Kings Island Halloween Haunt 2025 Discussion

[Losantiville Mining Co.]

I'm somewhat confused as to what the justification for the markups on hoodies are in the parks considering they'd probably only cost $30-$40 outside of the parks. A near 100% markup might help to make the park more profit on merch sales, but it also reduces the amount of guests who are willing to buy said products.

 

I'm glad we're seeing more Haunt merch though. That was something it seemed Legacy Six Flags had been good at. I could be happier if they actually commissioned real artists to make the artwork, but for now I'll take what we have.

[BeeastFarmer]

^ There is no justification needed. They will charge what the market will bear. They need money. People will pay the money. Others won't. 

They also charge a huge margin on food and soft drinks, and even more on hard drinks. That has been around since the park opened. Sure, the plans add value, but for the average passholder, they make lots of money off of both plans. What's the justification for charging daily tickets the rate they do for parking?

[Losantiville Mining Co.]

I've been reading some very good reports out of Carowinds and Cedar Point about the new scream-ium experience, The Conjuring: Beyond Fear. Carowinds had their Media Night last night and Cedar Point was open to the public. Something to note is that the Express Pass doesn't get you to the front of the line for TC:BF, it just gets you in the line.

It didn't sound like the regular mazes had improved, but it was also both a Thursday night and the first night of HalloWeekends. I didn't see much from SCarowinds besides the people raving about TC:BF. 

 

Facebook user Ryan Donahue was kind enough to share his experience with getting the wristband for the All-Season Haunted Attractions Express Pass. They work similarly to Fast Lane with the QR codes and how you go to a HAP/HAEP booth to scan your pass and get your wristband. It looks like you have to get the wristband and cannot scan your phone at each maze. He said it's about a 30 second process (although wait times may vary depending on the night). 

I haven't seen anything about the regular pass or the one-time tickets for The Conjuring, but I'd assume the HAP wristband looks similar and TC:BF ticket might just be on your phone.

Photos: Ryan Donahue

 

Allegedly the Axe Axe Baby location is going to be used for a new Conjuring bar area. Someone else also shared that the Antique Photos building has been cleared out, and speculation said that it might be a store for The Conjuring. Cedar Point's versions are called the "Mullins Workshop Bar" and "The Conjuring Universe: Archive of Artifacts". Fun Fact: both Canada's Wonderland and Carowinds have their Mullins Workshop Bar as specialty food location "G" on their map. It's not much, but it's weird that it happened twice.

There are only seven parks left who haven't released their Halloween Haunt/Fright Fest maps, including Darien Lake, Discovery Kingdom, Great Escape, Kings Island, La Ronde, Magic Mountain, and Six Flags Mexico.

[BryanJay]

So feel like it’s worth talking about in this thread. I just got out of Cedar Point’s Haunt fully prepared to talk about my experience walking onto every normal haunt maze with zero waits because no one wants to pay for the upcharge and it’s going to be a disaster for Six Flags grr!!! But then at the end of the night, after waiting 3 hours for the Conjuring where everyone apparently spent their money, assuming it’s mostly the same at Kings Island it’s by far the most immersive and best haunt attraction I’ve experienced outside of a Universal park. I’m not going to give my full reviews on it because it’s an experience best done without too many spoilers, but I can say it’s 100% worth the upcharge cost. 
 

Also other haunt info which I assume will be similar/the same for KI (feel free to ask anything else if you’d like): The whole sponsorship thing really wasn’t noticeable besides a small sign outside some of the mazes (there wasn’t huge “presented by snickers” signs infront of the maze signs). The wristband process was really smooth, no issues there. And tips for the Conjuring, don’t do it first if you’re doing the other mazes because it’s literally so good it’ll make the other mazes look cheap in comparison (I swear I’m not paid to say this by the park lol) Also because the park isn’t saying this anywhere to my knowledge, the line shut down 2 hours before park close. I know Cedar Points’ a bit more strict on closing rides before park close, but it wasn’t posted anywhere so beware incase it’s the same case at KI.

[Timchat2]

While we didn't purchase the Haunted Attractions Pass we did notice that none of the haunted houses seemed to have any lines throughout the evening on Saturday, even at peak times like the 9-10PM hour. CornStalkers looked to have the longest line, possibly due to long dispatch intervals between groups.

[Losantiville Mining Co.]

Even a short line at most mazes will mean more money made compared to last year! Let's hope the quality has transferred to the other parks.

