Two new spirits materialized on the IAAPA Expo show floor in Orlando today. They're the stars of Kings Island's reimagined interactive dark ride for 2026.
No Legs Larry is the head usher and Maestro the pipe organist for Kings Island's new Phantom Theater. Created by Sally Dark Rides, the animatronic characters drive the story for Phantom Theater: Opening Nightmare, the new interactive dark ride that is replacing Boo Blasters on Boo Hill.
We first told you about the new attraction in August: Kings Island to bring back its Phantom Theater for 2026. The original Phantom Theater ran in Kings Island dark ride show building from from 1992 to 2002, before Boo Blasters took over. That building first housed Enchanted Voyage from the park's opening in 1972 to 1983 before that ride was taken over by The Smurfs in 1984.
"Bringing Phantom Theater back to life is incredibly exciting for us because it’s more than just a ride – it’s a beloved piece of theme park history," Sally Dark Rides' Lauren Weaver said. "Our team believes in immersing park guests with the stories they love, and Phantom Theater: Opening Nightmare allows us to introduce updated technologies in animatronics, projection mapping and interactive devices like the spellbound flashlight. Riders are going to love what both Sally Dark Rides and Kings Island have developed."
Set to open in April, the new attraction will feature 26 interactive scenes, with multi-sensory effects and a musical finale with all of the ride's characters.
Here’s a clear and simple **comment** you can use:
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The new animatronics for Kings Island’s upcoming dark ride look fantastic. It’s great to see so much personality and detail put into characters like No Legs Larry and Maestro. Bringing back the Phantom Theater theme with modern tech feels like the perfect mix of nostalgia and innovation. This ride is shaping up to be one of the most exciting additions for 2026.
Here’s a clear and simple **comment** you can use:
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The new animatronics for Kings Island’s upcoming dark ride look fantastic. It’s great to see so much personality and detail put into characters like No Legs Larry and Maestro. Bringing back the Phantom Theater theme with modern tech feels like the perfect mix of nostalgia and innovation. This ride is shaping up to be one of the most exciting additions for 2026.
Here’s a clear and simple **comment** you can use:
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The new animatronics for Kings Island’s upcoming dark ride look fantastic. It’s great to see so much personality and detail put into characters like No Legs Larry and Maestro. Bringing back the Phantom Theater theme with modern tech feels like the perfect mix of nostalgia and innovation. This ride is shaping up to be one of the most exciting additions for 2026.
Here’s a clear and simple **comment** you can use:
---
The new animatronics for Kings Island’s upcoming dark ride look fantastic. It’s great to see so much personality and detail put into characters like No Legs Larry and Maestro. Bringing back the Phantom Theater theme with modern tech feels like the perfect mix of nostalgia and innovation. This ride is shaping up to be one of the most exciting additions for 2026.
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The one thing that hasn't been detailed is whether this will keep the the omnimover ride system or will be replaced with a new track or trackless system. Every conversion on this attraction over the years has kept the omnimover, so I'd expect the same here, but Sally's involvement could signal a full system replacement, which would be consistent with all of the other Boo Blasters attractions (and Pirates of the Deep Sea at SFFT) across the chain.