beastfan11

It appears as though our dear friends at CSO/MEMI have brought the hammer down on Coney Island and Sunlite Pool. As of this post, the destruction of the pool has started: 3/21/24 I actually stopped by the park last night before dinner to snag a few pics. Didn’t think today was going to be demo day. Glad I went when I did: 3/20/24 Looks like a lot of working going on in the corner of the park by Lake Como, the interstate, and Kellogg. Maybe this is the site of the new venue? I’ve heard the pool area will be a parking lot expansion… Anyway. I adore this place and hate seeing this happen. But I’m sick, and I plan on doing periodic updates with pictures. So I’ll post them here as things progress.

Just awful. CSO will always be remembered as a villain in this story, fair or not. Did not have to be this way.

Pretty much dead on. The somewhat recent restoration of Music Hall is now ironic as it is hypocritical. On top of their desire to seek tax payer dollars to fund this project for a so called “non-profit.” Ha. CSO/MEMI didn’t have to be the villain, but they’re certainly acting like one. Regardless of what some have said, the pool was apparently still doing well and even turning a profit. I just don’t think the then ownership wanted anything to do with either the wet or dry side of the park. It’s deteriorated over the last ten-ish years to its current, non existent state. It’s my opinion, based on their actions, that they have just wanted to get away from it all. The ride closures solidified that. And that’s a shame because, if ran well, the park had so much life in it still. They deserve a lot of the blame. That said, CSO/MEMI have done nothing to help themselves. They can’t complain about being vilified if they’re going to vocally speak out against the wishes of the overwhelming majority. They don’t have to close/demolish the pool. But they’re choosing to. So, in that sense, they deserve a lot of the blame too. It’s just a garbage situation that could’ve been easily prevented had the park been run properly. There’s room for the venues, pool, and park to coexist. But that’s just not their plan, unfortunately. Hopefully Moonlite Gardens and the surrounding area can be saved. It could be a wonderful addition to their new “campus,” and it would be a nice nod to history. Maybe. I’d be willing to throw my support behind any historical preservation efforts should it come to that. A sad ending, regardless. Hard to believe that for the first time since 1925, Sunlite Pool will not be operating for the people of Cincinnati.

I’m in!

+ 1 for the Grand Carousel. That ride is an absolute treasure.

Certainly hope a buyer can be found, but wish the original owners the best in their retirement. That entire operation is phenomenal! One of my favorite places to visit. Especially around the holidays.

No kidding. Sheesh. Times have changed.

Spot on and well said! Couldn’t agree more.

I think the merger (should it/should it not go through) will have a serious effect on any new, major additions. That being said, Six Flags’ newer track record with dark rides is actually kind of impressive. Something like Pirates of Spleelunker Cave gives me hope that CF/SF hypothetically has the ability to create a really special updated PT or other new dark ride. But do I think they will? NOPE. But between CF/SF, they have the ability to do things the right way. It’s just up in the air on whether or not they do. Regarding the PT effects, a large scale Pepper’s Ghost scene featuring an entire theatre, stage, performers, balconies, and audience members/was is incredibly impressive for a seasonal park outside of Cincinnati. And to say that the effect was a “copy” of the Haunted Mansion is kind of a flawed argument. 1. The Haunted Mansion at the Disney parks is literally one of the top tier attractions in the history of the industry. Emulating that is a good idea. 2. The Pepper’s Ghost effect isn’t even a “Disney” thing. It’s been around for hundreds of years: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pepper's_ghost That all said… To be honest a lot of the animatronic effects weren’t that terribly intense. That’s not to say the ride experience, atmosphere, and story were weak. But many, myself included, tend to look back in time through rise colored glasses and align PT with Haunted Mansion in terms of their effects. But for what PT was, it was beyond impressive in my opinion and certainly has earned its spot in the history of well beloved dark rides that really deserves to still be around, should the park have taken care of it appropriately. It was a perfectly level of tech/effects for a park like KI and there’s a reason there’s such love for it still. I think one of, if not the, most major hole in the parks lineup is a great dark ride. Boo Blasters ain’t it, kids. At this point I’d be excited for any kind of dark ride update/addition. I’d love that to be PT, but like others have mentioned, it would probably be more in vein of the new Berry Tales at Knott’s. Which would be a bummer. Prove me wrong, KI!

Love the idea!

I saw School of Rock Live an embarrassing (in a good way) amount of times. I’d wear my black band shirts to the park and sit in the front row. I thought I was so cool. Ah, loved that show. But bubbles for a month is cool too, I guess.

I unfortunately think most, if not all, of the original animatronics are long gone. So that unfortunately wouldn’t be an option. But I love your ideas and I’d love to see them come to fruition. I also think there’s a spot for “Happy Feet” to be incorporated into the score of a new potential PT.

And so it begins. For those of you have shown your love, passion, and support: thank you for trying to preserve an important piece of Cincinnati history. For those who of you have loved to spread your contrarian opinions for the sake of garnering attention to yourself: I congratulate you on your victory, though I’m dismayed at your ability to actively fight against the preservation of industry history on a forum dedicated to celebrating a shared love of amusement and theme parks. History will certainly look upon you comedically. The loss of Coney Island and Sunlite Pool will be detrimental to the history of Cincinnati and I hope you find peace within yourself as to not celebrate the destruction of what so many loved. For those who’d still like to fight for the park, reach out to those below:

It pains me to see Sally do such incredible work while KI is stuck with Boo Blasters . So many possibilities!

There are now Billboards:

Sure has for me. I’ll be 32 this summer, and the vists my wife and I do typically consist of 1-3 rides, dinner, drinks, shopping, and maybe a show. We just enjoy taking in all the atmosphere. My enjoyment of the park has evolved a bit and I really love it. So, even if you’re unable to handle the same consecutive rides as you did in the past, you can still have a great time.

You may also want to check out the cabins/cottages over at Camp Cedar. Really affordable, nice, and (I think) they offer a shuttle service to the park. My wife and I have stayed twice and had a great time. Plan on going back this summer. We’ve never paid more than $200 for a night. You can see more about the cabins here: https://visitcampcedar.com/cottages/ These places can sleep quite a few, so you have plenty of options! Have fun wherever you decide to stay!

Hope this isn’t true. The show’s run has to come to an end eventually, but I was hoping for something of the same caliber to replace it. This sounds kinda lame.

I’ve always said the same. My wife and I just got back from Orlando (Disney). But I think you can totally do 10 days if you take things slower and work in “rest” days. If you do mix in other parks it would help. But I think it’s doable. Doable is one thing. Affordability is another. Haha. 10 days is still too much for me in that regard.

Totally forgot about that. What cool times. Thanks for sharing!

I’m going to ride the Grand Carousel even harder this year.

Definitely going to check it out!

Ah, been looking to try that place. How is it? My off-season activities this year included a drip to Disney World. Just got back a few days ago, so my “itch” has been scratched a bit. I also typically dive into some RCT2 projects.

No reason to feel dumb for asking a legitimate question.

Good grief.