including some of the IP ones), move the events around between parks that might need a rebrand, and maybe spice it up a little so there would be less kids and strollers clogging up the pathways (sorry to people who bring their young kids). It looks like 2019 was a really good year for events at Kings Island. There were more than a few special events advertised, Grand Carnivale was brand new, and Haunt had received five new and original attractions — each with nice theming and dedicated signage IIRC. Kings Island had an event called Island Nights in July 2019, but from what little I could find about it, it only happened on Friday nights in July in Soak City. I could've sworn there were ads in the dry park for it being a big coming-in-2020 summer event, but I've only found two July 2019 Facebook posts with bit.ly links that now redirect to the park's homepage. The WaybackMachine has nothing on it either. It would be nice to see it be a big dry park event in the near future!

(Double-posting so I can separate my thoughts from the prompt) Some of these events can be combined/standardized with others taking place at the same time at different parks. I would like to see a Spring Break/Scream Break at Kings Island as a very small event open to Prestige Passholders. It would add value to that pass option and could let some seasonal employees get trained earlier. Additional bonus: use it as a time to have a job fair booth. Grad Nite would also be fun, especially as an exclusive school groups event — the downside being that it would probably require part of an operating day or two to be taken from the public operating calendar. Oktoberfest should (and probably will) be combined into one event with the same offerings across the board. It should also come to Kings Island, because it's an obvious fit! There could also be room to bring back some former events/seasonal offerings as a "new" event, name change, or rebranding opportunity. Imagine a HalloTween at Six Flags Great Adventure (where they had FrightFest Extreme in 2024) or a Scream Break at Carowinds (a potentially higher ROI on some SCarowinds items). Finally, my favorite idea I'd bring back: A fresh, new FearFest could even find its way back to Kings Island if the circumstances were right!

