BB1

Water coasters in their simplest forms are slides, in which a tube or some form of vehicle like a mat, is propelled up a hill with some form of propulsion in contrast to traditional water slides that rely strictly on gravity and do not have propulsion up hill. To nit pick what constitute a water coaster as bringing tubes to the station is simply put is flawed. I've been to several waterparks, I have been on several water coasters, I'm probably one of the few people who actually counts their water side credits. You can have Infinity Master Blasters, Master Blasters that end and you have to pick up your tube and you could also go the ProSlide route which has a station and lift like what you get at Holiday World's attractions. I didn't hear anyone pipe up about the fact that MASSIV, which was touted as the world's TALLEST water coaster, you had to carry your tubes up to the station, thus disqualifying it from being a water coaster. Extreme Water Slide | MASSIV Monster Blaster | Schlitterbahn Galveston . But wait, there's more! Even White Water West, the producer of this new water coaster and MASSIV, has MASSIV on their website as a water coaster, the Master Blaster Model. Master Blaster Water Slide - The World's First Uphill Water Coaster (whitewaterwest.com) . The langua franca of the water park scape is different than what you have in the parks. Just like how you have B&M's and Intamin, you have White Water West and ProSlide Technologies. If you're looking at this as "hey this is a new coaster credit" don't, it's not a roller coaster, which necessitates different parameters to be considered as an actual roller coaster. It's a slide, called a water coaster, it doesn't mean Aqua Trax, which is entirely different.

<bump> Something that has popped up a lot in conversations with friends (and as well on Tower Topics that I practically listen to every day it drops at this point) is the lack of a tube lift. Just wanted to throw it out there that adding a tube lift adds extra mechanisms that the park would have to maintain to operate the attraction. Zoom Flume around 10 years ago got a new lift system because the old one was having so many issues. Speaking from first hand experience, the lifts cause more long term needs that the park is probably trying to mitigate. Sure, the tubes are probably bulky however from a park maintenance/operations standpoint it is eliminating the need of having someone actively put tubes on the lift, maintain the lift, and better yet it will make it so that guests aren't waiting for tubes to arrive, they should have the tube ready to go. This, in theory, should make wait times less and as well help the park with staffing issues (which is ironic as they have had 2-3 in water positions to assist guests and yet they can't have both sides of Thunder Falls in operation)

Another piece of signage infront of the actual location for River Racers. They also added checkered flags on the main sign as well! Should anyone wish to use these photos please feel free to! Just credit me in one way or another!

So update as per the park: -Benefits carry over to other parks if you have the All Parks Passport so you could use your preferred parking and Fast Lane at Cedar Point, Carowinds, etc. -You can get all the benefits of a Prestige Pass this year when you renew to a Prestige from a Gold Pass in 2024. I went ahead and renewed to upgrade to a prestige pass just because of that clarification. One Fast Lane a day and preferred parking at the other parks on top of Kings Island even with the other benefits have enough value for me to go ahead with it.

Some signage from the waterpark, ironically slapped smack dab in the middle of the main causeway to the other side of the waterpark.

For someone who came to the park often as a kid, without a chaperone because I respected the park rules, I’m sad to see that kids who are responsible are being punished for what other unruly kids do. With that being said, now being an adult I’m glad the park is cracking down on this. I’ve seen several unattended groups of youth just this year. I’ve had a few run ins in the past with kids bumping into my group or just kids running in the midway with no respect to the people around them. This is a minor change but it has some pretty big implications now.

Cedar Point has had it in at least one holiday video, I know they’ve had it on there as a 500ft tall Aqua Trax as it’s been a running joke with Cedar Point for years now. Iirc they had it also at a Winter Chill Out in the past few years as, once again, a running joke that they tease the thoosies with. My main point is that it would be ironic if the park actually got an aqua trax finally (sans the 500ft marker of course).

Does anyone know if the free Fastlane per visit is that only for your home park or can you use it with the All Parks at whichever park you go to? (EDIT It does say you get benefits at other parks as well)

To say that this theme was out of left field is an understatement. I was expecting either a full SC retheme with this or a continuation of the theme we had in the past. While yes there are plenty of coastal villages with rivers, to go with what I would see as a RiverTown style was out of left field. My only concern is the bathrooms on the far side of the waterpark, which is arguably the best place to change as no one uses them so it's easy in easy out. If they get rid of those facilities then the only bathrooms available are on the far side near the entrances. Which at the end of the day, for both guests and associates alike that's going to put a major strain on the other facilities that I would be concerned about. The addition itself was needed, I'm excited to ride in 25, hopefully we get more trees and foliage too as we desperately need more shade!

I’ll find out tomorrow I’m going to the park tomorrow evening and I’m planning on picking up at least one piece of passholder merch. Stay tuned to BB1’s (not financial advice) merch hunt!

Yep! It basically says Kings Island Passholder (sorry the pic lighting wasn’t that ideal for some reason)

In the KI Collections store, there’s stickers, a button, two styles of hoodies and more! IMO it’s a step towards a pass holder culture we desperately need like what we have at USO. Hopefully we get something for the Haunt/WF season too! I wish the hat wasn’t distressed and was a mono color like the ride hats we got this year. Definitely snagging the grey hoodie!

I've griped about this every year for the past several years now. Let me enjoy the Haunt season, make the last day feel like what we used to get in the late 2000's and early 2010's. IMO Haunt was in it's hay day back then, I hope now with some SIX focus we can get a better event moving forward.

