KI Guy
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Posts posted by KI Guy
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10 hours ago, JubJester said:
Going with the 24 capacity was the best idea in my opinion. After this season, I don't think lines will be as packed (besides busy days, but that's the case with almost every ride).
Getting the smaller model just makes sense to me.
One thing you may not be considering is that a lower capacity means less theoretical ride time. They could run a 48-seat model for 2 minutes rather than a 24-seat model for 90 seconds and still come out ahead on capacity.
Unless the line is empty you will be waiting more than you could have, and and you could very well be riding for less time.
10 hours ago, PKIDelirium said:It's actually not smaller, the 24 and 48 are the same physical size. The only difference is the seat carriers have two single seats instead of two double seats.
Personally I think the one-across will provide a better open-air feeling for riders.
I wonder if this means they could just bolt on the 2 seat units at some point in the future if the capacity proves to be a problem.
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8 hours ago, BeeastFarmer said:
I think they figure in 5-7 million in capex a year in general improvements with larger amounts for coasters. How much more should they invest @super7 to make you happy?
@super7 put "cheap" in quotes meaning that the 24- seat model is cheap relative to the 48-seat model. To me, this complaint is legitimate.
The $5-7 million is for all park upkeep as well as the new rides and theming. Even an off year with no new attraction will cost a couple million spent on small things here and there.
Following your point though, If they are spending $5-7 million shouldn't the ride be capable of handling the volume it will likely need? If $5-7 million is being spent what is another $100k or $200k for the 48-seat model? (I have no idea the actual amount, but I can't imagine it's more than that).
If the extra money really was a sticking point, I find it hard to believe that the difference in cost could not be taken from something else in the park's budget (at least for the this year) just to make it right. This is the first investment in three years and some could reasonably argue they're cutting corners with the money spent on capacity and the money put forth to get everything open on time.
Maybe it'll be a non-issue and the line doesn't back up, but seeing how long they built the queue line they likely expect longer waits.
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6 hours ago, IndyGuy4KI said:
Park Confirmed. We are getting the 24-seat capacity!
Hopefully, it will be a non-issue regarding waiting times. Should it it prove to be a significant problem, they very easily could relocate Sol Spin to smaller park and replace it with a 48-seat model next year.
The silver lining of this is that riders get a little more of an open feeling having nothing around them on all sides.
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16 hours ago, FUN&ONLY! said:
That’s too bad. I wish Cedar Fair would have purchased the 48-seat model for more capacity. Even Six Flags has purchased the 48 seat model. What’s odd is that a November edition of Amusement Today mentioned that Kings Island’s Sol Spin would be the 48-seat model.
If it is in fact the 24-seat model, this is the definition of a short-sighted decision. The equivalent (24-seat) ride at Kentucky Kingdom gets a line and far less people go there.
I could understand the 24-seat model at a smaller park like Michigan's Adventure, but not Kings Island. For the relatively few dollars saved (or time saved on the build date?) they are getting half the ride in terms of capacity.
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4 hours ago, KIEagle33 said:
Swan Lake V2.
Diamondback may have looked different had it been built just a couple years later. Had management known the Crypt was not salvageable, they could have put the station and brake run on that site, (assuming the lack of a splashdown was not a dealbreaker). Diamondback is an anomaly in that it's not built entirely outside of the midway.
OR
Had they known that Son of Beast was also getting the ax, they may have put Diamondback on the Son of Beast site/future site of Banshee. Banshee or Mystic Timbers could then utilize the former Crypt site, today's Diamondback site (not including Swan Lake), and today's Mystic Timbers site.
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13 minutes ago, CoasterJack said:
I see it as another way to not tolerate any misbehavior. Like if I'm a guard and I see two siblings at 6pm browsing for a new squishmallow, I probably wouldn't say anything. But if there's kids causing trouble, being a disturbance, being rude, line cutting, etc, it's an easy way to just be like "hey, you're not supposed to be here. I need you to leave the park".
This is correct. Previously they might have needed something egregious to kick someone out and even then it would only be one of two people.
Now they can kick out a whole group (after 4) under the cover of the policy if they even see signs of trouble coming.
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For those that go to the park very frequently:
Over the last few years have you been seeing significant Issues more often with kids under 16, or is it just being covered more in media and social media?
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2 hours ago, disco2000 said:
Then why did they paint it before the start of the 22 season but then not open it....
It may have been that the approval to paint came before the decision came down to close it. A different person may have decided to remove it than the one who decided to re-paint it.
If SlingShot was losing money the re-paint was a small sunk cost and running it at a loss wasn't going to help anything.
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On 3/16/2023 at 3:16 PM, FUN&ONLY! said:
Why did Kings Island remove SlingShot?
It's speculation on my part, but I think it just wasn't making them much money anymore.
2005: Paid a crew of three $5 an hour and charged usually $10-15 to ride.
2021: Paid a crew of three $13-15 an hour and still charged around $15 to ride.
This coupled with decreased ridership due to age and the better rides now available leads me to believe it wasn't making much of a profit, if at all.
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TAER IT DOWN!
