How has social distancing/mask usage been?

[cdubbs727]

We bit the bullet and bought tickets for a July 27-28 trip to Kings Island (coming down from Michigan for an annual trip). I'm going to be honest that I was on the fence about it, but was outvoted by my wife and kids. I was heartened by the videos for social distancing, mask requirements and the other procedures they put in place. That said, I've seen too many photos of people at other parks ignoring the rules and read too much about surges in case loads to feel completely comfortable. 

So, for those of you who have been to KI since its reopening, what is your opinion about how their safety measures are working? Are people wearing masks? Are they social distancing in lines and at restaurants? How is the case load in southern Ohio? And how have the crowds been (part of our hope has been that travel might be lower this summer, and that we might have low crowds on that Monday and Tuesday). 

I'd prefer answers from people who are taking this seriously and share my concerns. I don't really have patience to hear from anyone saying this is overblown and all the procedures are pointless. 

[sleepyhollow]

We went on July 5th when the heat index was about 102.  I was worried about wearing a mask all the time and my husband was worried about all those people.  For the most part people wore their masks appropriately and we had markers on the ground to help socially distance. The masks were really no big deal even on the rides.  We took advantage of the relax zones where there are benches placed far away from each other and you can take off your mask.  Dining was well distanced in seating but the line wasn't always well managed.  Hand sanitizer is available but it can be hard to find due to signage.  Have fun and enjoy KI!

 

[robintodd]

2 minutes ago, cdubbs727 said:

We bit the bullet and bought tickets for a July 27-28 trip to Kings Island (coming down from Michigan for an annual trip). I'm going to be honest that I was on the fence about it, but was outvoted by my wife and kids. I was heartened by the videos for social distancing, mask requirements and the other procedures they put in place. That said, I've seen too many photos of people at other parks ignoring the rules and read too much about surges in case loads to feel completely comfortable. 

So, for those of you who have been to KI since its reopening, what is your opinion about how their safety measures are working? Are people wearing masks? Are they social distancing in lines and at restaurants? How is the case load in southern Ohio? And how have the crowds been (part of our hope has been that travel might be lower this summer, and that we might have low crowds on that Monday and Tuesday). 

I'd prefer answers from people who are taking this seriously and share my concerns. I don't really have patience to hear from anyone saying this is overblown and all the procedures are pointless. 

I've been about 5-6 times and have been mostly impressed with the adherence to masks.  If you feel someone crowds you in a line, just give them a "look" and they usually remember and back away.  It's understandable that people now and then forget with the excitement of being in line for Orion, but for the most part I've noticed social distancing each time I've went.   Just remember, people tend to take pictures of the exceptions and not the norm.  A picture of people social distancing isn't nearly as likely as a group that isn't.  I've seen plenty of pictures of accidents on the streets, but rarely a picture of traffic moving safely.  Any one who doesn't I have found I can easily avoid.  I have found the employees to be pretty diligent about reminding people and extremely kind, friendly and willing to help in any way they can.  All the employees this year are fantastic and you can tell KI put in some extra care and training this season.

You can use this map https://coronavirus.ohio.gov/wps/portal/gov/covid-19/dashboards/overview to see Warren county (where KI is located).  Warren is low - mid.  It's hard to judge just based on the number of people that come from Indiana and Kentucky not to mention other parts of Ohio.

As far as crowds, I have found that lines for the coasters have been pretty much on par with what they are usually during the weekdays in the summer (10 - 45 minutes depending).  Of course getting there early to get Orion passes is a must and then you can probably get some rides on Mystic and Diamondback before your time for Orion.  Also the last hour to hour and a half of the day is pretty barren.  They don't hand out tickets for Orion for 6-7 so you may be able to get a ride or two in then.

Hope you have a great time, make sure to let us know how it went and safe travels!

[tuxedoman52]

I would say 99 percent of people are wearing their mask. Most of them are wearing it properly as well. Staff and security has been great about enforcement in my 4 visits this year. Social distancing in line is inconsistent, but no one is on top of each other. With rides that have switchbacks in their lines, you run into the "good thing the virus can't move sideways" issue, but it's not awful.

