This thread has proven that KI does listen and respond to guest feedback. If dining at 9:00pm with your meal plan is important to you, fill out the contact form on visitkingsisland.com and explain why.

I agree...I have had a two day ongoing conversation with someone from the customer care team at Kings Island after sending an initial inquiry via the website. I honestly feel they realize they have not fully listened to customer feedback in the past and are actively listening to what is brought to their attention now and in the future.

Since they have still added a condition not present at time of fall purchase, should the thread be renamed again as there is still a change to the 2015 Dining Plan? Maybe the first condition is (Update: Not happening), but a change is indeed now happening...

Except there is not one on their website. I dont know where the PDF file is that was referenced but when you click through the "buy" button you are confronted by a description of the meal plan. This description previously stated the meal windows. Now it does not. It says 1 lunch and 1 dinner separated by 4 hours.

https://www.visitkingsisland.com/ticket-category/Meal-Deals#2015SPDiningAddOn

Same at Cedar Point

https://www.cedarpoint.com/ticket-category/Meal-Deals

in short.... nothing appears to have changed from the original agreement....

I think it's more so about the fact that they changed the rules after they had already sold it to customers than the fact that people just don't like the time windows.

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^ Bingo. If the time windows had been there from the get-go, I would have just happily renewed my pass and not gotten the dining plan. No harm, no foul, and still a bargain for those who do like it. But selling the dining plan under one set of assumptions, and changing them to something more restricted, that's the issue. I don't personally care if they keep it like it is or change it for 2016, but whatever they do, I just hope they don't change it after people have bought them. I'll either buy it if it looks like a good value for me, or pass on it if it doesn't and either way will be fine for me.

Except there is not one on their website. I dont know where the PDF file is that was referenced but when you click through the "buy" button you are confronted by a description of the meal plan.

The PDF with operating hours is linked from Cedar Point's website on the Dining Plans page. Information there doesn't necessarily apply to Kings Island.

Kings Island's dining plan page says that operating hours vary by location.

Maybe the 4 hour window is necessary because that's how long it takes some of their food service employees to get the food out! (I'm looking at you Subway in Coney Mall!)

I stay far away from the Subway at KI. I just wish they had the Snake Pit on the plan. But I love the Chicken Shack!

Except there is not one on their website. I dont know where the PDF file is that was referenced but when you click through the "buy" button you are confronted by a description of the meal plan.

The PDF with operating hours is linked from Cedar Point's website on the Dining Plans page. Information there doesn't necessarily apply to Kings Island.

Kings Island's dining plan page says that operating hours vary by location.

And at least last year, most food locations serving meal-type food (i.e. not just snacks), excluding some on International Street, did not open until 11:00 am and closed one hour before the park (at least; Hank's Burrito Shack sometimes closed much earlier). So don't expect to get anything to eat right before the park closes, unless you plan to wait in line at I-Street LaRosa's behind the idiots that buy $25 whole pizzas to take home.

Idiots is a strong term....maybe they really like KI's version of Larossa's Pizza!

Then they're idiots for liking it.

jcgoble3, who hates KI's idea of pizza

From malem's post:

SEASON‐LONG DINING PLAN: One meal at any participating location twice per day. There is a four hour interval between meals. Soft Drinks not included with Season‐Long Dining Plan. Valid any public operating day of the 2015 season. Cedar Point or Platinum Season Pass required (Dining Plan added to Photo ID card). Cedar Point Season Pass Dining Plan add‐on is $90.00 (plus tax). Platinum Pass Dining Plan add‐on is $108.00 (plus tax). Platinum Pass Dining Plan is valid at any Cedar Fair park. (Please check with individual parks for meal choices and locations.) May also be purchased as a Combo with a new Season or Platinum Pass. Season Pass must be used for admission to redeem for meal using the season‐long dining program. Also subject to validation. Passholder must be present to redeem for meal, only able to redeem one meal per person.

Look for the Dining Plan symbol at participating food locations throughout the park. Please refer to the Park Guide for specific park locations.

Remember how adamant they were that the meal had to be for the person on the dining plan? This makes no mention of that, and simply states that the person has to be there to redeem. I guess they feel differently about that now.

