Magenta Lizard

But, it is enormously fun playing with them in character!

I think they didn't want to do the announcement the same day as everyone else because the vast majority of local enthusiast and media interest was collected up north around what was known to be a big announcement. Why they haven't done it between then and now, tho...? It makes me think part of what is going on may be either Haunt or Winterfest relevant. I would expect that the restaurant (I think it is safe to say at this point that is at least part of what is going on) would be able to be opened up by the end of Haunt, Winterfest at the latest. Maybe nothing is coming for 2018 other than general park improvements, and there won't be an announcement at all? I'd be cool with that.

Just take your gold pass up to one of the ticketing windows after going through security. They can scan it and will be able to see the free bring-a-friend from renewal. Don't forget they are only able to be used on Sundays.

^Yes, and there were decorations on the train route last year too. They more or less /have/ to run the train to transport people back and forth to the children's event over in Soak City in the daytime on Saturdays and Sundays. That doesn't mean they will run it during Haunt itself: they didn't last year.

I agree with @King Ding Dong, for Kings Island. $500 is too cheap, and hopefully the number sold is fairly limited to compensate. I've heard 500 available but don't know how true it is.

Tombstone Terror-tory was the maze that ran along the WWC path, after taking the train to the otherwise unused station near the engine shed. I think it has been gone two years, but definitely last year, it wasn't there because of the reroute of the WWC queue and the building of Mystic Timbers. There doesn't seem to be a new maze that will utilize the train at all this year, but no idea whether they will run the train during Haunt or not. I'm suspecting they won't. Delta Delta Die (or Sorority House as it had been renamed) will not be returning, nor will another maze likely take its place, as it is strongly rumored that whole building is being converted to a new restaurant.

I think most likely it will be a new original Cirque show from Les Productions Haut-Vol (the creators of Imagine and Origins). I have not heard anything confirming this yet, which makes me nervous, but the popularity of the shows has been so high it would be silly to stop them. Imagine was popular enough that it spread to other parks in the chain after it came to us from Canada's Wonderland. Origins was new for Kings Island and I fully expect it will be reused at other parks as well (is it already?). The current show at Canada's Wonderland is also produced by Haut-Vol but is called something like Cirque Canadien, so if it comes to us, it will likely at least undergo a name change. If they do move away from Cirque, they are going to have some pretty big shoes to fill with whatever they put in there.

I'm going to miss the water curtains. That effect was my favorite part of the show. I'm sure it was a pain to work with and maintain though.

^I saw pics that the Fastlane up at Cedar Point (regular and plus) completely sold out Sunday too. Crazy.

Some know who, others upon learning who, have strong suspicions of the why. However due to forum rules it is unable to be discussed here. I definitely think you are right to write an actual letter. This is one of very few cases I doubt you will get a satisfactory response from Guest Services. They do their jobs very well when their hands aren't tied, but there is really nothing they can personally do in this situation except possibly log your complaint, and from what I've been hearing from friends I'm not so sure that little bit is actually being done. It sounds like they may be poised to just give you whatever answer they think will send you away happy, considering the wide range of conflicting responses I've heard people were given when they stopped in. Put it in writing, either through the web form or in a posted letter.

I was talking with someone who works at the park about the restaurant coming to the Attitudes building and whether it was going to have indoor seating (I was thinking that they might be trying to add more for Winterfest) and he said he didn't think so. I pointed out that it was going to suck to only have the Festhaus to eat inside and that they should open the International Restaurant (although mostly it's my continuing mission to be able to go back up there regularly). He reminded me of Reds, which I actually had mostly forgotten about when thinking about indoor eating at Winterfest... Assuming the new restaurant won't have indoor seating and/or won't be ready for Winterfest, I hope something is done for RHoFG to be able to serve more people easily. I think it would be wonderful to have a buffet as an option in there, possibly as a dining plan upcharge like Fright Feast. It would make it accommodate a lot of customers without a whole lot of extra staff. There is more seating than ever seems to be able to be used without the lines for ordering heading out the door.

They have changed their recipes some (I like their chicken better than last year, friends dislike their new beef tho), but otherwise it is the same layout. It's particularly weird they don't feel that it had enough cheese. In my experience they tend to try to drown it in cheese (so I always say "just a little cheese"). And because you're watching it made, they generally at least ask with their look if you want more of whatever after they put some on. Other than the meat, they generally will/can put as much of each of the other ingredients on as you want.

^ I had been, but if that forecast doesn't look better as the day goes on, I'm not going to. I'm nearly over a minor illness but I worry spending time in 50-something temps, higher winds, and constant rain will add another week to my recovery. It's killing me because the allure of the park probably being nearly empty is very strong. Since they're only calling for rain, not thunderstorms, for anyone who feels they can tolerate the weather, it should be a great evening of all the rides running and no waits. Plus Dollar Day deals, with likely very minimal lines for them too.

I don't usually watch video reviews, but I did enjoy yours. I think the reason you didn't "get" that we're meant to be going back in time is that we aren't meant to? The Miami River Lumber Company was supposed to have opened in the early 80s and closed very soon after: one day according to the woman from Holovis. If we were meant to be transported back to that time, presumably the insides of the shed would look new? It looks like it has aged quite a bit. I take issue with the "one day" part of the story, because it looks like it was used for a longer length of time before being abandoned. But I don't see anything to suggest there was no period of abandonment though. Your video is the first I have heard any suggestion that we're meant to be actually transported back to the 80s. The story as I see it is that there is something supernatural or alien in the woods that the lumber company chose. Cutting in the woods disturbed the creature and it frightened all the workers away so the mill was forced to close. Some government agency learned of the presence and took over monitoring the site and keeping people away from it, Men in Black if you will, because it doesn't make sense for the owners of a failed mill to be continuing to employ full time security and modern video surveillance (multiple cameras in the woods) on the site thirty five years later. We circumvent security with the intention of exploring, and end up meeting the creature in the shed.

