Project 2025: Jungle X-Pedition Retheme Phase II

[wickluvshaunt<3]

IMO the issue is more about creating a second park icon to replace the mountain structure. Volcano was a decent coaster, and innovative for it's time, but I don't think it would've had nearly the amount of people upset by it's demise if it wasn't located within the iconic mountain.

If the park either created a second icon in a different location with a new high-thrill coaster or built a non-coaster with an experience that could rival a coaster on that plot... or both... then it's plausible most guests wouldn't care that a new coaster wasn't built on the Volcano plot.

Adding to that, newer guests may not actually care all that much anyways as it's been at least 5 years since anyone could ride Volcano so they may have never gotten a ride. Plus, it's pretty expensive and will take far longer to develop a second icon location, put an incredible ride in it plus another attraction in the existing Volcano plot, and set themselves up for marketing success.

All that said, that's my thinking for why it'll likely be a coaster back there if not also including flats. But, I don't work there and certainly am not part of their decision-making process so it's all speculation until we see anything more concrete.

I have been lost as to what we need to replace volcano and I believe this described perfectly how Kings Dominion needs another iconic experience or icon built in order to adequately take up the large void that’s been left after the iconic volcano was demolished.

 

[bill s]

^^-- I don't think KD will ever have another "icon" that big (and ungainly) but they are moving towards having, along with their more traditional sections, one highly themed fantasy land. They do have a large quantity of ground concrete which could be interesting, and have even trucked in huge boulders in the past.

Of course I must take a moment to lament upon the irony that removing the mountain seems to have inspired a retheme that would be greatly improved by a huge mountain, even if no ride was inside it. But maybe the retheme is funded by the money saved keeping that thing from crumbling.

 

[Tee0212]

Kinda off topic, but how would y’all feel if they removed the entire building from flight of fear and just made it an outside roller coaster? They can retheme it to fit jungle -x. Some might say it’d be similar to poltergeist in six flags America but at least there wouldn’t be a huge ugly building in a jungle lol.

 

[jwranson]

Kinda off topic, but how would y’all feel if they removed the entire building from flight of fear and just made it an outside roller coaster? They can retheme it to fit jungle -x. Some might say it’d be similar to poltergeist in six flags America but at least there wouldn’t be a huge ugly building in a jungle lol.

I would personally not like it at all. The indoor part is what makes it unique for the park, and what gives it its charm. There are dozens of ways to handle having. Building in the jungle that don’t involve just removing it.

 

[Jonesta6]

That also takes away operating it during rainstorms (can't remember but I think it's closed for lightning), which hurts capacity in the area.

Perhaps, staying kind of cheap, all they need to do is add some fake overgrowth/jungle vines alongside adding real trees (granted it'll take awhile for those to grow and got to protect the concrete foundation from roots) with scenic paint added. Voila - alien space encounter building now fits into JX.

 

[Crunchewy]

If they made it outdoors, SFA would have the better one (doesn't slow down so much in the middle) and with much shorter lines. They have to keep it indoors or there's no point.

 

[Mike541x]

That also takes away operating it during rainstorms (can't remember but I think it's closed for lightning), which hurts capacity in the area.

Also one of the best attractions to cool off in during the summer time.

 

[bill s]

The new ride will have the station and launch tunnel right next to FoF. Little late to plan on a lack of buildings now.

If they made it outdoors, SFA would have the better one (doesn't slow down so much in the middle) and with much shorter lines. They have to keep it indoors or there's no point.

If you're saying FoF's faster launch and midcourse brake are less suited to an outside installation, I agree, but I think it's better for the inside installation. I love the floatyness of the slower inversions on JJ, but faster inversions are better at making lose your sense of up and down, in the dark. The brake then makes the second half of the ride run as originally designed, rather than too fast. And of course the brake itself works better in a dark environment with sound effects.

 

[markp700]

2nd part of this video shows work being done behind P305:

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[horsesboy]

2nd part of this video shows work being done behind P305:

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I mentioned in the 305 thread that the work bac m there is simply the relocation of extra dirt from the construction site nothing significant.

 

[markp700]

I think FoF will be thematically separate from this ride but it’ll still find a good place inside Jungle-X lore. Adding a meteor impact site in FoF’s plaza (much like the one in Kings Island) can convey “this meteor landed here in the jungle and a base was built around it”. The plaza between the wind and Tumbili will be a “you’re deep in the jungle with birds and monkeys above you” vibe, and seeing the FoF fortress in the distance won’t break the immersion.

