FUN&ONLY!

Let’s not overthink this...

Again, if he did it to be mean, that is one thing. If he did it to be funny, that is another. Obviously, some people found his response funny based on the reactions to the post while others clearly weren’t as amused. Bottom line, we are not Don Helbig, and we don’t know what his intentions were. Because of this, there is no point in arguing back and forth whether he was doing it to be funny or to be mean because we don’t know.

I was just trying to give him the benefit of the doubt, and I guess none of us know what his real motive was. Even if it was meant to be mean, Don Helbig had a lot on his plate with reopening and whatnot, and while this is never an excuse for being rude, it is human to do things like this in stressful situations (though it is still inexcusable). Like you said he does not have a history of comments like that and after all he has done for the fans of Kings Island, I’ll give him a pass. Remember, like all of us, Don Helbig is a human and he makes mistakes like the rest of us.

I think at the very best these markers could be for a new entrance or a resurfaced parking lot which would honestly be amazing! I would be inclined to think these markers would be for work on electrical or water lines, but there are distinct colors for those utilities. Since most of the markers are temporary, I could also see them being used as early land surveying for a project way down the line. I know Kings Island is not going to add anything major for the next few years, but maybe the park is just getting measurements and soil samples for future years when they start planning a new attraction. The area in question, especially near Congo Falls and Invertigo has long been rumored to be the site of a future rollercoaster, so this makes sense. However, we likely won’t see anything major here for AT LEAST 3-4 years.

If these markers are for a new entrance or even a new ride, I don’t understand why they extend all the way to Tropical Plunge.

I think Don Helbig was trying to be more funny than rude, and while not everything Kings Island does is perfect, this year we should cut them some slack. The park is having to rethink all aspects of how they operate, and there are bound to be some mistakes. The best thing we can do is give Kings Island our honest feedback whether it is negative or positive.

Kings Island should have responded in a better way (what they did is likely inexcusable though I never saw their response), but they did listen to not only his but others’ comments about opening day. After opening day, they started opening not only the parking tolls earlier but the whole park as well. Negative criticism helps the park, but they just need to admit their mistakes and make the proper changes not defend their mistakes and quietly make changes while informing nobody. I definitely think the park listens and cares about what its guests have to say, but I do agree that the park could be more transparent about changes in park policy. For instance, Kings Island started off closing lines early at night, guests complained, the park changed this policy, but they tried to act like nothing happened at all.

A new entryway would probably be around the size of Carowinds’ and Cedar Points’ because Kings Island has way more attendance than Carowinds and only slightly less than Cedar Point. I think the design of a new Kings Island entrance would look different than both, however.

I would define “out of touch” as a business not listening to its customers, likely alienating long-time fans, and in my opinion I would not use this to describe Kings Island. Kings Island definitely does make money off of their new additions, but again, they are a business. The park listened to guests’ calls for them to bring back the antique cars and the glockenspiel when they simply could have invested in a new flat ride that would probably engage more of the general public. They built a giga when they could have had the same return on investment for a much less expensive ride. Kings Island operates first and foremost as a business, but they try to find that middle ground where they can best meet the requests of the fans while also staying profitable. However, I agree with you that the park does make mistakes sometimes, and I welcome your criticism. Through guest feedback, whether it is negative or positive, the park can make changes to better accommodate its guests’ needs.

I wonder what these mean. Do you have any idea as to what they are referring to? Thanks for the updates by the way!

Do you know or have any pictures of what the markers on the stakes say?

What is interesting is how the markers are directly behind Congo Falls and Invertigo. If these markers do point toward excavation, what do we think they are doing there? I would love to see a reimagined entrance, maybe with a new pathway leading up to it from where the preferred parking is. I would also be happy with a resurfacing of the parking lot though I know it would be expensive.

