Some Haunt Questions

[McSalsa]

OK, here's the deal- I may be going to KI for Halloween Haunt this month. It's not 100% finalized, but it seems very likely as we do have some extra cash saved up and have talked about it. And I have a few questions...

Ride Waits

I'm not really into the "haunts" themselves, but simply want to return to KI to ride the rides...again, mostly, as by now I've gotten nearly everything (save Invertigo, Drop Tower, and of course Son of Beast). However, I have heard that wait times for haunts can be 1+ hours, but the wait times for rides I haven't heard. I went to KI earlier this year on a Saturday in May and there were tons of school kids, Beast and Diamondback had 60+ minute waits, and want to know- how long should I expect to wait for rides? Are the waits going to be longer or shorter during the non-haunt hours (12-7)? If you want to list rides and then "normal haunt wait times" next to them, I'd appreciate it.

PS: If I go, it will be with a friend who has ridden Drop Tower and thus will probably get my first ride on it...

Good Entry-Level Haunt?

OK, I'm going mostly for rides but may still squeeze in a "haunt" or two as well, but being just a wee bit nervous, what would be a good "starter" haunt? One that is "scary-ish" but not extreme and still good, that may lead to more haunts if I end up enjoying it?

Kroger Tickets

Every time we visit KI, we buy tickets from a local Kroger because they are only $29.99. Can we do this for haunt, or must we buy KI tickets from another source?

Wind Seeker Construction

Is Wind Seeker under construction yet? If so, I wanna go take a look at the construction myself if we go...

Good Night Rides

Halloween Haunt is open until 1AM according to www.visitkingsisland.com. The sun sets around 7ish. That means 6 hours for night rides. Besides the obvious one (Beast) that I've already ridden at night (PS: Beast + Night= Super Awesome), what else at KI gets a good "boost" from a night ride? I've heard Diamondback is better at night, and would guess Flight Deck since it's also 'in the woods'...

OK, that's about it. Man, I've been to KI 3 times now and yet still ask questions. Thanks for any replies! And if this happens, a TR is coming, of course. With photos? Maybe...

[muppetfan1999]

Ride Waits- If you go on a friday the waits will be moderate, but if you go on a saturday the park tends to be packed.

Good Entry Level Haunts- If your okay with strobe lights, mirrors, and a few scareactors, Death Row. Club Blood is also good if you aren't offended easily.

Kroger Tickets- Because Halloween Haunt is included with park admission, Yes, you can still buy tickets from Krogers.

WindSeeker Construction- Unfortunately, construction for WindSeeker won't start until the off-season.

Good Night Rides- I can't tell you much because I don't ride coasters but I have ridden Adventure Express at night and it's pretty good.

[TheCryptRaider]

I'll just answer the ones that are opinion, since Muppet answered the facts.

Ride Waits - As MuppetFan said, on Fridays the waits tend to be relatively low and then on Saturdays the park is pretty much packed full. Try to avoid Saturdays as much as possible.

Good Entry Level Haunts - I'd say maybe Cemetery Drive or CornStalkers because both are really easy to figure out where the actors will jump out.

Good Night Rides - I think that Diamondback, Adventure Express, and Flight Deck are all great night rides. My favorite night ride behind The Beast is Delirium. I like it because the lights around the park are all you can see and its really really disorienting and confusing, all in all a great rush.

[RingMaster]

Entry-Level Haunts (this is based off last year as I haven't gone yet this season):

• Cut-Throat Cove - More fun and open than scary and claustrophobic. The talent are really, REALLY into their roles, so much so that they are less of a monster and more of a professional pirate/wench actor. Also a shorter maze compared to a majority of the others.
• Cemetery Drive - Both dark and bright at the same time. This is essentially a warm-up before taking on the monstrosity that is the Trail of Terror. Monsters here are of the zombie variety, so they are a bit slower and less jumpy than other attractions, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. If you're not a fan of fog, try going through when there's a breeze coming in; the slightest gust will carry away the fog and everything will be out in the open.
• cornSTALKERS - Same rule with the fog from Cemetery Drive applies here, but to even greater (or worse) effect; this mazes relies solely on fog as there isn't much in terms of scenery to carry on the scares. Also a bit bright as it sits smack dab in the middle of Action Zone and the entrance and exit lie right next to two bright attractions (Drop Tower & Invertigo). Still, do not underestimate the men in ghillie suits; they are a force to be reckoned with if you're not careful when standing next to the rows of corn.
• Tombstone Terrortory - Combination of a train ride and a walk-through attraction. The maze is nothing but just walking around crates and boxes and playing the Guessing Game as to which crate has a monster hiding behind it. Still, it's a cowboy-themed maze, and the talent are really good despite not having any help from their surroundings.

[Captain Picard]

Government Assistance weekend so expect longer wait times if you go Oct 1-3.

[Dieseltech20]

I love Diamondback at night.

[McSalsa]

UPDATE:

The trip has been confirmed, but it must be a Saturday, on October 16th, so I will have to deal with crowds. Figures. Oh well...at least by now I know what rides/attractions are good with crowds (Vortex, Diamondback, Adventure Express, and somewhat Beast etc etc) and which ones aren't, as well as what rides aren't uber popular.

Thanks for all the advice.

YAY, ANOTHER QUESTION NOW!

At what point will the waits be longest, during haunt itself(7PM-1AM) or during "normal" operation? Because if it's going to be crowded I want to hit all the "big" rides when their waits are shortest.

[faeriewench]

Usually between 8 and 10. At about 11 things thin out, but thats some of the Haunts, dunno bout the rides. Probably bout the same seeing as Diamondback usually more quiet by midnight from what I saw/heard from Tombstone last yr.(screaming wise)