Maddog

Not getting into an argument about brain/head size here but any restraint near my head sucks. I don't like it when my head, or ear, or anything hits a restraint. OTS restraints suck, period. The vest style is far superior from a rider comfort perspective.

I'm with @DoomPlague, I don't get the calls for OTS restraints on Banshee. The vests are FAR more comfortable. Raptor is an unpleasant head-banger, and if Banshee reverted to that I would never ride it again.

We visit the Jolly Donut every year during our Cedar Point trip. Always a hit and good diner food!

Getting more way off-topic, but I think you are really inflating a too much the difference between crane A and bigger crane B (BTW, that is a lot of unnecessary assumptions and definitive statements). Both are mobile cranes and crew sizes wouldn't be that different between operations. If the company had both sitting in their stockyard and available to rent, but wants to work with the customer to put on more of a show, it isn't that unrealistic to "bring out the big guns". Because they can, and if media is involved people/companies are willing to show-off a bit.

Yeah, I'm kindof over this back and forth justify your claims discussion. What I do find interesting (someone I think hinted at this a few pages back) is there does seem to be a lack of "enthusiasm" from our current KI social media posts. It is hard to describe, and I don't have concrete examples, but rather one of those "you know it when you see it" type of feelings. You really want your social media people to believe they have "the best job ever" and it comes through with their words and work output. Right now it just doesn't scream "I love my job!"

So as one who did NOT renew their platinum season pass (yes I voted with my wallet last year). I'm looking at the 2024 pricing and options and really don't understand the Prestige upsell. So the basic (Gold) gets you in the park all season, including Haunt/Winterfest, with early entry, with parking, food/merch discounts, some pass "perks". For 3x the price, you can get exclusive (Prestige), which adds: Preferred Parking, Preferred entrance (limited hours), VIP Areas, "Enhanced pass "perks, higher food/merch discounts, 2 brink a friends, and single use fast line per visit. Maybe it is just me, but I don't understand why I would throw ~$200 extra dollars for those benefits. Maybe the single use Fast Lane per visit provides enough incentive for some? But all the other "Preferred" items don't have that much of a value to me.

Primer is really all that is needed for initial steel protection from rust. They could easily sneak in finish color paint to match onsite after installation at some point. There will likely be a couple of days somewhere in the extended test cycling where a crew could cherry pick up there and roll on a coat. I have no doubt they did whatever feasible to crash the schedule and get delivery as soon as possible. After watching the painters on Diamondback (via the webcam) it wasn't too crazy a task to paint a support in short order.

Best wishes Don! Your knowledge and passion were a great asset to KI and we appreciate all you've done to help make the park what it is today.

Wow. That statement from Carowinds provides an incredible amount of information above and beyond what I had expected. Proving this step-by-step series of events, since the public can readily observe, can squash a lot of online rumors. It is interesting how this highlights the whole support to the ground is getting replaced (inferred from the info regarding "pulled out of foundation" and "thorough cleaning" of the grout pockets). They aren't leaving any of the metal on this specific support to chance--it all goes. This also reveals they have high confidence in the defect being limited to that specific support, and not any overall design failure or deficiency. A statement like this really can go a long way (for those who have no technical background/understanding) that Carowinds is ensuring their safety. I agree with @jsus there is no benefit from any other park to throw shade at this incident to pump themselves up. The entire industry could use an improvement in perception of safety. The past few years have been rough.

SOB is definitely the worst, it was a bad ride, and couldn't wait for it to be over. Our group rode it just for cred. Mean Streak before it closed was rather unpleasant. It was one of those rides that wasn't so bad if "you knew how to ride it" which just means you either worked with it or it beat you to death.

This is a smart idea, I'd get on board with this. Someone with a dining plan may want to bring that up to Guest Services as something for them to consider?

I never understood why "chef specials" were on a dining "plan." They are something above and beyond the standard menu. It costs extra for them to plan/stock/prepare for this food (and during a limited time). Dining plan costs are fixed and it is money already in the bank. If you are looking to increase revenue you don't give away new items, you upsell them. It is a premium offering for those who want an extra treat. I've read enough here to think there is an entitlement to dining plan users, it is specifically sold as a value deal i.e. "for this low price you'll stay fueled all season." Looking forward to trying it out! (though I've never had a dining plan).

Not exactly sure what this brings to the discussion. You don't have to go if you aren't interested.

Personally I agree with change. Cedar Point as a destination park should only have early entry for Platinum and higher passes, along with resort guests (as it used to be). $99 is too cheap and brought too many people to early entry at gate drop.

Yep, really excited for the capital investments in "food service and delivery systems" and "a full lineup of seasonal events" Um, yeah...

Getting something new helps you overlook maintenance needs. "Hey look over here at this new shiny thing!" But your right @MrSourNinja people will start to nitpick more about anything lackluster, rough, or non-functional--even if it seems minor in the overall park. Fingers crossed for a string of "non-announced" refreshes in the off-season.

It appears from the news announcement (link above) by Cedar Fair they have completed the unveiling, i.e. nothing else to hold out for today. While I am excited for all the additions at other parks, the big goose egg for Kings Island makes me shake my head. One flat would have been enough to show ongoing improvements and a nod to those patronizing the park. Unfortunately capital investments in "food service and delivery systems" and "a full lineup of seasonal events" do not entice me for 2023. Food is not the driving force to get me into the park. Myself (and some friends) will be voting with our wallets--no KI next year. Though we will likely make the trip up to CP and checkout the Boardwalk! Here's looking forward to 2024!

I'm not sure those two statements can even be correlated. A well-rounded amusement park needs rides of all varieties to attract various spending groups. Not everyone likes going upside down, or spinning in circles, or hanging out in the kid zone. Trying to categorize those as quality versus quantity seems like a pointless exercise. Regardless, I'm concerned for KI if we are staring down a ride drought for the park.

I agree with @FUN&ONLY!, so this may be somewhat redundant... I get this is a fan site, which means people are going to nit-pick every expense the park has done justifying various improvements and additions. But Kings Island is a amusement park, with rides being a main attraction for their audience. Stage shows, parades, anniversary celebrations, chef specials, they are all timed events that can come and go. Investment in this type of entertainment is important, but it pales in comparison to fixed rides. Rides you can (mostly) rely on being around for years and operational all hours the park is open. Ongoing maintenance to keep the park in shape (painting, parking log, infrastructure, ride repairs) should just be expected. I very much appreciate The Beast project work, but this we needed to keep the ride for continued long-term use. Maintenance is a significant expense, but should be built into the cost of operating the park. Deferred maintenance is just the parent company taking profits at our expense. I'm looking for some additional ride options. Something... doesn't have to be expensive, or flashy, but additions are needed. As rides age, removals are always on the horizon, additions need to be as well. Someone else mentioned above if a season pass was on the line based upon ride additions. Personally for myself and a number of friends--yes. We can take a year off and do other adventures, we've done it before and may do it again for 2023. Kings Island isn't the only option around. I like the shows and events, and use them to rest and recharge, but they alone don't justify my drive to the park. Bottom line, it is all about money, and how to get the most out of it. Cedar Fair looks at their budget and determines how they allocate it based on ROI, everyone here should do the same with their amusement/entertainment budget to get the best bang for your buck (which is all personal preference)

Typically major touring groups bring in all their own equipment, or is spec'd in the rider for the venue and then subbed out to a local rental group. Using house equipment for road-shows just brings in too many unknowns. All they need is a nice big power hookup and they take care of the rest.

I appreciate KI being in the news highlighting positive things, but this is really just a fluff feature article. At first I thought they had received some type of award, but after fully reading the article I realized they are just providing some quotes from an ACE spokesperson.

I personally think the work in the helix section is major because they are redoing a section of footers that perhaps have slid or lost solid foundational support. There are some fairly major elevation changes in the woods around The Beast, and it is possible 43 years after constructing those footers things have moved a bit too much. No point in working on just track or structural improvements if it doesn't have a solid base. I do believe that this type of rehab shows how KI wants to keep this ride around for awhile. I suspect other areas are getting some tweaks and such to smooth out the ride, but I don't expect any new elements. Hopefully there will be some announcement from the park soon!! (but I'm not holding my breath)

The workforce for park turnover would have a different skill-set than your regular (seasonal) day-to-day positions they advertise. While one can assume maintenance and operations is heavily involved in the turnover, a lot of this work is likely contracted out.

I'm seeing the top ad banner too. It shows up on some pages, but not others. Oddly enough it popped up as I attempted to respond to this thread, makes the editor a little crowded. It would be nicer if they worked with the site theme, in dark mode in a dark room the ad is very bright.

Let's keep it real--no-one* knows what KI is getting next. Any forgone conclusion of future events is just unnecessary here. *(the exception being those internally involved with future projects until announced, of which none would ever come here and post about )