RiverRacers coming to Soak City in 2025

[DonHelbig]

1 hour ago, BB1 said:

Water coasters in their simplest forms are slides, in which a tube or some form of vehicle like a mat, is propelled up a hill with some form of propulsion in contrast to traditional water slides that rely strictly on gravity and do not have propulsion up hill. To nit pick what constitute a water coaster as bringing tubes to the station is simply put is flawed. I've been to several waterparks, I have been on several water coasters, I'm probably one of the few people who actually counts their water side credits. You can have Infinity Master Blasters, Master Blasters that end and you have to pick up your tube and you could also go the ProSlide route which has a station and lift like what you get at Holiday World's attractions. 

I didn't hear anyone pipe up about the fact that MASSIV, which was touted as the world's TALLEST water coaster, you had to carry your tubes up to the station, thus disqualifying it from being a water coaster. Extreme Water Slide | MASSIV Monster Blaster | Schlitterbahn Galveston . But wait, there's more! Even White Water West, the producer of this new water coaster and MASSIV, has MASSIV on their website as a water coaster, the Master Blaster Model. Master Blaster Water Slide - The World's First Uphill Water Coaster (whitewaterwest.com) . The langua franca of the water park scape is different than what you have in the parks. Just like how you have B&M's and Intamin, you have White Water West and ProSlide Technologies. 

If you're looking at this as "hey this is a new coaster credit" don't, it's not a roller coaster, which necessitates different parameters to be considered as an actual roller coaster.  It's a slide, called a water coaster, it doesn't mean Aqua Trax, which is entirely different. 

If Surf Dog can be listed as a roller coaster, RiverRacers can be listed as a water coaster. 

[silver2005]

1 minute ago, IBEW_Sparky said:

And here I was when this was initially rumored/"leaked"/discovered hoping it would at least be a Proslide and I wouldn't have to contend with no FL having HW/SS to ride a good water coaster.... silly me.

Agreed, I prefer the ProSlide versions as well.  You can build them bigger, longer, and faster as they use magnets, thus can handle higher capacity boats. The upward parts are also smoother, magnets have smoother acceleration while the upward water jets are a little funky. 

And it's not like they don't have the room, either.  Even using the location they're using, there's access to all that space behind the 2 wave pools.   Would make a nice backdrop to the wave pools, too. 

[CedarPointer]

What do you think they are, made of money? 

[DJSkyFoxx]

I'm just happy to see a new water ride put in. Soak City has needed it for quite some time and this is a nice addition. Especially now that this is the only major water park in the area, an update was desperately needed. 

[IBEW_Sparky]

15 hours ago, CedarPointer said:

What do you think they are, made of money? 

What i think is, Kings Island should be getting Gold Medal levels of cap-ex funding as opposed to bronze, considering my observations and interactions have proven to me this park is the best in the chain from an operations standpoint by leaps and bounds.  Im just calling it like I see it, and while I absolutely agree a new attraction in the water park was needed and it will serve its purpose, I feel the park and the people who will be enjoying the park next year deserved the funding for a ProSlide.

[KIBeast]

Arguing over a water coaster... we have reached an all new low that I would never have imagined. 

This will be a homerun with the GP and I'd venture a guess that they know less about brand/types of water attractions than they do rollercoasters. 

[Coastercrush]

1 hour ago, IBEW_Sparky said:

What i think is, Kings Island should be getting Gold Medal levels of cap-ex funding as opposed to bronze, considering my observations and interactions have proven to me this park is the best in the chain from an operations standpoint by leaps and bounds.  Im just calling it like I see it, and while I absolutely agree a new attraction in the water park was needed and it will serve its purpose, I feel the park and the people who will be enjoying the park next year deserved the funding for a ProSlide.

It's not like ki has resorts to book up or anything.  There really no incentive to invest lots of capital when there are 25 parks or so now

[KIghostguy]

As much as I love ProSlide attractions, Cedar Fair doesn’t work with them. They ripped out two slides at the Carowinds waterpark a few years ago just because they were ProSlide (supposedly). I guess CF sees them as the waterpark equivalent to Intamin .

[johnjniehaus]

3 hours ago, KIBeast said:

Arguing over a water coaster... we have reached an all new low that I would never have imagined. 

I think it's hilarious that the fans argue over things like this...makes for very lively conversations! River Racers isn't a a water coaster and Orion isn't a giga coaster. 

