Kings Island to Open Camp Snoopy + New Family Coaster in 2024

© Kings Island

A new expansion of the park's award winning children's section, Planet Snoopy, is coming to Kings Island in 2024.  Named Camp Snoopy, the area will have a rustic feel and be located on the edge of the existing Snoopy themed area.  Featuring an expansive play area and a brand new family roller coaster, Camp Snoopy is sure to keep kids busy for hours!

© Kings Island

Camp Snoopy features two attractions: "Snoopy’s Soap Box Racers, a brand-new family roller coaster that races both forward and backward and Beagle Scout Acres, an area where kids can run, crawl, play or relax with the family in a shaded comfortable space."  The above aerial shows how the new Camp Snoopy section will fit within Planet Snoopy.  The new coaster will be located right next to the park's existing inverted family coaster, in between that and an old amphitheater that will contain Beagle Scout Acres - an active play area for kids.

© Kings Island

Snoopy's Soap Box Racers is one of Vekoma's family boomerang roller coasters, which stands 74 feet tall and features 672 feet of track.  The train is lifted up the first hill backward, then released to speed through the station, past a themed lookout tower, around an s-curve and up another spike.  The train then falls backward through the layout and into the station once more.

Kings Island is well known for their amazing kids area and with this coaster are the self-pronounced "kids coaster capital of the world" with 5 different kid-oriented roller coasters.  Camp Snoopy is planned to open at Kings Island in the spring of 2024.

Cedar Fair Ends Relationship with Camp Cedar Near Kings Island

© Camp Cedar

Cedar Fair has ended their relationship with the luxury cottage and campground near Kings Island, now named Camp Cedar, after only a couple years.  The company never owned the new development, instead they had a management contract in place to operate the facility.  The property was previously known as Kings Island Camp Cedar, and was announced in late 2020 and opened to guests in 2021.  It is located less than a mile from Kings Island.

According to this news article the new management company for Camp Cedar is named Advanced Outdoor Solutions, which has been in business for two decades and specializes in outdoor hospitality.  The new operators are planning on making improvements to Camp Cedar immediately, including making it pet friendly, adding RV rentals and hosting plenty of family-friendly activates on site.  They will still offer shuttles to Kings Island and honor a season pass holder discount.

Looking back, Camp Cedar and the deal to run it was never really mentioned much at all by Cedar Fair in the two years they managed it.  It's curious for the relationship to end so suddenly, but then again Cedar Fair also quietly ended their management contract for Gilroy Gardens last year as well.  Perhaps that's just not a business model they are interested in.  On the other hand, maybe Cedar Fair just stepped in to run the development to help get it open, as it has value as an obvious feeder for the park, while never planning to run it long term. 

Adventure Port Bringing New Excitement to Kings Island in 2023

© Kings Island

This week Kings Island made an exciting announcement about a new themed area opening at the park in 2023 - Adventure Port.  Located in the middle of the park, the expansion will see a total retheme of a part of the property with two new rides added and exciting new food and beverage offerings as well.

© Kings Island

Adventure Port is described as a unique location "resting in the foothills of overgrown mountains and dense tropical terrain."  Adventure Port "is a hub for explorers searching for the ruins of an ancient civilization, its forbidden temple and mysterious wonders.   If asked, the locals will tell tales of those who came before you and vanished. Did they unwittingly disturb ancient spirits and fall victim to an age-old curse?"

 

© Kings Island

Two new rides will welcome visitors in Adventure Port in 2023, the first of which is Sol Spin, pictured above.  The attraction will be located to the left of the entrance to Adventure Express, and is one of Zamperla's Endeavour rides - a modern take on the classic Enterprise style ride.  Sol Spin will represent a giant sun disk created by an ancient civilization, with riders feet dangling freely as they spin up to 60 feet in the air at 25 miles per hour.

© Kings Island

© Kings Island

The second new ride is Cargo Loco, a modern version of the classic spinning teacup ride.  The ride has a cute backstory where Arrow Cargo Company promises to get your freight from point A to B, but with a lot of spinning and twisting in between.  Like the other attractions and shops in Adventure Port, the Cargo Loco looks to come with a nice amount of theming.

© Kings Island

Those looking for some food and drink while exploring Adventure Port will be happy to find The Mercado, a large establishment that will welcome tons of visitors at a time.  Whether looking for a bit to eat, some light shopping or some beverages and rest, the Mercado will offer a variety of options.

