KIghostguy

News article with some nice new construction photos from the park. Adventure Port is officially opening "sometime in the summer" and won't be ready by opening day. https://local12.com/news/local/crews-work-to-get-new-adventure-port-area-ready-for-summer-at-kings-island-cincinnati-ride-adventure-express-mercado-theme-hanks-enriques-cargo-loco-sol-spin-rides-bier-garten

Not that I’m aware of, I think they’ve just said “spring.” But I seriously doubt it will be open, or at the very least finished.

And thank goodness that never happened. If I wanted to shoot things on a video screen, I can go to Dave and Buster's.

Can't say I'm too sad about Forbidden Frontier leaving. I felt that it was a waste of space. More live entertainment options are a good thing...but nobody goes to Cedar Point to LARP. Hopefully the redevelopment of that island becomes a top priority; it's a big, central plot of land and could be home to so many different options. The thing about Town Hall being "indefinitely postponed" (aka cancelled) was also shared during last year's Winter Chill Out. It really, really sucks, in my opinion easily the worst news to come out of the past two Chill Outs. It's so sad they gutted the museum...and THEN cancelled it. Another vacant space for many more years, no doubt. And here are two positives out of Chill Out: renderings were shared of the Grand Pavilion interior and it's stunning. It will probably be the nicest-looking restaurant at any regional amusement park--it even has stained-glass windows! And the marquee sign for The Boardwalk looks fantastic as well; it's going to mimic this old sign, which I love:

I really like the colors! I hope they replace the shingles on Enrique’s roof though—I feel like it still gives a German vibe.

The masks from the first lift are getting repainted. Looks nice!

It's nice to see some sort of update. I think it's been two or three weeks since an official update from the park. Looks like progress has been made on both Cargo Loco and Sol Spin.

It would be wonderful if they brought the Coney Mall sign back.

Strange that the webcams aren't pointed towards the Adventure Port construction area. It would be a great publicity tactic, much like how Cedar Point has a webcam trained on The Boardwalk construction.

Looking good so far! I’m really liking the colors on the Mercado. But I would be shocked if Adventure Port is finished by opening day. It looks like there’s still a lot of work left to do.

I think Viking Fury was definitely showing its age paint-wise before they repainted it in 2020, but the "dunked in chocolate" look is definitely an odd choice. The support color is nice, though. Personally, I'm more disappointed that when the time came to buy new awnings for the operator booths, they stuck with the boring solid blue color instead of going back to the original striped ones.

My advice for Six Flags America is: don't eat there. I had the worst amusement park meal in my life at their Johnny Rocket's. And ESPECIALLY do not use the Johnny Rocket's bathrooms. On the flip side, one of the best amusement park meals I've ever had was at Kings Dominion. The prime rib at Outpost Cafe is incredible and reasonably priced.

It looks to be a B&M dive. Very happy for Dorney Park. They desperately need something, anything new! Walking around Dorney Park when I went in 2022 was like walking through a time warp to 2008. It felt like Kinzel had never left.

I had the pleasure of interviewing him for the book in October 2020. He was a great storyteller and very enthusiastic about the book! I kept in touch and was able to meet him in person at Cedar Point on his last day there before he retired. Very sad to hear that he passed.

I'm surprised that Jungle X-Pedition isn't open. They just spent a whole bunch of money redoing a significant piece of the park and it even has a new signature restaurant...with indoor seating, perfect for the colder months! I think having Kings Dominion as a year-round park is a good move, but it's surprising to me that they wouldn't put an emphasis on their brand-new land redevelopment.

Yes, but it would have been a hyper at CGA, not a giga.

Very nice article! But small correction—Jack Rouse was the head of Kings Productions, a division of KECO. Nelson Schwab III was the CEO. He was also the first CEO of Paramount Parks!

It looks like the track is staying red and the supports are changing color.

Some photos of Diamondback’s repaint so far here: https://www.instagram.com/p/CmSjA-0sZc7/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y= Look closely on slide two—you can see a color change starting to appear on the supports. A darker brown.

There are still copies available online with the book bundle: https://www.kingsislandgear.com/collections/new-arrivals/products/limited-edition-signed-kings-island-book-bundle Comes with the photo book and Kings Island: A Ride Through Time, and both copies are autographed by Gary Wachs and Mike Koontz!

Great video, thank you for sharing! Scott Fais always does a nice job, and Keith and Patti are wonderful people.

I was given the chance to proofread the manuscript and page through a physical copy at the IAAPA show last month. It's a beautiful book that's a must-have! As with anything written/published by Barry Hill, it's very high quality. It makes for a fabulous accompaniment to Kings Island: A Ride Through Time.

The Mystic Timbers train doesn’t have the Miami River Lumber Co. logo on the back…dealbreaker!

Truly fantastic! Thank you for sharing!

I don't think I've seen the third camelback's lights on since 2019. Maybe they removed those lights altogether? The lift lights will probably be broken forever. Like the light in the meteor in front of Flight of Fear, I doubt it will ever be fixed.