I feel sorry for the customer service team right now!

They shouldn’t be selling Fast Lane or letting additional people into the park.  There’s at least 4 rides in Planet Snoopy closed as well.  This is ridiculous.

Diamondback is running a train now with people on it.  Let’s hope this is a good sign.

3 minutes ago, LovinMeSomeBanshee said:

They shouldn’t be selling Fast Lane or letting additional people into the park.  There’s at least 4 rides in Planet Snoopy closed as well.  This is ridiculous.

Shouldn't the beagle out front be letting people know this and Woodstock tweeting about it

Diamondback is now running.  The other big three are still down.

Are these rides down due to maintenance or staffing?

1 minute ago, bengalsguy23 said:

Are these rides down due to maintenance or staffing?

Some kind of power issue.

1 minute ago, LovinMeSomeBanshee said:

Some kind of power issue.

Lack of employee power or electrical power?

I just saw Orion and Diamondback trains testing right as we left the parking lot...just my luck.  But yes heard from two employees due to power outage.  Honestly when inconvenience happens like today I wish they would be more open instead of saying "we don't know" and refund day tickets for another time today.

Orion is open

This thread was cleaned up including my own original post showing the people at IB. We need to stay on topic and not call people names as @spooky21 pointed out in the TOS.  Thanks!

Just catching up, but seems like several of the big rides, including Orion were down until about 3pm today?  That really hurts on a weekend day, especially when the park is only open until 7.

Would like to see park change hours to be open later.  People wishing to come after work wouldn't get there until >6p.  Not much incentive to come out at that point.

10 hours ago, Outdoor Man said:

Would like to see park change hours to be open later.  People wishing to come after work wouldn't get there until >6p.  Not much incentive to come out at that point.

Agreed.  You only stay open until 7, and you give me (and many others) a lot of incentive to leave the park to go get dinner elsewhere instead.  Stay open until 10, and I'll spend my dollars there.  Is there a reason for the 7 PM closing time?  Are they just wanting operation during daylight for some reason?

My guess is that it is a budget issue. 

19 minutes ago, amapan said:

My guess is that it is a budget issue. 

I never thought nofnit that way. Close early and the electric bill drops significantly. In a time when you're looking to cut costs in any way possible that's a smart move.

Kings Island has always been challenged to keep people in the park until closing time.  Families come in the morning to go to Planet Snoopy (and during normal years, Soak City), but by dinner time are often ready to go home. 

In a year like this, the number of people who would still be in the park after say 8pm has likely been estimated to be very low.  I agree that it is a bummer.  Unfortunately the "families with kids" crowd is likely a lot larger than the "visit in the evening" crowd.

4 minutes ago, Pagoda Gift Shop said:

Kings Island has always been challenged to keep people in the park until closing time.  Families come in the morning to go to Planet Snoopy (and during normal years, Soak City), but by dinner time are often ready to go home. 

In a year like this, the number of people who would still be in the park after say 8pm has likely been estimated to be very low.  I agree that it is a bummer.  Unfortunately the "families with kids" crowd is likely a lot larger than the "visit in the evening" crowd.

I saw that at Dollywood this past Friday. Park was open till 9:30pm and by 7pm it was a ghost town. Got like 10 walk on rides on Lightning rod and a couple people got Zen rides.

Same at HersheyPark for us last week. They have just reduced their daily schedule from 10-9 to 11-7. After the waterpark closed at 7 it was a ghost town from 7-9, although admittedly it wasn't really that busy in the dry park at all. We walked on nearly everything, including Candymonium

5 hours ago, SnakePlissken said:

I saw that at Dollywood this past Friday. Park was open till 9:30pm and by 7pm it was a ghost town. Got like 10 walk on rides on Lightning rod and a couple people got Zen rides.

I feel like that'll be this Sat. We're going from 4-930 so that we can see the fireworks since sun is 11-7.  
 

Hoping wed we can get a ride on Orion but we won't get there till 430. wonder how it's been from like 5-7.

4 hours ago, LuckyluvsKI said:

I feel like that'll be this Sat. We're going from 4-930 so that we can see the fireworks since sun is 11-7.  
 

Hoping wed we can get a ride on Orion but we won't get there till 430. wonder how it's been from like 5-7.

Hopefully Mystery Mine is back up and running for you. It broke down Sat.

46 minutes ago, SnakePlissken said:

Hopefully Mystery Mine is back up and running for you. It broke down Sat.

It was running again Sunday. Chain decoration outside fell and sent 3 to the hospital. 

How were the lines today?

I rode 15 rides in 7 hours, not pushing.  All major roller coasters ridden other than Backlot, rode Mystic Timbers twice, Banshee twice... and could have marathoned it from 2pm on as it was a one train wait..., FoF twice, and Orion 3 times.  Ride times ranged from one flat cycle or one train wait, up to a 40 to 45 minute long (40 once for FoF, 45 once for Mystic Timbers).

Got in KI at ~11:05 on Monday, went straight over and got an Orion pass for 11-12 time slot but the line looked long so went and rode Diamondback (10min wait).  Got back over to Orion at 11:45 and there was a line running from the old Firehawk photo booth all the way back to the new Area 72 food place!?  But I quickly found out they were all 12pm-1 ticket holders!  Walked right by all of them, straight up to the front of that line, showed our tickets and walked all the way through the "themed hut" to about the middle of the stairs to the platform!  Waited maybe 5 min to ride (front seat)!! 

The timed tickets are as good as Fast Lane passes (for one ride).

Park was EMPTY at that time.  Grabbed some dining plan food, and was gone by 12:30.

Interesting new flash sale but tickets only good till July 31st. Are they not planning to be open on Aug? Seems weird they still don't have any open time yet for Aug. thinking might have to do some after work trips.  
 

 

They plan to be open in August, but they haven't announced dates or hours yet. The flash sale is only for currently available dates.

I'd keep an eye out for promotions after August dates open up.

On 7/13/2020 at 12:09 PM, amapan said:

My guess is that it is a budget issue. 

11-7 is one shift, thus minimizing the coming and going of associates.  that said, a friend of mine works at KI and has told me of having shifts from 1-7 or 2-7, but between reduced capacity and keeping things to one shift, the park hours are what they are.

^ Keep in mind that shifts are often scheduled like that to have extra staff for opening, to cover for breaks, and closing.

We should feel lucky that the park is open in July with daily hours even if just 11-7.  I would not be surprised that in August KI will follow the lead of other CF parks (Worlds of Fun and Dorney Park) with closing of the entire park in early in the week - both WOF and Dorney are closed Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday.