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Came across this on Twitter, hopefully the wait times will be accurate.

Some people actually enjoy getting night rides on roller coasters without being frightened between rides. There also are people that want to have fun with friends at Kings Island on the rides but don't get into Halloween stuff. This is targeted for these people, and it's been done at other parks before now. And as far as I'm concerned, it's a fantastic idea. With this, I might actually stand a chance of bringing friends who don't like Halloween stuff with me on a Friday or Saturday instead of being stuck with Sundays. I like the way Beast hauls at night more than not having to wait for a daytime ride on Sundays, and now I won't have to preface Friday/Saturday visits with "well, if you don't look scared, they probably won't come after you..." What I don't understand (or, more accurately, what I don't agree with) is why they're charging for them. You can't tell me that the cost of a glow stick couldn't be covered in the profit from admission. People who are there to be scared aren't going to waste their time with playing with a glow stick, because it's going to ruin their time--it's not the sort of thing I would imagine people would abuse. Make them available at Guest Services, add a pop-up during online purchases that informs customers of them, leave the sign up inside the park, and have ticketing cashiers tell customers about them during purchases. If you can get people who wouldn't ordinarily come to the park during Halloween Haunt to come if they can avoid getting scared, they might spend money that would be otherwise spent at the movies, football games, the mall, etc. Those people could be deterred by an extra charge. But that's my two cents.

I went to KI the last Sunday of the season last year. It was cold and drizzling the entire time. It was a short wait, if any, for most rides. I had a blast getting in some last rides. I can't put words to why but riding The Beast when it is chilly and slightly drizzling is exhilarating.

I do wonder how this is being felt across the chain. One of the major downfalls of Six Flags branding. Whether it's Over Georgia, New England, Worlds of Adventure, or St. Louis, your local park probably just goes by "Six Flags." MOST of the headlines in the linked articles above say what? "Six Flags Fight..." "Massive Brawl at Six Flags Fright Fest," etc. If I were a member of the general public who visited Six Flags, seeing that kind of headline trending on Twitter or Facebook, I'd probably assume it was my Six Flags, plant that in the back of my mind, and move on without reading further.

It actually said "NO WAIT" for Backlot Stunt Coaster.

There's something deliciously ironic about the venue where this is being held. The former Wait for it.... WINGS!

The industry watches. Copycats abound. I can virtually guarantee ALL US parks having BooFests increased security last night. Camden Park did. Kennywood did. Universal did. And you think Kings Island didn't? Really? Why would you think such a thing? Just imagine if something unbelievably horrible HAD happened last night and the park had NOT increased security. Not only would the lawyers have a field day, the Chairman, CEO, GM and Security head would always sleep badly and ask themselves "What if I had only.." OR Just imagine that last weekend's BooFest Brawl wasn't at Six Flags America, but rather at The New Kentucky Kingdom. Perhaps Mr. Hart is indeed wiser than I gave him credit for. Perhaps that's not a risk worth taking (and YET they installed a drop ride, of ALL things...)

How quickly do you think this scenario will happen at guest relations..."my little Joey was wearing a No Boo necklace and the monster came up and intentionally scared him. I demand our admission fees back or some restitution. I mean little Joey is now scarred for life." and then it hits the evening news. And now the monsters on the street and in the attractions will have to screen every guest before they scare them. Why not have a special line for those wearing the necklace that breaks off from the main line, heads around the outside of the haunt to a waiting area at the exit......problem solved.

But people do bring their kids to the Haunt, I'll not lie, if my father had a chance in the past, before they had large scale Haunts, he would have brought us to to KI at Halloween. I was his soldier in the past, and looked out for my sister. He would take us to the JayCee Haunted Houses, a passel of girls, and go through with us. If my sister got too scared, I was there. This sparked a huge interest in me: special effects makeup, I would not have the job I have today if I weren't so intrigued. He was a big monster movie buff, he loved frights, and in a dad's mind, he's sharing what he loved with us, like he did fishing. I saw a dad in front of me in line to get in,(My husband says I'm a Monster Magnet.) his boy was about 12, and as monsters came by, he gave reassurances, and had his arm around him. Some kids should come to Haunt, we don't know the psychology behind the parents bringing them. I have to say the parent should be there, to share the experience with them, not just drop them off and pick up. In my personal experience, parents lose a lot by not being an active part of their children's lives. The father and son in front of me in line have a lifetime of memories. Some of the parents who dropped their children off at Six Flags on Fight Night will have a lifetime of regret. I think the new gewgaw, the "No boo" is, as Boddah says, good for the midway. I suspect the roamers will know about this, as everyone must meet each afternoon to get their look on.

To me, it's just yet another way to make an extra buck. I don't think the haunt is for kids - and parents ught to know better. I don't want to get booed, so i stay away.

