Timchat2

If logistics allowed it would have been fun to see the Spectral Sisters on an International Street balcony like how the original Spectral Sisters used an Orleans Place balcony at California's Great America. That said, the Grand Carousel Stage allows for much better audience seating than anything along the street might provide.

It's nice to see that the Spectral Sisters will be at the Grand Carousel Stage this year. That should be a much better venue for the scale and vibe of the show.

During the second quarter earnings call Brian Witherow made passing mention of four winter events that they are "unplugging". Assuming that four consists of California's Great America, Kings Dominion, Great Adventure, and Six Flags Over Georgia it appears that the remaining winter events are safe for now.

Anecdotally this season it does feel like we've had to look around a little bit more for a trash can when we needed one.

The possibility of a 2026 renewal making my 2025 dining/drink plan not to work for the rest of the year is enough to make me hesitant until issues like that get sorted out.

Considering it was built as a show venue for large-scale productions (including ice skating shows) I've wondered how Festhaus eventually became a noisy food court where some still very good shows are met with indifference by what feels likes 80% of the guests who are there mostly for chicken tenders, Panda Express, and air-conditioning.

I might have missed it in all the discussion, but does a Gold Pass renewal need to be "activated" or does that just apply to a new Gold Pass purchase?

Gilroy Gardens is a pleasant place to visit and rides like the Garlic Twirl are fun and unique. It feels very different from the usual Cedar Fair/Six Flags park.

Holiday in the Park has reportedly been canceled at Six Flags Over Georgia. Another previously announced seasonal event removed from a park calendar for 2025.

I wonder if the shows (presumably Ghouls Gone Wild and NyteWalkers) will run on Thursday nights at Haunt. Cedar Point's HalloWeekends Thursdays generally don't have much live entertainment.

https://www.visitkingsisland.com/calendar-and-hours Park hours have been added to the calendar for Haunt and WinterFest. Right now it is showing Haunt happening from 6PM-12AM on Thursdays in October. Also, Sunday November 2nd is listed as 11AM-12AM, which seems unusual for the closing Sunday of Haunt. WinterFest has hours listed on Thursday December 4th. Typically WinterFest isn't open on Thursdays until the two weeks around the holidays.

The production value and overall passion at Dent Schoolhouse is something special. We always love to see what they come up with.

It's been discussed before but I'll never fully understand why a city with such strong German roots as Cincinnati, home to one of the largest Oktoberfest celebrations in the U.S. along with a number of regional events, doesn't translate to more demand for German music and food at Kings Island. At this point I'd just settle for German music to play in the area in front of the Festhaus instead of the pop music from Action Zone. Das Festhaus at Busch Gardens Williamsburg is a great example of how a German food and entertainment hall can be done right at a theme park. BGW had made some iffy decisions with the shows in the last ten years but they seem to be coming back to realizing the timeless appeal of German music and dance.

Viva La Fiesta at Carowinds (and elsewhere) seems to be the likely replacement for Grand Carnivale. The event looks to be colorful and fun with a variety of activities and food offerings. I would definitely miss the strong live entertainment element of the parade and characters since it appears that Viva La Fiesta's entertainment is mostly outside music and dance groups.

I believe it generally had closed around Labor Day until Tricks and Treats was introduced in 2023.

The show stop at the parade remains one of the most well-produced pieces of the theme park entertainment anywhere. Every time I am amazed at how quickly it energizes the crowd, pulls spectators into the action, and leaves guests smiling. The music goes a long way, of course, but it is the positive and supportive spirit of the performers and crew that make it almost impossible not to join the fun.

No tasting cards. Prices for the food items range from $6.99 to $14.99.

Despite the weather earlier in the day, opening night turned out to be quite pleasant! While it's easy to miss the scope of the event in the earlier years, it is wonderful to have Grand Carnivale back at a time when offerings like these are not guaranteed.

MAJOR props to the Entertainment performers and crews on Saturday night! Despite a very iffy forecast and rain right before 6PM they pulled off an amazing (and oh so humid!) opening night of Grand Carnivale.

The showtimes for Country Crossroads, Hot Rhythm Nights, and Trailblazers X-treme will be changing with the start of Grand Carnivale on Saturday 7/19. If the app is accurate, Country Crossroads will be 3:30, 4:30 and 7:30. Hot Rhythm Nights will be be 6:30 and 7:30. Trailblazers X-treme will be 2:30, 4:30 and 7:00. Not sure what the days off will be for the two weeks of Grand Carnivale.

I had some hope park management would sober up sometime in the next ten years and restore the Royal Fountain to its former glory but that felt like a long shot even before the merger.

The "plunge" mention is causing some to wonder if there will be a water element in the attraction. One corner of the building did have a deeper trench dug out, so perhaps that will have something to do with it.

No problem! While Epic Universe certainly has its share of impressive attractions, the park is best when savored across a couple days to just take in all the vibes and details. In a way Epic is a bit like Epcot with a bunch of pleasant corners to eat, drink, and hang out.

Monsters Unchained is a real people-eater (and not in the monster sense of actually eating people ) so the wait is almost always reasonable.

Except for Battle at the Ministry and its usual downtime we found most of the posted waits to be longer than the actual waits during our visit in May.