How do you rate the food service at Kings Island?

[XGatorHead 8904]

When I was in high school, there used to be one right next to our school. My friends and I would walk over there once a week to grab a Reece's Pieces sundae. Now all locations in the Cincinnati area have disappeared. You have to go to Dayton to get any now.

And hopefully I can be like Interpreter and be able to lose a massive amount of weight. Since we do eat at KI quite frequently, healthy options would be nice. I was just reading park info from 1981 where they were saying there was a make your own salad location. Bring that back!

[italianchef]

KI should surely lower the prices of the beverages. They are TOO TOO high. $3+ for a bottle of water???

As far as the food is concerned; price, selection and quality can surely use improvement.

[KIfan73]

Kings Island's food service can be bashed all day long, but its not any different than whats going on everywhere. Service at any place you eat has taken a nose dive. Everything is based on things brought in frozen. And, prices are crazy, too. At just about any sit down restaurant you're going to pay in the $10 range for a hamburger, and soft drinks are hovering at the $2-$2+ range. I suppose you can speculate for reasons all day long, but basically companies are having to/choosing to squeeze every penny possible, and a good chunk of that is squeezing every bit possible out of your help. Its not hard to imagine that this isn't going to produce your most "motivated" employees.

I wish I could visit the '70's Kings Island park, but that isn't coming back. The whole world is a much different place than it was then.

[Guest kwindshawne]

Kings Island's food service can be bashed all day long, but its not any different than whats going on everywhere. Service at any place you eat has taken a nose dive. Everything is based on things brought in frozen. And, prices are crazy, too. At just about any sit down restaurant you're going to pay in the $10 range for a hamburger, and soft drinks are hovering at the $2-$2+ range. I suppose you can speculate for reasons all day long, but basically companies are having to/choosing to squeeze every penny possible, and a good chunk of that is squeezing every bit possible out of your help. Its not hard to imagine that this isn't going to produce your most "motivated" employees.

I wish I could visit the '70's Kings Island park, but that isn't coming back. The whole world is a much different place than it was then.

This is true..you get what you pay for.

I would love to have those times again, but sadly they will never be back.

[sam2cpa]

If anyone has visited the Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater at Walt Disney World Resort you will know what a fun place it is to eat. It is like being in a drive-in theater. Sitting in the vintage convertable cars and watching clips of old sci-fi movies is a unique experience. The waiters and waitresses are on roller skates, and the setting is a 1950's drive-in. The rear of the theater has tables with unbrellas. The lights are low and it feels like you are in a drive-in during the evening under the stars.

The menu items have names that sci-fi inspired. For example: Butcher Steak - with red wine glaze with seasonal vegetables and a potato, Marsha's Martian - chocolate and vanilla shakes mixed with Bailey's Irish Cream and Kahlua, and Orbiting Oreos - Oreo shake mixed with Godiva chocolate liqueur. Sounds interesting, does it not?

For those of you who did not grow up going to drive-in theaters during "car load" night (usually on Sunday nights) this is about as close as you will come to the actual experience.

Would not an attraction similiar to this be an addition to throw around during a brainstorming session?

It could actually make you FEEL as if you are getting your money's worth.

[WooferBearATL]

Kings Island's food service can be bashed all day long, but its not any different than whats going on everywhere. Service at any place you eat has taken a nose dive. Everything is based on things brought in frozen. And, prices are crazy, too. At just about any sit down restaurant you're going to pay in the $10 range for a hamburger, and soft drinks are hovering at the $2-$2+ range. I suppose you can speculate for reasons all day long, but basically companies are having to/choosing to squeeze every penny possible, and a good chunk of that is squeezing every bit possible out of your help. Its not hard to imagine that this isn't going to produce your most "motivated" employees.

I wish I could visit the '70's Kings Island park, but that isn't coming back. The whole world is a much different place than it was then.

If you choose to eat at "chain" restaurants, that's what you're going to get.

There are plenty of "non-chain" restaurants that you can eat at and obtain good service, wonderful food and a fair price.

[RailRider]

Kings Island has been lacking in dinning services for awhile. Hopefully things will change because the park is great need of a sit down style or buffet style eatery. Wings is old and needs refurbishing, anyone ever see that movie? Did you even know it was named after an old paramount movie? The Festhaus is in serious need of some TLC, spend the money and remodel it.

Bubas is great and the food is good at Festhaus, just the dinning area needs some TLC. Hopefully things get some attention under CF

[AintNutinElse2Do]

So if the parks have to squeeze all the money they can out of guests, how do parks like Holiday World have the ability to offer so much with admission. It's not like they are losing $3.oo on every soda they give away it's probably closer to 10 cents including cup and ice. Drinks are probably the most marked up item sold anywhere.

[flightoffear1996]

The Festhaus is in serious need of some TLC

Didn't Paramount just redo the inside of that not too long back?

[Avatar]

It’s the atmosphere!!!!!!!

Hamburger – Hot Dogs – Chicken can be severed in an interesting and variety of ways, but in the end its still just hamburger, hot dogs and chicken. Even back in the days KI still served the same old foods but back then the restaurants had atmosphere. Wings had a western theme with the food being grilled out where guest could see it, Festhaus had shows in it, the International Street restaurant had a wonderful view, Stunt grill had seating outside where guest were able to watch monkeys at play and even in the kids area guests where able to take their snacks to a natural tunnel for an unique experience. As far as employees attitudes; I think it would be hard to stay up beat when serving over priced food to guests who have an expression of I’m being ripped off written all over their face.

Sam2cpa on our last trip to MGM at WDW we did have lunch at Sci-Fi.


There is plenty of atmospheres there, guests make reservations months in advance and no one complains about the $11.99 bacon cheeseburger or BBQ chicken for $13.99.


Guests are having an unique dinning experience with their family at a theme park and if you asked my daughter what she ate she could not tell you, but she can tell you where she ate and that she wants to go back there!


I think charging $3.50 for a hot dog at KI and then offering package condiments is a truly lazy way of doing things. I mean what would be wrong with making stand called Stadium Dogs and offering a condiment bar with cheese, onions, relish and other assorted condiments too. Then offer the guest some bleachers or stadium seats complete with cup holders, a fold down tray from the seat in front of them near a TV or sports memorabilia to give an stadium feel to it, heck charge $4.50, I think guests would like that.

I try not to complain without trying to offer possible solutions, so here are a couple ideas – take it or leave it.
Wings Buffet, keep it as a buffet but cater more to the kids and have characters go around to the tables to visit the kids for a private but fun experience (they could be cast members dressed –up for the area).
Festhaus try to put a couple small skit shows in there and offer a hot condiment bar so guest can fix up their chicken and burgers with fresh tradition items but also sautéed mushrooms, onions peppers and assorted cheeses.
International Street Restaurant I think in keeping with the international theme offer either an Italian or a Japanese Steak house. I think the Japanese Steak house would work real well as they could control the table turns to keep things on track plus it would attract a lot of attention when the chefs light the grill to give a quick flame.
Stunt Grill could become the Stadium Dogs since it’s located in Action Zone. I also think a Stadium Dogs 2 could go in somewhere in at the water park.

I truly think if KI would focus on the atmosphere of their eateries I think guest would get excited about eating there with their families and not focusing on the prices as much. With that I think the employees would be more relaxed around happy guest and would loosen up and enjoy their working conditions better.

Just my two cents worth on this topic.