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Pumped for tomorrow! Really digging the commitment to keeping these updates going. What do you think we’ll see?

They could never, ever put a timer on a Freestyle machine, ar least not at any of the KI locations… has anyone actually taken time while in line to watch WHY the lines are so long? Because the people who need an instruction manual for walking and the kids get utterly baffled by a drink dispenser with more than 5 choices and the assembly line grinds to a quick halt.

I did just see on Facebook that they are "actively working" on the site that's showing limited December dates. Other than that, hours still kind of sad 10 pm closure on 4th of July and the lack of 11 pm closes.

I know Sally Dark Rides have done this with the past with other projects (Treasure Hunt the Ride) and I don't think it would involve much besides changing out the models they used in-game and adding decorations to the ride. Personally, I hope they wouldn't do anything until like 2028 for a Winterfest thing, but also people love the Haunted Mansion holiday overlay so who knows.

Found these on Reddit thanks to /u/Mirahtrunks

That's certainly possible, but if it's anything like Mystic Timbers and that is not accounted for to begin with then I'd guess it won't happen.

That’s a nice looking color that I think will look even better under low light, looks like the some color as the balcony box at the old opera theaters which is obviously what they want

Looks like Wild Waves is closing for good next year... https://www.fox13seattle.com/news/wild-waves-shut-down-2026 Sad to see any amusement park close (although this was a water park too), but in the Northwest, you don't have very many options. I used to live in Oregon and this park has a little sentimental feeling to me, because Wild Thing was my very first upside down roller coaster. It wasn't THE coaster that got me into roller coasters, but it had a huge impact on me. I remember after the water park closed, my family went over to the super small amusement park side and I decided I would try Timberhawk, their S&S woodie. I was scared, but had a fun time. So I was feeling pretty confident in myself after that ride, and decided I might try and conquer the Wild Thing (simple Arrow looper). I had never done an upside down roller coaster before, and was super sacred of the idea of going upside down, as I'm sure many of you guys experienced when you were younger. But I got the courage to get in line, and in the ride vehicle. I was super scared on the lift, but it was over before I knew it. I wasn't really sure how I liked it at first. At first, I wasn't sure if I liked roller coasters anymore. When we got back into the station, the ride operator then asked everyone if they wanted to go again, and if they didn't they could raise their hand and get their restraint released. I of course raised my hand but my dad put it back down and said "let's go again". So, as we left the station I held the restraint tight and braced myself for the upcoming loops. By the time I got off the ride, I had completely changed my mind and absolutely loved it! Thus began my love for roller coasters. Anyway, just thought I'd share an experience I remember quite vividly about this park.

Hershey Park

https://www.sixflags.com/kingsisland/park-hours?utm_id=winter&utm_campaign=season_pass&utm_source=park_facebook&utm_medium=social&fbclid=IwY2xjawOmUAdleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFTYUMxZGE5SHk0OFJzTG9Qc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHvQuDGOq0yG592kvzr0QEotd0hZrNLFLYMCwZuOS0EA7bL8dND8r40Lx_n7j_aem_PCMa0_G6mu5Hhi5IkY8DCw&date=2026-12-05

I bet those parts of the calendar (like July 4) might be released with the events schedule. With the park already putting out the America 250 merch I could see them having a longer Independence Day celebration than normal as well.

Dollywood has begun the process of switching their drink program over to microchip/QR code cups and bottles. According to Jonny Amusement on Facebook the new drink system will use QR codes with the all-season plastic cups already having them, the season refillable mugs getting them soon, and older tumblers and mugs being fine for the rest of the 2025 season. From what I've read there are QR codes available for people who have already picked up their season refill mugs as well. There have been some complaints online about how the system is being complicated while other comments praise Dollywood for taking a stand against soda stealers. This change has already been implemented at some Disney and Universal properties with the "smart" soda fountains reading either a microchip or QR code and then providing a timed window to get their drink and go. Good luck to the park as they embark on this new drink program. I would not want to be there getting drinks during the inevitable period where they have to straighten out all of the kinks in the program implementation. I already read enough comments about "soda stealing thugs" and "un-mannered children" who abuse water cups, I don't need to hear adults complaining about a "newly-complicated" drink system too. Do you think Six Flags should look into implementing this kind of system? Personally, I think it is not a good idea for a company that has long struggled to keep its soda fountains fully stocked and functional. A better solution — at least temporarily — would be to continue installing pressure plates at the exits to Refresh Stations and to install more water stations that provide cold, filtered water throughout each park. The pressure plates help to ensure nobody can come in through an exit while the associates manning each point of service are able to control who gets a cup. The water stations (with water cups next to them) would help keep guests who want to drink water from needing to go to a restroom just to get said water. These could come in the form of new bottle fillers placed at each dining location or a push-faucet that closer resembles the functionality of a soda fountain nozzle. Sure, something needs to be done to improve things at SF parks, but I don't think microchips would help much right now.

There's probably some sort of limitation with the website where they can't post hours more than a year out. Magic Mountain also has their hours posted only to one year out from this week. They're definitely not trying to do "normal" operating days that late in November (especially with what a flop the "bonus" weekend was and how cold it's been this year), and it's not like they'd only do two weeks of Winterfest.

