Enquirer: More than thrill rides bloom at Kings Island

[BoddaH1994]

What was the first structure erected at Kings Island?

If you answered The Racer roller coaster, Eiffel Tower or Enchanted Voyage ride, think again. The first building to go up at Kings Island was a glass greenhouse constructed in 1969 – three years before the Mason amusement park opened to the public.

http://ux.cincinnati.com/story/news/2015/01/16/thrill-rides-bloom-kings-island/21874019/

[marth555]

The landscaping at the park is as much of an attraction as Banshee, The Beast and Diamondback,says Don Helbig, park spokesman.
Its quite nice but thats a stretch if you ask me

[Thrill_Biscuit]

Awesome article!

A lot goes into keeping the experience of entering the park as grand and memorable as it has been for generation after generation! That has never faded, and as a fan I'm very happy for that! ("Now, just turn that music dial a little bit more in the direction of orchestra/symphony, and all is bliss!")

[Ride On_17]

Thanks for sharing that article! I never knew KI had a greenhouse and grew some of their own shrubs/plants.

[Splatrick14]

They do such a tremendous job. Truly feels like a park with all the greenery.

[Spectrum91]

Excellent article. I'm slightly confused on one part though - so the park's first greenhouse was constructed before the park broke ground? Was the greenhouse constructed as part of Kings Island, or was it a lucky chance a former land owner built a greenhouse the park could then utilize?

[Outdoor Man]

Parks growing their own landscaping isn't too uncommon; they save a ton of money that way.

I have to agree with Marth555... that quote is a bit of a stretch. They used to do much more than they do now. It's nicely tended to, but to say it's an 'attraction'...

- they used to have floral themed signs at the entrance.

- Royal Fountains had sculpted greenery, now just grass.

- trees lining RF though nice for shade are a bit over grown.

- Coney Mall used to have those Pinko (or however they're spelled... or named) trees lining the walkways.

- the covered pathway in the kids area that is now mostly tables and umbrellas.

- Swan Lake

The greenery areas are nice and tended to. .. but they're not an attraction.

[The Interpreter]

At the old Elitch Gardens, Cypress Gardens, Gilroy Gardens and the Busch Gardens parks, the lush, exotic landscaping was an attraction to many.

[HarvestmanMan]

Pinko (or however they're spelled... or named)

Ginkgo.

I find it especially nice that the floral clock is still around...

[lopan]

If you look by Great Wolf Lodge there's a small lake and the buildings next to it are the greenhouses

[Spectrum91]

I was browsing some old topics and thought the content from this post was worth sharing.

Kings Island's Floral Date from 1974.

And again, from 2011.

I agree wholeheartedly with what the original poster, standbyme, said about the date:

As for where I would rather be standing today...is there ANYONE here who can look at both pictures and not choose 1974? The landscaping department were certainly at the top of their game back then!

Today’s version looks nice but it pales in comparison to the 1974 version.

Besides the Tower silhouette being more defined, I also enjoy the fact that the park name was included. I wonder when that stopped.

Edit - Browsing further into that thread, it appears that the park also once listed the year. I don't know when it started, but 2008 was the last year before it stopped.

[BlondyRidesOn]

I remember the park logo being on the top up until a few years ago or so. It wasn't that long ago that they stopped adding it.

[medford]

So some say the landscaping is not "really" an attraction, some say it used to be. Yet every spring there is a post lamenting about the apparent loss of the hands on the floral clock, only to be reminded that the floral clock is typically not set up until later in the spring when things warm up. So to that, I say, clearly the landscaping is an attraction, if Don were to grab a chain saw and start randomly cutting down trees to stock his firewood supply, complaints would be loud enough to shake the Eiffel Tower (in Paris no less). The landscaping may not top the list of things to see and do at KI for many on this site, or even for the average patron, but there are people that are there every day of the operating season who are only there to take in the sites, enjoy their family and friends and never once step foot onto a ride anywhere in the park. The trees, the flowers, the sites and the sounds are all part of what makes KI a great destination.

[lopan]

my how those trees have grown

[OldieButGoodie]

The landscaping at the park is as much of an attraction as Banshee, The Beast and Diamondback,says Don Helbig, park spokesman.

Its quite nice but thats a stretch if you ask me

I'm actually with Don on that. I love to use KI as a place to practice as a photographer. You have all kinds of opportunities, landscape, action, low-light, macro - and the gardening is a big part of that. Beyond that hobby, I see parents and grandparents enjoying those areas and displays while younger folks ride the rides. I think Don's right on this one!

[Outdoor Man]

It's nice, but not near what it use to be.

[The Interpreter]

How would you compare Cedar Fair era landscaping to that of, say, the early 2000's?

Curious Terpy, who values your opinion.

[BoddaH1994]

How would you compare Cedar Fair era landscaping to that of, say, the early 2000's?

Curious Terpy, who values your opinion.

Or more importantly - 2006.

Don't get me wrong, the park is nice looking. However, it's not the best it has ever looked. If you look at some of the historical photos on our site you can see several examples of plant sculptures that the park used to have. Now we have the floral clock and floral calendar. We may or may not have the Liberty Bell. We may or may not have the carousel horse. We may or may not have the giant hanging basket. I've been both pleasantly surprised and disappointed in the past, so I'm not even going to claim to know. Come to think of it, they had a floral Eiffel Tower. I can't remember if they used that or not last year. That one was my favorite growing up.

In the rare instances that I go to Soak City, I'm always impressed by the landscaping there. On the other hand, they have a really missed opportunity for a nice green area in Tower Gardens. It really doesn't need to be the largest smoking section in the industry. The fact that it has fallen into disrepair is kind of disappointing. Do you remember how amazing it was in the Paramount Days? It had fountains and waterfalls. Trees and shrubs. Plus the movie stuff. Then again, the fact that the area hasn't even gotten a smidge of attention in the past several years implies to me that they already have plans for that area.

The "landscaping is a big attraction at Kings Island" is a story they try to rehearse every year. I don't buy it, though. I mean, if they removed the floral clock people would be angry... but if they switched from Coke to Pepsi people would be angry. Doesn't mean that people go there to drink Coke - or even make that part of their purchasing decision.

The lesson in this article (for you journalism majors out there) is that Rachel found the true story - and it's incredibly interesting. The Enquirer got a great story, and the park gets their article. To try to pass a story idea that any measurable amount of people visit the park to look at the landscaping is just silly. I'd pay money to see a survey in the 2014 season that would support that.

[coasterfanatic83]

I don't believe the floral Eiffel Tower was there this past season. Was it the one near the Dodgem?

[malem]

The "landscaping is a big attraction at Kings Island" is a story they try to rehearse every year. I don't buy it, though. I mean, if they removed the floral clock people would be angry... but if they switched from Coke to Pepsi people would be angry. Doesn't mean that people go there to drink Coke - or even make that part of their purchasing decision.

The lesson in this article (for you journalism majors out there) is that Rachel found the true story - and it's incredibly interesting. The Enquirer got a great story, and the park gets their article. To try to pass a story idea that any measurable amount of people visit the park to look at the landscaping is just silly. I'd pay money to see a survey in the 2014 season that would support that.

Most guests probably don't visit Kings Island to look at landscaping, just as they don't go there to listen to music over the PA system. That doesn't make either less important.

I actually know someone who chose to visit Disney's Hollywood Studios instead of either Universal park while in the Orlando area for the first time. The reason: it looked "nicer" in photographs.

My example probably isn't typical, but aesthetics are definitely an attraction - whether people realize it or not. The fact that most don't pay attention to such details is one reason why articles like this one are interesting.

Is it fair to compare the landscaped grounds to The Beast or Banshee? Perhaps not. But those rides wouldn't exist if Kings Island weren't a pleasant place to visit. In hindsight, Swan Lake and the landscaping around the antique cars are certainly seen as attractions around here.

[The Interpreter]

I didn't pick 2006 for MANY reasons:

* It was VERY atypical.

* CBS ran the park until June 30.

* It was already sold, so no incentive to showcase the park to offload it.

* Cedar Fair had its hands full, especially after early mid-July, their management was thrown for a loop.

[rlentless]

Maybe since there are now mature trees a groundskeeper do not feel the need to spruce the area up with more landscaping. In 1974 without mature trees or landscaping the area would be somewhat bleak.

Or most likely a budget issue, or a lot of resources now go to Soak City. But it does take away the majestic feel of the park when there is an area that looks not kept up. But that is not to say I do not appreciate the beauty and cleanliness of the park overall.

I know it’s two different industries, but I am always amazed at how the Cincinnati Zoo makes you feel like you are in a different world. It’s often not until you go outside do you realize in some areas you are only a few feet from a neighborhood and never know it while inside.

[CoastersRZ]

The Cincinnati Zoo isn`t completely different industries. They are still competing for people`s discretionary income. One main difference though, is that the Cincinnati Zoo is a not-for-profit. It actually receives money from Hamilton County property tax owners. Check out the theming that the zoo employs with some of their exhibits/buildings and you will find that they are in the business of entertainment architecture in much the same way that theme parks are. But that is getting into my thesis topic, which I can share later. (I still can`t believe it has been over five years since I finished my thesis and grad school).

And the full name of the Cincinnati Zoo is actually the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Gardens. So that is part of why they focus a lot on landscaping.

I have always found it odd that Soak City has had exquisite landscaping and the rest of Kings Island doesn`t quite have the same attention to detail that the water park has.

[lebeau]

The landscaping at the park is as much of an attraction as Banshee, The Beast and Diamondback,says Don Helbig, park spokesman.

Its quite nice but thats a stretch if you ask me

That used to be true. I wouldn't say it is any more.

[KIfan73]

While the landscaping did look more detailed in the '70s, the park is much bigger than it was then and the landscaping budget, I would imagine, is much more stretched than it was then. I like Kings Island's landscaping, and I think it can be easy to take it for granted. Can you say parking lot coaster? I haven't been to a park that has one of those, and I'm so glad Kings Island hasn't went that route. While the landscaping might lack some of the "show-stopping" aspects from the past, it's consistency throughout so many acres is what impresses me.