disco2000

He may not be the one making the decision, but he can fight it until he wins or gives in or they relieve him of his duty....

With a big ole Bah Humbug sign at the entrance

King Cobra was repainted and removed two years later... Flight of Fear is approaching 30 years...what if it requires a major expenditure to keep it going....does it get The Vortex or the Loch Ness treatment....

#timberwolf confirmed

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Kings Island Delays Opening Day Due to Groundhog Day Forecast MASON, OH – February 2, 2025 – In a surprising turn of events this Groundhog Day, Kings Island has announced a delay in the highly anticipated opening day, moving it from April 19th to May 10th. According to the findings of the world-renowned groundhog Punxsutawney Phil, an extended winter is on the horizon, and the park’s management has decided to delay the start of its season to ensure the safety and comfort of our guests. “We always strive to put guest experience first,” said a Kings Island spokesperson. “In light of Phil’s prediction, it’s clear that more time is needed to prepare the park for warmer weather. Our guests deserve a great start to the season, and this will give us the extra time we need.” However... In a shocking twist, it was revealed moments later that the announcement was, in fact, a prank—a cheeky joke to celebrate the whimsical nature of Groundhog Day. Kings Island will be opening on its original date of April 19th, and all planned activities and events will proceed as scheduled. “We couldn’t resist having a little fun with our fans today!” the spokesperson continued. “As for our revenge on Phil, we’re putting some mouse traps in strategic locations around the park. Let’s just say, we’ll be ready for him next year.” For more information, please visit www.visitkingsisland.com. About Kings Island Kings Island, located in Mason, Ohio, is one of the nation’s most beloved amusement parks, offering world-class rides, entertainment, and family fun. For over 45 years, Kings Island has been the go-to destination for thrilling adventures and unforgettable experiences.

I suspect part of it may have been wait to see who actually relocated to Charlotte and we know the mothership employees would get priority over the local Charlotte park employees. And they wouldn't consolidate until the merger was completed. I doubt that consists of all of the layoffs, and who knows, maybe they will announce a removal of Winterfest25...

Shouldn't surprise anyone, except those that thought the merger was a good idea.

Taken from a FB page. They are so nice:

So they had two options - get rid of Winterfest or add more rides to the lineup. I am sure there is another reason that will present itself in due time. Or maybe it was simply a cost-cutting measure.

As the saying goes that someone made famous here, Caveat Emptor

Caveat Emptor

@BoddaH1994 posted this in another thread that all but confirms it at KD: https://x.com/MichaelPNews/status/1884569104679378975/photo/3

They are adding a bar

Yep being discussed over in this thread:

I would assume it wouldn't be The Hershey Trust Company, but rather The Hershey Company that is the candy maker arm of the various companies under the trust.

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

Or an unanticipated/unplanned expense popped up and the determination was made to remove prior to its planned departure and thus nothing was identified in the 5 year plan....better to remain empty and get a worthy replacement than to just shove something in there to appease those few enthusiasts upset that a piece of land is vacant....

I am sure the creator of that video would post here more if they were not muted and requiring their posts to be approved by a mod before showing up

And for anyone that visited KD last year or looked at any socials comments, the park was busy and clearly understaffed - a lot more food/drink places closed than at KI. Granted some of that lack of staff was a lot of seasonal associates that were not hired, but this will have a bigger impact. There are many times that full-timers chip in at KI when staffing is low. Same with KD and other parks. There were times Greg Schied, then GM of KI, could be seen checking parking passes/taking parking tolls at make-shift parking tolls on the south exit during busy days, along with Don. Wasn't uncommon to see Don checking restraints at The Beast. And I am sure they helped out elsewhere also. And many full-timers do similar things. Losing that many full-timers will have an impact. Even more so in this instance as it wasn't like they combined two parks into one and reduced because of duplicate positions. I expect to see more of this happen as the board attempts to make good on their promise of $200M in savings that they said would result because of the merger....more closures and reductions in staff is likely to continue. One thing that won't happen is their bonuses won't be reduced.... And the morale of remaining employees has an impact as well...

That's what the meal plan is for

But KI already has the king of the burger with the pub burger and meatloaf burger!

The hypothetical would it be better to have everything staffed and open and reduced hours, or extended hours but not everything open and minimal staffing? I doubt they would ever run every day with everything open fully staffed, so I think most would prefer longer hours and the new buzz phrase "comfortably crowded"... At least we don't have hours like this: Memorial Day weekend Saturday: First two weeks of daily operation: Or CGA month of June calendar with 8pm closes and some random days closed:

Absolutely. Take a look at Michigan's Adventure or CGA and be glad we don't mirror theirs! Some parks schedules got hit worse than others. While it is an early "win", time will tell if we "pay" for it with reduced staffing and other cuts that would erode the guest experience....

2025 schedule is out and is basically what we are use to in recent years. April 19th opening day. 9pm closes until Memorial Day weekend. 10am-10pm Memorial Day until August 9th. Sprinkled 7pm closes early May and 8pm closes mid August Only out through Labor Day No midnight closes. *Subject to Change And of this post, it is glitchy almost like in the middle of being updated. Sometimes a month shows closed and then refresh and shows open.

Sadly quarterly results drive all decisions. Similar to folks complaining yet continuing to buy passes and every add-on, as long as people buy their shares/units, there will be a demand for quarterly performance. What do they do when pass sales decline and there is no demand for the stock/units? Give away the gate... Oh yea, and lets not forget the brass will be rewarded with record bonuses for navigating the company thru the complexities of the merger and blah blah blah