Kings Island General Discussion 2026

[CedarPointer]

I'm sure everyone who shelled out for a prestige pass will be thrilled at their pass being devalued even more than it already was.

[jimlaheyscar]

Fiesta and Over Texas websites indicate all season, all park Fast Lane is now $450.

[BryanJay]

2 hours ago, WoodVengeance said:

Six Flags has unveiled a new pass structure for their parks. Gold Passes will now allow access to parks in certain regions, whereas Prestige Passes will allow access to all Six Flags properties. If Gold Passholders purchased an All Park Passport for 2026 (excluding ones given out during the MVP sale), their Gold Pass will be upgraded to a Prestige Pass for 2026.

edit: It seems the All Park Passport will still be available as an additional add-on for Gold Season Passes. Though it remains to be seen what exactly the prices would be for a Gold Season Pass with the All Park Passport compared to just buying a Prestige Pass that already has that included.

I understood the All Park Passport thing from the sale, I'm still partially confused on what exactly this is so I can only imagine what the GP must think, but this is cool I suppose. 

[BB1]

3 hours ago, CedarPointer said:

I'm sure everyone who shelled out for a prestige pass will be thrilled at their pass being devalued even more than it already was.

Hi, a Prestige Member here, not thrilled at all. I LITERALLY was just in Orlando saturday talking to people about the pass situation already with SIX parks and thought it was a joke. This just takes the cake.

I'm half tempted to call the park and ask about how this change affects me and if I can get a cost adjustment, but I unfortunately know the answer will be no.

[CedarPointer]

1 hour ago, BB1 said:

Hi, a Prestige Member here, not thrilled at all. I LITERALLY was just in Orlando saturday talking to people about the pass situation already with SIX parks and thought it was a joke. This just takes the cake.

I'm half tempted to call the park and ask about how this change affects me and if I can get a cost adjustment, but I unfortunately know the answer will be no.

My biggest issue is that preferred parking and the VIP lounge are already comically overcrowded thanks to the clearance sale on passes that ran for like 3 months, and now they've just given free access to a bunch of people who intentionally chose not to purchase the prestige pass. You already have the park defenders scolding people for having an issue with it, too, since they didn't upgrade everyone who bought during the clearance sale, just the people who bought it after that. Presumably, though, a good number of people purposely didn't buy a prestige pass since the big sale, since Six Flags felt the need to make a public announcement about it.

They did something similar at Wonderland when they discontinued the regular season pass (after selling tons of them) and replaced it with the silver pass, and upgraded everyone who had purchased a regular season pass to a gold pass, and the people who paid extra for gold passes were basically told "tough luck, your fault for buying a gold pass and not a red pass". And then they wonder why people are hesitant to give Six Flags their money.

[disco2000]

2 hours ago, BB1 said:

Hi, a Prestige Member here, not thrilled at all. I LITERALLY was just in Orlando saturday talking to people about the pass situation already with SIX parks and thought it was a joke. This just takes the cake.

I'm half tempted to call the park and ask about how this change affects me and if I can get a cost adjustment, but I unfortunately know the answer will be no.

Enough will call and they will do like they did for KD and Wonderland - offer you a BAF....

[Losantiville Mining Co.]

While I enjoy the idea of this "perk", I don't think it's very well thought out overall. What's worse is that it's another mid-sales year (starting/ending in August) benefits switcheroo with presumably bad end results. I think it would've been better to give free BAF tickets to those "upgrade-ees" as compensation, but instead we'll now have more people packing into the Preferred Parking Lot and the VIP Lounge(s). This doesn't affect me since we bought my Gold Pass during the MVP Sale (cue the Willy Wonka "You get nothing!" line), but I'm upset for the Prestige buyers whose passes are now devalued anyways. I'm thinking the company is still not seeing pass sales like they wanted and needed to find a new way to get folks buying.

I think the structure should be:

• Prestige — All of the current perks, except at a $300 or $400 price point
• Gold — All of the current perks, limited to one region (All-Parks Passport eligible), and at a $150 price point
• Silver — All season access with blackout dates (no more ending access at Labor Day), only access to the home park complex (Regional Park Passport and All Park Passport eligible), and at a $99 price point

This structure could help with all of the folks who complain about paying for a perk (go off I guess) that they'll never use while taking the bulk of the pass base back down toward the Silver Pass. You also wouldn't have as massive of a group going for the Gold Pass just for access to Haunt and Winterfest, a reason I believe is why the Silver Pass didn't stick around at Kings Island.

