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Ffej

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Everything posted by Ffej

  1. So what are these new lower drink prices? Anyone notice any significant drops?
  2. Anyone notice this? Greg Scheid ‏ @KIGMGREG Price drops? Yep, happening this weekend with water and pop prices around the park! Come out and enjoy the warm weather and have a drink.
  3. I definitely will be doing Kings Island and Cedar Point each 3-5 times over the season, and 1 trip to Canada's Wonderland to ride Leviathan. I am considering doing a trip through PA for Kennywood, Knoebels, Dorney, and Hershey if I can gather some friends together. Other high priority parks on my to do list possibly this year are: Holiday World, Dollywood, and Busch Williamsburg. Lower priority but a possibility are revisits to Michigan's Adventure and Kings Dominon.
  4. That 1972 / 2009 picture is kind of depressing. Kings Island looked like a gorgeous botanical garden in 1972. It looked so cold and corporate in the 2009 picture. That makes me realize just how important landscaping is.
  5. Ffej

    Meal Deal?

    Doesn't really seem like much of a deal to me. For $9.99, I'd be sold. $12.99: maybe. $15.99: no thanks.
  6. Awesome sketch. Speaking of opening day, did anyone get the email from Kings Island "We're Opening Earlier this Season." My heart skipped a beat in excitement, thinking they perhaps moved opening day up, especially when it started discussing the abnormally nice weather. But, it was just an email announcing the same April 28th opening.
  7. Didn't Kings Island used to open near the beginning of April back in the day? Does anyone know why the opening has been pushed so far back? Was the park pretty much dead during those earlier April openings?
  8. I knew of this ride's problems and that it wasn't a very high quality experience anymore, but it was wonderful having something more to do when it was extremely hot or raining. There were a number of times when The Crypt, Flight of Fear, and Boo Blasters perfectly filled in the down time of a passing storm or eased the headache from some extreme heat. I wish that KI would have converted this into a year-round ancient temple fun house (included with admission), and then transformed it into a haunted attraction in the fall. Alternatively, I might get blasted for this thought, but making it a paid laser tag attraction during the spring / summer might have also been a hit.
  9. Thanks for the pictures; they got me excited about Son of Beast all over again. I can't believe that was 12 years ago; it seems like just a few years back to me still. These pictures make you realize the epic scale of this ride, and how much hard work went into it. I don't think tearing it down is the way to go. Maybe KI is waiting a few years so that this can satisfy as a new attraction having been gone so long, creating hype. I've been on forums all over the Internet, and Son of Beast always seems to come up. I feel like a rebirth of the ride, even if only reusing parts of the structure, could possibly be a bigger draw for the park than just building a new ride. Sure enthusiasts knowing the whole history are a minority, but think of the articles / press this ride could get nationally. Everyone loves a good engineering failure story with a happy ending (think Tacoma Narrows Bridge). It shows the perseverance of humans, and giving it new life might even make a good environmental point in today's green-obsessed world. Personally, I'd love for SoB to get the Texas Giant treatment, new interesting twisty elements and hills, and a return of a loop in its original location. It'd be an epic investment, but if done right, I think the park could have a new signature ride. This would be a truly unique ride that couldn't be replicated, living on through generations of stories. It'd give King's Island a unique charm that a new B&M in its place could never do.
  10. I guess that's true. I've always been a fan of creepy animatronics though, and it was unexpected to see PT's level in an Ohio amusement park. I'm hoping the next remodel (and please don't let it be 10 years) has far less black-lit cardboard and non-functioning guns.
  11. First off, thanks for the pics, Shaggy & Tombraider -- those really brought back the memories. I know the chances are slim to none, but ever since it left, I've been hoping for Phantom Theater's return to King's Island as a dark ride sequel of sorts. While Boo Blasters was a slight improvement over Scooby, the gun system is terrible (they rarely work properly), and the ride feels cheap / stripped of personality in comparison to Phantom. So, I've been wondering a couple things... If some enthusiast or competing park wanted to replicate Phantom Theater, could they, or does KI hold some kind of exclusitivity agreement? Secondly, I'm not sure what PT originally cost, but since the ride system is already in place, the concept and detailed plans are already complete, and technology is likely cheaper and more reliable today, could PT be resurrected at a fraction of the cost in comparison to coming up with a brand new dark ride concept?
