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diamondstack 6/16


YoungStud
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Got to the park about 6, thinking the crowd would thin out by then. Wrong!!!

I qued up for diamondstack. Line was out into the midway. If the crew could hit interval it would have been a hour tops. I was in line for two hours. What is the use of a mcbr if your consistently not sending a train out till the train on the course is already stacked. I would rather not have the mcbr and run two trains ala goliath at SFoG.

Maybe its the belonging bins slowing it down. That would make sense. I would be in favor of a no loose articles policy in lines of high thrill rides it would speed up the waits.

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Being an associate at the park, I rarely post on here. That being said, I cannot let this one go. Have you ever worked at the park? Let alone a popular coaster like Diamondback or Beast? I'll say this in the nicest way possible: you guys have NO IDEA the types of stuff we deal with on a busy day (today was one of the busiest days I have ever worked in the four years that I have been at the park). Stacking trains on days like the one we had today is inevitable. This whole "Diamondstack" thing is a load of poop. I worked there for two years and I know how difficult it is to keep those trains moving on a busy day like we had today.

It's not the associates who are at fault, and it's definitely not the ride; It's the excess amount of guests that slow things down. If you want to avoid seeing stacked trains, because apparently that is really disturbing to you guys, come on a weekday when the line is short and the associates can actually concentrate on capacity rather than the hours worth of impatient guests in the queue line.

Sorry, but I will always defend my fellow KI associates when necessary.

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There are no associates in the que. I had to try to police the line jumping the best I could. In two hrs of waiting a train was easing out onto the lift 3 times before the train running the course was stacked. And each of those times the train was already into the final helic. When I boarded the associates were not hustling to check the easiest restraint to check in the world with any urgency.

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If you are sending out full trains every time (whether it's a busy day or a normal day), what does it matter if there are 50 people in line or 1000?

I'm not trying to give anyone crap or anything, but if there is a certain way to do things to keep the trains entering and exiting the station in a timely manner, it shouldn't matter what the queue looks like.

The same idea goes for the whole loose articles thing. There is a max number of people that can be in the loading/unloading portion of the station getting/putting things in the bins. Busy day or not, that part of the process isn't going to shorten/lengthen queue times much.

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Also, take into account that the guests take their sweet time getting on and off the coaster. And sometimes like to try and hang out in the station, for god knows what reason. There are times we have to "fit" guests into the restraints, and they don't fit, then we have to kindly tell them they don't fit, then get them off the ride. Things happen. Sorry the line was long buddy. It's a summer night. Did you see that Kings Island is the 15th most popular park in the United States, right up there with Cedar Point? Be happy you don't have to wait 45-90 minutes every time you visit the park.

Get a Fast Lane pass if you're that upset, because complaining on KIC won't do you much good :)

Oh yeah, getting rid of the free bins is a great idea. They're slowing things down for suuuure. Since 2009 they've been handicapping Diamondback to about 1280 per hour ;)

By the way spelling and grammar helps us take your more seriously and look less like Big Sexy 2.0.

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There are no associates in the que. I had to try to police the line jumping the best I could. In two hrs of waiting a train was easing out onto the lift 3 times before the train running the course was stacked. And each of those times the train was already into the final helic. When I boarded the associates were not hustling to check the easiest restraint to check in the world with any urgency.

I was listening till you said policing the line jumping! I don't keep track of my DB ride counts but I know I have to be up there in the top 5%. I have only seen a few people since the ride opened walk up to catch up with friends or family after a few people in the entrance ( which happens a lot and is expected). Just let it be a learning experience when to ride and when not to, like the rest of us enthusiasts. Check the queue and except your fate!

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Just so you know, you are the first to complain about the DB line not meeting your experience in coaster lines that I can recall. DB lines move fast my friend! I have been all over and its by far one of the fastest lines I have ever experienced. I didn't get in line last night, but I wish I would have now. I doubt it was a two hour wait just from what I was watching while eating my funnel cake with ice cream (cross thread!). Sounds like you just had a rough night, sometimes you just eat the good food and relax. Jr... who knows when to ride, and when to just eat and watch! You just need to pick your ride dates better, I didn't even bother.

