BlondyRidesOn

In my opinion, I wouldn't mind a retheme of Action Zone. For a unique theme, they could make the area an old medieval Britain theme tied around Banshee (I know the Banshee comes from Irish folklore, but Ireland was once a colony under the British Empire). The rides could get a medieval or Camelot theme to them, such as renaming Drop Tower to Dungeon Drop and giving the area a fresh repaint, possibly surround the ride with a concrete façade made to look like stone much like the entrance to Adventure Express and Sol Spin for Adventure Port. Then again, I wouldn't mind a DC Universe overlay of Action Zone. With that said, Banshee is a well established coaster with a great theme and The Bat pays homage to the original coaster in the park's history, so they would probably need to be annexed into Adventure Port or the last bit of Oktoberfest. With that separation, the seating area in the center of Action Zone can be removed with seating for Ice Scream Zone dispersed around in other locations. A new entrance portal can be constructed in its place taking guests into the West side of Action Zone where the DC superheroes and villains greet guests. Drop Tower with a red blue and yellow color scheme and the Superman emblem 300 feet above Mason would look pretty sweet in my opinion. I will agree to a point that IP at regional theme parks can be very hit or miss and in some cases tacky. But one must remember that Kings Island was built with IP as a selling point; Taft Broadcasting had purchased Hanna-Barbera Studios in 1966 and wanted to utilize it in the theme park market and Coney Island wanted to move away from the Kellogg Avenue site to grow and expand to compete with Fess Parker's proposed project in Boone County and approached Taft to incorporate their Hanna-Barbera license. If done tastefully, it can work well, and as long as International Street, Coney Mall, Rivertown, Adventure Port, Area 72 and the last bit of Oktoberfest are left to their unique themes, a DC area of the park in place of Action Zone is a welcome addition in my book.

Very awesome find! I didn't realize the house was that young. It's also strange, and a little spooky in a way, to see aerial views of the site before Kings Island was built.

If there is a coaster planned for Outpost 5, I think reviving the name Son of Beast or alluding to The Beast name is not the way to go. The only Beast that should prowl Kings Island is the large Carter era woodie in the back of Rivertown (As well as maybe Woodstock Express being renamed to The Beastie again, though that's unlikely). That being said, they can still use Outpost 5 and the legend of Sonny as a theme. As for the coaster model, this would fit a B&M Giga Dive Machine. Imagine a holding brake and release as high as the Eiffel Tower. That could be extremely marketable. They could even have it do a fly though element through the Outpost 5 station. My reasoning for the marketability of a Giga Dive is anecdotal. Several years back, my cousins were discussing a trip they took to Tampa for a football game. While on that trip, they visited Busch Gardens Tampa and rode Sheikra. They thought Sheikra was one of the coolest roller coasters they had ever been on. Fast forward to a few years ago. I stumbled upon one of those common roller coaster posts on Facebook with the caption "Would YOU ride this???" that we all have seen before. The image was of Yukon Striker at Canada's Wonderland, the animated rendering from 2018 when it was announced. One of my cousins tagged the other and commented "We rode this! This is in Tampa!" With Valravn, another B&M Dive just up the road in the same state, there are still plenty of people who see any Dive Coaster and think it is the exact one they rode when visiting Florida or Virginia. While another B&M might seem like too much, my mind thinks about that post and says "Imagine what my two cousins reactions would be if a bigger Sheikra were built just within driving distance?" As for RMC, I don't think Kings Island would need to go hyper hybrid. Any park that adds an RMC will be an enthusiast Mecca and will still be adding a standout attraction without it being a record breaker. With the closure of Cincinnati's Coney Island last year, an all steel RMC I-box, painted white and built up like a classic traditional wooden coaster, around the size of Arieforce One at Fun Spot Atlanta, would be a fantastic addition to The Vortex spot. I know there are a few people who want to see that back half of Coney Mall to be themed to a new area of the park to coincide with a new coaster, but I'm not one of them. The Vortex replacement should be built to fit in with the traditional amusement park midway theme of Coney Mall, maybe with an old school art deco station. Perhaps revive the Shooting Star name, complete with an intense helix at the end much like the old Star at Coney (The final helix on that ride became inspiration for the final helix on The Beast). Those are my two cents.

I was hoping for Gene Staples of Indiana Beach to swoop in and buy the park these last couple years. I was pretty surprised that Coney and the buildings weren't protected in some way by the Historical Society. I do feel if more people fought for Coney to have historic status back in 2019 when the rides were removed, there may have been a different outcome than what we got.

