2015 KIC Off Season Poll Series Week II: Park Area Change

[BB1]

It is only 2 weeks into the Off Season and yet already I am missing Kings Island more than ever! As we get further into the Off Season I feel like we begin to meditate on what the park could change, and what it could be. That led me to this week's poll topic: Area Changes. 

 

You are given free reign to change one area in the park to a different theme. You could A. Make a new area of the park. B. Change an area of the park to a different theme. Or C. Renovate an area of the park to further enhance the pre-existing theme. This would permit you to also bring back nostalgic areas like Hanna Barbera Land or Boomerang Bay even. Please note that the attraction changes will not be possible only slight modifications like taking out a water feature or repaints are acceptable, but will be in a future poll week!

 

Also I would like to make a special note here to everyone who replied to the last poll, thank you so much for your support and I hope that you are enjoying the poll series!

[The Interpreter]

Coney Mall.

At the very least put the sign, or a redone one made to look like the original--Six Flags and all--back.

[malem]

C: Put theming back into Rivertown, such that it feels like a distinct area of the park again.

[KIghostguy]

Put German food back in the Festhaus, for just a small change. It would definitly bring the theming back.

[MDMC01]

Great question BB1. Let's see... if I had to pick 1 area to change, it would be Action Zone. Those who know me know I love Action Zone, but I would love it even more if it reverted back to its original name: Adventure Village. The area now known as Action Zone became Adventure Village soon after the Wild Animal Monorail left and kept the name until 1999, where the area was renamed Paramount Action Zone (as we all know, the Paramount part of the name was dropped shortly after Cedar Fair acquired the park). Most of the rides would fit name and theming-wise (Congo Falls, Delirium, Banshee, The Bat, Xtreme Skyflyer) while Drop Tower might have to be renamed/rethemed* (though I wouldn't want the paint scheme to change). Invertigo would have to change too as it doesn't quite fit the theming, and in a perfect world, I'd remove it for an Intamin Impulse Coaster (going longwise under Congo and towards Timberwolf, the station would be near the start of Invertigo's line) because those things are awesome! Finally, I think I'd annex Adventure Express and Slingshot to the area just like back in the day (well, Slingshot didn't exist back then, but you know what I mean). Unfortunately, this would make Oktoberfest much smaller, but maybe Oktoberfest and AV could co-exist in some way. These are my thoughts, what say you?

 

*EDIT: Though, I could just rename Drop Tower back to Drop Zone if there were some way to get around the whole "movie licensing" thing since it wouldn't be related to the movie, but rather with the idea of freefalling from a perilous height.

[bkroz]

Coney Mall.

 

Potential is off the charts.

 

Paint everything in classic white, matching retro marquees for the rides, all rides outfitted with flashing incandescent bulbs, mall lined with flags. You can even go a little "overboard" and use the vaguely retro-modern style shades of Gemini Midway at Cedar Point and go real "groovy" with it. We're talking era-appropriate music, gleaming white Racer, popcorn lights strung across the midway, Racer racing (duh), planters full of trees.

 

If we're keeping score, the former Arcade and adjoining building would be a great spot for a retro Midway Mania style interactive dark ride by Triotech. In the ideal build-out of the park I posted on here once, I had Backlot Stunt Coaster retrofitted as a Steeplechase-style ride with the same chaser lights, white track and supports, etc. to bring it into Coney Mall where it belongs. Doing so, the dinosaur exhibit (if it stays) could blend well into the land, themed to a "tourist trap" or something with retro billboards lining the midway advertising "COLOSSAL PREHISTORIC BEASTS, NEXT LEFT!" etc. (though that depends on the whims of the company they're rented from). 

 

But overall, it's the part of the park with the richest potential and the simplest path to being a well-themed area.

 

Rivertown is – frankly – beyond realistically saving at this point. (And for that, I still blame Diamondback. Fantastic ride, yes. It's killer that Swan Lake had to be sacrificed for it. But even worse, management at the time saw no value in planting trees around the lake. Sure, it was an eyesore the year it opened, but if they'd planted heavy, real trees, we might be well on our way to filling that land back in. Instead, we got a few dogwoods, meaning that in 50 years, Rivertown is still going to feel like a wide, expansive plaza. It's a shame that long term vision wasn't there for that.) I know everyone hopes The Crypt building will become a wild mouse or a Triotech dark ride but, being very honest, neither concept amazes or excites me. As much of a broken record as I sound, I still think that a clone of Kings Dominion's Crypt – waterfalls and all – would be INCREDIBLE placed in our old Crypt showbuilding. Their music, waterfalls, mist, fire, and ride system combined with our goddess, queue, theatrical lighting capabilities, volcano, etc. would be a certifiable E-ticket. Just, don't bring back The Bat (not the coaster despite being auto-capitalized). Like, THAT'S a thrill ride / dark ride combo and without any wild expense. Consult me with questions, Don. 

 

Oktoberfest is also beyond saving, unless someone finds it prudent to re-cast it as an adventurous South American jungle outpost or something, which would necessitate changes to the interior and exterior of Festhaus and I don't think management could give a rat's behind about details like that so they doubtlessly think it's fine how it is, and maybe it is and we're the nit-pickers who care too much.

 

International Street is what it is and we can't change that.

 

X-Base is really nice. Needs a flat ride and bathrooms (and its own official designation on the map???) but otherwise it's a solid themed area. 

 

Action Zone doesn't exist anymore for all intents and purposes, though there's great potential in sub-dividing it into an Action Zone backlot and a Haunted Hill, but that would require thematic changes that – again – I doubt Cedar Fair would find worthwhile.

[BlondyRidesOn]

Coney Mall- Put sign back, paint touch ups.

Rivertown- Put animatronics on train.

Oktoberfest- Install Tilt a Whirl named "Glockenspiel" next to lake.

International Street-

Spanish building~ Add on and build Mexican food stand, name it "Hank's Cantina." Deck out with a couple Spanish flags

German building~ Change shop names to German sounding names like "Main Strasse Souvenirs" and "Spielwaren." Keep Peanuts Emporium.

French building~ Replace Minute Maid with snack stand with Soft Drinks, Pretzels, and Elephant Ears, rename "Colations Cafe."

Italian building~ Okay for now.

Alpine building~ Can't be saved.

[kingsislandfan1972]

Expansion of X-Base would be great.

[coasterfanatic83]

Soak City needs work desperately. Hopefully the new addition is a step in that direction.