Gazillion Bubbles to replace Phantom Theatre Encore in 2024?

[BoddaH1994]

According to many reports in the Kings Island Season Passholder group, Phantom Theatre Encore will be replaced by a bubble show. This is likely similar to the ones held at Dollywood and SeaWorld Orlando.

More info on the likely show: https://gazillionbubbleshow.com/meet-the-artists/

[brenthodge]

What a waste of a fully capable theatre. I feel the same way about the one at Dollywood as well. It could go in Festhaus and be better in that you can’t really focus on anything in there anyway. I’m feeling like this might be the last year for KI passes for a while. Really not liking the way things are heading. 

[BoddaH1994]

1 minute ago, brenthodge said:

What a stupid waste of a fully capable theatre. I feel the same way about the one at Dollywood as well. It could go in Festhaus and be better in that you can’t really focus on anything in there anyway. I’m feeling like this might be the last year for KI passes for a while. Really not liking the way things are heading. 

I saw this show at SeaWorld. 
 

That’s all I have to say for now. 

[Hawaiian Coasters 325]

I personally wouldn't be against this as from the video I watched of the bubble show at Dollywood, it looks like a very cool, funny, and interactive show. I love how they bring guests up to help with the show. While I loved Phantom, Its understandable why they're going with a different show as most shows do 2 year runs. 

[kingsislandfan1972]

13 minutes ago, Hawaiian Coasters 325 said:

I personally wouldn't be against this as from the video I watched of the bubble show at Dollywood, it looks like a very cool, funny, and interactive show. I love how they bring guests up to help with the show. While I loved Phantom, Its understandable why they're going with a different show as most shows do 2 year runs. 

Yeah I agree shows come and go at Kings Island, I actually really enjoyed this show at Kings Island, I actually got a picture with the cast in 2019 (I'm not sure what the name or the show was but I really liked it.) I never got to watch the Phantom Encore show (and I really wanted to) but there is always YouTube.

[DJSkyFoxx]

I wish they’d bring Cirque back 

[Timchat2]

If there is still supposed to be shows at Festhaus, the Bandstand and International Showplace this might be how the park is saving on performers while still have most venues active.

Gazillion Bubbles might not be an amazing piece of theater but it can be a major crowd-pleaser for guests who aren't always into singing and dancing.

 

[beastfan11]

Hope this isn’t true. The show’s run has to come to an end eventually, but I was hoping for something of the same caliber to replace it. This sounds kinda lame. 

[robintodd]

19 hours ago, Hawaiian Coasters 325 said:

I personally wouldn't be against this as from the video I watched of the bubble show at Dollywood, it looks like a very cool, funny, and interactive show. I love how they bring guests up to help with the show. While I loved Phantom, Its understandable why they're going with a different show as most shows do 2 year runs. 

I agree but this show just seems to waste an opportunity for a proper stage producton.  I'm sure the show will be fine, I just think it would be better in the small theatre in Planet Snoopy.  Not sure how re-watchable it will be but I'll be willing to give it a chance.

[disco2000]

Waiting for someone to count the number of bubbles in the show and complain about a bait and switch 

[Orion-XL200]

Can they possibly reach gazillion? 

[robintodd]

2 hours ago, Orion-XL200 said:

Can they possibly reach gazillion? 

Only during "Prestige Only shows"  

[disco2000]

On the plus side, the whole show isn't coming from the entertainment budget - they are purchasing soap for the bubbles from the Park Services budget - so when the restrooms are out of soap you know why 

[BoddaH1994]

2 hours ago, disco2000 said:

On the plus side, the whole show isn't coming from the entertainment budget - they are purchasing soap for the bubbles from the Park Services budget - so when the restrooms are out of soap you know why 

I think the more likely case is that they run out of soap in the restrooms and then borrow it from this dude. 

[Oldiesmann]

I haven't seen the Dollywood show so I'll have to go look it up on YouTube. I miss the Cirque shows though and wish they'd bring those back

[BoddaH1994]

I saw it at SeaWorld in 2017. I'm not sure what the consensus was from a guest standpoint, but it didn't last all that long. I think they needed something quick and cheap. This was back when they were really close to bankruptcy and they closed their cirque show as a budget cut. Dollywood brought this in last year, but only for a limited run. I do not know the backstory behind that. 

My critique?

It's okay. You sit through 25 minutes of gut-wrenching boringness of a grown man making bubbles and then there is a 5 minute finale with lasers and bubbles on the crowd and stuff that is pretty cool. I'd give it a 6/10. Of course, since the park didn't get ahead of this news, the narrative isn't going to be "we are getting a bubble show," but rather, "we are losing Phantom Theater Encore."

[robintodd]

Were the Winterfest Wands a hint of this with their bubbles?  Also can you use the Wands during the show   

[IndyGuy4KI]

10 hours ago, robintodd said:

Were the Winterfest Wands a hint of this with their bubbles?  Also can you use the Wands during the show   

I sure hope they put the yellow slippery when soapy signs everywhere. 

[DJSkyFoxx]

On 2/18/2024 at 10:01 PM, BoddaH1994 said:

I saw it at SeaWorld in 2017. I'm not sure what the consensus was from a guest standpoint, but it didn't last all that long. I think they needed something quick and cheap. This was back when they were really close to bankruptcy and they closed their cirque show as a budget cut. Dollywood brought this in last year, but only for a limited run. I do not know the backstory behind that. 

My critique?

It's okay. You sit through 25 minutes of gut-wrenching boringness of a grown man making bubbles and then there is a 5 minute finale with lasers and bubbles on the crowd and stuff that is pretty cool. I'd give it a 6/10. Of course, since the park didn't get ahead of this news, the narrative isn't going to be "we are getting a bubble show," but rather, "we are losing Phantom Theater Encore."

Why is it that when I looked at this photo I just hear pure silence. No music. No "ooooo ahhhh!" Just the grunts and groans of this guy waving a bubble wand. Maybe a fart for an encore. 

[BoddaH1994]

2 hours ago, DJSkyFoxx said:

Why is it that when I looked at this photo I just hear pure silence. No music. No "ooooo ahhhh!" Just the grunts and groans of this guy waving a bubble wand. Maybe a fart for an encore. 

Maybe you saw the show previously and I just awoke a suppressed memory?

[Kenban]

If this is accurate the best way I can describe this would be, disappointed.  It feels like a waste of the main theater.

Have I seen the show, no.  But am I interested in seeing the show?  Not really.  This feels like a show aimed at children and families with children, and while its fine to target them with shows, it feels like the main theater should be utilized for shows that adults would want to go and watch.  I would think the goal should be shows that appeal to the whole family.

One thing that I have thought about before is chains like Cedar Fair, Six Flags, and especially the merged company should consider is having traveling shows.  Smaller productions that are only at a park for a shorter period of time.  That way a park could have several different shows throughout the season.  A show like this would be perfect for a 2-4 week run, and I would think would be better placed in the theater in the kids area.  A traveling show could do 3 days a week at the start of the season in the spring giving bigger parks entertainment options before weekly operations start.  Do short stints at a number of different parks likely primarily focused at medium sized parks during the summer.  Then back to bigger parks at the end of the season.  If they really wanted to they could then utilize them around January to March at parks that are open year round like Knott's and Magic Mountain.  Short runs gives people reasons to keep coming back, and gives a sense of need that if I don't go now I won't see this show.

[brenthodge]

7 hours ago, Kenban said:

If this is accurate the best way I can describe this would be, disappointed.  It feels like a waste of the main theater.

Have I seen the show, no.  But am I interested in seeing the show?  Not really.  This feels like a show aimed at children and families with children, and while its fine to target them with shows, it feels like the main theater should be utilized for shows that adults would want to go and watch.  I would think the goal should be shows that appeal to the whole family.

One thing that I have thought about before is chains like Cedar Fair, Six Flags, and especially the merged company should consider is having traveling shows.  Smaller productions that are only at a park for a shorter period of time.  That way a park could have several different shows throughout the season.  A show like this would be perfect for a 2-4 week run, and I would think would be better placed in the theater in the kids area.  A traveling show could do 3 days a week at the start of the season in the spring giving bigger parks entertainment options before weekly operations start.  Do short stints at a number of different parks likely primarily focused at medium sized parks during the summer.  Then back to bigger parks at the end of the season.  If they really wanted to they could then utilize them around January to March at parks that are open year round like Knott's and Magic Mountain.  Short runs gives people reasons to keep coming back, and gives a sense of need that if I don't go now I won't see this show.

Great idea. That’s actually using corporate synergy in a smart way, so it will never happen. This bubble show feels like something at a really impressive trade show. I’ve seen at Dollywood and thought “what a waste of a great theatre” and here we are again. It’s pretty cool, but it just doesn’t need to be in the “main” theatre. 

[DJSkyFoxx]

12 hours ago, brenthodge said:

Great idea. That’s actually using corporate synergy in a smart way, so it will never happen. This bubble show feels like something at a really impressive trade show. I’ve seen at Dollywood and thought “what a waste of a great theatre” and here we are again. It’s pretty cool, but it just doesn’t need to be in the “main” theatre. 

