Kings Island General Discussion 2026

[brenthodge]

5 hours ago, Losantiville Mining Co. said:

They are, but even Great Adventure is going to take at least a year or two more to be converted — and they got a head start. I think Chicago's Great America is either waiting for the real CGA to close (so they can have some of their stuff) or is going around the same pace as Magic Mountain (except MM allegedly got GAm's family area and caused the delay to 2027).

I hate to say it, but right now I think even with all of it's problems, Gurnee's Great America might even have a higher guest satisfaction score than Cedar Point 😬

I will say daily ops are actually pretty good. It’s more the long term, deferred maintenance that’s sad to see. I should’ve been more clear on that. It’s clean, it’s just you are cleaning an old house that’s not been really cared for for years. I hope they can get it back on track. You can tell there’s been both a lack of investment, and poor choices as to how the investment is executed for years. 

[brenthodge]

17 hours ago, WoodVengeance said:

Sad to hear about the stuff about Great America this season. I went there back in 2024 (this was right after the merger) and everything but Flash was running multiple trains.

The ride ops seem fine, it’s more the physical space I’m referring to. 

[IndyGuy4KI]

The shows page has been updated with about 300 photos added to the galleries for Hollywood Hits and Brad Ross the Illusionist.

https://kicentral.com/current-shows/

 

 

[silver2005]

Has the park been lacking in music in the morning lately?

It is eerily quiet this morning (6/1)

[brenthodge]

Sitting here by the beautifully landscaped FarmHouse, at a delightful lunch of generous helpings at lunch on a Monday listening to live music makes it really hard to say KI has a superior experience to CedarPoint… it doesn’t. 

[disco2000]

Parking winner of the day.

[Old_Bearcat]

Can the Park bring back power washing to certain areas????  The Skyline patio concrete is AWFUL, and now the resident geese are adding their contributions.....IYKYK

[silver2005]

Is it just me or is Mystic Timbers running fast this year?

[WoodVengeance]

1 hour ago, silver2005 said:

Is it just me or is Mystic Timbers running fast this year?

Maybe? It was hauling when I rode it yesterday, but I thought it was just because of the higher temperature.

[silver2005]

1 hour ago, WoodVengeance said:

Maybe? It was hauling when I rode it yesterday, but I thought it was just because of the higher temperature.

It was moderate today and it was hauling.  

[silver2005]

The only other show I checked out besides Brad Ross was the show at the bandstand.

My only gripe- please don't use male vocals for Spice Girls covers.  Their rendition of Spice Up Your Life made me want to gag.  It sounds so flat with a lack of upper alto/soprano voices.  Blah. 

[Losantiville Mining Co.]

3 hours ago, silver2005 said:

Is it just me or is Mystic Timbers running fast this year?

I think we saw some track work happening via the webcams this past Winter. Could that have anything to do with it? Either that or it could be the ride is more "broken in" than before.

[CedarPointer]

The complete and total refusal to tow illegally, dangerously parked cars in the parking lot amazes me. Other than the people who park in the literal road in the row that only has parking spots on one side, you have the people nearly parking on the sidewalk in preferred, people parking in the new second exit lane from the parking lot, people parking in between cars in handicapped, etc.

I know they need some quick cash- I'd certainly pay for footage of people coming back to find their illegally parked cars gone.

[IndyGuy4KI]

19 hours ago, CedarPointer said:

I know they need some quick cash- I'd certainly pay for footage of people coming back to find their illegally parked cars gone.

How about instead of fully taking them away, they move them themselves to the furthest South parking spot possible. With a nice little note.

[CedarPointer]

2 hours ago, IndyGuy4KI said:

How about instead of fully taking them away, they move them themselves to the furthest South parking spot possible. With a nice little note.

Careful, then people would try to relitigate trams being gone for like 20 years now.

[TombRaiderFTW]

4 hours ago, CedarPointer said:

Careful, then people would try to relitigate trams being gone for like 20 years now.

Now that you mention it, why ARE those trams gone?!

