I’m literally so excited for Tuesday it can’t come soon enough. Looking at Sally dark ride’s past displays and from what they’ve shared: It’s publicly confirmed that two animatronics will be shared and the new flashlight technology will be demoed. With these two, 100% we’ll be hearing the new voices for the first time. Sometimes they record speciality audio for iappa, but especially if the two are used in the same scenes together they’ll just use those, which I’m very excited to hear I bet they sound amazing.

 

While it’s not confirmed, I think there’s a good chance we hear a sample of the soundtrack they’ll use for the first time as well. I’m really hoping for a rescoring of the original, but I also have a gut feeling they’ll try to make a Grim Grinning Ghost style lyrical song so we’ll see. Basing it off of their previous headlining attractions they’ve promoted at the expo, there will probably be concept art for a few scenes of the attraction, which I’ll appreciate if they don’t show anything off because I really want good references for the characters so I can draw them. I don’t forsee the ride vehicles being highlighted since Sally isn’t directly involved with creating it. I’m REALLY hoping they don’t show a full layout of the ride, but if the park approves it directly, I’ll probably analyze that. I’m also sure there will be small details released through interviews, which I will probably be checking every source hourly to get. 

The flashlights are another part I wanted to see out of the ride vehicles. I had a similar thought with how they're not directly involved with the vehicles, but I figure they might show something since they will be an integral part of their newest ride.

I really hope we can hear a little bit of the soundtrack as well. Having at least part of the original soundtrack in there would help with bridging the gap between the original and this new version of the ride.

I'll be at the Press Conference at the Expo next week. Some of what I've read about what will happen at the Press Conference; that's not how these things work.  Largely at these, they have a "Ride Vehicle" covered until the event announcement; unveil it and then reps from SDR and Six will make comments, and "MAYBE" show a video; but in this case it's unlikely... and that'll basically be it. I think this is being done at the SDR booth- not at "IAAPA Central". Their booth is unlike to have a large screen to view it on.  I don't think it will go 15 minutes even. 

They may have a ride vehicle or maybe an animatronic.  

These Press Conferences aren't for park guests and fans. They're to promote their business and "pound their chest" on what they are doing. 

I may be wrong, but I've been the EXPO year since 2015, except 2020 (which was canceled)- and this is generally what happens. These are business announcements, not for the park goer.

I would certainly hope they show an animatronic and ride vehicle but at the very least an animatronic, I am curious what the surprise will be

I mean, we've seen what is presumably the display that will be at their booth this year. If it is that display we saw then it'll have two animatronics and a video (unless Maestro and Larry are static for that display). This project is also one of the more original (non-major IP) rides they are currently working on IIRC.

11 hours ago, Outdoor Man said:

They're to promote their business and "pound their chest" on what they are doing. 

This would be a good project to show off during that presentation if SDR wants to say "Hey, look at this! We can bring back an original dark ride and give it a new twist using our existing technology. Are you a park that wants to do that? Hire us!". Now while it is unlikely for us to see much more than the display from the illegal video, I think this is a special enough project for them to show off during their presentation. The ride vehicle might be a trickier thing to show off, but it'd also be a way for them to show off the fact that they offer retrofit options for existing ride vehicles.

I went back through that SDR interview video to see if I could get a better view of the concept art and came out with the following. There are 30 pictures on the grid with 6 obscured by a head, but I got what I could from when the camera moved around his head. I've put it behind a spoiler in case anyone doesn't want to see it.

Spoiler

Most of the pictures are at least a little indecipherable to me. I also understand that things may have and probably did change between this interview and the final product, but these will give some idea as to what they could be. We now know that there will be about 26 scenes with 33 animatronics and 1 static figure. Using what we've seen in articles and reference images, this is what I think is shown.

Panel A2 kind of looks like a door with light shining under it. B3 is very indecipherable while B4 looks like the window with the fire from the original Prop Room. Panel B5 looks like a light shining upon Maestro at his organ and might be the moment where lightning strikes, releasing the Ghost Notes. I feel like I see a very Boo Blasters cartoony purple tree in panel B6, but I hope that would be toned back a little for the final product. Part of me wants to say that C6 is an electrical panel. The last panel (E6) is very interesting because it doesn't match anything I could recognize. Some of these might be part of things that could go on screens, but we've seen props for items like the boiler (E2). Right now it feels very clear that we might visit some areas of the theater more than once (mainly the theater itself). 

Does anyone else have ideas on what these could be? I can update the view and maybe even put them on my ride blueprints file if we figure out likely placements.

I'm predicting an animatronic sneak peek tomorrow either Maestro or No Legs Larry or possibly some new props nonetheless I'm excited! 

I can’t wait to totally focus on work and being an adult today, and not obsessively checking for IAPPA updates. 

2 hours ago, beastfan11 said:

I can’t wait to totally focus on work and being an adult today, and not obsessively checking for IAPPA updates. 

Me in 8th grade checking Lightning Rod/Valravn updates on the chromebooks when I was supposed to be working on school work/group projects (got yelled at by the teacher for that one lol)

11 minutes ago, Hawaiian Coasters 325 said:

Me in 8th grade checking Lightning Rod/Valravn updates on the chromebooks when I was supposed to be working on school work/group projects (got yelled at by the teacher for that one lol)

Me in high school drawing and redrawing the leaked Diamondback layout on every notebook I had. Ha! 

1 hour ago, beastfan11 said:

Me in high school drawing and redrawing the leaked Diamondback layout on every notebook I had. Ha! 

Me also in 8th grade drawing a 395 foot giga idea for KI named Savage 395 and telling every classmate and teacher about it. Ha! 

