Kings Island General Discussion 2025

[disco2000]

Its happening LOL:

 

[DonHelbig]

8 hours ago, disco2000 said:

Its happening LOL:

 

Are Snickers bars on the dining plan? 

[CedarPointer]

I wonder when they'll put up "Share A Warm Diet Coke" ads.

[Joshua]

On 6/15/2025 at 4:43 AM, mikejenkins1 said:

I have been on this same complaint for years and it has gotten STUPID at the park.   Now my last visit I see Grain and Grill NO longer will have cups but says go to Starbucks!    WTH!   I dont drink anything but water and will NOT pay for a drink plan to just get a .00001 cent plastic cup.   So nice when you wait 30 min to get food then go next door to wait 30 more to get a tiny cup of water.     You could just monitor or have someone do the water for  you but with budget cuts that wont happen.  Love when ride ops tell you in the heat of summer to stay hydrated and get water but hey it will cost you to do so.    I have taken pictures of the VIP lounge and how they have stacks and stacks of water cups there.   So for $50 more a visit, I get water?   WHAT A JOKE.

Yeah, this is a big deal for me as I'm diabetic. Lately, a lot of establishments -- including KI, as my experience yesterday at the drink stand across from Kill-Mart -- have been messing up the fountains, so a Diet Coke pours a Regular. To the people who clean and fill these machines, the mistake seems small  but for me, a Regular Coke can do more damage to my BSL than eating half a Shaq-A-Roni, so I'm finding myself defaulting to water instead for peace of mind. Kinda hard to do that when many of these fountains don't even carry water. 

[BeeastFarmer]

I remember someone who used to be active here, Kingdingdong, discussed bringing in a collapsible cup that fit in his pocket.  He used that and filled up at the water fountain.

While this is not the best solution, it is one. It is a shame that the people who steal have caused this. It surprised me in the comments on Facebook where people stated that it's just a Coke no big deal. It's theft. 

[johnjniehaus]

16 hours ago, disco2000 said:

Its happening LOL:

 

Are you kidding me? Everyone on this forum should write a complaint to the park about that one lol. People can say whatever they want to say about how CF has the controlling interest in the merger but from what I'm seeing, most of the parks are getting downgraded to six flags standards not pulled up to CF standards which is most unfortunate 

[Losantiville Mining Co.]

The new ads/sponsorships don't bother me too much since they just seem to be popping up around the midways and under some ride ID signs (Delirium — Presented by Snickers). If they start filling up the park to the point where everything has an ad, and where ride cars start to be wrapped in logos, then I'll be a lot more upset. If this is what Six Flags has to do for a few years to offset some of the budget cuts, then so be it. I'd rather see ads than have to experience another ride closure (which is not a guaranteed possibility either way). 

Did anyone else notice that Kings Island's Star Spangled Nights (presented by M&M's) logo says "Night" while Carowinds' Star Spangled Nights (presented by M&M's) logo says "Nights"? It's not really an issue, but it makes me wonder if this was a quality control (proofreading) issue or an issue with initial scheduling that would've only had one night of fireworks. The "'s" was not corrected for the event step-and-repeat outside the front gate either.

[Diamondback_Is_King]

On 7/5/2025 at 11:23 AM, BeeastFarmer said:

I remember someone who used to be active here, Kingdingdong, discussed bringing in a collapsible cup that fit in his pocket.  He used that and filled up at the water fountain.

While this is not the best solution, it is one. It is a shame that the people who steal have caused this. It surprised me in the comments on Facebook where people stated that it's just a Coke no big deal. It's theft. 

I've heard about and seen these collapsible cups and really like the idea. I'm definitely bringing one down when I go to Epic later this summer. It is too bad though that people justify stealing.

"It's just a Coke, no big deal!" If everyone says that, it is a big deal. And here we are...

[DJSkyFoxx]

2 minutes ago, Diamondback_Is_King said:

I've heard about and seen these collapsible cups and really like the idea. I'm definitely bringing one down when I go to Epic later this summer. It is too bad though that people justify stealing.

"It's just a Coke, no big deal!" If everyone says that, it is a big deal. And here we are...

I know they wouldn't do this amidst the budget cuts, but man do I wish they would hire actual loss prevention associates. Plain clothes at that. Before I got into law enforcement I did LP for Best Buy and it was always so much fun catching people who thought no one was watching. Because if I learned anything at all during my time doing LP, it's not "just" a Coke, its not "just" a pack of stickers or some other small item. It's not "just". Every small thing that someone takes the liberty of stealing will find its way in cost back on honest consumers. And this is why we see the silly song and dance about the water cups. This small yet convenient act of kindness is now made more inconvenient due to the dishonest folks stealing pop. 

