Ticket Booths Demolished

[CoastersNSich]

According to a friend who drove by the park yesterday (Wednesday), the ticket booths between the metal detectors and the main turnstiles have been torn down. Can anyone confirm this?

Since they now have signage outside the metal detectors directing unticketed guests to go to the Season Pass Sales windows for tickets, this shouldn't be a total surprise.

[The Interpreter]

I know the ticket booths were scheduled to be demolished this week, so if they were, it certainly doesn't surprise me...

[CoastersRZ]

This was mentioned in a Cincinnati Post article around the opening weekend. It will be odd to see the park without those ticket booths! But, it is all a part of the park`s move to "free up" the entrance plaza outside the gates. The first phase was the removal of the tram circle. Also, at WinterFest they weren`t using the ticket booths but the buildings that house the Will Call and Season Pass windows.

[The Interpreter]

By freeing up the entrance plaza, there is more room for the hordes to stand and wait until they open the gates right at park opening time. I still think there are going to be massive problems with crowd control this summer. A lot of people, eager to get into a park, a hot day, one (or more angry people)...someone who has to use the bathroom (none are available outside the secured area)...this is not a recipe for happiness...

I seem to remember Cinci had a serious problem at a concert venue under some very similar circumstances....Who else remembers? Who?

[thejoker8388]

^I'll bite, your question kind of gives it away but it was The Who. Now I wasn't alive for that concert but I love The Who and have heard about it. Didn't the death of those couple people do away for the most part with the first to come, best seats idea.

[The Interpreter]

And with the fact that people were waiting at the entrance gates and were all allowed in at the same time. Granted, at PKI, people are slowed down as they enter by having to go through the metal detectors and then the ticket takers...at PKI I am a bit more concerned about the crowd having to wait in the hot sun with no restroom in a large crowd. Waiting to go to a place they are paying big money to go to, by the way.

What on earth was wrong with letting them in a bit early into a larger, nicer area where they could wait? The shops wouldn't necessarily have to be open. (Although I still think money was made during that hour...Paramount's theory is apparently that those sales will still be made later in the day with less cost due to shorter hours....a theory I don't necessarily agree with...or worse, that they won't own the park long enough to worry about the long term effects of this policy--"We aren't going back to Kings Island, remember how long we waited to get in and how cranky you were while we did?)

[flightoffear1996]

I am not the kind of person to get up bright and early on a summer day to go to a theme park but really its only a matter of a couple minutes different. Its true that the sale they make early in the morning will probaly be later in the day but really this is just another way for the park to cut a few dollars.

[The Interpreter]

It's not a couple of minutes. The public largely doesn't know about this change. People are waiting up to an hour (and at PKD, even longer) to get in the park. They don't forget this the next time they decide whether or not to go to the park.

[flightoffear1996]

I can see your point there an hour to get is crazy. I guess they do need to leave the gates open but if your first in line you could probaly pick and choose what ride you would want to ride with no wait.

[WooferBearATL]

By freeing up the entrance plaza, there is more room for the hordes to stand and wait until they open the gates right at park opening time. I still think there are going to be massive problems with crowd control this summer. A lot of people, eager to get into a park, a hot day, one (or more angry people)...someone who has to use the bathroom (none are available outside the secured area)...this is not a recipe for happiness...

I seem to remember Cinci had a serious problem at a concert venue under some very similar circumstances....Who else remembers? Who?

I remember the very same situation at say "Who Concert."

It happend in the middle of MASH - yes when MASH Episodes were new. <G> I remember them breaking in to report the happenings at the Coloseum.

[flightoffear1996]

I that thought the who thing was all about people wanting in faster because they were late for the concert and they heard the music playing but it was only the band warming up.

[gjb2008123]

According to a friend who drove by the park yesterday (Wednesday), the ticket booths between the metal detectors and the main turnstiles have been torn down. Can anyone confirm this?

Since they now have signage outside the metal detectors directing unticketed guests to go to the Season Pass Sales windows for tickets, this shouldn't be a total surprise.

yea they have been. we had plans of tearing them down since the end of last season (never planned on using them this season). they were supposed to be taken down before opening day but were dalayed.

[WooferBearATL]

I that thought the who thing was all about people wanting in faster because they were late for the concert and they heard the music playing but it was only the band warming up.

"Who Tragedy" was that they were warming up inside the Coloseum. It was festival seating, which means you pick your own seat and someone opened one door with many people waiting to get into the arena.

[Enchanted Voyager]

My parents were at that Who concert. My mother said she could lift up her feet and still be moved by the crowd. They didn't know anyone was killed until they went home and got a bunch of calls from cencerned relatives. They said it was a good concert though.

[WooferBearATL]

Many people didn't know what had happened until after the concert was over.

Very, very sad situation.

[BoddaH1994]

I that thought the who thing was all about people wanting in faster because they were late for the concert and they heard the music playing but it was only the band warming up.

"Who Tragedy" was that they were warming up inside the Coloseum. It was festival seating, which means you pick your own seat and someone opened one door with many people waiting to get into the arena.

The ironic part is, they opened one door because they thought that would be the most "organized" way to do it.

[The Interpreter]

Not unlike not opening a massive theme park's gates until the park opens, because they think that is the most cost effective way to do it...

[deidre1976]

Some people drive a long ways to get there and need bathrooms.

[WooferBearATL]

Some people drive a long ways to get there and need bathrooms.

Stop making sense!

The marketing department has no time for things that make sense, are logical or are customer friendly.

Jeesh!

[The Interpreter]

Actually, I think marketing does. It's Admissions that apparently doesn't. And revenue seems to be driving the Paramount train, to the exclusion of customer service these days. $16 meals at Skyline, anyone? No off season pass processing? Not open the gates until the park is totally open for business? Oh, wait...most shops don't open til noon.

And then they want to know if I would buy breakfast in the park? At 10?

I don't eat breakfast that late, thanks. I used to buy breakfast in the park a lot. At that French bakery kind of place....you know....where Starbucks is now.

[WooferBearATL]

Actually, I think marketing does. It's Admissions that apparently doesn't. And revenue seems to be driving the Paramount train, to the exclusion of customer service these days. $16 meals at Skyline, anyone? No off season pass processing? Not open the gates until the park is totally open for business? Oh, wait...most shops don't open til noon.

And then they want to know if I would buy breakfast in the park? At 10?

I don't eat breakfast that late, thanks. I used to buy breakfast in the park a lot. At that French bakery kind of place....you know....where Starbucks is now.

Ahhhh, Bakery!

I remember when Bakery was built. It was the first area of the park (other than maintenance and entertainment) that had to deal with a union. The Bakers were actually part of a union.

[CoastersNSich]

Self-confirmed, by me this morning. The area where the booths stood is now marked with tan-colored concrete. A few pictures will be posted later.

[CoastersRZ]

Well, as CoastersNSich hinted at, pictures are now online! To see a couple of picture of the entrance to the park without the ticket booths visit here.

[Reclaimer]

It looks so odd...but I like it.

[mullimann]

Will they push the metal detectors back to where the booths were to open up the old tram stop area?

[Metal Metor 200WP MAN]

Some people drive a long ways to get there and need bathrooms.

Stop making sense!

The marketing department has no time for things that make sense, are logical or are customer friendly.

Jeesh!

I'd figure you "fair weather" Kings Island fans would get your facts straight before complaining. There are bathrooms after you go through metal detection and before the turnstiles. You don't even need a ticket to use the bathrooms. And if you need to use the bathroom before metal detection opens, ask security if you can use it, they will take you through the detectors.

[Metal Metor 200WP MAN]

Actually, I think marketing does. It's Admissions that apparently doesn't. And revenue seems to be driving the Paramount train, to the exclusion of customer service these days. $16 meals at Skyline, anyone? No off season pass processing? Not open the gates until the park is totally open for business? Oh, wait...most shops don't open til noon.

And then they want to know if I would buy breakfast in the park? At 10?

I don't eat breakfast that late, thanks. I used to buy breakfast in the park a lot. At that French bakery kind of place....you know....where Starbucks is now.

P.S. The Admissions department has nothing to do with when the park opens, it's up to Park management. Pretty much all the admissions department does is, sell you your ticket/pass, process passes, take money for parking, will-call, and scan your passes.

Come on people, check your facts before you blast.

[CoastersRZ]

That is where YOU are wrongMetal Metor 200WP MAN. Yes, there is a bathroom before the turnstiles and AFTER the metal detectors. However, the park has not been letting anyone through the metal detectors until around ten till ten. If you have to go to the bathroom, then you have to go through one of the metal detectors, go to the bathroom, and then go back outside of the metal detectors. (It hasn`t bothered me because I have gotten in the park through the side entrance thanks to my gold season pass and its early ride times.

Also, I do believe that admissions is part of the security department this year. So in a way, they are in control of the entire front gate area. Yes, ultimately it is a management decision, but the people in security have a say in how things are handled in the morning.

Before you go telling people to get their facts straight, make sure yours are!

[Reclaimer]

Will they push the metal detectors back to where the booths were to open up the old tram stop area?

Doubtful. Those metal detectors aren't easily moved.

...but anything's possible.

The thing that angers me about the way they handle admissions management this year (regarding bathrooms) is that, last weekend, my group was at the front of the line for one of the detectors. There was a good fifteen minutes to go before they opened up. A couple of us in the group were talking about really having to go to the bathroom, and one of the security people overheard us. Keyword: overheard. We didn't ask him to use the bathroom. After hearing us say we wanted to go, he offered to take us, saying it was no problem. Upon returning to the metal detectors, though, we were told we'd have to go to the very back of the line, as we'd lost our spot when we went to the bathroom.

NOW, I understand getting out of line, no matter if it's a ride, for detectors, for lunch...whatever or wherever you may be...usually means going to the back of the line when you return, but when an employee overhears a conversation and OFFERS to let you use the restroom, as it's "no big deal", they need to let you know you're going to be waiting at the back of the line.

Christ, at LEAST open up security before 10...that's all I (and the countless others that drive long distances to the park, and usually have to pee upon arrival) ask for!

[Metal Metor 200WP MAN]

That is where YOU are wrongMetal Metor 200WP MAN.  Yes, there is a bathroom before the turnstiles and AFTER the metal detectors.  However, the park has not been letting anyone through the metal detectors until around ten till ten.  If you have to go to the bathroom, then you have to go through one of the metal detectors, go to the bathroom, and then go back outside of the metal detectors.  (It hasn`t bothered me because I have gotten in the park through the side entrance thanks to my gold season pass and its early ride times.

Also, I do believe that admissions is part of the security department this year.  So in a way, they are in control of the entire front gate area.  Yes, ultimately it is a management decision, but the people in security have a say in how things are handled in the morning.

Before you go telling people to get their facts straight, make sure yours are!

1 If I'm not mistaken RZ, I don't believe I said anything about being let in the park, I was mearly saying that the bathrooms are there if you need them, ask. I didn't say anything about going in the park.

2 Admissions is not a part of the security department, they only report to the same person. They are both still 2 completely different things.

And 3, No, security still has to listen to management. Until we get ok's from above, operations stay the same.

It's only the beginning of the season, and believe me, we the workers are trying to get used to the changes as well as the guests, but right now we have to do what we are told, make suggestions along the way, and maybe things will get better.