Kings Island General Discussion 2026

[beastfan11]

Looks like some healthier dining options this season! Much needed. 
 

[Hawaiian Coasters 325]

Here's to the last full month of the park being closed! 

[Hawaiian Coasters 325]

**DOUBLE POST**

Six Flags Over Texas did an opening day ceremony for the park yesterday to kick off the 2026 season. I think KI should do something like this on opening day or even pass preview night since most guests are passholders anyway. I love what they're doing for their 65th anniversary. Since 2027 is KI's 55th, we could see another anniversary celebration season? Obviously I doubt they do something on the scale of 2022 (the 50th), but maybe a season with a dedicated logo and park improvements throughout the park if there isn't a new attraction next year.

Also the fact they're adding 7 new shows this year is insane. Yet KI tends to have only like 4 stage shows plus the fireworks during part of the summer season and leaves the venues dark for a decent chunk of the season when they could be doing more (ie having bubbles for like 3-4 weeks in the KI theater and leaving it dark the rest of the season when they could add another show for the rest of the summer season).

I also would like to see the park opening ceremonies return where a family is brought up each day to open the park at 10 am each day. That honestly makes the experience even more special! 

Video of Over Texas opening day ceremony:

 

[Losantiville Mining Co.]

I think a lot of the improvements and investments at SFOT for 2026 (there are a ton of improvements) are thanks to Jeffrey Siebert being at the helm of both SFOT and Fiesta Texas. He's super dedicated to what he does and knows what it takes to make these parks amazing. I wish we could have 7 shows this season, let alone all of the other little improvements it seems KI currently needs.

 

8 hours ago, beastfan11 said:

Looks like some healthier dining options this season! Much needed. 

Some of those look really good! I hope they're available at more than just Grain and Grill, though. I'm not a healthy eater by any means, but having healthier meals served in at least two areas of the park would be great for those who are health conscious.

[disco2000]

It has more to do with Six Flags has said Texas is an undersaturated market, so they are spending big there.  Now what happens if/when that doesn't turn into the numbers they expect to see...

[Losantiville Mining Co.]

I think if the numbers don't go up anymore then the buildings will slowly deteriorate back to how they were in/before 2024-2025 and the park will be a mix between low-tier Cedar Fair and middle-tier Six Flags. It'll take a couple of years to actually find out if all of the upgrades do what they're supposed to, though. 2026 will give a notion, but SFOT needs a lot more than just a few restaurant renovations and a massive coaster. If it doesn't work out then Jeffrey Siebert will probably just try to keep his parks where they are. Otherwise I'd love to see him come back to the Midwest Region to work some more magic for Kings Island and Cedar Point.

[disco2000]

Sadly, they have played this game before.  Put in I-305 at KD and didn't get the return.  Thought they could make Carowinds the CP of the south and Fury barely moved their needle and slowed down the spend.

Maybe it will be different in Texas, but I think Spiegel pointed out once that parks started getting better handles on returns around the time Kingda Ka went in that it barely moved the needle.

For most parks, the capital spends are to maintain the attendance and some nominal growth, but if they expect Texas to have a 20% increase in attendance this year or something more than say a percent or two, they will be disappointed. 

[Diamondback_Is_King]

Ok so I've been following the news with all this Gold Pass/Prestige Pass stuff but I'm still a little confused. My family bought the Gold Pass during the MVP sale thus getting access to all parks. From my understanding, it will act the same as my old gold pass for just this year, and then it changes next year. But I heard something that the Gold Pass no longer got you early entry for this year and it was only Prestige and resort guests that got that benefit? Does the MVP Gold Pass work for early entry at KI and/or CP? Or not at all? Maybe I missed something. I will say this is all very confusing and I wish they made it clearer.

[Losantiville Mining Co.]

From what I've understood your MVP Sale Gold Pass will get you most/all of the benefits advertised to you at the time of purchase. All-Parks access, free general parking (except at Knott's), early entry to parks that offer it (excluding Cedar Point), and access to seasonal festivals like Halloween Haunt, Tricks & Treats, and Winterfest. The only benefits that may have changed for you are how All Season Fast Lane will work at other parks and that Haunt mazes will still be an upcharge.

Six Flags will hopefully have this all sorted out for 2027. I suspect it'll be the new system from then on; or until they decide that they still aren't getting enough people buying passes. I'm not excited that I'll probably have to buy a 2027 Prestige Pass for all parks access, but if that's what it's going to take then I'll probably do it.

