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Oktoberfest Area Facelift?


2012Jarrett
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The current state of the glockenspiel should be considered a crime.

Edit: I'll be constructive instead of just complaining. I think the following could bring a much need facelift for Oktoberfest.

1. The Festhaus- Rip out the crappy, overpriced cafeteria food and replace it edible, overpriced German style cuisine. Have you ever been to the Hofbrauhaus in Newport, KY on a weekend? The place is packed and it's wonderful. A very entertaining and different experience featuring good beer, delicious food, and live German music. This could be the seemingly absent sit down restaurant in Kings Island's food lineup. This would require serious management and training in order for it to be successful. But with the current state of things... Eh. Who knows. 

Also, as noted above, give the building some TLC and restore the glockenspiel. Sheesh. Show a little pride.

2. Hanks Burrito Hack (err... Shack.)- One of the great mysteries of the universe is why Kings Island seems hell bent on dropping restaurants in Oktoberfest that have nothing to do with Oktoberfest. I mean you have Chinese, Mexican, and so forth. But no German food. It's like walking around the World Showcase at Epcot and except it's not because it's horrible. This would be a prime location for a nice German style bakery that could sell baked goods and pretzels that weren't warmed in a microwave earlier in the week and left in one of those spiny glass cases.

3. The *whoever sponsors it* Beir Garden- This wouldn't need too much of a change. Just keep a nice rotation of beers going with a nice menu of shareable German inspired appetizers and items from the above mentioned bakery. 

4. Flat Ride Expansion - Time to say bye to the Slingshot  and hello to a big ol' Ferris Wheel with an awe inspiring lighting package.

On the chopping block next would be the ladder game. Replace that with a mild to medium, family friendly flat ride with a festive German theme. If this would requires sacrificing the Coney Mall Basketball Challenge, I won't lose sleep. 

5. Adventure Express - I think AE is the most underrated coaster in the park. It deserves some love. As much as I enjoy the original ride concept (purely due to nostalgia) I'd be fine if the ride was re-themed and updated because it really needs it. It could be as simple as, "Black Forest Adventure Express." The existing architecture could be updated to reflect a more German/Barvarian feel as well as the tunnel theming. I don't think you'd have to go to crazy to make it work. It would just be nice to see the ride get some TLC and reflect its former glory. 

6. Music and Atmosphere - Simple. German music and cool light packages, Maybe have some kind of interactive light show with the pond, fountain, and the (hypothetical) Ferris Wheel. 

 

Thats all, Folks!

 

 

 

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How high is the demand for German food at Kings Island? They introduced some German food in 2013, but that quietly disappeared from the menu after two seasons. 

If the park decides to bring back some German theming, Bavarian music would definitely be a plus. Much like how the International Street playlist enhanced the atmosphere, thematically fitting music could help Oktoberfest. Maybe something like the music from Busch Gardens Williamsburg:

 

 

 

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10 hours ago, Diamondback96 said:

I say keep LaRosa's in Festhaus, and move Panda Express to International Street. After all, Italy is closer to Germany than China is.

Panda could possibly be placed where Skyline is inside the Alpine lodge, Mandarin Cuisine was there for a couple of years during the Paramount/CBS years. However, Skyline seems pretty popular. Another possibility would be to add a sixth building to International Street, with a Chinese Pagoda façade. It would help enhance the theming and atmosphere on International Street, and update it to accommodate other "international" countries.

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  • 1 month later...
On 11/12/2017 at 8:56 AM, Stoan said:

Getting rid of all the cafeteria food for German would be a mistake. Offering some on the side would be smart. You can fit two restaurants in that area, make one German. Sausage and Kraut, Potato Pancakes, drunken chicken.

If its done well, then people would love it.  If its done half way or served cafeteria it would not be a hit....

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1 hour ago, Maverick44 said:

Hey place Panda anywhere in the park and i'll be there. Haha I love it. Please don't ever remove it!! It doesn't however belong where it currently is.

I've always thought an easy fix would be to swap I-Street Skyline with Panda. Skyline has German roots and Panda would bring some more international to International Street.

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10 hours ago, LoadAndGo said:

I've always thought an easy fix would be to swap I-Street Skyline with Panda. Skyline has German roots and Panda would bring some more international to International Street.

