brenthodge

It’s also crazy that there’s a massive building, with some type of track being loaded into it, that’s opening most likely in March of next year and we still really have no definitive idea as to what the heck it is. In this day and age of media attention- that’s pretty impressive (and they must have good friends in the sevier county planning and permit board that keep their secrets well.

First -these are not my pics, so thanks to Johnny Amusenent for initially posting. The track looks a lot like the Mack Rocking Boat track. We are pretty sure they are working with Mack. I agree they are going high and low with their teasers, so it could be both? The track doesn’t look heavy enough to be a suspended car (as some have speculated) plus it looks like the track is being bolted to the floor. There is a legend of a mysterious hidden lake in the Smokey’s that only appears at night, and they have posted a video tying into that, so it could be a lot.All the teasers could also be to throw us off in multiple direction

Track is on site. It’s definitely not “flying theater” simulator.

Great idea!

Have you seen the range of prices for things at Dollywood at their festivals with tasting cards. I mean, if you WANT to use it on a 5.99 drink instead of a 14.99 nacho plate, I guess they see it as your poor choice. I honsetly dont understand why they even include the beverages at DW, but it must work for them.

Seeing the size of the crowd leaving on a Tuesday night, from a half-ass CARNIVALE that used to be amazing, walking past closed food and beverage locations leaving money on the table, I don’t think anything will be changing (nor to they see a need). It wasn’t packed, but it certainly wasn’t a light crowd (especially compared to the totally dead park that we enjoyed at Dominion last Sunday night). SIX is LUCKY to have this park and the local support it gets. They’re gonna keep cutting and folks are gonna keep coming. It’s been proven, and sadly we are our own worst enemies here.

That makes perfect sense and explains why the “daytime tour” randomly returned. But only there, and returned with a “story driven” idea with a tour guide and “pre show” host. It also has way better queuing capacity than the blackout location. I could see them adding black out back in as a way to compensate for the loss of MadameFatales as a self guided maze

It’s trippy. Things are the same… but different. It’s hard to orient yourself because the all the markers you are used to are totally off. I’d definitely say make the 8 hr treck. It’s really like a step back in time at KI in a lot of good ways. This is actually the view from the queu of the waterfall switchback of their white water canyon amazing this is man-made.

Oh, I definitely noticed the LED hiding. That was one of my "head smack, ask WHYY??" moments when KI redid their I-Street. They literally had ALL of the fixtures removed, repainted the buildings then stuck clunky fixtures and bundled cords right back up when it would've been so simple to build small coves for everything and then repaint all at once. I thought Mike was great for KI, but really sad that Bridget was forced to make the same departure that he did, as it looks like she really fought to bring a lot of charm back to that park against some probably very tight budgets (based on the attendance that I saw). I also didn't notice random bars and alcohol locations stuck all over the place. I'm sure they were there, but hidden behind all the trees. My son said "I wish we lived closer so THIS could be our home park" the totla lack of lines helped. They just need to bring back more "muti-generational" entertainment and experiences. They deserved the full "5oth stret party" that we had, the bandstand show that they did and a real "song and dance" show in the main theatre. There are unused mini performance zones all over the park - thats the missing piece to me.

This ride is great in front and bordering on painful how much vibration it has in back. Its BAD for a brand BRAND new coaster.

