SBR named one of the best new rides of 2024

[BoddaH1994]

Well, they finished in the top 10. There’s that. 
 

https://www.cincinnati.com/story/entertainment/2025/01/02/kings-island-snoopy-soap-box-racers-best-new-attraction-usa-today-10best/77350366007/?utm_campaign=trueanthem&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook#4qgwcvrapiuhgpa8dj9l8hr5jdp1agy

[DonHelbig]

Another accolade for Good Gravy! at Holiday World with its first-place ranking. 

[Klabergian Empire]

37 minutes ago, DonHelbig said:

Another accolade for Good Gravy! at Holiday World with its first-place ranking. 

I personally believe Good Gravy earned it. It has absolutely amazing theming and a pleasant, smooth experience that can be enjoyed by basically anyone. I also rank Good Gravy slightly higher than Soap Box. Good Gravy was an awesome addition to Holiday World.

[WoodVengeance]

3 hours ago, Klabergian Empire said:

I personally believe Good Gravy earned it. It has absolutely amazing theming and a pleasant, smooth experience that can be enjoyed by basically anyone. I also rank Good Gravy slightly higher than Soap Box. Good Gravy was an awesome addition to Holiday World.

I agree. Although some might argue SSBR has the better layout, I think Good Gravy was better executed when you factor in the theming around the area and the near-miss with the cranberry can.

[IndyGuy4KI]

The marketing for Good Gravy was amazing. The coaster might as well have been Fury 325 with the excitement they were able to generate around it. Since GG and SSBR are almost identical in layout, the question I would be asking if I were the park is why SSBR would not be right next to Good Gravy? If GG can hit the #1 spot, SSBR should have been #2. GG should have won on the detail of theming, even though I think the ride experience is better on SSBR.

How far could SSBR have gotten up the list if there were a better marketing campaign for it? Over the past few years, it seems CF/SIX has really scaled back on the PR/Marketing of their products. I don't know if that is coming from Charlotte or what, but the lack of marketing is showing big time in polls. If they want to win those #1 titles again, they have to really change their marketing and PR strategy. As someone who wants to see KI win those #1 spots, and who promotes the park as much as the park itself, I want to see them on top a lot more!

[DonHelbig]

44 minutes ago, IndyGuy4KI said:

The marketing for Good Gravy was amazing. The coaster might as well have been Fury 325 with the excitement they were able to generate around it. Since GG and SSBR are almost identical in layout, the question I would be asking if I were the park is why SSBR would not be right next to Good Gravy? If GG can hit the #1 spot, SSBR should have been #2. GG should have won on the detail of theming, even though I think the ride experience is better on SSBR.

How far could SSBR have gotten up the list if there were a better marketing campaign for it? Over the past few years, it seems CF/SIX has really scaled back on the PR/Marketing of their products. I don't know if that is coming from Charlotte or what, but the lack of marketing is showing big time in polls. If they want to win those #1 titles again, they have to really change their marketing and PR strategy. As someone who wants to see KI win those #1 spots, and who promotes the park as much as the park itself, I want to see them on top a lot more!

There's a difference between having people in place that can make a pretty PowerPoint for internal use and people that can take what's going on in the park and generate high-level awareness, interest, and excitement outside of the park's backyard. 

[KI Guy]

4 hours ago, IndyGuy4KI said:

CF/SIX has really scaled back on their products.

Fixed that for you. 

[KIghostguy]

39 minutes ago, KI Guy said:

Fixed that for you. 

Not necessarily. AlpenFury has a huge price tag; I believe it will be the largest investment in a single ride in Canada's Wonderland's history. Iron Menace and its accompanying land at Dorney Park last year was the largest investment in that park's history. Rapterra is a very expensive ride and there's also a significant amount of money being invested into Kings Dominion this year for the surrounding area/50th anniversary-related projects.

[Gordon Bombay]

6 hours ago, IndyGuy4KI said:

Since GG and SSBR are almost identical in layout, the question I would be asking if I were the park is why SSBR would not be right next to Good Gravy?