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For the majority of what I know about crews, as well life guards at Soak City, it takes alot of work to even be who they are today. I respect everyone who goes out and puts a friendly smile up when a guest comes along with a bad day. The Ride Department, my friend, is the life source of Kings Island, without it, Kings Island would be nothing more than a bundle of sticks and steel, with fiberglass here and there. Main point? Don't bag on the Kings Island employees, there are more on here than you could even think of, and they all do their jobs to the highest of expectation of ride management. As well, you never know who is looking, geez even Mr. Ouimet, who in my book has some good ideas, may be looking at this very post.

As said before, I am sorry that you came on a bad day, and I do hope you can come back for the best day. The usual "down" (slow) days are mondays and tuesdays, so if you want the lesser wait I would choose one of those days for a visit.

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For the most part, wait times weren't bad at all on Saturday. I've waited longer on a weekday this season. It's interesting that "bring-a-friend" day apparently made Sunday much worse.

By the way, sharing experiences here - both good and bad - is great. Calling out employees on a public forum is very bad form, though.

I'm not trying to give anyone crap or anything, but if there is a certain way to do things to keep the trains entering and exiting the station in a timely manner, it shouldn't matter what the queue looks like.


Some guests are probably difficult to get through quickly after standing two hours in line. Their sense of urgency is gone after it's finally their turn, making for a self-sustaining long wait.

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Dear Kings Island Ride Op, this is for you

I have worked at CP on various rides spanning many coaster generations, manufacturers, and styles, so I'm very experienced in the field, and also worked higher capacity rides than your Diamondback that you have been associated with for several years, so I'm very knowledgable from a guest, enthusiast, and ride op point of view. On top of this I have a girlfriend of two years who has worked KI three years, and I know many members of her crew and a few from other crews so I'm very knowledgable about your park. However I must inform you, Diamondback is stacking very bad this season, and it's inexcusable. I'm sorry but you have darn near the easiest restraints and seats to deal with, and the ride works itself more than you working it. You don't park trains manually, you have no manual restraints, and you have no cars that you need to climb into you literally walk straight across from platform. This being said I understand guests can impede operations, capacity and interval still however, especially when you have line passes (green passes for you), VIP tours, ect. However constantly having this problem theres only one group of people to fully blame, operations. You have nothing hard or strenuous to check or do but you still fail. Lets compare your ride to Magnum up at CP. There we have ratcheting lap bars, seatbelts, one bin in the middle of the unload side of platform, and a quicker interval to dispatch (if we don't hit interval the ride will setup, not stack, it sets up). However why is it my crew with more difficult trains, restraints, and not as accessible (you have two loose article bins), and more seats per op to check and more restraints to secure, but we can dispatch on interval and reach a 2k per hour capacity or darn near right under it comparing to your 1,620 theoretical capacity.

All I've seen is excuses, excuses, excuses. It's also a shame as unless you're the same ride op I had problems with during the one train dispatched during KIC ERT the other day (Ride op Howard--Blue Tag), the crew seems to have a very high excuse, *****iness sense about them.

Your job isn't hard comparable to other ride ops in the park and you really have no excuses as to **** poor performance on platform. I suggest relooking this situation, realizing what we see is the guests interpretation of your actions, and your backlash by yourself and other ride ops within the park just add to this perception, and perception trumps intent. Also please let Howard know I'll be watching a bit more closely, his remarks I brought up in the KIC day trip report were very pathetic and **** poor. He is lucky that I'm not one to have mgmt bust someones ass that night/next shift and face disciplinary actions unless needed. I know what ride ops go through daily at CF parks, but still, making excuses and backlashing is not something to be done especially when you are clearly in the wrong. By my knowledge the train can be dispatched before MCBR as to allow the train to reach the next block at the top of the hill right after the previous train has just cleared MCBR to keep trains moving. Now this interval is hard to hit I'll give you that, however even dispatching right after MCBR is still sad when you see one train stacked in readies, or if you see all three stacked and the one sitting on your "main brake." If you'd like examples when I'm at the park I'll gladly videotape and bring back in crew actions and interval and dispatch times to prove our point.

I think I've said my piece here good enough

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Like I said I shall bring proof. I along with other KIC people at the event Saturday actually echoed this same thing. If needed next time I'm at the park I'll record video & whatnot of everything, I have no problem presenting evidence to support my claims. I'm all for ride ops having a hard job, I get that, and guests can be downright stupid, fat, or ignorant. However this is literally one of the easiest rides to work ever. The only ride easier IMO is the train or Eifel Tower

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Dear Kings Island Ride Op, this is for you

I have worked at CP on various rides spanning many coaster generations, manufacturers, and styles, so I'm very experienced in the field, and also worked higher capacity rides than your Diamondback that you have been associated with for several years, so I'm very knowledgable from a guest, enthusiast, and ride op point of view. On top of this I have a girlfriend of two years who has worked KI three years, and I know many members of her crew and a few from other crews so I'm very knowledgable about your park. However I must inform you, Diamondback is stacking very bad this season, and it's inexcusable. I'm sorry but you have darn near the easiest restraints and seats to deal with, and the ride works itself more than you working it. You don't park trains manually, you have no manual restraints, and you have no cars that you need to climb into you literally walk straight across from platform. This being said I understand guests can impede operations, capacity and interval still however, especially when you have line passes (green passes for you), VIP tours, ect. However constantly having this problem theres only one group of people to fully blame, operations. You have nothing hard or strenuous to check or do but you still fail. Lets compare your ride to Magnum up at CP. There we have ratcheting lap bars, seatbelts, one bin in the middle of the unload side of platform, and a quicker interval to dispatch (if we don't hit interval the ride will setup, not stack, it sets up). However why is it my crew with more difficult trains, restraints, and not as accessible (you have two loose article bins), and more seats per op to check and more restraints to secure, but we can dispatch on interval and reach a 2k per hour capacity or darn near right under it comparing to your 1,620 theoretical capacity.

All I've seen is excuses, excuses, excuses. It's also a shame as unless you're the same ride op I had problems with during the one train dispatched during KIC ERT the other day (Ride op Howard--Blue Tag), the crew seems to have a very high excuse, *****iness sense about them.

Your job isn't hard comparable to other ride ops in the park and you really have no excuses as to **** poor performance on platform. I suggest relooking this situation, realizing what we see is the guests interpretation of your actions, and your backlash by yourself and other ride ops within the park just add to this perception, and perception trumps intent. Also please let Howard know I'll be watching a bit more closely, his remarks I brought up in the KIC day trip report were very pathetic and **** poor. He is lucky that I'm not one to have mgmt bust someones ass that night/next shift and face disciplinary actions unless needed. I know what ride ops go through daily at CF parks, but still, making excuses and backlashing is not something to be done especially when you are clearly in the wrong. By my knowledge the train can be dispatched before MCBR as to allow the train to reach the next block at the top of the hill right after the previous train has just cleared MCBR to keep trains moving. Now this interval is hard to hit I'll give you that, however even dispatching right after MCBR is still sad when you see one train stacked in readies, or if you see all three stacked and the one sitting on your "main brake." If you'd like examples when I'm at the park I'll gladly videotape and bring back in crew actions and interval and dispatch times to prove our point.

I think I've said my piece here good enough

Yep, Just push a little on the restraint, see if its working and locked then just walk off and check the others, Simple! Ive even seen Ride Ops on DT just look at the restraint and only actually check a few of them... <_<

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Like I said I shall bring proof. I along with other KIC people at the event Saturday actually echoed this same thing. If needed next time I'm at the park I'll record video & whatnot of everything, I have no problem presenting evidence to support my claims. I'm all for ride ops having a hard job, I get that, and guests can be downright stupid, fat, or ignorant. However this is literally one of the easiest rides to work ever. The only ride easier IMO is the train or Eifel Tower

What about the log flume? Congo Falls?

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Eh congo and log actually have a bit of an operational or evac chance honestly that'd I'd put them as more difficult than Train or tower

Now to the ride ops trying to make excuses...See how many others chime in the same ideas...Pity they make excuses and backlash instead of realize, hey people are seeing a problem with what we're doing and it's causing some difficulties with guests, what can I do to try and alleviate this or maybe present a better appearance...instead they try to argue

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