Incident at Kings Island 5/22/21

[Hawaiian Coasters 325]

2 minutes ago, markr said:

Unlike KI,  Cedar Point has always had their own police force on site.   They are big burly guys whom if you are smart you do not mess with and they are well trained.   It seems like because of this you do not see such incidents at CP.   This is no reflection on the dedicated Security people at KI but I am wondering if they have the proper training to deal with and/or prevent such incidents as occurred this past Saturday.  It seems like the solution is to have an on site Police Department at KI with officers who would have such proper training.

KI actually does have their own police department as well as their own emergency personnel like fire and ambulance. They even have their own 911 system. That"s why they discourage guests from calling 911 on their own phone at the park if an incident happens since it would go right to Mason and it would take longer for them to get there than it would for the park emergency response team if an associate were to call on a park phone which connects straight to the park 911 system. 

[BeeastFarmer]

Gotta say, I am dissapointed with the parks PR response.  Glad for Mason police being onsite.  Glad they have IDs on the warriors and there is a coordinated effort to hold them accountable. But....the "Keep my park safe" program evidently is a joke.  I have never used it because I am usually not there on a weekend, but friends who are have used it for various things (smokers, line jumpers etc) and there is never a response via text or in person response per their anecdotal experiences.

[rlentless]

Another update - https://www.journal-news.com/news/mason-identifies-kings-island-fight-suspects-park-implementing-additional-safety-protocols-to-protect-guests/7XE64ACQ7VEWBPKXNYHQENZQQY/

Maybe the park has been quiet pending the ongoing investigation.

[YOULLBEBACK]

"Suspect information will be presented to Warren County Juvenile Court for charges. Further investigations are being conducted to identify others responsible, according to the city of Mason

Assistant City Manager Jennifer Heft said five people have been identified as of late Tuesday afternoon, and that there may be more because the investigation is ongoing."

 

 IMO the park should charge any and all of these stupid kids to the fullest extent.  I feel that would go a long way. 

[Twirly]

Again, a different type of crowd than an event marketed as a DJ dance party...many take this type of event to be an outdoor club and will draw a different age demographic like a bunch of unchaperoned teens coupled with college age kids...that was the mixture in the Paramount marketed dance party...in addition to the the fights, you had 19-year old guys doing a little bump-n-grind with a 14-year old girls....we don't see that at the bandstand event that had lots of families with little ones there...nor would we with a bunch of enthusiasts at an Orion announcement event...

Maybe your user name isn’t very fitting?

I don’t think a bunch of kids looking to go clubbing are going to drop the cash to come to KI for an hour of what will likely be the equivalent of a wedding DJ?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[HandsUp]

The Friday night dance parties in the mid-90s were 'MTV's The Grind' which was a dance party TV show and I'm assuming MTV was owned by Paramount. It was in the waterpark right by what's now Rendezvous Run...I want to say it ran from 8pm-1am on Fridays. I think they had reduced admission after 4 or 5 to draw the crowds. It was an absolute blast to be quite honest. It was the cool place to go for a wide range of teens and had an awesome club vibe that the <18 crowd wasn't used to. For those who had loved KI as a child, it was another reason to still love the place once puberty kicked in. It also made KI a destination for kids who would otherwise be too cool for amusement parks. Skaters, hip-hop kids, J-Lo wannabes, etc. It was where I 1st kissed a massive crush from HS, so that era makes up some of my best KI memories. 

In retrospect, I'm amazed that they pulled it off as long as they did without major problems or public outcry. I'm sure there were fights, but before camera phones and viral videos it wasn't that big of a deal. Since it was in the waterpark, it was technically OK for girls to just wear bikini tops (ridiculous) and as mentioned, there was plenty of age-inappropriate behavior (sorry for partying). Overall though, the majority who went behaved themselves and had a great time without causing problems. It was the one time that KI drew people who wouldn't normally go to the park and was personally the best thing about the Paramount era.

[disco2000]

5 hours ago, Twirly said:

Maybe your user name isn’t very fitting?

I don’t think a bunch of kids looking to go clubbing are going to drop the cash to come to KI for an hour of what will likely be the equivalent of a wedding DJ?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

LOL - I like a good disco as much as the next person, but the age-inappropriate behavior at the Paramount event would put a lot 19 year olds in jail in today's society...

The underage crowd with season passes will jump all over this opportunity...I suspect many during the paramount dance parties were passholders as well...

And as I and @HandsUpmention, a lot of age-inappropriate behavior occurred during that event.  But I do suspect Paramount had a different perspective on the crowd that was brought in and why half the run didn't happen for bunches of excuses other than stating the event drew the wrong crowd and behavior...I seem to remember a gun was brought in to that event.

Maybe dance behaviors has changed since the dance party in the Paramount era LOL.

I hope I am wrong, but I would be surprised if this runs its entire duration.  Maybe it only running an hour will help and not being marketed/tied into a hit MTV show that Paramount owned will help keep it in check?  Let's hope KI is prepared for the event...

