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The Bat Removal Rumor

coastergoblin

By coastergoblin,
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Outdoor Man KIC Double Platinum Member

Outdoor Man

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I said this in the last thread. It may be rumor, may not- but it's not out of the realm of possibility.  It will be 32 years old at the end of the 2025 season- the exact same age as Vortex was when it was deemed past it's service life.  I don't think it's a stretch to say that even before the announcement was made, Vortex had a higher ridership count.  Top Gun/Flight Deck/The Bat (or whatever its being called this decade) is a dinosaur coaster concept and probably not in the top 10 in ridership numbers at the park.

I feel that if the rumors about Invertigo, Congo, Timberwolf, and now The Bat are accurate.... then 2026 or 2027 could bring a new experience.  Would like to see the scar at the back of the park addressed though.... but those attractions occupy prime "front of park" real estate and are aging/low ridership. 

My hope is that they chase after a unique "experience driven" attraction/coaster... multi-launch and under 100ft tall and theme the h*!! out of it.   Create and write the story you want then design the attraction to tell it. I love the theme and layout of Taron (Phantasialand)- which if not mistaken cost less than Orion. 

BUT, history tells me it will be another "TALLER, FASTER", etc... 

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coastergoblin KIC Tourist

coastergoblin

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For those who missed the original post, here’s a breakdown of what’s going to happen, or according to some (the park) is a “rumor”:

  • During the Q3 SFECO earnings call Zimmerman briefly discussed an internal effort called Project Accelerate, which is an initiative to reduce debt as a result of the merger by increasing margins. How will this be done? Reducing $200m across the company in labor and costs deemed unnecessary across the company.
  • Parks are having their maintenance budget reduced, and are being forced to remove aging attractions, especially those with low ridership, to be within budget. 
  • Kings Island has chosen The Bat to be the next major attraction removed from the park, due to low ridership and increasing maintenance cost. The serviceable parts from The Bat will be sent to Canada’s Wonderland to continue to support the operation of Vortex, as they have determined for it to be a more valuable asset to the portfolio.
  • Similar to the Ka, Volcano, and Nighthawk announcements, the ride will close silently at the end of the season and then later quietly be announced to be removed. The park will focus on the 2026 attraction to save face during the announcement. All of this is in an effort to reduce backlash, negative word of mouth, and prevent season pass sales from declining.
  • A fence line will be erected in the 2025-2026 off season between Banshee and The Bat, as if the attraction never existed. Several other attractions in Action Zone will close in the coming years.

The Good:

  • A complete revitalization of the area on the scale or Jungle X-Pedition at Kings Dominion will take place over a five year span. Currently a new coaster, a flat ride, and an overhaul of the existing Chicken Shack is planned to take place.

The mods took this information down previously, and are likely receiving pressure from the park to stop this narrative before it gets out of hand like Ka. Please spread the word, it is a shame another Arrow suspended is going to bite the dust, but we deserve to know what is happening.   

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beastfan11 KIC Platinum Member

beastfan11

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12 minutes ago, Outdoor Man said:

I feel that if the rumors about Invertigo, Congo, Timberwolf, and now The Bat are accurate.... then 2026 or 2027 could bring a new experience.  Would like to see the scar at the back of the park addressed though.... but those attractions occupy prime "front of park" real estate and are aging/low ridership.

(Not directed at you specifically) 

I don’t think the removal of any of those attractions is anything more than “wishful” thinking from enthusiasts who’d like to see half the park demo’d in favor of concrete and lackluster coaster installations. Have there been any legitimate rumors saying this? Aside from regularly scheduled seasonal work involving Timberwolf?

That said, I hope none of that comes to fruition, including the removal of Top Gun/The Bat. There are so many other areas of the park that need attention before AZ. I’m afraid that massive ride removals would only lead to large spaces of cleared land and wooden fences for 5-10 years. 

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Outdoor Man KIC Double Platinum Member

Outdoor Man

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18 minutes ago, beastfan11 said:

(Not directed at you specifically) 

I don’t think the removal of any of those attractions is anything more than “wishful” thinking from enthusiasts who’d like to see half the park demo’d in favor of concrete and lackluster coaster installations. Have there been any legitimate rumors saying this? Aside from regularly scheduled seasonal work involving Timberwolf?

