Bye bye, Boo Blasters

[Shaggy]

“Who’s out there? No one’s allowed backstage!”  

[Timchat2]

We had the exact same thought when we rode this. The staging almost feels like a tribute to Phantom Theater, which I suppose is possible because a number of those working on Monsters Inc. Ride & Go Seek were probably dark ride fans.

[BryanJay]

https://x.com/kingsislandpr/status/1958529528403271795?s=46
 

Literally shaking, it’s 100% phantom theater 

[beastfan11]

Just now, BryanJay said:

https://x.com/kingsislandpr/status/1958529528403271795?s=46
 

Literally shaking, it’s 100% phantom theater 

Ditto. Very excited to see what they’re cooking up. 

[Hawaiian Coasters 325]

Interesting they also had a small segment at the end in the crypt building. We all know that's where The Conjuring is going, but I could honestly see that being a temporary thing for now. Then if they wanted to eventually put a ride in there, they could move the conjuring somewhere else if it's popular. 

[calakapepe]

Not to step on BryanJay..

But just in case you dont use X:

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DNnqL7SO-9B/?igsh=OTRyOTRnNGkyYjRq

 

I dont expect it to be quite as ambitious as OG with as many robots.. but I hope its at least a respectable effort & that the effects they do choose to commit to.. that they'll be maintained.

 

I do not expect but would love... capacity to return to what it originally was. Either way.. im most pumped that boo blasters isnt leaving without being replaced

[cdubbs727]

Park's social media announced an announcement coming 8.28. Interestingly, in the video, a crew member is walking around Boo Blasters and stops at the organ and finds a music sheet, which I would think all but confirms it's a Phantom Theater return. 

More interestingly, the final shot of the video was shot in The Crypt. Not sure if it's just an ending for the video or if it's teasing something going into that area (it's a very obvious cut, but could just be for dramatic effect...but it's so obviously The Crypt that it feels weird they'd include it if something wasn't coming there...they could have easily shot that moment in the queue or elsewhere in the ride instead of a wholly new building). 

What if the Boo Blasters building is going away and the new Phantom Theater is in the Crypt building? (But that wouldn't explain why they have to close BB in September)

[Hawaiian Coasters 325]

Or they just decided to include a shot of the Crypt as an attempt to throw us off. Tony Clark (the head of PR for the region) has done this in the past lol. 

[calakapepe]

5 minutes ago, cdubbs727 said:

Park's social media announced an announcement coming 8.28. Interestingly, in the video, a crew member is walking around Boo Blasters and stops at the organ and finds a music sheet, which I would think all but confirms it's a Phantom Theater return. 

More interestingly, the final shot of the video was shot in The Crypt. Not sure if it's just an ending for the video or if it's teasing something going into that area (it's a very obvious cut, but could just be for dramatic effect...but it's so obviously The Crypt that it feels weird they'd include it if something wasn't coming there...they could have easily shot that moment in the queue or elsewhere in the ride instead of a wholly new building). 

What if the Boo Blasters building is going away and the new Phantom Theater is in the Crypt building? (But that wouldn't explain why they have to close BB in September)

I think your suspicion is right. Its going to use the crypt building (will it use the height?) ((And Hawaiian may be correct to edit))

Maybe the maestro will be more rivertown centric rather than european western classical music.. i mean the wild west still had theatres and definitely still derived from our european ancestors.. it could work. Time will tell.. well KI will

[BryanJay]

Last year during the daytime tours, the Crypt included Hilda’s Mirror as a lantern effect… this would be absolutely crazy if they knew about this campaign that far in advance, but something to think about. Also could be something where like a prop from the ride representing each performer is in an abandoned attraction (Son of Beast station and Vortex plot next)

 

Also for the flashlight, I think it’s 50/50 that’s its emphasized because the reboot will be a flashlight shooting dark ride, or at the end of the teaser video, the security guard runs into the stage manager from the ride (“No one’s allowed backstage!”) or maybe both!

