KI Park Maps

[IndyGuy4KI]

I thought it would be a good idea to put together a collection of park maps on KIC. Right now on the KI site there is just the 2018 Winterfest map. Does anyone have a collection of the maps over the years in PDF or image files? Please send me a PM if you have any of these files. Thanks!

paging @Shaggy

[Joshua]

This is a fantastic idea! Is the idea to have a park map from every year? 

[Hampshire24]

Here is the Halloween Haunt 2018 Map. I tried to PM @IndyGuy4KI but I don't see where I can attach a PDF in a Private Message. 

2018 Kings Island Halloween Haunt Map.pdf

[DBInternational]

I collected them as image files on flickr.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/kitchenslayer/albums/72157670939023271

Just keep in mind these photos are not my own. I compiled them in middle school and forgot to cite them.

[IndyGuy4KI]

1 hour ago, Joshua said:

This is a fantastic idea! Is the idea to have a park map from every year? 

As much as we can collect.

[flightoffear1996]

We just moved but I have a box of the park maps back to 2002 I think.  I just need to find that box.

[CPFoodBlog]

You mean something like this...

http://cpfoodblog.com/park-food-guides/kings-island-food/kings-island-historical-maps/

 

[Shaggy]

On 1/4/2019 at 4:23 PM, IndyGuy4KI said:

I thought it would be a good idea to put together a collection of park maps on KIC. Right now on the KI site there is just the 2018 Winterfest map. Does anyone have a collection of the maps over the years in PDF or image files? Please send me a PM if you have any of these files. Thanks!

paging @Shaggy

I have a park map/guide from every year of operation, they are viewable on my SitOnIt FB KI site.

If they are downloaded and used here, I'd appreciate the acknowledgement.

 

[MDMC01]

If they have not been claimed yet, I can contribute the following: 

-2005 Park Map

-2010 Park Map

-2013, 2014 and 2017 Haunt Maps

-2017 and 2018 Winterfest Experience Guides

-2017 Winterfest Map

-2018 Peanuts Celebration Map

-2009 Hallowfest Map 

EDIT: I won't be sending the 2013 and 2014 Haunt maps are they have writing on them. Also added the year of the Hallowfest Map

[Oldschool75]

***Updated, we have one now.

 

I’m actually looking for a 1972 souvenir map in good shape to borrow for the ki50movie project. I need to get a ultra hi resolution scan if it. Send me a pm if you have one. Thanks.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[rlentless]

This video is good history of the park maps.  The ’78 map was ugly.  The ’82 was very plain and other years like 86, 87, 89 were too.  I liked the classic look of the ’92 map and it showed the Phantom Theater very prominently.  The first couple 94-95 Paramount maps were plain but at least they had pictures . . some other maps were just lines and shapes.  But my favorite years had the Son of Beast in the maps of the 2000’s.  It just made the park look much fuller.

 

[Captain Nemo]

Wow, I gotta say the 2000s maps were the best. Definitely felt a "Yuck" as soon as it transitioned from 2010 to 2011.

 

Great video!

[TombraiderTy]

10 hours ago, rlentless said:

This video is good history of the park maps. 

That video is a little misleading - it mixes the poster maps the park sold with the typical park map guests were provided. The poster maps were beautiful, whereas the typical park map was sometimes a simplistic map composed of shapes and lines. Like the video's transition from 1987 to 1988 makes it look like the park completely overhauled the map, but in reality that was just 1988's poster map. The 1988 standard map was near-identical to 1987's.

[KingsMills79]

Interesting note....on the 1983 map it shows The Bat's queue house still standing but then removed from the 85 & 86 maps, Does anyone recall what they use that building for during the 83 thru 86 seasons? 

[TombraiderTy]

1 hour ago, KingsMills79 said:

Interesting note....on the 1983 map it shows The Bat's queue house still standing but then removed from the 85 & 86 maps, Does anyone recall what they use that building for during the 83 thru 86 seasons? 

Well in 1983 the building was used as the roller coaster station for The Bat. The Bat was still operating in 1983 

1984 it was dormant alongside the coaster. The Bat was demolished April 1985 and the station then sat empty for the 1985 and 1986 seasons. A fence was put in front of the queue entrance and a sign was placed between Shake, Rattle & Roll and the station, instructing guests to watch the area for a new ride.

[standbyme]

10 minutes ago, TombraiderTy said:

...a sign was placed between Shake, Rattle & Roll and the station, instructing guests to watch the area for a new ride.

That seems a bit demanding...was it optional? 

[TombRaiderFTW]

"Mom, I wanna go ride The Beast right now!"

"No, Timmy. Ten more minutes watching the dirt."

From a distance, a security guard glares menacingly.

[silver2005]

38 minutes ago, TombRaiderFTW said:

"Mom, I wanna go ride The Beast right now!"

"No, Timmy. Ten more minutes watching the dirt."

From a distance, a security guard glares menacingly.

Wait, is @VortexBFForever becoming a security guard?

[Rivertown Rider]

If Vortex was built in the days of social media, it would probably be, "I can't believe Kings Island is building another Arrow, they expect this to be something that lasts a long time? They should've went with Togo." 

[super7]

The best  maps were the PM Pierce maps from ‘79-80    I consider those the best theme park maps ever.    The coasters and ride layouts are not necessarily accurate, but the creativity of these maps is outstanding. So  many details!  

 

 

[Benjamin22]

I think it'd be great if the park brought back souvenir maps for the 50th anniversary.  

[TombRaiderFTW]

13 hours ago, super7 said:

The best  maps were the PM Pierce maps from ‘79-80    I consider those the best theme park maps ever.    The coasters and ride layouts are not necessarily accurate, but the creativity of these maps is outstanding. So  many details! 

Wow, I LOVE those. They're giving me inspiration to try making a present-day map in that style. Maybe I'll give it a shot.

[Shawn Meyer]

On 5/14/2020 at 10:35 PM, Benjamin22 said:

I think it'd be great if the park brought back souvenir maps for the 50th anniversary.  

I said this in another topic, but it would be nice if they had the giant park maps like what Cedar Point sells for $2.00. I hope the GM of Kings Island reads this or these forums for ideas.

[Shaggy]

I asked a couple of the Execs back in the Paramount Days why they did not produce the poster-sized maps any longer. (This was probably around 2000, 2001)

I was told that, at the time, there was some legal binding behind it.  Like they park had a long-standing contract to have them printed by a specific printer, of which they were no longer doing business.

I found that explanation ummm... odd.  It didn't add up, but I didn't press it.  Ironically, they produced and sold the 30th anniversary one in 2002. (The park also re-printed the original 1972 park map in a limited quantity that they gave ACE Members.)

Of course, they never again revisited the poster maps.  They sold that 2002 one for a few seasons in the park, so I asked again if they would be producing another.  I was told they required a large order amount, didn't sell well, and they did not have a good profit margin.  That made more sense.

When CF came along, I thought for sure we'd see the maps make a comeback.  I cannot think of a year in the past 3 decades Cedar Point hasn't produced a new one. (I may be wrong - I don't collect the CP versions.)  But that didn't happen at KI.

Actually, the other CF parks do not produce them either. (At least that I've found.) I've been to many CF parks, and not found one for sale.  Knotts, Worlds of Fun, Valleyfair, Carowinds, Wonderland, Dominion etc.

As far as KI souvenirs go... I have some distinct sentiments...

The souvenirs have improved in recent years and there's been a few collector-oriented items (the Nano Coaster sets, the coaster posters they produced for a season, the pins and patches, the throwback merch with the original logos.)  But overall, what they offer is limited and generally sub par when compared to years gone by. The best collector-centric gift shop they had was actually the Banshee exit shop.  But we see what happened there.  I believe it likely is as simple as demand/profit margin isn't high enough to warrant the supply.

I've always said that I would love to see a high-end shop in International Street that focused on KI & Cincinnati focused limited edition prints, or art etc... (think The Disney Gallery.. on a local more affordable scale)  I believe there would be a clientele for higher end items (vs tshirts and water bottles ) It would satisfy those of us that walk through the pitiful Emporium looking for an "oooh ahhh" item - only to be disappointed every time.  They have offered extremely high-end pieces on occasion... and I have forked over the $ each time to own them.  I know I am not the only one that would do so.  This would also employ some of the EXTREMELY talented artisans in the Cincinnati area.  I have no doubt that they would jump at the chance to produce pieces to be sold & displayed at a place as visible as KI.

I'm one of the old-school folks here that remembers a time when virtually every item sold at KI was UNIQUE to KI.  There was no Build a Bear store... it was "Toys Internationale" and you could find toys not sold in every mall and WalMart in the US.  Instead they were shipped in from Germany, Switzerland etc.  There was no "scoop your own bag of sour candy" store... rather the treats were hand-made on-site by actual trained candy makers.  (Not just fudge, I'm talking taffy pullers, peppermint makers etc) There were trained artisans that hand-dipped candles, created art, tanned and burned leather, blacksmiths that created iron works, glass blowers etc.  