[BryanJay]

https://x.com/KingsIslandPR/status/1967602933782225241

Spoilers for the new maze, but why does it actually look really good (TBH I know it'll be short, but honestly the clips look to be Knott's Scary Farm levels of setwork).

Also very glad the older mazes got some TLC.

[Losantiville Mining Co.]

Today appears to be International Street setup day in preparation for Halloween Haunt. I missed the changing of the sign, but having it on in the background has let me see the big skeletons and a bunch of other stuff go up. It's a fascinating process!

[disco2000]

Apparently folks hate on the other park operators as well LOL

[Losantiville Mining Co.]

The lines at Horror Nights are easily the worst part of the event. About half of my time there in 2022 was spent waiting in line for a house which was just a little better than the ones at Kings Island and Cedar Point. The rest of the event was pretty nice though. It'd probably be even better if they found a way to reduce wait times for houses and relied less on screens overall.

That being said, I have to assume this person got flamed for talking about a Six Flags in Houston, unless they're actually referring to any Fright Fest held at Astroworld from 1986-2005 — in which case they probably still got flamed by people who thought they were referring to SFOT.

 

International Street looks mostly set up now. The only things left look to be getting the eyes up on the tower, removing the giant P&G banner from the tower, and making sure all of the fire and lights work. There's also some lights above Grain & Grill that have been bugging out for at least a week. Hopefully those can get fixed soon enough.

[disco2000]

Now "sold out" at KI.  Wonder how many were sold....

 

[IndyGuy4KI]

1 hour ago, disco2000 said:

Now "sold out" at KI.  Wonder how many were sold....

 

I gotta say, I'm a little surprised it has sold out.

[KIfan73]

https://www.chillicothegazette.com/picture-gallery/entertainment/2025/09/17/kings-island-halloween-haunt-attraction-history-photos/86184914007/

[Kenban]

16 hours ago, disco2000 said:

Now "sold out" at KI.  Wonder how many were sold....

 

After going to Cedar Point last weekend and seeing how low capacity the conjuring is, too many.  Including the conjuring in express was a mistake, including it in season long express was an even larger mistake.

The conjuring has to send people through in at most groups of 10 people and frankly that’s pushing the capacity of the rooms at Cedar Point.  Your group has to stop and interact multiple times which means there has to be separation between the groups, I think it was around 3 minutes, but I never bothered timing it.  At 10 people every 3 minutes that’s 200 people an hour.  The house opened later than the other houses and closed the line early, all those people with express had to wait 2 hours to experience the house and it takes 20-30 minutes to go through the house.  It’s worth it, but it has been oversold based on the houses capacity BADLY.

The conjuring needs to open earlier, there needs to be an express product that does not include the conjuring.  Personally I think there needs to be sign ups for the house and assign return times to get rid of the line as well.

[BryanJay]

23 minutes ago, Kenban said:

The conjuring needs to open earlier, there needs to be an express product that does not include the conjuring.  Personally I think there needs to be sign ups for the house and assign return times to get rid of the line as well.

I 100% agree with sign ups for the house. I don't think it would really impact how much money they make it with it, and spreads out people to purchase access to the other houses (Assuming Kings Island is fairly similar to the rollout at the other parks that have opened for this season, I predict currently the houses will have 5-10 minute waits for most of the nights, and people instead choose to spend the money for the Conjuring, especially if it takes up 2-3 hours of their night.) I am so curious to see how the attendance and wait times go as the Haunt progresses, it's so interesting to me.

[Losantiville Mining Co.]

It would've also been wise to have guests sign up for Conjuring time slots throughout the night. That would at least pace when people get in line and provide further incentive for the wonderful actors to maybe speed things up a little if there's a 2hr+ wait outside. I've heard tremendous things about TC:BF, but spending 2 hours waiting in line for one thing during a 5 hour event is not something I'd want guests to wait through in a park. The lines are one of the biggest issues with Halloween Horror Nights.

Does anyone know if there is a 1:2 or 1:3 guides-to-rooms ratio for the attraction or if it's less than that? I have barely seen anyone show the entry experience and how you scan into the mazes or The Conjuring, and the parks haven't said anything either. If there's only one or two guides for the entire thing then I can imagine why the line is so long and so slow moving.

[Losantiville Mining Co.]

