Kings Island’s parent company, Six Flags, announced the park will be receiving a “new family thrill ride” for the 2026 season, however no additional details have been provided at this time.
We asked people belonging to Kings Island Central, a popular fan site and forum, what they would like to see Kings Island add in the coming years.
A large topic of debate was how the park would handle the plot of land which formally housed Vortex, the famous looping coaster. The ride was closed in 2019 and has left a large area between the Beast and Coney Mall.
Credit: Alex Cutler
Credit: Alex Cutler
Several users expressed interest in replacing Vortex with a multi-launching coaster created by German manufacturer Mack Rides. The company has built launch coasters across the world, including Copperhead Strike at Carowinds and Stardust Racers at Universal Orlando’s upcoming Epic Universe theme park.
Mack Rides’ newest model, the Stryker coaster, was also mentioned by fans. A modern spin on the traditional launch coaster, the first of these opened at Europa Park this year as Voltron Nevera.
“It can deliver high capacity, marketability, a relatively low rider height requirement at 50 inches and it would fill the gap of a modern launch coaster that we need,” said forum commentor Orion742.
Users were also speculating the park’s replacement for the Crypt, formally known as Tomb Raider: The Ride. This large swing attraction opened in 2002 and was housed in a large show building with temple theming. After a name change in 2008, the Crypt closed permanently in 2011, and has since served as a scare maze for the park’s Halloween Haunt event.
Credit: Nick Graham
Credit: Nick Graham
Fans speculated the building could become home to a Mad House, a ride model built by Vekoma. This attraction uses a unique ride system and a variety of different effects to make the room shift and spin around guests.
There are several iterations of this ride around the world, with most operating in Europe. These include Hex at Alton Towers and Haunted House Monster Party at Legoland Windsor.
“A Mad House is right up their [Kings Island’s] alley of trying to appeal to a wider audience with a new attraction,” said user Johnjniehaus. “You can have smaller kids on a Mad House, teens, parents and grandparents. It really is a family attraction that everyone can enjoy.”
However, this idea has proven controversial, with some fans. “Might be a unique experience for one ride, but not one I could see myself riding more than once,” said commenter WoodVengeance.
User Vortex1987 agreed, saying “all they do is rock back and forth, that’s it. No thrill in that at all.”
Aside from these larger attractions, the users also had ideas for improving the park in smaller ways. BeeastFarmer shared the idea of a climate controlled restaurant in the area Killmart currently utilizes, right next to the Kings Mills Antique Autos. They argued it would be especially useful during cold Winterfest nights, as there are no heated restaurants near the Coney Mall area.
Credit: HANDOUT
Credit: HANDOUT
Since this year saw Kings Island’s parent company merge with Six Flags, this possibly gives the park opportunities to utilize the DC comics and Looney Tunes characters found at the rival chain. “I wouldn’t mind seeing the Planet Snoopy part of our kids section rethemed to DC or Looney Tunes. It would help add some variety to that section of the park, while also keeping Camp Snoopy intact so the Peanuts IP still has a place at the park,” said WoodVengeance.
Several commentors also hope the park brings back its classic dark ride, Phantom Theater, in some way. The ride, which opened in 1992, took guests through a haunted opera theater and featured nearly 40 animatronic figures. The ride closed in 2002 and was replaced by Scooby-Doo and the Haunted Castle. After the park changed ownership, the ride was slightly altered and renamed to Boo Blasters on Boo Hill, which remains open today.
Credit: Alex Cutler
Credit: Alex Cutler
To celebrate the park’s 50th anniversary in 2022, a stage show based off the attraction, entitled “Phantom Theater Encore!,” was performed at the Kings Island Theater. This show only lasted one season, and many fans hope the concept is revisited with a permanent addition.
Alex Cutler is a writer for Cox First Media who focuses on arts and entertainment and all-things Kings Island. Email him at alex.cutler@coxinc.com.
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