Respectfully, you're talking about a clickbait list published by USA Today. They're not diving into any scientific analysis or rubric for judging/comparing these things. A few more local "stories" on the evening television news broadcast or a handful of retweets form enthusiasts probably wasn't going to move the needle in this "ranking."

[CedarPointer]

I feel like they only end up on these lists because the passholder Facebook groups harangue people into voting.

[KI Guy]

2 hours ago, KIghostguy said:

Not necessarily. AlpenFury has a huge price tag; I believe it will be the largest investment in a single ride in Canada's Wonderland's history. Iron Menace and its accompanying land at Dorney Park last year was the largest investment in that park's history. Rapterra is a very expensive ride and there's also a significant amount of money being invested into Kings Dominion this year for the surrounding area/50th anniversary-related projects.

Don't put too much stock into spending "records." They're not useful for anything other than marketing and stock reporting statements.

Take KI for instance, Son of Beast, Diamondback, Banshee, and Orion were all the most expensive investments in the park's history the year they were added.That's how things go with inflation.

Dorney had not added a new coaster since 2005, so any decent coaster would have been a spending record. It's much more meaningful to look at what they are spending on average annually per park.

"Scaling back their products" includes reduced park hours, early ride closures, ride removals, stale/lessened Haunt experience, lack of special events, etc. It's so much more than just how much they invest in new attractions.

[Tr0y]

9 hours ago, IndyGuy4KI said:

The marketing for Good Gravy was amazing. The coaster might as well have been Fury 325 with the excitement they were able to generate around it. Since GG and SSBR are almost identical in layout, the question I would be asking if I were the park is why SSBR would not be right next to Good Gravy? If GG can hit the #1 spot, SSBR should have been #2. GG should have won on the detail of theming, even though I think the ride experience is better on SSBR.

How far could SSBR have gotten up the list if there were a better marketing campaign for it? Over the past few years, it seems CF/SIX has really scaled back on the PR/Marketing of their products. I don't know if that is coming from Charlotte or what, but the lack of marketing is showing big time in polls. If they want to win those #1 titles again, they have to really change their marketing and PR strategy. As someone who wants to see KI win those #1 spots, and who promotes the park as much as the park itself, I want to see them on top a lot more!

I agree. 

For one, the storytelling was better for Good Gravy, and as important story telling is, GG itself followed up with that story with the details and theming in the queue. Which, even if there was good story telling with SSBR. Guests would have gotten into the queue of SSBR and noticed there was little to no storytelling, details, or theming at all. I joke and tell folks SSBR is a nice, unfurnished home. Kings Island has a talented team when it comes to decorating. They display it every season during Halloween Haunt and Winterfest. However, that talent was omitted with SSBR. I mean heck, Snoopy stands flag-less, in the dark on top of the roof of SSBR. A main Peanuts character who interacts with the ride. But nobody thought to put a light up there so he can be seen by the people on the ride at night?

GG is a better executed coaster overall, and that's why it earned its spot. SSBR got the ride experience right. You add storytelling, details and theming to SSBR, it would be #1, possibly even earn itself a GTA.

 

[DonHelbig]

1 hour ago, Tr0y said:

I agree. 

For one, the storytelling was better for Good Gravy, and as important story telling is, GG itself followed up with that story with the details and theming in the queue. Which, even if there was good story telling with SSBR. Guests would have gotten into the queue of SSBR and noticed there was little to no storytelling, details, or theming at all. I joke and tell folks SSBR is a nice, unfurnished home. Kings Island has a talented team when it comes to decorating. They display it every season during Halloween Haunt and Winterfest. However, that talent was omitted with SSBR. I mean heck, Snoopy stands flag-less, in the dark on top of the roof of SSBR. A main Peanuts character who interacts with the ride. But nobody thought to put a light up there so he can be seen by the people on the ride at night?

GG is a better executed coaster overall, and that's why it earned its spot. SSBR got the ride experience right. You add storytelling, details and theming to SSBR, it would be #1, possibly even earn itself a GTA.

 

Kings Island was able to get two people to talk about Snoopy's Soap Box Racers. Holiday World was able to get the country to talk about Good Gravy!