I’m just envisioning FoF being completely foreign to the rest of Jungle-X by design. So the wing trains can just be birds guarding a temple or something.

This reminded me of something I've been thinking about for a bit but couldn't the FoF building be painted to look like a cave (or an expedition outpost)? Maybe add some rockwork and drape some rope around the facade. Then replace the U.S Gov. emblem and FoF signage with either a bat themed logo or some sort of underground temple / mine coaster? Maybe if they go with a temple and want to keep the space theme it could be an ancient underground alien UFO / base

 

[Hokie305]

Has anyone heard or seen anything related to a potential FOF or BLSC retheme this upcoming offseason? I'm still not convinced a ROI would be there for either ride to get a major retheme, but some additional theming in FOF's plaza and a name change/refresh to BLSC (like Reptilian and Arachnidia) would go a long way. I would think that they'd want to enhance the rest of the entire Jungle X area with the largest capital investment in 15 years opening up.

 

[CoasterMac]

Just gut-feeling, I don't see FOF & BLSC happening this offseason on account of how much is already going on. P305 doesn't even necessarily have to be done this offseason, but the paint tests make me think they will... and that cannot be a cheap job to repaint, let alone attempt at quality-matching the rest of Jungle X.

As mentioned above, FOF's exterior could be very "simply" converted to fit the theme. Anaconda, I'm not expecting anything here, though if it's gonna be around for 10 more years, brighter paint would be a nice wish-list item. BLSC is the tough one. It's small enough that it could be really well done, but also can't imagine that being cheap, not to mention the fact a ROI may not even be there.

 

[Zachary]

I know concepts have existed internally for Jungle X rethemes of Backlot, Flight of Fear, and 305 for years, but I don't know what has been funded for next season.

I doubt we'll see Backlot, but I do expect 305 for 2025. Flight of Fear is a big question mark in my mind.

On one hand, I worry that it's unrealistic to expect anything elaborate for Flight of Fear given the other investments occurring for 2025. That said, I REALLY don't want Flight of Fear to end up with the low budget, cringe, "oh there's aliens in this jungle too!" retheme.

On the other hand, I don't see how you retheme 305 in 2025 without also doing FoF given that FoF is actually closer to the wing and sits between the wing and 305.

Maybe they can just promise a future retheme of Flight of Fear (much like we've gotten with P305 this year) allowing the park to put it off until after the wing? Maybe the same could be done for Backlot? The thing that sucks about that though is that you then have both of the most elaborate/most costly Jungle X rethemes placed on the back-burner together. Given that we didn't see a Jungle X Phase II before the wing paired with the incoming issues of the Six Flags merger, I have doubts about both FoF and Backlot seeing the needed funding post 2025 either.

The wild card here is—as has been discussed previously—still that the P305 stuff is actually a super clever ruse and 305 is going to get a sci-fi theme to match Flight of Fear—creating a new themed land. I would prefer that to the minimal retheme solution for Flight of Fear personally.

 

[warfelg]

The wild card here is—as has been discussed previously—still that the P305 stuff is actually a super clever ruse and 305 is going to get a sci-fi theme to match Flight of Fear—creating a new themed land. I would prefer that to the minimal retheme solution for Flight of Fear personally.

That would be my biggest preference. Especially since if you take down P305’s merch building you can slam a few flats and stands back there (stands outlined in green). That would be a good place for a Nebulaz with a sci-fi theme. An Airrace would fit nicely back there. (both the previous and 1 more flat in the red) For family friendly toss in a space themed Convoy ride (purple). To make sure the areas remain truly separate, they should "turn" FOF's entrance so be more facing the new themed area (blue).

If you want to really be ahead of things - given how much drop tower goes down they could do a S&S double shot tower and have two different style drop towers at the same time and just take out the other one when if goes down big time. (highlighted in orange)

And then my big one:
What if you just scrap BLSC, use that land for something else, and in the space between P305 and the train tracks you put in a really long and well themed family launch coaster along the lines of Big Bear Mountain. That would open up BLSC's plot to be used for some flats and merch areas for Jungle X (personally I think that would be needed to round out that area ride wise), or you can do a family suspended coaster in there (seriously, go with flats KD). (Entrance plaza outlined in the white)



Something like this could really flesh out the entire area rather than just have it be two coasters back there they didn't want to theme to the rest of Jungle-X.