Interesting that there are dates late November and the beginning of December from 4 to 10 on Saturdays and 5 to 10 on Friday and Sundays. Nothing mid November and closer to Christmas. Winterfest gone? Edited to add: Forth of July closes at 10. No 11p closes that I can see, 12a for October.

Would love to see it. I, would also love to see a portioned amount of ice per cup being dispensed, like they do in some drivethrus.

I personally would love to see this implemented at the Six Flags parks, but I don't think it would be useful for all of them. They could do just the larger parks instead, but even then it may not work. But the microchip refillable bottles are really easy to use! The Coke machines actually tell you how many minutes you have left until the time expires, which is a huge help. The idea is great, but the execution is what determines how well it does in the park. I think Dollywood can do this well, but not sure about Six Flags.

Any possibility that the screens might be used to give the ride a holiday overlay during WinterFest?

John Reilly is now officially CEO of the Six Flags Entertainment Corporation. I'm curious to see if any (relatively) immediate changes come through compared to what happened right after the merger around this time last year. The release of some parks' operating calendars yesterday is certainly different, even if was in the works under Richard Zimmerman's tenure.

There will be screens used throughout the ride. I find it highly unlikely that the Pepper's Ghost effect will come back — especially not on the scale it was in the original.

Really hope they use the peppers ghost effect...shame with it still there just behind the drywall....if not watch...a crappy screen based thing like Mystic Timers...hope Sally takes advantage of what they have the opportunity to utilize

I concur strongly with your first sentence. It's challenging to feel patriotic and celebratory in the climate and state of affairs happening here. I wish I felt differently as I'm sure a lot of folks do. You wanna have pride in your country, but alas. I wish I could feel excited about this historical merch but I don't. And besides, just wait until near the end of the season next year and this stuff will probably still be a-plenty and will be on a clearance rack.

I've often wondered why the park didn't include the Kite Eating Tree or Snoopy's Space Buggies in Camp Snoopy. There's a case to be made for SSB not fitting into the camping theme, nor might the other four rides on that side of Planet Snoopy, but I feel like there's a way the park could've made them fit without changing much at all. That would've at least made two more equally-sized areas. Given that it felt like they ran out of money I think adding more might've been a little out of the question. As likely as it might be that no exterior work will happen until after Winterfest, I'd love to see the park or Sally Dark Rides put out a December teaser with either some material/set close-ups or another look at the inside of the building. They've been releasing a new piece each month and I hope that can continue. I wonder if there will be screens for the scores like on the Justice League dark rides or if the scores will only be shown in the ride vehicles like with SDatHC and BBoBH.

A number of the Six Flags parks have been posting statistics about the 2025 season via social media, in particular ridership totals: Worlds of Fun - 5,674,255 Six Flags St. Louis - 5,909,044 Six Flags Over Georgia - 6,862,186 Kings Dominion - 10,668,737 Carowinds - 12,445,245 Six Flags New England - 15,017,076 Kings Island - 22,858,387 Canada's Wonderland - 25,832,308 Cedar Point's Wrapped post doesn't provide specific ridership numbers. In the chain-wide Wrapped post, Knott's Berry Farm is shown as the most visited park. The top six visitor cities were also included:

I think someone said these "visitor cities" were where people visited from, not the cities where parks are located. My question is this: how do they know the home cities and how is NYC 2nd on this list? I believe the numbers, but it's interesting to see. Kings Island being in the top 5 overall is not surprising. As much as I want the other parks to also increase, I very much hope KI maintains its top 4 status overall. We have a very special thing going on and I'd hate to see anything happen to it.

I believe the permit shows just the cost of the renovations to the structure and not the whole project.

So IAAPA is officially over. I have scoured literally every social media platform possible to find more/better footage of the BTS videos and concept art shown in the presentation, but if anyone took any they haven’t shown it yet (If anyone on this forum took it please share) but here’s all the new info/my predictions I have after the event. -Rather than being an abandoned theater that the guests just happen to stumble into, I interpret the vibe now as more as a theater for phantoms and wandering spirits (think the original retirement home idea for the haunted mansion at Disneyland) -The original soundtrack is rescored and will be present in this version. I interpret this as being Maestro’s new composition he discusses “Terror Toccata in D Minor” (unless of course he’s taking credit for bach’s work) -The animatronics on display went through 3 different spiels, and I believe this is the setup we’ll see in the queue. However, I think the particular Maestro animatronic they used will be located at the finale to the ride as opposed to the queue, as this figure has full legs and a “bowing” movement. The Larry animatronic could be in the queue to show off how to use the flashlight, or at the very beginning if they changed from the concept art for the opening scene they showed off. At this point, I think Maestro on the organ is a scene they’ll save for the physical ride (I think in the first room where the graveyard is now), but I really love the dynamic between Larry, Maestro, and the guests they showed off, so I’m fine with that. But I think there will be more that they say in the actual queue, I’d say more of a 15-40 minute loop. - We saw new bts videos showing off the Boiler Men, Arpeggio, the vulture from The Beastie, and Willard being wrapped up (by the ghost notes I assume) into the mummy. -They showed off the flashlight technology, which I’m very curious to see how it works. I wonder if the scoring system will be off of points or how many ghost notes you capture. -The park promises more updates throughout the Winter, which at this point I sorta hope they don’t show off too much more of the ride. Overall very impressed with the event, we got more than I expected. Thank you sally dark ride and Kings Island.