BeeastFarmer

No, not an official statement, but likely the truth. These trees can live for hundreds of years, but the area they were planted in was harsh--hardscape, very compacted soil and a small area for so many feeder roots. In addition, linden trees attract aphids and have to be sprayed with insecticide frequently. Aphid "honeydew" (poop) makes for a big mess and attracts ants, bees, wasps and all other kinds of insects. If this site exists, and if Kings Island exists in 25-30 years, there will likely be a discussion about the removal of the Autumn Blaze maple trees. And probably complaints about all the solar panels in the parking lot and buildings, and my panels will be at the end of life--as will I!

The linden trees were likely at the end of their service life. The Autumn Blaze Maples will eventually grow in and provide shade and add beautiful fall color to IS, vs the linen trees which held on to the leaves much later in the season. But honestly, the smaller trees fit the scale of IS much better. KD does have a lovely IS, but it feels tiny and cramped in my opinion. And the concrete dividers were one of the worst KECO decisions--cold and stark. The seating on IS at KI is much, much improved over those tacky concrete pours. The ash borer has decimated trees at both parks, but I think their tower looks better without them. The ornate shrubbery and evergreen trees at KD are lovely and KI could take a hint from them.

Moonshine is booze. The OP was talking about theming the story to the MRB. This eatery will be rethemed eventually, so to me, why theme a ride to it? And if you are theming with something that goes into RT, it just comes across as odd. But then again, in a sister park, you had an avalance next to a volcano, with a wrecked space ship and nascar race nearby, followed by a giant snake and a hollywood movie set, all in a jungle area.

Booze isn't. Craft brewing is.

How could they dishonestly relocate Slingshot to the Congo Falls plot? Would they tell us it's going to stay put, knowing it's going to be moved?

I thought they offered $17/hr for all seasonal positions in 2021? Is this wage regression?

The Brewhouse will morph into something else when craft brewery fad ends. I like the idea too, but it's better to use timeless theming than today's fads.

Knott's posted on Facebook today that Montezuma's Revenge will undergo extensive renovation and will not open at all in 2022 (except the days from now until 1-9-2022). It was under renovation when I visited in 2017 in February and wasn't expected to open until much later in 2017. Intresting that two major reno's will take place in 5 years.

I hope my views don't insult you. But the things you mention all appeal to locals. They could appeal to tourists, but I would venture a guess that St. Louis/Des Moines/Louisville and Fort Smith all have these things (besides pro sports, which Cincy does have). There is just not a natural draw--most people don't think of Cincy as a destination like they do DC, Charlotte, Phoenix or LA.

But what is there to market? Besides the things I mentioned, Cincy is pretty much like any other metro area in the country. Even the Brady kids recognized this--look at their reaction when Mike told them his big surprise to Cincy!

Also consider that CP is a destination park. As stated above, they HAVE to have record breakers there. They have to fill resort rooms. The town/city is build around CP. KI began as a resort but has morphed into a regional park. So they rely on season pass holders. I mean, it's Cincinnatti. Nothing really to do there except go to KI, eat chili, see a game and go to IKEA.

You just beat me to this. Glad I got to visit the park back in 2017. RIP Blue Streak.

I just saw it a few minutes ago and thought the same. First thought, do they have a shuttle to Cedar Point, and there are not 100 roller coasters in Ohio.

I don't get a negative vibe from you at all. I think you are extpressing what you wish the park had done, like many of us do about many subjects. I think we all want the best version of KI there is and what we see as the best, the leaders don't. I enjoy your posts! Thanks, I consider that a great compliment. Maybe I should have worded it differently, but pre 2017, I did enjoy the reveal of the tower and fountains. But it was stale as not much pizzaz had been added or maintained beyond that. When the pop music was changed in 2017, for me, the magic returned. And then the renovation built on that. I now look forward to the atmosphere on IS as much as riding Diamondback, and take the time to experience it each time I go to the park.

I'll give my two cents: I would have loved to have seen a curb element installed. More than that, I would have loved to see the ornate lamps return, that were removed during the Cedar Fair tenure. Also, I prefer the fountain pedestals to the show jets. BUT--in spite of this, I am glad they did what they did. It looks great and functions great. It is now an experience instead of just a walk through to get into the park. I also think the new blacktop around the tower is temporary. I hope they replace it with pavers and extend this into Tower Gardens. Perhaps this will be a phase two. Of course I would like to see some ornate landscaping around the fountain and tower--flowers around the fountain (no trimmed shrubbery and white rocks) and flowers and weeping shrubbery around the tower.

It didn't sound muffled at first, during the first song, but as the show went on, you could tell they were singing, especially when it not the entire ensemble. I did notice that the Peanut Gang's voices had some issues--like if CB was on stage left, it only played on the speakers on stage left, so it sounded unbalanced as we were on stage right. They were scrambling in the booth. When they were on stage right, it was extra loud of those of us on that side..

^ I was at the 930pm Peanuts Spectacular and thought the masks were odd, But as the show went on, it was easy to determine that the performers were singing. Especially when it was just 2 or three perforrmers.

All these things were noticed by myself. And the Winter Buffet was closed too! But I took a friend to his first Winterfest. He is a theater guy. He had a blast and was very appreciative of the entertainment staff. Saw Tinker's for the first time. When Tinker gets his spirit, and when Snoopy shows up in Spectacular show, my eyes do get a little misty. My friend says that is the sign of a good actor/show...a human connection is made.

Why all the hate for ACE in this thread?

I'd much prefer a standard wheel in Oktoberfest. Get it back to its' roots.

You seem to have many bad experiences at KI. I tend to avoid the Sweet Spot because I don't need the carbs. I hope your next visit is trouble free!

I think Invertigo restroom and the Planet Snoopy (By the Ghost of Resturaunts Past, not the Rivertown side) ones are the best as they have AC and seemingly improved ventilation so the smell is minimal. Now there is an obscure KI fact I have never heard. Spock Fascinating GIF - Bing images

The updated men's rooms still have this issue. The ones without cooling need to have their HVAC systems updated. Men splash at the urinals by nature, they need to switch to the urinal pad that disperses the stream so splash is minimized. You see these in truck stops. They also need to add restroom buildings. Each land should have at least 2 stand alone restroom buildings in most instances. Planet Snoopy needs one between First Aid and The Beastie. Rivertown needs one near the Crypt. Coney Mall is ok, but Area 72 needs a stand alone restroom building.

RE: cost. I did a little Dr. Google research. Assumption-93 acres. This is 4051080 sq feet. How many sq. feet in an acre? - Acres to Square Feet (calculatorology.com) Cost to blacktop per sq. ft: $1.59* (according to the website, it is 1.49 to 1.69, so I went with the midpoint) How Much Does Commercial Parking Lot Paving Cost? | ProMatcher Cost: $6.441,217.20 93 acre lot came from a previous discussion here on KIC. The handicap and preferred parking lot will probably not get paved, maybe resealed and restriped to match. They may not resurface the entire lot. The price may be lower (discount for off season work) or higher (premium price for off season work/materials). Finally, it's my opinion that this and other investments are very exciting for the future of KI. Ride repaints, infrastructure, and rebuilding of The Beast represent a huge capital outlay, not to mention everything else since 2017. I hope the $100 IR tickets, pen sets, posters, meal plans, drink plans continue to sell well so these projects will continue to be "funded."

Sorry for a double post but I could not add text in the original post or with editing. The source for the photo was a screenshot from the Kings Island Season Passholder Facebook page, under a discussion about the parking lot.