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Phantom Theater: Opening Nightmare New in 2026


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So very excited about this announcement, I have been waiting for this for a long time! I guessed that it would be Phantom Theater with flashlights and I was right haha! Many questions remain

A. What will the queue look like

B. Will the ride be screen based or Animatronic based or a combination 

C. How will the flashlights work at hitting targets 

D. Will the ride remain the same length and same number of cars

E. New music? New lines from maestro? 

I am glad they decided to keep an interactive element, I think children who love Boo Blasters would be upset with a new ride with no “blasters”, overall very excited and hopefully Sally will do well with it, they are good at building rides 

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3 hours ago, BryanJay said:

IMG_7818.jpegUntitled5491_20250828212142.png
 

oh my god they had this planned since the beginning. 
 

(Also the musical note ghosts are either going to make or break the attraction, it’s so stupid I love them)

IMG_7819.jpeg

So does this confirm the suspension that this ride was planned after the 50th and has been delayed a couple years? 

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8 hours ago, MaestroJr said:

So very excited about this announcement, I have been waiting for this for a long time! I guessed that it would be Phantom Theater with flashlights and I was right haha! Many questions remain

 

B. Will the ride be screen based or Animatronic based or a combination 

 

The press release shares that it will definitely have animatronics. 

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For fans who fondly remember the original Phantom Theater (1992–2002), this is more than a nostalgic nod — it’s a rebirth. For newcomers, it’s an introduction to a world where music meets mayhem, where ghosts take center stage, and where every twist of the track invites you deeper into the story.

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49 minutes ago, BryanJay said:

IMG_7833.pngIMG_7834.png
 

They literally just announced shirts with that logo lol

Awesome! Well done Kings Island!

I remember going to Epic Universe and being disappointed that there weren't any shirts for the specific rides. Still waiting on a Stardust Racer shirt!

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25 minutes ago, RollerColt said:

Awesome! Well done Kings Island!

I remember going to Epic Universe and being disappointed that there weren't any shirts for the specific rides. Still waiting on a Stardust Racer shirt!

Me too! I ended up getting nothing from Epic, but I would have totally gotten a Stardust shirt if they had one

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7 minutes ago, Diamondback_Is_King said:

Me too! I ended up getting nothing from Epic, but I would have totally gotten a Stardust shirt if they had one

We realized pretty quickly that most of the merchandise was available either online or at the City Walk. Once that happened we were more selective on shopping lol. 

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12 hours ago, BeeastFarmer said:

I wonder if Maestro's cat, Arpeggio, is an easter egg to Gargamel's cat,  Azreal?

The original ride, of course, had a cat being scared by a giant rat... but also, there was the sound of a howling cat in the outdoor queue line.

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20 hours ago, johnjniehaus said:

Boo Blaster used to have ghosts that popped up on the balcony didn't it? Or was that only Scooby Doo?

The Boo Blaster ghost was not a cool as the several Pepper's ghosts in Phantom Theatre.

It looks like they're re-using the ride mechanism and track. I've got to say that's a little disappointing.

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23 minutes ago, KI Guy said:

It looks like they're re-using the ride mechanism and track. I've got to say that's a little disappointing.

Why?

Does it really make a difference that they aren't replacing the track? 

Personally, I'd rather them invest the bulk of capitol in the figures/scenery... 

 

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4 hours ago, johnjniehaus said:

Anyone think these shirts will be in the KI online store or will it be a buy in park exclusive?

I would assume so. From what I've seen it takes longer for them to put stuff in the online store. I think the online story is not their main focus, so stuff ends up on there when they get the chance.

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7 hours ago, BryanJay said:

IMG_7833.pngIMG_7834.png
 

They literally just announced shirts with that logo lol

That didn't take long! I was just at the park a couple weeks ago when I bought the purple tie dye shirt... we are going to try to go for WinterFest so hopefully they'll still have the merchandise. (And possibly even more.)

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I am SO HAPPY. I never thought I'd see the day they bring Phantom Theater back in any way. I always looked at it as a dead idea. The stage show was great, but I didn't think it would lead to this. I definitely do not expect the animatronics to return in the same way they were, but I'm sure what Sally comes up with will be great. I'm just glad to see it back in the park.

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For those who were wondering like myself, I got confirmation that Rick Bastrup (one of the original creators of the original Phantom Theater) is working with Sally Dark Rides on Opening Nightmare, so I’m even more confident this ride will live up to the original.

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18 minutes ago, BryanJay said:

For those who were wondering like myself, I got confirmation that Rick Bastrup (one of the original creators of the original Phantom Theater) is working with Sally Dark Rides on Opening Nightmare, so I’m even more confident this ride will live up to the original.

Sounds like it might be time to bring him back onto Tower Topics @DonHelbig @BoddaH1994 

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2 hours ago, BryanJay said:

For those who were wondering like myself, I got confirmation that Rick Bastrup (one of the original creators of the original Phantom Theater) is working with Sally Dark Rides on Opening Nightmare, so I’m even more confident this ride will live up to the original.

As if this couldn’t get better. Thank you for sharing! 

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