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[Phantom Theater]

21 minutes ago, cdubbs727 said:

So for those of you who have been to KI since its reopening, what is your opinion about how their safety measures are working? Are people wearing masks? Are they social distancing in lines and at restaurants? How is the case load in southern Ohio? And how have the crowds been (part of our hope has been that travel might be lower this summer, and that we might have low crowds on that Monday and Tuesday). 

I'd prefer answers from people who are taking this seriously and share my concerns. I don't really have patience to hear from anyone saying this is overblown and all the procedures are pointless. 

I spent 6 hours there this past Saturday. Majority of people were wearing their masks properly and keeping distance. In line for AE, there were three teens that would not keep away from me, but other than that, everyone used the markers. I watched an employee tell a girl that her mask had to be over her nose about three times on one occasion, so they do seem to betaking it seriously. 

One thing I did find kind of weird was the spacing in the lines. All the rows are open with markers, so you are 6 feet away from the person in front of you, but standing right next to people on your left or right. Seems like they should have closed every other row and used the extended queues and set up temp queues if necessary.

Edit: Wanted to add that they did shut down AE while I was in line to sanitize the trains. They sprayed them down, wiped down all the touchpoints, and then sent them empty to dry off. Took about 10-15 minutes, but necessary.

[Driver8rws]

I went on opening day and yesterday.  95% of people are wearing masks correctly.  75% of people are trying to stay ~6ft apart.  The other 25% like to get up on you in line just like always.  That annoys me during regular times! 

There are arrendants in the bathrooms constantly cleaning.  I'd still clean my own table to eat at though.  You just don't know when a worker last did it.

I avoid the weekends at KI like the plague in the summer no matter what, so can't help you on the crowd sizes.  It was dead yesterday (Monday). 

[BeeastFarmer]

2 hours ago, Phantom Theater said:

I spent 6 hours there this past Saturday. Majority of people were wearing their masks properly and keeping distance. In line for AE, there were three teens that would not keep away from me, but other than that, everyone used the markers. I watched an employee tell a girl that her mask had to be over her nose about three times on one occasion, so they do seem to betaking it seriously. 

One thing I did find kind of weird was the spacing in the lines. All the rows are open with markers, so you are 6 feet away from the person in front of you, but standing right next to people on your left or right. Seems like they should have closed every other row and used the extended queues and set up temp queues if necessary.

Edit: Wanted to add that they did shut down AE while I was in line to sanitize the trains. They sprayed them down, wiped down all the touchpoints, and then sent them empty to dry off. Took about 10-15 minutes, but necessary.

They have the distance markers on the ground about 12 feet about.  So in the queue lines, in theory, the next cattle pen over is 6 feet away from you and there is 12 feet in front of and behind you.  It took a bit for me to figure that out, but once I started stopping at the markers, people behind me started to do the same.  This was for Orion.  The Beast was a non issue because the line was just on the ramp.  Mystic Timbers was challenging.  I didn't use the regular queue at Diamondback as a had a front of the line pass.

The staggered exit approach seemed to not work so well.  People still congregated, but mask compliance was very good.

[robintodd]

2 hours ago, Phantom Theater said:

I spent 6 hours there this past Saturday. Majority of people were wearing their masks properly and keeping distance. In line for AE, there were three teens that would not keep away from me, but other than that, everyone used the markers. I watched an employee tell a girl that her mask had to be over her nose about three times on one occasion, so they do seem to betaking it seriously. 

One thing I did find kind of weird was the spacing in the lines. All the rows are open with markers, so you are 6 feet away from the person in front of you, but standing right next to people on your left or right. Seems like they should have closed every other row and used the extended queues and set up temp queues if necessary.

Edit: Wanted to add that they did shut down AE while I was in line to sanitize the trains. They sprayed them down, wiped down all the touchpoints, and then sent them empty to dry off. Took about 10-15 minutes, but necessary.

