Kings Island Park Upkeep

[FUN&ONLY!]

While I think Kings Island looks really good this year with its many off-season improvements, there are a few things that don’t look so good, seemingly from a lack of upkeep. A few things that I wish the park would address are listed below:

- The interactive display boards throughout the park are either super dim an unusable or completely off (they are off in most cases). It would be better if these were just removed and replaced with physical park maps and directional signs.

- Some rides, specifically Mystic Timbers, Diamondback, Backlot Stunt Coaster, and the Train have little to no FUN TV’s working in the queues.

- Mystic Timbers’ theming has really declined over the past year. On top of the FUN TV’s being out in the queue, one of the TV’s with security footage is completely off with the other being super dim and quiet. The lights in the shed no longer flicker like they did even earlier this season. The spiel on the staircase about “jump starting an old truck in the lumber mill and getting out of here” is no longer playing. The first speaker in the Fast Lane line is out and not playing the soundtrack like it should.

- Area 72’s theming has also declined. Orion’s soundtrack no longer plays in the station. Many of the lights around the area are also off.

- Empty hand sanitizer stations are still all around the park. Where the park has removed the hand sanitizer stations like on Orion and Banshee, there is still a metal plate screwed in where they were. Why not just take the extra few minutes to remove the whole thing?

This list is not meant to throw shade at the park or put the park down. I am simply mentioning these things because I know Kings Island can do better, but it seems like management doesn’t care. I know management does care about the park, though. With tons of theming out, TV’s and display boards broken, and useless remnants of hand sanitizer stations littered throughout the park, it does give off the impression, though, that management doesn’t care. That is what the average guest would think, anyways.

I know Kings Island can do better, and I really want to see it happen. My hope is that these issues can be brought to Kings Island’s attention, so they can address them. Especially regarding Mystic Timbers’ and Orion’s theming. The theming is part of the experience. It is only as effective as it can be, though, if it all works.

[Coasterteam]

I agree with a lot of these. I love the park, but I had to wash my hands after touching some dirty stuff and wanted to just grab some sanitizer, out. Ok, next one, also out… and the next, and the next, … until I finally just went into a bathroom and washed with soap there. 

It can’t be that hard??? 

[Benjamin22]

A-yup, it's the Cedar Fair way. Don't get me started on the hand sanitizer, if they couldn't bother reliably filling it up during the pandemic then there's no reason for them to even be around the park. How long do we give it until the glockenspiel stops working? If the park loves to push off maintenance of thematic elements of the park then why do they even bother sometimes. Just spend the money on static theming elements with no required maintenance (Such as the new train theming).  

[BoddaH1994]

I wish they would remove all of the hand sanitizer stations except at crucial points, like at the exits of rides. It does seem like a lot of them are empty. When you visit several and they are empty it makes the park seem unfairly negligent. I would have them at important locations and just make it a small but reasonable part of the routine to refill them. 

[FUN&ONLY!]

1 hour ago, BoddaH1994 said:

I wish they would remove all of the hand sanitizer stations except at crucial points, like at the exits of rides. It does seem like a lot of them are empty. When you visit several and they are empty it makes the park seem unfairly negligent. I would have them at important locations and just make it a small but reasonable part of the routine to refill them. 

To what extent, though, is it unfair to consider the park negligent. I personally do not believe Kings Island is negligent as a whole with maintenance, but I think it is more than fair to say Kings Island is negligent with theming and technology upkeep. I hope management realizes this and makes and conscious effort to fix what has been lost.

[MrSourNinja]

The theming is why many of us prefer this park over others. I really hope they get some of the stuff back up and running, like the music and lights for mystic. Tbh I don’t really care for the FunTVs so they can go. Seems like it would be a decent cost savings vs some lights and a speaker. 

[FUN&ONLY!]

24 minutes ago, MrSourNinja said:

The theming is why many of us prefer this park over others. I really hope they get some of the stuff back up and running, like the music and lights for mystic. Tbh I don’t really care for the FunTVs so they can go. Seems like it would be a decent cost savings vs some lights and a speaker. 

I don’t particularly like the Fun TV’s either, but I still think it looks bad when they are all broken in the queue lines. It gives off the appearance like the park is negligent and doesn’t care.

