Leaderboard

This really confuses me. What in the world is the point in this? Who would pay an extra $10 for two more rides? I don't get it. Kings Island, after a great offseason, you do something like this?

I always laugh at the claim of, "The line will be longer if we have to wait on those who get in front of us using Fast Lane." If those people were to get in front of you in the regular line, your wait would be longer as well. Everytime that I've been "skipped" by someone using Fast Lane, the ride attendants/hosts only let a certain amount of guests using Fast Lane board the ride then, they let the non-Fast Lane guests go through, then the repeat the process. I thnk a lot of people are making a bigger deal out of this than it should be.

I understand Firehawk, as it is a low capacity ride to begin with. This would limit some of the Fast Lane use at this ride which already doesn`t get great through put. The Plus option allows the park to recoup more money. How long before we start having to go to a pay per ride option again? They claim that there is no impact on the typical park guest who doesnt buy Fast Lane. I don`t buy that for one second. It will result in longer lines for those non-Fast Lane carrying people. If a ride only holds 20 people per train, and there are 100 people in line in front of you, you will be the first person on the 6th train. However, if 20 people use Fast Lane when you are in line, that means you will now be on the 7th train instead of the 6th, thus making you wait longer. While the load time may only be a few minutes, it will add to the wait time, and a few minutes here and there can add up quick. That being said, I have used Fast Pass at Cedar Point and Carowinds (both on busy Saturdays), to maximize my visit and avoid waiting in time. Was it worth the price? I`d say yes, because we were only there for one day. It is a way for the park`s to capture some excess money. I just think the execution at times is lacking. Especially where the standby lines and Fast Lane. Whether we like it or not, Fast Lane is here to stay.

Guys!!!! We're getting a nice sit down restaurant, shut up and be happy!

If you will look back at the thread about Fast Pass, I predicted something like this would happen - and I was laughed at! http://www.KICentral.com/forums/index.php?/topic/24189-fast-lane/page-3?hl=%20fast%20%20pass Post #87 Stick that where the sun don't shine!

I predict some very angry guests who, after buying regular Fast Lane, realize they can't use it at all on The Beast. It will be interesting to see how well this experiment goes over.

If anything this just shortens the Fast Lane lines for both attractions. I see exactly why they did this: 1)Make more profit, 2)Calm the cry babies down by reducing the line. Its a win-win. Chill.

CoastersRZ, I never had a problem with Fast Lane. But Fast Lane Plus is just stupid. Two more rides to skip in line for an extra price? Why? ^That's what they should do - Fast Lane lets you only ride the ride once, while with Fast Lane Plus, you can ride any ride unlimited times.

I'll just keep to my ERT on The Beast....

I have no problem with this or the original Fastlane. It makes the park(s) boat loads of money. No one is forcing you to buy it. The ones that do buy it will not affect your wait by a substantial amount. On the busy days that it does somewhat affect your wait then you should have picked a different day to visit. I bet you guys really hate airlines, concerts, sporting events, etc... for their first class ticket options. This tiered option is not just in amusement parks. You guys are just complaining about this because it's fresh in your minds.

I still don't understand why Congo Falls, Dodgem, Monster, Shake Rattle & Roll, Scrambler and Viking Fury need a fast pass lane. I also think it would have made much more sense to put Diamondback on the "plus" one instead of Firehawk. Next thing you know they'll start giving Fast Pass Plus customers their own line so they can jump ahead of regular Fast Pass customers...

Here is one more by Queen City Discovery: Also, this is their website for LeSourdsville Lake. http://queencitydiscovery.blogspot.com/2007/10/lesourdsville-lakeamericana-revisited_29.html Great Pictures! pilotank

I know company's like their money but come on! I think that is to far... I think instead charge $35 for Fast Lane and get to ride each ride only ounce... then offer Fast Lane plus for $60, gives you unlimited rides on everything...

Terrible, terrible, terrible...

Or they could use Kentucky Kingdom as an abandoned theme park scare zone. That would be so terrifying I might have a Hart attack.

My "perfect day"? Afternoon high of 102°F and a severe thunderstorm watch for the entire area, but no long-lived or damaging storms that shut things down for more than an hour or so (several long showers unaccompanied by lightning would be a bonus). Why? Get the temperature high enough and even waterpark attendance will go down, probably, as people want to stay inside in the air conditioning, but I love the heat. Add a threat of storms and rain, and attendance goes down even further, plus it's on days like that that I have the most fun, rediscovering the little things like Viking Fury and having fun getting drenched in the rain. I know, y'all think I'm crazy, right?

