malem

Waiting for parking tolls to open!

^ Is it back to quarters this year? They had changed it to tokens a couple years ago. My only gripe with Cash-to-Card machines is that the cards can't be reloaded and incur fees after a few months of inactivity. Luckily, the point-of-sale systems at Kings Island support partial transactions, so it should be easy to use up cards with small remaining balances. I prefer closed loop systems like Holiday World's where cash can be loaded directly to a season pass or wristband, but I understand the appeal of letting an outside vendor handle the cash system.

Per the e-mail that was sent to attendees, Funpix is loaded onto your Coasterstock event ticket, which you can print or show on your mobile device from your online Coasterstock ticket order. You shouldn't need to register to load photos, but you'll want to register afterward to view and download your pictures from the Funpix website.

I'm really liking the changes to the bandstand lighting effects since last season (when most of the current effects were new). It's going to look great when night-time shows can happen. I caught most of the 8:00 Center Stage Live show on my way out of the park last night, and I was impressed. The band sounded great, and the large set of dancers kept the crowd engaged. It's nice to see more elaborate shows taking place on the bandstand.

^ It's disappointing for sure to have shortened hours, as Kings Island is one of the best parks to experience at night. I look forward to when staffing and operational circumstances again (hopefully very soon) permit later operation. I noticed last night that crowds died down significantly after about 6:00pm. Night rides and fireworks do a great job of keeping people in the park spending money longer, so I'd like to think that this is a priority to get resolved. Feedback, concerns and constructive criticism are of course always welcome on the forum. To keep the overall tone positive and facilitate a discussion, it's usually best to avoid rehashing the same points.

We attempted to do a software upgrade last night, but it ended up breaking replies. Sorry about that. I restored the previous version until we can figure out what went wrong and apply the updates again.

The cash price is now listed on the Wishbone menu board; I believe it's around $13.

The event at Carowinds last year was the Peanuts Celebration, similar to the June 2018 event at Kings Island. Weather and attendance are major issues for seasonal parks in November, so it can be a gamble with events. Maybe we'll see some Cedar Fair parks try a food tasting event at that time of the year, which they're getting quite good at this year out of necessity at Knott's.

Discussing how the recent case illustrates the need to make the coaster community a safer place for everyone is welcome, but let's steer clear of any speculation. Some posts have been cleaned up. This is a tough time for the entire community. Those who call themselves enthusiasts should strive to be the best fans of the park. It should be about enjoying parks, supporting the industry, modeling exemplary behavior, and creating the safest environment possible. News like this, especially involving someone you know, feels like a gut punch. No one should lose sight of the fact that amusement parks and amusement park fans are part of the real world. We all have a responsibility for keeping ourselves, our families, and those around us safe. Since amusement parks attract an audience of all ages, special caution is warranted with respect to interactions involving younger people in the community. It's always safest to interact in groups and with people in a similar age range. Be aware of the signs of grooming and abuse, and don't be afraid to report inappropriate behavior to relevant authorities and to others as appropriate.

They wouldn't have planned another major coaster the year after the biggest investment in park history, even before COVID-19. Early 2000s Six Flags doesn't own the park. It's always fun to look at work going on in the park and speculate about future additions. Let's stay focused on what's within the realm of possibility, though.

It was a little past medium, but there was some pink in the meat on my sandwich, which I posted a picture of in the other thread. I got mine right after they started serving at 5:00. They had meat in a hot holding dish after they were done grilling it, so it may have cooked further depending on when it was ordered.

Tonight's chef's plate special of sliced ribeye with provolone and sauteed peppers and onions was excellent. The sandwich had a well-rounded taste, with a generous portion of steak cooked to a perfect medium. For sure the best meal I've had on my dining plan. I can't wait to come back and try more specials.

The ribeyes for tonight's menu are on the grill.

With operational limitations this year, I'm very glad to get night rides going into September. Cedar Point isn't staying open after 8:00 at all this season.

Fall hours have been added to the park's online calendar. 11am-10pm Saturday and Sunday of Labor Day weekend; 11am-8pm Monday. Then, 11am-10pm Saturdays and 11am-8pm Sundays through September 20. After that, for the remainder of the season, it will be 11am-8pm Saturdays and 11am-7pm Sundays.

What's not allowed at Dollywood is to let others scan your (gold) pass card to get discounts or other benefits. You can buy things for friends, and they can pay you back, however. Sharing food from your plate obtained through an all-day dining plan goes against the spirit of all-you-can-eat, but enforcing this as an actual rule would be impossible. The 90-minute interval is meant to discourage this, as most guests want to eat a meal at the same time as other members of their party.

One focus of CGA is events and corporate buy-outs, owing to their strategic location in Silicon Valley next to Levi's Stadium. We may see more development along the lines of the event pavilion that was built a few years ago. I don't see them becoming a huge destination park like Knott's or Kings Island, but I think they will remain a development focus for the chain.

On Opening Day, if everyone had shown up at their reservation time as instructed, there wouldn't have been the logjam that there was.

With as much history and potential as the Vortex site has, I'd rather wait for the "right" replacement than get something else quickly.

Adventureland is offering free admission to Cedar Fair and Six Flags passholders for the last part of this season. https://twitter.com/PayneReports/status/1291504041789456386 Seems like a smart move to me; encourage out-of-town park fans to spend money in their park while maybe boosting interest if they ever decide to put themselves up for sale.

On 10:00pm closes this year, the lines for both Beast and Orion close early for fireworks. Unlike in previous, normal seasons, they aren't reopening after fireworks for people already in line. When they close the line depends on how long the line is; they close it early enough to have riders in line through by 9:45pm. To get a night ride, you'll want to be in line around the time they close the line off.

Much of CF corporate is in Charlotte these days.

They use Chargerback to track lost and found reports, so you can submit one online: https://www.visitkingsisland.com/help/lost-and-found If it's found, they should give you an option to either pick it up at the park or buy a shipping label.

^^ That was basically the FunPerks system from 2012. There were no visible points, but you earned rewards based on your visits and especially your in-park spending. I don't know if it will involve rewards, but I expect a push to increase spending next year since passholders will be essentially getting the season for free. I'll be more likely to drop money on something random having not really paid for admission (or dining/drinks).

Holiday World updated their COVID-19 policy on the website to reflect Indiana's new mandate: