If you have taken little kids for a long day at the park, you’ve probably been there. One of your little ones gets worn out, hot, or hungry. Then something frustrates them, which sets them off. That was the end of the sanity. The meltdown begins. We’re going to look at some tips for avoiding tantrums during long days at the park.

If you haven’t experienced it directly, you may have observed a screaming fit in the parks and wondered, “What are they doing to that kid?” Young couples or individuals who don’t yet have kids or lack experience around them may not understand.

Experienced married couples, like my wife and me, smile knowingly. We’ve been there before. We’re sympathetic. We really are! It is a moment during the child-rearing years that is most memorable. We remember our little ones having a red-faced screaming fit. It usually occurs in the 2-4-year-old range. If you want to observe one, just sit near the exit around dinner time on a busy park day. You will probably see several in one sitting.

One of the most memorable we saw during 2016, was a little boy who was stubbornly holding his ground in front of Starbucks on Kings Island’s International Street. He was screaming at the top of his lungs. The moment before his dad advanced on him, to scoop him up and carry him to the car, the kid threw his shoe! This screaming kid, with messy hair and tear-streaked cheeks, then proceeded to turn his legs into jelly, dropping to the ground. It was epic!

Breaking down the problem

The main cause is that the child is over-tired. They’ve been at the park all day. They are exhausted. They are probably hot. They’ve likely been drinking soft drinks and eating high-calorie park food all day.

Little kids can’t sustain or stabilize their energy the way a larger person can. We grown-ups have reserves of stored energy. We’re also more aware of our physical condition. We know when we’re thirsty and tired. The little ones just know something dissappointed them to the degree that it is now the end of the world.

Something was denied. Maybe she was told “no” about a treat they saw in a window. Maybe they felt they needed another souvenir. The fit is not really about the thing they are screaming about. That thing was just the catalyst… the straw that broke the camel’s back.

An Ounce of Prevention

I like to point out the advantages of making shorter visits to the park, more frequently. That is arguably the greatest benefit to living close to a park and having a season pass. You can stay for a little while, then leave without feeling like you have to get your money’s worth. Visiting the park for stays of only four or fewer hours is almost never going to get your kid into tantrum territory.

If you are doing a big, full-day visit to the park, then you need to plan ahead and monitor your kids’ energy levels throughout the day.

Rest Time – A good stroller is one of the best tools for bringing kids to the park. It serves as a home base or mothership for carrying diaper bags, water bottles, changes of clothes, snacks, maps, hats, sunscreen, etc. If you have one with a canopy and a reclining seat, you have a mobile napping place! Pick a time between lunch and dinner to give your child some quiet time. You can take them on a long walk on the quiet, less-populated paths.

Kings Island has a shady path between the main park and Soak City, the water park that is a great example. You can just walk there and back for 20-30 smooth and quiet minutes. If your son or daughter successfully falls asleep during the walk, you can also glide gently to a stop at a quiet table or bench to rest your own feet. This doesn’t have to be a long nap. Usually, a healthy little snack with lots of sipped water, plus a 20-minute nap is all that is needed to achieve happy evening hours at the park.

If you have trouble getting them to relax and nap, an alternative would be to take them to a show. There are a few outdoor performances around the park, most offering shade and a place to sit. Dark, air-conditioned theaters are the best. King’s Island has its namesake theater where they often have fantastic acrobatic shows offered several times on various days of the week. The performances are very entertaining. The music may be a little loud for naps. If you think you can get them to nap here in the dark, you might ask the ushers if you can sit toward the back or outer edges to improve your chances. The shows last about 20-25 minutes. But you can go in and sit about 30 minutes before the scheduled showtime. Your child might even get the rest they need before the show starts!

Two more options that are good for a brief rest are a park’s railroad and dark rides.

Hydration – Just because the souvenir cups are refillable, doesn’t mean you should keep pouring sugary, caffeinated drinks into your kids. Switching to water at least every other refill or keeping water bottles on hand will help keep your child’s temperature regulated. Even if they insist they are not thirsty, you need to continuously encourage them to take drinks.