That said, I hope none of that comes to fruition, including the removal of Top Gun/The Bat. There are so many other areas of the park that need attention before AZ. I’m afraid that massive ride removals would only lead to large spaces of cleared land and wooden fences for 5-10 years. 

 

I agree with you on other areas needing attention.  That said, AZ has a collection of aging attractions with low ridership clustered together. It, unfortunately, makes sense.

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johnjniehaus KIC Expert

johnjniehaus

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All I'm going to say is that I think people will be more grateful about receiving an announcement about a closure rather than just waking up one day to find a coaster is gone. If anyone from the park is checking these forums, my request to you is if The Bat has reached it's final days, PLEASE let it close with fanfare and with final rides and love/support from it's fan base much like the park did with Vortex. I understand the need to move forward, I may not like or agree with all of the decisions, however, giving a chance at last rides is a very respectful way to close an aging attraction instead of acting like nobody cares about it or just tearing it down during the off season. 

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Tr0y KIC Legend

Tr0y

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2 hours ago, Diamondback_Is_King said:

They didn't really give a date for these closures did they?

Also, interesting that Hurler is not on there. I feel its time to get rid of Hurler and not Nighthawk

Hurler being removed?

What the schell? I thought it was gonna be the Carolina Cyclone??? :huh:

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DonHelbig KIC Enthusiast

DonHelbig

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On 12/17/2024 at 4:32 PM, IndyGuy4KI said:

I do want to reiterate.

KIC has spoken to the park and there is no plan to remove The Bat. As of right now, The Bat being removed at the end of the 2025 season is just a rumor.

Until we see evidence or get word from the park it is just that, a rumor!

"As of right now." Tomorrow, though, is a new day. 

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Tr0y KIC Legend

Tr0y

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21 hours ago, Diamondback_Is_King said:

They didn't really give a date for these closures did they?

Also, interesting that Hurler is not on there. I feel its time to get rid of Hurler and not Nighthawk

I don’t think there was any plan to remove these rides this soon. Cedar Fair overestimated how much they would save in “synergies”. In a desperate attempt to meet the 200 million savings they claimed. They now have to go after “expensive to operate” attractions.

We may see a repeat of 2023 next season…

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BeeastFarmer KIC Legend

BeeastFarmer

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15 minutes ago, Tr0y said:

I don’t think there was any plan to remove these rides this soon. Cedar Fair overestimated how much they would save in “synergies”. In a desperate attempt to meet the 200 million savings they claimed. They now have to go after “expensive to operate” attractions.

We may see a repeat of 2023 next season…

I agree but am struggling to grasp how closing a ride like KK or NH, which are expensive to operate, would save money (in the short term) when you have a huge expense to remove the rides.  One time cost vs cost runs over time, but in an era where they want to show financial results, why would they do a bunch of CAPEX right now?  

Or, are ride removals not that expensive?  I follow Jazzland on Facebook and the group that is trying to buy the land to reopen the park (the city has not entertained their proposal and has awarded it to another).  This group claims that the company that is doing the demo is paid by the scrap value.  

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jbeast KIC Local

jbeast

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Don,

As much as I hate to see rides taken out, my bet is Invertigo and Congo Falls. I only hope in the grand scheme of things that they would be replaced by something that really wows guests entering from that side of the park.

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PKIDelirium KIC Triple Platinum Member

PKIDelirium

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I expect KI's hits from Project Accelerate would be Invertigo, Congo Falls, and possibly Timberwolf and the Skycoaster. So far the parks that have confirmed closures are closing rides located near each other. Carowinds is a little different but Scream Weaver and Drop Tower are close together, despite not being close to Nighthawk.

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Diamondback_Is_King KIC Tourist

Diamondback_Is_King

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22 minutes ago, jbeast said:

I only hope in the grand scheme of things that they would be replaced by something that really wows guests entering from that side of the park.

Totally agree. Sometimes I'll walk past security and I will overhear new guests saying, "I want to go on that one" (Talking about Invertigo. Some even call it Timberwolf because of that sign after security :P)

People see those rides at the front, and a brand new one would excite guests greatly. Kings Island needs a standout attraction at the front.

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