Kings Island 2021 Discussion

[MDMC01]

7 hours ago, FUN&ONLY! said:

Was The Bat running two trains today? The other day it was only running a single train which kept the line long, but I suspect that was because of needed maintenance. Also, I am glad you had a good time.

Thanks! And yes, they were running two trains on The Bat yesterday.

[AnyPancakes]

The surf dog done broke down. 

[King Ding Dong]

That doesn’t really make for a great evac story to tell for years to come does it?  None the less and evac is an evac.  

[bjcolglazier]

8 hours ago, King Ding Dong said:

That doesn’t really make for a great evac story to tell for years to come does it?  None the less and evac is an evac.  

I mean, when you've seen your little girl perform a faceplant getting off the Kite Eating Tree (sorry, no pics...sadly), anything is a potential hazard...lol. 

[chad_1138]

Train station is back to Pre-COVID condition (minus the benches).

Also, now loading every row on the train!!

[silver2005]

^That depends, is the Freestyle stand open?

[chad_1138]

56 minutes ago, silver2005 said:

^That depends, is the Freestyle stand open?

Nope, but isn’t that pre-COVID conditions??

[Snowball]

2 hours ago, chad_1138 said:

Nope, but isn’t that pre-COVID conditions??

I don't know, I think I once saw it open before COVID, but I could've been dreaming. 

[FUN&ONLY!]

Pretty much all queue lines have had their social distancing markers removed too.

[SOBwasaSOB]

I got stuck on Banshee for a while today after a completely drenched ride on Delerium.  It started absolutely pouring right as I was about to board.  All and all I had a really fun day though. Got all the big rides in with no lines and made it in and out in about 4.5 hrs.  Day's like today are why i brave the elements.

[chad_1138]

The park will now be closing at 8 pm on:

Friday, June 11

Saturday, June 12

Friday, June 18

Saturday, June 19

The next 10 PM close on the calendar is now Friday, June 25.

https://www.visitkingsisland.com/calendar-and-hours

[Hawaiian Coasters 325]

I hate to say this, but I don't think we'll be getting 10 pm closings at all for the rest of the season. Makes me sad to say it, but if they're having this many staffing issues causing this, I don't see how they'll get that resolved in a few weeks. It also might be best honestly if they pull the plug on the A72 launch party and do it next year instead. I hate saying this, but it just wouldn't shock me. 

[beastfan11]

Special shout out to the park for saving me money this season. Probably won’t be making it after work like I had planned when I bought my pass. Weak. 

[SOBwasaSOB]

Well that isn't very FUN news.  So far Cedar Fair is laying a giant egg on what whould be an extremely profitable season.  I really don't get it.

[King Ding Dong]

What a difference $2 makes…

SANDUSKY, Ohio – Cedar Point’s seasonal labor problems should be resolved this month, with hours and daily operations likely restored by late June, according to Cedar Fair CEO Richard Zimmerman.

Cedar Point’s new $20-per-hour wage is doing the trick, attracting new and high-quality job applicants, said Zimmerman, speaking Tuesday at the 2021 Goldman Sachs Travel & Leisure Conference.

“We’ve seen great response over the last few weeks as we raised our wages,” he said. “We’ll continue to add back hours and add back days as we get deeper into June.”

Source

[disco2000]

1 hour ago, King Ding Dong said:

What a difference $2 makes…

SANDUSKY, Ohio – Cedar Point’s seasonal labor problems should be resolved this month, with hours and daily operations likely restored by late June, according to Cedar Fair CEO Richard Zimmerman.

Cedar Point’s new $20-per-hour wage is doing the trick, attracting new and high-quality job applicants, said Zimmerman, speaking Tuesday at the 2021 Goldman Sachs Travel & Leisure Conference.

“We’ve seen great response over the last few weeks as we raised our wages,” he said. “We’ll continue to add back hours and add back days as we get deeper into June.”

Source

Is it a trick because next season the hourly rate will go back to their normal rates or is this the new normal...

[Winterfestguy]

Unfortunately, when seasonal labor cost is doubled, there has to be an increase of income coming in to maintain pre-pandemic profitability and keeping the shareholders happy (dividends still suspended so really not a good stock to hold onto right now).  It will remain to be seen this fall of how much of an increase in Season Passes, Dining Plans, and Drink Plans there will be to cover the increased labor charges, not to mention daily ticket price increases.   There likely is a price point where people will not renew or visit the park so it is a very delicate balance.

[FUN&ONLY!]

1 hour ago, King Ding Dong said:

“We’ve seen great response over the last few weeks as we raised our wages,” he said. “We’ll continue to add back hours and add back days as we get deeper into June.”

I hope this statement is more general and applies to multiple Cedar Fair parks.

[CoastersRZ]

One can hope things improve at KI and the park adds hours instead of cutting them like they have been doing.

I hope they bring back the benches in the train station.  Makes it nicer to wait for the train when you have small kids in tow with you.

[brenthodge]

Well, they’ve  now delayed the opening of the campground so things aren’t all roses!!!

[FUN&ONLY!]

It is also important to note that Kings Island only increased their wages a couple of weeks ago. It takes a lot of time to train new workers and schedule them. The shortages I have noticed in the dry park at least are really only in food and beverage. They aren’t even hiring for Rides or Merchandise anymore. I hope on June 25th, we really do have a 10:00 PM closing again and that they continue for the rest of the summer.

[disco2000]

12 minutes ago, brenthodge said:

Well, they’ve  now delayed the opening of the campground so things aren’t all roses!!!

But Kings Island doesn't own the campground they only have a contract to manage it.

[CoastersRZ]

I suspect that the delayed opening is more a result of construction delays more than anything.  

I know several projects we have going on at work are facing issues with getting LVLs and LSLs for wood headers in wood construction of multi-family projects that are delaying the projects/forcing details to be redesigned to use more readily available materials so as not to impact the schedule as much.

[disco2000]

54 minutes ago, Winterfestguy said:

Unfortunately, when seasonal labor cost is doubled, there has to be an increase of income coming in to maintain pre-pandemic profitability and keeping the shareholders happy (dividends still suspended so really not a good stock to hold onto right now).  It will remain to be seen this fall of how much of an increase in Season Passes, Dining Plans, and Drink Plans there will be to cover the increased labor charges, not to mention daily ticket price increases.   There likely is a price point where people will not renew or visit the park so it is a very delicate balance.

What will be interesting to see is how many people take advantage of the pass renewal in the fall after all that has happened as a result of the pandemic. 

Even though many of us believe that CF extending the passes for all of this year was far and above what they were required to do based on all the fine print when purchasing a pass, there are many that also believe they have got screwed in the deal.

In the past, people purchased a pass in the fall for the following year based on good faith that the park hours, etc. would be the same as the past.  I believe many people now will hold off on purchasing until they are ready to go to the park the following year.

I think many will now wait until next year to purchase after they see the operating calendar, operating hours, and what the pass will get them.  If too many end up doing this, we may see the passes in the spring be cheaper than the previous fall based on their typical operating model...

I think because of this potential "threat", I believe the park will be aggressive in pricing strategy this fall to retain pass holders and lock their money up now instead of waiting until next year.  Make it up on volume is their operating model.

Put me in the "I do not think prices will raise" camp LOL, even though I think they should raise them...

[BoddaH1994]

1 hour ago, disco2000 said:

What will be interesting to see is how many people take advantage of the pass renewal in the fall after all that has happened as a result of the pandemic. 

Even though many of us believe that CF extending the passes for all of this year was far and above what they were required to do based on all the fine print when purchasing a pass, there are many that also believe they have got screwed in the deal.

In the past, people purchased a pass in the fall for the following year based on good faith that the park hours, etc. would be the same as the past.  I believe many people now will hold off on purchasing until they are ready to go to the park the following year.

