Kings Island's entrance is getting a makeover. The park announced that it has begun work on a major refurbishment of its International Street entrance plaza, one that not only will restore the area to its original look, but also allow it to host high-tech new fountain shows.
"No element of International Street will be left untouched as crews update the Royal Fountain, install more than 130,000 new pavers, improve each building facade and enhance the landscaping. The renovation will take guests back to what Kings Island looked like when the park first opened, allowing guests to discover the magic of International Street again," the park's Don Helbig said.
No word yet on what new shows might come to the front of the park, but Kings Island parent Cedar Fair is investing the infrastructure to support more advanced productions.
"Technology upgrades to the Royal Fountain will allow for choreographed daytime and nighttime shows featuring water that shoots 50 percent higher into the air, and the ability to individually control each of the fountains new 112 nozzles and 176 LED lights. An expanded bandstand stage in front of the Eiffel Tower will allow for bigger celebrations and performances," Helbig said.
Located just north of Cincinnati, Ohio, Kings Island is one of the top 15 parks in North America, based on attendance, attracting nearly 3.5 million visitors in 2017. It's the fourth largest park in the Cedar Fair chain. The improvements to International Street should be complete in time for the seasonal park's reopening in the spring.
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What's that white stuff by the guy doing the paving ........ :)
Caulk
It was frankly getting due for some attention. Not that it was bad last year, but it wasn’t quite the visual it once was, and something seemed missing from the atmosphere. Sounds like the upgrades will help with that, and the night time show as well.
That's a lot of caulk !!
Hoping to go back next year to KI, so I'll be interested to see what the new entrance will be all about. I liked the fountains I must admit.
Personally, I'm not a fan of Cedar Fair's obsession with pavers. They're nice in small doses to distinguish entrances to attractions from general walkways and such, but using them everywhere has to be a maintenance nightmare, especially in colder climates with freeze/thaw. There are a number of areas at Kings Dominion where they installed pavers just a few years ago that are already heaving and sections that are close to becoming trip hazards.
Stained/textured concrete should be the go-to solution for replacing their outdated and uncomfortable asphalt walkways.
I favor smooth flat concrete. My feet still hurt after walking over those damn fake cobblestones at USF.
I'm also still obsessed with the smell of the slurry coat used to resurface blacktop in many parks, specifically SFOG.
A friend from my SFOG days recently posted on Face Book something about the TV show "The Good Place". Here is what he wrote:
"On the show The Good Place last week, they talked about the Good Place smelling like your favorite smell ever. I thought about it for a half second and said aloud, “Six Flags in the spring.” It isn’t even close.
The smell of newly planted flowers, mingling with the early season’s seal coat. Fold in cool wet pavement left behind from the night crew’s cleaning. All before the scorching heat of summer took over. That smell. All the time."
I whole hearty agree.
I've been known to pull into parking lots that have just been seal-coated just to breath it in.
Many find this a strange smell to love, but I do. I absolutely love it.
Now, if all those theme park scented candle makers would create this one, I'd buy a case of them.
HAHA...
I hear complaints again about "uneven pavings" !? :-)
So typical American... (Sorry, matter of fact)
Just a reminder about (generally worldwide, but anyway stringent European) new regulations on pavements. They must be 100% water penetrant (buffering rainwater ON the spot) unless the pavement is an area with poluents leak risk.
In most cases, therefore the (new) pavements are provided as open joint floorings with water buffering type underground.
>>>> Classic asfalt, forbidden. Classic concrete, forbidden.
It's a great evolution. What was, in earlier centuries, comes back now.
Whether or not it's a theme park, the environmental criteria stand above everything.
By the way, Russel Meyer. If pavers heave, it just means they installed the wrong substructure. It has nothing to do with the pavers themselves (nor with frost).
:-)
Cheers
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I guess there was finally a sale on pavers at the Mason, OH Home Depot.