[King Ding Dong]

I think the plan is to have Nuns with rulers patrolling the dance party making sure pelvises are more than 6" apart.

[HandsUp]

1 hour ago, disco2000 said:

 

Maybe dance behaviors has changed since the dance party in the Paramount era LOL.

 

Kids these days will just be playing with their phones I'm sure 

The duration and frequency of this current event makes it a lot different than The Grind--can't see too many coming out of the woodwork just for this.

[disco2000]

35 minutes ago, HandsUp said:

Kids these days will just be playing with their phones I'm sure 

The duration and frequency of this current event makes it a lot different than The Grind--can't see too many coming out of the woodwork just for this.

True, they will be looking at snap to find people there instead of looking around LOL.

And then exchange discord handles with the hookups LOL.

[BoddaH1994]

1 hour ago, King Ding Dong said:

I think the plan is to have Nuns with rulers patrolling the dance party making sure pelvises are more than 6" apart.

If only the “leave room for Jesus” dance concept was reflected in the Orion theme. 

[CheetahDrew]

The park appears to have changed their operating hours until June 10th to 8pm closes. 

[disco2000]

I guess they needed two more weeks to set-up for the dance party.

[MidnightBeast]

1 hour ago, CheetahDrew said:

The park appears to have changed their operating hours until June 10th to 8pm closes. 

I noticed that. Do you think that is in response to the incident? If so, that's really unfortunate, that punishes all the guests, adults and teens alike. Worst possible response.

I'm also noticing I can't bring up the park calendar on their website.

Edited May 26, 2021 by MidnightBeast
left something out

[disco2000]

3 minutes ago, MidnightBeast said:

I noticed that. Do you think that is in response to the incident? If so, that's really unfortunate, that punishes all the guests, adults and teens alike. Worst possible response.

They infer it is due to staff shortages...yet last weekend they said to the media they were fully staffed...so did a lot quit?

[MidnightBeast]

1 minute ago, disco2000 said:

They infer it is due to staff shortages...yet last weekend they said to the media they were fully staffed...so did a lot quit?

That sounds like a very good guess. I know I wouldn't want to work there with that craziness going on. I think they need to limit capacity again if they are having staff shortages. I'd prefer to have limited capacity with regular hours to this, because I like just going for starlight hours. I mean, 8pm closing means no night rides on The Beast!

[super7]

Not a peep out of the park addressing last weekend.  This could be taken as they are doing nothing to improve the situation.   Bad move staying silent.     Their mismanagement of the overcrowded park lead to this situation.   They are mismanaging the aftermath if they make no publicized  changes. 
 

Closing early doesn’t fix the problem of an over crowded park 

[MidwayFan]

15 minutes ago, disco2000 said:

They infer it is due to staff shortages...yet last weekend they said to the media they were fully staffed...so did a lot quit?

Last week the waterpark was not open.Last week they were open two days versus daily operation starting Friday. 

 I’m not a math guy but it doesn’t take to much to realize that staffing may be harder next week than last week.
 

 

[disco2000]

15 minutes ago, MidwayFan said:

Last week the waterpark was not open.Last week they were open two days versus daily operation starting Friday. 

 I’m not a math guy but it doesn’t take to much to realize that staffing may be harder next week than last week.
 

 

Right, but they could have done what their sister parks of Carowinds and Kings Dominion did and push back the opening of the water park...and given the forecast this weekend probably a good thing to do anyway.  Further the water park closes at 7pm, plus not many staff at this point would be cross-trained for dry park operations and water park operations, so this is either in response to the incident or a lot of people quit from a fully staffed dry park since last weekend....

[BB1]

So I've been pretty silent on the subject but I decided after seeing what KI has posted it's time to unload some thoughts. 

The whole country is hurting for people to work. Kings Island, and Cedar Fair mind you, has implemented a lot  of policies and plans to accommodate their staffing issues and they are still hurting. 

Just based on the video, the subsequent day, and just the environment in general, I believe in the "punish the criminal, not the good intentioned populous". I myself have been to the park solo when I was a minor for years and never did I get in trouble with the park. I always followed the rules, made sure to be polite, and generally be a good patron to the park. I never thought of being a "gang" and picking a fight with another group, and never will. The individuals who acted, started, and harassed other patrons should be barred for an extremely long time and should be punished to the fullest extent of the law. Make the policies clear, make them open, make them available, make an example of whoever causes a brawl like this. I do not believe we should punish good minded youths due to the acts of a group of individuals who probably need some help. I have seen people get escorted out of the park, it does happen and should happen. 

I have nothing but extreme respect for security, and to a grander degree our first responders like Lifeguards and EMTS. They put up with some of the worst from people, and I can speak from first hand experience. They care about safety, they work late shifts even to ensure guest safety. I believe that KI should try to employ more security, enforce their policies, and really make statements that even if you are a minor, there are extreme consequences for unruly behavior. 

[MidwayFan]

12 minutes ago, disco2000 said:

Right, but they could have done what their sister parks of Carowinds and Kings Dominion did and push back the opening of the water park...and given the forecast this weekend probably a good thing to do anyway.  Further the water park closes at 7pm, plus not many staff at this point would be cross-trained for dry park operations and water park operations, so this is either in response to the incident or a lot of people quit from a fully staffed dry park since last weekend....

Excluding lifeguards, every associate is trained to work both places. Food service, merchandise, guest services, admissions, security, etc. Then, on the Kings Island side, You are more than doubling the number of operating hours with the same pool of employees.

[disco2000]

8 minutes ago, MidwayFan said:

Excluding lifeguards, every associate is trained to work both places. Food service, merchandise, guest services, admissions, security, etc. Then, on the Kings Island side, You are more than doubling the number of operating hours with the same pool of employees.

And yet the 2 hours they cut from the schedule are from the hours the dry and water side do not overlap...interesting....

Which goes to my point of following their sister park lead and delay the water park opening.  Given the forecast, they will probably close Soak City early one or both days, so will they give those two hours back to the dry side like CP has been known to extend hours in the past for large crowds...

[MidwayFan]

Clearly you have your mind made up. :-D

[disco2000]

31 minutes ago, MidwayFan said:

Clearly you have your mind made up. :-D

Actually I do not, I am trying to find the real motivator for the change at this late date, as are a lot of posts on social media...well on sites not in control by the park as they have not posted the change to their social media yet...

I cannot be the only person questioning why they would eliminate hours on a typically busy holiday weekend this close to the weekend.  

If it is a staffing issue as you mention and the park infers, and I do agree that with the water park opening this weekend that does require more staff than last weekend, but given the forecast that will probably close Soak City early one or two of the 3 day weekend, wouldn't it make more sense to simply not open that side and keep the dry side fully staffed?  Two more hours of dry side operation has to be cheaper than opening the water park for 4 hours before closing?

So they did not know until a few hours ago that they would be understaffed this weekend, or maybe they were overconfident that the pay increase would bring them thousands of prospects that didn't pan out?  That is the way it comes across if it isn't in response to what happened last weekend.

Unless you are an employee of the park with knowledge of the operations and authorized to speak on behalf of the park we are both just speculating on the reasons LOL...we are just trying to make sense of it all.

Not that it matters at the end of the day as it is what it is and the park will operate as they deem best given the information they have regardless of our thoughts LOL, but if the reason has to do with the incidents this past weekend, I think many would agree that the park should state that they are closing early to better monitor the situation until they can staff up security in the parking lot or add additional lighting in the parking lot (long needed) or whatever else.  That would go a long way towards mitigating what most are assuming the reason for the early close is and badmouthing the park on social media...

[King Ding Dong]

@BB1 I agree with a lot in your post but if the perps are indeed juveniles little is likely to happen to them legally as the juvenile justice system is geared more towards rehabilitation (do nothing) than punishment. Proceeding records are not public so making an example of them is not likely either and the park isn’t going to comment publicly about juveniles.  
 

About the only example the park can make is security escorting rule breakers from the park and letting them self own by protesting loudly on social media about loosing pass privileges.  Something the park is perceived to do rarely if at all.  
 

[Thabto]

I think an automatic ejection from the park and a ban from the park for at least the rest of the year would be the way to go. If the park started doing that and the word got out, it would make someone think really hard about causing trouble at the park.

[disco2000]

Kings Island doesn't hold an exclusive on Fight Night in Ohio

Arrests were made in this one though:

https://www.wkyc.com/article/news/crime/2-arrested-fight-kalahari/95-710c7eba-aad7-4665-8d4a-7c3237bb29b5

[King Ding Dong]

..

 

[BB1]

14 hours ago, King Ding Dong said:

@BB1 I agree with a lot in your post but if the perps are indeed juveniles little is likely to happen to them legally as the juvenile justice system is geared more towards rehabilitation (do nothing) than punishment. Proceeding records are not public so making an example of them is not likely either and the park isn’t going to comment publicly about juveniles.  
 

About the only example the park can make is security escorting rule breakers from the park and letting them self own by protesting loudly on social media about loosing pass privileges.  Something the park is perceived to do rarely if at all.  
 

The highlighted part is exactly what I'm talking about. Revoke pass privileges, ban for x amount of time, formal notice, trespass, etc. I understand the rehabilitation of minors, which should be supported, however in my opinion when you act in a more mature adult manor I E gang on gang violence, that's when I start to draw the line. 

I'm honestly not trying to call for a police state at the park, what I am calling for is more accountability on those who infringe on the rules. Because at the end of the day, if the park keeps getting these fights, then we're going to get a brand of being the fight club like some other parks do already. Of which is the last thing I want to see said about the park because it is simply not true. 

 

Also, to the above meme, you don't know the half of it . 

Edited May 27, 2021 by BB1
Comment on slide meme

[PKIDelirium]

On 5/25/2021 at 7:37 PM, BoddaH1994 said:

If I recall, the first one went fine. The second one got rained out. The third one went the way you described. Then they found excuses to cancel the final 3.

Ah yes. Extended Play in 2003. Late night, Action Zone, jammed. That was one of Paramount's major dumbbell moments.