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Rivertown revamp


Dr Zhark
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I think it need more theming and feel to the era it is. It looks "old" so to speak, but doesn't really immerse you in that feeling. Add some props and maybe add a live show themed around the time frame?

I feel like Rivertown and AZ, both need a step up in theming and feel for the area's. I remember seeing a keynote speech (I think that was what it was) on YouTube with Matt Ouimet talking about kind of letting their parks help make their future moves forward. Something simple he said that would fit Rivertown, is a water pump, that was added to Knott's Berry Farm. Never been their myself but I think something as simple as that could help with theming for Rivertown.

As for AZ I can't really think of anything, except I think renaming and theming being the best course for it...

He is an off the wall idea... When DB needs/gets fully repainted, instead of keeping the color it has now, give it a rustic looking color to make it feel more fitting to the area?

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River/water, desert snake. It was a joke.

In actuality, Diamondback and its styling fit into the area quite well, and are a great addition to Rivertown. The only thing I don't like is how abruptly it transitions into Planet Snoopy. I wish that Diamondback was more solidly placed in Rivertown rather than on the edge.

Edited to add: the location of the Reds Hall of Fame Grille contributes to Diamondback feeling cut off from the rest of Rivertown. It used to be a more theme-friendly restaurant. Now, both the Chicken Shack and Hanks Burrito Shack (didn't notice till I was looking on the map for their proper names that both of these are "shacks") would make more sense in Rivertown. RHoFG would make more sense in Action Zone, or possibly even Coney Mall. Obviously, the buildings currently standing would be wrong for the change, but thematically it would make more sense.

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The only thing I don't like is how abruptly it transitions into Planet Snoopy. I wish that Diamondback was more solidly placed in Rivertown rather than on the edge.

That's a gripe of mine too though obviously nothing can be done about it now. But before Diamdonback was installed, the transition was much more defined. The Diamondback photo booth, queue entrance and station really opened up that are right where the transition is, to the point where the line between Rivertown and PS is pretty blurred.

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I think the Reds Hall Of Fame Grill Disrupts the transition more and makes Diamondback feel more disconnected. As well as the Crypt/Tomb Raider's entrance. Having all the Asian theming right in the middle of an old west town just felt off to me since it first opened. If they keep the structure for something else I really hope they retheme that whole entry way and make it fit the area better and give it a mine shaft theme and look.

The transition to Planet Snoopy is pretty sudden but since it is the Charlie Brown log flume on the edge there across from it, it makes it an ok transition I feel. It's a Charlie Brown ride but it has a rustic/river feel to it. I do agree that a little more theming would help that area a bit.

However I feel Action Zone has the bigger identity crisis at the moment with two competing themes going on, though it could just be a transitional year and will eventually change over. But you have Invertigo, Drop Tower and Delirium all with bold colors and such of the old Action Zone. While Banshee and The Bat have a darker, more haunted feel and theme to them. And then Congo Falls just kind of in the middle of it all.

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I too sort of expect this to be a "transitional year" as you said for AZ, but at the same time I'm not exactly sure what they can do with Invertigo and Drop Tower to theme those to fit the Banshee/Bat theme they have going on.

However, even if the Reds HOF Grill building wasn't there, the whole DB midway area is pretty much wide open C (or V) shape that faces directly towards Planet Snoopy. Plus that building was obviously there first, so it's tough for me to blame that as the reason why DB feels disconnected from Rivertown.

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One issue, I think is the mixed message of Rivertown. Is it the old west? Or... something else? I think technically it's supposed to represent an early Ohio settlement along the river, right? Nothing wrong with that in Kings Island's early days (when you visited for the atmosphere, dining, shopping, and food as much as for the attractions), and the log flume and the keelboats fit that setting... issue is, not of whole lot of EXCITING stuff can be tied to an early Ohio river settlement.

The Beast fits in a unique and clever way... sort of a local legend about a creature in the woods. Obviously additions thereafter have deviated, using Rivertown as a "Frontierland" or... I don't know, Southeast Asia. For a while, that early Ohio settlement had a Western coaster diving over an Asian temple with a demonic bat inside and a Beast out in the woods behind. Today it's a hodge-podge, but no more than any of the park's other "lands." (Lest we forget, Adventure Express and the Burrito Shack are in Oktoberfest, Banshee is in a vaguely-themed studio backlot, Flight of Fear technically remains in Coney Mall since the park doesn't acknowledge X-Base as a land, etc).

I continue to think that an off-season of re-defining / re-naming / re-theming ALL of the parks "lands" would be a great thing to see, but I continue to understand that the average guest probably wouldn't notice. Then again, Kings Dominion made a whole year's celebration about two lands coming back to life, so who knows.

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I think it need more theming and feel to the era it is. It looks "old" so to speak, but doesn't really immerse you in that feeling. Add some props and maybe add a live show themed around the time frame?

I feel like Rivertown and AZ, both need a step up in theming and feel for the area's. I remember seeing a keynote speech (I think that was what it was) on YouTube with Matt Ouimet talking about kind of letting their parks help make their future moves forward. Something simple he said that would fit Rivertown, is a water pump, that was added to Knott's Berry Farm. Never been their myself but I think something as simple as that could help with theming for Rivertown.

Mr. Ouimet's speech.

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The only thing I don't like is how abruptly it transitions into Planet Snoopy. I wish that Diamondback was more solidly placed in Rivertown rather than on the edge.

In an effort to maintain my good reputation on this site, I will not go into my multi-paragraph dissertation about why Diamondback is placed very well exactly where it is, lest people start to think of me as a troll. Regardless of any of that, however, just look at the darn thing. I think one look at Diamondback and its complete domination of the skyline makes it abundantly clear that it isn't part of Planet Snoopy.

You want a ride that teeters on the edge of the two sections? Look at our Arrow Flume. It has even moved between the two sections without physically moving.

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Before it became RFYLCB it was in fact Kings Mills Log Flume and a part of Rivertown. Linus's Launcher is slightly offset from where the Wheel of Fortune (Trabant ride) was located. The pathway past Snoopy's Flying Ace Aerial Chase was non-existent. Paramount, in an effort to extend the age range for Nickelodeon Splat city added the Vekoma family suspended coaster, Jimmy Neutron Flyers (Linus's Launcher) and re-themed the log ride to The Wild Thornberrys. This, in effect, tore a hole into Rivertown's theming.

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Even though it is "officially" part of Planet Snoopy now, I still consider RFYLCB equally at home in Rivertown. So, as far as that goes, it is a good transition, a little of each. The majority of Diamondback being located firmly in Rivertown helps too.

Really, I think the biggest obstacle is that the outside of RHoFG doesn't fit into the Rivertown theming, so Diamondback's queue and station feel cut off. That's something that would be fairly easily changed (back).

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Before it became RFYLCB it was in fact Kings Mills Log Flume and a part of Rivertown. Linus's Launcher is slightly offset from where the Wheel of Fortune (Trabant ride) was located. The pathway past Snoopy's Flying Ace Aerial Chase was non-existent. Paramount, in an effort to extend the age range for Nickelodeon Splat city added the Vekoma family suspended coaster, Jimmy Neutron Flyers (Linus's Launcher) and re-themed the log ride to The Wild Thornberrys. This, in effect, tore a hole into Rivertown's theming.

Rugratt's?

Danny Phantom?

BB1, not so much of a fan of Paramount Nick.

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