This is the kind of show that would be more fitting in the evening on the bandstand. I feel this would fit that kind of space more appropriately as well as engage the crowd. Kids would be into it. Play some fun music. Have some lights. Like most of you were saying, this kind of show is a terrible waste of the main theater. 

Bring back cirque. Or something that really utilizes the KI Theater in such a way that makes the audience forget where they are for 30-45mins. 

[Born_in_'72]

I'm not sure if this show will be good or not, and am not going to speculate either way.  However, the one thing that I would mention is that having it in the main theatre does have one advantage.  There, it is protected from the wind, which would be very detrimental to a bubble show.  Of course, this could also be accomplished by having it in the Festhaus.  Just my (worthless) 2 cents.......

[BoddaH1994]

7 minutes ago, Born_in_'72 said:

I'm not sure if this show will be good or not, and am not going to speculate either way.  However, the one thing that I would mention is that having it in the main theatre does have one advantage.  There, it is protected from the wind, which would be very detrimental to a bubble show.  Of course, this could also be accomplished by having it in the Festhaus.  Just my (worthless) 2 cents.......

Assuming the show is very similar to the one I saw, the ending consists of lasers and dropping several bubbles on the audience. If they put it in the Festhaus, they’d likely need to cut the only interesting part of the show. That is, unless you have a hankering for bubble-flavored LaRosa’s. 

 

[brenthodge]

10 hours ago, BoddaH1994 said:

Assuming the show is very similar to the one I saw, the ending consists of lasers and dropping several bubbles on the audience. If they put it in the Festhaus, they’d likely need to cut the only interesting part of the show. That is, unless you have a hankering for bubble-flavored LaRosa’s. 

 

That could only help that floppy cardboard crap. 

[brenthodge]

12 hours ago, DJSkyFoxx said:

This is the kind of show that would be more fitting in the evening on the bandstand. I feel this would fit that kind of space more appropriately as well as engage the crowd. Kids would be into it. Play some fun music. Have some lights. Like most of you were saying, this kind of show is a terrible waste of the main theater. 

Bring back cirque. Or something that really utilizes the KI Theater in such a way that makes the audience forget where they are for 30-45mins. 

It really does need to be indoors due to wi d and the need for darkness for lighting/lasers. It’s too big for the Peanuts Showplace and as others have pointed out the bubbles and food wouldn’t mix, so I guess that only gives us what we’ve got. Sucks though. Maybe something great will go in Festhaus and Showplace to make up for it (but why do I doubt that as I type it?) 

[DispatchMaster]

On 2/17/2024 at 1:35 PM, brenthodge said:

What a waste of a fully capable theatre.

On 2/18/2024 at 9:33 AM, beastfan11 said:

This sounds kinda lame. 

On 2/18/2024 at 10:01 PM, BoddaH1994 said:

My critique?

It's okay. You sit through 25 minutes of gut-wrenching boringness of a grown man making bubbles

Just curious about the demographics here - how many of you complaining about this show have kids?

On 2/20/2024 at 12:30 PM, Kenban said:

This feels like a show aimed at children and families with children, and while its fine to target them with shows, it feels like the main theater should be utilized for shows that adults would want to go and watch.

There are already a ton of things for adults to do, and comparatively little that kids can do, and even less that kids and parents can enjoy together. To that end, and speaking from a parent's perspective, this show seems like a crowd pleaser. 

[rlentless]

I am willing to give it a chance.  Obviously we are all disappointed Phantom Theatre Encore is not coming back or it's caliber of production.  The cast made it feel personal too..  But this new show just feels like cost reduction.

I just think I will not be willing to go see it 3, 4 or 10 times like I did for the previous show.  But who know??

[BoddaH1994]

7 hours ago, DispatchMaster said:

Just curious about the demographics here - how many of you complaining about this show have kids?

There are already a ton of things for adults to do, and comparatively little that kids can do, and even less that kids and parents can enjoy together. To that end, and speaking from a parent's perspective, this show seems like a crowd pleaser. 

All other parks that have hosted this show didn’t really go back to the well for a second go-around. I know, I know… the reaction is “as adorable as it is predictable” as your puppeteer says, but if you look at the two other parks that have hosted this show, SeaWorld was in dire straights financially and replaced their expensive cirque show with this for a short time and Dollywood needed something quick, fast and inexpensive. Neither of those parks have revisited this show after the initial run. 

The show may be okay, it may not. This is clearly a fast and inexpensive solution that likely is a downgrade from previous years. Claiming that anyone who doesn’t end up liking the show is simply not in the right demographic is a lie. Don’t sell me an end table when I can clearly see it’s a desk lamp.