I thought Skyline Chili and other Cincinnati style chili restaurants were Greek.

But I agree about Panda Express. If they were to move it to International Street, they could revive the "international" theming a bit. They had another Chinese restaurant in the same space called Mandarin Cuisine.

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12 minutes ago, BlondyRidesOn said:

I thought Skyline Chili and other Cincinnati style chili restaurants were Greek.

But I agree about Panda Express. If they were to move it to International Street, they could revive the "international" theming a bit. They had another Chinese restaurant in the same space called Mandarin Cuisine.

You are correct! I'm not sure what I was thinking. I feel as if I have offended some sort of Cincinnati god. 

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49 minutes ago, LoadAndGo said:

You are correct! I'm not sure what I was thinking. I feel as if I have offended some sort of Cincinnati god. 

No it's fine. There may be some German routes deep in the background of Skyline, but the man who founded it was from Greece. The Alpine building on International Street where Skyline currently is used to sell Skyline when it was called the Alpine Deli in the early 90's according to the park's 1992 brochure, so there is a slight Bavarian connection on I-Street at least.

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I think the Festhaus could definitely use some more options and a salad bar is an excellent suggestion. I wouldn't mind seeing Tom + Chee and/or Skyline in there. However, I am in love with the Hofbrauhaus idea or something similar to the Taft's Ale House. But at the very least, I would like to see them get some new food options in there somehow. 

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3 hours ago, Maverick44 said:

I just want the glockenspiel to work lol

It would have to be there for it to work. I believe it’s completely gone. 

4 hours ago, Joshua said:

I think the Festhaus could definitely use some more options and a salad bar is an excellent suggestion. I wouldn't mind seeing Tom + Chee and/or Skyline in there. However, I am in love with the Hofbrauhaus idea or something similar to the Taft's Ale House. But at the very least, I would like to see them get some new food options in there somehow. 

I’d rather not see any franchised food in there. Harmony Hall 2.0 would be great!

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@bkroz Had a really cool idea for Oktoberfest and I'd be 100% behind it, but I'd keep the Adventure Express name.

Quote

731imgp9777_146.jpg

The Curse of DarKastle 4-D motion-based dark ride cloned from Busch Gardens Williamsburg, with a new showbuilding constructed between The Racer and Flight of Fear. The ride's exterior - like Busch Gardens' - is a snowy German castle facade with antique brass towers that drip and mist in the sun.

4655845038_3395250e24_z.jpg

The ride is entered via an overgrown garden courtyard with a stone wolves statue in the center. While the exterior is just a facade, it gives a castle backdrop to the entire German sub-area (previously Oktoberfest).

Adventure Express remains but has been renamed Verlorenschiene, which means Lost Railway. Of course, it gets cosmetic upgrades and a new lease on life as a wild mine train through collapsing tunnels. Festhaus remains, but it contains an Oktoberfest-themed show. The building itself is covered in crawling vines (including the still-broken glockenspiel -- now part of a story) as part of the misty, dark atmosphere of The Woods. DarKastle exits into Der Marktplatz, a German-themed store with authentic German gifts and DarKastle merchandise. Hanks becomes Brezlen und Bier, serving fresh pretzels, pretzel sandwiches, and beer complete with a patio for relaxing.

 

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On 11/12/2017 at 8:56 AM, Stoan said:

Getting rid of all the cafeteria food for German would be a mistake. Offering some on the side would be smart. You can fit two restaurants in that area, make one German. Sausage and Kraut, Potato Pancakes, drunken chicken.

100% agree with you.  There is absolutely no way that KI is getting rid of LaRosa's in the Festhaus.  Plus it is always packed in there.  I don't think you see the same crowd for traditional German food.

The only possibility to add another restaurant in there, would be to remove the show stage and have another food area in there.  They use both lines for LaRosas on weekends and it's more than busy enough.

The best option to run German food in the park, would be to serve it at the burrito shack and I don't think the park values German cuisine enough to do it.

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13 hours ago, chugh43 said:

It would have to be there for it to work. I believe it’s completely gone. 

I’d rather not see any franchised food in there. Harmony Hall 2.0 would be great!

Dang, I guess since it hasn't worked / been there I have not looked. Well I wish they would bring it back along with the Coney Mall sign.

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