Outdoor Man

Back when we did it (under Paramount)- and we did it several times- We ran the registers, served food, made food (simple things like pulling pizza from oven, funnel cakes, etc...), but we also wiped tables and swept the grounds. It was a GREAT fund raiser opportunity. I think, in 2003, the rate was $5/hour.... yes $5. That was bumped to $8/hour if all committed spots on our reservation were filled.

Honestly, something that I think could REALLY help. It was probably a hassle and more trouble than the average chimp knew about- but on the surface it would seem to solve a lot of things. During the Paramount days they had "volunteer" workers come supporting non-profits. I did this as a volunteer and leader of a non-profit organization that did it. These were the bullet points as I remembered them. more "mature" adults working Volunteers working that weren't jaded by the daily grind Volunteers got to do something "different." I LOVED working Tower Funnel cakes, getting burnt by splashing oil... I actually did like it Volunteers had "skin in the game" because they were raising money for their particular charity Park generally had better workforce those days than teenage associates. Volunteers got paid by the park "donating" a per-hour rate to the charity- and free tix to return No payroll tax, just donation and community goodwill for the park. Something I did notice during those days were that MANY of the supervisors were consumed with being the "cool" supervisor than being an actual supervisor and the volunteer adults usually were working while the Sup's and Associates were talking and laughing. Think about it. Pay associate to do a half job wiping down tables for $15/hour (I don't know what the hourly rate it)- (multiple associates covering a 14 hour work day). Approx $250/day, including various payroll fees. Or get the labor 25 hours from volunteers with the benefit of positive community recognition and instead of paying payroll taxes/fees, getting a donation write off.

From what we saw, they didn't need "more" associates in the Coney BBQ area... they needed associates with peripheral vision and the intuition to address painfully obvious stimuli. Where are the Supervisors? Where is the management wondering where the Supervisors are?

No, Park management isn't telling them to stop cleaning, serve cold food, etc... But management should be telling Supervisors to address these issues. If they aren't then they need to take a walk around the park and experience all of the senses as a first-time guest would.

Mike Baxter for Outdoor Man talking to you today about... civil responsibility. Or, the total lack thereof. You know, I try to spend time encouraging folks to get outdoors, enjoy nature, and build some character. Well, I just got back from Kings Island, where character apparently went to die at the Coney BBQ. I wanted some pulled pork, not a side order of disgust. Look at the pictures of the eating area, it'll show you what some "modern families" consider acceptable behavior. One of the tables- They ordered macaroni. Then, apparently, they decided to paint with it. In another, it looks like they ordered a radioactive milkshake and tried to contain the meltdown then left a single cup as a monument to their failure. It's a biohazard. Then another table didn't have a meal; it had a conflict. The pile of napkins is so big it should have its own zip code. Is that paper plate empty, or did someone just finish consuming a small animal? Seriously, who does this? Who walks away from this mess with their kids and thinks, "Yep, that was a quality dining experience, and now it's someone else's problem!" You see this mess? This isn't the Coney BBQ's fault. This is parents failing. It's laziness. Disrespect. It's teaching your kids that you're too special to clean up after yourselves. If you can’t manage to throw away your trash at Kings Island, I’m scared to see what your living room looks like. Having sat there for 30 minutes+, we got to watch other families detour around these in search of clean tables, and happened to see two different employees: one emptying the trash can the other one had a broom- you know, the thing you "sweep" with? They swept right past the carnage and kept sweeping the ground. Apparently didn't see Mount Napkin and Blue Lake. It’s like they were wearing blinders tuned specifically to dodge work not in "the description." You can buy new tables. You can buy new trash cans. But you can't buy common decency from guests and apparently can't buy staff with peripheral vision. For a late September Saturday evening at the Coney BBQ, they seem to be fresh out of both. I'm headed off to find some hand sanitizer. And maybe a power washer. Baxter, out. (I'm not really Mike Baxter, the TV character - he's fictitious (or ABC, for that matter), nor the baseball player... I've borrowed the persona to make a point through humorous observation).

Speaking of food and park restaurants. With the new meal plans and prices- we renewed our annual passes for 2027... but without the meal plan. I would possibly consider, but they are seriously going to need to step it up a bit if they are going to charge what they are... and especially if the expect the paying Public to spend $20+/person on a meal. We were at the park over the weekend and ordered two cheese coneys and returned them because... they were cold. The served up another at the window featuring cheese and chilli all over the countertop... and I returned those two coneys... because they were cold. Finally got some lukewarm hot dogs and proceeded to go eat on the DISGUSTING Coney Mall tables. It's like they've given up on cleanliness. The serving areas are disgusting. They never have ice and the drink areas have Coke all over the countertops (and floor). Condiment areas are gross. Admittedly, I'm a person that "cash-flowed" the 2026 meal plan in April so I'm part of the reason food service has taken it on the chin. However, given the quality of the food and eating areas, my current cost basis for the food of roughly $3-4 per seems reasonably priced. (Except the pulled pork..... the park has outstanding pulled pork).

I would, personally, like to see Six Flags buy one of the Coney Island entrances and relocate or rebuild at the entrance to Coney Mall... and create a replica of Moonlight Gardens at the end of the strip (near the site of The Vortex line queue) to be an indoor quick service restaurant with meeting space akin to Cedar Point's Grand Pavillion. Chance of happening? <20%.

great article!

AND.... not off the shelf. Innovative, creative, immersive (and many other *.ive adjectives). AND... you cannot find the experience anywhere else. Got to go to Dollywood. Very cool to have been among the first (a few turnstiles behind you) to ride it!

OK- I will go into our basement in the dark to check out a noise. I'll go outdoors to see what a noise is. I'm otherwise, not fearless, but inquisitive enough to check out things. The Nightmare on Elm Street movies never phased me back in the day. Halloween movies/Michael Myers- meh. BUT, enter that Jason Vorhees Hockey Mask into any scenario and I will freaking run for my life. Most of the Haunt mazes and scare zones... wouldn't hold my interest. Put a 6'5" person in the Jason outfit with the mask, I'm out. Well done KI/Six team; you've come up with a concept that will scare the living crap out of me just the thought of it!

I'm back at it. Went to the water park today for the first time this season. No different over there. Someone mentioned that things weren't always clean in the past. I know, but it really has never been this bad, especially this bad on a consistent basis. I would contend that when. Greg Scheid was Park president, for the most part, the park was an immaculate shape. When his successor was running the park, and his name escapes me at the moment, The park was in pretty good shape too, albeit by a lesser extent, but still in good shape. It seemed like when they eliminated the park present position and made it a regional thing is when things started falling off the rails. I had hopes that when. Tony was promoted to Park president that these things would be fixed quickly, but we're 2 months into the season and that hasn't happened yet.

Don't mean to always be a "complainer" on the state of the park in 2026, but here goes again. Sat along the fountains tonight. I don't think they're on a "program" anymore.... and it appears that 22 fountain jets aren't operating. In addition, there are weeds in the mulched areas in the grass area between iStreet and the fountains. Also, the Carousel. You know, perhaps the oldest attraction in the park celebrating 100 years this season, there appear to be more lights out on the pavilion roof than work. Kings Island management: these two things should be your showcase to people entering and exiting the park, and they look like an afterthought.

Next year... will be our 21st consecutive season as Annual Pass Holders, plus a handful of years before. We got food at Chicken Shack. If we didn't have meal plans it would have cost $26+ for each entree and drink. If we were paying cash, it would have been returned several times. Food cold, fries kind of stale, eating area messy, employees never give eye contact, rarely smile (heaven forbid), etc. I know management has a read on the various sites- our kids are grown now. We're free agents after this season. The lack of attention to the basics may cause us to spend our money elsewhere. There is a WIDE gap between the areas that do things well and the areas that absolutely do not. Ride Ops seem good this year. Food Service and Park cleanliness have been terrible. Don't even get me started on the restrooms (Festhaus, I'm looking at you....). I know the park isn't responsible for this in particular, the water quality is awful. The water in Mason is terrible, and by proxy- so to is the water at KI. I don't know the answer here- but. I'll give the park a gigantic "pass" on the lack of flowers planted in certain areas. Parents seem unphased when their kids walk all over places where they shouldn't be. Guests, clean up after yourself. Kings Island.... staff these areas or install "Cleaning Wipes" stations so guests can do it and not feel like they need to rinse off with Chlorox. It was just 4 short years ago in 2022 (50th Anniversary) where I'd say most areas of the park, from an operations level, were firing on ALL cylinders.

Not to worry, supervisors weren't interested in cleaning the tables and got about every 5th piece of trash on the ground. A couple supervisors stood talking at the edge of the 6-table eating area; appeared unable to see any of the 6 seriously messy tables. and it shouldn't be a standoff as to whose job it is to assure a section is clean. It should be the "Associate Culture" that the park presentation is everyone's responsibility. Put glasses on those blind eyes so the can see the ketchup-slathered bench seats

After cleaning off the Skyline serving window myself because.... it was a disgusting mess of cheese, spaghetti, and chili we went to Coney Mall to sit/eat. From the images below: Table with my (full) drink on it is ours before we "dusted" it off. Grounds sweepers -sort of- sweeping randomly, missing more than they were sweeping. Supervisors walking by, blind-eye'ing it. After WE cleaned our table and prepared to leave, a family of three were going to leave the area because of the 4 empty tables.... the images below are a sample of what they saw; we gave them ours. In a story I heard, at Holiday World, ALL employees (from gate workers to Matt Eckert (Park President) or anyone with a Koch family lineage) are trained to pick up and throw away trash anywhere on park grounds they saw it. I heard Mr. Eckert say in an interview that it is so engrained that his family will make fun of him because they'll spot him picking up trash in the parking lot of a Walmart to throw it away. This is Guest Experience 101. Make your areas clean and welcoming. At a minimum, if you can't get staff to clean it, install kiosks that will give guests Disinfectant Wipes to clean themselves. I grew up on Kings Island. Have been an annual pass holder every year since 2006 + a handful of years before. 2025 and this year have been terrible on keeping areas clean. I get it, guests can be gross and disgusting. They will do things in the park they would NEVER do at home. But, this is awful. I have no ax to grind. KI is a great park- but wow, it's been a bad year+ for attention to the "little" things. and, looking at the pictures after posting... it really looked worse in person.