Absolute WORST park-going experience of my life!

[The Interpreter]

Perhaps they should benchmark other parks' best practices.

Test Track at Disney certainly comes to mind...

[Avatar]

Another situation at Diamondback that I witnessed one day when I was there, I am not complaining but just noticed it was a odd situation. Several guests as a group waited in the regular line and did not choose to try and cycle through quicker in the stand by line. Well the group was assigned there seats by the assigner and when the train was ready to be boarded, the group stated to go to their assigned seats a employee asked that two in the group go back to the line queue so that a waiting guest on the other side (Possible Disability or Guests Relation Rider) could ride in their seats. The ones being told polity said "but we are with a group and they all are on now". everything worked out OK but it was a odd situation.

[cdrptrks]

Kings Island needs to wake up and do something about line jumping before real problems occur (this kind of thing can easily escalate into violence) which will cause many more people to avoid future trips to the park.

Line jumping will only escalate to violence if you try to block the person or call them out. If you just quietly get a person near you to agree with you when you get to the station you can both tell the ride op about it without having to worry about violence, and the park should take care of the situation. To me, it is not worth risking my wellbeing over a wait of a few more minutes.

I hate line jumping...but I just try to overlook it for 2 reasons...Number 1: In the grand scheme of things I figure that one or two extra people in front of me is not that big of a deal...and Number 2: After witnessing a line jumper confrontation a few years ago where it looked like a knife was about to be pulled out, it made me realize that it REALLY wasn't worth the possible consequences.

My thoughts exactly. It just isn't worth the risk of directly confronting a line jumper when you consider that they will only add a minute or two to your wait time.

[Beast Man]

I don't think you should let some punk ruin your experience at the park.I've been on Delerium and some young idiot spit while the ride was in motion and it landed on my face.But I'm not going to let him ruin my fun.

[standbyme]

I've been on Delirium and some young idiot spit while the ride was in motion and it landed on my face.But I'm not going to let him ruin my fun.

I am glad to say that I have never had anything like that happen to me...I think it is good that you didn't let it affect your good time.

(Am I right in guessing that you ended up in Festhaus' bathroom to wash it off?)

[CedarPointer]

I am convinced that, next year, there will be signs in DB's line that say,

"LINE JUMPING IS ENCOURAGED."

[Beast Man]

I've been on Delirium and some young idiot spit while the ride was in motion and it landed on my face.But I'm not going to let him ruin my fun.

I am glad to say that I have never had anything like that happen to me...I think it is good that you didn't let it affect your good time.

(Am I right in guessing that you ended up in Festhaus' bathroom to wash it off?)

Actually it was the Action Zone restroom by SOB.

[I_heart_pki]

Yesterday while me and my friend were in line for Diamondback a group of kids tried to cut us and half the line to meet up with another group of friends. I sopke up and said that there were signs saying no line jumping and that either they should split or all go to the back of the line. One 12 year old looking kid said something kind of rude and others waiting in line spoke up as well. to make a long story short so many people started complaining at the group that they eventually went to the back of the line. If you handle things calmly and rationally than you get a lot further than by "Blocking them."

[Diamondback FOF]

I'm sorry you had such a bad time, although I think it's over exagerated. I know, line jumping is a problem, but I don't think it's a big enough problem to drive 4+ hours round trip to only stay for 1.5 hours. I'm glad you talked to GR though so at least they know. I think you should try going to Kings Island again later this season. I would go on a Tuesday or a Wednesday when it isn't too hot out. Also, I would go ahead and get your ride on whatever ride, and then go to GR so you didn't waste so much time.

Once again, sorry it was such a bad experience, but do give KI another chance.

[paperg]

It's not all kids tho. Yesterday while in line for DB, there was a guy going through the queue with his boy & he was hollaring out to his wife & other kid, "here we are, down here", as waving his arm for them to come on down. And they did! As walking along, I mentioned to the people in the next que, you have line jumpers. The line jumpers were behind me, but still I let other people know that they were getting the linejumpers & they seemed not to care or either knew there was nothing they could do.... There was more throughout the day, but what are you gonna do?????????

[The Interpreter]

Think to yourself next time...Kings Island......where else? Then go there....

[IBEW_Sparky]

Precisely, Terpy. Subject closed.

[MrTools]

i cant tell you how many times i have seen somthing like tis happen even happened to me once, but this here makes me want to step up and show them i was there first. And to everyone here, if somone tries to linejump you we need to make it stop if they think its ok to go in front of somone who has been waiting especialy somone younger you need to stop them there so it doesnt happen again

[Jumpin Jack]

Seriously...???...

