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I never got around to following up to this. I've taken a bit of a hiatus away from a lot of things, but since I am trying to get back in the saddle of things, I wanted to follow up here with my thoughts on this event. Starting off, getting into the parking lot itself was a bit confusing since there were no instructions on where to go to get into the parking lot. There was no clear signage either which might have been hard to do seeing as this wasn't a typical event, but alas. We had to utilize the SC entryway instead of the regular main gate. Once we parked, the rest was simple. We headed in towards the main entry and over to the KI Theater. Let me give major kudos to Mason Symphony Orchestra on how kind, helpful and incredibly warm they were to each guest. We were each given a program, a ticket to receive our free ukulele and were offered free popcorn and bottled water. They didn't cheap out on the water either. They were the medium thick sized alkaline Smart waters. They also had a small concession stand for other snacks and beverages too if one so desired. I will also mention they had the water and popcorn offerings on both sides of the theater which I thought was convenient. The gentleman that donated the ukuleles also upped the donation enough to where every single family would receive one to take home, not just a limited number. The entire experience was really positive. Cocoa is such a great movie. They had a person that actually worked for Disney there to make sure everything went accordingly and the Mason Symphony Orchestra played beautifully. They played so well that you nearly forgot that you were watching a film with live musicians. They were that seamless. You forgot until you looked down from the screen and saw real life people playing the music and sound effects. Really something special there. My only real complaint was that it was really cold in the theater. That night got particularly frigid and the theater felt like an ice box. I get cold easily anyways and I was already dressed in one of my warm sasquatch hoodies, but at one point I put my hood up over my head because it was just cold cold. I'm not sure if the KI Theater is equipped with heat, but I would say I hope if there is ever a next time for an event like this I hope they will consider placing some kind of heaters in the theater to keep it from getting so cold. The walk to the car was brutal that night! All in all, this was really an amazing experience and it was very well done. It was a unique use of the KI Theater in the off season and really showcased how capable the theater is for various things. The fact they were able to fit an entire ensemble up there and pull off this show was something special. I 110% recommend attending if they ever do anything like this again and would definitely go again myself. I just wanna drive the point home that I hope they will be better prepared to combat the cold if temps are ever that low again to keep folks warmer inside the building! Kudos to KI for hosting this and for the smooth operations and major kudos to Mason Symphony Orchestra for an incredible showcase of talent and hospitality.

Oh yeahh i forgot about that hint.. my only guess could be the concave bust that is seen... i think after the mechanic, before the turn table effect. Maybe just to tease that one of those busts gets to have a return?

Quick question I was going through the photos on KIC history page of Phantom Theater displays at Haunt and came across this photo of a Vulture, Credit to Tomb Raider, I always thought that was from The Beastie but that looks an awful lot like the Vulture we currently have on Phantom Theater ON, is this vulture from Phantom Theater originally?

The overall continual sense of "empty space" both literally and figuratively was felt quite heavy on me this past Sunday as I had talked about in the 2026 general discussion thread. And while I am trying to remain optimistic, its difficult when there is this contant sense of things being downgraded or taken away all together. I'm still in the camp of raising pass prices and keeping them at a level that makes them realistic yet not dirt cheap so long as that helps allow for better things to come down the pipeline, as well as help make the park feel less "comfortably crowded". The lack of things to see/do have really been felt since as you stated above @BeeastFarmer. This place used to constantly have events, shows and things to see and do regularly. And sadly I lived further away at the time and didn't go nearly as often where I missed out on a lot of those unique events. To stay on topic though, I wish they would really make an effort to make their most expensive passholders feel valued. Have exclusive Prestige passholder events after hours or something. Or some early morning thing. Not saying Gold pass holders shouldn't have opportunities too, but you know, if you're paying extra for EXTRA benefits, make it worth the while. The current offerings are abysmal and seem to keep getting worse each season. I'm not even a Prestige passholder but I would gladly buy one if I felt that the benefits were worth the extra cost and actually meant something instead of only having a few very small extras thrown in tat barely move the meter. The moral of the story here is it sucks to see the decline all the way around instead of seeing improvements and ACTUAL real exclusives that make the extra money spent feel like it adds something special to each visit.

This is a smart move to correct a mistake that should have never been made in the first place. Even as Hillpath has cut & cut & cut budgets at the United parks, not even they were foolish enough to remove the park President/GM role. (Although, I have to feel for the people who lost their job to this reorganization only to have it reversed like a year later…). A large theme park like KI, CP, etc. is essentially its own little city, and as such needs a “mayor” with the authority to make decisions and keep the city operating.

I personally see it being an off year - as for upcoming projects in the next few years I'd say we should see a new coaster by 2030 (hopefully in The Vortex plot but if not I think it'll be Action Zone with congo, timber Wolf, and possibly Invertigo removals. If they opt not to replace Vortex with a new coaster, this might be controversial but perhaps they could create an extension of coney mall with more flats down at that end? Maybe something similar to Carowinds Aeronautic Landing. Just an idea. I think the park honestly should focus on some general improvements for the time being - renovation of restrooms, perhaps an upgraded entrance area, or repaint and repair rides.

The new area for the Living Liberty Bell has been spruced up for 2026! Kings Island has planted some trees and plants around the outside of the planter and has repainted the rim of said planter to a dark blue color. I guess they must've agreed that the Eiffel Tower Green color was not a good fit for the old LLB. Hopefully we can see some more little things like this added around the park in the near future! It looks to be fully raised on its pillar today, so I'm right there with you on the speculation.

If the park really wants to improve that little area I think a Grand Pavilion-style restaurant would be the best option. Tear down the KillMart building and replace it while realigning the path for an added bonus. Whatever happens, I just hope we get some new paint that isn't all one color in Coney Mall! On the other hand, if any year is an "off-year" for Kings Island then I'd love to see a renewed focus on events and entertainment. Adding to Haunt and Winterfest, bringing in a new festival to replace Grand Carnivale, and adding new entertainment options/venues around the park would be amazing.

Spitballing some realistically unrealistic ideas… Idea 1. Mack Rocking Boat attraction in Rivertown. In a perfect world, the TR:TR building would removed, but incorporating it into the the attraction could work well too. I think one of the surveys mentioned a dark ride/family coaster idea for that space, so maybe something similar in concept. It could be indoor/outdoor and the area around the building (like between the KIMVRR, Diamondback, and Mystic Timbers) could be revamped to include more water features, landscaping, etc. Need to bring more water features back to that area of the park. Idea 2. Flat Package for Coney Mall, plus an area refresh. A few classic or contemporary flats would do the area very well. Even with the Adventure Port additions, the park still lacks in the flat ride department. This would obviously include the return of the original Coney/KI Flying Eagles, which is definitely going to happen. Right? It’d also be cool to see a Ferris wheel with a show stopping lighting package. The arcade buildings are given a facelift to resemble the architectural style of Coney BBQ, while incorporating the current, classic lights and signage. This would prime the area for a knockout Vortex “replacement” in the few seasons ahead. Or even a junkyard coaster replacement since it’s getting up there in age like me. Idea 3. General park updates and improvements, plus a new dining experience. These are often the best types of seasons for the park. A new indoor dining location is needed, and I’d push for the International Restaurant to be used. Could be an opportunity to refresh the front gate area as well. But the old arcade/Killmart building in Coney Mall could work for a new restaurant too.

As they should.

I will say, the use of the term ghost notes is a clever pun. Yes, ghost notes are a thing in music, particularly in jazz.

The chips have been downgraded in the VIP "Lounge". We now have the option of 3 chips of slightly more than half an ounce. A kids lunch sized portion.