I love this! So nice to see the attention to details around the park. 

15 minutes ago, IndyGuy4KI said:

I love this! So nice to see the attention to details around the park. 

Agreed.

There’s a few people in the world who are capable of restoring these organs. It’s fantastic the park is able to restore a gem of an organ.

I kind of suspected this might be happening when the front of the organ was missing when I rode the Carouse at Winterfest earlier this year.  Hopefully the restoration will allow it to play continuously.  It adds a certain nostalgic fee to the carousel.

 Thanks KI for taking the time and money to restore this historical item!

2 minutes ago, CoastersRZ said:

I kind of suspected this might be happening when the front of the organ was missing when I rode the Carouse at Winterfest earlier this year.  Hopefully the restoration will allow it to play continuously.  It adds a certain nostalgic fee to the carousel.

 Thanks KI for taking the time and money to restore this historical item!

When I visited the Carousel Museum in Sandusky, they had an exhibit featuring a see through Wurlitzer.  There’s horror stories of repairs that don’t work out properly.

Great news for sure!

My brother was at the park on Halloween, the final operating day of the fall season, and he told me the band organ was missing. I knew immediately when he said that that it was being restored. I'm extremely excited that the park has made it official! It's also exciting to see and hear the bells working again. 

One thing I noticed when listening to the video was the arrangement of "Jingle Bells." I'm not too familiar with Wurlitzer 165 rolls, which our beloved 157 plays, but usually it would sound like this on our band organ:

Perhaps it's another arrangement? 

 

See also:

https://fb.watch/a3xQXUlMWH/

The 50th anniversary season is already going to be awesome - repaved parking lot, restored band organ and re-profiled/re-tracked Beast in addition to fresh paint on several attractions (Eiffel Tower, Drop Tower and Flying Ace). Makes me wonder what else they have in store that they haven't announced yet.

It really is so great to see the organ being restored. The speaker play over really just isn't the same as the real thing. So glad!

Update the park posted yesterday. We can see some of the details going into the front facade of the organ. 

https://www.instagram.com/p/CblBUaNJUyV/?utm_medium=copy_link

 

Hopefully the park will continue maintaining the organ from now on. It's going to be great having it back this season.

That new pain is looking superb!  Glad to see Kings Island taking the time to not only restore the actual inner workings of the band organ, but also the front of the organ.  Can`t wait to see it in person in a few weeks!

Wait… so there’s a paint shop where it can be taken… on site… to be repainted? So why did it get to shape it was in to begin with? I know the “guts” needed to be restored, but there seems to be a need for more on going preventative maintenance on these things. Even if there are a few days during the early season that things are off live or down for a few more weeks of refurbishment. 

There is a paint/sign shop at the park.  It is back by the loop of the train, right before you pass under the bridge to Soak City on the return to Rivertown.  

It likely got in the shape it was in because of time.  Not everything can be touched up and repainted/repaired every season.  There simply isn`t enough time and money to touch up everything every off season.  Especially now with a much shorter off season now that the park has Winterfest.

In general, the improvements the park has been making this off season have been amazing.  I can`t wait to see them in person.  And it is not just the improvements this season.  It has been going on for several years.  The restoration of the glockenspiel at the Festhaus, small easter eggs in attractions like Orion and Mystic.

I couldn't agree more . . all the updates I am beyond thrilled for the upcoming season.  Things like this make me want to continue renewing my season pass and spend more money while I am in the park.

3 hours ago, CoastersRZ said:

There is a paint/sign shop at the park.  It is back by the loop of the train, right before you pass under the bridge to Soak City on the return to Rivertown.  

It likely got in the shape it was in because of time.  Not everything can be touched up and repainted/repaired every season.  There simply isn`t enough time and money to touch up everything every off season.  Especially now with a much shorter off season now that the park has Winterfest.

In general, the improvements the park has been making this off season have been amazing.  I can`t wait to see them in person.  And it is not just the improvements this season.  It has been going on for several years.  The restoration of the glockenspiel at the Festhaus, small easter eggs in attractions like Orion 

I don’t know if it HAS to be in the off season. Yes, I’d love everything to be open every day during regular ops, but would be ok if things go offline for smaller, short term refurbishment from time to time if it keeps things fresh. 

This looks so. freaking. GOOD!!

 

12 minutes ago, BoddaH1994 said:

This looks so. freaking. GOOD!!

 

Behold what logo was used for the KI! Perfect. Wish they would just commit all the way to that logo already.

That horse looks amazing!  I can`t wait to see and hear the restored organ playing as well!  I also noticed that they used the original logo from 1972.  I wish they would feature that more.  It is great that they have been selling merchandise with it.

1 hour ago, KIghostguy said:

Behold what logo was used for the KI! Perfect. Wish they would just commit all the way to that logo already.

Couldn’t agree more. Looks brilliant!

The organ broke down yesterday afternoon and they popped the CD back in. The Carousel was playing the CD all of today. A very disappointing sound to hear! Not a good look at all for something advertised as one of the key permanent changes to the park this year. 

22 hours ago, KIghostguy said:

The organ broke down yesterday afternoon and they popped the CD back in. The Carousel was playing the CD all of today. A very disappointing sound to hear! Not a good look at all for something advertised as one of the key permanent changes to the park this year. 

Seems a little unrealistic to have someone fix it within 24hrs. I assume there's not a full time organ expert on staff.

I let’s give it a day or two THEN decide if the sky is falling or not. 

1 hour ago, IndyGuy4KI said:

Seems a little unrealistic to have someone fix it within 24hrs. I assume there's not a full time organ expert on staff.

There’s three mechanics in the world that’s trained to deal with this organ. Source: Carousel Museum in Sandusky. 
 

The sky isn’t falling. 

1 hour ago, IndyGuy4KI said:

Seems a little unrealistic to have someone fix it within 24hrs. I assume there's not a full time organ expert on staff.

I think they must have been riding the Giant Wheel at CP.

9 hours ago, BeeastFarmer said:

I think they must have been riding the Giant Wheel at CP.

And we have a winner. 

The organ was working today! Yay!

The organ is awesome but it's definitely really loud.....I can usually hear it on Diamondback break run while I'm waiting to get off the ride...

Glad it's working again! 

On 8/20/2022 at 9:54 PM, KIghostguy said:

The organ was working today! Yay!

Or there was nothing wrong with it.