NEW CHAPERONE POLICY KI 2023

[RedSummit20]

https://www.visitkingsisland.com/code-of-conduct

[zac2211]

This is annoying. I was planning on spending some time in the park by myself this year (i'm 15) and some bad apples have ruined it for everyone else..

[BoddaH1994]

-1 chaperone per 10 guests

-must enter with them and remain in the park 

-must be available by phone 

-only after 4:00

Is this enough, and how do you enforce this?

[zac2211]

After reading the policy in full I realize it won't affect me as I plan to enter with my family and then split up, and they will be available via phone. However, it's still frustrating for people who just want to go by themselves.

[Browntggrr]

Very sad that things like this are needed.

It doesn't effect me at all anymore but some of my best trips were with my 10 & 11 year old cousins and I was 19.  I have a hard time wrapping my head around being a legal adult but not being allowed to bring younger siblings due to not being 21.

This policy also gives me the impression (other than lipstick on a pig) that the incidents at parks (not just KI) are due to kids under 21- which couldn't be further from the truth.

[Oldschool75]

-1 chaperone per 10 guests
-must enter with them and remain in the park 
-must be available by phone 
-only after 4:00
Is this enough, and how do you enforce this?

I think it’s gonna be hard to enforce this. I really hope this gets things in the right direction, but honestly I think it should be anyone under 18 needs to be with a chaperone. From my experience, seems most that are causing issues are between 14-18. It’s a slippery slope.


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[Imperial79]

The 1 chaperone per 10 guests seems like a lot of for 1 chaperone to be responsible for, maybe 5 or 6 would more controllable. I would have also put the age to at least 16 and even 17. Hopefully this cuts down on the issues, but if it continues, I expect the age limit to go up. 

[CoasterJack]

Yeah, I agree with the fact that it's interesting that all the trouble in the past few years seems to be caused by 14-18 year olds. I mean even last week it was a 17 year old, who technically would still be allowed in. It's a shame because my youngest brother travels with his friends numerous times over the summer, and they're all 14-15. I think there's a better chance Six Flags buys Disney World than them getting in to trouble. And I know quite a few others that age that will definitely be disappointed.

But also I completely understand. Over the past few years, even being there with my brother and his friends, there are people in line that act like they've never been in a public setting before, and it's a sad reality that some can't be responsible for themselves, even as a 17 or 18 year old. However, I think this was ultimately a good decision on the parks behalf. It sucks that some good kids have to get the short end of the stick, but sadly, that's just how life is sometimes.

[KI Guy]

For those that go to the park very frequently:

Over the last few years have you been seeing significant Issues more often with kids under 16, or is it just being covered more in media and social media?

[super7]

This policy is nothing but theater.    Anyone can get in the park before 4.    There is no way they can enforce this policy after 4 with those already in the park.
There will be troublemakers already in  the park that they won’t be able to locate. 
 

Additionally, what are they going to do?   Harass every minor that they see standing alone?   The ones that are with an adult that doesn’t want to ride or goes to the bathroom? 
 

I agree they aren’t even targeting the age group that has caused the problems 
 

if they don’t enforce the policy at the gate all day long that it’s a worthless policy.   

[super7]

24 minutes ago, zac2211 said:

After reading the policy in full I realize it won't affect me as I plan to enter with my family and then split up, and they will be available via phone. However, it's still frustrating for people who just want to go by themselves.

But it will affect you after 4 o’clock if you split up with them. If security sees you alone, they may confront you or even eject.     If it was an all day policy then they would know everyone through the gate was chaperoned. 

[CoasterJack]

I see it as another way to not tolerate any misbehavior. Like if I'm a guard and I see two siblings at 6pm browsing for a new squishmallow, I probably wouldn't say anything. But if there's kids causing trouble, being a disturbance, being rude, line cutting, etc, it's an easy way to just be like "hey, you're not supposed to be here. I need you to leave the park". I don't work for the park or am affiliated in any way. However, I could see this just being an easy way to eject any rowdy young teens when needed

[BoddaH1994]

Just now, CoasterJack said:

I see it as another way to not tolerate any misbehavior. Like if I'm a guard and I see two siblings at 6pm browsing for a new squishmallow, I probably wouldn't say anything. But if there's kids causing trouble, being a disturbance, being rude, line cutting, etc, it's an easy way to just be like "hey, you're not supposed to be here. I need you to leave the park". I don't work for the park or am affiliated in any way. However, I could see this just being an easy way to eject any rowdy young teens when needed

There was some language about the adults being held responsible for the kids’ actions at one or more parks when they added the policy. I’m not sure why that wasn’t approached here, or how legally valid that would be. 

[KI Guy]

13 minutes ago, CoasterJack said:

I see it as another way to not tolerate any misbehavior. Like if I'm a guard and I see two siblings at 6pm browsing for a new squishmallow, I probably wouldn't say anything. But if there's kids causing trouble, being a disturbance, being rude, line cutting, etc, it's an easy way to just be like "hey, you're not supposed to be here. I need you to leave the park".