It is, in fact, a big deal. And with how affordable it is now to get a drink wristband or season pass add on, why the heck does anyone feel the need to steal? I realize there will never be a clear answer to this problem amongst many others, but wow.

Also, this theft of time/product is applicable to line jumping. We already know this has been a major issue for years now and seems to be getting arguably worse. They need to have posted security rounds in and around Orion as I am sure most of you are aware there is one spot in particular line jumpers think they are being so smart about. When one enters Fast Lane line, right inside the hanger, people think they are being swift cutting the line from that point. I have seen it way too many times. If they can't have a physical body making rounds in that general area, they need to install surveillance cameras there and any other problem area. If the park doesn't want to pay adequate bodies to provide regular physical security, they could just do cameras and dispatch someone as necessary to those areas. 

I realize that might make too much sense and sometimes, if I have learned anything through my career, things that make too much sense don't often get implemented 

[disco2000]

^While that all makes sense, sadly, until they estimate the loss is greater than the cost of loss prevention, they will let it continue.

Speaking of, did you see the FB post where someone was calling out a mom that had her kid steal pizza at Festhaus and the comments were either trolling and/or thieves themselves as so many jumped on the OP and telling her to mind her own business and it is just a pizza.  This is a business, not a charity.  Theft is theft and will result in higher prices.

[DJSkyFoxx]

13 minutes ago, disco2000 said:

^While that all makes sense, sadly, until they estimate the loss is greater than the cost of loss prevention, they will let it continue.

Speaking of, did you see the FB post where someone was calling out a mom that had her kid steal pizza at Festhaus and the comments were either trolling and/or thieves themselves as so many jumped on the OP and telling her to mind her own business and it is just a pizza.  This is a business, not a charity.  Theft is theft and will result in higher prices.

I know you are correct. It is just frustrating and more than likely they won't invest in those measures until as you said, it starts hitting their pockets harder. 

Since I am not on FB, no, I did not see that. However, I am sadly not surprised. There seems to be a major shift in culture where wrong is right and right is wrong and it has naturally applied to that sort of backwards mentality in these third spaces. Incredibly sad that people act this way. Absolute garbage behavior. 

[Tr0y]

7 minutes ago, DJSkyFoxx said:

I know you are correct. It is just frustrating and more than likely they won't invest in those measures until as you said, it starts hitting their pockets harder. 

Since I am not on FB, no, I did not see that. However, I am sadly not surprised. There seems to be a major shift in culture where wrong is right and right is wrong and it has naturally applied to that sort of backwards mentality in these third spaces. Incredibly sad that people act this way. Absolute garbage behavior. 

Instead they will promise something like bottled soft drinks in the prestige lounge. Then, once a bunch of people sign up for the prestige pass they will pull the rug out from underneath them. 

[disco2000]

4 minutes ago, Tr0y said:

Instead they will promise something like bottled soft drinks in the prestige lounge. Then, once a bunch of people sign up for the prestige pass they will pull the rug out from underneath them. 

And let's not forget no ice or cups or ICEE straws 

[RollerColt]

2 hours ago, Diamondback_Is_King said:

I've heard about and seen these collapsible cups and really like the idea. I'm definitely bringing one down when I go to Epic later this summer. It is too bad though that people justify stealing.

"It's just a Coke, no big deal!" If everyone says that, it is a big deal. And here we are...

The collapsible cup will be your friend at Epic Universe. We were very surprised and happy to see so many free water refill stations in the queues. Our only complaint was how slow the water flowed out of them haha. 

[I...am SteVe]

On 7/4/2025 at 9:18 PM, disco2000 said:

Its happening LOL:

 

I was at KD just last week, and I saw this exact sign on the wall of a shop in Candy Apple Grove by WindSeeker. Also, their Backlot is now 'presented by Skittles.'

This all started with small ads on the video signs that were added last year, and now it has expanded to full ride sponsorships and billboards.

I am happy, however, that it seems that only one ride at each park is getting a corporate partner. At least this isn't legacy SF where nearly every single ride is 'presented by [insert candy name here].'

Edited July 7 by I...am SteVe
Added my thoughts on the matter.

[shark6495]

Honestly, I couldn’t care less if someone steals a pop or pizza.  What it tells me is that the park is not hiring enough people to stop it.  Yes we shouldn’t have folks stealing/etc, but if the park can’t handle the ability then it’s on them.  Instead they are punishing the rest.   If you can’t stop folks from stealing then you are doing something wrong.  

