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Bringing back a hot air ballon for the 50th anniversary was not seriously considered.

I find this funny that we made a thread about which bathroom is the best at Kings Island. While I'm here, I'm going to say that the restroom by The Bat/Banshee is the best one in the park. It just seems like one of the least used restrooms in the park. I also enjoy a bathroom where some punk before me didn't decide to vandalize the stall. That's so annoying because most of the time, you can't latch the door for privacy and people coming in might try to walk in on you.

Some early history. I started as a model maker at Kings Island in 73, then designed with Kings Productions (Kings Island, Kings Dominion, Canada's Wonderland), then on to Disney then Silver Dollar City then back to Imagineering. I just wrote my career bio book. Me and Mickey and Scooby and Dolly. Lots of stories (like being a test dummy on The Beast) behind the scenes history, photos and drawings. Check it out on my website. https://www.insidedalesbrain.com/ Thanks. Dale

I did work at Cedar Point for parts of three months in 2013 to help with the planning and opening for GateKeeper. Cedar Fair set me up with a place to live across the road from Blue Streak. I was requested to go there to help with PR by Phil Bender, who was one of the top executives for Cedar Fair at the time. GateKeeper was going to be the first major new ride to open in the Matt Ouimet era, and Phil and Richard Zimmerman wanted me to go in and do what I had successfully done managing the PR for the opening of Diamondback and Intimidator at Carowinds (I was sent there as the interim PR manager for the opening), and for the announcement of Gold Striker at California's Great America in 2012 (I was sent there as the interim PR manager for the announcement). While doing PR for Cedar Point, I was also still doing the PR for Kings Island. The Reds Hall of Fame Grille opened that year. We had news media from Cincinnati, Indianapolis, Louisville, Lexington, Columbus attend the media event. It was no different than opening a new ride. I was able to promote both parks and what was new with my outreach to the media in those markets. I was asked a few days before GateKeeper media day if I'd have interest in the director of communications position Cedar Point had open. I chose not to throw my name in the ring for consideration. Weeks later they ended up hiring Tony Clark. I didn't do PR for fame. I did it because I enjoyed getting the park's stories told.

While every visit to KI I may not get on a ride, there is one thing I always do, go to the restroom. I’ve always been a fan of the restrooms near Backlot, just something about those subtle brown and beige colors of the building makes it easy to do to my business. Plus, knowing all of those thrilling attractions like The Beast or Diamondback or roaring by only a few hundred feet away, it really reels me in and gets me excited for my day. What’s your favorite restroom?

It's like the Mystery t-shirts. Nobody knows if you got a last ride.

I do like the one by Invertigo in Action Zone but wish they would winterize that one so that it would be open during Winterfest. I agree the worst restrooms are the ones in the Festhouse (don’t think they ever have had a major renovation) and the two single use ones in Area 72 (which have to be the grossest and smellest in all of the park. (KI should permanently closed the Mentor canteen which these are attached to since it is hardly ever open anyway and expand into a normal larger multi-stall restroom). There have been several complaints over the years about the inside front gate men’s room about having only one stall (which has not been good for the little ones when there is usually a line waiting for the one and only toilet).

I don't think that white SUV race car is doing it right.

We demo'ed more rides than you?

I didn't even realize they had ones back there.

^That is why Six Flags is the leader in the industry

I feel the one I have the less complaints about is the one by Banshee. The only one I avoid is Festhaus, mostly due to its popular location indoors.

Yes, not the cleanest bathroom and very loud, but any bathroom that I can do my business and get on another ride is all I need

Something I've been wondering is, in the early days of Kings Island, the park would have a giant hot air balloon as part of an air show, was it ever considered to bring a hot air balloon back for the 50th anniversary year in 2022 or even have one built with the 50th logo on it?

The one used the most often for me is the one next to the VIP lounge. The one I like the most is the one by Invertigo. The worst one is the one across from DB, but the back side that faces Planet Snoopy. I can't speak for the woman's side, but there are always multiple screaming kids in the mens. I have 3 kids and I understand the screaming kids part, but now that I don't have any that little, I try to avoid that restroom at all costs.

