Kings Island prepares to welcome a new chapter as the anticipated Phantom Theater ride replaces the ride Boo Blasters, that occupies Boo Hill.

After about 25 years of operation, the ride closed earlier this season to pave the way for the new addition planned for 2026.

May 2, 2010, marked the day the Kings Island community welcomed the interactive dark ride “Boo Blasters”. From mounted laser guns & animations to 3D glasses, the ride encouraged fan attraction, especially during the spooky season, as it incorporated a black-lit environment and interactive ghost targets.

A new era awaits Boo Hill, with the upcoming Phantom Theater: Opening Nightmare promising new elements such as “enchanted opera boxes and armed with interactive spellbound flashlights, journey through haunted hallways, magical dressing rooms, and wild backstage chaos,” according to Kings Island’s website.

Looking for community insight, a few Lakota East students have made their predictions and thoughts on this “new era” clear.

“I have ridden Boo Blasters many times before; it’s different from all the other rides at Kings Island because they don’t really have anything else like it. It’s like a game and a ride in one…My favorite part was that you could have a competition with your friends or whoever you’re playing with,” East sophomore Charlotte Andrea told Spark.

While Boo Blasters was undeniably beloved for its game-like setup and interactive features, it was not without flaws, according to Andrea.

“Honestly, I don’t think we ever experienced any issues other than the guns not working, because sometimes it wouldn’t pick up, and then you wouldn’t get any points, and that was kind of annoying,” said Andrea. “A lot of people experienced that. I would hope that if it’s still like a game-based ride, the experience is similar, and that the guns would work better and always register your points.”

Boo Blasters incorporated mounted laser guns for guests to fire during the ride. However, many fans reported technical issues that caused their points not to register, making the game feel unfair at times, according to Andrea.

“It broke down, I think twice when I was on it. But other than that, it wasn’t bad,” East sophomore Teagan McBrien told Spark. “I hope they work on the technical difficulties so it stops breaking as much, and I hope it keeps the same spooky mood it had before.”

As Kings Island prepares for this next chapter, fans like McBrien remain eager to see if Phantom Theater can balance nostalgia with a brand-new experience.