[Hawaiian Coasters 325]

I highly doubt they get rid of the Boo Blasters building. That building has been there since 1972 and I doubt there is anything seriously wrong with it. It also houses the park services warehouse, the Peanuts showplace, and an entertainment green room. I think the new ride is definitely in the boo blasters building and the crypt is either a throwoff attempt or a second attraction for 26 (legacy CF recently likes to do non major coaster additions in packages like how we got Sol Spin + Cargo Loco in 23, Soapbox Racers + the playground in 24, and RiverRacers + Splash River Junction in 25.) That being said idk why they would go through the effort to put the conjuring in the crypt this season when that is a 2026 new ride location unless the plan is to move the conjuring in 26 and start construction on whatever is next in the crypt once haunt ends. 

[BeeastFarmer]

I just want Hilda to sing! As long as she is singing, it isn't over

[IndyGuy4KI]

Here is the video tease.

 

[DJSkyFoxx]

It is interesting to see this teaser shot in two different buildings. The obvious first shots being taken in the planned closed Boo Blasters building and the very short segment in The Crypt building. Out of the two, I am far more curious as to what they have planned for The Crypt building. 

[robintodd]

1 hour ago, calakapepe said:

Not to step on BryanJay..

But just in case you dont use X:

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DNnqL7SO-9B/?igsh=OTRyOTRnNGkyYjRq

 

I dont expect it to be quite as ambitious as OG with as many robots.. but I hope its at least a respectable effort & that the effects they do choose to commit to.. that they'll be maintained.

 

I do not expect but would love... capacity to return to what it originally was. Either way.. im most pumped that boo blasters isnt leaving without being replaced

I've always expected this may happen ever since Rick visited years ago.  If Bastrop's company is doing the ride, maybe he did a couple of plaster casts of "certain cast members of a particular show" to use in the new ride.  That would be epic.

[MaestroJr]

I would think this all but confirms Phantom Theater 2 which is very exciting but still many questions remain and hopefully they shall be answered next week!

[specialk141]

How do we know foe sure the conjuring is going in the crypt? I didn't see any map with maze locations yet?

 

I posted a few weeks back about the flag bed unloading what appeared to be metal beams behind the crypt and the "pardon our dust" construction fences... could what I saw have been new attraction pieces? Seems plausible now

[SonofBaconator]

2 hours ago, Hawaiian Coasters 325 said:

Or they just decided to include a shot of the Crypt as an attempt to throw us off. Tony Clark (the head of PR for the region) has done this in the past lol.

This might be a deep cut but IIRC the animatronics for Phantom Theater were wrapped up and placed in The Crypt building for Cavern of Terror so it could be an easter egg for the hardcore fans.

[johnjniehaus]

37 minutes ago, SonofBaconator said:

This might be a deep cut but IIRC the animatronics for Phantom Theater were wrapped up and placed in The Crypt building for Cavern of Terror so it could be an easter egg for the hardcore fans.

Wait are you saying there are original animatronics inside tomb raider? How did I never hear about this before? I walked through it last season during the daytime haunt tours of the maze and was too focused on the remnants of tomb raider to even think they would hide other stuff in there 

[BryanJay]

12 minutes ago, johnjniehaus said:

Wait are you saying there are original animatronics inside tomb raider? How did I never hear about this before? I walked through it last season during the daytime haunt tours of the maze and was too focused on the remnants of tomb raider to even think they would hide other stuff in there 

 

The animatronics were placed outside the building the first year the haunted house operated. They were all then destroyed (rip) but the mummy’s sarcophagus and garbanzo’s canon was left in the house until they were removed for the encore show.