I thought about closing every other row in the queues as well.  Not sure if that is possible as not every row has the hinged gate to swing open/shut.  I believe that is on every other gate which would make doing every other row problematic.  at best you would have two rows together and then two blank rows.  I will note the markers are never next to each other in the rows, they are spaced not to have one marker next to another one in the row.  Additionally the markers are in some places as much as 8-10 feet apart  on average (from what I could see).

[Stoan]

I've been pleasantly surprised with how well it has been going. The only times I've seem people without masks on are either because they are very young or doing something else that requires their mouth, then it goes right back on. I've only seen one guest complain about them, which seems to have been a bit of confusions about a young child (2 and under) needing a mask on a ride?

People space out correctly in lines, though they tend to pack up if they aren't directly directed on spacing out. Honestly I feel less worried about contagions at Kings Island than I do at Kroger.

[Gabe]

My only beef is that they've been open for just a couple of weeks and a good number of markers are already coming up or have otherwise been removed (either through wear and tear or bored kids picking at them in order to loosen them).  I too have noticed the vast majority wear masks properly, though there were a strong minority wearing them with their noses exposed.  I did see security roaming around keeping an eye out for violators, which helped.   Given the heat, I've also seen a good number of gaiters.

[robintodd]

6 minutes ago, Gabe said:

My only beef is that they've been open for just a couple of weeks and a good number of markers are already coming up or have otherwise been removed (either through wear and tear or bored kids picking at them in order to loosen them).  I too have noticed the vast majority wear masks properly, though there were a strong minority wearing them with their noses exposed.  I did see security roaming around keeping an eye out for violators, which helped.   Given the heat, I've also seen a good number of gaiters.

I will say I notice more than once employees walking with several markers in their hands and replacing them in the lines.  It should also be noted that I constantly see 1 employee in the larger queues wiping down/disinfecting the rails.

[chuck norris]

I posted experience here:


Kings Island 2020 Finally Open Thread
https://r.tapatalk.com/shareLink/topic?share_fid=71075&share_tid=36468&share_pid=871023&url=https%3A%2F%2Fkicentral%2Ecom%2Fforums%2Finterface%2Fmobiquo%2Ephp%2F&share_type=t&link_source=app

If you’re coming from Michigan, you’ll likely be disappointed as I believe people in Michigan are following orders/protocols better than people in Ohio are.


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[shadowscare]

I'm about as critical of mask usage social distancing as they come.

We spent a full day on Fri July 3rd and half day in the afternoon/evening on July 10th.
I was pleasantly surprised by mask adherence and social distancing. I had a much better experience than some of the posters above, not sure why? On both of my visits I only had to let someone know they were too close two or three times combined. Even then, it wasn't like they were right up on me.

 

Here are my gripes:

Queue switchbacks were in use on 7/3. Yes, markers are spaced 12 feet apart and staggered. But it still means you continually pass by people. I saw a lot less of this on 7/10.

On 7/3 the ride attendants were mostly having riders self check restraints. On 7/10 it seemed to be more manual checks. This means the employees get very close. But, it's only for a moment and everyone is wearing masks. With those two factors combined, from what I understand risk of transmission is very low.

 

Overall I'd say KI is doing a really good job with this. Expect slower operations due to reduced capacity, eat at off peak times and roll with it. You'll have a great time.

 

 

 

[jsus]

30 minutes ago, chuck norris said:

If you’re coming from Michigan, you’ll likely be disappointed as I believe people in Michigan are following orders/protocols better than people in Ohio are.

Michigan has had mandatory masks mandated for a while now indoors (exceptions for dining, health issues wearing one).  It's now mandatory outdoors if in "close proximity" to others.  Businesses are being told that they are required to deny service to anyone not qualifying for an exception, or both businesses and guests face fines.

People have generally been complying, but of course there is for instance the occasional group of young adults at Meijer not wearing masks, walking 4-across, aimlessly wandering the store..

