2023 General Kings Island Discussion

[disco2000]

24 minutes ago, Benjamin22 said:

I want to clarify that there was no one present in the preferred lot station Sunday, they just had a sign saying preferred pass people can enter. 

Oh yea that will stop people from using it LOL, just like the line jumping signs stop people from line jumping, the no smoking announcements stop people from smoking in the park, and the exit only signs on restaurants stop folks from going thru the exit to skip having their refill cup scanned....

[Imperial79]

As much as I didn’t want to say it, I think a chaperone policy is coming, or should, this needs to happen before something worse happens. 

[BeeastFarmer]

I agree. I live 2.5 hours from ki and at work, I heard people talking about the incident today. 

[jbeast]

Going up to visit the park many multiple of times last year, I noticed line jumping increasing a ton. Just pushing through the line or trying to sneak through. I don't use Fast Lane very often so, I wait in line like everyone else most of the time (as long as it is not too long, of course). Watching people just blow through the line trying to line jump irritates me like few things do. What make them feel so special?

In the past, being 6'4" and 230, I have called people out on it, especially if it's right in front of me. But lately, I do not feel comfortable at all doing that. People seem a bit on edge or crazier these days it seems. So, I call the KI hotline and let them know. It came in handy one day last season in Mystic Timbers line when a group of about 20 were trying to line jump...security caught them doing it. I think they were already in the area, so that worked! But, I have seen too many times last season where they just get away with it. Maybe it's just a sign of the times lately? Hopefully that trend subsides again one day.

Also, as a kid going to KI in the past up till now, the fact someone tried to bring a gun into the park just saddens me to the core. Why do that in a place that brings so much happiness to so many? I just do not understand that thinking.

[BB1]

7 hours ago, Imperial79 said:

As much as I didn’t want to say it, I think a chaperone policy is coming, or should, this needs to happen before something worse happens. 

A chaperone policy has been needed for the past 2 years. For the past few opening days/preview nights I’ve had a ton of issues with kids line jumping or just acting rowdy in line. Mind you I used to be a kid who went to KI religiously I never had an issue but things have definitely changed. At this point we had a major fight last year, and now this? Where does the park draw the line?

[rlentless]

How would a ride pass system work?  Meaning when someone enters the Orion line for example, they have to scan their season pass or daily ride pass.  The system knows based on amount of people in line, it takes 45 minutes.  So at the point you enter the loading area you have to scan your ride pass again.  If it says you been in line for 10 minutes, then you line jumped and removed from the line.

I understand there can be many exceptions.  But if people know their time in line is being monitored, they will less likely line jump.  The first ride pass is free if you don't have season passes.  If you lose it or need a new one, then it costs $5 or something.  I have a game card in my wallet to load more money on it when I want.  So it should not be too much of problem creating ride passes.  Not every ride would need it.

Just a thought.

[Tr0y]

I had an instance this season of 2 teens tying to line jump during pass holder preview night on Orion. There was quite a few turnstiles open and they were ducking in between the rails to catch up to where the line actually started. My friend and I who were in front of them was just following the queue path. What they didn’t realize was that this “old man” being me, at the dusty age of 30 could duck between the rails too. As soon as I saw what they were doing, I began to duck between the rails just so they wouldn’t get ahead of me. Once we caught up to where the line actually started. I made sure to take a second to look down at them as if they were clowns and they mean mugged me. 

[DJSkyFoxx]

As someone who has also ducked through the turnstiles I will at least make sure I am not cutting in front of anyone when I've done it in the past.

I hate to sound like one of those people who thinks more rules are the answer, but I really think its time to lay down the bottom line to get things in some kind of order/compliance. If people want to line cut, let it be known they will be escorted from the park. Period. Zero tolerance. Might sound harsh but since it has gotten so out of hand, showing folks that the park takes it seriously might make folks think twice about cutting in line. That, along with a chaperone policy I think would help weed out a lot of the issues the park has been dealing with. It all might sound very locked down, but truthfully at this rate I feel it might be for the best. 

None of us pay the kind of money we do each season to put up with ridiculous behavior from others. The park should be a fun, safe and enjoyable space for all and those who can't follow the rules will reap what they sow. 

Also, I noticed on Saturday that they were incredibly verbal and far more strict about phones. I heard them mention multiple times during the pre-spiel before dispatching trains about not having phones out on the rides. And Sunday, a woman sitting in the bench seat on the carousel took out her phone to take a picture of her child sitting sitting atop one of the horses and the ride ops stopped the ride before it could even really get going. They spoke to her about not having her phone out while the ride was in motion, allowed her to snap a picture while the ride was stopped and then restarted the ride. 

