thedaveyboyshow

Yassssss!!!!

They seemed to be down on employees. I am not sure if this was a scheduling situation or something out of their control, such as no shows and call offs. When we got there, they said there would be a 45 minute wait, but that they would text us when our table was ready. It turned out to me more of a 20 minute wait. Either they got more staff in or people gave up on waiting. ...but can you comfortably get in a ride line to make the most of your wait???

We were going to eat at Reds Hall Of Fame Grille on Saturday, about half of the restaurant's tables were completely empty, yet were told the wait time for a table would be 30 to 40 minutes. NOPE! We walked on by to the cold burgers at Festhaus.

I actually talked to Chef Nathan today. (Great guy - say hi to him when you see him!) I've spoken to him and a few others about the food lines. I do know a few Executive Chef's in real life and was super impressed that he was focused on Front of House as well as Back of House. It did resound to me that he was taking the time to observe the lines. This means they are at least going to attempt to do something.

Also, I should add... I have the Dining Plan and chose to get a burger on the pizza side of Festhaus for dinner on Saturday. The bun was cold, the meat patty was cold, the potato wedges were cold and all of the mustard pumps were completely empty. This is not a food decision I will employ again in the future. All of the food was pre-portioned and sat on plates for people to grab. When I attempted to ask one of the employees behind the food counter, even having eye contact with her when I said "excuse me ma'am" she turned her back to me and walked away from the counter. I would discourage this counter for your food choice until changes are implimented.

I did notice a certain Executive Chef, accompanied by people in business attire, closely watching the lengthy lines at Festhaus (pizza side) and Rivertown Potato Works on Saturday...none of them looked pleased at all. I think perhaps they know??

I did notice that my friend got several "coupons" or "offers" delivered to his app whereas I did not. Same issue?

I don't have that FunPix card, only my pass, and the photos transferred to the KI app using the kiosk just fine. No video or tutorial needed really. Simply go to the FunPix booth and have them pair your FunPix account with your pass. You will get an email in about a half hour with your password included. Open the official KI app, click on FunPix and enter your email and password. You are setup. To use funpix, simply scan the barcode on your pass at the kiosk, pick the photo you wish to add to your pass, and you will see your pic in about 30 minutes.

Paird my pass with the official KI app on my phone and had no problems using it at all at the park yeterday. However, I did notice the wait times were not working. The app (iPhone) kept saying visit park for wait times, when I was IN THE PARK. I checke and the location was turned off for the app. I turned the locations back on, and the wait times worked. When I reopened the app to check wait times later, again...visit the park that I was already in. Guess what, the location service was turned off ror the app on its own. FunPix - no problems whatsoever all day long; however, the 20 or so minute delay is odd.

Simple for me - get rid of the refill bottles, let us have a wristband that can be scanned. Yes, that increases trash waste; however, as was previously mentioned, the single person standing at a soda machine while fishing out five refill bottles, rinsing them all, and trying to figure out what bottle belongs to who and what should be in it....very frustrating. Second - menu signs outside of the facility. This way, people can know what they want before they get up to the counter. I won't apologize in saying that most of the frustration and slowness of the KI staff comes from the customer. Chicken Shack has a very limited menu; however, it does seem to take an inordinate amount of time for people to figure out if they want the fingers served by themselves or put inside a wrap.

I am about 20 minutes from Camden Park. I am going to head over there at least once this year. To my err, I have not been since I graduated high school - too many years (decades). I will try to take plenty of photos and share a trip report.

I follow this account on Insta, and must admit it is highly suspect. Whilst I enjoy the historical value of the photos being presented, many of them appear to be of people's personal snapshots and many questionable on ride photos, that are not only illegal to take, but also potentially endanger guests and employees of Kings Island. All that aside, I agree...not offering any photography credits bothers me almost as much as the off topic hashtags used to pander for likes and follows.

I would be interested to know your thoughts/ideas on how the entrance could be improved. I wholeheartedly agree that my initial post would not suit everyone's taste; however, I think my initial thought of bulldozing the entire entrance structure (to include the Internal Restraunt) and make the entire entrance way more open and inviting and allowing people to actually see into the actual park - much like the entrance improvements that were made with the Gatekeeper project at Cedar Point would have brought far more cringes. However, I think it would be an amazing improvement. Open up the area, make the park more inviting would be optimal. Right now, it simplly feels like you are greeted with a huge wall with small openings at the bottom to go through, which I feel could/should be improved.

I love Kings Island and am so thankful to have such a nice park so close, but part of the problem (at least to me) is the park really could use some additional high end services. I would think that the International Restraunt would have a beautiful view of the fountains and the Eifel Tower, some much needed air conditioning during the summertime and heat during the early/late season, and perhaps a level of reduced ambient noise bombarding your senses. Again, not something I would do every trip to the park, but to have the option of a higher quality meal (steak, seafood, pasta), adult beverage options, and table seating would be quite refreshing. I could even understand this not being part of any dining plan. Furthermore, there are some of us who have looked up at that elusive space, who would dine there - if only to have access to the mysterious world of the International Restraunt at Kings Island.

Here are some thoughts I had about the general atmosphere when you first arrive at the park... The entire entrance for Kings Island needs a major renovation/update. I won’t apologize in saying that it is very nice to have the tradition of International Restaurant; however, the roofline on the parking lot side leaves a lot to be desired. Yes, they have the gigantic posters, but they are very static and lack a modern WOW and pizazz that a park of Kings Island’s caliber should have. I would highly suggest the financial expenditure of installations of large (think Times Square) screens that provide dynamic content. This would be extremely beneficial in showing visitors they are about to enter an EXCITING and MODERN park and remove the dated feel of the entrance that is currently in place. For example, the excitement of the haunted house built in front of the entrance during Halloween Haunt, along with the interactive “voice” welcoming guests to the experience created for much more excitement. There is much hoopla over the park opening every morning, imagine if it were broadcast on the Jumbotrons for people to see as the park opens? Guests arriving later in the day could be greeted with live feeds from inside the park? Massive versions of Fun TV overhead as you enter the park. It could be an awesome thing to see. Once you are in the park, if you happen to look back toward the International Restaurant at night, you see stark spotlights and oftentimes the lights are on in the restaurant; showing the place is empty, dated, and generally used as storage space. Why not utilize the Executive Chef the park has and provide an opportunity for more upscale dining options and actually open the place up to business on a regular basis? I do not know if I would indulge on every trip, but having the option of a sit down dining experience overlooking the fountains and Eifel Tower sounds like a fantastic option. It is discouraging to spend the money on a season pass or a daily ticket, enjoy your day on quality rides and engaging in quality attractions then to walk out of the park and be blinded by stark spot lights and to see the lights on inside the restaurant and see the tables stacked up with what looks to be boxes of extra merchandise. As for “International Street” itself…this area is woefully in neglect. It is coming back around, but it is missing a lot of what could make for a stellar experience. The music has been beaten to death, but it simply does not work to help sweep people away from the doldrums of reality and into a wonderland of amusement and merriment by playing the same tunes they were listening to in the car on their way to the park that morning. I remember fondly as a child, the classic music – trumpet flourishes and tympani beats welcoming me to my day at the park. Knowing what I do now, I know the fountains were not timed with the music, but as a child – the magic seemed to pull the elements of the music and put them on visual display with the fountains. At night, the lighting is very lackluster in this area. I believe Kings Island could take a lesson from the Cedar Fair flagship park, Cedar Point, and invest in some vibrant pathway lighting…gobo lights to create patterns on the sidewalk and walkways. I know the park is not hugely themed, but it is in neglect of magic and splendor at the front gate. Adding ambient excitement there would go a long way toward building the experience for the guests throughout the entire park.

I would say rather than a major roller coaster, Kings Island would be best served by spending some $$ on general park upgrades/improvements. I have a few specific ideas if anyone would be interested in my thoughts?

I will be there! Looking forward to this wonderful night for a good cause.

Quick question regarding the new toll booths, with the Season Pass lines not having an attendant and being automated, if a Season Pass holder wishes to upgrade parking to the fancy "up close and personal" spots, how will that work?

I wholeheartedly am on board with a $30 "all you can drink" season long soft drink option that would allow you to scan your season pass (just like you do to get your meal plan meals) rather than carrying around a cup. I hate, hate, hate carrying around the cup. It is not a matter of keeping a locker - I just hate the idea of having to have something to carry around all day/every day. I understand the loss of revenue from locker rental and the additional expense of paper cups - that is why I would gladly pay more than the cost of the stupid sports cup to offset these additional expenses from the park.

Is that a gold disco ball???

Yes! The reactions of the kids is priceless...kind of makes me think back to my more innocent days when things were more spectacular. Such a fun ride.

I would be very okay with leaving things "as is" for the most part...if they would just fix the guns not working. I am older and we often ride it for the "game" aspect of the ride. That said, I feel that smaller children would be highly discouraged by the experience given the frequent malfunctions of the guns on the ride.

So glad Kings Island brought this show back for another year! It is awesome from start to finish! BRAVO!

I was fortunate enough to have "discovered" the Surf Dog ride during my visit to Kings Island on Sunday. I was in line for Invertigo with some friends, we somehow got talking with the couple in front of us. They highly recommended taking some time to venture over to Planet Snoopy and take in a ride on Surf Dog. We were highly skeptical; however, decided to go for it. Man-oh-man am I glad we got in on that conversation. Surprisingly, Row 6 on the far side of the ride during the fireworks on Sunday night was a memory I will cherish for a very long time. This ride is fantastic. I would highly recommend a journey over to Planet Snoopy and catch a ride!

Sorry...I may have missed it. Did this get answered? I certainly hope so!