Double post to point out: 

Still no Halloween Haunt or Tricks and Treats map(s), no official food offering list, nor any HAP/HAEP redemption location list from Kings Island for an event that starts in two days. What's with the hold up? Is there something that still hasn't been confirmed, or is Kings Island just waiting much longer than every other Six Flags park for no reason? The map isn't a big thing, but it's very confusing when you have a park like Kings Dominion that published their map over a week before their event begins but Kings Island can't even get theirs published 2 days before the event.

[Kenban]

 

7 minutes ago, Losantiville Mining Co. said:

I've heard tremendous things about TC:BF, but spending 2 hours waiting in line for one thing during a 5 hour event is not something I'd want guests to wait through in a park. The lines are one of the biggest issues with Halloween Horror Nights.

Does anyone know if there is a 1:2 or 1:3 guides-to-rooms ratio for the attraction or if it's less than that? I have barely seen anyone show the entry experience and how you scan into the mazes or The Conjuring, and the parks haven't said anything either. If there's only one or two guides for the entire thing then I can imagine why the line is so long and so slow moving.

At the regular houses there was no scanning into anything.  They checked for the presence of a wristband and made sure you were in the correct line based on which of the two you had, but that’s it.  Both wrist bands are unlimited except for the conjuring, which is express only or a separate purchase, and is one time only.

At the conjuring they scanned barcodes when you reached the front of the line.  With small groups and significant time between them there is no real need for speed. 

You have several characters that you interact with as you move through the experience, I am unsure how many there are.  It’s very possible it’s nothing that simple because I think you spend unequal amounts of time with them, so they could have several who rotate through a series of rooms and some who are effectively stationary for instance.  No one travels through the entire experience with your group.

Redeeming the wristbands is no different than redeeming Fast Lane and at Cedar Point they are available in the same locations as Fast Lane.

[SmartCat7162]

39 minutes ago, Losantiville Mining Co. said:

Still no Halloween Haunt or Tricks and Treats map(s), no official food offering list, nor any HAP/HAEP redemption location list from Kings Island for an event that starts in two days. What's with the hold up? Is there something that still hasn't been confirmed, or is Kings Island just waiting much longer than every other Six Flags park for no reason? The map isn't a big thing, but it's very confusing when you have a park like Kings Dominion that published their map over a week before their event begins but Kings Island can't even get theirs published 2 days before the event.

They teased some desserts and dishes on the instagram and twitter. More dishes were posted on the instagram than the twitter. I put the descriptions from the post on here, but there are pictures posted as well. Here is the instagram post if you want to check it out yourself: https://www.instagram.com/p/DOqswrZD3HQ/?igsh=bzg5Y3ozdjNrYTVj

”kingsislandpr Fall flavors have arrived at Kings Island! *

From spooky sweets to savory seasonal favorites, these dishes are a treat for your tastebuds.

Here's a peek at what's cooking:

Harvest Moon Mischief Flatbread: Sink your teeth into this loaded flatbread from International Street's LaRosa's, with ground Italian sausage, pickled onion, sliced tomato and provolone.

Boo! Berry Wings: Get these crispy wings coated in a sweet and tangy blueberry BBQ sauce at Coney Bar-B-Que.

Rampage Chicken Paprikash: A comforting classic! Find this chicken paprikash with a potato pancake, lemon crema and parsley at Grain & Grill.

Brimstone Cream Puff: Sweet Spot is serving up this delicious red cream puff with a crunchy black crisp and a chocolate cherry filling.

Boonanas: Swing by Sweet Spot for a frozen, chocolate-dipped banana customized with your favorite toppings.

Spiderweb Cheesecake: This spooky cookies & crème cheesecake, topped with white chocolate icing and a chocolate spider, is waiting for you at Sweet Spot.

(Please note: Items shown that are not served at Sweet Spot are only available until 7 PM.)”

 

[Diamondback_Is_King]

7 hours ago, Losantiville Mining Co. said:

It would've also been wise to have guests sign up for Conjuring time slots throughout the night. That would at least pace when people get in line and provide further incentive for the wonderful actors to maybe speed things up a little if there's a 2hr+ wait outside. I've heard tremendous things about TC:BF, but spending 2 hours waiting in line for one thing during a 5 hour event is not something I'd want guests to wait through in a park. The lines are one of the biggest issues with Halloween Horror Nights.

I personally don't really care to do TC:BF, so if it drives people away from the ride lines, I'm all for it! 

[Losantiville Mining Co.]

Kings Island's Halloween Haunt and Tricks and Treats map has been released on Facebook! Still no PDF link available on the website though.

