Phantom Theater: Opening Nightmare Construction Progress

[johnjniehaus]

Absolutely they don't look the same but I think everyone knows that even if they create a carbon copy of the original somehow it still wouldn't be as good in the eyes of the original fans. So pleasing the original fans is not the goal. The goal is to bring back characters that are popular in park lore and to create a ride that original fans will enjoy because it's a new version of the original and create something that appeals to the average guest and to kids because while I know phantom theater is located on international Street technically it's so close to Planet Snoopy that alot of kids go through that building 

[johnjniehaus]

I too like some of the others on here thought the Phantoms were too "cute" or "friendly" when I first saw them but the design has grown on me. In the original they were borderline creepy and I think that's the difference in the two attractions - original phantom they were meant to be creepy and haunted. The new one they are supposed to be engaging characters once again but they are a bit more family friendly. I think it has the potential to be a great ride and as I have said before I think it's great that people are being creative and not just bringing back a 30 year old ride. I know we still have beloved old dark rides at Disney or Knoebels but when you are creating something new for today's audiences I think it's natural that it changes a bit from what the expectations of a dark ride were in 1992. 

 

Oh I also don't think I've mentioned yet that I think the red "box seats" or doom buggies look better than even the original ones did. The greyish blue was classic of course but the red gives it a real restored theater vibe. Really digging the red ride vehicles

[kingsislandfan1972]

I'm predicting by sometime next month we'll see an update on the entrance.

 

Well I'm hoping! 😅

[BryanJay]

I wonder what the construction timeframe will be for that. In my mind the exterior would probably be the last aspect of construction to be completed, but who knows. 
 

I wonder if when we get closing to opening daymare, we’ll get more on-site construction updates outside of Curtain Class episodes. Part of me wants them to save any photos from inside the ride to be saved so it’s more of a surprise, but I’m also desperate for any updates so who cares. 

[Losantiville Mining Co.]

The exterior feels like something that would be last on the list, although I think they should really just get started whenever the weather clears up enough to actually start working. Nobody wants mid-April to come around and there still be a ton of missing paint/stucco/railings. Cedar Fair/Six Flags' track record for opening attractions on time has been absolutely abysmal these past few years, so I hope they're trying their best to keep to schedule. Would the crews installing the interior be the same ones working on the exterior? If not then I'd hope they can work concurrently rather than needing work on one to be done before the other begins.

We haven't seen anything about PT:ON potentially being ready by Opening Day either, but hopefully the plan is to have it open with the park. I feel like in years past (pre-2021) we would've heard about a first rider charity auction by now as well.

[BryanJay]

58 minutes ago, Losantiville Mining Co. said:

We haven't seen anything about PT:ON potentially being ready by Opening Day either, but hopefully the plan is to have it open with the park.

As of November it’s been said to be opening with the park in April, but I think it’s too early in construction/a liability for them to confirm that it is. I also won’t claim to know anything about construction but I assume there’s less room for error when retrofitting an indoor attraction with new props than there are with an outdoor project built from the ground up. 
 

But I choose to be optimistic. I have faith in Sally Dark Rides. 

[kingsislandfan1972]

39 minutes ago, BryanJay said:

As of November it’s been said to be opening with the park in April, but I think it’s too early in construction/a liability for them to confirm that it is. I also won’t claim to know anything about construction but I assume there’s less room for error when retrofitting an indoor attraction with new props than there are with an outdoor project built from the ground up. 
 

But I choose to be optimistic. I have faith in Sally Dark Rides. 

I have faith too , but honestly I am very excited and the last time I was anticipated for a new KI ride was Mystic Timbers! 😁

[Losantiville Mining Co.]

26 minutes ago, BryanJay said:

But I choose to be optimistic. I have faith in Sally Dark Rides. 

Oh, don't get me wrong I also have a lot of faith in SDR. Everything I've seen so far makes me believe that they will get it done in time for Opening Day, especially if they just need to install sets and such once it gets to the park. I'd assume that most of the major interior renovations were completed with the electrical work (whenever that was posted) and the rest is paint and installation. The parts that didn't look ready for installation were the lobby (queue) and exterior.

As for the set pieces we know how some of the scenes look, like the dressing room hallway, parts of the prop room/boiler room, and one of Maestro's organs. I have a theory that the giant pipe organ that used to be between the living room and the dungeon will be reused in that same spot in the new ride.

One thing I'm still curious about is how the scoring system will be handled. Will each score be on a screen at the end like in the Justice League rides, or just in each car like it's always been?

[robintodd]

6 hours ago, Losantiville Mining Co. said:

Oh, don't get me wrong I also have a lot of faith in SDR. Everything I've seen so far makes me believe that they will get it done in time for Opening Day, especially if they just need to install sets and such once it gets to the park. I'd assume that most of the major interior renovations were completed with the electrical work (whenever that was posted) and the rest is paint and installation. The parts that didn't look ready for installation were the lobby (queue) and exterior.

As for the set pieces we know how some of the scenes look, like the dressing room hallway, parts of the prop room/boiler room, and one of Maestro's organs. I have a theory that the giant pipe organ that used to be between the living room and the dungeon will be reused in that same spot in the new ride.