I’m really loving how active the socials have been about this new dark ride. It appears that the park and the marketing teams realize how special this is and they are really pushing it which makes me happy. You can tell there are lots of passionate people bringing this project to life and they want to show us all the work and time going into this addition!

 

Me in junior high writing a note to a girl I'm crushing on!

Caught a brief look on a Facebook live stream. Sound awful and it was from pretty far back, but the Maestro and Usher display from the TikTok link was unveiled. 

I missed the live stream but found this video on the revealing:

A couple things that I noticed:
1) A remaster of the old soundtrack can be heard in the background
2) The Maestro animatronic doesn’t look as derpy as the leak made it out to be
3) Even though the Maestro has a different voice, it’s not a bat fit for the character
4) the flashlights used just to be props but I wouldn’t jump to conclusion
5) the people pulling off the curtain seemed to be wearing costumes from Phantom Theater Encore, so maybe a sign that more things from the show could return. (Like the artifacts in the lobby?)

Channel 12 has a story about some of the animatronics. As a side note, I cannot see the Opening 2026 sign and not think "Spongebob Squarepants"

https://local12.com/news/entertainment/kings-island-unveils-new-animatronic-characters-upcoming-interactive-dark-ride-collab-collaboration-phantom-theater-opening-nightmare-iaapa-expo-orlando-mason-ohio-cincinnati-family-fun-entertainment-tech-rollercoaster

Also Sally Darkrides also has a "Ghost Blasters" which is just BooBlasters but interestingly KI isn't listed as a park location. Please don't make PTON the same dang ride.

They also included this cool concept piece that I believe we saw in a previous YouTube video/interview:

 

IAAPA's Funworld has released this video with new information from Sally Dark Rides: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KIPiFcuFBxs

This video also has the full press conference: 

 

It was a great day. I was very moved being there for this. 

9 hours ago, Stoan said:

Also Sally Darkrides also has a "Ghost Blasters" which is just BooBlasters but interestingly KI isn't listed as a park location. Please don't make PTON the same dang ride.

Ghost Blasters and Ghost Blasters II are the base models of the Boo Blasters on Boo Hill property from Sally Dark Rides. The ride that Canada's Wonderland, Carowinds, Kings Dominion, and Kings Island received is specifically the Ghost Blasters II model, which was also installed at Elitch Gardens in 2008. The new animatronics, new screens, and new flashlights will definitely help to differentiate it from SDatHC and BBoBH.

I don't know if Phantom Theater: Opening Nightmare is an exclusive partnership between Kings Island/Six Flags and SDR or if other parks will eventually have the option to purchase it, but I think the most we'll see in the short term would be to replace the CW, CAR, and KD versions of Boo Blasters.

Caught a few additional images from the Sally display at IAPPA from an interview with Tony Clark on Facebook: 

 

 

 

Hopefully that video is released at some point, I’d love to see it. Love that BTS stuff.

27 minutes ago, beastfan11 said:

Hopefully that video is released at some point, I’d love to see it. Love that BTS stuff.

I am really intrigued with this footage and I'm scouring every IAAPA video to find it lol. Arpeggio looks really good, I'm kind of surprised that they weren't included in the display as well so I'm not greedy. I don't have the screenshots, but I saw that they're showing off the character posters during it as well, and a vulture and mummy animatronic were in it too. I wonder if the top character they're working on in the third image is Houdelini or another character.

In-case you're wondering what the facade may look like. I've made (Although not greatly) the facade with the original concept art for the ride and added lazy detailed except for the building part of the facade. I think the new theater will look like it was burnt down from the inside only seeing traces of it that make it out.

4 hours ago, Cedar Fair Fanboy said:

In-case you're wondering what the facade may look like. I've made (Although not greatly) the facade with the original concept art for the ride and added lazy detailed except for the building part of the facade. I think the new theater will look like it was burnt down from the inside only seeing traces of it that make it out.

The white Chevy Express really sells the whole thing 

5 minutes ago, CoasterJack said:

The white Chevy Express really sells the whole thing 

The white chevy belong to the Bureau of Paranormal Activity (B.P.A.) as they're investigating the supernatural readings inside this theater.

20 hours ago, Cedar Fair Fanboy said:

The white chevy belong to the Bureau of Paranormal Activity (B.P.A.) as they're investigating the supernatural readings inside this theater.

The car for the Outer Limits/Orion area is a really nice feature, the Ghost Hunting Van would work really well.

Who’s got a few extra of these? Asking for a friend…
 

22 hours ago, Cedar Fair Fanboy said:

They might be taking down the Boo Blasters signage?? There’s been a storage container there for a few days but it would be for Winterfest so who knows… omg it’s the car how did you know??

1 minute ago, BryanJay said:

They might be taking down the Boo Blasters signage?? There’s been a storage container there for a few days but it would be for Winterfest so who knows… omg it’s the car how did you know??

Don't get over excited about it. We don't know if I was right about that van. But I can that I was right about the facade of Boo Blaster's getting torn down.

5 hours ago, BryanJay said:

They might be taking down the Boo Blasters signage?? There’s been a storage container there for a few days but it would be for Winterfest so who knows… omg it’s the car how did you know??

I really hope they're taking down the Boo Blasters signage. I think for any other ride at any other major park it would've been taken down almost immediately. The castle modifications might be done closer to the start of the season so they could use the entire pathway while they work. I'd like to see them remove the turrets and add a marquee board, but I guess only time will tell what's in store.

Did there used to be another turret cap on the right side of the castle (looking from this direction)? It'd be right below where the black pickup truck's door is. I could also just be seeing something on the Eiffel Tower's star wire, but that bulb does not appear to be oriented in that direction.