No matter what a sign says,,, kids are kids. Many of them will intentionally break the rules. It's what they do. To them, it may even be worth getting kicked out of the park to not risk missing the social opportunity with their peer group. If some of them got kicked out, they would wear it as a badge of honor and soak in all the attention their group would give them. Their attempt to break out as individuals and self-actualize, as well as their attempt to fit into society and their peer group will drive their decision... Both motivations would be fueled. Not to mention group theory, and how empowered people in general can be when attempting to work with a group... I mean,,,, the Holocaust even... And those that perpetuated this, weren't teenagers.

Point of the matter,,,, line-jumping will ALWAYS be a problem. The park does enforce this, and when guests complain it is dealt with. The workers are instructed to respond when they notice these situations or there is a guest complaint.

If you can't emotionally deal with a bunch of teenagers being teenagers, I suggest you focus your leisure time somewhere other than theme parks. Maybe a library, retirement home shuffle board court, or chalet in the mountains where you could grow a very large beard and let woodland creatures live in it...

[standbyme]

^Everybody has a breaking point when they say to themselves "Enough's enough"...just like you must have felt when you posted your reply!

[XGatorHead 8904]

The park does enforce this, and when guests complain it is dealt with. The workers are instructed to respond when they notice these situations or there is a guest complaint.

If you're naive enough to believe this, then I suggest you read about my line jumping showdown here: http://www.KICentral.com/forums/index.php?...st&p=300757. The FOC crew did nothing about this situation. If they had been trained on how to deal with it, that makes their lack of response even worse. While I was pi$$ed for a little afterwards, I didn't let it ruin the rest of the day. There was too much fun to be had!

^Everybody has a breaking point when they say to themselves "Enough's enough"...just like you must have felt when you posted your reply!

I reached a breaking point when it comes to letting line jumping slide. My breaking point occured when two teen girls line jumped at Voyage last year. I was in line, just entering the lower queue room (which was full). These two girls said they were trying to get to their friends. I jokingly made a comment to the people around me, something to the effect of "Yeah, sure they have friends up there." A few minutes later, they guy behind me tapped me on the shoulder and pointed to the stairs going to the station. There were the two girls, climbing the steps. They had circumvented the entire lower queue room, which took me 30 or so minutes to get through. It was at that point I said enough is enough.

And now my crusade has started. Luckily I haven't had to fight the fight too much this year, or the remainder of last year. When I suspect line jumping is about to occur, I place my hands on each handrail in the attempt to block the offender. This, so far, has worked as a good detterent, and I have not had to take further action. If they were to still attempt it, then I plan on saying something to them at that point. How things go from there I would have to play it by ear, adapting to the situation as it occurs. I'm kind of like a Citizen On Patrol (why does Police Academy 4: Citizens on Patrol come to mind? ).

I'm sorry you had such a bad time, Sparky, and hope that you give the park another shot. KI will not become a Six Flags Ohio on my watch! (Now if only I could get that elusive Anti-Line Jumper Paintball Grenade Launcher I've been hearing rumors about...)

[CedarPointer]

I saw a group of at least TWENTY line jump FOF today. Since the line wasn't really that long (I was near the back anyway), I hopped under the handrail, after seeing two or three others do the same, and walked back to the beginning of the line and let the height-checker know. The employees actually did end up doing something about it. Line Jumpers: 3, Kings Island: 1.

[TopThrill]

The best way to avoid line jumps is to go on less busy days.

[markr]

Seriously...???...

No matter what a sign says,,, kids are kids. Many of them will intentionally break the rules. It's what they do. To them, it may even be worth getting kicked out of the park to not risk missing the social opportunity with their peer group. If some of them got kicked out, they would wear it as a badge of honor and soak in all the attention their group would give them. Their attempt to break out as individuals and self-actualize, as well as their attempt to fit into society and their peer group will drive their decision... Both motivations would be fueled. Not to mention group theory, and how empowered people in general can be when attempting to work with a group... I mean,,,, the Holocaust even... And those that perpetuated this, weren't teenagers.

Point of the matter,,,, line-jumping will ALWAYS be a problem. The park does enforce this, and when guests complain it is dealt with. The workers are instructed to respond when they notice these situations or there is a guest complaint.

If you can't emotionally deal with a bunch of teenagers being teenagers, I suggest you focus your leisure time somewhere other than theme parks. Maybe a library, retirement home shuffle board court, or chalet in the mountains where you could grow a very large beard and let woodland creatures live in it...

I would like to think that people are basically good and I do believe that is the case if they have the proper guidence and discipline from their parents. Parents need to teach their children right from wrong, which includes treating other people with respect. If I had gotten kicked out of KI when I was a teenager, believe you me I would have had to face my parents and it would not have been pretty.

[DeLorean Rider]

I'm sorry but all the implications about the single rider line requirements are just ludicrous. The problem is that all anyone worry's about is what's best for them. It's ridiculous that people believe that being alone at the park is a requirement to use the single rider line. The park did not build a single rider line to reward those people who come alone or even those who are willing to split up. When it comes down to it the single rider line is not for guest benefit at all, it's for the park's benefit. Those guests are only there to fill the seats that would have otherwise been left empty. The only requirement, whether a group of 1 or 100 is that you must be willing to split up and go where ever the separator puts you. It is NOT meant to be a way for people to get on the ride faster, just because they're alone. If they do get on faster then just consider it a bonus. End of story.

[Discodude3737]

Agreed. I also think everyone is severely overanalyzing the job that the station separator is performing. When the crew is sending out 40+ trains per hour, how do you expect the employee(s) to be able to deal with height checking, line jumpers, loose article questions, etc. and still be able to fill every seat on the train? If they need a group of two and have all of 10 seconds to find one, so what if they take two single riders and pair them together. It's better than yelling down the stairs, possibly not finding any, and then either leaving the seats empty or holding up the next dispatch while the group of two climbs past everyone in front of them to get to the appropriate seats. Simply put, working as a separator requires alot more than most people here seem to think it does.

[BoddaH1994]

You did the right thing by going to GR with this. Now there is a documented report of the incident. These reports are reviewed by many members of management (not just GR people) and your voice will be heard. The supervisor seemed to be sympathetic to the incident and really did the best he could do for a split-second remedy.

[Skier]

But the issue is that the single rider line can benefit BOTH the park and the rider if done right. Single Riders was actually made popular for Ski Lifts way before theme parks, this is due to the high number of true single riders that are on the slopes by themselves. Parks saw the huge increase in capacity and adopted the concept to attractions. One small thing that was overlooked was that there are very few true single riders that makes this line highly unpredictable in the industry but the benefit of increased capacity is still large.

Honestly, when done right, a single ride line that is monitored and closed off when full compared to the normal line to guarantee a shorter wait is a benefit to both, it just needs to be done right.

Back to the topic, line jumpers suck, but the park has larger issues then to spend ridiculous amounts of money on security, which in this business, is a higher hourly wage that can greatly effect a park's budget. What you described above is an AMAZING management response, especially in a seasonal park, and I really hope that you don't see this as KI's fault/see any future for of Guest Recovery as a true apology, it doesn't cost the park any more than that Supervisors time that they truly want to spend to fix your day!

And just be happy KI dose not have a Express/Fastpass line

[markr]

But the issue is that the single rider line can benefit BOTH the park and the rider if done right. Single Riders was actually made popular for Ski Lifts way before theme parks, this is due to the high number of true single riders that are on the slopes by themselves. Parks saw the huge increase in capacity and adopted the concept to attractions. One small thing that was overlooked was that there are very few true single riders that makes this line highly unpredictable in the industry but the benefit of increased capacity is still large.

Honestly, when done right, a single ride line that is monitored and closed off when full compared to the normal line to guarantee a shorter wait is a benefit to both, it just needs to be done right.

Back to the topic, line jumpers suck, but the park has larger issues then to spend ridiculous amounts of money on security, which in this business, is a higher hourly wage that can greatly effect a park's budget. What you described above is an AMAZING management response, especially in a seasonal park, and I really hope that you don't see this as KI's fault/see any future for of Guest Recovery as a true apology, it doesn't cost the park any more than that Supervisors time that they truly want to spend to fix your day!

And just be happy KI dose not have a Express/Fastpass line

What issue is larger than the comfort and safety of your paying customers?

[gigacoaster2k]

You want an outstanding park experience? Go to Holiday World.. seriously.

I saw NO line jumpers anywhere. The one girl that almost did immediately apologized to me and my whole group, stepped back behind us, and stayed there.

I saw NO smoking except in designated areas.

I saw NO trash on the ground. The few pieces I did see were swiftly picked up.

I had NOT ONE experience with a rude employee. They were ALL friendly, courteous, and helpful, from management down to sweepers.

Plus they give you FREE pop/Gatorade/lemonade/iced tea, FREE sunscreen, and FREE parking.

Oh and bonus: Their coasters are trim-free.

Sound too good to be true? Go see it for yourself.

[Skier]

But the issue is that the single rider line can benefit BOTH the park and the rider if done right. Single Riders was actually made popular for Ski Lifts way before theme parks, this is due to the high number of true single riders that are on the slopes by themselves. Parks saw the huge increase in capacity and adopted the concept to attractions. One small thing that was overlooked was that there are very few true single riders that makes this line highly unpredictable in the industry but the benefit of increased capacity is still large.

Honestly, when done right, a single ride line that is monitored and closed off when full compared to the normal line to guarantee a shorter wait is a benefit to both, it just needs to be done right.

Back to the topic, line jumpers suck, but the park has larger issues then to spend ridiculous amounts of money on security, which in this business, is a higher hourly wage that can greatly effect a park's budget. What you described above is an AMAZING management response, especially in a seasonal park, and I really hope that you don't see this as KI's fault/see any future for of Guest Recovery as a true apology, it doesn't cost the park any more than that Supervisors time that they truly want to spend to fix your day!

And just be happy KI dose not have a Express/Fastpass line

What issue is larger than the comfort and safety of your paying customers?

The issue of providing comfort and safety to your customers... properly. A park is a business... they will do anything and everything to ensure their guest feels safe, they will not go out of their way and blow money to babysit 13 year olds (although it would be nice.)

Complaining that security needs to be stationed at every queue line is complete overkill. Parks do have methods of communication put in place so security can quickly respond to any situation that a guest or employee could encounter. The operations end tries their best to keep control of the lines but sometimes cutting occurs, been to a Target with only 3 lanes open and a Brazilian tour group that starts as two and ends up 30 lately? Haha.

[windshawne]

You want an outstanding park experience? Go to Holiday World.. seriously.

I saw NO line jumpers anywhere. The one girl that almost did immediately apologized to me and my whole group, stepped back behind us, and stayed there.

I saw NO smoking except in designated areas.

I saw NO trash on the ground. The few pieces I did see were swiftly picked up.

I had NOT ONE experience with a rude employee. They were ALL friendly, courteous, and helpful, from management down to sweepers.

Plus they give you FREE pop/Gatorade/lemonade/iced tea, FREE sunscreen, and FREE parking.

Oh and bonus: Their coasters are trim-free.

Sound too good to be true? Go see it for yourself.

Sounds like a nice place, I haven't been there. Problem with KI is a lot of the clientele that comes into the park these days-that is something no park can control. Go on July 4th in the evening-'nuff said.

[The Interpreter]

Actually parks can and do control that, in numerous ways. Some of them:

By selecting pricing levels and whether or not to offer season passes, and if so, at what cost (There is a reason Kennywood does not offer season passes. There was a reason Kentucky Kingdom had very high season pass prices before Six Flags came along, and that the park was felt much more safe and secure back then). When you in effect give away a season full of fun, you can also expect to become babysitters for groups of bored teens...which can be a recipe for trouble. Some parks will not let seasonpassholders under 18 in the park unless accompanied by a responsible adult (Lake Winnie and Camden Park come to mind). This really doesn't do a whole lot, as the adult can come in with them, and then leave...but it does at least make a statement....

By tolerating or not tolerating misconduct like linejumping, smoking in other than designated areas, etc. Ignoring such things generates more....strictly enforcing conduct rules leads to less of such misconduct.

By fixing or not fixing appearance issues as soon as they occur, from trash on the ground to graffiti to gum on the ground, and even to broken or marred theming.

By selecting entertainment...gospel groups, for example, do in fact attract a different crowd than do, say, rappers. Barry Manilow type audiences act differently than crowds at a Phish concert. Say what you will, it's true. By targeting marketing to a younger demographic, you are more apt to have security issues. As people get older, there is less energy, less peer pressure, less misconduct.

All these things affect who comes and who comes back and doesn't, and, perhaps more importantly, how they act while they are there. Most people who would misbehave sense what is expected and tolerated, and test only those limits they think they can exceed and get by with.

[windshawne]

Actually parks can and do control that, in numerous ways. Some of them:

By selecting pricing levels and whether or not to offer season passes, and if so, at what cost (There is a reason Kennywood does not offer season passes. There was a reason Kentucky Kingdom had very high season pass prices before Six Flags came along, and that the park was felt much more safe and secure back then). When you in effect give away a season full of fun, you can also expect to become babysitters for groups of bored teens...which can be a recipe for trouble.

By tolerating or not tolerating misconduct like linejumping, smoking in other than designated areas, etc. Ignoring such things generates more....strictly enforcing conduct rules leads to less of such misconduct.