You know it's the offseason when... We have a thread talking about which restroom is best

Would have to agree, the "Invertigo Restroom is my go to for #2. The door to outside is usually shut so the AC stays inside the building, it's clean and I'll have the place to myself as it's usually not to crowded. The restrooms back by WindSeeker are never busy for me since they removed Vortex, but it's not as cold or clean usually. Worst would have to be the bathroom just beyond the front gate with only one stall, and it's always packed. Some Runner-up locations include the one before the front gate with the awkward urinal setup, the restrooms by Backlot Stunt Coaster recieves way too much traffic, the stalls are pretty rusty, and it can get nasty on busy days, and then I agree with Festhaus as said above. I agree restroom is a restroom, and most of them at KI are pretty decent, with their only fault being the crowd levels. CP on the otherhand... Other than the ones by the mine ride, every single one I went into was hot, steamy, disgusting, and filled with bugs. Honestly one of the things I took away from my first trip was that their park infrastructure lacks in terms of RRs. Can't remember which one, but the stall doors were so misalligned, when one kid slammed the door, the locks came undone and opened all the other stalls on guests

Any restroom but Feshaus bathroom, on busy KI days either hot for summer or cold for WinterFest, those bathrooms usually have a line.

I'm a diabetic, so any restroom I can find is my favorite restroom.

In the middle of summer I would have to say the RR next to Chicken Shack. Super cold AC.

I agree with this; I also enjoy it mainly because it was featured in the Partridge Family episode. The worst bathroom in the park is the one inside of the Festhaus. Walking into that bathroom is like walking through the Portal to Hell.

The restroom next to the VIP lounge at Kings Island, though often busy and not the cleanest due to its proximity to the trash compactor, still has its practical merits. Its central location makes it a convenient option for guests in the area, especially if other restrooms are further away or packed. For someone like Don Helbig, who famously marathoned The Racer, it would have been a quick and accessible stop between laps, despite the less-than-ideal surroundings. While it may not be the most pristine or peaceful restroom in the park, its convenience and accessibility make it a reliable choice when in a pinch.

If I gotta go I'll chose whatever most convenient. I will say though KI does have its more "peaceful" restrooms whereas my family are SeaWorld regulars so kids are everywhere...its like kids area restrooms park wide. Honestly I think a more constructive restroom thread would be asking former Park Services employees their favorite restrooms to work cause that would be a thing. Having done that several years I have stories from kinda cool (attendees to pride night cleaning bathroom mirrors) to absolutely bizarre (another discussion for another time in case people are in process of eating while browsing KIC Forums)!

I just want a restroom that doesn't have any bugs in it (Like Cedar Point) For KI, I'm just gonna say the Rivertown/Planet Snoopy one because of it's location next to Diamondback, Mystic, and Brewhouse

That’s like saying Orion and Great Pumpkin are the same because they’re both roller coasters. There’s so many different factors that go into what makes a strong bathrooms experience at KI, cleanliness, location, build quality, and color palettes all play a HUGE factor in determining what separates the outhouses from the royal thrones. Let me put it like this, let’s say you gotta go, would you rather go to a sweaty, busy I Street bathroom at the start of the day, or maybe waltz a little further into the park and find a nice secret stall that you can relax, maybe scroll some KIC, and really lock in and set a plan on how to conquer your day. I know which option I would choose…

this must be a satire question... Personally a restroom is a restroom.

It did! Thank you. Just devasting news recently. I appreciate your perspective.

First and foremost, I would have approached this with transparency and compassion. The statement they provided feels scripted and impersonal, almost identical to the one issued in 2006 by Kings Island when Winterfest was cancelled. A more thoughtful, heartfelt response would have better acknowledged the disappointment felt by guests. Additionally, I would have insured that email responses were signed by a real person rather than behind "Kings Dominion Guest Services." The general manager and PR team are directly involved in crafting and approving these statements, so attaching a name to them would add a personal touch and show accountability. Guests deserve more than a generic, faceless response. They deserve to feel heard. A canned response doesn't make them feel as though they were. I hope that answers your question.

I’ve now worked for three theme park companies, of which Merlin is one. Of the three, it was by far the worst professional experience.

@DonHelbig...in light of WinterFest being canceled at Kings Dominion: if you worked there, how would you respond to media inquiries and customer complaints on social media about this?