Speed up the bumper cars. That is all.

I'd think that you would say return of TR:TR /The Crypt. But, i would like bigger, faster roller coasters with more inversions. What we have now is fine with me, for now.

A Kings Island as close to my home and work as Six Flags America, but also featuring Volcano: The Blast Coaster and Massachusetts' Bizarro and Maverick, along with the Flying Eagles as they ran in Ohio. Also, my Platinum Pass would work flawlessly at that and every FUN park (as my Six Flags and Busch passes always do).

I would like to visit the land Kings Island sits on before it was built, be able to watch it be constructed, and visit on opening day.

I wondered if this would happen, only because of Gatekeeper. Despite all the assertions that the general public were somehow going to revolt and purposefully clog queue lines all day long just to be destructive, nothing bad ever happened. However, imagining Cedar Point during the middle of the summer when you will face 2, 3, 4 hour lines for Millennium, Maverick, Dragster, and probably Gatekeeper, I think people really would flock to Fast Lane and then marathon Gatekeeper. I think particularly of fans. Can't you imagine people from PointBuzz getting together and thinking, "Hey, free parking, free admission, might as well all get $50 each Fast Lanes and marathon Gatekeeper!" This is a little incentive against that. Now, I do think that the "regular" Fast Lane should include ONE front-of-the-line pass on Gatekeeper, but that's a difficult system to enforce given Cedar Fair's few-steps-behind-ness in technology where they only have the wristband to go by. Hadn't most people here decided that this was elitist and evil and wrong anyway? All that this "PLUS" feature has done is to even further remove it from most people's financial capability, thus meaning less people are using it. That is a good thing, yes? Besides, if you were in one of those Satuday in July lines for Gatekeeper and watched people with the $50 Fast Lane pass you over and over and over, you'd be miffed. Now, that won't happen.

At 5:55, don't miss the famous "Russian Hill" ride at "New Jersey."

According to the flyer, student tickets are only available at the Ohio Union and you have to show a current ID (meaning they'll probably swipe it to verify you're currently registered) in order to purchase them. The "alumni" tickets are available for anyone and those are the ones you can purchase online. The current student tickets are $10 cheaper.

Weather Channel has a great blog on abandoned theme parks from Chippewa Lake Park to the Ukraine: http://www.weather.com/travel/creepy-abandoned-theme-parks-20130320?pageno=5 Before: Now: pilotank

I had just noticed this at Cedar Point, but now I realize that pretty much all of the parks are doing this. Cedar Fair parks are now taking two of their most popular rides and forcing people to purchase a "upgrade" for their Fast Lane ticket that costs even more. Kings Island's Fast Lane Plus now includes Beast and Firehawk, you cannot ride these with regular Fast Lane. Who here thinks they are taking this too far? http://www.visitkingsisland.com/things-to-do/fast-lane

Have have taken the liberty of creating the "KICentral Ta Ta Team" for Kings Island/Susan G Komen 5k walk/run at Kings Island on Saturday April 27th. It's going to be a great time for a great cause! Follow the link below to join the team! http://cincinnati.info-komen.org/site/TR?pg=team&fr_id=3197&team_id=250569

The 'add on" stuff has happened in all fields. Houses, cars, airlines, concert events, ballparks, etc. - and yes, even cell phones. Those cell phone companies are making money out the ass with everyone having to have "instant gratification" (as one poster has said) and all at your expense. So along comes amusement parks with this money making fast pass thing - at your expense. If you can't afford it, you lose. If you don't have the money, you live in a poor neighborhood, drive a puddle jumper car, sit in the bleachers (with Taylor Swift) and bring binoculars to a concert (if you even can go in the first place). Is it fair - if you have money, it doesn't seem to matter. I choose not to purchase a fast pass because I don't have the money and I fall into the bleacher section crowd. Is it fair - depends on the customer, just like all of the other things. And by the way, gang,....most amusement parks started out on a pay per ride basis - including Disney. So if it goes back to that, I believe they could make even more money, but it would cost them a bit more to add ticket sales booths, ticket takers, ticket printers, etc. - not to mention, it would slow things down when it came to ride boarding, park entrance, and all other facets of the park that were abandoned when the pay one price thing started.