My son really got into the history of KI during our 50th, so we really wanted to experience the "other KI" during its 50th this year. We went to the park on Sunday evening and all day Monday. It was beyond dead, like park right at the entrance at 5:30 pm dead. Thought we would do a ride or two and dinner Sunday evening, but we almost could’ve skipped Monday with how much we knocked out Sunday night. KD is BEAUTIFUL on approach and walk in. It was wonderful to see full fountains that had mass and noise. It was amazing to see an International Street that looked like a park. There were gas lights. There were more interesting buildings with shaded and covered seating. It’s going to be a shock walking back into KI after being reminded how full and lush it used to look there. The pavement is a bot of a mess where the curbs were just shaved down and the ramps filled in years ago when the blacktop street was eliminated. It’s crazy to realize no major reworking of the pavement has occurred since the major redo. The Eiffel Tower looks like it is literally placed in a landscaped park. It is such a refreshing change from the patch of flat grass our sits in. Turning toward Old Virginia, it was amazing to see a working waterfall, then another one at the entrance to the water rides. That whole area had almost a Dollywood vibe to it. Love the antique cars where they are with the long path and and the dense woods. The view coming back from that ride across the bridge looking at the theatre was just perfect. Grizzly had a super odd entrance. We actually passed it the first two times in the area and had to really look to find it finally. That seems like a big miss for a (now) great coaster. White Water Canyon was also way better here. The setting hasn't been cleared out as much, and it truly feels like a mountian rushing river. The waterfalls look great and depite the odd indoor portion with creepy static mannequins, the entire experience felt way more themed. It was so cool to see a dense vine tunnel as we walked to Twisted Timbers. WOW what a great ride. Its hard to be critical of any operations since we walked right onto almost everything both days, but this was one I would still wait for. We need this - LOVE Mystic Timbers, but I think this actually edges out SteVe for the slower pacing and “you can see it coming” feeling. Candy Apple Grove seemed agin just more shaded and lush. Its odd that a younger park feels more established than its older sister. I like the carousel and ferris wheel there. Give the area a full “old time amusement park” feel. It was great to have CHIPS with a bowl at the burrito place and RED SAUCE with pizza. Victoria’s looks nice after the redo and I love the outdoor seating. Jungle X is what Adventure Port wishes it could be. Great theming and atmosphere. The shop there along with all the other shops had much stronger thematic merchandsing that KI. Food was OK, but the themed atmosphere again was almost Disney level. Rides in this area were all solid, but Rapterra is the odd exception. Rapterra in the front feels brand new - in the back it feels like it’s as old as the park. A few month old coaster shouldn’t bee this rough and janky in the back. I don’t remember Wild Eagle having this much vibration and bounce in the back. It was actually very painful. The load process was also a mess. There’s a separator at the outer “temple” telling you to go to right side or left, but they have to keep leaving and walking to the station to see the balance of people on each side. Then when you get to the station theres a single switchback to the gates. People clump up at the first gate, then you have to force your way past them to get to the other gates that are wide open. There seems like there needs to be station associate assigning people to gates, or loading the train back to front. It just gets messy and people get attitude like you are cutting around them, but there would be people in front of us just standing there not filling in empty gate slots, so we went around them to take a spot for the next train. BooBlasters was WAY better. KI should be embarrassed by the state of the exterior and queue of ours. The guns with lasers were great. The outdoor queue set the mood. The placement seemed super odd of that and Dominator just plopped along a path. Planet Snoopy could easily be Camp Snoopy as it already feels like it is deep in the woods. Just a much more relaxing setting with shade for rides with kids. Entertainment was beyond disappointing. There’s a key theatre (Peanuts Showplace) sitting empty. There’s action theatre unused, and even the KD Theatre was unused as they could figure out how to not have slipper aisles after only 2 bubble shows on Saturday when the last show, all shows Sunday and Monday were cancelled. It sounds like thats running again, but that should even BE the signature entertainment for the 50th. The “closing light show” was lame and no one seemed to be paying any attention to it. Its just music and lights on the tower and I street buildings. The bandstand show was weak. There was no parade “street party” even though the ap shows images of our 50th parade like they were going to do it there. Two left over floats from ours roll out with people on them in rainbow outfits (not the matching gold and blue). They hop off, twirl some ribbons, sing songs from the decades of KD, hop back on the flats and ride off twirling ribbons. It comes off as very amateur. I was really hoping for a “magical 50th”, but the park itself more than made up for that. I give the physical park edge to KD hands down. I give the “whats left of live entertainment at 6flags” award to KI. Definitely make the trip to this park if you want great rides, minimal waits and a beautiful reminder of how wonderful KI USED to look. WATERFALL!!! Adds so much to the area. Wonderful theming in the restaurant. International PARK more than street. Beautiful view... to a sadly underused theatre. CHIPS with a burrito bowl. Wht's up Enrique? Throw us some chips! Tight merchandising and solid theming in retail spaces.

Are we talking new buys or reactivations as well? Lots of ??? When they just drop this like they have mmm

It’s hard. I mean, I can’t blame them for not having fireworks last night as there HAD to have been only a few hundred people in the park by 9:30 (we literally were the ONLY people riding Grizzly 3x last night), but if you don’t provide any compelling thing to keep people, then you’ll have that. The park has a wonderful kids area, with a giant outdoor theater (like our showplace) sitting dead. It’s just sad because they made this big deal about the “return of live entertainment for the 50th.” I don’t care since it’s the same bubble show we had, but the park deserves better. Even IF the show was running, it wouldn’t be enough.

Also… notice that one little thing that makes it a “meal”. Why in the world can’t KI throw a few chips on the plate at Enrique’s?

Hey look! Red sauce! Dominion at least knows how to order stuff!

Be THRILLED with whatever we have-regardless of how thin it might seem. My goodness Kings Dominion is SAD with entertainment for their 50th no less. The Bubble Show started Saturday. Ran 2 shows and is now “cancelled” with no shows scheduled- not sure why. Not much else. Their bandstand show is “ok” and the nightly “celebrate light show” is beyond lame. It’s sad to see such a BEAUTIFUL park so light on experiences. I have to believe the catch 22 is in effect. No one is here, so why have shows. There are no shows, so why be here. This park is DEAD! First time here and was planning on Fast Lane to get all the bigs in. No need. 1) half of the coasters aren’t on the list 2) did em all between 6:30-900 last night. Seriously crazy here.

Another tease. We’ve had 8, now 10. https://www.instagram.com/reel/DL5keiRixM0/?igsh=cjE0NDI4cmVyN202

Then promote it better than day of “pop up”.

That. Exactly. Ours would probably arch higher as they are closer to the center. That actually adds another “look” to the fountain, as opposed to “slightly crooked vertical, and vertical.

If they would JUST angle the multi stream jets more dramatically to the center it would help. As it is they serve no purpose just slightly off center at every angle. They should arch toward the middle.

Perfect description. It’s like the guy folding the hose in half to make the water dance.

Except they don’t really “interact” they just go back to squirting up and down throughout the whole show. The pedestals COULD have been retrofitted like the lotus barges from Rivers of Light- maybe even incorporating flame effects. Imagine new bowls with higher sides that hid choreographed jets during the day (they would just be “fixed” until show time) fire effects, lighting etc. The smaller barges really only had 5 jets each. Even if they reduced two three pedestals it would be better. https://youtu.be/TYiWk0JP6Sc?si=35zTKee-_hNatTOd

I almost wish they would go through the portfolio and identify 4-6 “flagship parks” that are NOT called 6 flags, but their regional name (Kings Island, great America, or make up new names for the existing ones that are “six flags” that qualify for flagship status due to attraction inventory, market potential, proximity to population epicenters etc. then rebrand the others “SixFlags” wherever it is. Market them separately, price them differently, and provide a premium product there. Price, staff and build out the others accordingly. This would only work if they hadn’t renamed the entire company SixFlags (big mistake imo)

I personally thought they looked better “stuck”. At least they weren’t popping pointlessly all day long. Looked closer to the original. I still don’t understand why the center nozzles are so puny. At least the middle should be grand and dense. The whole thing looks like a sad shopping center.

There’s already a “fun tv” and if you saw the original concept art in the show lobby in 22-23, you’ll realize that Phantom Theatre DID go through budget cuts that took it from a great attraction to good.