[DispatchMaster]

19 hours ago, IBEW_Sparky said:

the people who will be enjoying the park next year deserved the funding for a ProSlide.

The people who will be enjoying RiverRacers won't know or care who the OEM is. They'll simply have a ton of fun on it, because they're not jaded enthusiasts who can't let a new ride announcement happen without finding something to complain about.

[DonHelbig]

Here’s a piece I wrote about Kings Island’s new water park attractions. 

https://themeparksbydon.com/kings-islands-new-water-park-attractions-fun-but-fall-short/

[DispatchMaster]

17 hours ago, DonHelbig said:

Here’s a piece I wrote about Kings Island’s new water park attractions. 

From your piece:

Quote

...as impressive as these additions are, they may not be enough to draw serious water park enthusiasts from beyond the local market.

With regard to the above, you're assuming the goal is to draw guests from beyond the local market, which I don't think is the case. This addition seems more like the standard practice of keeping the slide lineup reasonably fresh and modern, with the goal of maintaining the water park's draw for regional guests. In that view, this seems like a great addition - cost effective, with an eye toward reliability and capacity, and variety with the added kids' slides.

Now, should Cedar Fair be aiming higher across the board with what they offer? Yes, on that I would agree! But that's a slightly different argument, in that it's more of a criticism of CF management and vision overall, rather than the choices individual parks have to make within the framework set by the chain.

[johnjniehaus]

58 minutes ago, DispatchMaster said:

With regard to the above, you're assuming the goal is to draw guests from beyond the local market, which I don't think is the case. This addition seems more like the standard practice of keeping the slide lineup reasonably fresh and modern, with the goal of maintaining the water park's draw for regional guest

I think that Don has a very valid point which is that while the additions to the water park are much needed, they might not draw people from out of town... As it has been pointed out, holiday world has a superior water coaster and I've heard great things about Dollywood's water park as well. 

I can also see the side where maybe Kings Island doesn't care about drawing in people from out of town with this addition and it was only meant for the home crowd. Either way I think the general public will be happy with it. If it's great or if it sucks really won't affect me personally because I never go to Soak City. 

Also I think it could be an assumption to assume the park was only wanting to target the Cincinnati market with this addition the same as some would assume they wanted to target a wider market that includes neighboring cities like Columbus, Louisville, and Indianapolis. 

[DonHelbig]

3 hours ago, DispatchMaster said:

From your piece:

With regard to the above, you're assuming the goal is to draw guests from beyond the local market, which I don't think is the case. This addition seems more like the standard practice of keeping the slide lineup reasonably fresh and modern, with the goal of maintaining the water park's draw for regional guests. In that view, this seems like a great addition - cost effective, with an eye toward reliability and capacity, and variety with the added kids' slides.

Now, should Cedar Fair be aiming higher across the board with what they offer? Yes, on that I would agree! But that's a slightly different argument, in that it's more of a criticism of CF management and vision overall, rather than the choices individual parks have to make within the framework set by the chain.

If they're not trying to attract visitors from outside of Cincinnati and Dayton (local market), then why are they advertising in Columbus, Indianapolis, Lexington, Louisville which is where the regional guests reside? 

[DispatchMaster]

You'd have to ask their marketing department why their strategy doesn't align with the cap ex strategy. It's the new Cedar Fair, where the strategies are made up, and the per caps don't matter!

[DonHelbig]

9 minutes ago, DispatchMaster said:

You'd have to ask their marketing department why their strategy doesn't align with the cap ex strategy. It's the new Cedar Fair, where the strategies are made up, and the per caps don't matter!

Their marketing department doesn't respond to inquiries from me or @BoddaH1994.

[CedarPointer]

On 8/13/2024 at 8:45 AM, DispatchMaster said:

The people who will be enjoying RiverRacers won't know or care who the OEM is. They'll simply have a ton of fun on it, because they're not jaded enthusiasts who can't let a new ride announcement happen without finding something to complain about.

Plenty of non-enthusiasts were underwhelmed by the announcement, judging from social media. Anyone who is aware of Holiday World and their water coasters isn't going to be impressed by Mike's BudgetBlasters.

[DispatchMaster]

Social media is comprised almost entirely of people complaining about something or other, so that's a terrible barometer.

