brenthodge

That one by LaRosa’s (and the train for that matter) would make more sense if the bar/beer/alcohol was incorporated into them. You KNOW there would be staff then, and they could front it with the bar/pay station and then have the pop refill behind that. Sign it as SALOON and WhistleStop drinks - make the one at the train look like a p LG vector drop your luggage for the train journey. Even have a few tables made from steamer trunks with luggage “stools”.

My thought exactly when I saw this Sunday. Guess the “retheme” ship has sailed and KI isn’t on it.

cool - thats makes sense

I'd go even a bit classier and say "Limited availability. Tickets will be distributed to those in line beginning at 4:45 pm. Service from 5pm until sell-out."

I think you mean Supplies!

Oh yes - I agree on all that. My only point is I don't even know why they do things like Chef's Plate if they aren't using it to actually serve a purpose. Just like CARNIVALE was so misguided and poorly executed from a food ops standpoint, that I also don't know why they really bothered. If it doesn't justify itself financially it will be cut, and the line to the entrance shows there's demand. Now you have to wonder if it's true demand or it's "steak for free" demand. That's why I even suggest exploring the nominal upcharge idea ONLY FOR THINGS LIKE THAT to generate revenue so hopefully things like a flag in Snoopy's hand can maybe be replaced during the whole of the season. There just doesn't seem to be ANY creative thinking from the top anymore. It's "cut and cut" when you could actually "ADD, AND ADD, AND ADD" and increase revenue at a rate that exceeds the rate of investment. That just takes trust in your creative and planning people - THAT'S what I don't think exists anymore. It's easier to cut on the front end than to project out future revenue on the back end.

Would’ve made more sense if they’d incorporated the new bar into this area so one person could staff both (and you know it would be open as long as alcohol sales were involved. Make the bar look like a stand to drop you luggage in front of the train station. Maybe even 2-3 tables made of trunks stood on end with “suitcase” stools.

No. Not buy “whatever the park peddles” but some of us can at least think more creatively than the management can about their own product. The park is clearly in the business of increasing pr cap spending. So I question who this chefs plate was even intended for and what revenue they intended to drive from it. They did no marketing outside of their own social media and their affiliated copy and paste talking heads. They had no price on the sign. They offered no “wine pairing at time of purchase” which would’ve been a great add on. I’d venture 90% of the line stretched to the entrance got the Neal “for free”. By the time those people might’ve been eating out in the park and someone say “ that looks awesome, where did you get it?” They were sold out. The whole thing was tasty yet pointless from a business standpoint. They’ve had them so infrequently and so Kate in the season it wasn’t even a good way to build word of mouth about it as the season went on. You ideas- while good at increasing revenue seem like tacky cash grabs and aren’t organic. They didn’t have to make it part of the dining plan, and I venture would’ve been better had they not. To offer it at a reduced price or as“meal plan add on” is a more organic way of monetizing it better. Heck if they did this weekly then yes, provide a “meal plan deluxe” that includes monthly specials (that have gone extinct) and special features such as the chefs plate.

So they need to learn from this and get us some GREAT food like this in park on a more regular basis. It doesn’t need to be 40.00, but they don’t need to basically give it away either. I thought it was awesome. Glad I made the effort to go on Sunday.

No. That’s stupid and just looked petty and cheap. Honestly I’m not sure who they are marketing the chefs plate to though. There was no price on the sign. Most if not all of the marketing was on their social or pass holders Facebook group, and I’d wager 90% of the people in line (at least) had meal plans, so t he run didn’t even generate income. They make no sense. They add booze everywhere to I crease revenue, yet seem to ignore ways to generate it through elevated food offerings.

It was pretty amazing. Great portion of meat. Good sides. Definitely something they could do a slight up charge for dining plan (like 5-7$) and I’d still pay.

How did I miss the cute detail that snoopy spins around and around when the car zooms past him before resuming his side to side waving motion, complete with a cartoon “spinning” sound? Oh wait… I know… it’s been off most of the season! Just noticed this Sunday when I was there on the ride and I swore as we zoomed by backwards snoopy spun with us… yep, he does!

FWIW there’s a new menu sign with the new name and it lists new drink options, but the same food options as before (shrimp po boy included) so if they are doing fall it’s an overlay of the existing offerings. Looks like they are basically adding the bar component (of course) and doing some light remodeling.

Yikes ( but are we surprised?)

That would be a good area for PumpkinEater. It’s always seemed a bit crammed in in Action Zone. That area has a clear “path” through and can also be avoided more if people don’t want to go through it.

lol. Ok. That’s why I was wondering.

why wouldn't it do well in Cincinnati?

I honestly wish they’d make WINTERFEST a signature event at the park that started in all…KingsIsland, and maybe extend the brand to KD, but rebrand all the others Holiday in the Park, or a new, better all around name. It’s really NOT winterfest, is a Christmas Holiday festival , so I’d be ok if the name was rebranded, but locally I think it should stay the name that the event originated from.

I think KI had the blessing AND the curse of being a flagship park of the Paramount era. YES, we got a lot more investment, but Paramount was not always (almost never) good about respecting the past of the park as they moved forward. In fact they almost WANTED to obliterate the past and make the parks their own. KD wasnt a top tier park so in many ways they were spared some of the butchering (same w the first few years of Cedar Fair)

Kudos to KI for dealing with the dining pass tech glitch tonight in a guest positive way. Sometime around 5:30-6 they weren’t loading (at least at Enrique’s) so they were just manually tallying people who had them (and it you had the ap, asking if you could tap “pass add ons” just to verify) would’ve been easy to say “ you’ll need to pay until we can get our system back up. Also when I asked at G&G if they could check and see when or if the scans ever went in they said “you can just use it again-we aren’t checking time” again would’ve been easy to say “there’s no way we can verify if it’s been 4 hrs,so sorry” the park does a lot of dumb things, but this was the way to handle this. I’m sure if word got out, people abused it, but you sometimes take that risk with guest centered decisions.

I was just about to post something about that as well. They made this big deal, then nothing. Also why have lights NEVER been added back into tunnel 1 which is now the “mine”. Even some flickering lanterns… something. They made this big deal about gem mines, but then we just get a dark tunnel with pick axe noises.

So… another new “theme” added to a beach-themed water park for no real reson. Sounds about right. I’m not impressed with the leadership direction these days and this underscores it. The water park “theme” wasn’t great, and the kids area needed a refresh, but to just randomly go off in a new “RiverCountry” direction makes no sense.

Until they don’t. Original IPs -when well done, are better long-term source material for rides and attractions. With the right branding, marketing and merchandising, original characters could become so “loved” that people would come to the park just to experience them.

You hit on an interesting aspect of this- the random , moved around, dates it always gets. Why isn’t this “the festival that always runs on weekends in August” or something like that. It actually feels a bit wasted in July with all that’s already going on. With all the parks that have dropped it, there are PLENTY of decor, costumes and infrastructure items to allocate to 2-3 parks permanently and not have to reschedule the event to pass it around. I feel this really should’ve been a “Taft park” exclusive. The Eiffel Tower and international street just make it “work”. If they had seen the success in year one, invested in some real infrastructure like permanent smaller stages, semi permanent food booths that could be redressed for other festivals, development of tower gardens and Oktoberfest into the main festival centers…. But I think they got stars in their eyes (and dollars on their bottom line) and tried to roll it out almost chain-wide only to see it get so diluted at the parks that launched it, that it was no longer a valid offering. Sadly i agree this felt like a “wake” year more than a grand continuation.