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The KI Winterfest Bears!

This is an interesting topic, and one that should be discussed. I have been attending Kings Island with a season pass every year since 1994, and very happy doing so. Not until 2018 did I attend Cedar Point with my daughters. They were becoming enthusiasts wanting to learn about every type of coasters, and ride a variety of them. We made the trip, and bought FastLane plus passes. Well worth our investment. We rode every ride at least twice with 10 rides on Top Thrill, Millennium Force and Maverick. I noticed small details in my first trip, that differed vastly from Kings Island. In 2019 I wanted to share the same magic and fun with my wife and youngest daughter. Our trip was fun, but did not capture the magic of the previous year. My wife did not want to buy FastLane passes or ride the big 4 coasters. After some persuasion we bought FLP, and were able to ride most of the coasters. With the whole family however I realized that Cedar Point is not very family friendly. A few weeks later I took my older daughters and their friends, and we were able to have a lot more fun. Our 2020 trips were a disaster. Long lines, hardly anywhere to eat or use the restroom, and we rode only Steel Vengeance and Maverick in an 8 hour time period. Kings Island nailed the pandemic park opening, and Cedar Point dropped the ball. Although I now consider both parks to be a home park, and love them both for strengths and weaknesses. I would like to compare them. First Impression Pros Kings Island takes your breath away with the Eiffel Tower, and International Street as you enter the park. The flowers, building facades, and fountain are a beautiful greeting. Cedar Point is amazing as you drive up the causeway with their towering roller coasters, and the water surrounding the park and you. The excitement builds as you watch the coasters come closer. Cons Kings Island's view from the parking lot hides a lot of the rides , and the International Street Restaurant shield the beauty of International Street and the Eiffel Tower. I can envision KI taking the building down, and the anticipation of entering would grow. Once you enter Cedar Point it is a concrete jungle with no charm, nor concrete that even matches. There is no wow factor like there is at KI which is a huge letdown, after seeing the rides from a far. Edge Kings Island Cleaniness No matter how you cut it Kings Island is the cleaner of the two. Cedar Point is on a peninsula surrounded by sand, water, and seagulls. A recipe for a dirtier park. I notice the kids with brooms at KI, but cannot remember seeing them at CP. Edge Kings Island Roller Coasters Kings Island has a great collection of roller coasters for everyone of all ages to enjoy. Cedar Point also has a great collection, but they have three that make them stand out from Kings Island. Maverick, Top Thrill Dragster, and Steel Vengeance, Kings Island does not have a roller coaster in my opinion that can compete with these three. Edge Cedar Point Flat Rides Cedar Point owns this topic. Kings Island cannot even compete here. Edge Cedar Point Hotels With on the property resorts, cabins, and hotels room nearby Cedar Point takes the cake for staying on the point or very near the CP. The best hotels near Kings Island are an eight to ten mile drive down to Fields Ertl. Cedar Point has done a wonderful job making sure that all the attractions you need are there for you stay. A day at their very clean beach is one of the best days of my life, and now the kids look forward to that more than the park itself. Edge Cedar Point Food Kings Island and Chef Major own the Ohio Amusement Park food wars. At Kings Island you can have a variety of meals, Cedar Point , chicken tenders it is. Half joking, but it seems to be CP's staple is Chicken Tenders. Kings Island has such a variety with the meal plan you can go days with out repeating a meal. Edge Kings Island Overall I think Kings Island is the better overall park with it being cleaner, better food, and family options. Cedar Point has the better collection of rides, but I think their target audience it teens and adults without small kids. With todays disposal family incomes becoming smaller due to the pandemic, I can see how families get more bang for their buck at KI. I love both parks, and consider them both home parks, but as I said earlier Kings Island is much more enjoyable for my whole family where as Cedar Point is a lot of fun for my older daughters and their friends when done with a FLP. To each their own. I have been to three Cedar Fair parks, but that number was to grow to six this year, but now hopefully next year. I rank them based on fun for the whole family, and the enjoyment we had there. 1. Kings Island 2. Carowinds 3. Cedar Point Next year hope to add to the rankings Michigan's Adventure, Dorney Park and Kings Dominion.

I've felt this wind blowing towards KI as well. It was the best park experience we had in 2020, which also included 4 days at CP, 2 at Silver Dollar City, 2 at Hershey and 1 at Great Adventure. I disagree with anyone who would put the totality of any coaster lineup over CP, but the quality of the KI lineup is great, too. Losing Vortex and likely not replacing it for a while does hurt, but its now a top 10 North American lineup for sure, arguably top 5. The access passes killed CP this year for a lot of people, and no Fast Lane just made it impossible to do much once the park got busy in mid August. We were so lucky to have all season fastlane but without it, the experience this year (and possibly 2021 as well) was just vastly superior at KI. KI has pulled WELL ahead in terms of food. CP eliminated their burrito/bowl option, Pinks and their popular foldover in the same offseason, and the mac shack opened way late. Hugos Italian was a flop and we got a question in our session back at 2020 chill out about it's lack of quality. Meanwhile, Brewhouse is a huge hit (nothing comparable at CP). I could go on, the Chef special this year was another big hit and raises the real and perceived quality of the brand altogether. CP has unique problems that make it harder to have a "great" enthusiast or general public day. Staffing is a nightmare in the best of times due to their size and location, now virtually impossible with no international workers. You'll see more and more people start choosing KI in this way if CP has to operate with access passes, drastically limited hours AND very early line closures again in 2021. The early line closure thing was awful, a real gut punch to a CP life-long fan such as myself, especially as KI did not do it that way. I really am sad for Jason and his team at CP. He was BEAMING about all the 150th stuff at Chill Out in February, just days before the pandemic hit. They had huge plans, and I think a big coaster for 2021 on the horizon. Now? Maybe 2 lost years of they can't get international workers. And in 2020 they supplanted with workers from 5 other CF parks, likely not an option this year. I'm so glad KI was able to do much better, and they have become even better in so many areas. I love Orion and all of area 72. If we can get a more normal season in 2021 with maybe Haunt and Winterfest too, what a great year it'll be. Really hoping for some full train Orion rides. I think CP can get back to being what so many of us love, but I worry that after maybe 2 full years with access passes and a greatly reduced experience, the park will lose a lot of it's goodwill. They have so many challenges to operate at full tilt on their best day, and it's catching up with the park a bit. (Multiple Intamins, wind, rain ops, staffing, crowd size). CP is still my number 1 park, but i can understand for sure the changing opinions referenced here.

I don't really find one to be better than the other, just different. I greatly enjoy both parks and each has great things going for it. I think both are moving in a good direction as well. Cedar Point spent a long time with the focus being mostly on what new ride they were going to build next. In the last few years they have worked hard on some of the other things that make for a more complete experience. They have completely replaced some of the dining buildings and filled out the available food options with large scale offerings with Italian food and barbecue, along with the frontier festival. Is it the best food in the world? Of course not. But there has been a focus on better quality and high volume to help with some of the lines they've had in the past. The replacing of the front gate, marina gate, and resort gate, along with parking entry plaza all improve the aesthetic and guest experience. Much work has been done to the resort offerings, with all new and renovated rooms at Breakers and Express, new premium RV spots at Lighthouse Point, and the purchase of Sawmill Creek. They've added the Forbidden Frontier to provide a new interactive experience. Replacing the splash pad with brick pavers is an improvement, and is something I imagine we might see more of, considering they did the Valravn area with pavers as well. Kings Island is doing many projects of the same nature. The installation of pavers along International Street is a great improvement in apperance and perceived quality. The parking entrance looks fresh and clean. The Area 72 redo looks fantastic with updated theming and sprucing up of the area around Orion. Bringing back the antique cars with a beautiful new installation was a slam dunk. Including the similar high volume barbecue restaurant that CF is adding at various parks was a no brainer. With Cedar Fair already redoing entrance plazas at some of the parks, I think it's just a matter of time before KI gets that treatment as well. Whether it's a refresh, or a replacement it will be a LARGE project. Both of these parks (and Cedar Fair as a whole) have been focusing on the overall guest experience lately, and I think it has been a fantastic strategy. There is just so much more of Cedar Point to address. It's been around for so long and has some great challenges as far as these types of improvement go. The traffic patterns are more restrictive and with the volume of guests, almost have to have the "concrete jungle" aspect to an extent, just to accommodate the crowds certain times of the year. KI has the benefit of an initial plan more recently, on more of a blank slate. This sounds like an apology letter for CP, but it's really just something I notice when I'm at these parks. They are 2 entirely different animals. I love them both though, and they are my most frequently visited parks in the last 5 years or so, along with Worlds of Fun. I made the drive from St. Louis to each park twice this year. And I can't say that I really enjoy one more than the other. If anything, KI has pulled up close to CP for me. And I think it's more because it offers something a little different, and its probably just as much me getting a little older and appreciating the differences and not just looking entirely at the coaster lineup(both of which are top notch, with CP taking the cake). Its a long day, but I can drive to KI, have a great day, and make it back home in one shot. At CP, it's obviously more of a 2 or 3 day thing. I love both experiences; it really just matters which one you want.

I agree. It makes the walk thru the turnstyles even better. I could get behind a slight renovation with new shingles and removal of the seasonal banners--and a return of the flags.

Funny but I actually like how the International street restaurant at the entrance blocks the view of International street and the Eiffel Tower. It just makes it more breathtaking when you finally walk through the gates and see all the magnificence! Don't know why some people feel the park entrance is ugly, I think it looks fine. Most people don't even notice one way or another and to me the worst thing is to have a ride right at the entrance.

The biggest perk of KI over CP from a visitor's standpoint is that KI can be tackled in 1-2 days and is easily accessible to season pass holders where they can go multiple times a month. Cedar Point is a park that you almost have to spend multiple days to get the full experience with the coasters, the water park, and the lake. Cedar Point is a park you need to plan for if you have a family or a group. You have to decide what resort you want to stay at, how many days, if you want fastlane plus, if you want to send the extra admission on the water park, etc. You don't know how long the lines will be, so you feel rushed. KI does not have this problem. Yes there are some long lines but they move pretty fast for the most part. Also there is no need to really plan your visit. The water park is included in your admission so you have options. If you go for two days you can hit both parks and get your money's worth. At KI you can re ride popular rides in the same day without the need of a fastlane. I was fortunate enough to marathon Millennium Force and Top Thrill Dragster but that was in the middle of May when they were slower. Unless you have bad weather, or its super early in the season, its hard to get re rides on CPs coasters without fastlane plus.

Once again...I loved the variety of characters to interact with.

I think King's Island beats Cedar Point in almost every way. Better operations, shorter lines overall, better food, better at Haunt and events in general. Coasterstock is better than Coastermania. Water Park included with admission. Winterfest. The list goes on and on. There is this idea that Cedar Point has this untouchable coaster line up. America's roller coast. Maybe it's the fact that I am slowly visiting more and more parks but I am starting to disagree. I used to go there and ride everything. Now I tend to ride the unique coasters I can't get elsewhere or coasters they have the best versions of. For me that is really only 5 coasters. Steel Vengeance, Maverick, Magnum, Millenium Force and Top Thrill. Just about all others fall into 2 categories: Rides that just aren't that good aka Wicked Twister, Corkscrew, Mineride, Gemini. Or coasters that have better versions at other parks. Banshee>Raptor. Thunderbird>GateKeeper. Yukon Striker>Valraven. The Bat>Iron Dragon This may be a weird thing to throw in. After visiting Dollywood's Christmas in the Smokies today and yesterday. It just makes me miss Winterfest at Kings Island. Christmas in the Smokies isn't bad but King's Island Winterfest beats it in every single way except maybe no mountain.

You heard correctly, Voyage was running great when I was there in mid July. Raven sucked rocks.... I Love(d) that ride and its never been a one and done for me, until this year.

It's very difficult to have the ideal "enthusiast's day" at Cedar Point due to the large crowds they attract. As far as decent rides that are almost guaranteed to have a short line, you only get to deal with Rougarou, Gemini, and sometimes Magnum/Wicked Twister. Fast Lane is almost a must for every CP visit, but will still have you wait upwards of 30 minutes for Maverick and Steel Vengeance, especially the latter. Kings Island occasionally draws massive crowds that make every ride a long wait, but much less often. Up until this year (of course due to capacity restrictions), you were able to able to guarantee yourself decently short lines on weekdays for most major attractions. I think that's the main factor in people ranking KI higher than CP. Cedar Point most likely still has a better lineup in most people's eyes, but KI has not gone silent with excellent additions in the last 10 or so years. I enjoy both parks equally but I'm having a hard time justifying going to CP anytime soon due to the ridiculous wait times I've experienced in my last few visits. Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk

I feel a lot of credit is contributed to our GM Mike Koontz. You see him out in the park, talking to his associates. Showing an appreciation for them that I have never seen before. I think that goes a long way for staff morale. Keep it up KI staff. It is not going unnoticed!

Lately I've been seeing a lot of enthusiasts place Kings Island as their #1 park, even ahead of Cedar Point. They point to the more relaxing atmosphere and the magnificent staff and ride ops....Good job people! Coaster Studios 1 month ago I’ve always thought KI was right up there with Cedar Point. Quality is high, it’s clean, amazing operations, and great rides. Never had a bad visit to KI. I know I’ve said this before, but KI really feels like a park you can take your time with and just enjoy, while Cedar Point is almost overwhelming it’s so massive. Both fantastic parks though! Sean Flaharty 3 weeks ago Kings Island has always been one of my home parks as I live in between KI and Cedar Point. I have always appreciated the difference between the both of them but Cedar Point has always been the more thrill oriented park. Something switched for me this year though. I only had one visit to Cedar Point and a few to Kings Island. I can't quite put my finger on it, but Kings Island has really, really done something to me this year. I have never had such a level of appreciation for that place as I do now. Airtime Thrills 1 month ago Dude, your 1&2 took the words out of my mouth. KI wows me every time in a way CP cant even do it and its mainly because staff and ops Tony's Toolbox 1 month ago Kings Island blows Cedar Point away in every aspect except the coaster collection. Best ride ops I've ever experienced. Sedric Granger 1 month ago I’m also in the crowd that likes Kings Island above Cedar Point! Since I live in Columbus I can choose which one to go to every other weekend! I’ll be going to CP this weekend then Kings Island the week after! Ohio is the best!

I think it will be several seasons before we get a new coaster because of COVID and also because of the chain in general. Since we just got a coaster this year, one would think that the other parks will get another coaster before we will. I could see Cedar Point and Carowinds both getting a new coaster in 2022 or 2023, KD is highly rumored to be putting in in their S&S Wing which if it is successful I could see them putting it at some of the smaller parks in the chain like MA and VF. I think over the next 4-5 years the park can focus on improving the Oktoberfest and Action Zone areas with more thrilling flats and more family flats and then eventually adding a big coaster to either The Vortex plot or somewhere in the Action Zone area.

I particularly enjoyed all of the characters everywhere...Scrooge was excellent to interact with.

Land should not actually be a problem. This is complicated, but the park used to own like 150-200 acres because they have a giant campground across the street, and they are not even using large sections of that land. Apex sold all of the land to a holding company and was paying a lease. I remember the new owners of the park had stated before the purchase closed that being able to repurchase the land was a requirement. But I have never seen any evidence either way if the land purchase occurred. The counties GIS website still lists Store Master Funding as the owner, but it also still lists Apex as owning the rides and structures.

Those big Schwarzkopfs are allegedly Anton's masterpieces according to many an enthusiast. Very intense, lots of high positive G's (I believe Olympia Looping pulls up to 5) I'm dragging myself to Indiana Beach to ride it if that's the case.

Looks like a fun ride that isn't overly intense for the gp. Probably what the park wanted. The lapbars will make the experience amazing.

Welcome to KIC, @KIBanshee9! The Beast is still my favorite ride in the park. I'd love to do it with no brakes!