[IceePirate]

8 hours ago, robintodd said:

I will say I notice more than once employees walking with several markers in their hands and replacing them in the lines.  It should also be noted that I constantly see 1 employee in the larger queues wiping down/disinfecting the rails.

That's actually a position this year, I can't speak for other rides, but on Orion, we designated one or two employees to be "Queue Cleaners" This basically means they go through the line wiping rails and ensuring mask compliance.

[lifetimecoaster]

I'm considering a trip this weekend. With rain in the forecast, it may end up being to my advantage, as I don't care if I'm walking around in the rain, and will ride whatever in the rain. Hopefully it pans out to lower crowds. 

[BeeastFarmer]

I have been twice this season.  I'm just happy to be in the park and have zero expectations when I go up there.  It's quite different than years past where I try and plan everything out to get the most rides in.  I've had to work through the pandemic, so I was not deprived on human interaction, but it has been satisfying to be around people but not become overwhelmed by social interaction.  

[lifetimecoaster]

25 minutes ago, BeeastFarmer said:

I have been twice this season.  I'm just happy to be in the park and have zero expectations when I go up there.  It's quite different than years past where I try and plan everything out to get the most rides in.  I've had to work through the pandemic, so I was not deprived on human interaction, but it has been satisfying to be around people but not become overwhelmed by social interaction.  

See, that's a part I'm concerned about.... I am one of those people that makes friends with everyone when I'm out in public. You hear about those kind of people that "never met a stranger", but I can tell you I am actually one of those people. When I'm in line for rides, I never fail to strike up a conversation with someone. I refuse to spend my day at a park staring at a phone screen. I feel like I'll be stripped of my making friends in lines by the physical distancing, but I'm still stoked to get to go. 

[BoddaH1994]

Since some $21.99ers have been introduced into the mix, mask compliance as well as social distancing was at its worst so far this season. In FOF there was a family that was so close to my party that it would have been rude even without the pandemic. They also had their masks pulled down below their chins. An employee saw them several times and didn’t say anything. Later in the station they still had their masks down and were sitting on the handrails. The driver said on the loud speaker to not sit on the handrail, but said nothing of the masks, which was disappointing.  Let’s hope this was isolated incident. 

[chuck norris]

Since some $21.99ers have been introduced into the mix, mask compliance as well as social distancing was at its worst so far this season. In FOF there was a family that was so close to my party that it would have been rude even without the pandemic. They also had their masks pulled down below their chins. An employee saw them several times and didn’t say anything. Later in the station they still had their masks down and were sitting on the handrails. The driver said on the loud speaker to not sit on the handrail, but said nothing of the masks, which was disappointing.  Let’s hope this was isolated incident. 

As I commented above, I agree with you... compliance is dropping and enforcement (especially in the line cue) isn’t keeping up.


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[BoddaH1994]

1 minute ago, chuck norris said:

As I commented above, I agree with you... compliance is dropping and enforcement (especially in the line cue) isn’t keeping up.


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I mean, if I was a 16 or 17 year old kid I would be tired of telling people this stuff too. Honestly I think security should patrol lines. Also if they’re going to give away the gate all summer they should adopt zero tolerance policy for a lot of stuff.  Smoking outside of.... well, anywhere in the park, vandalism, phones out on rides, or even having to be told to wear a mask more than once. 

[RMCRacer2022]

We just left, and I was extremely disappointed in the mask usage and social distancing. I would say at least 30% of the visitors walking around had their mask completely off or around their chin/neck, and even more not over their nose. Social distancing in lines was next to nonexistent. When you got closer to the ride itself, employees would remind people about masks, but I never saw corrections in social distancing, nor did I see anyone correct incorrect mask usage in the park itself. In fact, I witnessed numerous times when people had their masks completely off (not even eating or drinking) and an employee walked by without saying anything. I was thankful we had fastpasses (we were kind of forced to use them from the Presidents’ Day sale or lose $160-I emailed: no refunds, no extensions which I understand but sucked) and that we could get through rides quickly and get out of there. I hope none of this relaxing of the rules comes at a price, but something needs to change. I did not feel safe. 

