Pics from tonight. 

 

 

It also seems as if the park has added some more concept art photos of the coaster and beagle scout acres onto the website:

https://www.visitkingsisland.com/new-in-2024

10 hours ago, Hawaiian Coasters 325 said:

It also seems as if the park has added some more concept art photos of the coaster and beagle scout acres onto the website:

https://www.visitkingsisland.com/new-in-2024

In that first pic it looks like the Race For Your Life building is being painted red.  Also one of the observation areas on the flume is painted yellow.  While I realize concept art doesn't always mean it is definitely changing that will be a nice color change.

I'm also curious to see if the restrooms also get a refresh.  That area between Camp Bus and Linus Launcher would be a good place to add another restaurant if both of those rides were relocated elsewhere in Camp Snoopy or Planet Snoopy.

Here’s a piece I wrote about Camp Snoopy.

https://themeparksbydon.com/construction-on-kings-islands-camp-snoopy-takes-shape/

Here are some pics from tonight 

I'll do the honor and be the first KICer to post in 2024! Happy New Year everyone and looking forward to continue seeing this project come together this off-season. 

I believe we are about to see construction really start picking up with 2023 coming to an end. 

Correct me if I am wrong but I think this crane is very similar to the one that lifted Good Gravy’s track into place if not the same model. 

32 minutes ago, Orion742 said:

I believe we are about to see construction really start picking up with 2023 coming to an end. 

Correct me if I am wrong but I think this crane is very similar to the one that lifted Good Gravy’s track into place if not the same model. 

little blurry kinda hard to tell but im sure its similar 

1 hour ago, Orion742 said:

I believe we are about to see construction really start picking up with 2023 coming to an end. 

Correct me if I am wrong but I think this crane is very similar to the one that lifted Good Gravy’s track into place if not the same model. 

Since we named all the cranes during the Orion thread after those in the Clifford show and Greek Mythology, what should we name this crane? I'll go with Hamburger (the white dog in Clifford) https://clifford.fandom.com/wiki/Category:Dogs

Are we certain that it is, in fact, a crane?  I was just watching the cam, and it looked more like a concrete pumper boom truck (don't know the technical name) than a crane......  Just my take.

Yep, that is a concrete pump`s boom.  Not a crane, just a way to get concrete into a hard to reach area of a site from the mixer truck.

34 minutes ago, CoastersRZ said:

Yep, that is a concrete pump`s boom.  Not a crane, just a way to get concrete into a hard to reach area of a site from the mixer truck.

Thank you for correcting me. I wasn’t sure if it was or not, it just looked similar to Good Gravy’s crane from a distance. I saw some mixer trucks arriving on site a few minutes after that photo was taken so that makes sense.

Looks like most if not all the footers are in place:

Can't really tell with Flying Ace in the way, but not having any equipment back there makes it seem that way. Might start seeing steel arriving soon.

Camp Snoopy is new for 2024. What efforts has the park made to ignite interest, excitement, and anticipation since the August announcement? There's a lack of news stories, social media buzz, and blog features about the new ride, about Camp Snoopy, and all there will be for families to do. 

Why didn't the Kings Island communications team capture a momentous occasion -- the groundbreaking for Camp Snoopy -- by photographing General Manager Mike Koontz alongside Snoopy and Charlie Brown, all sporting hard hats and holding shovels, and subsequently share this captivating image with the Associated Press?

By capturing that photo, and including a cutline such as, "Snoopy, Kings Island's EVP/GM Mike Koontz, and Charlie Brown make history at the groundbreaking ceremony for Camp Snoopy at Kings Island Amusement Park in Mason, Ohio. The park's award-winning kids' area is set to unveil this exciting addition in spring 2024," they could have secured extensive earned media coverage across news outlets spanning Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and beyond. 

Nobody at the park or corporate team is going to notice missed opportunities like this because people outside of PR can't really judge how well a PR person is doing because they're so out of the scope. 

Camp Snoopy is geared for storytelling. Hoping to see some stories soon across all communication channels! 

 

 

2 hours ago, DonHelbig said:

Camp Snoopy is new for 2024. What efforts has the park made to ignite interest, excitement, and anticipation since the August announcement? There's a lack of news stories, social media buzz, and blog features about the new ride, about Camp Snoopy, and all there will be for families to do. 

Why didn't the Kings Island communications team capture a momentous occasion -- the groundbreaking for Camp Snoopy -- by photographing General Manager Mike Koontz alongside Snoopy and Charlie Brown, all sporting hard hats and holding shovels, and subsequently share this captivating image with the Associated Press?

By capturing that photo, and including a cutline such as, "Snoopy, Kings Island's EVP/GM Mike Koontz, and Charlie Brown make history at the groundbreaking ceremony for Camp Snoopy at Kings Island Amusement Park in Mason, Ohio. The park's award-winning kids' area is set to unveil this exciting addition in spring 2024," they could have secured extensive earned media coverage across news outlets spanning Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and beyond. 

Nobody at the park or corporate team is going to notice missed opportunities like this because people outside of PR can't really judge how well a PR person is doing because they're so out of the scope. 

Camp Snoopy is geared for storytelling. Hoping to see some stories soon across all communication channels! 

 

 

Hey now - you don’t know what they were doing the day that they had the ground breaking. Maybe their kid had a soccer game. Maybe they were on a cruise. You never know. 

Alot of activity at Camp Snoopy this AM.  Saw sparks flying at one point.  Looks like we could be going vertical soon.

Construction update blog and video that the park just posted: https://www.visitkingsisland.com/blog/2024/january/camp-snoopy-construction-update

Among some other interesting tidbits, it's worth pointing out that this says Camp Snoopy will be opening "late spring 2024." Does not seem optimistic for opening day, unfortunately. 

 

24 minutes ago, KIghostguy said:

Among some other interesting tidbits, it's worth pointing out that this says Camp Snoopy will be opening "late spring 2024." Does not seem optimistic for opening day, unfortunately. 

I think anyone thinking it would open opening day were too optimistic especially after Holiday World themselves stated Vekoma confirmed to them Good Gravy would open first.

That’s a lot of work that’s been finished already since New Years. I’m sure they will try the best to have this open day 1. But 99 days to finish this is a very steep climb

While the article does say that Linus Launcher will be part of the new area, I am hoping that it is also one of the repainted rides mentioned. That purple doesn't really fit with the Camp Snoopy / Rivertown transition.

I also hope they repaint the outside of the restrooms building.

Glad they are including Linus Launcher and The Flume in this retheme, the transition from rivertown to Camp Snoopy will be a lot less jarring than the transition to Planet 

6 hours ago, KIghostguy said:

Construction update blog and video that the park just posted: https://www.visitkingsisland.com/blog/2024/january/camp-snoopy-construction-update

Among some other interesting tidbits, it's worth pointing out that this says Camp Snoopy will be opening "late spring 2024." Does not seem optimistic for opening day, unfortunately. 

 

Looks like it’s coming along well! I did not expect Woodstock Gliders and Linus Launcher to be a part of this but I am all for it. I think it makes more sense instead of just having two things in the back of Planet Snoopy that are Camp Snoopy. I know it wasn’t mentioned but I still really hope to see the new gen Vekoma trains added to Flying Ace. Also, are they going to stick with the Flying Ace name and not change the name? I just think that’d be a bit weird with the completely different color scheme.

Liked the update and Woodstock Gliders will look great with the new look. 

That video though....just wow. 

6 hours ago, Imperial79 said:

Liked the update and Woodstock Gliders will look great with the new look. 

As long as they make a clear delineation between the new "refreshed" rides and the other ones. It could start getting a bit "Mish Mash" with gliders repainted like baskets right next to space buggies, then back to a big "kite eating" oak tree. Wish while they were at it they just rethemed Space Buggies into "Off Road Rally" with a light retheme and some better landscaping with big boulders and such that you are "bouncing over"

To my knowledge the park has not received any track or supports for the coaster.  Any vertical construction to my knowledge is going to be station, theming, or something else.

6 hours ago, Kenban said:

To my knowledge the park has not received any track or supports for the coaster.  Any vertical construction to my knowledge is going to be station, theming, or something else.

Goto: https://www.importgenius.com/importers/kings-island

and click the shipments tab.

6 hours ago, DiamondbackFan said:

Goto: https://www.importgenius.com/importers/kings-island

and click the shipments tab.

That received date actually means the date that it reached the port.  It’s unlikely to have already reached the park, likely the containers still need to be loaded onto trucks and transported to the park.  But I guess it is likely to arrive soon.

 

On 1/13/2024 at 9:42 AM, Orion-XL200 said:

That video though....just wow. 

The ending just seemed to get cut off.  I would hope that was just some uploading glitch?  I have seen some podcasts have an abrupt ending to that I don't think was intentional.

Hopefully we see a revised one that has an ending.