  12. I'm actually happy to hear that! Go Flight Deck! I had the same reaction! lol Flight Deck is such a great ride, hurt by its location. So many people don't even know it exists. I have never ridden the ride with a train more than half full of people the past decade, which makes me sad. So, I'm touched that this had a 45-minute wait! They should have painted it neon pink with a GIANT 500 foot LED sign saying "Great ride here!" or made WindSeeker a giant arrow pointing to flight deck ... or maybe little plane foot prints from the park entrance to the ride would work.
  13. Wait a minute...you waited 25 minutes WITH fast pass? If this is accurate, then KI is not telling the truth about a "very limited number of passes are available." Was the 25 minutes because of a break down, or was there really 25 minutes worth of fast pass customers?
  14. It seems like the entrance hosts were throwing out some very inaccurate wait times. I was told 30 minutes for Beast, and there were only people in the station (the station turnstiles were not open). I was also told 45 minutes for Diamondback, and there were only 3 turnstiles filled. I specifically checked and asked both entrance hosts, "Is that really 30-45 minutes?" to which I got a "Yeah." This was the last 20 minutes that the park was open on Friday night. I skipped them both, as I had a long drive home. But unless these rides were running 1 train, I don't see how both those lines were longer than 10-15 minutes? You'd think a ride host that has worked at the park many days would have a better idea than a guest... Also, maybe I'm very spoiled by Cedar Point, but I can't get over how annoying Kings Island is about their closing time. It's very strict....like "Get out of the park now! Our employees need to get home!" The lines were being cut a couple minutes before 1AM to right at 1AM. At Cedar Point, they cut the lines 5-10 minutes after the park closing time on major rides. They also don't make any announcements to get out of the park, and you see people leisurely walking around, enjoying the atmosphere, a good 30+ minutes after close. I've been in the park more than an hour after close (after waiting in a late line), and the security and other employees just kindly smile, not saying a word. CP also leaves some stands open late in case you want to catch some snacks on the way home. I think CP's approach is definitely catered to the customer and provides a pleasant, relaxing exit after a busy day. Maybe Kings Island is still like this from way back in the day under different ownership, when the park cut lines sometimes an hour or more BEFORE closing. But, I just hate the rushed / strict vibe of the KI closing; there's no time to enjoy the empty, peaceful night atmosphere.
  15. Sorry I'm a year late here on the response...didn't notice until now. Anyway, I only have been to the last few haunts 1 time per year, so I'm no expert, but are the waits really closer to 15 minutes on average as this poster describes? I believe my friend timed us at 45 minutes for Trail of Terror last year, and we asked Kings Island staff for the waits of Carnevil, Club Blood, Tombstone Terror-tory and some others last year and were told an hour or more if I recall (so maybe they were not accurate). Anyway, I just figured I'd solve that problem this year with Fright Lane. But if 15 minutes is the norm with some of those giant ques like Carnevil, then maybe the Fright Lane pass isn't necessary?
  16. I have a memory of King's Island that I loved as a kid. There was a long tunnel toward Beast I believe that was covered in some kind of ivy, shrub, or plant. I always thought it was so cool to walk through. I had a 5-10 year falling out with King's Island (though am visiting more than ever with my Platinum Pass these days), so does anyone know why this was removed or what happened to it? Maybe they could bring back a similar concept somewhere in the park, like in Dinosaurs Alive?
  17. For the record, I chose to go to KI, and it was a great time. Because of the nice weather, crowds were medium overall. The Haunts were all packed with 1 hour average waits, but the rides were walk-ons, excluding Flight of Fear. As always, nearly everyone left with 1 hour to go. I'll never understand this, as it was the best hour of the night...we got about as much stuff in as the first 5 hours combined.
  18. Hey guys --- any insight on Haunt crowds opening day in past years? I'm looking for a good day to go with low crowds. Since KI hasn't been open for several weeks, is it going to be absolutely packed tomorrow based on previous years? Thanks for any insight...debating between CP & KI tomorrow.
  19. Ffej