 

Watch out when you go into the Six Flags app and look for your pass under non-Kings Island park pages. Mine is showing up as simply a Gold Pass for parks like KI, Cedar Point, and California's Great America; a Gold Pass Midwest Region for Chicago's Great America; and a Gold Pass East Region for Six Flags Over Georgia and Great Adventure. For parks like Canada's Wonderland, Carowinds, and Kings Dominion it only shows my 2025 Gold Pass under the "expired" tab. There are some parks that don't show my pass at all. The app shows people's Prestige Pass(es) across all park pages, just not Gold Passes. 

I intend to reach out to Six Flags to find out more about this before my potential trip to Kings Dominion for their Opening Day. If I don't get a clear answer or get a different answer at the gate, I'm also preparing myself to have a nice and civil conversation with KD's guest services.

[Losantiville Mining Co.]

Double posting to update:

I wrote to Six Flags about the issues with loading my pass within my Six Flags mobile app and am now waiting for a response. In the meantime, I decided to see if deleting the "expired" pass would work. It didn't immediately delete that "expired" Kings Dominion pass, but it did delete it from the Kings Island page of the app. Once I did that I was able to finally enter my pass number, confirm using my last name, and add my pass back to the app. 

It is now populated on each park page within the app, though some of the parks are missing the All-Park Passport and/or the All Season Drinks add-on badges. I suspect that the missing drink plan badge is due to specific parks not having their paper cup plans built in the app yet. Maybe they will have it fixed by their respective opening dates. I'll still see what Six Flags says to do and if they ask for more information.

[Hawaiian Coasters 325]

Fiesta Texas is doing passholder extra ride time this Saturday after park close. I would love to see KI bring back passholder post close ride times! Both in KI and Soak City like in pre covid years

 

 

[BeeastFarmer]

That's most of the customer base at KI!

[Hawaiian Coasters 325]

I've been checking the webcams back and forth and it seems like they have been moving WindSeeker up and down today

Also I have noticed some trucks parked outside of the entrance to Phantom Theater right by the swings and kid dodgem

[Losantiville Mining Co.]

It looks like we'll have to wait a little longer to find out what festivals and events Kings Island will host in 2026. For the past two years the list dropped on March 4th, but if you check there today all you'll find are the same four Group Events that have been there since December.

 

I'm a little surprised if they get much outdoor work done this week with all of the rain. Last time I looked at my weather app it showed pretty consistent rain all day and all night.

[Orion-XL200]

16 hours ago, Hawaiian Coasters 325 said:

Fiesta Texas is doing passholder extra ride time this Saturday after park close. I would love to see KI bring back passholder post close ride times! Both in KI and Soak City like in pre covid years

 

 

So basically just extend operating hours to an additional hour after previously announced closing time?

[TheCrypt]

Given the recent sale of the SF parks (and the closure of another last fall), I am hopeful that there is some world where that translates to a better experience at Kings Island. There's nothing I've seen to indicate that that is a reality; but I just miss when all the rides were staffed well, shops were open, and landscaping was full.

[Hawaiian Coasters 325]

10 minutes ago, TheCrypt said:

Given the recent sale of the SF parks (and the closure of another last fall), I am hopeful that there is some world where that translates to a better experience at Kings Island. There's nothing I've seen to indicate that that is a reality; but I just miss when all the rides were staffed well, shops were open, and landscaping was full.

I believe in the recent quarterly earnings call, guest throughput was mentioned as a huge priority to the new CEO John Reilly. Whether or not those with more power (those on the board) agree with him remain to be seen. Hopefully that leads to better staffing on the rides as well as restaurants and shops.

As a former op, I will say having rides at bare minimum was legit torture especially rides that are technically supposed to be 2 op rides, but are able to operate as a single op (ie Dodgem and Linus Launcher) or the triple op rides that can be operated in dual (Viking Fury and Monster) or Antique Cars that can get by with just one person at dispatch (the person who gets on the cars and brings them back into the station and loads the oncoming riders). 

[BeeastFarmer]

Looks like the silver pass has returned. 

[DonHelbig]

7 minutes ago, BeeastFarmer said:

Looks like the silver pass has returned. 

Only $105 or five payments of $15, plus initial payment of $30. Oh, and applicable fees.

[Hawaiian Coasters 325]

Is it just me or am I getting serious 2016 vibes with this ad on the website?

Reminds me a lot of the banner on the entrance back in 2016

Photo source: https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=122124750639113270&set=pcb.2797682560564843