Look I can tell you with certainty when certain events are happening in the Orlando parks, make it the same for KI. Kings Island has a really strong passholder base that would tap in if they actually put the effort in. This year just felt vague, even the Wine event fell flat for me. If they were to create flyers or some form of cadence with "Seasons of FUN", April-May Wine Festival June-July Carnivale August-September Rivertown BBQ Rodeo or whatever I feel like that would hit better than the half baked concepts we got this year. The fact that I'm even complaining that I didn't have the opportunity to spend money at the park is very bizarre but it's just the way I feel like the park is going. I feel like Kings Island, if they had an actual force behind them that cares for the events enough to make the full experience unique it could have been so much better.

I'd call the park(s) to confirm, I'd assume as such, but I would leave no ambiguity to it as the last thing anyone needs is to drive somewhere and not get entry.

Haunt is confirmed from 9/20-11/2 this year! I'm glad we got some additional time to enjoy the park in the fall but I'm hoping the final night won't be an Frankenstein of Christmas and Haunt in one go.

Aqua Trax = Coaster that can float or goes into the water at some point Water Coaster = tube slide that has some form of propulsion that guides a tube up hills on the circuit.

I was at the park on Saturday and I can basically confirm Raven needs some serious work. Same can be said for Legend but it’s not as much in comparison. Voyage had a really solid portion where it was smooth; however the first major turn was really rough. That coupled with the dip that made me hit my ribs on the lap bar didn’t make for a great experience either. I’m under the impression that HW is an early season park so that the coasters that get TLC are more tolerable. Good Gravy wasn’t as impressive as Snoopys BUT I did buy the gravy boat which came with a gravy recipe!

Haunt as is has been effectively neutered. The mazes we have today are a far cry to what we had even a decade before. That being in amount of attractions and the intricacies of the attractions. Kill Mart has a lot of the scares most mazes don't as they designed the whole layout pretty well. The maze still has a pretty decently sized line even on slower nights and for a lack of better words still is relevant to the park. I'd much rather see a space like the old time pictures or an arcade be removed before another Haunt maze gets axed. I agree that we need a better venue, but I'd rather get a better venue without losing another great Haunt in the process.

Topic Bump I know in the past we had t shirts with the old design, are there any future plans to incorporate this design into a new shirt or accessories (hats, etc) in the future? (Didn't want to make a new topic so I thought I'd ask in here!)

I have been very, very distant from looking into Carnivale as the event has been on average the same for years. I decided tonight I'd go and check it out, the change at 5 on the dot from the usual fanfare to the Carnivale music was a very distinct and welcomed change. The actual event itself was very bizarre this year. Firstly, the fact the parade starts at 9, when I'm typically back home or doing something downtown was a very big clash to the usual family friendly 7ish start. That on-top of the fact that there is no tasting cards for 2024 left an upsetting taste in my mouth. I decided to not get any food, as honestly the food tasting cards have been what drives me to food events in the past. Considering I'm a passholder for CF, Universal Studios Orlando Premier and a WDW Incredipass holder, I know how food events operate and every time I get a tasting card or some incentive, I am more inclined to actually eat what they have. This year just feels like they dropped the ball once again. I love the concept of Grand Carnivale, I love what it brings to the park, I want this to be an annual tradition for friends and family as I have fond memories of the event going back to when it began. This year, being a very short stint, at a different part of the year and without the food tasting cards just didn't work. The key point is that I'm a foodie, give me an excuse to spend more so I feel like I get more value out of my food experience. Tasting cards are KING when it comes to events like this and the fact that we didn't get any is upsetting. I saw the food offered, which looked pretty good to be honest. Chef Major definitely has a hand in this event as he did in the past, so nothing here is directed at him, it's the administration or park operations who dropped the ball this year.

I’d venture to argue space and resources. All of the props from what I understand is remain in Killmart all season. The shirts are the same (which one was my old SCLG shirt fun fact) and the props don’t move. Making such a move in a park that has finite space would be a sizeable undertaking that I feel would be more of a hassle than anything else. I would love to see an upgraded experience as I’m actually considering prestige for 2025. If we got a reasonable venue in the Intl Street building or even if we got a new building in a vacant lot a la picnic grove area I’d be more amicable to getting a Prestige Pass.

Current marketing in Soak City for the 2025 addition. I wish we got a fleshed out media campaign like we did for mystic. (Should anyone wish to use these photos please just reference me you have my permission!)

I've been seeing this on the horizon for awhile now. It is barely open, or at least rarely has a line when I go and is in prime real estate for the park. I'd love to see them go down the Aqua Trax route as they have been teasing it for years now. I would rather not see a boomerang style like at SFOG as the park needs a really good high capacity water ride to suck guests out of the lines of other attractions at the park. If not an Aqua Trax, is there a chance, while small, that CP could maybe go down the log flume route? It is something they lack and would be a great call back to the original flume they had with modern thrills which could take advantage of Millennium Island.

I'd also venture to mention that additions like this come in groups. I would not be surprised if parks like Carowinds and Cedar Point got some form of water coaster over the next few years. To say I'm excited is an understatement. I've been begging for a water coaster since I was a lifeguard at SC, I'll definitely be at the preview day (if they have one, come on I'm the one guy on here who probably goes more than 95% of the KIC population please give us a GP preview day!)