    HH 2010

    Hey guys -- The pressure is on a little more than usual, as I'm trying to make a fun Haunt trip for several people that have never been to KI at all this coming Friday, Sept 24th. The giant crowds that Haunt can draw can really kill the experience, as it turns into waiting in a few long lines for the night rather than getting to run around with a bunch of stuff to do. I know there is no way to predict attendance, but if you guys have gone for years, there are definitely trends. From experience with Cedar Point Halloweekends, you want to avoid Saturdays at all costs, and the crowds are typically lower earlier in the season. From Cedar Point trends, I drew that Friday, Sept 24th might be a good day to go for Haunt. The more that I think about it though, it's opening day. Does opening Haunt day tend to be swamped? Or since it's so early in the season, are people not in the Haunt mood quite yet?
  20. First off, my history...I went to King's Island every year during the Phantom Theater era, and I just couldn't get enough of that ride. I LOVED the setting, scenery, and effects...loved the unique characters and found the animatronics particularly creepy with the maestro...loved the slow, relaxing pace with great, catchy music. I can't say enough good things about that ride, and I looked forward to riding it each visit. When I heard it was being rethemed to Scooby Doo & the Haunted Castle, I was horrified. I couldn't believe the park was axing one of their best rides, but I thought that maybe Scooby would make up for it with cutting edge special effects, animatronics, and ideas 10 years more advanced. I rode Scooby for the first time and was utterly disgusted. I found the cardboard cut-out style very cheap & lifeless...was annoyed by the lack of special effects, and I felt the ride in general was a huge step backwards. The redeeming factor was supposed to be the guns, but I found them inaccurate and a distraction to the ride experience. Fast forward to Boo Blasters this year. I still generally feel the same about the ride (dull & uneventful), but it has improved over Scooby, no doubt. The fog screen is cool, and I like the addition of more animatronics. Generally though, I felt disconnected from the ride...you're just mindlessly scanning each room for targets and pulling the trigger. It could have been flowers popping up and down throughout all the rooms, and I don't think it'd make much of a difference. I just can't get over that we moved from Phantom Theater to this. This ride might have been cool for 1980, but it's so underwhelming for 2010. Again though, all these comments could have been applied to Scooby as well. The changes for 2010 were all for the better.
  21. Ok excellent...I can put it on the list to ride. Any input on White Water Canyon? Is it a dive into a pool, a run through a sprinkler, or a small splash here and there typically?
  22. Has anything changed to make RFYLCB a very wet ride, or is it still just a splash here and there? Also, based off Cedar Point's water rides, I've been avoiding White Water Canyon and Congo Falls for years, as Cedar Point's versions are the same as diving into a pool. It seems like I remember back in the day that White Water Canyon didn't make you nearly as wet as going under waterfall after waterfall at Cedar Point's. However, I asked an employee last season if WWC would drench me, and he said "oh yeah!" So, I'm just curious what water rides I can ride for some light, refreshing splashes? I don't want to look like I dived in a pool and face squishy shoes and socks all day, nor do I want to change into a bathing suit or remove shoes, etc... Any help would be appreciated, as a trip is planned in the coming days...
  23. You weren't at Cedar Point opening day to see the changes and the differences there too. With Raptor, Disaster Transport, Maverick, TTD (because of rain), Gemini Blue, Gemini Red, Wildcat, Woodstock Express, and even MF down (until 1PM); I had PLENTY of time to look around notice the 'differences' there this year. The best addition of the 2010 season was the beautiful smoking area near the paddleboat tours! I love waiting in line for MF for 2.5 hours in the rain with a one train op. They didn't even bother to tell us it broke down three times while in line. KI tells you when the ride breaks down, and also has employees out when a ride is closed. Don't go to Cedar Point on a Saturday or in rain, or you're going to find reasons to complain. I went the Wednesday after opening to CP, and the employees couldn't have been nicer. Nearly every employee had a smile on their face, the ride op's were joking and creating a fun atmosphere, and the food stand girl politely said "Sorry about the wait sir. Is there anything I can get you while you wait?" as they spent a few minutes making fresh fries for me. Oh, did I mention I literally walked on Millenium Force twice in the morning, once on Maverick in the morning, and twice on Maverick in the evening? I rode all 16 roller coasters (that I was allowed to ride) and many other rides by late afternoon. None were down. Sorry, just had to negate that negativity about Cedar Point, as it was not warranted.
  24. I am one who has gotten beat more in any ride on The Beast than SoB Wow...I don't consider Son of Beast and Beast even close to being in the same realm of roughness, and I don't see how anyone could. Beast and Racer were extremely smooth (as wooden coasters are concerned) to me last season. Son of Beast just had a harsh, heavy jolting that was uncomfortable for a 20s male...and I imagine much worse for older men and women in less than fit condition. However, here is something to think about... Has anyone ridden the Coney Island Cyclone roller coaster in New York? That was so rough and jolting that I was in disbelief that they were operating it. Maybe I rode it before a retracking or when the wheels had worn horribly, but man! It was the one time in my life I actually had fear that I might be harmed by a roller coaster. It made Son of Beast feel tame, and no one is complaining that the Cyclone should be torn down and is a safety risk?
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