Kings Island announces Soak City water park expansion for 2012

So is soak city going to be a separate admission or included with the park ticket?

Edit: From what I know, Soak City is still included with admission.

Already some negative feedback....from coaster enthusiast on other boards and facebook.

I myself am a coaster enthusiast. However, I am one who can understand why parks do what they do when they plan for the next years attraction. As most don't know, this decision to expan and rename to Soak City was made 3 years ago. From working at the park and being around Kings Island since I was 5, I've heard numerous people, general public and enthusiasts alike say that the water park needed some work. So, the park got to it. I applaud Kings Island for listening to their guests and for taking the initiative to expand and make the water park better.

Yes, Soak City is a Cedar Point/Fair name but that's who owns the company. That's what they have to have it named.

Again, I applaud Kings Island for this announcement.

Terrible addition to the park. This is not what they needed. Ive given up all hope for Cedar Fair.

What did they need? While I agree it does stink that there isn't a new coaster this year, but I know this year alone that Boomerang Bay was constantly packed often times more than the main park.

Meh, I'm fine with it. Kinda wish a few slides were included with that though.

You really can't see what they need?

Wow..

1. Tear down Son of Beast. Flight Deck is probably getting close to the end of its life but its got a few seasons left in it.

2. Next build a path to X-Base.

3. Take new space that is now accessible to the GP and build 3-4 flat rides along the path.

4. Build one small to medium sized coaster with those rides (Think Mystery Mine)

5. Set aside a space to allow for future expansion and a separate space for a major coaster.

I really can't see how you could go wrong with that plan at all.

The water park was not a need at all. You never hear people go "Yeah I'm going to Kings Island to go to the water park" You hear that discussion with people heading to Holiday World. Kings Island need to focus on what made it great. Not by adding useless things like the Dinosaur exhibit. Yeah its cool but really, do you think your going to throw in an extra 5 dollars a person to do it? No the majority of the people wont.

And for some reason, I got a feeling that this was done to head off the major water park additions at Kentucky Kingdom planned for its opening which 2012 now looks extremely likely.

I would agree that the park would have needed this addition in the future at some point but this isn't the time for it.

If you've ever been to Cincinnati in the summer, you know how hot and humid it gets. Adding attractions to an already large waterpark is not a bad idea at all. The park can't just keep adding rides for amusement park junkies. What about the families who go just to get soaked?

Well for them I guess this is "great" news.

The waterpark was fine as it was and it would still be fine if they didn't add anything to it this year.

I gotta say, as long as Soak City remains included with admission, this is a fantastic and smart move by Kings Island.

Now onto more important things like that giant wooden lawn ornament...

Meh, Carowinds did that a few years ago. I sure hope Carowinds doesn't do this next year, we need a wingrider or floorless.

So far after looking over the Soak City site, it sounds like its separate admission as they are building an entirely new entrance and said this:

• New walkway, fencing, trees and grass in the plaza area
• New façade welcomes you to the 33-acre water park
• Plenty of parking spaces available
• Use your 2012 Gold Season Pass for early entry every public operating day
• General admission tickets available to purchase here

If you all don't know, the current entrance can be accessed from in the park. So why would they need parking for this entrance or sell general admissions tickets at the current entrance area? Looks more and more like this will be a extra charge now. To me at least.

Well some people come for just the water park and not the actual park. I don't know. It wasn't mentioned in the news story so we'll have to wait and see.

If its extra charge you can be sure I wont be going to Soak City. Ever. I got a pool here and if I really wanted to, I can go to Holiday World and get more value out of their waterpark than I could ever get out of Kings Islands. Plus this addition doesn't add much to make me really want to go.

Originally Posted by Tigeraceray

So far after looking over the Soak City site, it sounds like its separate admission as they are building an entirely new entrance and said this:

• New walkway, fencing, trees and grass in the plaza area
• New façade welcomes you to the 33-acre water park
• Plenty of parking spaces available
• Use your 2012 Gold Season Pass for early entry every public operating day
• General admission tickets available to purchase here

If you all don't know, the current entrance can be accessed from in the park. So why would they need parking for this entrance or sell general admissions tickets at the current entrance area? Looks more and more like this will be a extra charge now. To me at least.

Soak City is still included with park admin. Cedar Point's waterpark is the same way Kings Island's is as far as both parking and getting to it from inside of the park. Building a new entrance doesn't mean they will charge extra. Most of the waterpark is old or needs updated. They built a new entrance at Cedar Point next to Windseeker. They didn't charge extra for anything at that one. They just kept it as it was before.

Thats good then. I just didn't understand why they would add a entrance right at the parking lot. They could really go back to their website and clarify that issue because reading it a few times makes it sound like it would be a separate admission. I do wonder if they will try and sell tickets for just Soak City though now that its got a new entrance at the parking lot along with general admission tickets.

Kings Island already has a water park entrance from their parking lot. They probably just want to rebuild it. Its not that great of an entrance so I guess they want to make it better, which would make sense to me.

They do? Lol shows how terrible it is and how much I use the water park. I just thought it was only accessible from the park.

Wow.. haha I took a moment to go back and look for the entrance on bing maps. I did that before I posted earlier but didn't see it. Just found it and your right, it looks terrible. It looks more like a temporary entrance at best.

I do think the water park expansion is needed. Having visited the park every summer since 1993, I've seen the water park do well as Water Works then decline, then Boomerang Bay (which was great) now to Soak City. This past season alone, Kings Island revitalized a section of the park that wasn't doing too hot, i.e. Coney Mall with the addition of WindSeeker, Dinosaurs Alive, brick pavers and restoring a lot of the buildings. The two prior years, 2009 and 2010, Kings Island revamped Rivertown, International Street and what is now Planet Snoopy. There were people who were unhappy with these decisions but the areas needed it. Yes, the most recent coaster that Kings Island has debuted was Diamondback and we're in need for another coaster. However, it more than likely is not feasable. The park has to gain capital back from each addition they do. So Diamondback was a $22 million investment where as Soak City is a $10 million investment. The time it takes capital to return back on that, there will be more available funds for KI to build something more extravagant and thrilling for us all. Adding a new coaster every year would literally kill the park financially.

Back to the subject at hand, the new addition of Soak City is going to be a much needed face lift to the water park. Admission to Soak City is included with regular park admission and as someone has said before the new entrance is to not replace the one inside of the park but to allowe for a better entrance from the parking lot. I can't wait to see the changes coming.

Who knows, maybe Kings Island will surprise us this upcoming season like they did this past season. (Just hopefully no more dinos).

I loved Dinosaurs Alive. But it takes up valuable space where its located. Btw, like Screamcape said, their Facebook page had 3 boxes on their hint, so maybe this isn't the only thing.

And I know its not replacing the entrance in the park. I didn't know they even had a parking lot gate to begin with because its barely noticeable. And like I said earlier, this expansion doesn't make me want to even go there still. Wow a new wave pool. Cool, Holiday World has 2 of the best and theyre themed. My trips to the park are only day trips so I'm not wasting time to going to a mediocre water park when I could be in the park on Beast, Diamondback and Flight of Fear.

The only thing that I dislike about this announcement is the name change. I enjoy the fact that the park is improving its waterpark and accompanying amenities, but I enjoyed the water park's (attempt at) theming during my first ever visit to Kings Island during the 2011 season.