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Showing content with the highest reputation on 05/31/2021 in all areas

  1. Before I start, let’s get this out of the way. Yeah, I know, no shows until mid June because of the hours change blah blah blah. There’s already a thread for that. For those of you who were fortunately enough to catch one of the shows, they truly did blow it out of the water. This time they used an instrumental song by the very talented Lindsay Sterling. I feel like each year the show gets a little better. My favorite song they’ve used was “Greatest Show” but looking back at the actual lighting it almost seems amateur compared to what followed. The show will return with the 10:00 closes on June 18th. I really think that if you haven’t seen it yet it’s something to really look forward to this year!
    4 points
  2. Probably. I've had so many positive experiences interacting with KI staff I could write a report going on for I don't know how many pages. And I don't know how clean Carowinds is, but KI certainly isn't dirty.
    4 points
  3. Interesting - in another thread someone said how bad the operations were and how understaffed Carowinds was? 20 trains in an hour and Gold Rush only had 2 employees and 10min dispatch times?
    4 points
  4. Regarding KI staff, I do not see how stating one park’s staff is more friendly than another’s staff is dissing one. It is simple stating that one is better and that can likely be chalked up to as southern hospitality. Something some of us northerners could learn from. Bless your heart.
    3 points
  5. Even in pre covid times carowinds ops and employees are way below KI IMO.
    3 points
  6. In 19 the music and lighting were not highly synchronized. Last year it was much better. It’s improving each year. The new fountains and lightning are capable of a spectacular show when the programmer has an ear for music.
    3 points
  7. After spending some time looking around at large pieces of land by the park and Soak City, I decided to come up with a hotel concept using some of the large chunks of grassy land by Soak City and the associate road. The biggest obstacle with this concept is that it would require a lot of work on KI drive to accomodate for an entry and exit road for the new hotel. I basically did was that the employee entrance would also serve as a hotel entrance. The hotel would be known as the Kings Island Grand Lodge. It would feature about 200 rooms and suites, an outdoor swimming pool/spa, a full service restaurant and bar, a fitness center, a business center, and a full service breakfast buffet. Plus, a stay at the hotel would get you free entry into Kings Island and Soak City (meaning the cost to stay would be pretty expensive, but season passholders would get a big discount). It would also include a skywalk that connects the hotel to Soak City that would be accessed by your room key. Remember, this is all a concept and just me dreaming. I have absolutely no inside information from the park.
    2 points
  8. This is a very rare circumstance but I understand where FOF is coming from and I think several of you missed his point. He said nothing about ride operations, it was about Food and Beverage in both how they were staffed and the moral of the staff. “The little things”. It is one thing to have long ride lines on a busy day, we all expect that. It is quite another when you get off a ride after a two hour wait and have to wait another hour just to get a drink or a bite to eat much less served by a less than enthusiastic associate. “The little things” and they do mean a lot. Also, while the restrooms at KI are way ahead of CP, they are still poorly ventilated, stinky and atrocious. (Don’t get me started on CP restrooms.) Something, in my albeit limited experience, other chains have excelled at.
    2 points
  9. For me its not the crowds but how the park handels them. We went to Carowinds over the weekend and it was crowded however we never had to wait more then 5-10 minutes for food or to use our drink passes. The staff was alot more friendly than Kings Island as well. One of the staff members played rock paper scissors with my son. Its the little things to us that mean alot. Every single bathroom was sparkling clean and the park overall was much cleaner. Carowinds is my new fav. Cedar Fair park. Kings Island has alot to learn.
    2 points
  10. Over the long-term I think the park being packed will hurt business (compared to right now), and we'll see things balance out. However, as we're just coming out of a pandemic with a bunch of money printed and thrown to the masses, I don't think it balances out well anytime soon. That said, there's still opportune times to get in and out of the park in a hurry and hit some rides, pending your schedule. Regardless, I respect your decision either way, and understand. We've all got a bazillion choices to make with our time and money right now. Standing in line for an hour+ to ride a 2-minute ride is not for me either.
    2 points
  11. KI has always been the area's biggest babysitter. I can't tell you how many times parents dropped their kids off at the gate and turned around and left. I think the time has come to require chaperones. To be truthful, what I saw from this incident made me sick to my stomach. Not just here, but everywhere. Times are different now, unfortunately
    2 points
  12. I think the Ohio parks could get more out of the 55+ job market. Parks like HersheyPark, SDC, Dollywood do a better job there. I know the longer operating seasons help, but especially with KI now having an April-New Years season in a non covid year, I think that is an area to make up some ground. Internationals will also be very important next year and beyond, of course.