[disco2000]

^That mentality contributes to the problem - I guess you steal if the odds are in your favor? 

Sounds like victim shaming on a corporate level...Blame the park for the theft...

You realize retail loses BILLIONS annually to theft even with loss prevention personnel.  Companies spend millions on cyberand still get hacked.

And sadly it is a level higher than the companies - the law is in favor of the criminal.  Watch what happens when a store loss prevention employee touches or tries to physically stop the thief...

No place is immune from theft.  People get creative no matter how much restriction is put in place.

Could the park do more - yes - could the guests do better - yes.

Like I said, the park must feel that the cost to prevent is higher than the loss due to theft.  Still doesn't make it right to steal. What we may see is removing self serve drink stations and requiring the employees to fill them.  That would stop a lot of it.

The moral/ethical compass is completely out of whack right now and using KI as an example people seem to be perfectly content with the stealing cause pop is just pop and they are a billion+/year company...

We see the same arguments when someone posts about a big screen TV being stolen from Best Buy or a generator from Home Depot and ignore the lost prevention personnel commands and people say they are a billion/yr company so no big deal..

End of rant lol

https://capitaloneshopping.com/research/shoplifting-statistics/#:~:text=Stores lost an estimated %2445.0,cost retailers %24461.86 in 2020.

[DJSkyFoxx]

19 hours ago, shark6495 said:

Honestly, I couldn’t care less if someone steals a pop or pizza.  What it tells me is that the park is not hiring enough people to stop it.  Yes we shouldn’t have folks stealing/etc, but if the park can’t handle the ability then it’s on them.  Instead they are punishing the rest.   If you can’t stop folks from stealing then you are doing something wrong.  

This right here is a prime example of part of the problem People don't care because they see the item/product in question as "just" this or "just" that and blame the applicable company for not doing enough to stop it. 

People NEED to care. If everyone cared even a little, I can promise you there would be significantly LESS theft. I'm not saying that there would be zero theft. But if people actually cared about theft, no matter what it is that is being taken, there wouldn't be such a rampant issue everywhere. 

I am completely fatigued by this apathy problem in our society. It's cool not to care? I will never understand that. Everyone should care. Theft is bad for everyone and ultimately comes crashing down on the honest folk in some way or another which then in turn ruins an experience/opportunity. 

You can't catch everyone. I would know from first hand experience. But we can, as a collective, call people out. I will say that from the rooftops. If you see it happening? Call them out. Make an example of them if staff won't step in. At the very least they will be seen in the act and it will, inevitably, catch up to them. 

[Diamondback_Is_King]

The problem is, they don't care about KI because they don't pay a lot for passes. That's why so many people only go once with a pass. They don't care if the price goes up, because someone buys it for them. People who get Disney passes don't stand up on rides or jump fences to get their belongings or steal drinks because they know Disney could take away their passes. The first time I went to Disneyland a man stood up on Big Thunder and was banned for life...until pass prices go up or there is some sort of consequence, people won't care a single bit.

People only think about themselves and are really selfish. That's who they are, and that's who they care about! People don't think about the consequences anymore. They will keep stealing until something is done, which nothing ever will be done. And like mentioned above, KI must not care that much, or something would have been done already.

[Losantiville Mining Co.]

On 7/7/2025 at 8:46 AM, DJSkyFoxx said:

I know they wouldn't do this amidst the budget cuts, but man do I wish they would hire actual loss prevention associates. Plain clothes at that. Before I got into law enforcement I did LP for Best Buy and it was always so much fun catching people who thought no one was watching. Because if I learned anything at all during my time doing LP, it's not "just" a Coke, its not "just" a pack of stickers or some other small item. It's not "just". Every small thing that someone takes the liberty of stealing will find its way in cost back on honest consumers. And this is why we see the silly song and dance about the water cups. This small yet convenient act of kindness is now made more inconvenient due to the dishonest folks stealing pop. 

It is, in fact, a big deal. And with how affordable it is now to get a drink wristband or season pass add on, why the heck does anyone feel the need to steal? I realize there will never be a clear answer to this problem amongst many others, but wow.

I realize that might make too much sense and sometimes, if I have learned anything through my career, things that make too much sense don't often get implemented 

If they had the money, I'd almost rather the parks install the RFID-reader soda fountains and invest in the corresponding cups instead of hiring more security. I've read that the cost is only slightly higher per batch for the cups, and the machines would (presumably) only have higher costs for installation. That and seasonal maintenance may be cheaper overall rather than hiring loss prevention security at each drink stand. Some Six Flags parks have also been installing pressure plates at the exits of each dining/drink stand so the gate can only be opened from inside the line. Kings Island needs these (with suitable ADA-compliant activators as well). I think Six Flags hasn't installed these at KI yet is because they don't currently see it as an investment-worthy park, and they feel it is easier to make the short term guest experience worse than to immediately do something to fix the issue in the long term. (That's not to say Six Flags doesn't invest in KI, more so they see it as a park that already has a "just fine" experience and doesn't need a lot of investment).