Harsh.

Well, for me that is really a varied thing. Perfect Kings Island, a BB1 perspective. Coming upon the Island, you may notice the old sign that stood in the Paramount era, with a slight change to the KI skyline. There is no WindSeeker popping out of the scene, Diamondback is now gone, and SOB is there in working, non threatening condition. When you enter, you may notice that you may go one of two ways, Kings Island, or Crocodile Dundee's Boomerang Bay, for now we will go left to the main park. As we venture through, we park at the usual Gold Pass parking, located right next to the inner walkway. After, we take a ride on the trams, which take us right up to the front gate. We enter to the music of International Street past, highly themed architecture from all around the world, with trees in "planters" in the middle of both sides of the walkway. A breeze of cold water hits you as you meander through the street, now we take a right to Hannah Barberra Land. The Phantom Theater is to our left now, with all of the classic rides of HB still running. As we make our way through, we make our way into Rivertown. Rivertown is a highly themed region of the west, with the KK ride up and running, as well as other favorites of today. A western show is performed at noon and five, featuring a shoot out and a few other western favorites. Swan lake still is the center focal point, a watering hole for the forest. The old walkway to The Beast is still up, with many trees surrounding us now, it is still upon a lake, which now is more cleaner, equiped with a filter. As we make our way through the area, we come upon the Antique Cars. Then we come into the region of Coney Mall. The Eagles still fly at this fine estate. We walk towards the Happy Days Diner, where it still is the Happy Days of yesterday. We walk by some of todays rides, as well as the red and white Racer, with the blue car going backwards once more. The X-Base now has a X-Files theme, with all the rides themed to as they were. After, we walk into Oktoberfest, where a German festival is always in season. The old german restaurant is here now, with a great biergarten over looking the lake. The Festhaus now has its clock back in working order, with inside a festive german show, and germanic foods for all the family. The fountain which was a planter now runs as a fully functional fountain, being a focal point of the area. Along with the old sign of Oktoberfest back in its original place. Adventure Express now has more ruins that it runs through and escapes. We are now entering the last area of the main park, the Action Zone. All of the rides are in the original names and paints. Top Gun now has more props and a new quene featuring more naval items. As we begin to walk out, we take the train to Crocodile Dundee's Boomerang Bay. Which on the train, we find another western show. Upon entering the Bay, we are fully immersed into Australia with Crocodile Dundee. Which all of the rides are in the old conditions and are running smoothly. All of the old props are in their respected places, with the paths being in in sync.(Note, no bad theming here!) Now as we begin to wind down in the day, the Bay stays open, lit by tiki torches by the walkways, as well as paths. BB1, just sayin'

Americana was owned by the same people that owned Coney Island of Ohio for quite some time. They chose to invest in Coney instead.

I'd think that you would say return of TR:TR /The Crypt. But, i would like bigger, faster roller coasters with more inversions. What we have now is fine with me, for now. I'm on the same page as you, more coasters. Easier said then done though. A 'perfect day' to me would have around an 80 degree temperature with frequent breezes, station line waits, and being with some kicers I've been wanting to meet. A sunset would kinda be cool too.

You'll love Camden Park. It's awesome. Enjoy a Pronto Pup. And know they don't sell Fast Lane!

A short side trip to Kentucky Kingdom? Terp, who just HAD to.

Thats funny because I recall having fastlane and riding DB seven times in a row before a tall gentleman in a red hat even made it to the steps! You do have to wait longer!!! I also would be ok if they just would have raised the over all price,instead of this 2 ride upgrade crap! O.k,im done venting now! On a happy note, CP opening weekend here I come!

For me, A Kings Island with no lines, a personal crown and a giant throne in front of the fountain. With the Eagles and Tique's restored in their place.

I also think its possible that having Beast on there is a one year stop gap. I personally think Firehawk was a great choice.

I would imagine they chose The Beast over Diamondback for Fast Lane Plus due to the end of night flocking that comes with getting Beast night rides. Diamondback can also handle more people per hour than The Beast so the effects for non-users aren't magnified quite as much. Diamondback is the only newer (starting with Behemoth in 2008) mega in the Cedar Fair chain that is not on the Fast Lane Plus system (both Intimidators, Behemoth and Leviathan are all on Fast Lane Plus only). Will there be an upgrade option for people who initially buy standard Fast Lane and then choose the Plus?