    2 points
  13. In the short term, yes. In the long-term, there's no way, at least under any seasonal amusement park business model we've seen. The overhead with running an amusement park is huge. Lots of labor, lots of utilities, high maintenance /upkeep costs etc and the revenue is seasonal. That means that unless amusement parks are to become something much less accessible to the average person labor costs will have to go down from these high rates in the long-term. What we're seeing now is a a frenzy to get workers just to ensure the business stays alive. $18-20 for seasonal amusement park work would have been absolutely bonkers two years ago. CF knows they NEED their parks to have some semblance of a normal year this year or they could REALLY be in trouble. Once a guest breaks the habit/cycle of being a passholder or making a yearly trip, they very well could stay away. The usual HS and college students will probably happily line up for jobs at something like the old pay rates once the job market (and unemployment) changes, but KI has to pay up now to avoid some seriously bad consequences.
    2 points
  14. Yes both of those. Oktoberfest is the most neglected part of the park
    2 points
  15. I'm really liking the changes to the bandstand lighting effects since last season (when most of the current effects were new). It's going to look great when night-time shows can happen. I caught most of the 8:00 Center Stage Live show on my way out of the park last night, and I was impressed. The band sounded great, and the large set of dancers kept the crowd engaged. It's nice to see more elaborate shows taking place on the bandstand.
    2 points
  16. I recommend if your concerns are not being addressed by KIPR that you move to contact corporate at cedarfair.com
    2 points
  17. I think the bathroom patrol has been especially good since covid. And he did totally diss KI staff, which is honestly almost always very good. And he didn't mention another chain. He was talking about another park within the same chain.
    1 point
  18. maybe someone has an ax to grind?
    1 point
  19. You can use the multi-quote “+” sign so you can keep everything in one post. Works well.
    1 point
  20. Because there's crowds you're taking your ball and going home? I wish I had the park to myself but it is what it is.
    1 point
  21. ^this! Many will make more per hour in their chosen career field as a co-op or intern than the park can pay. And fast forward to graduation and that results in higher starting pay compared to the graduate that didn't work in their field during college. But on the flip side, there are also many demanding jobs that some of my RN nurse friends have said CP or KI is paying more per hour than they make and they have joked about working their for summer. So what is the answer? More full-time jobs to entice people to work there? Bigger outreach to high schools? Couple positions to internships within their chosen field - for example a ride op majoring in marketing would have x% of their time within the marketing department? And then of course how does CF pay for all of this? Increased prices or reduced prices and make it up on volume?
    1 point
  22. Well, I made it as far as Kings Island Drive, and once I saw the vehicles at the intersection and the line on the road going to the toll gates, I spun right back onto 71 south and came home. Its been a good run folks, but seeing that just made me realize that this is it. It isnt the rides that did me in like happened to my Wife in 2005, but the people and the crowds. I hope you can all enjoy this hobby for many years to come, it was a good one for me for about 20 years.
    1 point
  23. Agree. I love that it’s becoming a “whole park” experience, and now with the launch party, it’s going even deeper into the park. Would be cool if they could actually add a few fountains to diamond back lake to extend the show back there and maybe even convert one of the longer planters in coney to a fountain. That would add during the day, and could tie in at night as well.
    1 point
  24. Agree with all points. And I guess “calm” and “grand” are the same. That’s what I was trying to say. They come off as cheap little squirts without the lighting. Honestly I think they should make the 6 down the center big, thick fleur de lis pattern jets, and make the finger jets a true arc to the center from each side. Those changes coupled with the thinner vertical jets along the sides could be enough if they slowly cross faded and combined among those 3. Slow the whole thing down and don’t even use the squiggle during the day
    1 point
  25. The members of the RCB are about as pro as you can get. I know one of the trumpet players (who essentially put the band together), and he's played occasionally with the Cincinnati Pops, including solo work with Aretha Franklin when she performed with them a while back. He also works with the UC Band. He's one of the best trumpet players you'll see perform live. Wouldn't expect anything less. Looking forward to hearing them on my next visit. Also, I would LOVE to perform with them.
    1 point
  26. Management also ignored a petition from numerous people who wanted them to keep the rides. It will be interesting to see what happens at Balloon Glow this year, though I probably won't attend since I typically spend all day out there for that event and don't want to spend all day at the pool.
    1 point
  27. In the interest of fairness, it seemed as though there was a ton of staffing yesterday. Even the drink stand by The Beast which I’ve never seen open was open. Glad things are working out. Funny how you mention that. When Kinzel tried to sell the company to AGM (for a steal - while walking away with a golden parachute), Jeffrey Reynor from Q investments bought up much of the units to put pressure on Kinzel for a legit vote. After the leveraged buyout failed. Reynor used his power to affect change within the company including shaking up the board. I think his exact terminology was that they had a “country club atmosphere.” The board consisted of Kinzel’s buddies and other who would not challenge Kinzel’s… vision. The pressure from Reynor indirectly caused Matt Ouimet to be selected as the next CEO. Not long after this change, Reynor reduced his holdings. Since Kinzel left, Cedar Fair was able to shore up debts and create record growth. Kinzel got some good breaks during the 80’s and 90’s, but he was not equipped to run a company the size of Cedar Fair after the merger. The mentality of “they’re at the mercy of us” along with very apparent greed would have driven the company into bankruptcy very quickly.