[TBECK04]

I love Kings Island so much its my favorite place ever! I went on Beast and Delirium. I love it! 

[KIBeast]

Or, conversely, you can walk through the line shouting, "Larry!", like Joe used to do on Impractical Jokers. 

[FUN&ONLY!]

I agree that a zero tolerance policy needs to be implemented and strictly followed for any type of inappropriate behavior. However, I believe that a chaperone policy takes it too far. I don’t believe that rule-abiding guests should be punished because of the actions of others. I know there are a lot of patronage teenage Kings Island fans that would be very disappointed if they could no longer visit the park as often. Anyways, a chaperone policy would have done NOTHING to prevent the incident on Saturday.

[IndyGuy4KI]

Painting has continued on Diamondback this week.

[disco2000]

8 minutes ago, FUN&ONLY! said:

I agree that a zero tolerance policy needs to be implemented and strictly followed for any type of inappropriate behavior. However, I believe that a chaperone policy takes it too far. I don’t believe that rule-abiding guests should be punished because of the actions of others. I know there are a lot of patronage teenage Kings Island fans that would be very disappointed if they could no longer visit the park as often. Anyways, a chaperone policy would have done NOTHING to prevent the incident on Saturday.

Yet they eliminated bottled drinks in Prestige due to a few abusers.

Unfortunately every law or policy is the result of a bad few that ruin it for everyone else.

On the contrary, if a chaperone policy were in place, perhaps that juvenile wouldn't have been at the park at all.  They haven't said but I suspect he was one of the many either dropped off or bussed in and I suspect no parent was on the premises when the event happened...

[FUN&ONLY!]

19 minutes ago, IndyGuy4KI said:

Painting has continued on Diamondback this week.

This is good to hear! I was trying to check the webcams to see if I could see any activity around Diamondback, but I did not catch any. I was worried that Kings Island would just wait until next offseason to finish it or not finish it at all, but I am glad Kings Island and Baynum Solutions are still working on it.

 

14 minutes ago, disco2000 said:

Yet they eliminated bottled drinks in Prestige due to a few abusers.

Unfortunately every law or policy is the result of a bad few that ruin it for everyone else.

On the contrary, if a chaperone policy were in place, perhaps that juvenile wouldn't have been at the park at all.  They haven't said but I suspect he was one of the many either dropped off or bussed in and I suspect no parent was on the premises when the event happened...

Losing access to free bottled drinks is one thing. Losing access to the park altogether is another. Those are not very comparable. Also, if a juvenile wanted to bypass security and hop a fence to get into the park with a gun, I’m not sure a security guard checking ID’s at the front entrance (like with a chaperone policy) would prevent that. If the juvenile wanted to bring a gun into the park, he would have been there No matter what policies were in place.

[PKIDelirium]

6 hours ago, Tr0y said:

I had an instance this season of 2 teens tying to line jump during pass holder preview night on Orion. There was quite a few turnstiles open and they were ducking in between the rails to catch up to where the line actually started. My friend and I who were in front of them was just following the queue path. What they didn’t realize was that this “old man” being me, at the dusty age of 30 could duck between the rails too. As soon as I saw what they were doing, I began to duck between the rails just so they wouldn’t get ahead of me. Once we caught up to where the line actually started. I made sure to take a second to look down at them as if they were clowns and they mean mugged me. 

I never really considered it line jumping because the line was never actually back that far, but it would be interesting if there had been a camera aimed at "that spot" on the Top Gun exit and someone keeping an official count of how many people took the shortcut to ride SoB over the years.

Unless they needed some kind of emergency quick evac from the SoB queue, I'm really not sure why there was just a chain there. It was useful when it became Wolf Pack as the entrance, but it always seemed like it should have just been normal railing.

[Taylor.B03]

1 hour ago, FUN&ONLY! said:

I agree that a zero tolerance policy needs to be implemented and strictly followed for any type of inappropriate behavior. However, I believe that a chaperone policy takes it too far. I don’t believe that rule-abiding guests should be punished because of the actions of others. I know there are a lot of patronage teenage Kings Island fans that would be very disappointed if they could no longer visit the park as often. Anyways, a chaperone policy would have done NOTHING to prevent the incident on Saturday.

Agreed, It's the old saying. f around, find out. Simple. Offenders need to be the ones that get punished, not the whole community. I believe that any large group of over 5 unattended minors needs to have an adult, there's no reason for that many people to be unattended, separate or get an adult.

[BeeastFarmer]

So how does the park enforce line jumping policies in this day and age?  Hire 10 security guards for the big coasters?  5 for the small ones and two for each flat?  What if they have that staffing level and a storm clears the park weekly and they get sent home...they aren't going to get their hours. 