[MaestroJr]

14 minutes ago, johnjniehaus said:

Wait are you saying there are original animatronics inside tomb raider? How did I never hear about this before? I walked through it last season during the daytime haunt tours of the maze and was too focused on the remnants of tomb raider to even think they would hide other stuff in there 

Not anymore I don’t think, they used to be outside the crypt building, but that’s been quite a long time ago, when they did the Phantom Theatre encore two years ago, there was only a few animatronics still around, and they were only  fragments and pieces, my guess is 99% of those are OG animatronics are gone 

[johnjniehaus]

Just now, BryanJay said:

 

The animatronics were placed outside the building the first year the haunted house operated. They were all then destroyed (rip) but the mummy’s sarcophagus and garbanzo’s canon was left in the house until they were removed for the encore show.

Unfortunate they were destroyed. It would be a cool nod to the original attraction if they set up the cannon and mummy in the que or even as part of the ride. I had heard that supposedly the original boiler is in slaughterhouse? I'd also like to see some of the displays from phantom theater encore return like the concept art and that sort of stuff 

[MaestroJr]

1 minute ago, johnjniehaus said:

Unfortunate they were destroyed. It would be a cool nod to the original attraction if they set up the cannon and mummy in the que or even as part of the ride. I had heard that supposedly the original boiler is in slaughterhouse? I'd also like to see some of the displays from phantom theater encore return like the concept art and that sort of stuff 

Yes the old boiler is still in slaughterhouse, there at the very end of the maze 

[BeeastFarmer]

I've heard urban legends that the "powder keg" wooden barrel at The Beast exit, near the lower queue, is Garbanzo's TNT.

[BryanJay]

1 minute ago, BeeastFarmer said:

I've heard urban legends that the "powder keg" wooden barrel at The Beast exit, near the lower queue, is Garbanzo's TNT.

 

This was a prop in phantom theater, yes. And the furnace is in Slaughterhouse. (Me when my degree in phantom theaterology pays off)

[calakapepe]

Edit. Error

[calakapepe]

Edit- error

[kingsislandfan1972]

Honestly this was the best teaser since Mystic Timbers! I am curious however about how this ties in with the Crypt building but its looking for sure that Phantom Theater is returning. I bet we are all excited to see what is officially announced on the 28th! 

4 hours ago, IndyGuy4KI said:

Here is the video tease.

 

 

[Losantiville Mining Co.]

An exciting start to announcement season! I guess now we know what they were filming that one night the Boo Blasters pathway/plaza was closed a month or two ago. 

I think the new Phantom Theater will replace Boo Blasters, and the shot from the antechamber at the end is either misdirection or something to lead into a new sneak peek for The Conjuring: Beyond Fear. While I'd love for a new ride (especially a Madhouse or a Dynamic Motion Stage) to go in there, I don't see what the use would be for adding two attractions in one off-season when Six Flags is cutting everywhere else. Unless Kings Island is going to be the crown jewel of a package sale, it wouldn't add up. 

This could also be something where the spooky abandoned theater of PT and the haunted artifacts museum of TC:BF are similar enough in concept to showcase them both together. That would honestly be a really cool way to hype up your guests for what's to come. 

It could be possible that The Conjuring: Beyond Fear is a one-season test to see whether or not it could be brought to other Haunts throughout the chain. If I remember correctly, CW's is going in one of the newly-reconfigured spaces in Wonder Mountain; Carowinds' is going in their Aeronautica (Action) Theater; and Cedar Point's is going in the old Town Hall Museum building. Kings Island still has the other side of Action Theater they could move this to, or they could build a new Haunt barn like they did with Slaughterhouse if they wanted to. 

[Hawaiian Coasters 325]

Imo I feel like it would've been better to announce it after Boo Blasters closes to allow focus to be on Boo Blasters getting its last rides. What I would've honestly done is let Boo Blasters run until its closing day (labor day) to keep the speculation going and then like a day or so after it closes, drop this video and have the story be "after the boo castle was boarded up, security was notified of some strange activity going on around the castle so they went in and this video happens..." then announce the official replacement like a week later.