You could even make a game out of it. One visit to EPCOT Center at Walt Disney World, I decided to stop at EVERY drinking fountain for a sip of water. It was just to be silly at first. Later on that 90° day, I realized I’d never felt so good during a long day at the vast Florida park. My energy was constant all day and I didn’t feel hungry or tired.

Food – Similar to the hydration ideas above, it helps to encourage little snacks at frequent intervals for the smaller children. Many park rules state that you should not bring in food. I don’t think they enforce this rule when it comes to snack items for little children. You can also hold on to a pack of crackers that you get at a restaurant. The oyster crackers from King’s Island Skyline Chili locations have saved our skin a couple of times.

The idea is to get the little kids a little extra fuel about half-way between meals. You can have an ice pack in a bag with some apple slices or carrot sticks. A piece of fruit and granola bars could be the difference between a 7:00 pm meltdown and a beautiful evening looking at the park lights and staying through the fireworks.

Meltdown

What do you do if the meltdown has already begun? Most parents angrily storm toward the car, cutting the day off early. Here are a few ways to help stop the madness. There are steps you can take to help rescue the evening hours of your visit.

Immediately try to provide calm, water, and shade. If you can cool them off, get them drinking water and moved to a quiet place. A change of scenery is a surprisingly effective help. If your kids have been under the blazing sun, you could take them to a show, as mentioned, or walk them around a gift shop. International Street and Main Street are two examples of parks with several stores that connect so you can browse them all without going back outside. A long meandering walk is a good way to cool off and change the mood.

Advanced Hack

If you want to bring this change of scenery idea to the next level, throw the kids in some water! Many parks have an included water park. Your hotel or resort may also have a pool. If you have little kids in diapers, it is always a good idea to bring a swim diaper along with your supply of regular ones.

Even if you don’t want to make it a full waterpark visit with swimsuits, this can still be a great way to add a break. You can have your little ones splash in a wading pool up to their knees for 30-60 minutes. If you’re wearing shorts, you don’t need a swimsuit. Just take your shoes and socks off and wade right in with them. The cool water will make your feet feel refreshed. The undulating wave motion can help your sore, tired legs recover. In the shallow areas of wave pools, the kids may still need to wear the provided life jackets.

Once your feet are dry, put your shoes and socks back on before you head back to the park refreshed and recharged!

>> Do you have any secrets your family has learned for avoiding tantrums during long days at the park?

Photo credits:
Disgust Masse.media / CC BY-SA

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Challenge your friends to play a Brady Bunch Challenge. Kings Island enjoys a rich history. They filmed a Partridge Family episode there, but more famous is The Brady Bunch episode “The Cincinnati Kids“.

Watch the episode and then identify the locations that still exist. Many remain almost unchanged.

Stand in the right spot and reenact the scene for a photo. Extra bonus points if you dress in retro fashion. Even the cast has returned to commemorate the episode.

Suggested locations for the challenge:

• The football game on Coney Mall where Greg flirts with Marge
• Food stands visited by Bobby and Cindy
• Outside the Octoberfest BierGarten area with table service waiters and waitresses. (Thanks to John, in the comments, for correcting me about what I thought was the area between Festhaus and Viking Fury.)
• The Brady girls and Carol Brady rode the log flume currently called Race For Your Life Charlie Brown.
• The Racer roller coaster. Nearly the whole family rode.

Discover challenges in other parks

Many amusement parks have been settings for tv shows and movies. You can play variations of the Brady Bunch Challenge at any park.

Photo source: I borrowed the tiny BierGarten reference from this cool collection of historical Kings Island photos on the WCPO site.

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Kids always want to grow up. Being able to ride higher-level thrill rides is no exception. What do you do when your child goes from 48″ wristband to a 52″? You celebrate! Here is a list of a few ways you can celebrate your kid’s new achievements each exciting time.

When children get measured and get the next color level, it opens up new opportunities for fun and helps them to feel they are growing up.