One thing I'm still curious about is how the scoring system will be handled. Will each score be on a screen at the end like in the Justice League rides, or just in each car like it's always been?

What would be neat is if they had the scores included on the picture!

[Hawaiian Coasters 325]

7 hours ago, kingsislandfan1972 said:

I have faith too , but honestly I am very excited and the last time I was anticipated for a new KI ride was Mystic Timbers! 😁

That's honestly a very bold thing to say considering we got a giga coaster in that timeframe. 

[DonHelbig]

1 hour ago, Hawaiian Coasters 325 said:

That's honestly a very bold thing to say considering we got a giga coaster in that timeframe. 

Put me in the camp that hasn’t been this excited about a new ride at Kings Island since Mystic Timbers debuted in 2017. 

[RedSummit20]

1 hour ago, Hawaiian Coasters 325 said:

That's honestly a very bold thing to say considering we got a giga coaster in that timeframe. 

What Giga? We got 2 Hypers!

[Hawaiian Coasters 325]

6 minutes ago, RedSummit20 said:

What Giga? We got 2 Hypers!

Oh no not this again lol. I thought this horse has already been beaten dead a million times lol.

43 minutes ago, DonHelbig said:

Put me in the camp that hasn’t been this excited about a new ride at Kings Island since Mystic Timbers debuted in 2017. 

I respect your opinion, but I can't see how people couldn't be excited about a 300 foot coaster lol. Look I know it wasn't Fury or Millennium but it was the biggest investment in park history. Im going to end this talk right here as there's already a million other threads on this subject. 

Back on topic. I'm very excited about this mainly bc I never got to ride the original Phantom Theater. I was born like a month before it closed. I haven't been this excited about a Kings Island new ride since Orion. I'm also really liking the direction the park is going with updates. It's a much bigger improvement over the very few updates we got for RiverRacers. 

 

[johnjniehaus]

I'd say this is the most excited I've been for a season at the park since the 50th anniversary. Getting the new Phantom Theater, the remodeled Gift shop, restoration of the 100 year old carousel, and the return of the Monster - it's shaping up to be a good year! As for new additions, I honestly think I'm more hyped for PTON than either Orion or Mystic Timbers. I would rank my excitement for new attractions through the last decade or so as follows - 

1. Banshee 

2. Phantom Theater 

3. Orion 

4. Adventure Port

5. Antique Autos 

6. Mystic Timbers 

7. Woodstock Gliders/Space Buggies

8. Camp Snoopy 

9. Anything to do with the water park 

 

Worth mentioning I was more excited about the retracking of The Beast and racer than I was about any new additions the last decade 

[DonHelbig]

5 hours ago, Hawaiian Coasters 325 said:

I respect your opinion, but I can't see how people couldn't be excited about a 300 foot coaster lol. Look I know it wasn't Fury or Millennium but it was the biggest investment in park history.

 

They need to revisit the story, do a bit of a relaunch. 

[KI Guy]

3 hours ago, DonHelbig said:

They need to revisit the story, do a bit of a relaunch. 

Add a tunnel to the bottom of the first hill and give it a new name. Any name that has to be heavily explained to the average guest is probably not a good name, (see also Rougarou and Valravn).

They could have accomplished the same story with the better name Zodiac and also called back to KI history.

The park could even have a contest where they let the fans choose the new name for the coaster.

[Orion-XL200]

10 minutes ago, KI Guy said:

Add a tunnel to the bottom of the first hill.........

Canada's Wonderland did this with Leviathan. I think a year or two after it opened.

[TombRaiderFTW]

It was added opening year (2012.)

[Orion-XL200]

Ahh that's right....I guess I corelated it with later since it didn't open with it in 2012, but it was added after the season started. 

[SonofBaconator]

3 hours ago, DonHelbig said:

They need to revisit the story, do a bit of a relaunch. 

The story we know wasn’t the story it originally intended to have. IIRC the “meteor shower” and “distant planet” were part of the current “canon.”

The original story, if I remember right, was more of XBase/A72 being a secret government base that investigated anomalies like Banshees, UFOs, Tree Monsters, Beasts, and basically all the wacky stuff KI was facing and Orion was just a secret government prototype.

Correct me if I’m wrong or if I’m on the right track. Personally the current story is too…”specific” for my liking. The story we got focuses around surviving an oncoming meteor shower and rec colonizing a new planet. I feel like the idea of Orion just remaining a government prototype in a classified region of the park seems more on brand.

[Losantiville Mining Co.]

14 minutes ago, SonofBaconator said:

I feel like the idea of Orion just remaining a government prototype in a classified region of the park seems more on brand.

I thought this was the current theme, is it not? 

 

Back to the Phantom Theater construction progress: Did the International Street camera used to be higher up where we could see the alleyway behind Sweet Spot, or am I thinking of photos taken from the Eiffel Tower/something else? Also, how do we think the set pieces and animatronics are being shipped? Inside of a semi truck trailer/box truck up I-75? I think that would be the best method of transportation, but I also generally don't know how they could ship everything.