Social media is not real life. For every person whining on FB, there's a hundred more who will happily enjoy a new ride, even if said ride doesn't meet the impossible standards of enthusiasts who do almost nothing but complain.

I mean, it's pretty incredible when you think about it. You're already deriding an attraction that hasn't even been built yet. That's not normal.

[disco2000]

17 minutes ago, CedarPointer said:

Plenty of non-enthusiasts were underwhelmed by the announcement, judging from social media. Anyone who is aware of Holiday World and their water coasters isn't going to be impressed by Mike's BudgetBlasters.

Same can be said when Maverick and Mystic Timbers was announced....and many people will now say those are incredible coasters in their respective park...

[Tr0y]

56 minutes ago, DispatchMaster said:

Social media is comprised almost entirely of people complaining about something or other, so that's a terrible barometer.

Social media is not real life. For every person whining on FB, there's a hundred more who will happily enjoy a new ride, even if said ride doesn't meet the impossible standards of enthusiasts who do almost nothing but complain.

I mean, it's pretty incredible when you think about it. You're already deriding an attraction that hasn't even been built yet. That's not normal.

I don’t think the “standards” were impossible to meet by any stretch. Especially for a park like Kings Island who should be in a better position financially than Holiday World.

I think it’s more on the lines of what is expected. People want certain coaster/ride types because they had an experience or seen an awesome one elsewhere such as Wildebeast at Holiday World. 

[DispatchMaster]

It's always impossible to meet enthusiasts' expectations. KI is getting not one, but two water coasters for next year, and people are complaining about that. It's like trying to please a spoiled child, who opens their gift, sees that it's in the wrong color or whatever, and tosses it aside in disgust and whines that it's not what they asked for.

It's just ridiculous. At least ride the darn thing before moaning about how it didn't meet some set of arbitrary "expectations".

Or, better yet, don't set expectations! Just enjoy the hobby for what it is, and find joy in the fact that we're fortunate enough to have sufficient disposable income that we're able to spend time indulging in the hobby. Lots of folks are far less fortunate, and as such are not nearly as spoiled.

[Tr0y]

31 minutes ago, DispatchMaster said:

It's always impossible to meet enthusiasts' expectations.

Wrong.

I know there are enthusiasts here who are thrilled with this addition.

[BeeastFarmer]

 

I must concur that these enhancements are designed to serve the local demographic, particularly season pass holders. Unless Kings Island intends to undertake a comprehensive renovation and rebranding of Soak City, these are the improvements we can anticipate, and I am personally satisfied with them. A rebranding and renovation , with a large expansion with expensive endeavors, would be necessary to attract enthusiasts from outside the region. And for what?  How many water park enthusiasts are going to travel to Cincinnati when the region has super water parks within a 2-4 hour drive? In my personal discussions, Soak City is often rated below other parks like Splashin' Safari and Kentucky Kingdom, although I have not encountered empirical data. Overall, this addition aligns with expectations, and it is anticipated to enhance local patronage and park capacity.

 

[johnjniehaus]

I'm an enthusiast and proud to be one. I think enthusiasts can be picky but they are also the ones devoting much of their time traveling all over the country and in some cases internationally and in general hold the industry to a very high standard. I think the addition of river racers was needed, it was good, but it could have been better. Other parks have clearly done it better. 

I often judge how successful an attraction is by if any of my family mentions it or if people at work or church walk up to me and mention it. For example when Mystic Timbers was announced literally everyone was asking me if I'd heard about the new coaster Kings Island had announced and then when it opened everyone wanted to know if I'd ridden it and what I thought. In 2018/2019, again there were many people asking if I'd heard that they were bringing back the antique cars. Then the Orion announcement dropped and everyone was sending me povs and news articles and asking me what I thought about it. When adventure port was announced I had less people approach me but people were still interested. So far I've only had one person bring up the new water coaster to me... I'm not sure if that speaks to everyone I know being uninterested or maybe the park hasn't effectively reached them and they are uninformed. Keep in mind these people I'm talking about are not enthusiasts. My family members, coworkers, and friends go to KI maybe once a year and CP every couple years and never go to parks outside of Ohio. It doesn't take an enthusiast to tell you Diamondback and Orion are similar rides or that the park needs to have ice in their soda machines. Heck everyone I know was upset about The Vortex closing and they probably couldn't even tell you what year it opened or who manufactured the ride. I think the general public has feelings about things they just don't always have the platform that an enthusiast might have to make their thoughts known. 