I have to respectfully disagree with you that Kings Island is out of touch with its fans. In my opinion, Kings Island is one of the few parks that actually listens to its guests and and invests in nostalgia. This can be seen with the recent addition of the sorely missed antique cars, the refurbishment of International Street, and the restoration of the Festhaus Glockenspiel. Kings Island knew its long time fans greatly missed attractions like the antique cars and the glockenspiel, so they invested in beinging them back. Also, Kings Island invested $30 million into a brand new giga coaster, answering fans’ constant pleas to add such a coaster. In terms of cutting midnight hours pre-pandemic, Kings Island likely realized that it was more financially viable to operate fewer hours, producing more profit. We have to remember that Cedar Fair is a BUSINESS first and foremost. Kings Island looks at what days and hours they are not as busy, so they can make adjustments in future calandars to make a more sustainable profit. This is also why we saw them running with very limited hours when they reopened. Kings Island knew that attendance would be much lower, and knowing how long guests usually spend at the park, they knew that it made more sense to reduce operating costs to maximize profit. This is why almost every park that has reopened has cut their hours, not just Kings Island. Of course, guests expressed their criticism with Kings Island not being open late, and the park listened to this feedback, adding later closures with less operating days, still trying to maximize profit. The park advertised night rides because they know their fans had been asking for them, and when guests complained that lines were closing early, making night rides harder, Kings Island followed up the next weekend and let guests enter the lines as late as they would like. All in all, Kings Island really does value its guests’ feedback and critisism, and I think the park tries to make descisions that satisfy guests as much as possible while also being financially viable.

They could always re-route the queue line to being more on the side of the ride like Shake, Rattle, and Roll or Scrambler.

I think the park will definitely build a new gift shop that fits the theme of the area if they demolish Coaster Connection. I just think the park should really try to open up the back area of Action Zone by The Bat and the restrooms, so it doesn’t seem like it is so far off the beaten path.

I think that these markers are just preliminary surveying for a future attraction down the line. If a new coaster comes in 4 or 5 years, I think it will probably extend the majority of the front of the park and interact with guests as they enter. This project will likely include a reconfigured entry plaza with new ticket booths and amenities. I think they will keep the actual entrance building, but I think they will upgrade the facade and probably renovate the guest services, gift shops, and the International Restaurant while they are at it. In terms of ride placement, I could see them taking out Xtreme Skyflyer, Timberwolf, Coaster Connection, and the Banshee lockers, putting the entrance to the new ride there and maybe adding a flat or two. By removing these attractions, the whole back end of Action Zone will open up, making it seem like The Bat is no longer as far off the beaten path. I could see the park replacing the Banshee lockers with a larger locker complex that can accommodate for both Banshee and the new ride (I have always thought that Banshee’s lockers were ugly). I could also see Invertigo removed, but I think the park will try to keep Congo Falls. I also hope that with this new addition, the entirety of Action Zone is reimagined into something more interesting. Maybe the park can completely re-theme it like Carowinds proposed earlier this year in a guest survey.

They did? I would love to see Paramount’s concept if you have any documents.

I don’t know if Orion will deteriorate like Banshee did. When Banshee first opened, it was honestly not much different than it is now in my opinion. It may be SLIGHTLY rougher now, but I remember getting off Banshee in 2014 wondering why it felt so shaky. Orion in the other hand is almost completely smooth right now. I doubt it will get more rattly, but if it does, I can’t see it getting that much worse. I do want to park to try to fix Banshee’s shakiness, but I have no clue how they would go about doing that. I think Action Zone just needs another anchor coaster to bring back crowds. With Banshee’s popularity dwindling over the years, Action Zone has been much emptier compared to other areas of the park like Coney Mall and Rivertown.

Maybe someone at the park can get a better look. What would it indicate if there were more markers on the other side?

Do you have a map you can show us? If a ride IS going to be removed, what one is it going to be?

Do you have proof that there are indications that the road will be removed? Also, even if the road is removed, that does not necessarily mean a ride will also be removed.

Do you know anything about there being more markers? It doesn’t seem like anything major with the markers we have seen.

Kings Island has been letting people get in line on The Beast and Orion right up until 10:00 the past few nights which is really good news. However, the past couple of nights the maintenance lights have been on in The Beast’s final helix. Is there any reason why these lights have been on recently?

I agree. Kings Island needs to focus on regaining attendance. Removing another coaster will not attract more guests to the park.

That is all speculation, though. I don’t know why the park would be putting markers down for a ride removal. I don’t recall any markers for Firehawk or Vortex before they were torn down.