Kings Island

It's been almost a year since Kings Island officials announced that Firehawk, the park’s Vekoma-manufactured flying coaster, had reached the end of its service life and would be removed before the start of the 2019 season. Combined with the closure of nearby Dinosaurs Alive! in 2017, enough land would be available for observant park fans to wishfully speculate something bigger was on the horizon.

While little was communicated by the park during the offseason, enthusiasts raced to the ride’s former entrance on Opening Day 2019 to see what, if anything, had happened. Their answer? Demolition of the coaster was complete and a construction fence had blocked the former entrance. Firehawk had been officially erased from the park’s landscape, never to fly again. Now, the only ride left in this part of the park was the Area 51-inspired coaster, Flight of Fear, housed within the walls of the infamous Hangar 18.

Everything Changes

Overnight on July 22, 2019, a mysterious Firehawk poster appeared on the area’s construction fence, along with an Invertigo-themed poster. Upon closer examination, a “K” and “I” were subtly embedded in the backgrounds of each poster. Over the coming days, a total of nine total posters referencing current and former rides were revealed, all containing  unexplained information. 

T.E.O.T.W.A.W.K.I.

While park officials have not commented publicly on the fence posters, the references to former coasters and flat rides seems to be hinting at a new addition to the park.  Letters in the background of each poster combine to suggest the acronym, TEOTWAWKI  or “The End of the World as We Know It.” While some Kings Island fans are referencing the REM song of the same name, others think the letters have a deeper meaning. One thing’s for sure, this area of Kings Island is far from “The End.” In fact, some have suggested it’s only the beginning. 

Some Kings Island guests noticed the link to a petition demanding answers from the park as to what's behind the fence on Tuesday's fence poster addition.

What do you think? Check out the fence posters for yourself during your next visit to Kings Island.