Personally I think the privately traded companies do better in regards to providing quality services to their guests, as they don't have to cater to shareholders. Look at the Herschend parks like Dollywood and SDC for example.

I’ve been thinking about this is being a publicly traded company beneficial overall or is it better to be privately traded in the amusement industry.

Cool story. But the point is, why would you have a candy themed park without candy themed rides? Doesn't matter how its done. Which is the point I was making.

Isn't that just getting into weeds. Both the chocolate company and Entertainment and Resorts are owned by The Hershey Trust Company, and it is why you pay the big bucks to accountants to figure out how to make money off each "subsidiary" LOL

Ok, you've changed my mind! With so many increasing entertainment options, going cheap will hurt them long term. If they are understaffed and super busy, with little to no emphasis on service, experience or quality, the average family will not consider KI as a top tier option for their time and money on a random summer day.

Hersheypark isn't owned by the chocolate company, it's owned by Hershey Entertainment and Resorts. They have to pay a licensing fee every time they use candy products in theming, etc.

But a key takeaway from your example is that it is HERSHEY Park. They will obviously advertise their brand throughout the park as it is a park mostly themed to what they sell.

I can't imagine every ride at KI having some sort of sponsor. This reminds me of Hersheypark:

You missed one of the most notable ride sponsors: Top Gun, presented by Gillette Mach 3. In 1986, before the country show, one of the performers backstage would say after a "Delta Gets You There" jingle before the cast ran out on the stage, "Kings Island, Kings Productions and Delta Airlines are proud to present Deep in the Heart of Country."

I'm kind of numb to the sponsor thing. Its been around so long I look past it. Lest we forget KI was, essentially one big Sponsorship... built to capitalize and propagate Taft and Hanna-Barbera Productions. Attraction "Sponsors" are hardly unique to SF.... Heck KI opened several attractions with commercial names plastered all over them. Sherwin Williams, Bank America, Kahn's, Rainbo Bakers, Coke, Marathon Oil, Fotomat etc. KI has had hundreds of them over the years. Remember Kodak Photospots? Or Kenton's Cove Keelboat Canal sponsored by Kayak Pools? How about Landscaping by John Deere? Shows at the American Heritage Music Hall sponsored by Chevrolet? One could go one and on. Granted the ride cars didn't necessarily have the sponsor's names on them - but the signage and park paraphernalia sure did. Finally, let's not discount the Paramount Years... where most every new attraction's theme was essentially a commercial for a dated movie title.

Those actually don’t look too bad. This is a use of sponsor logos which I don’t mind. Have them be a PART of the design and blend in with it, rather than just plastered all over like a billboard in a collage.

Or as @BeeastFarmer said:

I personally don't care what you call it, I just want Six Flags to do a good job with their parks and supply new experiences! But, It's not so "FUN" when they keep removing rides without warning... (Sorry, kind of off-topic)

It is actually FUN now LOL. So we either call it FUN, SF or Six Flags LOL But yeah I refer to it as SIX also LOL. So weird to have the Six Flags name but the Cedar Fair symbol.

I have never seen WWE, so I have no idea what WWE-style theatrics to build up hype looks like. Speaking of hype, you should have seen the early days of the Cincinnati Cyclones hockey team. Boy, did the team I worked with in the Cyclones front office know how to market and promote. Standing room only crowds at Cincinnati Gardens every game. One of the first things we did in 1990 was reach out to Kings Island and set up a "Skate with the Cyclones" event at Winterfest (spelled with the lowercase f in those days). All of the Cincinnati and Dayton TV and print came out to cover it. It was great working with the Kings Island PR team on that event.

It would be a disservice to fans to feed the rumor Mongols. BTW -- Are people that are rarely seen in public, and nobody knows who they are public figures? Your writing style and word choices remind me of the exact way a former co-worker of mine would have written it.

Is Ryan continuing with the podcast? According to the deleted tweets, or screenshots, it seems like there definitely is some internal disagreements between you two over the targeting and criticizing of public figures at the park on your shared Tower Topics twitter. Definitely feel like this should be addressed before releasing a new episode, as to simply skim by is a disservice to fans.

When there's people wanting to take shots at you on Reddit and other social media channels, it means the Tower Topics Podcast has arrived! Tower Topics will be around longer than some of the rides at Kings Island.