© Kings Island

Another new dining establishment within Adventure Port is Enrique's.  The brightly colored outlet will offer visitors local cuisine including "traditional burritos, burrito bowls, tacos, salads and sides."

 

© Kings Island

© Kings Island

Possibly the most exciting change coming along with this expansion is a set of improvements coming to Adventure Express, an Arrow Dynamics mine train that opened in 1991.  The ride was already repainted before the 2022 season, but for 2023 it will feature a brand new themed entrance (seen above), a changed queue area and additional theming.

Kings Island's Beast to Best its Own World Record in 2022

© Kings Island

It is not often that a roller coaster is able to maintain a world record for decades, and then beat its own record again... actually I'm not sure that this has ever happened before.  The Beast, located at Kings Island, has held the record of the world's longest wooden roller coaster since it opened in 1979 - so for more than 4 decades.  The park has revealed that the Beast will actually beat its own record by becoming two feet longer, from 7,359 feet to 7,361 feet, as a result of major off-season work.

Kings Island is showing some major love to the famous wooden coaster right now, and as a result of certain profiling changes the ride's total length will be extended by the two feet.  Sure, it's not much, but it's a pretty interesting record to hold.

The Beast is seeing a total of 2,000 feet of track upgraded and worked on during this off-season, and the first drop (seen up top) had some major changes as well.  In order to enter the tunnel at the base of the first drop at a lower height the drop was reprofiled and went from 45 degrees to 53 degrees.  Kings Island, along with the news of the record breaking, shared additional photos of the work, available here.  I'm sure everyone is excited to get a ride in on the renovated coaster this Spring!

Kings Island Making Major Improvements to The Beast This Offseason

© Kings Island

One of the industry's most beloved wooden roller coasters, The Beast at Kings Island, is receiving some major improvements this off season, the park has confirmed.  In their latest blog entry they detail exactly what the park is doing, with the help of The Gravity Group, to have The Beast running better than ever in 2022.

We actually had a pretty good idea that The Beast was undergoing some major improvements a few weeks back, when these photos of the ride were posted on Reddit.  At that time it was shocking to see such large parts of the ride stripped bare, but now that the park has filled us in on the plans it all makes a lot more sense.

Kings Island details that a total of 2,000 feet of The Beast's record-breaking track will be refurbished before the park reopens for 2022.  The Gravity Group is working on the coaster's first drop and the tunnel right after, and the turn toward the second drop, plus the 540 degree helix tunnel.  Kings Island carpenters are working on 1,090 feet of track on other parts of the ride.

The Beast's first drop will go from 45 to 53 degrees during the work, which is needed in order for the track to enter the tunnel lower for the "proper parabolic arcs" to be created in the renovated area leading to the 2nd drop.  The park also explains how the helix tunnel area will change as well, make sure to check out the park's official blog for more details!

Cedar Fair Details Plans for 2022 Season at Several Parks

© Cedar Fair

On the heels of Kings Dominion's exciting announcement of a new themed area and roller coaster for next year, Cedar Fair put out a press release that details some other changes they have planned for the 2022 season.  The full released can be found at this link, we will take a look at some of the plans in more detail in this post.

 

“We’re in the business of making people happy, and we are actively investing in our parks to help us deliver the type of fun, immersive experiences that our guests crave and our associates love to provide,” said Cedar Fair President and CEO Richard A. Zimmerman. “Based on positive recent trends and our renewed confidence in the recovery of the business, we now plan to invest between $175-$200 million for the 2022 season to improve the guest experience at our parks.”  

 

© Kings Island

Kings Island will be celebrating the park's 50th anniversary in 2022.  It sounds like it will be a big celebration, perhaps on the scale of Cedar Point's 150th, but we'll have to wait a while longer for more details.  For now the company says that the celebration will feature "limited time events, enhanced food offerings and all-new live entertainment – each telling the stories of Kings Island’s first 50 years and sure to delight all ages and create lasting memories."  In order to get ready, the park is closing the Eiffel Tower after this weekend to start a total repaint of the 314 foot tall structure.  It'll be like new in '22!

 

© Knott's Berry Farm

Knott's Berry Farm will be coming off the park's 100th anniversary celebration and will spend 2022 filling the year with a series or "seasons" of events, giving visitors a ready to visit many times per year.  They will start with the Peanut’s Celebration, move into an extended Boysenberry Festival that takes place in the spring, followed by Ghost Town Alive! for the summer months, and the year will close out with both Halloween and Holiday events.  Also of note on the capital front, the company will perform a major renovation of the Knott's Berry Farm Hotel, which features more than 300 rooms.

 

© Canada's Wonderland

Canada's Wonderland will follow a similar format of featuring different seasons of fun throughout 2022, one of which will include an all-new International Food Festival with "a diverse menu of culinary tastes, treats and drinks from around the world."  There will also be a series of special fireworks displays over long weekends, Celebration Canada, KidZfest and both Halloween and Holiday events.  The park will also add a massive new "multi-level, rustic lodge-restaurant that will be the park’s largest dining facility to-date.  Inspired by the striking beauty of the Canadian wilderness, it will feature a sprawling patio overlooking Yukon Striker and the Frontier Canada vista, room for 500+ seating, and indoor and outdoor fireplaces."

 

© Cedar Point

Cedar Point will be bring back the Celebrate Parade next year, so if you didn't get a chance to check it out this year it sounds like you're set for the future.  The Springtime Frontier Festival will also return, along with Cedar Point Nights and Halloweekends.  As detailed in the earning call, both Castaway Bay and Sawmill Creek will see the completion of massive renovations.  Inside the park there will be a new "chef-inspired signature restaurant" located in Frontier Town, but no details yet on if it's a renovation of an existing space or an addition.

Cedar Fair also notes that they will continue to invest "millions" into both Schlitterbahn parks, with next year focusing on infrastructure and aesthetics throughout the parks.  Grand Carnivale will return again to six parks, including Dorney Park, Worlds of Fun, Valleyfair and Carowinds.  Next fall six parks will feature Tricks & Treats events with two others hosting other not-described-by-name family Halloween events.  Winterfest will return to 5 parks, Carowinds, Kings Island, Kings Dominion, Canada's Wonderland and California's Great America - but not Worlds of Fun it seems. (it also doesn't seem to be happening this year either at Worlds of Fun).

For those wondering, this release does not mean that it includes all changes, as there will probably be many smaller ones that will be announced later by individual parks.  It does strike me as a listing of the biggest things planned for next year, though.

Cedar Fair Parks Release Schedules for Summer Seasons

© Michigan's Adventure

Many Cedar Fair parks just released their summer schedules, through Labor Day, giving us the ability to plan out our summer trips.  The schedules vary by park, but generally speaking the plans seem pretty conservative right now at many of the parks.  Cedar Point released their plans earlier and we already covered that here, so we'll skip that park in this post.  Most parks previously released their opening dates as well, with their full schedules as the new information shared here.  Right now Knott's Berry Farm, California's Great America and Canada's Wonderland have not released their full schedules.  Let's dig in!

© Worlds of Fun

Worlds of Fun will open May 22nd and Ocean of Fun will open on May 29th.  They've announced that Grand Carnivale will run July 24th through August 8th and Halloween Haunt will take place September 17th through October 31st.  They are the only park so far to confirm they are holding Halloween Haunt.  They also note that WinterFest will not be taking place this year.  

Their season through Labor Day is around 80 operating days, with hours varying from 11 am to 7 pm on weekdays, staying open to 8 pm on weekends and 9 pm during Grand Carnivale.  During their summer season the park will be open 7 days a week.

Dorney Park will open May 22nd and Wildwater Kingdom will open on May 29th.  The park will announce hours for the fall later this year.  Grand Carnivale will be returning it looks like July 24th through August 8th.  The park shows around 75 operating days through Labor Day.  The park will remain closed on Tuesdays during the summer season.  Hours are 11 am to 7 pm each day, with the exception of closing at 9 pm during Grand Carnivale.

© Valleyfair

Valleyfair will open on May 22nd and Soak City will open on May 29th.  Grand Carnivale will take place starting July 24th and run through August 8th.  Fall hours will be announced later, and through Labor Day there are around 64 operating days.  The park will remain closed Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesday with some exceptions, like when Grand Carnivale is running.  Hours vary from 11 am to 7 pm some weekdays, 10 am to 8 pm on weekends and a 10 pm closing time during Grand Carnivale.

Michigan's Adventure will open on May 29th and WildWater Adventure will open on June 19th.  They will have around 63 operating days through Labor Day, but that will be their whole season as the park does not usually operate in the Fall.  The park will be closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays during their season.  Hours are 11 am to 6 pm in the early season, then 11 am to 7 pm the rest of the time.