Unfortunately, it looks like whoever was making it didn't finish their work before being forced to export it. There is still a lot of green in the middle of the map (we saw this on the 2017 Winterfest map as well), none of the Haunt stores or bars can be found on it, the Haunted Attractions Pass redemption locations use a different icon than every other park, and Delirium's name plate has been inexplicably moved next to Drop Tower. I'll also mention that the day after the park got publicly called out on not yet releasing a T&T menu they put something out and the day after the park got called out on not releasing the map they put something out. No mention of the new bar or store for The Conjuring either.

It's nice to have the map, but I have to wonder why it took so long to make and why it's different from the other maps like at Canada's Wonderland, Carowinds, and Cedar Point.

Link to the Facebook post: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1F9PigVT5w/

[KIghostguy]

5 minutes ago, Losantiville Mining Co. said:

Kings Island's Halloween Haunt and Tricks and Treats map has been released on Facebook! Still no PDF link available on the website though.

Unfortunately, it looks like whoever was making it didn't finish their work before being forced to export it. There is still a lot of green in the middle of the map (we saw this on the 2017 Winterfest map as well), none of the Haunt stores or bars can be found on it, the Haunted Attractions Pass redemption locations use a different icon than every other park, and Delirium's name plate has been inexplicably moved next to Drop Tower. I'll also mention that the day after the park got publicly called out on not yet releasing a T&T menu they put something out and the day after the park got called out on not releasing the map they put something out. No mention of the new bar or store for The Conjuring either.

It's nice to have the map, but I have to wonder why it took so long to make and why it's different from the other maps like at Canada's Wonderland, Carowinds, and Cedar Point.

Link to the Facebook post: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1F9PigVT5w/

And also, Woodstock's Air Rail is labeled as simply "Woodstock's."

[DJSkyFoxx]

Legitimate question here. And one that has always crossed my mind and I never asked before. Has anyone here ever worked as a scare actor and have you/a fellow scare actor ever mistakenly scared someone wearing a "No Boo" necklace? I sorta wondered since on really crowded nights, how do you manage that? And you know, I imagine when getting into full character a slip could happen especially if said person wearing said necklace has their back turned or somehow buried in a hoodie? Just random Friday morning curiosity. 

[rexpostal]

Of course they have.  Sometimes on purpose,  I would imagine.  An apology at best is all that happens. Then, the night just moves along.  What else could possibly happen?  

[BeeastFarmer]

I don't think the No Boo necklace means a guarantee. 

[ApocalypticTragedy]

I thought the No boos weren't allowed in the haunts because there is no guarantee that you won't get scared.

[Losantiville Mining Co.]

The No-Boo Necklaces do not guarantee that wearers are immune from scaring, but they are also (unfortunately) a way to ensure that nobody within a 5ft radius of the wearer gets scared either. I did see some comments from former Halloween Horror Nights actors that said those necklaces would make the wearer a target for them, but I don't think that's the norm for any scare actor.

The necklaces are supposed to be turned off and/or put away inside all haunted attractions, yes. That being said, if an actor sees it on someone then there is a chance that the scare will be toned down. Nobody wants to make a kid cry even if they seem to be okay with going to an event for adults. I did see someone question why Six Flags would use a spider for the necklace when there are children deathly afraid of spiders. All I have to say to that is that if your child can't handle a cartoon-y fake spider on a necklace, you shouldn't be bringing them to a Halloween event oriented to older crowds.

 

My personal feelings aside — I think they need to be severely limited during events like  Haunt/Fright Fest/HHN — they do seem to provide some comfort to those wearing them. Each necklace sold is another little bit of profit for a company that is struggling for money as well.

[Hawaiian Coasters 325]

7 hours ago, rexpostal said:

Of course they have.  Sometimes on purpose,  I would imagine.  An apology at best is all that happens. Then, the night just moves along.  What else could possibly happen?  

I don't believe they do it on purpose. If they do and are caught by upper management they likely get written up or even lose their job. I believe they are trained specifically to not scare those with the neckless on. Obviously accidents happen, but that doesn't mean they scare those with necklesses on purpose. 

[BeeastFarmer]

Looks like we are back to budget mode on The Royal Fountain.

Or all the goose poop you can see is just a fraction of what's there and has clogged the lines and nozzles.  

Why don't they clean up the goose poop?

[disco2000]

FYI - KI Drive heading north is down to one lane just past the passenger drop off lot.