I used the forums and discussion boards on here as well as some posts from the Facebook groups to make my Paramount International Street playlist on Spotify. Recently I've been using the Shazam app to pick up and identify songs from YouTube videos filmed during the Paramount era. I also began trying to use Shazam on videos from Taft/KECO/Lindner era. Surprisingly, even if the music was clear in the recording, Shazam sometimes couldn't pick it up. I think it's possible that they used a custom recording of the classical music. Songs that I recently found: "Parade of the Charioteers" by Miklos Roza from Ben Hur (1959) "Seances And Swordfights" by Marc Shaiman from The Addams Family (1991) "Waltz from 'Cousins'" (1989) by Angelo Badalamenti, recorded by the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra; found on another playlist, verified by my cousin. "The River" from The River (1984) by John Williams; This is the original recording from the movie, the park played a recording of this theme by The City of Prauge Orchestra in 2018 and 2019. "Water Fountain" from The Secret of My Success (1987) by David Foster Songs from Taft and KECO that are confirmed/semi confirmed: "Sabre Dance" by Aram Khachaturian from Gayaneh "Hoedown" by Aaron Copland from Rodeo "Valdres March" by Johannes Hanssen Songs from West Side Story by Leonard Bernstein (There are a couple West Side Story medleys you can find recordings of on YouTube and Spotify) "Jupiter" by Gustav Holst from The Planets "Olympic Fanfare & Theme" by John Williams (Played at Kings Dominion in 1989) "Flight of The Bumblebee" by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov "Can-Can" by Jacques Offenbach from Orpheus in the Underworld "Stars And Stripes Forever" by John Philip Sousa Are there any that I'm missing?

"Dancers and singers, High flying swingers! Something for everyone, Kings Island's for you! A world full of fantasy, A place you should plan to see, A kingdom where all your dreams come truuuuue! Kings Island's for everyone, Kings Island's for YOU!"

I liked this one because of the Eiffel Tower overlooking the Mercado.

1. In keeping with the trend of removing corporate chain restaurants for custom food offerings for the park, and to balance out the last bit of German flair in Oktoberfest with the Latin American/ Ancient Mexico theme of Adventure Port, Panda Express will be removed from Festhaus and replaced with a signature food option that combines German flair and healthy options, possibly with goetta (who doesn't love goetta?). 2. When Mystic Timbers needs to be retracked after several years, Kings Island will go with The Gravity Group's engineered precut track like on Racer and The Beast over GCI, despite GCI building the ride. 3. Half of Action Zone will be gone in 10 years.

Ive never been to Kings Dominion, but I have heard good things about Grain & Grill. This is the perfect use for this location. I love how the park is putting emphasis that it will serve Mediterranean and Eastern European foods. This is a sign that the park seems to be dedicated to restoring the worldly feeling of International Street.

Thanks for sharing this image. I probably wasn't old enough to remember the magnetic boards, as I was 7 or 8 years old when Paramount sold to Cedar Fair. I do remember the scrolling LED sign. However, these pictures unlock another memory: I had forgotten that Paramount had display cases with movie posters, not too dissimilar to those in The Paramount Story/ Tower Gardens, showcasing the latest films the studio was producing or distributing that year. In 2006, Paramount was releasing the film "Last Holiday" starring Queen Latifah, so the film's poster was on display to advertise it.

Why not a mine car theme for Rivertown? Keep the fire effects to mimic a mine blast but create a gunite rock structure?

I remember my earliest posts on here back in 2013 (I can't believe it will be 10 years!). Around that time, there were discussions about potential upgrades to the three Royal Fountains in the chain as teased by then CEO Matt Ouimet. I was entirely against the idea of radically changing the layout and wanted a more laid back upgrade and restoration to our fountain instead. Once the 2019 season rolled around, I felt that the park went above and beyond. I think the reason why I was against the idea six years prior was because I viewed the Royal Fountain as a sacred original piece in the park, but I wasn't looking at the full picture; International Street was/is more than just the fountain. The stenciling on the facades, the fresh new paint making the buildings have their own character, and yes even the smaller trees were a major upgrade. In my opinion, the restoration of the European and worldly theme of International Street outweighs the look of the Royal Fountain alone. With the introduction of the French Corner and its Parisian style food offerings in 2020, I hope the park continues on the route of making it "International" Street again. That being said, I do miss the thicker jets and morning glory nozzles on the original Royal Fountain. There was definitely something regal and majestic about the visual of large powerful jets of water. On the topic of rides, I'd have to say the original Antique Cars. I wasn't born yet when Ohio Overland Auto Livery (Rivertown side) was open, but Les Taxis (Coney) was my first experience driving. It was more aesthetically pleasing than Backlot Stunt Coaster/ Italian Job: Stunt Track. I like Kings Mills Antique Autos, but one thing I wish it did was drive under the overpass bridge like the original ride.

Why not a spinning coaster, like a MACK Extreme Spinner themed to a Virginia Reel in Coney Mall. Could even tie it in with the old Coney Island/ old school amusement midway theme.

Kings Dominion has officially announced The Gravity Group is the firm involved in the restoration work, utilizing their engineered precut track! https://www.kingsdominion.com/blog/2022/the-rebirth-of-the-grizzly---part-3?utm_source=park_facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=kd_grizzlyblog_jan9&utm_id=23SAS

While I was reading the blog post, it read to "Follow The Grizzly Gang for more updates." The initials are very similar to The Gravity Group. Also, they mention that they would introduce the engineers behind the project in a future blog post. With GCIs Titan Track installation on Wolverine Wildcat at Michigan's Adventure, I don't remember hearing about the team from GCI explaining the new installation, but we did hear a bit from The Gravity Group about The Racer and The Beast when they added their Engineered Precut Track. Either way, I can't wait for more updates!

Really cool video! This looks like 1981. In The Racer POV, you can see The Bat to the left.

The restored Carousel and Wurlitzer 157 4/29/2022

I love the addition last season of the Tomb Raider loading drums in the station. The downside is that it's difficult to hear, with the other outside noise and FunTV. An updated sound system would really help. I would also love some themed music in the queue line itself. I don't know how copyrighted it is, but I wouldn't mind them recycling some of the other TR:TR soundtrack pieces:

It feels very secluded from the rest of Coney Mall. The area is devoid of games besides 3-Point Challenge around the corner and the loss of Vortex. It's probably the Kings Island purist in me talking, but I kinda like how long it is and I'm a bit iffy about cutting it off past Zephyr (This is where Coney stopped from 1972 to 1974). That would only leave Racer, the three original flats plus Zephyr. I like the idea of KMAA being in Coney as a lot of classic parks have some sort of auto ride or a turnpike. Coney Mall needs flat rides, so I'm a little opposed to cutting Shake Rattle & Roll off from the rest of Coney. When The Vortex replacement comes, I would love to see Coney Mall receive the International Street 2019 treatment and be reimagined while retaining the same basic theme and utilize the Coney name in some way. The pathway between Coney and Rivertown by Backlot is another story.

Here are my thoughts on today's announcement: From the renderings, the park is really breathing life into this area if the park. The current state it's in looks very bland and needs an identity. The colorful decorations and paint jobs will really liven up that pathway. Knowing how popular Hank's is, along with it's close proximity to the Aztec themed Adventure Express, it makes sense that they are making a new section themed around both of those. The Mercado and Enrique's both look fantastic, and it's cool to see the old windows from Der Alte Deutsche Bier Garten / Oktoberfest Gardens making a comeback as they were once covered up by the corrugated metal siding when they added Bubba Gump Shrimp Shack in 2003 (Also a product of Jack Rouse Associates). The two new flat rides are going to be great additions to the park's line up. They both look to be throwbacks to old attractions in Skylab and Der Spinnen Keggers. I know how often it had been discussed on here that they should bring back the Keggers in particular, and Cargo Loco seems to be a more modern incarnation of it. I will also agree that it's ironic that Keggers is making a comeback to that area minus the German theming it and that section of the park once had. That being said, I hope what Oldschool75 said about the Festhaus and Viking Fury area is accurate and that Oktoberfest will still be a section of Kings Island. Cincinnati has such deep German roots, so it would be a shame to see it leave entirely. The park sells German style food at several locations, most notably at Meteor Canteen with the bratwurst and Italian sausage sandwiches with sauerkraut and peppers. I had the bratwurst there and loved it (of course I am biased because I love German food). I think the main concern is popularity and what sells. I would really like to see what's left of the German theming in Oktoberfest be expanded a bit, but that might be wishful thinking. Overall, Adventure Port looks amazing. I'm very glad they're doing this because that part of the park needed some life. I have always been an advocate for Kings Island going back down the route of immersive theming in each area and this addition really helps round the park out nicely!

The thing I'd like to see if Action Zone were to be annexed into Oktoberfest would be to removed the large concrete pathways and plant more trees and landscaping. The Festhaus idea, with the "international foods" is an interesting one. However, in my honest opinion, it should remain the Festhaus as that's the more iconic and recognizable name, especially with the glockenspiel being restored on the front recently. I like the idea of the Zamperla Gryphon on the old SlingShot site. It would be cool to see it have a maypole theme, decked out to look like ribbons. As someone who would love to see the arbor tunnel return to the park, it would be cool to see it next to Viking Fury. However, it would require moving both the entrance and exit of the ride to be moved near the International Street Funnel Cakes and Emporium and the removal of some nicely grown in trees. I still think the arbor tunnel should be placed near Rivertown, such as the pathway near the Island Paradise stand near the floral clock, cleaning up the transition into Rivertown. Although, the tunnel would provide the shade lost, but it'll take a while for the vines to grow in. Overall, this is a great concept. Oktoberfest is an area in need of restoration and work. Absolutely love this!

I'm holding out hope that Gene Staples brings it into the Indiana Beach family. Coney would definitely benefit. What concerns me is the issue it's always had, the one that lead to its initial closing and construction of Kings Island- seasonal flooding. That may be a factor that holds the park back from any potential future as an amusement park again.

I'd love to see more landscaping that add to and enhance the theme of each areas. I'm still in the boat of bringing back the old arbor tunnel to the midway. I know there is one at the White Water Canyon entrance, but there was something really cool about sitting underneath it on the main midway with birds overhead in the vines. It could be placed on the walkway from the floral clock to Rivertown, which would help make a portal between different the two areas.

The exit ramp for Ohio Overland Auto Livery (Rivertown Antique Cars) on the pathway next to Diamondbacks splashdown.

I agree with Hawaiian Coasters 325; no more chain restaurants. However, if we were to go through route of local restaurants, I'd like to see an Izzy's Reuben restaurant somewhere in the park. They sell Reuben sandwiches with Gliers Goetta, making it the perfect fit for an area like Oktoberfest.