[DonHelbig]

2 hours ago, DispatchMaster said:

It's always impossible to meet enthusiasts' expectations. KI is getting not one, but two water coasters for next year, and people are complaining about that. It's like trying to please a spoiled child, who opens their gift, sees that it's in the wrong color or whatever, and tosses it aside in disgust and whines that it's not what they asked for.

It's just ridiculous. At least ride the darn thing before moaning about how it didn't meet some set of arbitrary "expectations".

Or, better yet, don't set expectations! Just enjoy the hobby for what it is, and find joy in the fact that we're fortunate enough to have sufficient disposable income that we're able to spend time indulging in the hobby. Lots of folks are far less fortunate, and as such are not nearly as spoiled.

Nobody should be expected to just be happy the park is here and take what they're giving you with the product. There are other options for your entertainment dollars and time if it's just going to be a commitment to mediocrity. The standard used to be higher. That's the park I grew up with. 

[Hawaiian Coasters 325]

Can we just stop complaining already?! It's a new addition and there are parks out there that would love to have this! I swear KI fans are some of the most entitled fans out there! The park could've just done nothing in 2025. Just stop complaining and be grateful the park is investing something into Soak City which it has been years since SC last got anything. If you're really that unhappy just don't go and ride it. That means one less person in line for those who are excited to ride it!

[DonHelbig]

8 minutes ago, Hawaiian Coasters 325 said:

Can we just stop complaining already?! It's a new addition and there are parks out there that would love to have this! I swear KI fans are some of the most entitled fans out there! The park could've just done nothing in 2025. Just stop complaining and be grateful the park is investing something into Soak City which it has been years since SC last got anything. If you're really that unhappy just don't go and ride it. That means one less person in line for those who are excited to ride it!

There's a difference between complaining and fair and frank critiques of the park. 

[silver2005]

30 minutes ago, DonHelbig said:

Nobody should be expected to just be happy the park is here and take what they're giving you with the product. There are other options for your entertainment dollars and time if it's just going to be a commitment to mediocrity. The standard used to be higher. That's the park I grew up with. 

Just look what happened with the Reds a few years back with the whole "where are you going to go?" remarks and their attendance cratered.  I feel Kings Island is inching closer to that territory as of late. 

[Orion-XL200]

7 hours ago, CedarPointer said:

 Mike's BudgetBlasters.

I like this name! They should use it instead of RiverRacers! 

[BeeastFarmer]

5 hours ago, DonHelbig said:

Nobody should be expected to just be happy the park is here and take what they're giving you with the product. There are other options for your entertainment dollars and time if it's just going to be a commitment to mediocrity. The standard used to be higher. That's the park I grew up with. 

While I agree that the Kings Island of today is a far cry from its 70s and 80s heyday, I believe the park has found a comfortable niche in its current market. Recent additions like Adventure Port, Camp Snoopy, and the Soak City expansion seem tailored to the local audience, addressing long-standing needs while remaining relatively modest in scale.

While some might argue for more ambitious expansions, such as extending Adventure Port to the funnel cake stand or revamping the entire kids' area under the Camp Snoopy banner, the current approach appears to be working. The park's nostalgic appeal, coupled with consistent, albeit smaller, additions, seems to satisfy the local market.

However, one might question the impact of these additions on overall attendance. While new attractions often bring initial surges, it's unclear whether they lead to sustained increases. Have additions like Banshee or Mystic Timbers truly driven attendance up significantly in the long term?  Or do they maintain a steady, but minute net attendance increase?

Regardless, Kings Island's strategy appears to be paying off. Despite numerous complaints about service, cleanliness, or entertainment offerings, rides/park services/landscape/communications/ambassador staff cuts, the park continues to attract a loyal following. This suggests that the park's target audience is more concerned with the overall experience and the availability of new, albeit small-scale attractions, rather than the finer details.

As long as Kings Island continues to cater to this core market and they buy the passes and add-ons, it's unlikely to deviate significantly from its current trajectory. We may see occasional larger coasters, but the overall focus will likely remain on smaller-scale additions and enhancements that appeal to local families.

It's interesting to note the growing sentiment of burnout among some park fans. While decreased pass sales could potentially force a change in direction, it remains to be seen whether this dissatisfaction is widespread enough to have a significant impact.