Kings Island to add “family thrill” attraction in 2026

[silver2005]

I honestly want the building gone.

[TombRaiderFTW]

4 minutes ago, silver2005 said:

I honestly want the building gone.

Well, yeah. Also that.

[brenthodge]

2 hours ago, TombRaiderFTW said:

A Vekoma Madhouse.

Oh you. Poke poke poke! 

[Orion-XL200]

2 hours ago, TombRaiderFTW said:

A Vekoma Madhouse.

I'd sign up for this.

[brenthodge]

1 hour ago, Orion-XL200 said:

I'd sign up for this.

Maybe they can repurpose all the tomb raider theming so they don’t have to get rid of any of it. Would be a shame for it to wind up in the wrong hands! 

[Vortex1987]

30 minutes ago, brenthodge said:

Maybe they can repurpose all the tomb raider theming so they don’t have to get rid of any of it. Would be a shame for it to wind up in the wrong hands! 

They can't reuse it because nearly EVERYTHING in that building is copyrighted. So they're going to have to make some huge changes.......... we'll see.

 

And why does your comment seem like its aimed at me in particular? 

[DJSkyFoxx]

They literally re-purposed a lot of the stuff during the Crypt's tenure, so I don't see it being any different if they were to do the same with a new attraction. Even if that means using lighting tricks to highlight new focal points, I can't see it being much different than before other than better upgraded theming/adding to what is already there. 

[balsamicpork]

I would love for them to change that area into something like Danse Macabre like they have at Efteling. 

You could do a lot with the theming in the are and maybe change it over to be something related to the Phantom Theater

[beastfan11]

1 hour ago, balsamicpork said:

I would love for them to change that area into something like Danse Macabre like they have at Efteling. 

You could do a lot with the theming in the are and maybe change it over to be something related to the Phantom Theater

You should check out @BryanJay’s awesome concept on YouTube! 
 

 

[Cedar Fair Fanboy]

43 minutes ago, beastfan11 said:

You should check out @BryanJay’s awesome concept on YouTube! 
 

 

35 million dollar for this ride model and added theme throughout the building. (Yes that's the exact cost for Danse Macabre converted from Euros.)

[beastfan11]

59 minutes ago, Cedar Fair Fanboy said:

35 million dollar for this ride model and added theme throughout the building. (Yes that's the exact cost for Danse Macabre converted from Euros.)

Your point? 

[Cedar Fair Fanboy]

3 minutes ago, beastfan11 said:

Your point? 

That's way too expensive for this Park.

[beastfan11]

1 minute ago, Cedar Fair Fanboy said:

That's way too expensive for this Park.

Says who?

[Cedar Fair Fanboy]

Just now, beastfan11 said:

Says who?

Say Efteling and Intamin.

[beastfan11]

14 minutes ago, Cedar Fair Fanboy said:

Say Efteling and Intamin.

No. You claimed it was too expensive for the park. I asked how you know that. 

[Cedar Fair Fanboy]

Just now, beastfan11 said:

No. You claimed it was too expensive for the park. I asked how you know that. 

I look it up. Convert the euros to dollars and I get the total. (Don't start another flame war please.)

[beastfan11]

Just now, Cedar Fair Fanboy said:

I look it up. Convert the euros to dollars and I get the total. (Don't start another flame war please.)

This is not a flame war.

I’m legitimately asking. You said that specific attraction is too expensive for Kings Island. “Looking it up” and currency conversion has nothing to do with park/chain budget. So, how do you know it’s too expensive for the park? 

[Losantiville Mining Co.]

I would assume the $35 million number is too expensive because that is more than was spent on Orion, and the park has been "on a budget" with their recent additions since 2020. If this ride were to cost similarly it would be the newest "biggest investment in park history" (at least I think that's what they said for Orion). No matter whether is it a dynamic motion stage or a madhouse or a top spin, the likelihood for that much money to be put into this and have a similar investment into a major coaster within the next 5 years is quite low. As always, I may be misremembering the facts, but I think I got them right.

Simply, I think if we want a worthy Vortex replacement, we cannot expect this family thrill attraction to be another biggest investment in park history with that price tag. 

[beastfan11]

1 minute ago, Losantiville Mining Co. said:

I would assume the $35 million number is too expensive because that is more than was spent on Orion, and the park has been "on a budget" with their recent additions since 2020. If this ride were to cost similarly it would be the newest "biggest investment in park history" (at least I think that's what they said for Orion). No matter whether is it a dynamic motion stage or a madhouse or a top spin, the likelihood for that much money to be put into this and have a similar investment into a major coaster within the next 5 years is quite low. As always, I may be misremembering the facts, but I think I got them right.

Simply, I think if we want a worthy Vortex replacement, we cannot expect this family thrill attraction to be another biggest investment in park history with that price tag. 

Absolutely spot on. But it’s a bit silly to make claims for/about the park without any reasoning to back it up. Also no reason to spam multiple threads with the same rhetoric. 

[Losantiville Mining Co.]

I did some looking online and I think this rockwork from Camp Snoopy at Cedar Point may fit my idea for a pond a little better than the one at Carowinds.

Cedar Point's Camp Snoopy waterfall (Image: Google Street View)

Carowinds' Camp Snoopy pre-2017 waterfall (Image: Google Street View)

[OMGwhatthatsacheeseburger]

I was unfamiliar with "Big Bear Mountain" so I watched a POV for the Dollywood ride.

I am now thoroughly intrigued by the phrase "family thrill ride" which, while I'm admittedly only a roller coaster casual enthusiast, has come to define a certain niche coaster that isn't worried about record breaking hills and gut wrenching inversions, but is getting back to the old idea of fast, smooth, plenty of G-force and just plain fun.  It's always been my favorite coaster, and while I love Racer and Beast like old friends, they are both fast and weightlessness inducing but would never be called "smooth" lol.