This is correct. Previously they might have needed something egregious to kick someone out and even then it would only be one of two people.

Now they can kick out a whole group (after 4) under the cover of the policy if they even see signs of trouble coming.

[medford]

I think its more of a policy that gives them a leg to stand on should they need to removed anyone from the park before they actually do something full on worthy of getting the boot.

 

Ie, there are a group of 14 year olds walking around shoving each other, and cursing lowdly.  Maybe they haven't done anything yet that would warrant removal from the park, but now KI has a policy that they can be proactive when needed.

 

The 12 year old that is walking around with some friends, being respectable and polite wont get bothered by this policy is my guess.

[jimlaheyscar]

Carowinds started a Chaperon policy program today as well.  Wonder if all parks are going to enact this.

 

[jdf21972]

Time to rise up and take back our park. Raise a glass to standing in line without the issue of line jumpers. Soon there will be more of us to continue the conversation.


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[jbeast]

This is KI's comment on society today unfortunately. it's just sad it's come to this.

I remember many days when I would go to the park as a young teenager and never cause any trouble at all, was nice to everyone I met there, and knew to behave myself or I'd have to deal with my parent's or grandparents' wrath. And that was not an option.

Times have indeed changed. I know there are many respectful kids and teenagers out there...I have one at home. So, it is not fair to them for the idiots who cannot act right at the park. My kid knows better than to act stupid at the park and would never do it anyway...out of respect to others and the park itself instilled in him as a kid. 

[CoasterJack]

11 minutes ago, jdf21972 said:

Time to rise up and take back our park. Raise a glass to standing in line without the issue of line jumpers. Soon there will be more of us to continue the conversation.


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This is the advantage of going to the park with your 6'4 brother and 6' 6" cousin. A simple "sorry, no" sends them right back to the beginning of the line 

Sadly, I did not inherit this same height advantage

[medford]

I wonder how much of the problem is the rise of social me and young people finding it acceptable to document their rude behavior on social media for all to see.

[teenageninja]

Do you put in your age when you get a season pass?

[beastfan11]

I spent a lot of time during my teenage days running around the park and having a great time. When my friends and I were old enough to start driving, the park was one of the first places we went. We never had, nor did we encounter, any issues. Quite literally some of the best memories of my life. It’s a shame that younger guests won’t be able to experience that for themselves. 
 

That said, this is an absolute unfortunate necessity. In a post COVID world a lot of people (regardless of age) take to acting like idiots as default. We’ve all seen it the last few seasons. It’s a shame. 
 

I don’t envy the park for having to enforce this, but it seems like the right call. I’d rather have something in place like this than something reactionary. 

Not sure how this will work, but I’m hoping for the best for everyone involved. 

[jdf21972]

1 minute ago, teenageninja said:

Do you put in your age when you get a season pass?

yes, online it asks for the date of birth, if they purchase at the sales windows they ask for that information also. 

 

[Stoan]

Surprisingly lenient honestly. I would have expected less people, possibly even "stay with" or vaguely "nearby" for the chaperone. I wonder what the policy is for if a chaperoned person gets caught out, do they kick everyone in the group out? As unfair as kids tend to find pack-ruled rules, I like them. Let the group kind of help support itself, if Karen or Kyle are going to act out, they will ruin it for everyone so don't encourage the behavior.

[jdf21972]

and now Kings Dominion & Carowinds have announced their policy also. WOF & Knotts already was in place from their Opening Day. Will this be Cedar Fair wide now  https://www.kingsdominion.com/code-of-conduct

https://www.carowinds.com/code-of-conduct

https://www.worldsoffun.com/code-of-conduct

https://www.knotts.com/code-of-conduct

 

[disco2000]

1 hour ago, super7 said:

   If it was an all day policy then they would know everyone through the gate was chaperoned. 

What would stop said chaperone from entering and then leaving.....

[johnjniehaus]

So you are telling me that at 18 years old, I'm responsible enough to join the military and vote but not to chaperone a younger sibling at an amusement park? I understand that there's been a lot of trouble out of teenagers and young adults but I would think there should be a way to discipline the offenders instead of penalizing the respectable customer as well. Like how about anyone caught misbehaving by security gets an immediate boot from the park and a 30-60 day ban from entering the park? That would screw some punk kid's summer up real nice.... just saying. I'll be turning 21 in June so I guess until then I'll be "in violation" after 4pm while accompanying my younger sister or cousin. Obviously if security asks me to leave I have no intention of bulking authority but I'm not waving my ID around asking to get booted out after 4pm. 

[disco2000]

Using KI as a babysitter and the chaperone policy is crimping that plan.  Well new for 2023 – The Chaperone and Chaperone+ season pass.   For $400 extra you can still drop the kiddos off like you have been!  They will simply proceed to the Chaperone check-in booth and will be given a wrist band that they can simply flash to security whenever they are stopped.