What amazes me about this whole thread is the (seemingly large) amount of people who feel that the financial sense of this program outweighs the hassle.

This is its demographic. People who visit a lot.

I'd love to know how profitable it is to the company.

In my hometown in the 90's, the Western Steer added what amounted to a year long dining plan. $300. Any lunch or dinner, any day.

Nearly every senior citizen and hungry teenager in town bought one. Then ate every meal there.

Eight months later, the place closed.

Bankrupt.

As much as I like Kings Island, if my frequent visits hinged upon following the rules of the dining plan, I'm afraid it might be enough for me to stay away. I visit at most 3 or 4 times a year, and waiting in line and purchasing food at the park can enough in itself for me not to want to come back for awhile.

Having said that, if this works for people, and they're able to save some money, that is fantastic.

That, in a nutshell, is how I feel about Disney's preposterous (for me) ride reservation system. If my day is going to be planned to the minute months in advance, I may as well stay at work.

And now the silly thing is headed to Disneyland.

More time at Magic Mountain and SCBB for me.

What...no KBF?....(ducking quickly to avoid rotten tomato tossed my way.)

I was knott bringing that up.

That place is for....other people.

That's knott berry nice.

See for my son and I the meal plan is perfect. We went last year 1-3 times per week (I work in a school so I have summers off).

He is two so I will bring in his own food to heat up or give him part of mine (last year half a piece of pizza was more than enough).

We would ride some rides, get some food then stroll through Dino Alive....

I feel I got my money's worth on my meal plan.

I'd love to know how profitable it is to the company.

In my hometown in the 90's, the Western Steer added what amounted to a year long dining plan. $300. Any lunch or dinner, any day.

Nearly every senior citizen and hungry teenager in town bought one. Then ate every meal there.

Eight months later, the place closed.

Bankrupt.

I'd guess that it's incredibly profitable.

Otherwise it would be gone this year.

Unless you can find that stipulation listed elsewhere, I am inclined to believe that they hastily updated the PDF without catching that line down below. It still wouldn't hurt to send a message to the park to confirm. 8PM close would mean that dinner service ends at 6PM.. No, thanks.

As suspected, the final time-of-day restrictions have been removed from Cedar Point's dining plan info PDF. They simply updated it hastily to remove the specific meal times.

https://www.cedarpoint.com/images/uploads/file/2015%20CP%20MEAL%20PLANS(8).pdf

as linked on

https://www.cedarpoint.com/things-to-do/dining-plans/

CP Food Blog just posted an article about gluten free options to be available on the Kings Island 2015 dining plan:

http://cpfoodblog.com/kings-island-gluten-free-dining-plans/

I wasn't sure from the article whether Coney Potato Works was included in dining along with Festhaus, because it currently isn't as per the official KI site. I asked on Facebook, and they said "The preliminary lists shows both as being offered on the dining plans."

So that's pretty exciting!

CP Food Blog wrote an article about the 2015 Kings Island dining plan, and it's even more encompassing and has more healthy options than I dared to hope!

http://cpfoodblog.com/2015-kings-island-dining-plans/

That even says /both/ Potato Works, RHoFG and Subway will have options, which would be excellent, if surprising.

Something to be decided at Reds Grill? PHilly Cheese Steak? Count me in!

So they have removed the German Sausage Platter and Sauerkraut from last year's Festhaus menu. The only German-themed dish...

I very much appreciate the Gluten-Free options at Coney Potato Works because I have family members with Celiac disease. And I LOVE that they added Subway to the plan!

But where's Juke Box Diner on that menu?

I asked on the CP Food Blog Facebook thread about the article, and they said the Juke Box Diner is not currently on the meal plans :-/ I wonder if that will change.

Of course, the 2015 additions more than make up for it. Juke Box Diner's menu options (burgers, chicken tenders, hot dogs & fries) are offered in plenty of other locations.

My guess is that they want to reduce crowds there by having dining plan customers go elsewhere.

Until the information is released on KI's website I'll believe it when I see it. And KI's site was updated when they decided to add on Coney Potato Works before, so we shall see.