I think, until the park starts enforcing rules with a zero tolerance policy and making it public, the problem with line jumping and cell phones with continue to escalate. People have line jumped for years but in today's world, others are hesitant to hurt their feelings by holding them accountable. I'd love to see that change from the parks end. 

[jdf21972]

I think the biggest question now is when is Grain & Grill will open ? Hoping for this Saturday but more realistic would be first weekend in May. thoughts? 

 

[teenageninja]

The amount of people that use Kings Island as a daycare or a babysitter is pretty insane.  My mom is guilty of that as well.  Especially now that child care costs have gone through the roof, it's much cheaper to dump your kid off with a meal plan.

[DJSkyFoxx]

17 hours ago, FUN&ONLY! said:

I agree that a zero tolerance policy needs to be implemented and strictly followed for any type of inappropriate behavior. However, I believe that a chaperone policy takes it too far. I don’t believe that rule-abiding guests should be punished because of the actions of others. I know there are a lot of patronage teenage Kings Island fans that would be very disappointed if they could no longer visit the park as often. Anyways, a chaperone policy would have done NOTHING to prevent the incident on Saturday.

And I have seen this argument many times on here that it would affect the good kids. Yes, that would really suck for them, but imagine how all the good kids feel about it at WoF. Now they can no longer attend the park without an adult figure because it got dangerously out of hand. But its a necessary precaution. Nothing is fool-proof, but effort has to be made before someone gets seriously hurt or killed. That is the reality we are living in today.

Folks need to remember that today's world does not operate the same as it did 20-30+ years ago. And in the line of work I do, I see it daily among other things the GP doesn't see or experience. I take safety incredibly serious. And the truth of the matter is that in any case where an umbrella policy is put into action, there will be some hurt feelings by non-offenders, but it is in place to assist in prevention and ultimately create a safer environment. Until something better can come into play here, this might be what needs to occur. 

[chad_1138]

Posted in another thread, but I thought I'd ad it here:

Kings Island Chaperone Policy

[medford]

22 hours ago, BeeastFarmer said:

So how does the park enforce line jumping policies in this day and age?  Hire 10 security guards for the big coasters?  5 for the small ones and two for each flat?  What if they have that staffing level and a storm clears the park weekly and they get sent home...they aren't going to get their hours. 

I think, until the park starts enforcing rules with a zero tolerance policy and making it public, the problem with line jumping and cell phones with continue to escalate. People have line jumped for years but in today's world, others are hesitant to hurt their feelings by holding them accountable. I'd love to see that change from the parks end. 

The easiest way to do that would be to install a handful of cameras in each ride (or at least the major ones) with security watching on TV.  They wouldn't have to monitor all rides at once, but if you monitored say Orion for a spell, then The Beast, then Diamdonback, etc... on days that you most suspect line jumping will occur, then you have a smaller group of mobile security that will be in the area of the ride/s that are being actively monitored.  Boot the few that you do catch and word will spread quick enough that they are watching and will act.  Enforce it hard core for a season and it will die down significantly moving forward.

[Stoan]

18 hours ago, medford said:

The easiest way to do that would be to install a handful of cameras in each ride (or at least the major ones) with security watching on TV.  They wouldn't have to monitor all rides at once, but if you monitored say Orion for a spell, then The Beast, then Diamdonback, etc... on days that you most suspect line jumping will occur, then you have a smaller group of mobile security that will be in the area of the ride/s that are being actively monitored.  Boot the few that you do catch and word will spread quick enough that they are watching and will act.  Enforce it hard core for a season and it will die down significantly moving forward.

Have an NFL review style screen at the Linekeeper, and wait for the offenders to come to the front and just be all "this you? Getouttahere"

[IndyGuy4KI]

Supports on the second drop on DB are getting the trim  paint applied. 

[BeeastFarmer]

43 minutes ago, IndyGuy4KI said:

Supports on the second drop on DB are getting the trim  paint applied. 

Is this trim paint going to slow the train?  Haha

[IndyGuy4KI]

37 minutes ago, BeeastFarmer said:

Is this trim paint going to slow the train?  Haha

Possibly, our Diamondback ride was trim free.

[MDMC01]

It’s open!

[KIfan73]

I really appreciate all of these pics that have been shared so far.  I've been on the fence about renewing my pass, but I'm starting to think I'm not going to be able to resist!

[Hawaiian Coasters 325]

1 hour ago, MDMC01 said:

It’s open!

Was @King Ding Dong in the park?? lol

[MDMC01]

Not sure