... and put an S&S Screamin' Swing in it's place.
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It would be very hard to justify any investment above standard maintenance.
It was a [much] less than spectacular ride even in April 2005. Its theming has been a shadow of even that disappointment for 17 seasons this year.
Even so, I don't see it being removed soon unless it's costing them a lot of money in maintenance and operating costs (anyone know?).
After The Vortex plot is filled, and Action Zone is re-done, they may choose to address it.*
* Or maybe even Flight of Fear which is 27 years old.
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6 hours ago, beastfan11 said:
I’ve always thought about something like this. I’d love to see it. Either The Vortex spot or where the Junkyard Coaster sits.
New Swan Lake on one spot, new coaster on the other. :)
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The Coney Island theme was supposed to be Coney Island "after the turn of the [20th] century."
If a coaster is to go on The Vortex plot, I say build an RMC hybrid inspired by the look of the Coney Wildcat.
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On 10/21/2022 at 4:37 PM, PKIDelirium said:
Okay, I mentioned before I had a plan for redoing Backlot in a way that would establish it fully as a Coney ride and also make it look a lot nicer, so I'll actually type that up here.
- Bust up all the concrete, remove all the gravel, and remove the "parking garage" facade.
- Ditch and replace the shipping containers or paint them to look like normal buildings.
- Repaint everything in bright colors and put a bunch of nice landscaping around everything, including the removal of the former water feature at the end and all the gravel around the final turn and brakes.
- Remove ALL existing theme elements, and bring in someone like Daniels Woodland to totally re-theme it to a large, classic funhouse. A full size coaster version of the carnival-like "funhouse ride" attractions. Put some glass or mirrors around the existing "police chase" area, leading up until the "subway stairs" drop, which could be fully enclosed (potentially all the way until the midcourse stop) with light effects to become a dark ride-like element.
- The midcourse stop scene becomes a suitable, theme-matching scene, without any fire or water effects. Funhouse-like light show and classic effects. Tunnel entrance could be a clown like Enchanted Voyage had inside.
- Tunnel becomes the main dark ride element with lighting and projection effects.
- Billboard exit stays the same but no more hunk-of-concrete abandoned pool or gravel, theme accordingly with elements around the drop and entrance/exit bridge, and then perhaps one final tunnel is added for the last turn.
- Station area is completely redesigned to theme, same with the shells for the trains.
- Entrance plaza loses majority of the concrete, with the access point closest to Rivertown being removed and the brick wall put back in place, entrance and exit gain theming as well and only uses the access point on the Coney side, potentially even closing the other existing one and routing it in place of the Three-Point Shootout, to firmly establish the ride's place in Coney instead of the strange halfway-down-the-path situation.
- Plant a bunch of trees all around, including the now-removed parts of the entrance plaza to bring the old feel back to that pathway.
- No new named area, but Rouse is brought in to spruce up the existing "back 40" of Coney including the redone entrance to the now-formerly-Backlot, and Vortex's replacement could join "Funhouse Coaster", SR&R, WindSeeker, KMAA and Jukebox in the still-Coney-Mall, but revamped, back section.
- The restored serpentine brick wall leading over to the restrooms and midway intersection is now a more well-defined transition into Rivertown.
Good thoughts, but I would just as soon ship Backlot (coaster only) to Michigan's Adventure.
On the site make a new Swan Lake. This would bring back some of the beauty we lost in 2008.
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6 hours ago, PKIDelirium said:
Banshee is an Irish legend, and being less than ten years old I doubt they'd want to redo the theme on it.
Instead of Oktoberfest expansion, perhaps Oktoberfest could become an originally-named "dark forest" or something like it, overall kind of a haunted theme.
IF they wanted to re-theme Banshee as part of an AZ re-theme, I don't think that would be the expensive or difficult part of the change.
It would need a sign, new paint scheme (will need new paint anyway) and tombstones (if they want to keep them). Nothing else is strictly Irish. Call it Poltergeist assuming Six Flags Fiesta Texas is ok with that, if not something similar.
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21 hours ago, Rivertown Rider said:
I do think the next area to get rethemed will be Action Zone and I think the whole area of AZ will become part of the remaining Oktoberfest ... This has the feeling of the Antiques before Orion.
I hope you're exactly right. I think the big question is which happens first The Vortex plot or AZ.
Invertigo, Congo Falls, and The Bat, all could be nearing the end given age and ridership. All those things will need replacements at some point. With that considered the AZ revamp/retheme seems more pressing.
I think Invertigo could be replaced by a flat ride or two without complaint. The Bat would probably need a large coaster to take its place and if Congo is to be replaced I wouldn't mind some type of new water ride. If it happens, I could see this being a two year project like the 1999-2000 expansion.
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55 minutes ago, KIghostguy said:
I’m surprised they didn’t do some sort of in-person announcement. They’ve done announcement events for more minor additions, and this would have been very well-received in-person.
Not all this relates to your post directly, but I will say I like the way they did it. Reserving hype and pomp for the biggest additions means people take you seriously at those events.
