BeeastFarmer

You might want to be cautious! Saying anything negative about Six Flags may cause you to be canceled from media day events.

They rolled out the Premium drink plan in 2023 for 2024. By the end of December, they knew the amount they could forecast for 2024. They were woefully unprepared for the Icee roll out. That was either a willfull lack of budgeting sense or ineptitude. Six Flags and KI do have some pretty intelligent folks, so I doubt it was ineptitude. It speaks volumes that they build a bar in a week or two (The French Corner Reverie) but they cant complete a straight forward drink stand by The (Sysco) Chicken Shack

Oh, the neighbors are going to LOVE this! Will the drones rattle their windows like Diamondback does? ( Get it? A rattlesnake rattling windows? (But that was a complaint of theirs))

Not at all what I am trying to convey. Kings Island is a very pass heavy park. People have grown up with it and have an emotional bond to it. So Six Flags can bank on a certain amount of revenue each year from inexpensive pass sales. But they make their money on per cap sales, such as what I mentioned. They start things off really well, but objectively reduce expenses in following years. For example, Grand Carnivale. The first year was incredible. But each year since, it's been chipped away. ( Notably, I think this year's parade was the best one yet, but things like the performances in China, France, Germany, Italy etc have all been axed). Live entertainment has been cut severely this year. It seems the food has improved over the course of the season ( I haven't been since June) but they were cutting corners earlier ( Sysco chicken fingers at the chicken shack vs years past hand breaded never frozen fingers sticks out to me). The French Corner was redone into a bistro/bar. Alcohol is a high margin product, hence why they installed so many. But it seems that the bars are fully staffed while drinking refill stations are either closed or understaffed, so you have long lines, empty syrup boxes and no ice. But, the passholders still show up in droves and spend money. This is out of emotional connection, loyalty, or just a good bang for the buck but with reduced quality. That's the hook that Kings Island exploits, and rightfully so. I guess what your interpretation of my thoughts are could be partially correct, however. If pass sales decline significantly, per caps also decline. Given time, with a poorer financial condition, the park could invest money into quality and capital expenditures to bring the people back in. Like everything else, this industry is cyclical. The merger and post COVID debt will certainly be a challenge in the next few years. But we will see 2017-2022 glory years again. It will just take time and patience.

Not as long as people keep buying passes and spending money on meal plans, funpix, drink plans, posters, pins and sweets!

It depends on how press is defined. Given the social media revolution, many people with a camera phone think they are the press. When companies delete negative comments and ban posts from someone someone from further comments, is it the same principle? FTR, I was banned from an amusement park's Facebook page a few years ago and my comment removed, before I understood how the industry worked, for a subjective post about how the park was miserably crowded and people should avoid coming. It was petty IMHO, but wasn't any skin off my back. I don't think it is a media person's "right" to be in a dugout, or a media preview at an amusement park. If we are wanting objective reporting, those events/locations, by their nature, are created to give an opportunity for very subjective reporting.

Just like Son of Beast.

Corporate vs local: https://youtu.be/duq5w7tEn84?si=2PMpVH3pe0UZczoH

Hopefully they won't disable it now that the secret is revealed.

Looking at the webcams, they are re"hearse" ing at the park with thick fog tonight. Check out the IS camera, it looks great!

@johnjniehaus and @jbeast... agreed! I'm glad someone else calls it the Junkyard Coaster

I agree and disagree. For enthusiasts, a public statement seems to warranted. But for the GP, is it? When the teacher died at Raptor, CP made a statement. KI did not make an early statement on Banshee. Did it hurt the park? Did Banshee ridership decline? I don't know from objective or subjective data or experience. Likewise, I don't have any objective or subjective data on the Banshee bump, but there hasn't been a lot of chatter about the Banshee bump and people lined up to ride it.

Snow Flake Lake presented by Hershey's and Kroger...

It was said in jest. I'm sure it's a good product for those that find value in it. I'm the opposite of you. I have found less value in my pass this year. The park has seemed to settle in a period of mediocrity this year and last year. That could be park level mandates or corporate mandates, I don't know and don't care. It's not the ki that I've known since I started this hobby several years ago. Ive only visited twice this year and spent zero extra dollars. It's all very subjective, but until I get the tug at the heartstrings, I don't plan on coming back anytime soon. I've planned several national park trips next summer and will go to the Christmas event at Kentucky Kingdom this year instead of WinterFest. It could be that anything after 2022 is a disappointment because that was arguably the best season in ki history. Or it could be that seeing the discourse about Kings Island politics here and elsewhere online removes the magic. Or it could be that I need to step away and come back with a fresh perspective in a year or two to reignite the spark. Who knows?

Two words: budget cuts. Alternately: people are satisfied with less and still buying passes, tickets and add ons.

Chang!

Couldn't find an KD Haunt topic, but I think this is fitting for this topic: https://www.wric.com/news/local-news/hanover-county/fights-break-out-at-kings-dominion-during-halloween-haunt/?utm_medium=referral&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=socialflow&fbclid=IwY2xjawFdk55leHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHS7HQ2u8g_ym3vPJ9QS_xv3XCkXXO1YG3We1eCFYrziZ_Ym4RqgpIhT0Bw_aem_3JP4an_6levA1iCiwmVhbg

I'd be the person to follow the person who spent the money on the lantern and get the interactions for free. Follow me for more hacks.

Do they have coffee and hot, chocolate-flavored water available yet?

I don't think Vekoma builds the coasters. They design and provide the support. The park hires all the work out. So Six Flags probably would go with longer timelines to get projects open to spread the money out over a longer time period.

I've heard but can't verify an interesting example of this from the Taft days. Adventure Express was slated to go to Kings Dominion and The bobsled coaster was supposed to go to Kings Island. It makes sense, because the area where the bobsled coaster is has always had a "jungle" theme, and the area where Adventure Express is would be more fitting to the bobsled/Oktoberfest.

People who are complaining about the color...I think it fits into the theme of the shipping tower. The track looks more rust color than red to me, but that is subjective. Or it could be red if that was intended for the original two parks and they don't want to paint a brand new coaster. I honestly don't know the answer.

There is a difference in building a new project "project x" and modifying an existing structure "Dippin' Dots Storage Shed." I mean I guess they could put a couple of boxes of Dippin' Dots lids in the former SOB station/Wolf Pack building and call it a Dippin' Dots Storage shed, but that's highly unlikely. For something as specialized as this food product, I would conjecture that they'd have a specific area/shed to meet the product storage requirements. Likely routine replacements. Or not. Maybe they will do what you speculate and they are using the infamous Dippin' Dots reference to throw folks off ...

Are we really speculating that Kings Island would falsify government documents to throw off some roller coaster enthusiasts? The two previous posts were likely said in jest, but some may actually think this way .

I wonder if @BoddaH1994and Nick Gaskins could form a mini class action lawsuit?