Shade and Beauty Add to the Bottom Line

[KI Guy]

This is for all you who say that anything that can't easily be tied back to the bottom line is wasted effort and money.

Mr. Ouimet explains that shade and beauty add to bottom line:

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/matt-ouimet-42387521b_when-i-was-on-the-cedar-fair-team-we-routinely-share-7446895894349836288-gdUZ?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_android&rcm=ACoAABMEnvEBukWk_4JZ4j5b8tmanp0ZAE6r0KA

[DonHelbig]

He’s right. 

[beastfan11]

He’s a great LinkedIn follow for those brave enough to use it. 

[CoasterJack]

Had the opportunity to meet him in 2014 and have always had a great impression of him. Can agree that he's a great LinkedIn follow.

[Losantiville Mining Co.]

Nice upkeep of foliage, trees, tables, trash cans, and paint all help guests feel so much better in a park. What's sad here is that — just as Matt Ouimet said — not enough industry professionals seem to understand that fact. Some things can't be immediately helped, but change can happen over the course of a few years.

Something Kings Island really needs is a renewed interest in trees and foliage. Little displays like the floral calendar, carousel horse, and season-marking Eiffel Tower display (behind the Grand Carousel sign) are really nice. On the other hand the Floral Clock has been broken for a while, the Eiffel Tower topiary often looks like a... well a... poorly kept topiary. The park could also place some non-foliage-based displays if they don't want to put strain on the gardening teams. If I had to choose three areas of Kings Island to plant more trees, it would be 

1. Camp Snoopy, specifically near Franklin's Flyers
2. Rivertown, specifically near Diamondback's entrance and near the path at the area formerly known as Swan Lake
3. Vortex's plot (this one is very specifically foliage that a new coaster would go around and/or that would compliment a new coaster)

Action Zone is somewhere on this list, but I would tie any new trees and foliage there directly into a larger area redevelopment rather than somewhere as a quick fix. I'm sure there's a worry about obstructing some sightlines and getting trees too close to coaster tracks as well.

[brenthodge]

8 hours ago, Losantiville Mining Co. said:

Nice upkeep of foliage, trees, tables, trash cans, and paint all help guests feel so much better in a park. What's sad here is that — just as Matt Ouimet said — not enough industry professionals seem to understand that fact. Some things can't be immediately helped, but change can happen over the course of a few years.

Something Kings Island really needs is a renewed interest in trees and foliage. Little displays like the floral calendar, carousel horse, and season-marking Eiffel Tower display (behind the Grand Carousel sign) are really nice. On the other hand the Floral Clock has been broken for a while, the Eiffel Tower topiary often looks like a... well a... poorly kept topiary. The park could also place some non-foliage-based displays if they don't want to put strain on the gardening teams. If I had to choose three areas of Kings Island to plant more trees, it would be 

1. Camp Snoopy, specifically near Franklin's Flyers
2. Rivertown, specifically near Diamondback's entrance and near the path at the area formerly known as Swan Lake
3. Vortex's plot (this one is very specifically foliage that a new coaster would go around and/or that would compliment a new coaster)

Action Zone is somewhere on this list, but I would tie any new trees and foliage there directly into a larger area redevelopment rather than somewhere as a quick fix. I'm sure there's a worry about obstructing some sightlines and getting trees too close to coaster tracks as well.

The whole pad where Franklins Flyers and Space Buggies are should've BOTH been incorporated into CAMP. Space buggies could've easily been rethemed to PigPen's MudBuggies with a waterfall and sign right at the entrance area - Make KiteEatingTree also part of CAMP maybe slightly rework the queue to incorporate the sign/waterfall. Then the concession stand right there get a light retheme into CampCanteen. Suddenly the whole CAMP area has a really strong and clear entrance and you dont have two rides - one of which is actually nature themed - in, but NOT in the CAMP area. 

[disco2000]

In part why I have said for years other kid's areas within our own chain are better fits for "best kid's area" than ours ever was.....

[Hawaiian Coasters 325]

I've said it many times Camp Snoopy feels unfinished. You can tell by looking at the concrete in the area. It's a mess of old and new concrete with some brownish stained concrete in different areas. The area over by the "new" sign near the flume is pathetic imo. It should've been all the brownish stained concrete kinda like in Adventure Port the year prior. Also why on earth does Kidzbop play in that area when they could be playing Vince Guaraldi music there? Soapbox Racers queue was done fairly well imo with the wooden posts, lighting, and decor but the whole area should have gotten that level of detail. They could easily have swapped out the metal ride fencing at the flats with wood fencing like other parks but chose not to. They could've done more wood light posts with lanterns (like Adventure Port) but chose not to. They could've added more trees to eventually become more shade, but chose not to. They could've added more "camptivities" to the area (ie scavenger hunts, craft parties, dance parties, and even bonfires as the sun goes down), but chose not to. They could've added a better soundtrack/playlist to the area but chose not to. Notice a common denominator? Goes back to my rants in prior threads. 

[CedarPointer]

Imagine how nice it would have been if it looked anything like the art they used to advertise it.

[BeeastFarmer]

@Hawaiian Coasters 325, all great points!  I'm glad you are able to now express your opinions without fear of reprisal of when you were employed. 

If I were in charge (lol), I'd put more trees around Diamondback, but near the splashdown, I'd use native plantings that dont distract from the splashdown. Until junkyard coaster is removed, I'd add fast growing and easily removed...think white pine, redbud, Mimosa etc. When junkyard is gone, reimagine with existing large trees, fountains, topiaries and shade structures. The whole area from the tower to Vortex plaza needs to be redone. Heck, how about some push up ginko trees while we are at it

Poor Peanuts area. I don't see how it ever objectively won best kids area... besides smoothing up to voters. 

Back to Rivertown.  It has good bones, but needs an overhaul. I think you can keep the flume in peanuts, but smooth the transition. Redo the queue for Diamondback and either change the name or make the story fitting. We do have native timber rattlers and they are forest dwellers. The current tie in seems to be with western Diamondback rattlesnakes which are desert dwellers.  When I first moved back from Phoenix, I thought that was the case, or KI was somehow tied into the Arizona Diamondbacks.  Neither of which makes any sense since a desert in ohio or a team out west when the Reds are just down the road. 

Fix the aluminum box by utilizing it to potential ( new ride, paint it to be less of an eyesore, use projection mapping) and use the grassy area behind it. 

Rework The Beast promenade and widen the exit path... ideally, push the entrance back closer to slaughter house to where the outhouse is.

Thank you for listening to me Ted Talk.