How much better is this surprise announcement as opposed to the ultra-hyped "shed"?
They overdelivered relative to expectations here which is a lost art in the social media age.
Many people know what is marketing over-hype (the shed) and what has substance (the great coaster itself). Those who don't often end up disappointed.
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I guess we all spoke too soon. It's so nice to have a surprise!
That's an excellent choice of flat rides, probably the two I would have chosen myself. Traditionally sized flats are just what the park was missing.
I do hope that Oktoberfest can live on in another iteration at some point. As long as Festhaus exists, we can hope it may be re-born as an Action Zone re-theme at some point. That would be a lot of work though as it would likely require a new Biergarten to be constructed and new facades for all the buildings.
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On 9/15/2022 at 3:22 PM, DeltaFlyer said:
I’ve had a season pass every year for the last 10+ years...
I understand that a park cannot get something big and new every year, but there has to be something that drives you to renew your pass. This year, for the first time since I’ve been a pass holder, there isn’t anything driving me to renew my pass. I am certain I am not the only person to feel that way.
@robintodd reading the above @DeltaFlyer is not a whiner who only buys passes when there's a new coaster. Ten straight years of passes is pretty solid.
It's good that you are enjoying the park. However, most of us are (or should be) glad "on- again off-again" visitors exist. Without them there would never be a reason to make any new additions to the park (above maintenance/replacement).
The fact that amusement parks add things on a regular basis rather than simply maintain the status quo means that they bring people and money through the gate.
We'll see in some capacity how this might affect attendance and per capita spending-- although KI is just one piece of the CF pie.
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On 9/2/2022 at 10:10 AM, BB1 said:
If you told me 10 years ago that I would expect CF to theme their properties very well, I would have laughed. Now we live in a very theme heavy park chain that focuses on creating stories within their parks.
I see this sentiment tossed around here often and I just don't see it.
Where is the heavy theming over the last 10 years? Take Kings Island which has received more additions than any CF park in those years. Banshee is lightly themed coaster in an un-themed park area. Mystic Timbers has some themed props and a themed brake run that correspond to a story. Orion is themed marginally more than Diamondback with the few props and hangar in the queue.
This is not a criticism. In my opinion the current level of theming is well suited for a regional, seasonal park. Kings Island hasn't been themed like a Busch Gardens or Dollywood level since just about the beginning. There's nothing wrong with this, it's just a different approach for a slightly different customer.
I think that a good portion of the theming is to allow for marketing campaigns. Some people get more excited by a story, others think it's interesting the first time they see it and move on, others still only care about the ride itself. I'd say the latter two groups together are the vast majority of guests, but I could be wrong.
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@MisterSG1Understand that your (clearly) strong views on the rights of minors are not what everyone believes.
You may disagree, but to most people it is just and fair that adulthood has privileges and rights that come with it. Adults are expected to be responsible by way of their life experience and more fully developed brains. Parents/Guardians are expected to take care of minors and to teach them responsibility. Parents/guardians are responsible for much of their teenagers actions until they turn 18. Of course adulthood doesn't look the same for all and there are plenty of adults who still act irresponsibly, but there needs to be an age cutoff somewhere. Right now, legislatures have decided that's 18.
This is how society has always functioned. If you don't like it and want to change it, you are in for a much bigger fight than an amusement park chaperone policy.
The reason for the policy is this:
There are teenagers who have been causing trouble/a bad image for the park. Cedar Fair can legally restrict teenagers from entering without a chaperone. Cedar Fair believes that to most the positives of such a policy outweigh the negatives. Therefore revenues will not decline as they fear it would if such a policy were not put in place.
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More trees. More traditional sized flat rides
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2 hours ago, nhimes90 said:
Even though I don’t agree with the theory, raising prices can be seen as a way to discourage the rowdy crowds. In a lot of business minds, it’s the poorer people who misbehave. (100% don’t agree with that) So by raising prices they can keep poorer people away and then the rowdiness may subside.
I don't think this is a major part of their goal. I think it's about simple revenue. [If If they decide they want to discourage lower income buyers a more effective way would be to nix the installment plans for passes. Kings Island didn't have this option before 2010ish. Dollywood, Holiday World, and Indiana Beach still don't have them].
I can't understand though why Kings Island passes are 30% more than Cedar Point other than they think the KI customer will still pay it. Bold move.
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29 minutes ago, Oldschool75 said:
Still scratching my head on why they would invest more money into CGA yet not add any flats to Kings Island which really needs them.
I believe that the flat rides mentioned are already there now and are not new for 2023.
Reading the carefully worded press release the 'recently' is key.
"Guests can also enjoy the recently expanded and upgraded All-American Corners area."
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Adventure Port Construction Updates
in Kings Island
Posted
The seats aren't benches like on a Scrambler or Shake, Rattle & Roll. They're molded seats with a divider and individual harnesses.
They wouldn't leave seats empty, just as they don't on WindSeeker- so capacity would have essentially doubled, (assuming equal ride cycle time).
Regarding Cargo Loco, I'm glad to hear they're opening things as they become ready. That's the best thing to do at this point