The restaurants are a different story, especially if guests are now finding ways to steal food. I'm not normally one to rag on people who steal food, but to me there's a difference between stealing bread from a grocery store and stealing a meal from a restaurant (generalized examples). 

I have a feeling that one reason why people (mainly children) do the water cup trick is because their parents don't buy them a drink plan. There are those who can't afford it and then there are those who don't want to pay for it. The shift to credit-card-only operations might also help this problem. Some parents just aren't going to go with their kids to get a drink, and most don't want to hand their card to someone who might lose/abuse it like they would have done with a $5 or $10 bill. It doesn't help that there are only 6 cash-to-card kiosk locations throughout the entire park. 

 

All of this makes you wonder what Kings Island would look like if it were part of a company that wasn't hemorrhaging money and didn't have 40 other parks to look after...

[CoasterJack]

2 minutes ago, Losantiville Mining Co. said:

If they had the money, I'd almost rather the parks install the RFID-reader soda fountains and invest in the corresponding cups instead of hiring more security. I've read that the cost is only slightly higher per batch for the cups, and the machines would (presumably) only have higher costs for installation. That and seasonal maintenance may be cheaper overall rather than hiring loss prevention security at each drink stand. Some Six Flags parks have also been installing pressure plates at the exits of each dining/drink stand so the gate can only be opened from inside the line. Kings Island needs these (with suitable ADA-compliant activators as well). I think Six Flags hasn't installed these at KI yet is because they don't currently see it as an investment-worthy park, and they feel it is easier to make the short term guest experience worse than to immediately do something to fix the issue in the long term. (That's not to say Six Flags doesn't invest in KI, more so they see it as a park that already has a "just fine" experience and doesn't need a lot of investment).

The restaurants are a different story, especially if guests are now finding ways to steal food. I'm not normally one to rag on people who steal food, but to me there's a difference between stealing bread from a grocery store and stealing a meal from a restaurant (generalized examples). 

I have a feeling that one reason why people (mainly children) do the water cup trick is because their parents don't buy them a drink plan. There are those who can't afford it and then there are those who don't want to pay for it. The shift to credit-card-only operations might also help this problem. Some parents just aren't going to go with their kids to get a drink, and most don't want to hand their card to someone who might lose/abuse it like they would have done with a $5 or $10 bill. It doesn't help that there are only 6 cash-to-card kiosk locations throughout the entire park. 

 

All of this makes you wonder what Kings Island would look like if it were part of a company that wasn't hemorrhaging money and didn't have 40 other parks to look after...

KI being able to reinvest all of its own profit back into the park would be such an interesting scenario that I'd be all for. No debt, no obligation to shareholders, just being able to do what benefits the guests and the park long-term.

 

While being a part of a larger chain does have its resources and benefits, a chain burdened with debt and private equity looking over the shoulder seems to do us as a park more harm than good.

[Losantiville Mining Co.]

An issue I could see rearing its ugly head would be that a lot of the higher-up people who knew what they were doing at Kings Island have either been laid off or moved to higher positions in the Six Flags chain. Unless those people come back to the park, or new ones come in that care about more than just profit, the park may not look as good as everyone would like. 

A new KECO would be very nice. It could bring parks like Canada's Wonderland, Carowinds, Kings Dominion, Fiesta Texas, and Kings Island (and more) back into the "theme park with awesome thrill rides" category. Too bad Six Flags would probably never let Kings Island go unless it were pried from their cold, dead, corporate hands. 

[CoasterJack]

I think they'd let the park go if given enough cash, especially right now if they're looking for ways to pay down debt. But the number would probably make it hard to justify the purchase price for whoever purchased the park. I assume it would at least have to be in the $500-600m range, and even then, the buyer probably wouldn't be all cash and would have to finance some of their own debt.

[Losantiville Mining Co.]

Fall and the Halloween season are fast approaching. We've seen some movement for Halloween Haunt as Plague Productions has been working on a new maze in the old Club Blood/Blackout building, as well as items being moved out of The Crypt's building. 2025 is set to be Kings Island's 25th year hosting what has been called one of the scariest events in the Cincinnati area. 