I believe that Coney Mall was originally called simply Coney Island from what I've seen of maps and ads from back then. I think it would be an absolute natural to rename it once again, along with a revamp (leading up to shall we say... more attention to the area), this time to "Coney Fair". Nods to county fairs, the parent company, and also retains the Coney Island historical reference. These are my own postulations, I haven't even heard rumors.

Even when the two new Scare Zones were still missing from the list (and Cemetery Drive was still included, so it looked like there were only two Scare Zones), the text of the website mentioned ten Mazes and three Scare Zones. There were eleven Mazes last year so it wasn't just a matter of reusing the text as a placeholder. There are currently ten Mazes listed as well, so I'm not surprised there are no signs or plans to host a Haunt Maze in Sorority House's former location. I think that's the final list as far as Mazes.

Awesome, the third scare zone has been added: Wasteland, presumably near Mystic Timbers by the description https://www.visitkingsisland.com/play/haunt/attractions/wasteland

^ I actually don't mind most of the pop, and truly enjoy a decent number of the songs. But when that song gets to the "stanky leg" part, I suddenly have a strong need to be anywhere else. Fortunately it only seems to play on FunTV, so I can potentially just get out of line, rather than how stuck I'd be if it was park-wide. And it seems to have much reduced rotation, I've only heard it once in the past couple months (I'm at the park open until close a couple times a week usually). I'm still trying to compose in my head how I want to write the park about the International Street music. I want to really emphasize how much I enjoyed the classical during the first part of the season, how much more attractive it made I-St, etc. I want to downplay my irritation and anger that it was removed, but at the moment that is the more consuming feeling. It isn't as if there isn't plenty of other pop music at the park. Pop songs are playing from the moment you park in the lot, wait outside the gates, wait to see a show, wait in line, walk around in nearly every other part of the park sans Planet Snoopy. The same songs are playing everywhere except a few spots that I worry will have disappeared along with classical on I-Street (mariachi outside Hanks, KI Radio in Racer's station). So, even if the argument is that pop music appeals to certain demographics: so what? They can still listen to it one of the many places it is playing. I hate a lot of the songs in Planet Snoopy, but I have never lodged a complaint. Because it isn't meant to appeal to me. Everything isn't for everyone. It doesn't have to be. And if the park can appeal to neglected demographics in a way the chosen few are likely to barely notice, why on Earth rip it away?!

I don't think Diamondback was stopped on the lift hill because two people were panicking. I was in line at the time, and it seemed to be stopped for a mechanical reason, and at that time no one was clearly panicking. It was at least 15 minutes before they sent people up the hill to reassure the riders and offer water, a delay that I don't believe would have happened if a scared person was the reason to stop. I think what he meant about the two person evac (which happened after I left the area apparently) was that, while they were doing whatever needed to be done to make it safe for the ride to be restarted, someone panicked and decided they wanted off rather than continuing to wait. They're still available. Probably a few places like Hanks will be closed due to staffing issues since school is back in, and LaRosas will be busier than usual. Don't forget it's only a partial day, too: open 5 PM till 10. Keeps crowds down because people are less likely to visit from farther away for only five hours.

By my scientific testing of the theory (looked at your number before and after tagging your post sad or confused), they do not affect reputation. The other three do.

Because a demographic that traditionally has very little disposible income is the one they are likely to focus on courting...? Maybe as employees. However, I think it is pretty clear that Kings Island focuses on pleasing families a lot more than college students.

I was at the park today, pop music on International Street. I meant to stop by guest services to lodge my compliment (for the classical music most of the season) / complaint (about it going away) but I forgot.

To repeat what I said in the other place you asked: "Most of the rides outside Planet Snoopy are open as usual. In addition, there are several Haunt Mazes, which are like small haunted houses you can walk through, with heavy theming and costumed and made-up performers whose job it is to scare you (lines for these will often be longer than for the rides). Also, some areas of the park are "scare zones" where performers are out working the crowds walking around. There are some special shows. The entire park is often consumed by fog machines. There is a much more dark and adult vibe to the whole thing than the regular season." Some of the mazes are open-air, but most are enclosed.

Most of the rides outside Planet Snoopy are open as usual. In addition, there are several Haunt Mazes, which are like small haunted houses you can walk through, with heavy theming and costumed and made-up performers whose job it is to scare you (lines for these will often be longer than for the rides). Also, some areas of the park are "scare zones" where performers are out working the crowds walking around. There are some special shows. The entire park is often consumed by fog machines. There is a much more dark and adult vibe to the whole thing than the regular season.

The shed may not have immediately blown me or others away (although I enjoyed it I left it more confused than anything the first time), but the more often I go through, the more impressed I am by the depth of detail there is inside. Yesterday was my 40th visit of the season (not including Media Day) and I've rode Mystic Timbers at least dozens of times. I always look around and enjoy myself when sitting in the shed. Still, after all that time, I discovered two new-to-me things inside the shed. One is relatively minor, and the other is pretty major. One of the rusted signs on the wall is for parking at Los Angeles college. I can't make out the entire text of the sign due to rust and low light. The major thing I noticed has to do with the Miami River Lumber sign that is projected below the screen on the right. I had noticed it was a projection and had occasionally wondered about that a little. Yesterday, because I was riding near the front instead of the back like usual, I saw why. When the monsters start flowing across the right screen, small associated silhouettes briefly travel in front of the sign. I first noticed The Bat shadows flapping across, and on a subsequent ride saw snake shadows slither around. However, I was unable to "find" the tree on my half-dozen rides yesterday so I am not sure what the sign does in that ending. I suspect it may be bug shadows, but I can't say for sure.