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Something Else Old Becomes New Again: The Crypt, Robbie Knievel to Jump at Kings Island & More!


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Which begs a question that has always puzzled me - why is it Cedar Fair's flagship park doesn't have a Halloween event close to the size or notoriety as the park on the West Coast? I thought Cedar Point was the end-all, be-all of amusement park fame and fortune, next to Disneyland and whatnot?

I really just don't think Cedar Fair is as arrogant as people like to say they are. They do what works. To be honest, I thought the Halloweekends was really weak at Cedar Point last year, but hey... it drew record crowds. I think people expect more out of Kings Island so they get more.

I also don't think that saying that the Haunt is "thrown together" is a fair analysis of the event. Granted, sometimes you can recognize some of their props from local Halloween stores, but it would be very difficult to get covering that much area with that many decorations in such a short amount of time down to a science that's both cost effective, timely, and of mind-blowing quality. I think a lot of it has to do with the "fun by day" portion of it as well. Things such as the electric chair guy had to be covered up, while comical things like skeletons playing cornhole were acceptable for anyone.

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Which begs a question that has always puzzled me - why is it Cedar Fair\'s flagship park doesn\'t have a but hey... it drew record crowds.

According to who?

According to their Q4 conference call, year end conference call, I think Tony's blog mentioned it and so on and so on and so on. They made it no secret.

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I really just don't think Cedar Fair is as arrogant as people like to say they are. They do what works. To be honest, I thought the Halloweekends was really weak at Cedar Point last year, but hey... it drew record crowds. I think people expect more out of Kings Island so they get more.

I also don't think that saying that the Haunt is "thrown together" is a fair analysis of the event. Granted, sometimes you can recognize some of their props from local Halloween stores, but it would be very difficult to get covering that much area with that many decorations in such a short amount of time down to a science that's both cost effective, timely, and of mind-blowing quality. I think a lot of it has to do with the "fun by day" portion of it as well. Things such as the electric chair guy had to be covered up, while comical things like skeletons playing cornhole were acceptable for anyone.

Define 'mind-blowing quality.'

If you mean the stuff that Universal Studios and Disney comes up with for regular theme park attractions and USF's Halloween Horror Nights, then you have the same attitude towards haunted attractions that ACErs have towards roller what makes a coaster a 'coaster.'

Look closely at the pictures of the behind-the-scenes work of a few of the Haunt (at KBF) mazes on Theme Park Adventure or Ultimate Haunt and you'll see that they look almost exactly like high school drama productions (though obviously better) in terms of scenic, lighting, and sound design/construction. It's two totally different experiences walking through a KBF Haunt maze in the daytime with no actors versus at night with monsters; you really feel like you're in a mental asylum or charred doll factory instead of just being in a cage and you have to have the mindset that it's 'supposed' to be a prison ward.

....actually, it (Death Row) does kinda feel/look like a prison at certain spots. :)

Finally, Cedar Fair renamed all of the FearFest attractions at the former Paramount Parks (along with Valleyfair's ValleySCARE event) to KBF's Haunt in an effort to match the authenticity and nostalgia of the original at the Farm, hence why they added "From the minds behind the original haunted event at Knott's Berry Farm" to the press releases. I sincerely doubt it was because the FearFest names were too similar to Six Flags FrightFest; otherwise, they would've only changed our event name to something different due to the relatively close proximity between the Island and the Kingdom...in Kentucky, that is.

(Is there another Six Flags nearby Carowinds, Canada's Wonderland, and Kings Dominion at all?)

It seems as if, to me, Cedar Fair is beginning to copy the nasty habit that Six Flags is known for of name branding a lot of their attractions, what with all the Halloween Haunts (not surprisingly, Cedar Point's is still different), Flight Decks, and whatnot.

.....actually, scratch that out, 'cause Paramount Parks did the same thing by slapping movie names on rides throughout their parks. ;)

But Drop Zone's STILL a better name than Drop Tower. :)

Oh, and I did finally get to ride The Crypt today.

WHOA. Was NOT expecting that at all. The flashing, colored lights, the sheer speed of the vehicle, the cool soundtrack (which is NOT techno, it's tribal music), etc. All it needs is some heavy bass, some props/scenery in the main building, and to turn off the friggin worklights in the queue lines, and it's a smash hit in my book. Oh, and change the queue rails so that there's actually two rows instead of an unneeded third row.

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...(Is there another Six Flags nearby Carowinds, Canada's Wonderland, and Kings Dominion at all?)...

Yes. Carowinds gets quite a bit of cross competition with Six Flags Over Georgia, which is about four to five hours by car...Kings Dominion is about two to three hours (depending on traffic) from Six Flags America (though I am not sure I'd call that competition....what Kings Dominion has to worry about is more Busch Gardens Europe)...and Wonderland is quite a piece, to put it mildly, from La Ronde....

...Oh, and I did finally get to ride The Crypt today.

WHOA. Was NOT expecting that at all. The flashing, colored lights, the sheer speed of the vehicle, the cool soundtrack (which is NOT techno, it's tribal music), etc. ...

NOW. It WAS techno...they changed the music just yesterday, by all accounts. This leads me to believe that The Crypt is a work in progress.