 

6 hours ago, BB1 said:

Hi, a Prestige Member here, not thrilled at all. I LITERALLY was just in Orlando saturday talking to people about the pass situation already with SIX parks and thought it was a joke. This just takes the cake.

I'm half tempted to call the park and ask about how this change affects me and if I can get a cost adjustment, but I unfortunately know the answer will be no.

I saw a couple of people in the Facebook groups talking about how they're planning to call corporate as well. Do you have any ideas as to what they could give you to make up for it that isn't a partial refund/cost adjustment? Anything I can think of right now is not enough.

[DJSkyFoxx]

Every year it feels like they are restructuring the pass system and causing more confusion for pass holders of all kinds.

I initially thought that as someone who purchased their pass during the MVP sale that my pass was going to be upgrade to Prestige, but then I re-read the article and confirmed that here. Although I wonder how many system glitches there could potentially be where those who bought their pass during the MVP sale get upgraded anyhow?

And for those who bought Prestige passes already, I feel bad because there is nothing being upgraded or amended for them.

I truly miss how simple it used to be to buy a pass and there weren't so many nuances along the way. Just when I feel like I have an understanding of how it works, they change it up again. 

And now I wonder how they will go about selling the pass add-ons. As in, will there be one set of add-ons for Silver passes? One set of add-ons for Gold passes ( regional only add-ons or APP level add-ons ) and then Prestige level add-ons?

It's just. A lot. I realize they want so badly to seem like they are simplifying stuff, but instead they seem to be creating more confusion, questions and frustrations. 

[disco2000]

Wait until the upcoming August promotion 🤣

New for 2027 - if you have owned a pass in the last 5 years, you get a 2027 Prestige pass for free.  No purchase necessary.  And if you accept this free offer before labor day, we will throw in a season long Fast Lane as our special gift.

I joke, but who knows what level they may go to....I think season long add-ons for free will probably be the next version....

[beastfan11]

This is why I always wait until right before the season starts to buy passes.

[Hawaiian Coasters 325]

1 hour ago, disco2000 said:

Wait until the upcoming August promotion 🤣

New for 2027 - if you have owned a pass in the last 5 years, you get a 2007 Prestige pass for free.  No purchase necessary.  And if you accept this free offer before labor day, we will throw in a season long Fast Lane as our special gift.

I joke, but who knows what level they may go to....I think season long add-ons for free will probably be the next version....

Are we going to be able to time travel back 20 years with that lol

[disco2000]

25 minutes ago, Hawaiian Coasters 325 said:

Are we going to be able to time travel back 20 years with that lol

Oh dang lol.  Let me fix that lol

[DonHelbig]

A Six Flags Season Pass is like a box of chocolates. You don't know what you're going to get. 

[Cedar Fair Fanboy]

Ride Sims has made a simulation of Queen City Stunt Coaster (or Backlot Stunt Coaster). So If you want to play it (if your a VIP member right now) link is in the bio.


https://ridesims.com/ride-simulators/beta/Backlot-Stunt-Coaster

[Orion-XL200]

I love RideSims...don't play it nearly enough.

[jimlaheyscar]

11 hours ago, beastfan11 said:

This is why I always wait until right before the season starts to buy passes.

 

So you can give them more money for your season pass?

[jimlaheyscar]

13 hours ago, DJSkyFoxx said:

And now I wonder how they will go about selling the pass add-ons. As in, will there be one set of add-ons for Silver passes? One set of add-ons for Gold passes ( regional only add-ons or APP level add-ons ) and then Prestige level add-ons?

 

So far it seems add-ons work everywhere your pass works. Add-ons do not vary in price depending on pass type.

[beastfan11]

9 hours ago, jimlaheyscar said:

 

So you can give them more money for your season pass?

So I know what I’m buying. Barely a price difference. And in many cases, like this one, there’s often confusion about what’s being offered leading up to the beginning of the season. 

What do you care what I do with my money? What’s the price difference? Pretty insignificant. 

[DonHelbig]

55 minutes ago, beastfan11 said:

So I know what I’m buying. Barely a price difference. And in many cases, like this one, there’s often confusion about what’s being offered leading up to the beginning of the season. 

What do you care what I do with my money? What’s the price difference? Pretty insignificant. 

It's a smart play to wait and see before handing over your money so you know exactly what you're getting and what really ends up being the best deal. 