So it has to be argued that Kings Island has the two extremes, but really nothing that approaches this idea of a BBM type experience.  I think CF knows that, is aware of the popularity of this type of ride as of late, and that suggests to me it's a niche that the next big addition will seek to fill.

Word is an official announcement is coming in the next month or two.

Where would such a ride go?  I'll call it right now.  If this is the direction they went, it goes in one of two areas.

First, as many have speculated, would be to wave goodbye to Invertigo and build this as a sprawling, rolling attraction along the front of the park, possibly taking over the Congo Falls plot and extending all the way to the service buildings and concluding near the water park.  That space is valuable for an upfront welcoming attraction and the service buildings can be relocated.

Second option, which would be my preference, makes better use of the wooded areas between The Bat and extending to the park's far SE edges (parallelling Orion but running longer).  I absolutely, positively am against any more significant depletion of the park's wooded areas and I think a low slung, long and fast BBM type coaster snaking through mature wooded areas would be specatacular and intense.  There's little back there except service roads which would not need to be impacted or rerouted.

Theming?  Stay with me.  It's already low profile and one would assume, twisty and shifty.  A dark track.  No lights.  Jet black track and rails. I hate to say "ghost train" and lump it in with Banshee with the spooky factory but something along those lines, "Midnight Ride" or something like that.  Or give a nod to the park's neglected German theming and area heritage, "Headless Horseman" as a thrill ride zipping through the woods, dark shadowy reaches of the park etc. Perfect option for a ride that continue to run in October. 

[Hawaiian Coasters 325]

Is it August yet? I'm really intrigued on what this will end up being (if it's coming at all due to certain factors in the chain right now). 

On 6/9/2025 at 6:13 PM, Losantiville Mining Co. said:

I did some looking online and I think this rockwork from Camp Snoopy at Cedar Point may fit my idea for a pond a little better than the one at Carowinds.

Cedar Point's Camp Snoopy waterfall (Image: Google Street View)

Carowinds' Camp Snoopy pre-2017 waterfall (Image: Google Street View)

Along with that, I'd like to see the rock path near Mystic's entrance and brew house turned into a water stream. 

[disco2000]

28 minutes ago, Hawaiian Coasters 325 said:

Is it August yet? I'm really intrigued on what this will end up being (if it's coming at all due to certain factors in the chain right now). 

 

Sounds like a good buy or sell topic for the podcast if they haven't done that yet LOL.

[brenthodge]

1 hour ago, Hawaiian Coasters 325 said:

Is it August yet? I'm really intrigued on what this will end up being (if it's coming at all due to certain factors in the chain right now). 

Along with that, I'd like to see the rock path near Mystic's entrance and brew house turned into a water stream. 

It originally was a stream. 

[Losantiville Mining Co.]

I'd rather see the rock bed remain how it is, though if you look across the lake toward where it deposits, you can see there is a little waterfall coming from it. There might be a risk of items getting thrown into that stream and floating down toward Diamondback's splashdown if there are no guards in place.

I really hope our 2026 family thrill attraction still coming. I also hope it isn't downgraded to being a generic second-hand flat ride in a box. Six Flags may be worried about tariffs, but if they keep waiting, most of the supposedly awesome New for 2026 attractions won't open until mid-season. For a company whose shareholders and pass holders already appear to be very upset with the experience 2025, it'll be hard to earn much trust back when the promised investments don't live up to their hype and aren't open for half of the season. 

[Diamondback_Is_King]

I mean, if KI didn't get the 2026 promised ride (or any other park), that would be crushing for SIX and things would go down hill from there. But, if we didn't get one in 2026, then we would really have something to complain about and maybe they would give us something bigger and better (Tilt coaster maybe?)...yeah no that's not happening. If we lose the 2026 ride, we may not see another one in a while.

[disco2000]

15 minutes ago, Diamondback_Is_King said:

I mean, if KI didn't get the 2026 promised ride (or any other park), that would be crushing for SIX and things would go down hill from there. But, if we didn't get one in 2026, then we would really have something to complain about and maybe they would give us something bigger and better (Tilt coaster maybe?)...yeah no that's not happening. If we lose the 2026 ride, we may not see another one in a while.

 

It is clear in recent years that their approach to new attractions doesn't care when they open and they seem to have no problem with stuff opening well beyond the season opener, so that could impact some of what we see, but based on the list below, typically park goers would have seen some evidence of some of these new attractions by now - either permits, land clearing, etc.  How many of these below have you seen their respective park fan social media sites talking about seeing any activity towards these?

 

[DiamondbackFan]

^ Carowinds, Six Flags Magic Mountain, Six Flags Over Texas, and Six Flags Mexico are all under construction and have permits.

It looks like Six Flags New England's new for 2025 coaster will be pushed to 2026 due to Intamin issues.

Six Flags Great America is unlikely to leak before the announcement and they don't start construction this early.

Six Flags Great Adventure is rumored to be delayed a year or changed due to tarriff costs.

I am having trouble looking up Kings Island permits because the City of Mason changed their permitting website to a different vendor that isn't as transparent.

A handful of odd shipments have appeared.  3 possible B&M shipments for Six Flags Great Escape that docked in Houston and a mystery Six Flags shipment from Vekoma that came off a ship in New York.

[Outdoor Man]

I'm putting my weight behind a refresh of an existing attraction that will be a "new" experience in the broader "Snoopy" area. If done well it could be refreshingly creative/innovative. Or... crushingly disappointing.  Maybe, just maybe the entire kids area will get a refresh and all come under the Camp Snoopy umbrella as opposed to two areas.   

[beastfan11]

How much construction would be visible at this point if the new attraction will be located inside of Crypt building?