© Carowinds

Carowinds will open on May 22nd and Carolina Harbor will open on May 29th.  Fall hours will be announced later, and the park will hold Grand Carnivale from July 17th through August 1st.  Featuring around 87 operating days through Labor Day, Carowinds will stay open 7 days a week.  Hours are generally 11 am to 7 pm on early season week days, then closing at 8 pm mid-summer and a 9 pm close during Grand Carnivale.

Kings Dominion will open on May 22nd and Soak City will open on May 29th.  Like the other parks, Fall hours will be announced later and Grand Carnivale will be held July 17th through August 1st.  The calendar reflects 76 or so operating days through Labor Day, and the park will stay open 7 days a week during its busy season - however they do switch to weekends only pretty early in August.  Hours are generally 11 am to 7 pm weekdays and 11 am to 9 pm on weekends.

© Kings Island

Kings Island will have a pass holders weekend on May 8th and 9th, then open to all on May 15th.  Soak City will open on May 29th.  Fall and winter hours will be announced later, and while I do not see Grand Carnival mentioned just yet if they do have it I'd assume it would run July 17th through August 1st as the company has three "sets" of the event and that is the only time slot available.  There are around 91 operating days listed through Labor Day, and the park will stay open 7 days a week.  Hours vary with an 11 am opening and closing anywhere from 8 pm to 10 pm.

Additionally, Schlitterbahn New Braunfels will open on May 8th and Schlitterbahn Galveston will open on May 15th.

While some other park operators are adding as many operating days as they can, we're seeing the opposite approach for most of the Cedar Fair parks.  It is important to remember that it's easier for parks to start with less operating days and add more should the demand need it, but I also think that a big consideration here is the current labor market.  Things are changing quickly with regard to vaccinations and the public feeling much more comfortable going out, so it will be interesting to see how things progress as the season happens.

Cedar Fair Parks Release 2021 Opening Dates

© Dorney Park

This past week several Cedar Fair parks sent out e-mails to their mailing lists that provided their opening dates for the 2021 season.  We previously heard from Cedar Fair that they were evaluating opening some parks later this season, and that did happen for some parks in varying degrees.  The full operating calendars have not been released yet, just the opening dates.  The parks promise more information on operating days and hours in the coming weeks.

The earliest opening announced is for Kings Island, which plans to have a season passholder weekend preview on May 8th and 9th.  This is later than their usual opening in April each year.  While it was not stated yet when operations begin for all visitors, it is hoped it will be the following weekend.

Cedar Point will open on Friday, May 14th, which is similar to past (normal) seasons pre-pandemic.  Canada's Wonderland also announced plans to open on May 14th.  That park was not able to open at all during 2020, so fingers are crossed that this given date works out in the end.

The weekend after, specifically Saturday, May 22nd, will be the opening date for a longer list of other Cedar Fair parks.  These include Dorney Park, Kings Dominion, Carowinds, Valleyfair and Worlds of Fun.  This date is just a few weeks later than pre-pandemic opening dates for many of these parks, but much later for some like Carowinds, Worlds of Fun and Kings Dominion.

California's Great America also announced plans to open on May 22nd, and since we know that no amusement or theme parks are currently allowed to open in California we hope that happens for them.

Last but not least, Michigan's Adventure plans to open on Saturday May 29th, just in time for Memorial Day Weekend.

The parks appear to be planning to continue the safety measures that were in place when they closed for the 2020 season - though they are not ready to release details on that just yet.

Kings Island Camp Cedar Luxury Outdoor Resort to Open Near Kings Island in 2021

© Kings Island Camp Cedar

A brand new luxury outdoor resort, named Kings Island Camp Cedar, has been announced to open just down the road from Kings Island in Spring, 2021.  Coming in at a cost of $27 million, the resort will be owned by Small Brothers, LLC and Terra Firma Associates and managed by Cedar Fair through a partnership and licensing agreement.

© Kings Island Camp Cedar

Spread out over 52 acres of land, and located less than a mile from Kings Island's entrance, the resort will feature a mix of both resort and camping destination.  It will feature 73 cottages and 164 full service RV spaces, and has been designed to expand with another 100 cottages in the future.

There will be a plethora of amenities offered to those who stay at Kings Island Camp Cedar.  These include pool areas including Deerfield Springs, a large 5000 sq ft family activity pool with features such as geysers, a mini-slide, basketball area, waterfall background and more.  There will also be an exclusive adult pool made for relaxing, and cabanas will be offered.  

© Kings Island Camp Cedar

The resort experience will start with Hornbeam Lodge, offering check-in services.  It will also feature the Ironwood Grill and Tap restaurant with patio seating, a Coyote Creek Camp Store, Dry Bean coffee and gelato store and a grand fireplace and general living room.  There will also be a separate area with food truck inspired offerings, such as traditional American favorites, Mexican dishes, ice cream and more.

A laundry area, free Wifi, walking trails, a dog park and rentable golf carts are also on the list of amenities offered.  With the partnership with Cedar Fair the resort will also offer Peanut character visits during Character Breakfasts and Smores with Snoopy, for example.

 

© Kings Island Camp Cedar

The new resort construction is well underway, seen in this aerial view taken recently.  With the popularity of tourism in the area surrounding Kings Island ever-growing, and the park growing significantly in recent years, this is a great way to make the Mason area a full vacation.

Reduced Hours + Operating Days, Closures, No More Reservations + Halloween Events Paused

The industry is still trying to find its footing in this summer of uncertainty, and it appears as though a big part of that is scaling back operations to better fit with what has turned out to be a small demand for the amusement industry right now. 

We've seen a number of parks stop requiring reservations to visit the parks.  Dollywood stopped requiring day ticket visitors to have a reservation, though season pass holders still need them for the theme park.  A while back Worlds of Fun axed the reservation requirement, then Kings Island, Kennywood and Cedar Point followed soon after.  Dorney Park removed the reservation requirement for season pass holders, only asking single day ticket visitors to have one.  One can only assume that crowd levels are small enough that there is no need to monitor attendance with reservations.

Scaling back park hours is also becoming common.  Kings Island released their updated hours for August which will have the park closed Wednesday and Thursday, then to weekends only by the end of the month.  Closing times on Saturdays did get extended until 10 pm however.  Cedar Point will stay open daily until mid-August, then switch to Friday-Sunday operations only and right now are closed all of September aside from Labor day weekend.  Kennywood has also decided to stay closed Mondays and Tuesday in August, then go weekends only in September - and has also made it clear there will be no Phantom Fright Nights this year.  Idlewild is going even further, opening only on Friday - Sunday starting August 1st.

This is not a full list of changes, there are more out there as well.

© Raging Waters

We're also starting to see some Southern California properties throw in the towel on the year - that is just what Raging Waters Los Angeles did today.  They do note that they are excited to reopen in 2021.  The rest of the California theme park crew, and there's a lot of them, are still waiting on the ability to open.  As we discussed some parks are finding other ways to operate, such as Knott's super popular food festival Taste of Calico which actually got extended two more weeks and is selling out fast.

© Universal

It is almost to the point where parks are having to make tough decisions regarding their popular Halloween seasons.  Just recently we saw both Universal Studios Florida and Universal Studios Hollywood officially cancel their events for this year, with Halloween Horror Nights not taking place at either park.  Disney World has also called off Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party and the Disneyland Resort cancelled the Oogie Boogie Bash even though no opening date is in sight for its parks.

No news yet from other park operators on Halloween, but with these big parks setting the standard it might not look to good.

Things may be a bit more quiet around this blog for the foreseeable future, as park seasons are shortened and events are cancelled - there simply isn't much to cover.  We will look forward to 2021 though!

Kings Island Releases Orion POV Ahead of 2020 Park Opening

© Kings Island

Are you excited for Kings Island's new giga coaster, Orion?  Many people are, and while many new-for-2020 roller coasters have been pushed to 2021, Kings Island is still opening Orion this year - in just a handful of days now!

To celebrate the park's reopening and the ride's debut they have released the official point of view ride on Orion, embedded here and available on the park's blog:

Orion features a 287 foot tall lift hill, followed by a 300 foot drop that gives the ride its "giga" distinction.  Featuring a top speed of 91 miles per hour, Orion's track stretches 5,321 feet long and a total of 8 hills.

Kings Island will only be open to season pass holders for a while after they open, and reservations are going pretty fast.  The park's first two days are already full, but there are some spots left for this coming Saturday!

