Maddog

Not exactly sure what this brings to the discussion. You don't have to go if you aren't interested.

Personally I agree with change. Cedar Point as a destination park should only have early entry for Platinum and higher passes, along with resort guests (as it used to be). $99 is too cheap and brought too many people to early entry at gate drop.

Yep, really excited for the capital investments in "food service and delivery systems" and "a full lineup of seasonal events" Um, yeah...

Getting something new helps you overlook maintenance needs. "Hey look over here at this new shiny thing!" But your right @MrSourNinja people will start to nitpick more about anything lackluster, rough, or non-functional--even if it seems minor in the overall park. Fingers crossed for a string of "non-announced" refreshes in the off-season.

It appears from the news announcement (link above) by Cedar Fair they have completed the unveiling, i.e. nothing else to hold out for today. While I am excited for all the additions at other parks, the big goose egg for Kings Island makes me shake my head. One flat would have been enough to show ongoing improvements and a nod to those patronizing the park. Unfortunately capital investments in "food service and delivery systems" and "a full lineup of seasonal events" do not entice me for 2023. Food is not the driving force to get me into the park. Myself (and some friends) will be voting with our wallets--no KI next year. Though we will likely make the trip up to CP and checkout the Boardwalk! Here's looking forward to 2024!

I'm not sure those two statements can even be correlated. A well-rounded amusement park needs rides of all varieties to attract various spending groups. Not everyone likes going upside down, or spinning in circles, or hanging out in the kid zone. Trying to categorize those as quality versus quantity seems like a pointless exercise. Regardless, I'm concerned for KI if we are staring down a ride drought for the park.

I agree with @FUN&ONLY!, so this may be somewhat redundant... I get this is a fan site, which means people are going to nit-pick every expense the park has done justifying various improvements and additions. But Kings Island is a amusement park, with rides being a main attraction for their audience. Stage shows, parades, anniversary celebrations, chef specials, they are all timed events that can come and go. Investment in this type of entertainment is important, but it pales in comparison to fixed rides. Rides you can (mostly) rely on being around for years and operational all hours the park is open. Ongoing maintenance to keep the park in shape (painting, parking log, infrastructure, ride repairs) should just be expected. I very much appreciate The Beast project work, but this we needed to keep the ride for continued long-term use. Maintenance is a significant expense, but should be built into the cost of operating the park. Deferred maintenance is just the parent company taking profits at our expense. I'm looking for some additional ride options. Something... doesn't have to be expensive, or flashy, but additions are needed. As rides age, removals are always on the horizon, additions need to be as well. Someone else mentioned above if a season pass was on the line based upon ride additions. Personally for myself and a number of friends--yes. We can take a year off and do other adventures, we've done it before and may do it again for 2023. Kings Island isn't the only option around. I like the shows and events, and use them to rest and recharge, but they alone don't justify my drive to the park. Bottom line, it is all about money, and how to get the most out of it. Cedar Fair looks at their budget and determines how they allocate it based on ROI, everyone here should do the same with their amusement/entertainment budget to get the best bang for your buck (which is all personal preference)

Typically major touring groups bring in all their own equipment, or is spec'd in the rider for the venue and then subbed out to a local rental group. Using house equipment for road-shows just brings in too many unknowns. All they need is a nice big power hookup and they take care of the rest.

I appreciate KI being in the news highlighting positive things, but this is really just a fluff feature article. At first I thought they had received some type of award, but after fully reading the article I realized they are just providing some quotes from an ACE spokesperson.

I personally think the work in the helix section is major because they are redoing a section of footers that perhaps have slid or lost solid foundational support. There are some fairly major elevation changes in the woods around The Beast, and it is possible 43 years after constructing those footers things have moved a bit too much. No point in working on just track or structural improvements if it doesn't have a solid base. I do believe that this type of rehab shows how KI wants to keep this ride around for awhile. I suspect other areas are getting some tweaks and such to smooth out the ride, but I don't expect any new elements. Hopefully there will be some announcement from the park soon!! (but I'm not holding my breath)

The workforce for park turnover would have a different skill-set than your regular (seasonal) day-to-day positions they advertise. While one can assume maintenance and operations is heavily involved in the turnover, a lot of this work is likely contracted out.

I'm seeing the top ad banner too. It shows up on some pages, but not others. Oddly enough it popped up as I attempted to respond to this thread, makes the editor a little crowded. It would be nicer if they worked with the site theme, in dark mode in a dark room the ad is very bright.

Let's keep it real--no-one* knows what KI is getting next. Any forgone conclusion of future events is just unnecessary here. *(the exception being those internally involved with future projects until announced, of which none would ever come here and post about )

I think this is a great change for Kings Island. Especially if it means faster and better service at concessions. With the flexibility of the any unused funds on the card post-visit there is really no down-side. Kings Island still "accepts cash" you just have to do it one time only when you first go into the park. No different than heading over to the ticket boot at the county fair to get your ride and drink tickets. Hopefully some signage and guest education will alleviate any kinks. Looking forward to seeing the results! Anecdotal example: I was at the park a few weeks ago with some friends, two were cashless (credit cards), one used cash. Guess who had faster service at every transaction? Guess who was always taking extra time finding the right bills/coins to pay? Guess who had heavier pockets and jingled down the midway with all the loose change they had acquired.

Hmm, there WAS a time...(a certain Club store comes to mind) but is no longer the case now. It was one of the motivations for me having more than one major CC type in my wallet.