1 hour ago, BoddaH1994 said:

As I've alluded to in several post this morning, I have many worries about "trashiness" around Kings Island - especially with the extremely low dress code and appearance standards this year.  The merchandise is way, way down my list of concerns.  I'm not one to wear Kings Island shirts or apparel, but I don't think any of it necessarily qualifies as trashy.

Just my opinion.

The shirt designs are great, but there is something about the quality of fabric used. They often look like faded, secondhand thrift shirts for premium prices. There are a few exceptions, of course.

Assuming you're talking about the employees' dress code, I don't mind seeing tattoos, as long as they don't look like prison tattoos. 

 

Just now, Joshua said:

The shirt designs are great, but there is something about the quality of fabric used. They often look like faded, secondhand thrift shirts for premium prices. There are a few exceptions, of course.

Assuming you're talking about the employees' dress code, I don't mind seeing tattoos, as long as they don't look like prison tattoos. 

 

 

I agree with the tattoo thing, actually.  There's a fine line between a work of art and a baller on a budget. haha

I'll be honest, I pay very little attention to the employees. The general public compile most, if not all of my gripes. People who smell, drop F-bombs in Planet Snoopy, cut in line, take centuries to order their food, act like 40/50-year old manbabies and make scenes over minor inconveniences, etc. That's not to say I don't have complaints about the food, such as the inconsistent portions at Coney BBQ and the complete non-LaRosas quality of LaRosas.

2 minutes ago, Joshua said:

I'll be honest, I pay very little attention to the employees. The general public compile most, if not all of my gripes. People who smell, drop F-bombs in Planet Snoopy, cut in line, take centuries to order their food, act like 40/50-year old manbabies and make scenes over minor inconveniences, etc. That's not to say I don't have complaints about the food, such as the inconsistent portions at Coney BBQ and the complete non-LaRosas quality of LaRosas.

On the contrary I think the LaRosa's inside the park is better than outside the park if it's fresh.  So much cheese!

Let's be honest-Amusement parks attract ALL kinds of people-even uncouth rude people with poor hygiene. This is even a joke/stereotype among many. Unless they're doing something really bad/unsafe, you just need to roll with it.

The older I get, the more I appreciate a park's use of space and the way they create atmosphere and sense of place. Gift shops, sitting areas, restaurants, ride queues can all add to the atmosphere or they can just perform their stated purpose. Typically the more 'stuff' that is fit into a space, the bigger, more vibrant, and better established it seems. Those shops create a vibe of activity with cool stuff to look at. So when you empty it out and plop a few arcade games, it's maybe not 'trashy' but 'sad and underused'

9 hours ago, JAHill said:

I think "trashy" is a good word to describe most of the merchandise in KI shops these days.

So am I trash for wearing a Kings Island sweatshirt? What exactly is "trashy"?

10 minutes ago, JubJester said:

So am I trash for wearing a Kings Island sweatshirt? What exactly is "trashy"?

No. I said most merchandise, not all. Some merchandise might even be more accurate.

In my mind, the gift shops are generally just filled with the kinds of stuff I'd expect to see at a sketchy shop in Pigeon Forge or Myrtle Beach. Not just limited to apparel.

32 minutes ago, JubJester said:

So am I trash for wearing a Kings Island sweatshirt? What exactly is "trashy"?

When you cut the sleeves off said shirt.

Edited July 19, 20188 yr by King Ding Dong

58 minutes ago, King Ding Dong said:

When you cut the sleeves off said shirt.

Don't forget the jeans with holes in them. 

Considering it was most likely not the "plan" to convert the Banshee gift shop mid-season, I'm guessing there is a probably a decent chance that it will be made to look better by next season, or even by the time Haunt rolls around.  Maybe they could move some of the scary/horror games into that space.  I'm not even sure how many of those they have in the other arcades.  

(Anyone else remember the large arcade at the end of Days of Thunder?)