Cedar Fair Announces the Reopening of Cedar Point, Kings Island, World of Fun and Schlitterbahn Parks

© Cedar Fair

We've been anxiously waiting to hear from Cedar Fair on the reopening of some of their parks, and today was our day.  The company announced opening plans for Cedar Point, Kings Island, Worlds of Fun and the two Schlitterbahn water parks in Texas.

The parks will open with reduced hours, limited capacity and increased hygiene practices along with a focus on the use of technology to streamline visits.

Cedar Fair CEO Richard Zimmerman said, “We want our guests and associates to feel confident knowing that our parks are taking extensive measures to welcome them back to an environment where safety is the highest priority. People will experience our new health and hygiene protocols before they enter the properties for either work or play; these enhancements will be observed throughout the entire day and at departure. We are thrilled that our guests will again be able to enjoy a best day experience at Cedar Point, Kings Island, the Schlitterbahn parks and Worlds of Fun, as well as great shopping and dining again at Knott’s Berry Farm. We look forward to more openings as restrictions are lifted around the country.”

Cedar Fair has created the above video to give visitors an idea of what to expect before they arrive at the parks that are reopening.  This video is specific to Worlds of Fun, but each park will have their own.  I'm not going to go through all the pandemic related changes covered in the video, as they are nothing new to what Cedar Fair has previously announced that they will be doing.  Much like Six Flags' initial video, it is well put together and should help visitors know what to expect ahead of time.

Schlitterbahn New Braunfels and Schlitterbahn Galveston will both open on June 13th, and stay open for at least two weeks only for season pass holders.  They anticipate that reservations for non-season pass holders will start in late June.  Once daily ticket sales begin, guests will select their date to make sure it is available, then be able to purchase tickets online.  The park has extensive frequently asked questions located within the safety section of their website.

© Worlds of Fun

Worlds of Fun will open on June 22nd, and has created a nice Welcome Back guide that you can download at this link.  As the chain's first full amusement park to open, they have a very detailed safety section online that details what to do before visiting, when you arrive and when you are in the park.

The park will initially only be open for season pass holders until early July, when single day visitors can make a reservation to attend.  The park has not yet determined when Oceans of Fun, its water park, will open for the year.  Additionally, the park's calendar of daily hours of operation is not available at this time.

Kings Island will open starting on July 2nd and stay open each day only for season pass holders through July 11th.  Since their opening date is further out, the park hasn't uploaded their full safety mini-site just yet.  The park's daily ticket visitor availability will start on July 12th, and as with all the parks reservations are required.  Their update does not specifically mention Orion, the park's new giga coaster, however we know it has been testing and will assume it will open with the park.  That will be a huge draw for visitors, indeed.  An opening date for Soak City water park has not been determined yet.

© Cedar Point

Cedar Point will open on July 9th and July 10th for season pass holders only, starting on July 11th guests of Cedar Point Resorts along with season pass holders will be able to enter the park.  No specific date for day ticket visitors has been announced yet that I can tell.  They previously announced that those looking for a summer getaway without the park can stay at Hotel Breakers and the RV portion of Lighthouse Point from June 12th through June 27th.

Since Cedar Point is a large resort, they're calling describing their reopening as a "phased" one, so there will be more detailed announced in the future, no doubt.  That will includes details on all their resort openings, Soak City, etc.  The park had already pushed back their 150th anniversary celebration to next year, but there is no doubt that the park will fill their reduced capacity as soon as they open.

Finally, while Knott's Berry Farm isn't open, they have recently opened more stores and restaurants in their California Marketplace area.  Details on what is open and when are available on their website.

Cedar Fair Parks Update on What's Staying for 2020 and What's Pushed to 2021

© Cedar Fair

Cedar Fair has sent out updates for all their parks that detail what attractions and special events planned for 2020 will remain for 2020 when the parks can reopen, and which ones have been bumped to 2021.  Also, no estimated opening dates have been set for any parks yet, as they continue to work with local officials on the reopening process.

Instead of doing separate posts for each of the parks, here is one big summary of each of the updates from the properties.

© Kings Dominion

Kings Dominion will continue to debut their water park expansion, Coconut Shores, in 2020.  It will feature a new water fun house named Lighthouse Landing, and kiddie wave pool named Sand Dune Lagoon.  Grand Carnivale will be postponed until 2021, along with the Memorial Weekend Salute.  The park's Run & Ride event will only take place virtually.