The best way to deal with this new plus option is to not buy it. If the demand for this option is not what they think it would had been, they will soon modify it or do away with it. As for the Fast Lane itself, if I have a season pass for the entire season, I have plenty of time during the season to ride the coasters and I can use what I would had spent on the Fast Lane on other things.

Its like all businesses, nickel and diming, everything (I call it the airline affect), its sounds crazy but making bigger profits for the companies. From amusement parks, to movie theatres, seems the thing that is in is charging more for some type of premium service. Then the parents of today has to explain that if you pay more, you can sit together, pass others in line, get a better seat. I'm ready for front row all access seating, you pay 20 bucks for the day for front row. Goodness.

It looks like the Fast Lane details for 2013 have been released. It looks like the only noteworthy change is that there is now a Fast Lane Plus option. Fast Lane Plus allows you to quick queue for The Beast and Firehawk where the standard Fast Lane does not. http://www.visitkingsisland.com/things-to-do/fast-lane# It looks like most Cedar Fair parks are adopting an only allowing quick queue access to two popular rides at each park with Fast Lane Plus access. It's about a $10 per-person add-on at each park for Fast Lane Plus ($15 at Cedar Point). I think this is a win for both quick queuers and non-users. I do wonder if the additional charge to upgrade Fast Lane and Fast Lane Plus might increase at some parks through the year given the very high profile coasters using Fast Lane Plus at some parks (Gatekeeper and TTD at Cedar Point, I305 and Volcano at Kings Dominion, Behemoth and Leviathan at Canada's Wonderland to name a few). Thoughts?

Student tickets are cheaper than alumni tickets. I have my student ID still but I haven't been a student for almost a year now.

Either that or it's meant to fall apart. Or ironically take naps on the lift hill, BB1 who encountered a nap while riding in the front row.

Yes, the company chose to. And PTC no longer recommends operation of PTC wooden coaster trains unless they face forward. In Ohio, ride operators must follow manufacturers' recommendations for a ride to be licensed. Note other PTC wood coaster trains ceased backward operation that same season, especially in jurisdictions that require manufacturers' recommendations to be followed. There are requirements and there are nostalgic stories. One is a much better public interface than the other. That doesn't mean both aren't true.

An interesting segment done on The History Channel about the "Americana" amusement park:

I hope they add Montgomery Inn Pork Potato Skins like they serve at the Machine Room Grille.I think they call them Cincinnati Red Potato Skins? Anyway,anytime I see a game with my old man,thats our first stop before heading to our seats.Two drafts and some pork skins and ready for some baseball.

I would like to see more taxi cabs and hotel deals in the works with the new Reds Grille.I bring the older kids for night rides during the summer and I see so many drunks and beer cans in the parking lot that we wait till everyone leaves before I do! I work hard and I party hard too,but never with the kids or when Im driving! I really would like to see more security cracking down at closing time! With the new Reds Grille coming,I think they should crack down!

Don on Twitter at @KingsIslandPR just tweeted this out: Construction of the bar area in the new Reds Hall of Fame Grille at Kings Island.

How soon we forget the impact that Flight of Fear had on the industry, as it was the first coaster to use LIMs.

Information regarding the 3.1-mile course will be announced in a matter of days. The course will take Color Me Pink participants behind the scenes of some of the park's most popular attractions, including the Invertigo and Diamondback roller coasters and the KI & Miami Valley Railroad. Great to see KIC will have a team for this event. It's something KIC members will have fun doing together prior to the gates opening for the 2013 season.

Bumped to make a point. Got a fast pass for Snowwoman and I Saturday. We were celebrating her Birthday. This is what she wanted as her present. $110 for 2 passes allowed us 12 hours of unlimited riding of our favorite rides, which I assure you we got the most out of down to the line jump for the front seat of The Beast at 9:40pm(we waited until after the fireworks to ride). Without going into excessive details, we had a magical day and a birthday memory we'll carry with us forever. KI made an additional $110 plus meals off us (funperks bumped me to 3 stars for this day). Soon we'll be back in the long lines watching the fast passers marathon DB and other rides. Instead of being frustrated about waiting, we will only hope they are making memories that are half as wonderful as the ones we made during our fast pass day. Point: Before you hate on people that could be having the best day of their year (or lives for that matter), find a webcam, and think about how many people are watching you, wishing they could just be able to get through the front gates of KI and get in line to ride like your doing.