Out of all of the combined Six Flags seasonal events, which would you like to see shared between parks? From what I've found, the new Six Flags has about 17 seasonal/annual events at two or more parks (not including some park-specific events like those at Knott's). They are described as follows: Spring Break "School’s out and thrills are in. There’s no place like Six Flags for Spring Break." Scream Break "When darkness falls at Six Flags Spring Break…it’s time for Scream Break!" Viva La Fiesta "Join us for an exhilarating celebration of cultural richness and spirited traditions. Immerse yourself in a vibrant atmosphere filled with captivating sights, lively sounds, and mouthwatering flavors that the whole family can enjoy. Delight in exciting live entertainment, savor authentic dishes and beverages, and engage in special activities, all while experiencing your favorite rides and attractions. Viva La Fiesta promises an unforgettable experience for everyone, so come and join the celebration!" Grad Nite "Dance, ride and celebrate! Grad Nite gives graduating seniors a once-in-a-lifetime bash. Even school chaperones have a blast!" Grand Carnivale "Myth and magic come together as you experience cultures worldwide through a dazzling parade and interactive street party filled with performers and dancing, international cuisine, and more." July Fireworks (+ Star Spangled Nights, 4th of July Celebration, Light Up The Point) "Enjoy the holiday with family and friends as fireworks light up the sky over Six Flags on July 4th Weekend." "One of the largest fireworks displays in the Midwest will ignite the night at Cedar Point® for two nights, July 4 & 5. Set to an electric summertime soundtrack with patriotic melodies and today’s hits, the display will overtake the skies above the famous Cedar Point Beach near the front of the park. Special exclusive VIP viewing experiences will also be available." Summerbration "Join us for Summerbration at Six Flags Great Adventure, the ultimate summer celebration filled with exclusive, limited-time entertainment!" Boardwalk Nights (+ Dorney Park Summer Nights, Knott's Summer Nights) "When the sun goes down, the Cedar Point Beach and The Boardwalk at Cedar Point electrify with larger-than-life entertainment, over-the-top food & drink, games for the entire family, music & dancing, lights & sounds that inspire the best summertime dance moves and more. From kids to adults, all will enjoy Boardwalk Nights – the perfect addition to a day at Cedar Point, right in the heart of the summer." "Celebrate the best of Caribbean and Latin American culture at Dorney Park’s Summer Nights, the hottest summer activity in the Lehigh Valley. Let yourself be transported to tropical shores with live entertainment, authentic Caribbean and Latin American food and drinks, and family-friendly activities. " Oktoberfest (Legacy Cedar Fair) "Experience Germany’s world-famous Oktoberfest at Carowinds. As Carowinds' latest addition to its outstanding lineup of fall events, Oktoberfest offers authentic German food, beverages, music and family-friendly entertainment. Plus, the park’s most popular rides are open, making Oktoberfest a must-do event for the whole family." Oktoberfest (Legacy Six Flags) "Oktoberfest boasts craft and seasonal beers, mouth-watering German-style meals, specialty desserts, oompah music and of course the Chicken Dance!" Halloween Haunt (+ SCarowinds, ValleyScare, Knott's Scary Farm) "Halloween Haunt is the most immersive and haunting Halloween attraction in Greater Cincinnati, with a combination of unimaginable scares, chills and thrills that can’t be found anywhere else. The fully transformed amusement park features bone-chilling scare mazes and scare zones, sinister live entertainment and hundreds of horrifying creatures lurking in the fog and hiding in every corner of the park waiting for you. Haunting Halloween activities plus some of the most exhilarating night rides in the country, including The Beast, Orion, Diamondback, Mystic Timbers and Banshee make this one of the best things to do for Halloween in the Cincinnati area." Fright Fest "It’s thrills by day and fright by night with haunted houses, scare zones, spine-chilling shows and your favorite rides." Tricks and Treats (+ Tricks and Treats Fall Fest, Knott's Spooky Farm) "Experience Dorney Park like never before at Tricks and Treats, our all-new, family-friendly Halloween event. Celebrate the season with mischievous tricks, tasty treats, and so much more. Everyone in the family is sure to have a boo-last with our spooky, kooky Halloween activities for kids and adults. Come dressed in your finest Halloween attire for our Halloween costume contest. Plus, we’ve got skeleTONS of delicious seasonal treats, drinks and, of course, candy! If that’s not fang-tastic enough, enjoy your favorite family rides delivering the amazing thrills and chills found only at Dorney Park." Kids Boo Fest "You’ll find tons of fun for your little monsters with treat-or-treating and family-friendly Halloween activities." Veterans Weekend "Join us for Veterans Day Weekend as we honor those who have served and sacrificed for our country." Winterfest (+ Knott's Merry Farm) "Returning in November is WinterFest for the park's most magical event of the year. See Canada's Wonderland transform into a holiday spectacle with millions of sparkling lights, festive foods, and amazing entertainment." Holiday in the Park (+ Christmas in the Park) "It’s the most wonderful time of the year with millions of twinkling lights, festive shows, holiday shopping and delicious treats." Other Events Other events are seen at specific parks, such as Knott's Peanuts Celebration, Knott's Boysenberry Festival, Ghost Town Alive (at Knott's Berry Farm), and Celebration Canada (at Canada's Wonderland). Similar versions of these could be formed at any park in the chain. Some of these events are somewhat equal (such as the 4th of July celebrations) while others have notable differences (Fright Fest requires a separate pass to enter mazes while Halloween Haunt does not). Which would you like to see go to which parks? What would they look like? Share your thoughts below!

According to Wikipedia, CGA opened on March 20, 1976 and was the first of the two Marriott parks. The lease on the land ends in 2028, with 2033 being the end of the extension if they choose to take it. I would think it would be better to skip having seasonal events this year if it means they can do a 50th anniversary celebration in 2026 before closing for good (if it is to happen so soon).

Random thought: I wonder what the fence will look like once they're done building everything. Will they be painted or "bare" wood? Leaving them bare would be cheaper, but wouldn't look as nice. Putting plants in front would also look nicer than being left bare, but would be more work to take care of.

The left side being heavy is the biggest issue I've been having as I continue to play with the logo. The added height on the "K" makes it harder to place on the map I've been making and would be a little tricky on letterheads/the wavy scheme Cedar Fair put on their ads. I tried stacking the words for the KECO park I'm trying to design and it looks much better to me. (If you would like to know more and possibly help design, there is a new thread in the Off-Topic forum). Below is the stacked logo for that park. This looks much more balanced! You may be able to flatten it out a little depending on what program you're using. I'm on Adobe Illustrator since it's what I know how to use, but it was hard to recreate each letter without drawing it from scratch. I'd be interested to see more if you do choose to flatten it out!

I think it's a fun idea that could also play into the "Kings" part of Kings Island, but between the two I would rather have Grain & Grill. IMO the original dining concepts are better than franchises like Chik-fil-A, Subway, and Starbucks. I will say if the park was forced to change out some of their dining options for franchises then I would be super open to getting a Burger King.

The Kings Crown Some logo ideas for your weekend enjoyment. I originally tried to completely replicate the whimsical font seen on the 1971 park sign below. That didn't work out so I made my own font (a modified Tuppence) with the crown from the billboard. I really like having the crown. I don't know if I like having the crown and the flag, but the way the curve flows (in the bottom logos) is kinda cool. In my mind the flag could stay the similarity between logos in the Six Flags chain. It's playful, references the park name, and calls back to a piece of park history.

If given the choice, what name would you pick for a rebranded Kings Island Soak City waterpark? I'm working on a personal project that involves making a map of realistic additions/changes I would make to Kings Island. One idea involves rebranding Soak City like California's Great America (South Bay Shores), Carowinds (Carolina Harbor), and Cedar Point (Cedar Point Shores) have. My goal is to move the theme a little away from "generic tropical waterpark" and more toward "let's play in the creek/river", a la Disney's former River Country waterpark. Most of the ideas listed play toward that river theme and some could be considered references to Cincinnati's river history/identity, the Little Miami River (which KI is right next to), and the way that the KI&MV RR links the dry park and the waterpark. Feel free to vote for multiple name ideas and suggest your own below!

Solar panels in the parking lot would do some wonders for Kings Island. The benefits everyone have listed would be more than worth the trouble IMO. There are other good practices that would also improve the parking lot experience, so the park would not necessarily need to install solar structures across the entire lot.

unfortunately, plastic-y corporate-y logos are cheap and easy and are just what a corporation overseeing 42 decently sized parks would need if they were to rebrand. We could assume there are some parks that are already unique enough and knock, let's say, 5 new logos off of that list. That leaves 37 parks that would need new logos. That's a lot of moolah to spend between logo design, manufacturing of signs and materials, and other accoutrement. Good corporate branding practices dictate that there should be some similarity between logos. I'd personally like to see some retro logos come back, even if they a small bit of Brand Identity attached. Maybe I'll try my hand at a little logo design

New Year Update! It looks like we have our first look at the 2025 souvenir bottles. The bottle may be different than previous years (I have the drink plan, so idk). This particular makes it look like the Legacy Cedar Fair parks are the only ones listed on the bottle (SFEC might wait to add Legacy Six Flags parks until the drink plan is available at all current SFEC parks). It's low-resolution but I think the bottle shown specifically says "FREE REFILLS 2025 Season". Image from https://www.visitkingsisland.com/dining/drinks-dining-deals We may also soon see a slight redesign of the Legacy Cedar Fair park logos (either only online or elsewhere). Cedar Point adjusted their logo in 2018 and recently updated their main park sign in 2024. The change is slight, but noticeable when you've been staring at it as long as I have. Note the "da" and "P", "i", and "t" on the signs in the image below. I doubt any large physical signage will be changed, but we might see something happen. The Cedar Fair wordmarks (like currently exists at Kings Island, Kings Dominion, Carowinds, etc.) are each a specialized version of the font that CF/SFEC use. The new logo is a simple wordmark written in Gibson Bold, with the classic wavy flag dotting the "i". Image from https://www.reddit.com/media?url=https%3A%2F%2Fpreview.redd.it%2Fcurrent-sign-at-cedar-point-v0-p3kbpgc11mbd1.jpeg%3Fwidth%3D1014%26format%3Dpjpg%26auto%3Dwebp%26s%3D8480effc0d84fabbb302cb59953a7f8fce762667 I find this kind of stuff to be interesting, so if anyone finds other new stuff like this feel free to put it here!

Awesome work! Surely it's normal behavior to think about Haunt all year (my Haunt hyperfixation/creation/idea is shown and recorded on a thread somewhere here). Where did you get the maze layouts? The dark ride concept is super cool!!