😜

[Outdoor Man]

After cleaning off the Skyline serving window myself because.... it was a disgusting mess of cheese, spaghetti, and chili we went to Coney Mall to sit/eat.

From the images below: Table with my (full) drink on it is ours before we "dusted" it off. 

Grounds sweepers -sort of- sweeping randomly, missing more than they were sweeping. Supervisors walking by, blind-eye'ing it. After WE cleaned our table and prepared to leave, a family of three were going to leave the area because of the 4 empty tables.... the images below are a sample of what they saw; we gave them ours. 

In a story I heard, at Holiday World, ALL employees (from gate workers to Matt Eckert (Park President) or anyone with a Koch family lineage) are trained to pick up and throw away trash anywhere on park grounds they saw it.  I heard Mr. Eckert say in an interview that it is so engrained that his family will make fun of him because they'll spot him picking up trash in the parking lot of a Walmart to throw it away. 

This is Guest Experience 101. Make your areas clean and welcoming. At a minimum, if you can't get staff to clean it, install kiosks that will give guests Disinfectant Wipes to clean themselves.

I grew up on Kings Island. Have been an annual pass holder every year since 2006 + a handful of years before.  2025 and this year have been terrible on keeping areas clean.  I get it, guests can be gross and disgusting. They will do things in the park they would NEVER do at home. But, this is awful. I have no ax to grind. KI is a great park- but wow, it's been a bad year+ for attention to the "little" things.

and, looking at the pictures after posting... it really looked worse in person.

 

[Hawaiian Coasters 325]

^^I just can't see how Mr. Carovillano or anyone in upper management both at the park and corporate level can look at that and think that's acceptable! I don't know if it's just the workers not caring or if they're just too busy to even get to cleaning it due to being understaffed/staffing cuts due to corporate, but this NEEDS to be addressed asap or else longtime fans/passholders may start taking drastic measures that neither the corporate people or upper management want! Hate saying it, but with the way cleanliness and food quality has been handled the last couple of years, it may take what recently happened at Busch Gardens Tampa with one of their restaurants for upper management/those calling the shots to wake up and stop the penny pinching! 

[mikejenkins1]

Just now, Hawaiian Coasters 325 said:

^^I just can't see how Mr. Carovillano or anyone in upper management both at the park and corporate level can look at that and think that's acceptable! I don't know if it's just the workers not caring or if they're just too busy to even get to cleaning it due to being understaffed/staffing cuts due to corporate, but this NEEDS to be addressed asap or else longtime fans/passholders will start taking drastic measures that neither the corporate people or upper management want! Hate saying it, but with the way cleanliness and food quality has been handled the last couple of years, it may take what recently happened at Busch Gardens Tampa with one of their restaurants for upper management/those calling the shots to wake up and stop the penny pinching! 

Been relaying and calling and emailing about this for years....... it got a little better last year but now back to it.

[CedarPointer]

I think the issue is two-fold. At the park level, they care, but they aren't given the resources to spend labor on things like cleaning tables, having a greeter at the Eiffel Tower so people don't mash the nonfunctional elevator buttons, etc. At the corporate level, they do not care, because, by the point you're in the park, they already have your money, so who cares if you have a clean place to enjoy your meal.

Sad but true.

[DonHelbig]

1 hour ago, Outdoor Man said:

After cleaning off the Skyline serving window myself because.... it was a disgusting mess of cheese, spaghetti, and chili we went to Coney Mall to sit/eat.

From the images below: Table with my (full) drink on it is ours before we "dusted" it off. 

Grounds sweepers -sort of- sweeping randomly, missing more than they were sweeping. Supervisors walking by, blind-eye'ing it. After WE cleaned our table and prepared to leave, a family of three were going to leave the area because of the 4 empty tables.... the images below are a sample of what they saw; we gave them ours. 

In a story I heard, at Holiday World, ALL employees (from gate workers to Matt Eckert (Park President) or anyone with a Koch family lineage) are trained to pick up and throw away trash anywhere on park grounds they saw it.  I heard Mr. Eckert say in an interview that it is so engrained that his family will make fun of him because they'll spot him picking up trash in the parking lot of a Walmart to throw it away. 

This is Guest Experience 101. Make your areas clean and welcoming. At a minimum, if you can't get staff to clean it, install kiosks that will give guests Disinfectant Wipes to clean themselves.

I grew up on Kings Island. Have been an annual pass holder every year since 2006 + a handful of years before.  2025 and this year have been terrible on keeping areas clean.  I get it, guests can be gross and disgusting. They will do things in the park they would NEVER do at home. But, this is awful. I have no ax to grind. KI is a great park- but wow, it's been a bad year+ for attention to the "little" things.

and, looking at the pictures after posting... it really looked worse in person.

 

Cleanliness is part of the culture at Holiday World and other parks outside of Six Flags. They know you can have the best rides but if the park isn’t clean guests don’t return. I just got back from visiting Epic Universe and the Disney World parks. As busy as they are they keep the parks clean. 

[teenageninja]

3 hours ago, Hawaiian Coasters 325 said:

^^I just can't see how Mr. Carovillano or anyone in upper management both at the park and corporate level can look at that and think that's acceptable! I don't know if it's just the workers not caring or if they're just too busy to even get to cleaning it due to being understaffed/staffing cuts due to corporate, but this NEEDS to be addressed asap or else longtime fans/passholders may start taking drastic measures that neither the corporate people or upper management want! Hate saying it, but with the way cleanliness and food quality has been handled the last couple of years, it may take what recently happened at Busch Gardens Tampa with one of their restaurants for upper management/those calling the shots to wake up and stop the penny pinching! 

Back when I was in Park Services, there was always a bit of a "Mexican Stand Off" between Park Services and the Food Department on the Patios.

 

[kingsislandfan1972]

I'm glad this statue on International Street is still here in 2026! I always enjoy seeing it whenever I'm in the park! 😊

[brenthodge]

5 hours ago, DonHelbig said:

Cleanliness is part of the culture at Holiday World and other parks outside of Six Flags. They know you can have the best rides but if the park isn’t clean guests don’t return. I just got back from visiting Epic Universe and the Disney World parks. As busy as they are they keep the parks clean. 

And I will say basic maintenance as well. You can clean a rusted out ElCamino all day long, but at the end of the day it still looks like crap. Great America was overall "clean" but it was lost due to the fact that the clean surfaces was in such desperate need of paint and repair that it didn't really matter. 

[Diamondback2112]

7 hours ago, Hawaiian Coasters 325 said:

^^I just can't see how Mr. Carovillano or anyone in upper management both at the park and corporate level can look at that and think that's acceptable! I don't know if it's just the workers not caring or if they're just too busy to even get to cleaning it due to being understaffed/staffing cuts due to corporate, but this NEEDS to be addressed asap or else longtime fans/passholders may start taking drastic measures that neither the corporate people or upper management want! Hate saying it, but with the way cleanliness and food quality has been handled the last couple of years, it may take what recently happened at Busch Gardens Tampa with one of their restaurants for upper management/those calling the shots to wake up and stop the penny pinching! 

They did in fact cut staff. They no longer have sweeps in park services. They have a dual role now as they are expected not only to sweep but also clean multiple bathrooms. This has caused alot of workers to quit so supervisors and whatever employees stick around are expected to pick up the slack for little pay

[Outdoor Man]

1 hour ago, Diamondback2112 said:

They did in fact cut staff. They no longer have sweeps in park services. They have a dual role now as they are expected not only to sweep but also clean multiple bathrooms. This has caused alot of workers to quit so supervisors and whatever employees stick around are expected to pick up the slack for little pay

 

Not to worry, supervisors weren't interested in cleaning the tables and got about every 5th piece of trash on the ground. A couple supervisors stood talking at the edge of the 6-table eating area; appeared unable to see any of the 6 seriously messy tables.

and it shouldn't be a standoff as to whose job it is to assure a section is clean. It should be the "Associate Culture" that the park presentation is everyone's responsibility. Put glasses on those blind eyes so the can see the ketchup-slathered bench seats