3 hours ago, JAHill said:

No. I said most merchandise, not all. Some merchandise might even be more accurate.

In my mind, the gift shops are generally just filled with the kinds of stuff I'd expect to see at a sketchy shop in Pigeon Forge or Myrtle Beach. Not just limited to apparel.

There is a huge range of quality at KI. The lowest being the branded shirts with the classic logo. 

Even those shirts may be a little stiff and rough but it’s still better quality than everything sold at the Gay Dolphin in Myrtle Beach. 

I think the At Home store has some of the nicest shirts in the park if your into rustic Ohio stuff.

11 minutes ago, flightoffear1996 said:

I think the At Home store has some of the nicest shirts in the park if your into rustic Ohio stuff.

Don't forget the reasonable collection of Under Armour too.

As far as KI-themed merchandise goes, a lot of the shirts have incredible designs. It's the faded look on the fabric that turns me off. However, the tie dye Mystic Timbers, the Peanuts watching the fireworks, and Banshee by way of The Grudge poster are the best shirt designs I've seen in the park. However, I'm on the lookout for a good Beast shirt. 

Now that I've finally seen photos of the arcade, meh. It looks alright. Hopefully, they will do more work to it next year. 

It doesn't really help when there's a bigger gift shop right across the way. I wish KI had a store that had old, nostalgic shirts and merchandise of past rides and attractions like Cedar Point does. If they sold Screaming Demon or Phantom Theater retro shirts I'm sure nerds and old time riders would buy them.

5 hours ago, SonofBaconator said:

It doesn't really help when there's a bigger gift shop right across the way. I wish KI had a store that had old, nostalgic shirts and merchandise of past rides and attractions like Cedar Point does. If they sold Screaming Demon or Phantom Theater retro shirts I'm sure nerds and old time riders would buy them.

Some of the shops on International Street has some retro shirts. I bought my mom a King Cobra shirt from one of them two years ago and I remember seeing some this year too.

On 7/16/2018 at 11:13 PM, silver2005 said:

I thought it was a bit ill conceived to add it at the bottom of the staircase like they did below the station.  At least have it after a longer path so the people thin out a bit before entering.  Its one of the worst bottleneck points in the park, especially with Banshee's mass capacity. 

whenever I am coming off Banshee and walking down the stairs, I try to let others in front of me, because for some reason I can't help but imagine being stuck in front of someone who couldn't handle the ride and they empty their stomach contents on me or my shoes. >_>

It would be a lot better if the park would just remove the gate at the bottom of the stairs or at the very least turn off the magnetic lock.  Without the store there is little point to forcing you through the building.

44 minutes ago, Kenban said:

It would be a lot better if the park would just remove the gate at the bottom of the stairs or at the very least turn off the magnetic lock.  Without the store there is little point to forcing you through the building.

From the park’s point of view sure there is.  First to entice you to purchase a blurry photo and second the opportunity to fleece your money with a rigged claw machine.  

5 minutes ago, King Ding Dong said:

From the park’s point of view sure there is.  First to entice you to purchase a blurry photo and second the opportunity to fleece your money with a rigged claw machine.  

It is also the alternate access for guests requiring use of the elevator.

50 minutes ago, King Ding Dong said:

From the park’s point of view sure there is.  First to entice you to purchase a blurry photo and second the opportunity to fleece your money with a rigged claw machine.  

Man, you've been on quite the critical roll lately!  Maybe we need to switch your personal concierge from Dennis Spiegel to Dick Kinzel! 

56 minutes ago, jtro223 said:

Man, you've been on quite the critical roll lately!  Maybe we need to switch your personal concierge from Dennis Spiegel to Dick Kinzel! 

All this Firehawk talk hasn’t been good for the psyche.  

Now if they open up Rivertown Freestyle on my next visit all will be forgiven.    (and keep it open)

I have not visited the park all this year, we are going next month, does anybody have pictures of it?