[Hawaiian Coasters 325]

21 minutes ago, MrSourNinja said:

The theming is why many of us prefer this park over others. I really hope they get some of the stuff back up and running, like the music and lights for mystic. Tbh I don’t really care for the FunTVs so they can go. Seems like it would be a decent cost savings vs some lights and a speaker. 

While I agree with the funTV's, I don't think the park will get rid of them as they use them for in park advertising and stuff. However, I think there is a time and place for them. I'm personally NOT a fan of them in the queue house for Boo Blasters as they take away from the whole anticipation aspect which is what the queue of a dark ride is supposed to be. If they were to convert it into Phantom Theater, I hope they do not have FunTV's in the queue house and they go back to how it was with the Maestro playing the organ. 

[BoddaH1994]

1 hour ago, FUN&ONLY! said:

To what extent, though, is it unfair to consider the park negligent. I personally do not believe Kings Island is negligent as a whole with maintenance, but I think it is more than fair to say Kings Island is negligent in theming and technology upkeep. I hope management realizes this and makes and conscious effort to fix what has been lost.

Right. 
 

Having worked in fast food when I was a teen, something my manager once told has stuck with me for life. She said that it was important to keep the lobby extra clean because if the places where the customers can see aren’t clean, just imagine what the customers will think the areas they can’t see look like.

It’s sad but true. Imaginations run wild. 
 

That’s why I think they should just remove the sanitizer stations they don’t need. It’s possible that people would assume that if their sanitizer stations are empty, the ones in the kitchen must be empty too.

That’s also one of the reasons why I was so against the ride ops having play time on the microphones on the rides. Aside from it being annoying, who’s to say that the people in line wouldn’t think that the ride ops aren’t very well trained since they are more concerned with goofing off than operating the ride. In their defense, this problem has gotten a lot better.

None of this is a true referendum on the park. But perception is reality when it comes to reputation. This is all nit picky. We are fortunate to have one of the most well-run parks in the country. 

[FUN&ONLY!]

12 minutes ago, BoddaH1994 said:

Right. 
 

Having worked in fast food when I was a teen, something my manager once told has stuck with me for life. She said that it was important to keep the lobby extra clean because if the places where the customers can see aren’t clean, just imagine what the customers will think the areas they can’t see look like.

It’s sad but true. Imaginations run wild. 
 

That’s why I think they should just remove the sanitizer stations they don’t need. It’s possible that people would assume that if their sanitizer stations are empty, the ones in the kitchen must be empty too.

That’s also one of the reasons why I was so against the ride ops having play time on the microphones on the rides. Aside from it being annoying, who’s to say that the people in line wouldn’t think that the ride ops aren’t very well trained since they are more concerned with goofing off than operating the ride. In their defense, this problem has gotten a lot better.

None of this is a true referendum on the park. But perception is reality when it comes to reputation. This is all nit picky. We are fortunate to have one of the most well-run parks in the country. 

I agree that Kings Island is a very well run park, especially in terms of operations. I mean, what other park transfers all trains onto their coasters on a dead, rainy weekday? None immediately come to mind. On busy weekdays, even Cedar Point does not run all their trains on their most popular rides.

I just know that Kings Island can be so much more with more attention to detail. Small stuff like either filling or removing the hand sanitizer stations, repairing broken theming and display board, and cleaning off the junk on the roof of Diamondback’s transfer shed would go a long way.

[disco2000]

2 hours ago, BoddaH1994 said:

Right. 
Having worked in fast food when I was a teen, something my manager once told has stuck with me for life. She said that it was important to keep the lobby extra clean because if the places where the customers can see aren’t clean, just imagine what the customers will think the areas they can’t see look like.

It’s sad but true. Imaginations run wild. 
 

That’s why I think they should just remove the sanitizer stations they don’t need. It’s possible that people would assume that if their sanitizer stations are empty, the ones in the kitchen must be empty too.

 

#Truth

I make it a point to stop in the restroom at a restaurant before going in or ordering - if there is no soap in the dispenser, well the employees of the fast food and most restaurants use the same restroom....I am not going to assume they will wash their hands in the kitchen as well.

[Tr0y]

When you realize only some parts of The Racer support structure was repainted and not the whole thing: