Maddog

I think this is a great change for Kings Island. Especially if it means faster and better service at concessions. With the flexibility of the any unused funds on the card post-visit there is really no down-side. Kings Island still "accepts cash" you just have to do it one time only when you first go into the park. No different than heading over to the ticket boot at the county fair to get your ride and drink tickets. Hopefully some signage and guest education will alleviate any kinks. Looking forward to seeing the results! Anecdotal example: I was at the park a few weeks ago with some friends, two were cashless (credit cards), one used cash. Guess who had faster service at every transaction? Guess who was always taking extra time finding the right bills/coins to pay? Guess who had heavier pockets and jingled down the midway with all the loose change they had acquired.

Hmm, there WAS a time...(a certain Club store comes to mind) but is no longer the case now. It was one of the motivations for me having more than one major CC type in my wallet.

Quick look at houses along Cedar Point Road show public water and sewer per real estate listings. It is likely there are local gravity sewers with a hidden pump station (or multiple pump stations) somewhere and a "force main" connection over to the mainland sewer system. In the wastewater world, it isn't necessarily true that "all **** goes downhill"

As one who has to pre-load with Dramamine to deal with rollercoaster motion sickness, I can tell you my experience with the "all-day" versus the "original" is literally night and day. I must have the original in order to enjoy rides, unfortunately.

Thanks @silver2005 for taking us along on your adventure! You've given me some ideas if things I need to hit up the next time I make a trek to Tennessee. @coaster sally Does everything have to be a competition and stats comparison with you? You've now been added to my list of people with "one-upper-itis", there is no known cure .

Some additional "on the ground" experience data for everyone... apologies up front if too lengthy. Had a planned visit yesterday (6/15) to KI for a full day of dry park activities. First of all, the day was awesome!!! Taking a mid-week day off of work to enjoy the park is well worth it. I was a little concerned about crowds, as the weather forecast was known to be "cooling down" after the recent heat, and CP is still closed Tues/Wed possibly pushing the numbers up at KI--but the crowds were very reasonable. I was able to get 2 rides during early ERT on Orion, then also completed the day with 2 more rides just before 8pm (boo on the 8pm closings, looking forward to longer hours soon). Went through most of the coasters at the park (but didn't hit up Planet Snoopy). Also was able to ride numerous flats, and got a great view of the parking lot (which wasn't full) from WindSeeker. The longest wait...BLSC, ugg that line moves sooo slow--will probably start skipping it. Also noticed everyone is getting assigned rows, even on The Beast (I was used to them allowing some flexibility there...). Depending on the operators, they may be accommodating if you asked for a specific row and there weren't a lot of people in the station--it was really specific to the situation. The ride restraint checking consistency is bizarre. Some rides they tug on the seatbelt, and restraint after you fasten them (asking you for hands up), others they want to push the restraint down for you after you fasten the seatbelt. Then some want you to tug on the seatbelt visually for them, but then they pull on the restraint later to check, and finally the best was a "giggle the handle" request on The Bat where you were asked to check the OTH restraint by actually shaking it. For a seasoned rider, this just struct me as odd. I wasn't sure whether to hold my hands up, or to assist while they watch. The ride announcers didn't always help in clearing this up either. I realize some of this is training, and post-Covid policies evolving. General notes: I really liked all the now functional theming on Adventure Express, we also stopped to watch the clock on the Festhaus and people around got involved with the chicken dance. Still noticed a lot of training going on, with supervisors and red shirts working together in a number of positions. Stacking was rather likely on many rides; everything was functioning, but it didn't feel like people had hit a good "groove" yet. By the way, Orion has a really hard lurch at the break run where you slam back into the seat--I think they could tame this with some better control logic. Also, one of the screens in Mystic Timbers was still down (recalling from someone's prior comments). Bathrooms were clean enough, but paper towels seemed to be a little sparse (numerous empty holders). It was hit or miss on the sanitizer dispensers throughout the park (usually more of a miss with more empty). Hit up Coney Bar-B-Que and Brewhouse for meals, both were excellent in terms of the food. The Brewhouse had some issues with order delivery (two out of three orders arrived with no issues, but the third one was lost?), they eventually figured it out. Got some Graeters ice cream for an afternoon cool down, unfortunately they are understaffed here and really need some training. You would order and pay for your ice cream order, and then again tell the person actually making the ice cream what you ordered (with some corrections about what needs to be ON the sundae per the menu board)--needs some work here. Free ice water was easy to get everywhere, no issues. Crowds seemed okay with no "media newsworthy" events. But I did witness two line jumping situations (both on Mystic Timbers). The first attempt was sad and people called them out for it, they left the line on their own. The second attempt we saw from the top of the stairs just before the station, but it was occurring down below in the back section. The line separator also heard the commotion and witnessed what had occurred and said "they won't be riding today"--I'm not sure how that was eventually resolved. Phones on rides still seems to be a thing...why? Last ride of Orion someone in the front proceeded to selfie video their entire ride (with their arm up at a 45° angle), not sure how you can actually enjoy a ride even trying to do that. He did manage to hold onto the phone (lucky for us behind him during the ride, but I really wished he had lost it at the break run). Unfortunate commonality in all of the above events--tweens. I really hate to broad brush an age group like that, just noting the apparent age (and lack of maturity) of those in the infracting groups. In summary, it still has an "early in the season" vibe to it, but overall a great day. The number of rides we were able to hit was great, even with the shortened hours. It felt as though everyone on the staff we interacted with were really trying their best to make it a great day. Can some of the above be in the "nit-picking" category, absolutely. I just wanted to share all of my personal experiences with the group.

As they say a picture is worth a thousand words... If you see something post a pic, then more people can get involved in the discussion. If you only post a foregone conclusion with no info of how you got there, don't feel surprised when you are all alone in the know-it-all club.

"You have been warned." Hopefully they follow through and right this ship!

I would think at this point in time we cannot conclude too much from that metric...pandemic and all.

^Hey now...I love The Beast, even SOB provided some intense thrills (had the bruises to prove it)! But Vortex, well I'll be polite (this is a family site) and just say no thank you--and good riddance

Headbanging was it for me and my friends. I recall our last ride on it not so fondly. Afterwards we took an extra long lunch in the Festhaus and it was unanimous..."never again". It was gone a year later.

I'm trying to imagine a world where this is possible... Have you not ridden the Raptor at CP? Those pull-down hard (slightly padded)restrains are down-right insufferable compared to the vest restraints. For me, any ride with restraints near my head where it can bang into them is a no-go.

Awesome video from the B105 "Virtual Field Trip" at Kings Island! Some really nice up close shots and great info from the VP of Maintenance about Orion and Mystic Timbers.

GP article or not, the "most intense," "best in the world" phrasing and associated discussions get tiresome. Unless it is something that can be measured, counted, or quantified, it is all subjective.

Bolliger & Mabillard is a consulting engineering company, they really don't "manufacture" anything they put out per-se. They have made a successful business by finding reliable manufacturing and putting out consistent and reliable product. Currently their entire design portfolio is with steel coasters, most of which are variants on a common track design. A huge chunk of their cost is in the steel for these massive coasters. While they have made some great accomplishments (120 coasters and counting), I do wonder if they need to start thinking outside the box. Other companies have a much better portfolio. Also, we have now seen the design life of weathered steel coasters (those in buildings may be a bit different), with woodies outlasting or able to be revived for a longer service life. I am very curious how parks will be spending their money in the next couple of years. A consulting company could ride out a dry spell better than other companies with more significant costs, but that assumes they are still designing something people want to buy in the future.

Not to derail this thread too far, but at our current vaccination rate (of actual shots in arms), we have some significant ground to cover before reaching 3/4 of our population.

IDK, it's one thing to go into a tin/metal unconditioned building during the fall nights, but would be an entirely different experience in a 90+ hot day with a beating sun.

^Agreed. It's cool they are looking to bring some holiday cheer for people driving by. On a related note, how many of you have neighbors with their Christmas lights up and on already? I feel behind in my efforts...

I missed a few details when I read this in the other thread, but re-reading this full report...ouch. A 78% drop in revenue is just...wow. The fact that they were able to make what they did, with the shortened calendar, some parks not evening opening, and significant attendance drops is good--it was worth it for CF to get open what they could (with as minimal costs as possible, more later). At least some revenue was realized. I think this goes into why there wasn't Haunt/Winterfest at KI (yes I know Haunt is over, but CF has ongoing visibility into their numbers, while we only get post quarter data). There is a lot of labor/cost turning the park over for various seasons. So for these events to be financially successful, there must be enough revenue to cover operational costs (just covering the days the park is open), all preparation costs (physical transformation labor, marketing, hiring/training, etc.), overhead, and have positive revenue at the end to justify the effort (cashflow to pay down ongoing debt). Keep in mind that 78% revenue drop (from recent data they have on-hand), that hangs heavy. Compared to the "regular season" how many people going through the gates would be Season Pass holders for Winterfest 2020? Season Passes were extended, so no additional incentives for people to pre-buy next year's tickets. So how many would pay gate prices for tickets to Winterfest this year? From a business perspective, that is going to have big impacts for future park decisions. There are going to be many eyes watching the expenses closely (debt load, costs, etc). I agree with other's thoughts, anything that is going to drain the budget (big ticket maintenance) may get pulled. Unfortunately, nostalgia doesn't pay the bills for a publicly traded company. Also, they've already mentioned reduced Capex spending, but I wouldn't be surprised that any major expansion is indefinitely on-hold until revenue turns around. From the report: "Zimmerman concluded by adding, “Our teams are fully committed to executing upon a strategy for 2021 that taps into what we believe will be meaningful pent-up consumer demand to visit our parks and experience what’s new and improved since their last visit.'" If they already believe there is pend-up demand, there is no immediate incentive for major spend. Sorry, that has a heavy downer vibe...

Wow, I didn't expect the average in-park spend was ~$50 per person (well, in a non-COVID situation). Shows there is a lot of money flowing through those gates that has nothing to do with the entry cost. Those Fast Lane passes are pure profit, I'm sure CF will be itching to get them resurrected in 2021.

For me this site has been a great portal into what has been going on at Kings Island this year. I've not been able to attend this year at all, but reading/seeing what others have typed and posted pictures was great way to experience the park--even with all the difficulties of 2020 and how the park adapted! I think some people forget that there are people out there (probably more than you think) that are in this same situation. We don't visit the park every time it is open, in fact some of us only visit a couple of times a year on a good year! So when conversations come up about possible projects/events/activities going on "inside" the park right now, throwing in a couple of pictures helps us immensely. Having that reference allows those of us who couldn't see it in person the ability to interact in the conversation. However, posts that just state "xyz happened this weekend", or you should go check it out to "look for yourself" immediately shut down any interactive discussion. If we ask for more information, like requests to describe more about what you've seen, colors/markings/distances, it all turns downhill rapidly. It is natural for people to question new information, just be honest about how you got it. When people ask about information and get responses like "I can't say" or "I'm not at liberty to share...", well why weren't you upfront about it in the first place? Multiple sources of information, even if some must stay private, help others gauge claims and give some support to arguments. There is a lot of stuff the goes around in social media, and even the news these days that isn't really well sourced. If you find out about news, please post where you read it or provide some back story--anything to give others some context. We can then go read about it and add additional thoughts to the conversation. We can't read the minds of other posters, but laying out your reasoning allows us to join in and provide other points of view. Also, we don't know each other's backstory/education/knowledge. This forum has posters of various ages and education levels. So when topics get into really complex details, feel free to share why you may have more information on these topics. On the decoding topics over time one could eventually figure out who could interpret blueprints correctly, and who couldn't... but if you've got the skills, share them and educate others! Maybe in short, don't tease, don't make others beg for information; instead be open, honest, and share what you have. That's the whole point of a discussion forum!

IDK, because concept != reality ? Personally, I've never seen any concept art ever fully match the final end product. Usually because the concept includes all sorts of items to "sell" the project; but once approved various cost cutting measures come into play to keep within budget as it nears completion. Also a picture here would have been useful. Something, something, a thousand words...

If you are thinking of the IX Indoor Amusement Park, it is no more... From: https://ixamusementpark.com Thank you for all the memories! On September 16, 2020, the I-X Center Corporation announced the closure of the International Exposition (I-X) Center due to the coronavirus pandemic. The global pandemic has decimated the event industry as well as many other businesses and has ultimately led to this decision. The I-X Center would like to thank all its customers, employees, and attendees who helped make the I-X Center a success over the past 35 years. ❤️

From what the park has already said this doesn't seem too serious, especially if they hope it to be running so soon! I think we've gone off the rails (pun intended), discussing the possibility of a whole track piece getting fabricated to replace some unidentified defect--given the aforementioned timeline estimation of operation. Also, this comment: Seems to conflict with this comment (from the same person): So were there wires laying around or not? Perhaps there was a wire pull which needed quickly re-done?

Well, the individual who started the thread was more along the lines of "If I could plan Winterfest...", so I think people here were keeping this to what could actually happen. But sure hijack away...