 

[CoasterSkinny]

That would be my biggest preference. Especially since if you take down P305’s merch building you can slam a few flats and stands back there (stands outlined in green). That would be a good place for a Nebulaz with a sci-fi theme. An Airrace would fit nicely back there. (both the previous and 1 more flat in the red) For family friendly toss in a space themed Convoy ride (purple). To make sure the areas remain truly separate, they should "turn" FOF's entrance so be more facing the new themed area (blue).

If you want to really be ahead of things - given how much drop tower goes down they could do a S&S double shot tower and have two different style drop towers at the same time and just take out the other one when if goes down big time. (highlighted in orange)

And then my big one:
What if you just scrap BLSC, use that land for something else, and in the space between P305 and the train tracks you put in a really long and well themed family launch coaster along the lines of Big Bear Mountain. That would open up BLSC's plot to be used for some flats and merch areas for Jungle X (personally I think that would be needed to round out that area ride wise), or you can do a family suspended coaster in there (seriously, go with flats KD). (Entrance plaza outlined in the white)

View attachment 33225

Something like this could really flesh out the entire area rather than just have it be two coasters back there they didn't want to theme to the rest of Jungle-X.

Wow, ambitious! I like the majority of what you're saying here, but I'm not sure a brand-new themed area of this scale will be in the cards for that particular section of the property (ever?); maybe decades down the road, but not any time soon. There's plenty of room for expansion/renovations in other areas of the park. The amount of infrastructure it would take to build this would be intense (plumbing, pavers, etc... not to mention the rides themselves). BUT, this would finally force them to install new restrooms back there, though!

KD also already has a well-rounded, unique family coaster lineup. Not sure a Big Bear Mountain caliber family coaster is necessary for KD right now. BLSC is actually a very fun, crossover, family ride; it just needs some major TLC. They should definitely keep it, but please, for the love of Lake Charles, GIVE IT A GOOD THEME.

However, I'm down with the space theme. Unfortunately, I think it's a long shot considering the cheetah print on P-305's sign.

 

[EdReedFan20]

I know concepts have existed internally for Jungle X rethemes of Backlot, Flight of Fear, and 305 for years, but I don't know what has been funded for next season.

I doubt we'll see Backlot, but I do expect 305 for 2025. Flight of Fear is a big question mark in my mind.

On one hand, I worry that it's unrealistic to expect anything elaborate for Flight of Fear given the other investments occurring for 2025. That said, I REALLY don't want Flight of Fear to end up with the low budget, cringe, "oh there's aliens in this jungle too!" retheme.

On the other hand, I don't see how you retheme 305 in 2025 without also doing FoF given that FoF is actually closer to the wing and sits between the wing and 305.

Maybe they can just promise a future retheme of Flight of Fear (much like we've gotten with P305 this year) allowing the park to put it off until after the wing? Maybe the same could be done for Backlot? The thing that sucks about that though is that you then have both of the most elaborate/most costly Jungle X rethemes placed on the back-burner together. Given that we didn't see a Jungle X Phase II before the wing paired with the incoming issues of the Six Flags merger, I have doubts about both FoF and Backlot seeing the needed funding post 2025 either.

The wild card here is—as has been discussed previously—still that the P305 stuff is actually a super clever ruse and 305 is going to get a sci-fi theme to match Flight of Fear—creating a new themed land. I would prefer that to the minimal retheme solution for Flight of Fear personally.

If they did do the aliens in the jungle theme, maybe as part of the lore they could utilize the myth that the Nazca Lines in Peru were made by ancient aliens.

 

[Jonesta6]

I feel like that whole concept, jungle aliens, was the premise for Indiana Jones 4 minus the whole defeat the Soviets and rejoin Marion Ravenwood again.

 

[mtpelepele]

Make it a multi-year overhaul.
Small budget. Start with a few vines, a little painted rust. Add more each year until the jungle has consumed the abandoned base. Retheming crossed with performance art!

 

[EdReedFan20]

I feel like that whole concept, jungle aliens, was the premise for Indiana Jones 4 minus the whole defeat the Soviets and rejoin Marion Ravenwood again.

Ahem... multi-dimensional beings... I actually originally mentioned crystal skulls in my post, but that would've tied it even more to Indy.