    1 point
  28. I got into the park itself around 1130. I went on Orion first. It was about a 40 minute wait. Next I went to Flight of Fear. That was easily a good hour and a half wait but a ton of fun. Went to The Beast afterwards and that was about a 30 minutes wait. That was one of the most incredibly amazing wooden coasters I ever rode. The last part where you go down the hill slightly sideways into the two tunnels was absolutely incredible. I then took a ton of photos. And decided I would save the rest for another day. The reason I did that is they said my ticket is good for another admission free so I plan to make the 10 hour drive back from Pennsylvania before the season is over. Overall I thought the park was awesome even though I only did 3 rides.
    1 point
  29. The parks are gambling on the J1 visa program being back next year where they can pay international students much less, back to the $10/hr level - it’s a big gamble because they can see via social media that the parks can afford to pay much more if they want to, and may decide not to come to the US in 2022 for less than $18-20/hr.
    1 point
  30. So they just kick the staffing problems into next year... If the parks don't offer at least the same amount last year, I see the shortage being even greater then. Who likes doing the same job for half what they got paid last year?
    1 point
  31. So I've been pretty silent on the subject but I decided after seeing what KI has posted it's time to unload some thoughts. The whole country is hurting for people to work. Kings Island, and Cedar Fair mind you, has implemented a lot of policies and plans to accommodate their staffing issues and they are still hurting. Just based on the video, the subsequent day, and just the environment in general, I believe in the "punish the criminal, not the good intentioned populous". I myself have been to the park solo when I was a minor for years and never did I get in trouble with the park. I always followed the rules, made sure to be polite, and generally be a good patron to the park. I never thought of being a "gang" and picking a fight with another group, and never will. The individuals who acted, started, and harassed other patrons should be barred for an extremely long time and should be punished to the fullest extent of the law. Make the policies clear, make them open, make them available, make an example of whoever causes a brawl like this. I do not believe we should punish good minded youths due to the acts of a group of individuals who probably need some help. I have seen people get escorted out of the park, it does happen and should happen. I have nothing but extreme respect for security, and to a grander degree our first responders like Lifeguards and EMTS. They put up with some of the worst from people, and I can speak from first hand experience. They care about safety, they work late shifts even to ensure guest safety. I believe that KI should try to employ more security, enforce their policies, and really make statements that even if you are a minor, there are extreme consequences for unruly behavior.
    1 point
  32. Probably because you were up-selling your book
    1 point
  33. I can’t disagree with this statement more. IMO the problem is their risk managers have been ignoring the problem for years and have failed to take the steps to prevent these types of incidences. Starting with shoulder shrugs at running, smoking and line jumping. Not suggesting tossing their asses out on Columbia Road for a first offense but taking proactive deescalation measures. Short story back in 77 or 78, a year or so before the infamous Skyride accident at SFSTL my buddy an I took the long bus ride out to the park for a summer day of fun probably in 6th grade. We got the dumbass idea to have bombing runs with ice cubes, got reported and 2 security guards were waiting for us at the station. They chewed out as for a couple of minutes but then lightened up and just started talking to us about what fun was to be had the rest of the day and shortly let us on our way. We probably passed them half a dozen times the rest of the day and they always waved or stopped briefly to ask what we had just ridden and maybe made a suggestion of where we should go next. We also knew if we screwed up again they would have our parents on the phone or just boot us out. They problem as I see it is the total Laissez-faire approach KI has taken towards the small incidents in the past years is leading to these kids to think there are no consequences for their actions. So when the park does get overcrowded and there is nothing to do but wait in ginormous lines for the simplest things problems will arise they can’t control. The old idiom “Idle hands are the Devil’s tools.” comes to mind. IMO what the park needs is more security roaming the grounds, not out to bust heads but getting out ahead of the situation with small talks with guests about expected good park-goer behavior. If management remains laser focused on only next quarter earnings and not the long term health of the park unit holders need to start thinking about an exit strategy.
    1 point
  34. 1 point
  35. So many good ones...I'll go with this.
    1 point
  36. Had a fun walk down memory lane for this. #1
    1 point
  37. Entry #2 July 31, 2020 Looking up.
    1 point
  38. Polaroid shot from last summer.
    1 point
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