[beastfan11]

34 minutes ago, DonHelbig said:

It's a smart play to wait and see before handing over your money so you know exactly what you're getting and what really ends up being the best deal. 

Case in point, my wife and I were kicking around the idea of a Cedar Point trip this summer. We have a one year old, so we’re still not sure if we’ll be able to swing it. If I bought one of the ultra confusing pass options with the all parks passport, etc. (specifically with the plan of visiting Cedar Point) I technically would’ve have lost money this week given the new Gold Pass park access, allowing us into Cedar Point. 

[jimlaheyscar]

Pretty sure gold passes were $125 last August and $145 now.  The gold today is a lesser product with less access to parks than it did in August. I don't really see an advantage here.

[beastfan11]

1 hour ago, jimlaheyscar said:

Pretty sure gold passes were $125 last August and $145 now.  The gold today is a lesser product with less access to parks than it did in August. I don't really see an advantage here.

I explained it to you above. 

[IBEW_Sparky]

2 hours ago, beastfan11 said:

Case in point, my wife and I were kicking around the idea of a Cedar Point trip this summer. We have a one year old, so we’re still not sure if we’ll be able to swing it. If I bought one of the ultra confusing pass options with the all parks passport, etc. (specifically with the plan of visiting Cedar Point) I technically would’ve have lost money this week given the new Gold Pass park access, allowing us into Cedar Point. 

After seeing the new options, I am also happy to have not bought anything yet.  The new Regional Gold will be perfect for me, considering all I will be doing in regards to SF this season will be KI and SF:Great America primarily with many trips planned for both and it ends up saving me a decent amount of money.  Even if its only a couple hundo or less in savings once all my add-ons are placed, that will still drop the monthly or will open me up to getting things I may not get on the pass otherwise.

[WoodVengeance]

I bought my gold season pass during the MVP sale. Besides Kings Island, the other Six Flags parks I plan on visiting this year are Cedar Point, Kings Dominion and Six Flags Over Georgia. Two of those parks are in the eastern region, so I would've needed an all-park passport anyways to visit those parks.

[Losantiville Mining Co.]

We bought my $99 Gold Pass during the MVP Sale and — aside from my previously stated displeasures with the company — the only benefit that has so far changed for me is the inclusion of free Haunt mazes. My add-on all-season dining and drink plans have yet to be altered, I'm still getting the free entry to all Six Flags parks in North America, and the Kings Island operating calendar appears relatively unchanged from last year. Would it have been nice to have a list of all of the 2026 seasonal festivals and events when we bought the pass? Yes, but the park also didn't release that until March 4th for the past few years so nothing changed there. As a shows/entertainment person I'd also really love to know if any changes will happen there, but I would've bought my pass anyways.

It seems the folks in my same MVP Gold Pass boat have made it through all of this unscathed. I also think changing the real/perceived benefits of the passes after purchase is incredibly bad. We'll never see the exact numbers or reasonings to help understand why this is happening but I imagine they would show some striking revelations.

[kingsislandfan1972]

Me patiently waiting for April so I can have first dibs on rides...😶‍🌫️

[jimlaheyscar]

9 hours ago, IBEW_Sparky said:

After seeing the new options, I am also happy to have not bought anything yet.  The new Regional Gold will be perfect for me, considering all I will be doing in regards to SF this season will be KI and SF:Great America primarily with many trips planned for both and it ends up saving me a decent amount of money.  Even if its only a couple hundo or less in savings once all my add-ons are placed, that will still drop the monthly or will open me up to getting things I may not get on the pass otherwise.

What savings? The gold is more now than it was previously. Only savings now are on dining and all parks Fast Lane. 

[Orion-XL200]

3 hours ago, kingsislandfan1972 said:

Me patiently waiting for April so I can have first dibs on rides...😶‍🌫️

Whoa you're Homer? 

[kingsislandfan1972]

23 minutes ago, Orion-XL200 said:

Whoa you're Homer? 

For the time being lol. 😅

[Hawaiian Coasters 325]

Another "wish" I have which won't happen this season and likely won't happen in the future as the ROI likely isn't worth it to those in charge is to see popular rides with very little shade get a shaded structure. I mocked up some "queue house" ideas for Diamondback and Flight of Fear (the old Firehawk queue which is used more than the current indoor queue). Diamondback's is based on the old Rivertown Mining Company building that used to be there and FOF's is based on the theme of Area 72