Dorney Park will still open their new family water play area, Seaside Splashworks, in 2020.  They are also working on remodeling Center Stage and adding more green areas to the park.  Both the new Summer Nights block party event and Grand Carnivale will be postponed until 2021.

The two Schlitterbahn parks in Texas will have to delay their annual American Heroes Week for now.  The parks have already had a ton of changes done for 2020, all of which will remain.  These include remodeling entrances, painting and refurbishing slides, adding food options, more seating and more.

© Kings Island

Kings Island is still planning to open Orion, the park's new giga coaster, as soon as the park opens for 2020.  However, both the Summer Nights and Grand Carnivale special event celebrations are being postponed until 2021.

Michigan's Adventure's park update didn't specifically call out their new Camp Snoopy expansion in any way, though the expansion is still on the website as New For 2020 - so we will assume that remains true for now.

Valleyfair has been hard at work on several projects, all of which are still on for 2020.  These include the new Lakeshore Landing event space, renovated restrooms, changes to food offerings and more.  The park unfortunately will not have Monster Jam Thunder Alley in 2020.  They have also had to postpone both Grand Carnivale and The Peanuts Celebration until 2021.

© Cedar Point

Cedar Point has made the tough decision to postpone their 150th anniversary celebration until 2021.  That also includes their new attraction, Snake River Expedition, which won't open in 2020.  The Celebrate 150 Spectacular will also move to 2021, along with the opening of the new Town Hall and merchandise promotions.  The park's new food offerings will still open in 2020.  Essentially all other special events for the season, including Performances in the Park, Spring Youth & Education Programs, CoasterMania!, Frontier Festival, Coaster Campout, Run & Ride and Season Passholder Appreciation Weekend will all not take place in 2020.

California's Great America's update did not address their massive waterpark transformation, South Bay Shores, but it is largely completed and still shown as "opening soon" on the website.  The park will not hold their Red, White and Brews festival this year, and Monster Jam Thunder Alley will no longer take place in 2020.

Worlds of Fun's new waterslide, Riptide Raceway, is still planned to open when the park is able to in 2020.  The park's special events Summer Nights and Grand Carnivale will be postponed until 2021.

© Knott's Berry Farm

Like Cedar Point's tough decision, Knott's Berry Farm has also decided to postpone their 100th anniversary celebration until 2021.  The park's new ride, Knott’s Bear-y Tales: Return to the Fair, will be ready when the park reopens in 2020.  Ghost Town Alive! will also not take place in 2020, but will return in 2021.  The Knott's Chicken-To-Go Restaurant, Farm Bakery and Knott's Berry Market are open in limited capacity for to go orders.

Carowinds will still open their new water slide, Boogie Board Racer, in 2020.  Two events, Carolina Summer Nights and Grand Carnivale will be postponed to 2021.  Monster Jam Thunder Alley will take place in 2020.

Finally, Canada's Wonderland posted that both of their new attractions, Mountain Bay Cliffs and Beagle Brigade Airfield, should be completed within a month and will still open in 2020.

We heard on Cedar Fair's conference call that a lot of capital was cut from the 2020 season, and now we can see that a significant portion of that was in festivals and other limited time events.  While sad to see so many items pushed off a year, it's still better to have them at the parks when they can fully be enjoyed!

Orion Begins Test Runs at Kings Island

© Kings Island

Ahh, the smell of freshly run new-for-2020 roller coasters is in the air in Southwest Ohio, specifically at Kings Island where Orion has just started testing!

The theme park posted a surprise blog post on Saturday evening announcing that the giga-coater had completed the first runs.  Trains have now fully completed Orion's 300 foot first drop, and made quick work of the ride's 5,321 feet of track.

The new coaster will open with the park on April 11th, but those participating in the first riders benefit fundraiser will get a go on Orion on April 9th.  That's just over six weeks from now, not long to wait at all!

Check out the video of Orion testing below!

Want To Be One of the First to Ride Orion? Kings Island Has an Auction for That.

© Kings Island

If you're looking for the ability to ride Orion, Kings Island's new giga-coaster, a couple days before any one else, AND raise money for a great charity, then the park has the perfect fundraiser auction for you!

The theme park is holding a First Riders Auction that will take place on April 9th, two days before the park's 2020 opening day, from the hours of 6 pm until 9 pm.  Interested parties must sign up and raise at least $150 for A Kid Again, and the top 32 fund raisers will obtain a seat on the first train out of the station at the start of the event.  However, everyone who makes it to the $150 mark will be able to get a certificate of participation, food, a first rider shirt and unlimited rides for three hours on April 9th.