Carowinds just released a teaser video for this year's SCarowinds on Facebook. It features a red candle lit against a dark background with an eerie rendition of happy birthday playing over it. Some audio distortions interrupt the music as well. The teaser ends with the candle being blown out and "25 YEARS OF FEAR" and #SCarowinds25 coming up on the screen. The caption on the post says "A party to die for..."

Could this mean anything for Kings Island as well? Both KI and Carowinds will be celebrating this anniversary this Fall, and it would be wonderful to see Haunt get some more love as well. I sure hope the event delivers well this year! Link below for the post on Carowinds' page.

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1GgEKhRBXo/

[shark6495]

On 7/7/2025 at 2:43 PM, disco2000 said:

^That mentality contributes to the problem - I guess you steal if the odds are in your favor? 

Sounds like victim shaming on a corporate level...Blame the park for the theft...

You realize retail loses BILLIONS annually to theft even with loss prevention personnel.  Companies spend millions on cyberand still get hacked.

And sadly it is a level higher than the companies - the law is in favor of the criminal.  Watch what happens when a store loss prevention employee touches or tries to physically stop the thief...

No place is immune from theft.  People get creative no matter how much restriction is put in place.

Could the park do more - yes - could the guests do better - yes.

Like I said, the park must feel that the cost to prevent is higher than the loss due to theft.  Still doesn't make it right to steal. What we may see is removing self serve drink stations and requiring the employees to fill them.  That would stop a lot of it.

The moral/ethical compass is completely out of whack right now and using KI as an example people seem to be perfectly content with the stealing cause pop is just pop and they are a billion+/year company...

We see the same arguments when someone posts about a big screen TV being stolen from Best Buy or a generator from Home Depot and ignore the lost prevention personnel commands and people say they are a billion/yr company so no big deal..

End of rant lol

https://capitaloneshopping.com/research/shoplifting-statistics/#:~:text=Stores lost an estimated %2445.0,cost retailers %24461.86 in 2020.

 

On 7/8/2025 at 9:02 AM, DJSkyFoxx said:

This right here is a prime example of part of the problem People don't care because they see the item/product in question as "just" this or "just" that and blame the applicable company for not doing enough to stop it. 

People NEED to care. If everyone cared even a little, I can promise you there would be significantly LESS theft. I'm not saying that there would be zero theft. But if people actually cared about theft, no matter what it is that is being taken, there wouldn't be such a rampant issue everywhere. 

I am completely fatigued by this apathy problem in our society. It's cool not to care? I will never understand that. Everyone should care. Theft is bad for everyone and ultimately comes crashing down on the honest folk in some way or another which then in turn ruins an experience/opportunity. 

You can't catch everyone. I would know from first hand experience. But we can, as a collective, call people out. I will say that from the rooftops. If you see it happening? Call them out. Make an example of them if staff won't step in. At the very least they will be seen in the act and it will, inevitably, catch up to them. 

 

let me rephrase how I said that. I don’t care about the theft because KI doesn’t care. The self serve pop stands were installed to save money. They do that to offer the image of choice but ultimately it’s less people needed to fill drinks.  So again to stop the theft they limit the options. They could hire someone (as stated it’s obviously cheaper to let theft happen than stop it) but the chain appears to be suffering from issues across the country. 
 

Times are tough or money is hard or kids will be kids. Theft has always happened. It’s how do you prevent it and KI appears to have chosen the least costly way (and most inconvenient for the rest of us)

[disco2000]

On 7/4/2025 at 9:18 PM, disco2000 said:

Its happening LOL:

 

 

Glad they can change this poster out frequently.  Now if the ice and cups can be replenished as quickly  

[disco2000]

Is this a new prize - 2 FL wristbands for landing one ring on a bottle?

[SPONGEBOB_FAN_97]

On 7/4/2025 at 9:18 PM, disco2000 said:

Its happening LOL:

 

[DonHelbig]

We’re nearing mid-July, and let’s be honest—this has been really rough season at Kings Island and for the company. From staffing shakeups to cutbacks, to things like no ice, no cups, and restaurants closed—it’s all added up. Guests have noticed. I’ve noticed.

But here’s the part we don’t say enough: there are still a lot of hard-working associates out there showing up every day, doing their best with what they’ve got. And they deserve credit—a lot of it.

The message about what’s wrong? It’s been heard. Loud and clear. The park knows. It’s on them to fix it. As we head down the homestretch for daily operation, let’s shift the focus and talk more about the good things happening during our visits.

[shark6495]

^^ thanks for the reminder…;

 

Swung by the park on my lunch break and had a great Steak Burrito Bowl and the lady working at the VIP area was wonderful!