[IBEW_Sparky]

On 7/17/2020 at 10:47 PM, BoddaH1994 said:

Since some $21.99ers have been introduced into the mix, mask compliance as well as social distancing was at its worst so far this season. In FOF there was a family that was so close to my party that it would have been rude even without the pandemic. They also had their masks pulled down below their chins. An employee saw them several times and didn’t say anything. Later in the station they still had their masks down and were sitting on the handrails. The driver said on the loud speaker to not sit on the handrail, but said nothing of the masks, which was disappointing.  Let’s hope this was isolated incident. 

Which, as was demonstrated by every one of the dollar days the park has ever had, lends well to your point you previously made about the lowest common denominator.  Many people ask "Why is Disney sooooo expensive?"  Question answered.

[BoddaH1994]

20 minutes ago, IBEW_Sparky said:

Which, as was demonstrated by every one of the dollar days the park has ever had, lends well to your point you previously made about the lowest common denominator.  Many people ask "Why is Disney sooooo expensive?"  Question answered.

It’s a solvable problem. Zero tolerance. The word would get out quickly and the problem would subside. Unfortunately they don’t have the resources, especially this year, to make that happen. Hopefully one day it does. 

[bengalsguy23]

I went to six flags st Louis this weekend. Heavy mask enforcement. If any person had it below there nose at all there was always a person right there to say something working. A person was waiting for the next train for mr freeze and over the mic “if you are currently waiting in line for me freeze and do not have your mask over your face and nose please do so now or you will be asked to leave the line.”  I also heard “you must wear your mask throughout the duration of this ride and all at six flags. Taking off your mask during the ride will result in a one year ban from the park.”  While I was riding screaming eagle someone pulled down there mask and while the train was pulling out of the station the ops stopped the ride. Point is if Kings Island wanted to enforce masks they could. 

[gforce1994]

KI has done an excellent job imo. People adhere to the social distancing markers and almost all of the guests are wearing masks. Employees have been quick to enforce social distancing and mask policies.

[NegativeGs]

In the airline industry, flight attendants are responsible for ensuring passenger safety, and then passenger comfort. An analogy can be made with amusement park ride attendants. In the age of COVID-19, ride attendants are not only responsible for our safety, but now also our health. I have made five visits to Kings Island in 2020 and based on my observations believe ride attendants are doing an awesome job of fulfilling their responsibilities. To reinforce this, I am always polite to ride attendants and thank them for their assistance.

[bengalsguy23]

On 7/17/2020 at 10:59 PM, BoddaH1994 said:

I mean, if I was a 16 or 17 year old kid I would be tired of telling people this stuff too. Honestly I think security should patrol lines. Also if they’re going to give away the gate all summer they should adopt zero tolerance policy for a lot of stuff.  Smoking outside of.... well, anywhere in the park, vandalism, phones out on rides, or even having to be told to wear a mask more than once. 

Pretty much impossible since they cut security’s budget a few years ago. Now one security guard makes up two whole areas of the park. 

[chuck norris]

KI has done an excellent job imo. People adhere to the social distancing markers and almost all of the guests are wearing masks. Employees have been quick to enforce social distancing and mask policies.

This seemed true this first two weeks.
But it’s sliding downhill fast.
At this point I won’t return until zero tolerance policy is adopted and I actually hear that someone is removed from the park or a line for not following policy. (Ie other than warnings, I think guests that don’t care about the policy are starting to realize that there is no consequence for not following it)


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[NegativeGs]

1 hour ago, chuck norris said:

This seemed true this first two weeks.
But it’s sliding downhill fast.
At this point I won’t return until zero tolerance policy is adopted and I actually hear that someone is removed from the park or a line for not following policy. (Ie other than warnings, I think guests that don’t care about the policy are starting to realize that there is no consequence for not following it)


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I understand your frustration. Based on my observations, I believe Kings Island attendants are doing an awesome job of enforcing safety and health requirements. Most people would agree that face coverings are essential at this time. However, zero tolerance enforcement of face coverings is unrealistic.