Family says they were kicked out of King’s Island over an employee dispute, then were told they couldn’t get a refund for their tickets

A family visiting King’s Island theme park in Mason, Ohio, says they were denied entry and refused a refund after a dispute with a park employee. The incident was recorded on video and shared to TikTok by a woman identified as Vee (@itsvee_babyyy), where it drew widespread attention and debate in the comments.

According to Vee, the family had out-of-town relatives visiting and had planned to spend the day at the park together. She says an issue arose with an employee before they could enter, though the exact nature of that initial dispute was not explained in the video. Vee stated that in response to the situation, she told the employee she would be getting her name to report her to corporate.

In the TikTok video, Vee is seen speaking with a female park employee and a male security guard identified by his name tag as “Tim.” A male family member, who identified himself as Hayden, is heard speaking off-camera and appears to be leading much of the exchange with the staff.

The family alleges they were removed after threatening to file a corporate complaint

In the footage, Hayden is heard saying the family obtained the employee’s name, identified as Julie, and intended to report her. “We’re going to report her to corporate. We’re not worried about you because you don’t care,” he said, apparently addressing a staff member who had offered to handle the complaint internally.

Hayden then raised the issue of race during the confrontation. “You’re black, so it’s automatically a threat,” he said, appearing to suggest that the family’s skin color was a factor in how they were being treated. He also argued that threatening to report someone to corporate was protected speech.

“I can report you. That’s a freedom of speech,” he said. In another case, a Georgia couple says a movie theater employee singled them out over a phone complaint.

The female employee maintained throughout the exchange that one member of the family, described as “she” but not identified by name in the video, would not be allowed to enter the park. Hayden pushed back, arguing that the reason given was not justified. “I could have seen if she was cussing and fussing. No, she said, I’m going to get her name so we can report her to corporate,” he said.

When the family asked for a refund on their tickets, the female employee stated clearly, “We don’t offer refunds.” Hayden questioned the policy given the circumstances: “So your employee just accuses somebody of something, you just run with that?” The employee repeated the same response without elaborating further. A similar dispute involved an Illinois family asked to leave a steakhouse after another customer complained.

The family member who was apparently denied entry was not the only one affected. According to the video, the entire group was told to leave, including out-of-town relatives who had paid for their tickets. A woman in the group told the employee, “We don’t, they’re not even from here,” while asking about a refund.

In a follow-up video, Vee filmed the group as they walked out of the park together, with Tim the security guard reportedly following them to the exit and standing at the gate as they left. As she walked away, Vee called out, “He’s been harassing me! He’s harassing me!” Tim, according to the video, did not respond and was seen smiling as the family exited.

Viewers who watched the videos were divided in their reactions. Some sided with the family, with one commenter writing, “No, your employee just accuse somebody of something. You know that if the employee accuse somebody of something and they don’t have facts, they can be sued for it.” 

Others urged caution, with one person commenting, “I need to know the other side story too before I rush to any judgment.” Another viewer pointed out, “Notice the interaction is halfway through when recording is started. Hmm?” One commenter suggested the family “dispute the charge” through their bank.