Make it an event

When this a milestone moment arrives, get excited! Show your children that you are thrilled for having reached the next color.

As they approach, hopefully, you’ve been researching rides will soon be able to do. Maps of the park list the height requirement, so it should be easy to see new options. Invite your kid to choose which new ride they want to conquer first. You can keep a map at home, or look them up on the park’s website. Build the anticipation by circling each new ride with a thick magic marker.

Remember: It is not a good idea to push your child to ride something they don’t feel comfortable with, it can lead to them being afraid of it for a long time. When they are ready, they will be excited about it.

Additional Ways to Celebrate Your Kid’s New Achievements:

• Letting them pick where you’ll eat dinner.
• Getting ice cream or a special candy treat.
• Waiting the extra time to ride in the front seat for a special experience on a new ride they’ve been eager to ride.

Small adjustments

If your child is literally a hair too short, it wouldn’t hurt to boost up the height a little with some toilet paper in their shoes or foam insoles. Some kids wear cowboy boots for that extra boost. If you push this too far, some ride operators may ask them to remove the shoes. If you pay attention, some ride operators may be more strict than others, especially for spotting these small artificial tweaks.

I got lucky, back when King Cobra was in operation at Kings Island, platform shoes were in style and I was able to ride one year earlier because of those shoes.

Krystal

ID Cards

Some amusement parks offer printed ID cards with the child’s height on it. This is a fun option to consider when celebrating your kid’s new achievement. There is a good and bad side to these cards. The good, is you can show the card without having to get measured each visit. They will get the band that is on the card. The bad side of the card, if your child grows during the season you may have to purchase a new one. Last check they were about $12-15. Or you can just have them measured each time you go. Some families buy these IDs for their kids each year, but that is more as a souvenir and keepsake.

Incentivise

Also if your children are picky eaters, you can use their height to your advantage. Tell your kids if they want to ride the bigger roller coasters they have to eat more of their food.

Heights Can Fluctuate

A person’s height can vary during the day. You’re taller in the morning and the cushion in your spine compresses as you walk around. It is more obvious in taller people, but it is in your interest to get your official measurement with a bracelet or ID card as early in the day as possible.

If this daytime shrinking happens, or your child changes shoes or hairstyle, they might not make the same height requirement at a later time, even with a wristband. Some ride operators can remeasure a child that is on the line. If you’re conscious of this, you can avoid these frustrations.

» What do you do to celebrate? Does your family have a special way of recognizing when your kids grows to the next level? Let us know in the comments below!

Illustration credit: Mike Kunze

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Amusement parks can be enjoyable for everyone, no matter their physical or mental condition. Rides move in wildly different ways. What makes them fun, becomes the reason each one must have its own ride policy for disabled guests. These rules ensure the consistent function of the safety restraints for each rider.

Most amusement parks, provide a safety sheet with a summary of restrictions and limitations. (You can download the Kings Island’s Guest Assistance Guide as an example.) Guests and ride operators refer to this list as the rules for determining if a person can ride. The safety restraints are part of the ride’s engineering. Each ride has its own seat design and different forces it puts on riders.

The Green Sheet

Guests with disabilities should stop by Guest Services by the front gate to determine which rides they can ride. The “Green Sheet Boarding Pass” is a special piece of paper they give you. An area manager, or a head supervisor, helps list which rides the guest can’t ride. After the evaluation, more rider information gets written on the back of the sheet:

• The guest’s name
• How long they need to wait
• How many in their party can ride with them

The operator, at each ride, writes what time the guest should return. This becomes their equivalent wait time, had they been able to wait in the main queue. They can stay near the exit or explore the park. But during this wait time, they can’t ride another ride. That wouldn’t be fair to other riders. If they try, they will forfeit their spot. If the ride line is short, the time they can return may arrive quickly.

Seat Selection

Disabled guests able to ride, usually get the same choice of seating as everyone else. Crowds are often heavy on popular rides and no riders get to pick their own seat. Other times riders can choose seats. This option is extended to disabled riders, as well. To accommodate a green sheet-holding rider, a ride operator may ask riders to unexpectedly wait a turn.

Most of the time guests don’t mind where they sit, they just want to ride. This may be the first and only opportunity for this individual and their family.

The Parent Swap

The Parent Swap follows a process like the green sheet. This offers a way for parents with small children to enjoy thrill rides. One parent waits in the regular line. The other adult watches the child. After the first ride is over, they switch. The second adult gets to jump on the ride in an empty seat. Passes to do Parent Swap, can be found at Guests Services. Compared to the green sheet, these are very easy to complete.

Special Thanks

We want to thank Timothy Hammond, a member of the Park Hacks community, for reviewing this article and confirming that it is accurate and helpful. He has experience using the green sheet system. We appreciate him helping to make sure we got this post right!

If you have tips or your own experience relating to this topic, please share them in the comments. Remember, this a short description of the current park procedure at one specific park. A ride policy for disabled guests can change at any time.

Photo credit: Photo of a wheelchair – CC0 Public Domain

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Kings Island is two parks in one, the main amusement park, and the Soak City water park. When you buy a ticket, you get admission to both! If you plan to spend a full long day, consider splitting the day into parts. Strategically change activities for rest, a chance to cool off, or just to focus on something different. After a break like that, you can return later, feeling refreshed.

To keep your options open, come to the park prepared. You should bring swimwear, flip-flops, beach towels, and sunscreen. If you have small children, they are required to wear flotation devices. The modern puddle jumper style of floatation devices are a lot more comfortable. Kids will be more willing to wear these fun updates to traditional life vests. Don’t drag all that stuff through the park. Keep it in the car until you need it.

Activities External to the Park

Other local attractions may interest you and provide a break. Getting away for an hour or two isn’t wasting your fun. For instance, you could head to a nearby mall. For visitors to Kings Island, IKEA is only fifteen minutes away in West Chester.

Krystal offers this suggestion: Southwest Golf Ranch, is near Kings Island, just off US 42 going into Lebanon. Putt-Putt golf ($7 for adults $5 for children) you can play as many rounds as you want! It is a nice off the property activity.

Most parks offer wi-fi. In other words, bring a Kindle or tablet for an easy break. Kids can play a game in the shade. Or you can update your social media by the fountain. If the car isn’t too hot, you can just roll down the windows and take a nap. Bring a cooler and a card table for a cheap snack and a board game break. You can also take this time to charge your phone while you plan the rest of the day.

Photo credit: water park Attribution 2.0 Generic.

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Seasons and weather creates changing conditions in all parks. After some research, comparing many parks like Six Flags and Cedar Fair, I found that many have similar protocols when it comes to inclement weather, drones and certain types of clothing.

Weather

I have been at a park when bad weather was about to strike. I check the radar on my phone. It helps to see how bad it really is and helps us decide if our family should wait it out. A lot of parks shut down outdoor attractions once lightning strikes within a 15-20 mile radius of the park. This distance ensures that the ride operators can get everyone off the ride. It also gives guests the opportunity to move to a safe spot. While the storm is rolling through, most, if not all, indoor live shows will usually still go on.

During this time you can shop, catch a show or get a bite to eat. The park employees have been working hard to enforce a non-written rule… DO NOT RUN in the park. This is especially important when the ground is wet and visibility is poor. Personally, if a tornado is coming, then I’m running!

If it’s raining with lightning, and you have children, (been there done that,) get them under cover. Bring them into a store or restaurant. You could also make your way to your vehicle. This will give you the option of leaving for a while. If you are going to hang out, in your car, try and make a game out of it or catch up on a nap.

Drones

Remote-controlled quadcopters, often referred to as drones are a recent issue. I personally do not own one. Most, if not all, parks have rules prohibiting these. If you are not an authorized professional operator, hired or invited to use them at the park, do not bring them in. You should not fly them near the park. There are too many safety reasons. Just leave them at home. I would say car, but if you try and fly them around in the parking lot, it could still cause a disturbance. I’m sure you wouldn’t want an out-of-control flying object crashing into your car. I know no one wants that.

Prohibited Attire

These are not recommendations for how you should dress. It is a description of what the park doesn’t want you to wear. The park management can ask you to leave, change, or at least cover up. Remember, this is a family place. This isn’t a private club, or your friends house. Try and refrain from wearing revealing clothing, images depicting nudity, graphics promoting drugs, or anything gang related. It is not too much to ask. I personally believe wearing a shirt that says Bud Light would be okay, since a lot of parks sell beer. Try and keep your choices in good taste.

I know a lot of people don’t read policies or procedures before going somewhere. So hopefully, this quick summary will make your trip to any amusement park go a tad smoother. It may help you avoid problems during your visit.

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Parks are all about recreation. There are other forms of special fun beyond the rides. Thrills are also available in the form of the special confections. When we first mentioned this decadent treat, it got a lot of attention.

A Sweet Spot to Visit

Most parks have at least one candy and fudge shop. At Kings Island, there are a few, but in particular on International Street, near the side street to Boo Blasters and Planet Snoopy is The Sweet Spot. They offer a wide variety of candy and other sweet confections. In her original post on the topic, Krystal pointed out these Turtle apples. The apples are large and perfectly chilled. The traditional apples have thick, a gooey caramel coating.

The staff at the Sweet Spot are happy to cut up the treats for you. The Sweet Spot associates chop it into a nice array of large and small wedges. So if ~$8 (picture shows 2017 price) and 500+ calories are too much for one person, a treat like this can be a nice treat for a small group.

Thanks to Krystal for sharing this. These are now on my bucket list each season! Different parks and even various themed zones offer their own special treats like delicious funnel cakes. There are also standard items you can find in most amusement parks like fudge, saltwater taffy, and popcorn. Sometimes picky eaters can make a meal out of a bucket of popcorn.

What’s on your bucket list for this season? Any items that aren’t rides?

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Special thanks to my brother-in-law Todd for providing the first audience-submitted park hack! Here is what he sent:

Hack = Friends. I have a friend who works at P&G who could get me a really good price on a season pass. Then you and Andrew have given me access to deals that season pass holders have for their friends. So, for me, a good hack = friends with passes or access to passes on the cheap. I believe employees can often get season pass deals for their friends/family too!

Todd J.
Liberty Township, OH

Park Hack Category: Money Saving

The first time my wife and I took our kids to Kings Island was on a Bring a Friend Day. These days are normally jammed with people, but on this day, many years ago, the weather was cold and rainy. We got into the park cheap and had a great time! I think this is a clever way the park expands its customer base. Families can test to see how their kids handle waiting in the ride queues and riding on the thrill rides without a major investment.

If you’re a Gold Pass member, you can use it to build your popularity! Even if you just invite friends to ride with you in your car, you can save them about $20 in parking alone. If you go through the trouble of standing with them as they making their purchases for things like food or souvenirs, you can also save them 10% off the prices. With a little effort, you can add up many benefits of friendship.

The days that parks schedule Bring a Friend Days change every calendar year. They often pop up whenever the park wants to boost attendance. So keep an eye on your park’s website, in our case watch visitkingsisland.com, for the latest information.

Corporate Benefits

There is another money-saving angle that I only just recently learned about. There are a few days at the beginning and end of the season when large corporations rent out the park. GE, Kroger, and P&G are a few of these large Cincinnati-based companies. If you learn that a friend is going to one of those closed event days, you can actually buy Gold Passes through them. You might even be able to get other kinds of tickets, meal plans and other things during these events at a substantially reduced rate! I’m sure these details fluctuate depending on the particular promotion, so read the rules and limitations.

If an employee or associate of one of these companies isn’t going to the event, you might still be able to buy tickets through the promotion. It never hurts to ask! Maybe they can even bring you along!

Local Business Deals

If you don’t have friends at these companies, you should get out more. Just kidding. You can stop in at Kroger and possibly Meijer locations and often get a better price on tickets through their customer service counter.

Image by Kevin Phillips from Pixabay

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