BeeastFarmer

Last year, the burger or two I had at KI was really good. This year, the burgers look terrible. You can see the extruded meat. I don't like eating what still looks raw in textture. It may be chain wide, as I saw this both at CP and KI this week.

I really liked Mr. Speigel's teal snakeskin cowboy boots and his Wyoming t-shirt with a bucking bronco and a Corvette racing hat.

Made it to KI much later than I had planned. I did check to see if I could use my meal plan and it was indicated that I could, even though I had used it twice at Cedar Point. Of note: At CP, the waitress at Johnny Rocket's tried to charge me .25 for using my refill cup. She said. "That's what it rang up as." I said, free is free, maybe your register is mistaken.

I may try something tomorrow-use my meal plan once at one park, and twice at another. Assuming I don't get caught by too many trains, tractors or combines on the way back down south.

Food quality was good at Cedar Point (except for the "side salad"--which was two pieces of sandwich lettuce, three cherry tomatoes and about a cup of shredded cheese!). Cashier service was slow, however. It seems like the cash registers are from 1983, and the cashier has to press about 8 buttons for each item, and the scanners seem awkward.

The Interpreter is a man who gave me some great advice last year on opening day at Kings Island and I am all the better for it. On a topic-related note: I now really like Intamin coasters. I'd be happy to have one of their (Cowboy-esque) coasters at Kings Island. But I'd also like to have a GCI, GG, B&M, Chance, or RMC there too. Cedar Point is fun!

One of my co-workers asked my opinion: For her four year old--KK or Cedar Point. I said KK, but I have no knowledge of CP. But I couldn't imagine driving a four year old14 hours both ways, for a few kiddie rides.

It wasn't a rainy day. It was actually a perfect day. Warm sunshine, some clouds, high 60's. 6 other oncology RNs in my group had an incredible time and got to blow off some steam from cancer care. And I get planning for profits. But I don't get the third season of terrible speed of service in food. Maybe I hit the timing right at Carowinds earlier this year, but they did not have the problem. I'll see how it is is at Cedar Point later today.

Was at the park today and the issue with food, each time was the cashier. Very short lines for food, but the cashiers were extremely slow. This is a switch from the usual of unmotivated back line employees. The park did pull a HW/KK, however. Except is wasn't rides. Many food places were closed all day, and by 7pm, almost all food places were closed.

Great...custom built salads at The Chicken Shack. That will be great for speedy service.

Maybe you saw Beast Gal!

What's wrong with ACE?

Before waterparks were part of amusement parks, and when I was a youth, our church youth group drove to The Beach from 2.5 hours away. How things have changed! Also interesting to note: When Kentucky Kingdom reopened in 2014, it added Professor John's Flying Machine and The Frogs ride in the kids area. Kings Island added Woodstock Gliders and Snoopy's Space Buggies as major attractions in 2015--both essentially the same rides as Kentucky Kingdom added the year before. Coincidence?

$60 from me is no big deal...but pull that out into bigger numbers. Numbers are not in my knowledgebase, but let's suppose some assumptions: 10,000 one day visits lost from KI over a season-from less visits to KI by season pass holders to folks who just don't drive to Mason because there is a closer option. Each guest spends $10 on in-park merchandise. 1000 people choose a season pass to KK and not KI. $100,000 lost in in-park revenue over the season. $90,000 lost in season pass sales. $190,000 over the course of one season. Not to mention losses in parking revenue, upsales like lockers, Funpix. Slingshot/Skycoaster etc. Again, I have no ideas about specific revenues, but I would guess my numbers are conservative. I don't think Cedar Fair is pacing and rubbing temples, but I do think they are noticing lost revenue. If not, they should. And I feel fairly confident that the Soak City expansion is a direct response to the water park at both Holiday World and Kentucky Kingdom. When I waited in Soak City with my friend last summer, while her son did the attractions he wanted, it was miserable. By casual glance at the other water parks, I could surmise they were much better. (I'm not a water park guy, myself.)

It depends on who you ask. A diehard Kentucky Kingdom person, yes it is a threat. A diehard Kings Island person, not so much. I love Kings Island. Some of my earliest childhood memories revolve around chickening out of the Kings Mill Log flume ride when it was time to board, and the Wisteria Tunnel. (I think I was four or five at the time.) Up until last year, I would have never thought of visiting Kentucky Kingdom, after the last experience I had there in 2008 or 2009. But someone on this board suggested that I do, and I was impressed. It's a great alternative if I want a smaller park and a much smaller drive. I visited Kentucky Kingdom six times last year. I average about $10 out of pocket spending each visit. So, right there is $60 that was spent NOT at Kings Island. Do conservative math, and if X amount of people spend X amount of dollars not at Kings Island, it hits their financials. So even if revenue is up at Kings Island, if the competition is there, it is not up as much as it could be. I am sure they take notice at Cedar Fair and plan accordingly. Kentucky Kingdom will probably never be a three million gate admittance park, so it is not as if it is a threat in size or scope, but it does present an opportunity for a smart corporation to maintain or increase market share. Competition is a great thing.

Maybe I extrapolated to much out of this statement by Gordon Bombay: " if anything, they're more curious about Holiday World and probably just chuckling at KK when they're not asking: "that park is open again?"" Falling trees could be something big or something small. It could have been in planning stages for years, or it could be a response to the reopened Kentucky Kingdom and a new roller coaster at Holiday world. I'd guess (and I am not using the word conjecture, because I am very much a novice in this business) that it is the second option.

Gordon Bombay, I'd have to say your statements sound logical. However, that would be a bad business decision for Cedar Fair. In my opinion, the company should pay attention to threats that entice customer base. Louisville is a huge demographic for Kings Island. I'm sure that local people have been happy to go to Kentucky Kingdom. It may be that they still go to Kings Island and/or Holiday World, too. But instead of multiple trips yearly, now they may just drive 20 minutes to Kentucky Kingdom instead. That in turn decreases in park spending. I'm not disagreeing with your premise, I am just stating that I hope Kentucky Kingdom's competition does not ignore it.

I saw plenty of park-provided security personnel AND off duty police officers in my multiple trips to KK last year. Maybe that is a difference from the previous operations of KK/SFKK.

I was at the park during the state fair last year, when it did get somewhat dark. Was nice to see it at night. Never felt unsafe at all. Saw parents with little kids, plenty of park staff, security and off duty police officers. Being that I was only in the park one time when it was SFKK, I can't attest personally to the unsafe atmosphere. But I have never felt unsafe in my visits last year.

Maybe the park is hinting that more nostalgia is coming back? One can wish...

Beast Gal seems to be doing a little digging.

I thought the same way before riding Fury 325. I'd love to see a gigacoaster at KI someday.

My point was this: Both HW and KK have changed the market demographics. Neither one is in any way of the scale or dominance of KI. But they have taken away market share. For instance: I visited KI 26 times last summer. I went to KK 5 or 6. Had KK not been in existence, I probably would have visited KI 2 or 3 more times. And each time I visit KI, I spend at least $10, so that is $20-$30 in revenue that the park missed on. Not much, but what if 1000 other people did the same? $20,000.00. I have no idea how many people do this, but I would guess that the reopening of KK and the Thunderbird coaster at HW has taken some of the pie away from KI, enough to warrant what looks like a sizeable attraction. On another note, and I could be WAY off here, because I am no fan of water parks: But the water parks at the other two parks seem superior to Soak City. I was at Splashin' Safari for Holliwood Nights, and walked through Hurricane Bay to get to T3, and they seemed cleaner, better laid out and nicer than SC. Maybe that is why SC got some attention for this year.

Exactly, The Interpreter. I have no idea what is going to come of all the construction up there, but Kings Island pretty much has to respond to the recent additions at KK and HW.

And the Ride Operator took the high road and chose not to file battery charges.