© Kings Island

If interested in the auction, you can sign up via a link on the park's website or through A Kid Again, and fund raising will go through April 3rd.

A Kid Again is a "a nonprofit organization which exists to foster hope, happiness and healing for families raising kids with life-threatening illnesses through fun-filled group activities and events. A Kid Again families are invited to participate in these adventures from the age of diagnosis until the child reaches age 20 through funds raised from events such as" the Orion First Riders Auction.

Screaming down a 300 foot first drop for an excellent cause - before all your friends - doesn't seem like such a bad idea!  The auction has already raised more than $20k for A Kid Again, and there's still months of fund raising to go.

Kings Island to Debut New Orion Giga Coaster on Opening Day - April 11th!

© Kings Island

One of the largest new for 2020 roller coaster projects in the U.S. now has an opening date!  Kings Island will open Orion along with the park on April 11th, 2020.  The park has posted their schedule for the year and also confirmed they plan to have the giga coaster ready to do for opening day.  This news means that riders only have less than three months of waiting until they can get their first rides on Orion.

© Kings Island

And speaking of the ride, if you haven't been following construction you've missed a great deal of the ride's 5,321 feet of track going into place.  The park has already flown through the coaster's second hill, turn around (seen up top in a recent image from the park), and more recently the third and fourth hills as well.  Orion will feature a 300 foot first drop (also seen above) that will send the trains roaring around the track at a top speed of 91 miles per hour.

© Kings Island

It has been fun keeping tabs on Orion from Kings Island's webcam - here is a shot of the coaster from this afternoon.  Crews are hard at work on the giant helix that comes near the end of the ride.  From this image it looks like they're almost at the halfway point of the element.  That only leaves a relatively small amount of track and supports to go before the ride is complete!

That should leave plenty of time for testing ahead of the planned April 11th debut. 

Kings Island Tops Off New Orion Giga Coaster

© Kings Island

This past week Kings Island topped off their new giga roller coaster, Orion, by placing the top of the 287 foot tall lift hill.  The job required three separate cranes, seen in the photo above, since the ride's supports do not sit directly under the apex of the lift hill.

This also means that the ride's 300 foot first drop, which classifies the ride as a giga coaster, is also now complete.  Orion's track will stretch 5,321 feet long and feature a top speed of 91 miles per hour.

Here's some video that the park released of the ride being topped out:

The park has been busy slowly building Orion's lift hill over the past couple weeks, and work has also focused on the ride's station.  That has had all its metal framing put up, and soon it will be enclosed so that workers can really dig into the ride's electrical systems and other components.  Stay tuned for more as the park is sure to make quick work of the rest of Orion's layout!

Kings Island to Say Goodbye to Vortex at the End of 2019 Season

© Kings Island

Kings Island has announced that Vortex, the park's classic Arrow multilooping roller coaster, will be retired at the end of the 2019 season.  While shocking and sad to many, the park reports that the ride has simply reached the end of its service life.  They note that most rides of this type last between 25 and 30 years, and Vortex is currently in its 33rd operating season at Kings Island.

Vortex was the first roller coaster in the world to turn riders upside down a total of six times, opening at the park in 1987.  The coaster was built by the famed Arrow Dynamics and features a 148 foot tall lift with a 138 foot first drop at a 55 degree angle.

© Kings Island

Riders hit a top speed of 55 miles per hour while on the Vortex, and speed through two vertical loops, two corkscrews and a boomerang turn.  The ride ends with a 360 degree helix before the final brakes.

Vortex was designed using the sit of The Bat, a short lived suspended coaster at the park, with Vortex utilizing that ride's queue and station areas.  The ride was so popular when it opened in 1987 that it helped Kings Island surpass 3 million in attendance for the first time that year.  Since its opening, the coaster has given more than 45 million rides, with its record season being 1987 when 2.2 million rides were given.

© Kings Island

Kings Island shared this neat fact sheet for Vortex along with their announcement of the ride's retirement.  For fans of the ride, it offers great statistics and details that they're sure to love.

Final rides on Vortex begin tonight when the park opens for Halloween Haunt, and will continue until the park's closing day which is October 27th.  The park is offering season pass holders the ability to ride the coaster 30 minutes before park opening each Saturday and Sunday until the end of the season.