I think many will now wait until next year to purchase after they see the operating calendar, operating hours, and what the pass will get them.  If too many end up doing this, we may see the passes in the spring be cheaper than the previous fall based on their typical operating model...

I think because of this potential "threat", I believe the park will be aggressive in pricing strategy this fall to retain pass holders and lock their money up now instead of waiting until next year.  Make it up on volume is their operating model.

Put me in the "I do not think prices will raise" camp LOL, even though I think they should raise them...

Regardless of how the passes are extended and so on, there are people that will feel screwed - and I can understand that perspective. When the beginning of the season has limited hours that stinks, but I get it. When several weeks have hours cut, it’s a bummer, but it’s understandable.  When we get deep into the season and hours continue to be reduced some may feel like they’ve been sold a bill of goods. Personally, I don’t care because, and correct me if my math is wrong, but we got 2020 and 2021 for one price, and two half-assed seasons basically has the same value of one whole-assed season - so we’re good. 
 

I do agree with what Disco is saying, they aren’t going to up the prices. If they do, they’ll make it 24 easy payments of $5.99/mo or something like that. Their lack of creativity has ensured that the product continues to be devalued as it has been over the past 10 years with things like extensive bring a friend days. By attempting to “make it up in volume” they are inadvertently marketing to the lowest common denominator. 
 

Brace yourself people, unless there are some changes up top this is the new normal. 

[Bansheeback]

I suspect the rise in wages has been in the works for some time, considering all of the talk about a $15 minimum wage. I don't think it was supposed to happen this early, but their hands were tied here. In some departments, the difference in supervisor's wages from new associates is disproportionate from what it was before.

[Rallyomalley]

I'm hoping someone here can confirm, but I was told that they aren't even really paying the $15/hour.  That it's $12/hour with a bunch of asterisks attached to it, that if you stay the whole season THEN you get a payment for the extra $3/hour based on your hours worked.

[BoddaH1994]

32 minutes ago, Rallyomalley said:

I'm hoping someone here can confirm, but I was told that they aren't even really paying the $15/hour.  That it's $12/hour with a bunch of asterisks attached to it, that if you stay the whole season THEN you get a payment for the extra $3/hour based on your hours worked.

I haven’t heard that, however I have heard that Cedar Point is paying the normal wage plus an hourly “bonus” so they can seemingly roll it back more easily next year.  I also have heard that seasonal maintenance was NOT raised to $20, they made $12. After complaining because they didn’t see the raise that everyone else got on their paychecks they they were offered $13 and told that the alternative was to tender their resignation. 
 

Glad to see the spirit of Dick Kinzel is alive and well in Sandusky. 

[Rallyomalley]

6 minutes ago, BoddaH1994 said:

I haven’t heard that, however I have heard that Cedar Point is paying the normal wage plus an hourly “bonus” so they can seemingly roll it back more easily next year.  I also have heard that seasonal maintenance was NOT raised to $20, they made $12. After complaining because they didn’t see the raise that everyone else got on their paychecks they they were offered $13 and told that the alternative was to tender their resignation. 
 

Glad to see the spirit of Dick Kinzel is alive and well in Sandusky. 

I hope every one of them resigned.  

 

Edit: before I get banned I want to make it clear that every single one of these issues we are seeing at KI/CP and other CF parks can be traced back to incompetent senior leadership/Management.  IMO it's time for a complete overhaul.

[Bansheeback]

1 hour ago, Rallyomalley said:

I'm hoping someone here can confirm, but I was told that they aren't even really paying the $15/hour.  That it's $12/hour with a bunch of asterisks attached to it, that if you stay the whole season THEN you get a payment for the extra $3/hour based on your hours worked.

This is some truth to this, but the minimum wage, without strings attached, in all departments is $15/hour. However, in security aquatics, and foods you can make $18/hour. Those in other departments are eligible for an additional $3/hour that is paid out in a lump sum if you stay until the season is over. This is to keep turnover low and retention rates high. One issue raised though is that hours are not what they used to be in past years, which can cancel out the increase in money being made by employees.