By fixing or not fixing appearance issues as soon as they occur, from trash on the ground to graffiti to gum on the ground, and even to broken or marred theming.

By selecting entertainment...gospel groups do in fact attract a different crowd than do, say, rappers. Barry Manilow type audiences act differently than crowds at a Phish concert. Say what you will, it's true. By targeting marketing to a younger demographic, you are more apt to have security issues. As people get older, there is less energy, less peer pressure, less misconduct.

And less tolerance for such!

KI has also become a babysitter. We constantly see kids under 12 who become separated from their friends who are also under 12 and are scared to death. One kid just last weekend was wandering around the parking lot alone and crying-only 11 years old. Luckily a nice lady brought him back into the park so his parents could be called-he only knew his home number, not the cell. I wonder how that came out.

I have seen kids as young as 4 walking around alone-the parents are too busy with their own lives to give a crap about the kids and figure taking them to the park gives them a break. Some are even irritated when they are called. AS far as the rowdy teens go, yeah, I agree with the earlier post about the sense of entitlement, but there are adults who think that way as well.

When I was young and KI was only 2-3 years old, we went once a year and saved up for the trip-it was a special family day. I agree season passes have ruined a lot of things. IN all honesty, I will only go to the park during the week now because of the issues mentioned in this thread. I dont have much tolerance for any of this these days.

[auge.dog]

There seems to be a lot of KI bashing in this thread, and I thought I would just provide a bit of a different perspective. First of all, having moved here from NM, I feel fortunate to have such a big and diverse Amusement Park to take my children (and me) to have a day of fun. In NM, we would have to drive at least 8 hours to find a park that could compare. We have gone to KI 2x this year, and I have yet to see any line jumping. I'm sure it happens, but I have not yet seen it. The closest was one time we got in line for The Beast - a group of about 6 teens got in just before us. Another group of 3 or 4 got in just after us. I saw them talking with the group in front, and they looked at me with begging eyes. I asked if they were with the group in front of us, and they replied,"yes". So I said, 'go ahead' and let them through. No big deal to me.

I have only seen one group of people smoking in the park. True, it may not have been in a smoking area, but it was not in a line either. They were walking along a path, so it was not as if the smoke was lingering around. They were also fairly discreet about it, and were trying to stay isolated from the vast majority of people. My guess is that most of the people smoking are in the smoking areas, which I do not know where they are. Otherwise, I feel I would have seen a lot more people smoking.

I can't speak for all parents, but I know myself and most of the parents I have seen, keep a constant eye on their children. Mine are told to stay with me at all times. I certainly do not and would not ever consider KI as a babysitting service. Heck, it's a whole lot of fun for me to ride and do things with my kids. The first time I went, I refused to ride D'back because I would have had to have left my 5-year old in a kiddie corral by himself. THere was no way I was going to do this - and I really have not seen much if any of this practice. Fortunately, the second time, my wife went with us, so my 7-yr old and I got to ride D'back twice. She loved it by the way (me too!).

A vast majority of the teens and pre-teems I have seen have been well behaved. The first day we went was one of the music days where there were gobs of groups of teens and pre-teens. With the exception of one group, I felt all these groups were well behaved. Sure there were some adolescent moments, but nothing out of the ordinary. Basically, just kids having fun.

I have actually been impressed with the cleanliness and appearance of the park this year. Spotless - no. But looking good nonetheless. The Rivertown area is looking especially nice. If they continue to improve one section of the park each year as they have with Rivertown this year, the appearance of the park could really be something to be proud of.

Finally, the interactions I have had with the workers there have also been almost unanimously positive. The only minor complaint I would have is that some of the food service had been a bit slow. And while pop/soda is not free, $2 to fill one of the big souvenir cups is not a bad deal, and they have been happily giving out free cups of ice water. Heck, we bring in a few bottles of water, and fill up our souvenir cup once or twice during the day and we are set.

I'm sure part of the reason I have not seen these things is that I am not looking for them. When we go, we go with the attitude that we are going to have fun. I am not looking for the bad - but rather enjoying the moments. Enjoying the people I'm with.

It's all about perspective. Is KI perfect - no way - it can certainly strive to continue to improve in many areas. And we should not let them be content, and must push them when we see things that need improvement. If you believe rules enforcment is one of them, stay on them to do something about it. But, please try not to let it ruin your day. I'm sure Holiday World is also a great place with its own plusses and minuses - but it is also 3 hours further away. I cannot simply decide at the spur of the moment to go. I'm sure we'll go one day - but until then KI with its multitude of rides, thrills and shows does pretty darn well.