I miss those days... they required talented people with skills and abilities.  Those things are what helped make KI a well-rounded "Theme" park for familes of varied ages and interests.  It appears, however, the current sentiment is that kind of quality is lost on KI's guests.

To put things in perspective, the first time I went to KI it was with my Mom and Dad in 1981 when I was around 10.  We rode some family rides together - Enchanted Voyage, Flume, Train, Carousel.  We ate lunch at the International Restaurant together.  We saw "Celebration" together.  My Dad then took me off on our own to ride the more thrilling rides (this is when I saw "The Bat" operating for the first time) while my Mom shopped on International Street and the other shops scattered through the park.  When we came back together, we spent time in HB Land and I distinctly recall the "Flintstones giant bubble blowing set" and pennant I was able to buy as my souvenir.  I still have the Eiffel Tower and KI Memory Booklet that my Mom bought us four our home library shelves.  The point is, my best memories of that trip are what we did together - not how many times I rode any certain ride.  I have those souvenirs to this day because when I look at them, they remind me of the vivid memories that terrific day.

[KIghostguy]

1 hour ago, Shaggy said:

It would satisfy those of us that walk through the pitiful Emporium looking for an "oooh ahhh" item - only to be disappointed every time. 

No need for personal attacks today! 

[Shaggy]

1 minute ago, KIghostguy said:

No need for personal attacks today! 

Huh?

Not sure what that means, but not everything has to do with you... 

[KIghostguy]

2 minutes ago, Shaggy said:

Huh?

Not sure what that means, but not everything has to do with you... 

I work at Emporium.

[Shaggy]

Just now, KIghostguy said:

Emporium is where I work.

I see.  Well, my post was directed at the overall focus of merchandise choices and Guest Experience.  It was not any sort of reflection of seasonal employees at KI. 

No need to feel "sad."

[disco2000]

2 hours ago, Shaggy said:

I miss those days... they required talented people with skills and abilities.  Those things are what helped make KI a well-rounded "Theme" park for familes of varied ages and interests.  It appears, however, the current sentiment is that kind of quality is lost on KI's guests.

 

I think that part of the problem is that KI is seen as a season pass park when compared to other parks it competes against and as such I think a lot of the atmosphere is not noticeably appreciated by the guests that attend, yet at the same time it not being there subconsciously negatively impacts guests opinion of the park.  I think back to the early Paramount days and the Star Trek and other characters walking around and you wouldn't see them get the same attention as characters at other parks. Not many guests would stop or even form a line to get their picture with them.  Did that influence management decision at the time to scale back the amount of characters roaming Kings Island?  Did it have a trickle down effect into the other atmosphere/experience type settings like what you mentioned is missing?

Take a look at the current Lunch with the Peanuts Gang at KI versus Carowinds - at the end they do like 3 songs for a meet and greet with the characters and at Carowinds the line is long and sometimes not everyone gets their picture because the three songs are over, yet at KI the characters are for the most part ignored and just stand there most of the time (sometimes they get a crowd for meet and greet but not as consistent as other parks).  Or the relative lack of lines within the park when the characters are out.  I also recognize the difference in intellectual property rights that dictates what characters are at what parks...but that is a whole different discussion.  But the characters seem to get more love at other CF parks than at KI.

Other than enthusiasts, most of the folks I talk to see Back Lot, Crypt, Drop Tower, Invertigo, Bat, etc. as basically the same ride as when Paramount had the park, it is just a new name (can you believe that!). In other words, the theming was lost/not appreciated by them.  Does that mentality drive decisions at KI?  I loved the whole Top Gun experience and felt a let down when it became Flight Deck and wonder what they would do to the theming of that ride with a the upcoming sequel if it were still Top Gun...(and I realize the IP costs associated with keeping it the Top Gun name and why it was changed)

Think about the Banshee gift shop being eliminated - the merchandise offerings helped with the overall atmosphere of the park even if it didn't make any money.  Now a first time guests walks through and is like what is this... 

So one has to wonder does the fact that KI being a season pass park impact what attention they put into the little things?  Does/did KI suffer from the "we are a season pass park and people will attend regardless" mentality.  Even if exit surveys say people don't care about theming, etc., the lack of it does leave an impression as well, whether the guest realizes it or not...so I think it is good we are seeing some progress towards those little things in recent years.

[Benjamin22]

^ I wouldn’t necessarily say the park doesn’t care about the atmosphere, just look at all the work they’ve done in the past few years improving areas around the park. They seem to be caring more and more about the little things (glockenspiel, having areas have a cohesive theme) I think as each season goes on the park returns more to its original vision of being a well rounded theme park.