This post is sarcasm…until it is not and they offer some season pass add-on LOL… 
 

[DoomPlague]

You can tell how resistant KI was to the whole idea with how lenient this policy is compared to what other parks have done.

I agree with those that question the 4 PM part. That's going to cause trouble for people who come in earlier. It should at least be "all day" for Saturday and Sunday, if they are going to do this. The policy probably isn't needed at all on weekdays.

[Taylor.B03]

My reaction to this information ---> Rage meme.mp4 (breaking keyboard) - YouTube

On a serious note

This policy seems to be better than most but it's still not great at all.

Pros:

• It allows the chaperone to not be with the person they are accompanying the whole time.
• Normal day before 4pm
• People 16 and 17 are unaffected (If you are old enough to work at the park, you should be able to be at the park.)

Cons:

• 18-20 year olds cannot accompany anyone even though they are legal adults 
  • My suggestion is that they add the ability for this age group to at minimum be able to accompany up to 2 people 15 and under. For example: I can't bring any of my younger siblings to the park (Unless we wanna leave at 4 which is a large NO). I only would be taking one or both of my younger sisters to the park, I am not allowed to do that anymore under these rules (again, only the partial operating day)
• Chaperones can take ownership of up to 10 people
  • My suggestion is to lower this number to 6. Groups over 6 are way too big, the average minivan can hold 7 people so how in the world did 1 person drive 10 people to the park? You needed an additional car which is likely another adult, they should be going to the park as well I would presume?
• This policy does not differentiate younger children.
  • What if there is a young couple such as people who are 18-20 who have children of their own? Are they denied entry to the park because they are bringing their child to the park which they need someone 21 or older to be with? This is a more technical reason but one that should be covered in the fine print. Teenage parents do exist.
• This policy is active every day
  • This could be changed in the future when daily operations kick in but this policy at it's current state is happening every day of the week. I think once we get to daily operations it should be in effect Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. The weekdays usually aren't as crazy since there aren't as many people going during the weekdays. In my personal experience, Saturdays always have the worst crowds, followed by Fridays. By Sunday lots of adults are at the park since it's their day off. It sill is a bunch of people though as it is the weekend.

My personal opinions: (Spicy)

• In my personal opinion and from pure observations, the problem is the large groups of middle schoolers and a small bit of young high schoolers who are in stupidly large groups for some reason. Why are they allowed for form these large groups in the first place is beyond my understanding. In my personal opinion, they need to target these large groups. These groups are so easy to spot from a mile away, once you see them you give them the ultimatum, split up or get out. There is absolutely no reason for there to be groups of over 6 unattended minors to gather together, the mob mentality will easily form because of how underdeveloped and young people in that age range's brains work. I know when I was that age (Only 5 years ago for me) that groups over 6 people forming at school was a recipe for disaster, no order, just chaos for no reason. These groups are the source of most of the stories you see coming out of the park, fights, throwing food (Especially popcorn for some reason), being loud, ect. These are the people who need to be dealt with, not the people who follow the rules.
  • My solution to the problem: implement an adult supervision policy for groups of minors
    • All groups with over 6 guests who are ages 12 - 15 must have 1 adult 21+ for every 6 guests aged 12 - 15 in the group. Failure to comply with the policy will result in the group being split up. if the group is found recombining at any point, they will be ejected from the park (as they were told not to reconvene)
    • This policy is intentionally flawed for a reason, you might ask, well they could just break into smaller groups of 3's or something and swap people. You'd be correct! The goal is to split groups into smaller groups which are much easier to manage from the groups themselves and the park. Smaller groups that are apart of larger groups within the park require the group as a whole to communicate with each other beforehand or via their phones in the park. This forces the group to have order. The thing with the large groups are the fact that everyone is together so that means nobody needs to care, your with all your friends at once so you feel like your on top of the world and can do anything. Breaking that group so they can't all be together at once (Without an adult) forces them to be constantly thinking while at the park. Smaller groups are much more focused since they can communicate with each other better, a large group has no real form of communication, you just follow the crowd. Someone does something stupid, others will do the same since the crowd is doing it. Smaller groups, everyone is visible, your actions can be seen by everyone in the group at once.
      • This allows normal guests to not be punished by the root of the issues, the aforementioned groups. This would work by regulating these groups of minors with an adult who is responsible for controlling the group and taking responsibility of the actions of the group. Groups with 5 or less aged 12 - 15 would not need an adult but groups with 6 or more would need one adult for every 6 members. Example: A group of 6 would need 1, a group of 7 would need 2, a group of 12 would need 2, a group of 13 would need 3, and so on. This number also takes into account that an average minivan / suv can fit 6-7 people per car, since adults mostly drive cars, you would need multiple drivers to get a large amount of people to the park so those drivers would likely be parents who would need to go to the park with their group.

Thank you for coming to my TED Talk!