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Thats awesome that they are still changing things, Maybe by summer they will have a better sound clip for The Bat creature, and maybe some more theming in the ride area! I was a little worried they were going to leave it the way it was last weekend! Thankfully, it is a work in progress! And when I rode it on Sunday last weekend, they did have the service lights in the queue off?...

Why do people keep saying "CF has no money to spend on theming, they're in debt." Yes, they may be in debt but obviosly they're not to worried about it! I mean, they just put in a HUGE B&M up in Canada, which I'm sure wasn't cheap, and now they are (probably) putting one in here at KI! I'm pretty sure CF could spare a little cash, and not do a crappy job on theming The Crypt!

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Finally, Cedar Fair renamed all of the FearFest attractions at the former Paramount Parks (along with Valleyfair's ValleySCARE event) to KBF's Haunt in an effort to match the authenticity and nostalgia of the original at the Farm, hence why they added "From the minds behind the original haunted event at Knott's Berry Farm" to the press releases. I sincerely doubt it was because the FearFest names were too similar to Six Flags FrightFest; otherwise, they would've only changed our event name to something different due to the relatively close proximity between the Island and the Kingdom...in Kentucky, that is.

Yeah...and none of this had anything to do with the fact that the park could just make the same generic items for all of the parks instead of having to make something unique for the former Paramount parks...and there is no nostalgia factor for anyone who hasn't ever been to Knott's Berry Farm's halloween event...which I would say is the majority of the people who come to Halloween Haunt.

(There's something about discussing Halloween at Kings Island that brings out my worst side.)

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Now, now....remember, Halloween Haunt is all about no limits and skimpily clad teenagers in dimly lit haunted houses and being gratuitously insulting and making fun of religious holidays and all kinds of other wholesome stuff one would expect to find in a theme park. None of which, I might add, you will find at Cedar Fair's flagship park.

Halloween Haunt will include graphic scenes, suggestive themes and intense imagery and is intended for mature audiences. Parents, please be advised.
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I really just don't think Cedar Fair is as arrogant as people like to say they are. They do what works. To be honest, I thought the Halloweekends was really weak at Cedar Point last year, but hey... it drew record crowds. I think people expect more out of Kings Island so they get more.

People like to think CF is arrogant because of having the "World's # 1 park 9 years in a row". Sure, I believe that those Golden Ticket rankings are tainted, but CF would be fools not to promote the ranking they receive. From a general public standpoint, it is believable. But from an enthusiast standpoint, those rankings are as valuable as the paper they are written on.

I compare it to sports teams. The Yankees are the most popular baseball team there is. They are also the most hated. The same thing goes for the New England Patriots and Dallas Cowboys. People love to hate the big kid on the block, and will find anything to put them down. Some issues brought up are right on, while others are just reaching for straws (i.e.- how many times have we heard about the amount of garbage cans that can be found in a CF park? Is it really that big of a deal?)

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And some of it is familiarity breeds contempt. Cedar Fair is the local theme park operator. Many think that since they are based in Ohio, they can't know what they are doing or be any good. Just as many who live near that certain park in New Jersey think it cannot possibly have world class rides, as it is just that same Great Adventure they grew up with...and many who live in the shadow of the Coney Island Cyclone have no appreciation for its unique heritage and ride.

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Now, now....remember, Halloween Haunt is all about no limits and skimpily clad teenagers in dimly lit haunted houses and being gratuitously insulting and making fun of religious holidays and all kinds of other wholesome stuff one would expect to find in a theme park. None of which, I might add, you will find at Cedar Fair's flagship park.

Halloween Haunt will include graphic scenes, suggestive themes and intense imagery and is intended for mature audiences. Parents, please be advised.

Miley Cyrus is coming to Haunt's this year?

(There's something about discussing Halloween at Kings Island that brings out my worst side.)

Careful, they'll hire you for the taunt house that Tibbles worked at last year.

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Sorry to go off topic about this but I am confused. Is Halloween Haunt included with admission or do you have to have a gold pass? Thanks for clearing this up for me.

Uhhh...... It's included with admission and free for season passholders this year.

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Sorry to go off topic about this but I am confused. Is Halloween Haunt included with admission or do you have to have a gold pass? Thanks for clearing this up for me.

Uhhh...... It's included with admission and free for season passholders this year.

Are you sure about that included with admission part? The park calendar shows two sessions on Halloween Haunt Saturdays, with the park being closed for an hour in between....Do they not intend to clear the park?

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Sorry to go off topic about this but I am confused. Is Halloween Haunt included with admission or do you have to have a gold pass? Thanks for clearing this up for me.

Uhhh...... It's included with admission and free for season passholders this year.

Are you sure about that included with admission part? The park calendar shows two sessions on Halloween Haunt days, with the park being closed for an hour in between....Do they not intend to clear the park?

They are not clearing the park. The split calendar reflects the change from the Nick-or-Treat to Halloween Haunt.

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Thanks for your feedback guys! I was freaking out because I didn't get a gold pass this year and when I heard the commercial on the radio it said "Get your gold pass now and get free admission into Halloween Haunt!" And it kinda made me worry. Thanks again!

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