The Racer: What if it told a story?

[DonHelbig]

When it comes to theme park storytelling, Dollywood is a master. From rides like FireChaser Express and Big Bear Mountain to their latest announcement, NightFlight Expedition, they immerse guests in a narrative long before the ride even starts. Now… imagine if Kings Island embraced that same approach.

  

[MaestroJr]

I wish they did something like that for all the rides, I like it how The Beast sorta has a story especially when you had Son of Beast and Beastie, The Racer does feel very generic in that category 

[SonofBaconator]

Stories are great for rides like Mystic, Beast, Banshee, Orion, and even Diamondback- and while I’m sure KI could make up one for Racer- I don’t think that a made up story would be the right fit for it.

Actually, I argue that the best way to tell Racer’s story is with its history– how it sparked the second roller coaster renaissance, how The Brady Bunch rode it, how it ran backwards for a while, how it’s as old as the park itself, etc.

Sometimes a ride’s history is its greatest story 

[Losantiville Mining Co.]

1 hour ago, SonofBaconator said:

Actually, I argue that the best way to tell Racer’s story is with its history– how it sparked the second roller coaster, renaissance, how The Brady Bunch rode it, how it ran backwards for a while, how it’s as old as the park itself, etc.

I have to agree with this! While I'd love more theming at Kings Island, I don't know that The Racer needs much more than itself. Thunder Road at Carowinds was originally themed to directly correlate with the titular film and had fiberglass train fronts to match. Racer fits into Coney Mall because it is a classic wooden coaster in an area themed to a classic amusement park of the early 20th century. I love the thinking that went into that Tower Topics retheme though!

If we need to find a coaster to retroactively add theming to, I'd vote for Diamondback. The park could enclose the upper queue line inside a building and theme it similar to the queue Snake River Expedition had up at Cedar Point. The side that faces the pathway could even be used as a facade to bring some of that "town" feeling back to Rivertown — something that Diamondback's construction notably interrupted.

[BeeastFarmer]

They've had fifty something years to do it and they haven't.   I don't think today's generation would connect with the 1920s or 1950s, whichever this was trying to portray.

They would also have to maintain it it, which we all know, degrades over time.  If anything, they should just lean into the nostalgia of the ride with some light touches. A huge opportunity exists in the brake shed to turn goose turds into golden eggs. (Remove some of the walls, add murals, music, etc )

If I had my choice, I would restore theming to The Beast before adding anything to other rides. 

[BlondyRidesOn]

I loved this segment and the idea, but I kind of have mixed feelings about this. The Racer without a theme or a story is ironically a theme itself part of Coney Mall; it was meant to pay homage to and sort of be the replacement for the Shooting Star at Coney Island. The whole Coney Mall midway is meant to be an homage to classic traditional amusement parks, specifically Old Coney. 

The concept is really cool, but when sticking with the theme of Coney Mall, a classic wooden coaster themed to something other than a classic wooden coaster would feel out of place, even if "The Racer" name remains. 

In my opinion, The Beast and Diamondback would benefit greatly from a story telling standpoint. The Beast had a theme to an old mining company, but Diamondback could be themed to an old farm being terrorized by a large oversized Diamondback rattlesnake that's taking over Rivertown. They could enclose the queue and make it look like a wood barn with tools and other props lining the walls.

[BeeastFarmer]

I wish they would theme up Diamondback.  I like the name, it fits, but it's an oddity. Ironically, the species of rattlesnake that lives in the area is the Timber rattlesnake.  Eastern Diamondbacks live in the Southeast, and western Diamondbacks ( which I think our coaster is themed to) live in the desert southwest.

[brenthodge]

2 hours ago, BlondyRidesOn said:

I loved this segment and the idea, but I kind of have mixed feelings about this. The Racer without a theme or a story is ironically a theme itself part of Coney Mall; it was meant to pay homage to and sort of be the replacement for the Shooting Star at Coney Island. The whole Coney Mall midway is meant to be an homage to classic traditional amusement parks, specifically Old Coney. 

The concept is really cool, but when sticking with the theme of Coney Mall, a classic wooden coaster themed to something other than a classic wooden coaster would feel out of place, even if "The Racer" name remains. 

In my opinion, The Beast and Diamondback would benefit greatly from a story telling standpoint. The Beast had a theme to an old mining company, but Diamondback could be themed to an old farm being terrorized by a large oversized Diamondback rattlesnake that's taking over Rivertown. They could enclose the queue and make it look like a wood barn with tools and other props lining the walls.

Sorry, super long, but here’s a narrative treatment I wrote to reinvigorate and unify RiverTown a few years ago. 
 

Rivertown thematic realignment and unifying story:

 

In the early part of 1872, in the quiet riverside town of King’s Landing, the Mason family sold most of their farm to the industrialist G.W. Koeney, who was looking to expand his manufacturing operations beyond his existing factory on the Ohio River in downtown Cincinnati. They retained ownership of the slaughterhouse, and the butchering business that had brought them their fame and wealth. Everyone knew “The BEST beast is butchered at Mason’s”.

 

Things all went according to plan as the new factory was built by the lake, and the town began to grow with all the workers and their families… Everyone existed peacefully for years. A new rail line connected passengers and supplies with the farther reaches of the area, and new factories began to pop up along the roaring rapids of the White Water river. An ancient legend of a giant snake that slithered through the woods devouring children was shared around campfires by mischievous youth, but few gave it much heed. All was peaceful and productive in KingsLanding, the thriving RiverTown. That was until the summer of 1922 - 50 years after the sale of the property.

 

One summer day, a mysterious pig farmer dropped off a herd to be butchered at the slaughterhouse. Amongst  the herd he delivered was a crate. A strange snarling noise emanated form the crate as it violently shook. The mysterious farmer plead with the Masons to just take the creature off his hands and do with it what they would, as it was violent and “not of this world” Mr Mason carefully opened the crate, and  - legend has it - the creature spring from the crate - killing all of those at the slaughterhouse, and fled into the woods. Late that night - howls could be heard from deep in the woods, and in the early morning light, an eerie quiet blanketed the formerly bustling town of Kings Landing. No one showed up to work at the factory that day - in fact no one showed up in town at all. It was as if The Beast that escaped from the slaughterhouse wreaked its revenge on the entire town. No one was seen again, and soon the factories were boarded up by the banks and left to ruin.

 

25 Years later in the 1947 the lost town was rediscovered as a group of young entrepreneurs opened the Miami Valley Lumber company on land out past the old creek by the new highway. Around the lumber mill, activity returned to the once bustling town. The past was forgotten as new businesses began to pop up. A farmers market opened at the old D.B.Ryder farm. One creative showman even tried to capitalize on the old legend of the giant snake, and opened a roadside attraction there complete with a “snake museum and emporium” to catch tourists passing through on the new highway going to the campground just beyond. Once again, the area prospered for many years, but once again a mysterious tragedy struck. One morning in the early 1980s, the security guard’s truck was found crashed though the front gate to the lumber yard. No one could find him, and as the morning crew looked around the shop - his radio came to life broadcasting the tragic events of the night before as he issued a dire warning to stay out of the shed out back.

 

No one really knows why this RiverTown is cursed. Was it The Beast that was unleashed that day long ago? Was the legend of the giant snake true after all? Was the area angered each time people tried to earn a profit by exploiting it? Was their something truly evil lurking in the woods, or was it simply bad luck?

 

Today, RiverTown brims with life as developers have rediscovered the old industrial spaces and reclaimed them as creative food halls and entertainment venues. Urban explorers have rediscovered the old lumber mill and raging white waters, and are now offering adventure tours of the beautiful woods surrounding Kings Landing. Life has returned to this RiverTown, but if the legends are true… how long will it last?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

New entrance experience where the old path to antique cars is. New rock work and waterfall fed by the town water tower. "Welcome to Kings Landing: is a ghost sign on the water tower with "RiverTown" in new lettering overlaid. Wafter flows from spout down to rocks. 

 

Restroom building is redressed with minimal theming (area appropriate signage)

 

The pizza building and arcade building are replaced with large, multi level "factory structure" with smokestack with a large K on it. The Kings (food) Design and Manufacturing is a food hall with LaRosa's, (dear GOD do we need this pizza in 14 locations, but whatever) Fried chicken, Country Style sandwiches, Burritos etc with large windows looking out onto Diamondback and out the back onto the new lake where Vortex.  was. Terraced outdoor seating and an indoor and outdoor small stage for live music add to the overall ambience. On the upper level, Club72 - the Prestige pass members lounge provides indoor and outdoor seating as well as a dedicated pay bar and complimentary snacks. 

 

Beast and TRTR become the "coal fired power plant" for the factory. Beast loading is reworked to use the drink stand as the "plant office" that the line moves through. Water feature is reintroduced to this area and ties into the new lake in the old Vortex location. Exit is rerouted back through the original exit path to free up FastLane entry. Coal mine car is reactivated as water feature or at least cleaned up to become more visible and labeled as "MineShaft 01" 

 

Slaughter house is given exterior upgrade as it is now key to the overall story of the area. It is better "shrouded" by landscaping. Possibly open on weekend nights or short runs during the summer as a "limited time haunt". 

 

TRTR is redressed as the coal processing facility - renamed "The Furnace" in reference to Phantom Theatre boiler room. The exterior of the metal building are given faux brick panels on the lower areas and themed rust with faux factory windows. labeled "MineShaft02" (TRTR opening year) The existing queue is slightly redressed to be a coal mine. The first separator room (monkey room) is used for additional switchbacks. The preshow room becomes the coal loading (load area) room with the cars coming back empty from unload. A large crane overhead with a load bucket and giant furnace add kinetic energy to the area and take advantage of the height. The cars dispatch into an indoor wild mouse ride with minimal set pieces such as an ore crusher overhead on the lift hill and mirrors to reflect the car to give the illusion of imminent crashes with oncoming mine cars. The The ride unloads in a newly added building on the backside of the main show building after passing through the furnace (tunnel with heat and light effects) . The exit would flow to the left toward the Beat/Slaughterhouse area instead of to the right toward the train. 

 

White Water Canyon - Renamed “Kings River Rapids” to tie into the story. Signs at the entrance and along the path advertise Rivertown Adventure Tours, the new business that has set up shop along the river offering white water rapids tours.  In the wave pool area, a factory style tower labeled as “water pump 85” (opening year) is added to hide the wave machine. This ties into a sign pointing to the “Thomas Nathaniel Turner Explosives and Munitions Factory - 1.4 miles” (referencing Peters Cartridge) so the actual building would not need to be shown or built.  In the former pay geyser area, TNT crates and barrels line the shoreline and a few float in the water as new geysers “explode’ like dynamite around the boat, providing a much more dramatic finale. The overlook of this area also houses a new beer stand (relocated form the midway) to bring additional revenue and activation to this area. This bar stand/food location is themed to the check-in stand for the adventure tours. Additional minimal theming is added to the final lift area such as “Kings Mills Water Works” signs.

 

Kings Island and Miami Valley Railroad - New narration tracks are recorded to play during the ride referencing the story and the landmarks as they are passed. The live spiel is eliminated for a more consistent message. The horse is moved - and additional horse added to the open area by the fort along with signage advertising “Kings Landing horseback riding” to tie into the outdoor outfitters storyline and get away from trying to make the “old town” section feel like a period recreation. The old town area is aged and overgrown. Narration in this section speaks to the fact that this is part of the original Kings Landing that “disappeared” that fateful day.

 

The food concession areas in the train area (funnel cakes, potato works) are given a slight cosmetic makeover. The out-of-theme giant SPRITE umbrellas are removed and replaced with smaller solid color shade structures on the funnel cake side. By the train depot, a larger covered seating area is constructed with different flooring to look like an old building. To allow for promotional opportunities, crates with Coke or Sprite logos and vintage bottles are stacked in the rafters and around the area. A small permanent stage area is added to this area to allow for small local performers.

 

This ends the section “Old River Town” themed to the factory and mining associated with it rooted in the early 1900-1920s. Once the bridge over the stream is passed, you are in the lumber mill section which is rooted in the 1940 - 1980s. The D.B.Ryder Farm

 

From the bridge to the entrance by the Log Ride, the pavement is changed to look like a road with tan - earth look concrete on the sides. Landscaping in this area ****s to lots of grasses and wildflowers to look more like farmland. With the exception being around Mystic Timers where it is kept wooded

 

Brewhouse is converted into FarmStead Market. The interior is given a lightening up with a country-modern look. The menu switches to either a family style or buffet style, homestyle “farm to table” restaurant to the left. The bar is removed for additional seating and additional windows added to bring light into the space. That area is dressed as the old market with tables made from produce shipping crates and farmers market graphics. There are a few 1950’s era vintage cars parked out front.

 

The bar moves to a new, three sided “open air” barn that backs up to the existing restroom building. That building is redressed to be part of the barn with opening on both side still for the restrooms. The Gazebo and existing FreeStyle location are removed for this. The sides of this are roll up during the summer, but can roll down to look like windows during the cooler days. Additional seating is added where the Christmas tree lot goes TomChe stand is possibly removed for additional seating, or stays as small snack/beverage

 

Diamondback- No major changes. Thematically this becomes the D.B.Ryder Farm homestead that was converted into the Diamondback Snake Emporium and Museum in the 1950s. Graphics and posters are added in the queue telling the “Legend of the Diamondback - the giant snake the terrorized the woods of Kings Landing years ago. This area become like a “big foot roadside attraction” theme. The old farm house had been converted into the museum about the Legend of Diamondback, but is now a shop. The support buildings are redressed to look like barns and farm buildings. The ride is a “roadside attraction” that was built along with the Snake Emporium.

 

Mystic Timbers - no major changes - tv’s and the “modern security guard” story is dropped and this is supported by the backstory that in the 80’s the site was abandoned and we are hearing the old security tapes from way back then. Narration might need to be tweaked a bit.

 

The Log Ride is stripped of the Charlie Brown theming and repainted to a rustic look. This becomes an extension of the Miami Valley Lumber Company. There is a giant rotating saw blade added above the trough at the top of the first lift hill.

 

Linus Launchers is replaced by Zamperla Nubulaz dressed to look like giant spinning windmills. The area around it has spinning windmills - this marks the transition zine between RiverTown and a revamped Camp Snoopy. The “road” in the pavement leads to this area so it is the main path of travel for guests

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[BeeastFarmer]

@brenthodge, good story line!

What's you thought on Mystic Timbers?  The teaser showed vines taking over Kings Island and then that story evolved into what we got. 

[brenthodge]

On 9/28/2025 at 9:31 PM, BeeastFarmer said:

@brenthodge, good story line!

What's you thought on Mystic Timbers?  The teaser showed vines taking over Kings Island and then that story evolved into what we got. 

Missed opportunity. The whole thing got WAY too complicated. Is it now?? The past?? Abandoned?? Is security there now?? Who is exploring it?? It seemed like a simple “nature takes over an abandoned lumber mill” idea, but then got super muddied. They could’ve used projection mapping in the first room of the brake run to have the vines crawling up the wall.