They're maintained and well-cared for. Every once in a while, technology leaps forward and they're rebuilt. The first human Audio Animatronics (a registered trademark of the Walt Disney Company, by the way ) figure line was called A-1. Their most recent incarnation is the A-100. The earliest Audio Animatronics were pneumatic. As the figures became heavier and larger, they became hydraulic. Many were updated when that technology became the standard (except the Enchanted Tiki Birds, who remain pneumatic. Otherwise they'd drip hydraulic fluid on the audience below whenever they malfunctioned). Hydraulics are still the standard. Technological leaps forward since have been in programming and internal actuators. Whereas a single actuator used to be assigned to each hand, for example, newer figures have one for each finger. Disneyland's Lincoln is also a great example of the newest, most fluid and lifelike technology in a refurbished figure. Instead of hydraulics, it uses electronics. Disney's trademarked the technology as Autonomatronic, which allows furrowing brows, wrinkling nose, drooping eyelids, etc. Even the lips-and-tongue articulation is beyond anything Disney had ever accomplished before, simply because you can fit more into a smaller space. Imagineer Tony Baxter has often discussed his desire to update the Indiana Jones hydraulic Audio Animatronics in Disneyland's ride with Autonomatic versions. Disney partnered with microelectromechanical engineering firm Sarcos to rebuild the figures for Pirates of the Caribbean and the Wicked Witch of the West at Hollywood Studios' Great Movie Ride, which are now very, very fluid in their movements. See also, Sinbad's Storybook Voyage at Tokyo DisneySea for surprisingly fluid motion from "it's a small world" sized figures. A great example is Spaceship Earth, which has some of the most sophisticated and lifelike Audio Animatronics out there right now despite their frames being from the 1980s. The next big leap appears to be projection technology. It was used first in the Sebastian figures on the Little Mermaid dark rides. His head was too small for the mechanisms required to power eyelids / pupils, so they instead used a miniature projector. They then famously used the same idea to bring the Seven Dwarfs to life on Magic Kingdom's new coaster. Supposedly, those figures are more properly robotic, using repetitive mechanical motions more than pre-programmed profiles. I'm not privy to that information, but the projected faces reduce quite a bit of mechanical strain while being totally lifelike! ANY Audio Animatronic takes lots of love and care. And unlike flames on Backlot, they can't be left broken for weeks at a time without really harming the ride experience. You know what's easier / cheaper? 3D screens... That's a conversation for another time... http://www.themeparktourist.com/features/20140709/19259/15-worlds-most-incredible-animatronics

That's what I was thinking, it's not just the 'No Booers" not being frightened, it's everyone in a ten foot vicinity.I like the idea for the park, i.e., walking down Coney, but perhaps those too frightened to go into mazes might be a little more responsible for themselves and just not go into the Haunt mazes! I think the roamers are what they have in mind for this, rather than going through the mazes, although I'm sure they'll attempt to respect the fact that you don't want to be scared in the mazes too.

It works for me. The image is a sign advertising "no boo" necklaces on sale for $5. They're worn to tell monsters that you don't want any "Boo!"s. Sam told us to get one for ohiocolts last night on our second trip through Slaughterhouse Reloaded. Yesterday was apparently the first night for them. I didn't see any, though.

Yeah I'm not afraid to use things as teachable moments with my son so I wouldn't be worried he may see something bad.

In every article, I'm reading about paniced parents rushing to the park to pick up their kids...and yet they don't see that they are part of the problem. Why weren't they AT the park with their kids?

I've found the wait times (at the entrance to the ride) to be more accurate than some are making them out to be. I agree that they're overstated every time, but that's a fact of all aspects of life. Who's going to complain when they have waited 38 minutes on an estimated 45 minute wait? Far fewer than who wait an hour on a 45 minute wait. To think that posted wait times are just an elaborate scheme to sell Fast Lane is beyond ridiculous.

Very much so. That video makes me think. Nearly all of us have pondered how Kings Island has changed under Cedar Fair. But...how has the Paramount Parks acquisition changed Cedar Point? To start with, there have been fewer major coasters, WindSeeker, Gatekeeper-which would not have happened before...Dick Kinzel was forced out early...

Alphabetically they're close.

With Terp, things are seldom happenstance. Clear reasons, though, are usually not the right ones. Except when they are. He leads his life the same way. For instance, a renewed passport arrived yesterday. And got mentioned here. And no, it's not for SeaWorld. Not that there's anything wrong with that. Winner, winner, chicken dinner? Or Knott's? Terp, triple cross threadin' (cause double cross threadin' wouldn't be nice).

Why try? You don't. At least you don't try to please everyone but you do try not to offend some to the point they become activists opposed to your existence. This is SeaWorld we are talking about here. After Blackfish, and their terribly botched response, they certainly don't need MORE protesters as the lead story on, say, 60 Minutes.

That's not always an accurate predictor either, though. And then there's Fast Lane, which is much more likely to be purchased if a 30 minute wait is advertised as 45.

If they're anything like the wait time signs in front of several of the coasters... ...then no, I highly doubt they'll be accurate.

A good option for you...

The Undertaker is pretty funny at times! Sent from my iPod touch using Tapatalk He's fantastic! We were wondering how he can use that voice all night and not get hoarse. He's quite a show, anyone who just walks blithely by on their way to the rest of the park is missing out. To be singled out by him is hilarious, I hope everyone has the same sense of humor we had about it. When some people get frightened, you get the initial "Oh!" of surprise, then they laugh, mostly at themselves- the fellows in the Slaughterhouse cottoned onto that pretty fast, and we had one of the most enjoyable times watching them rib my cousin. (There were cameramen in the Slaughterhouse when we first went through, though we were literally the first ones, Stinky and me, and some poor guy I shoved in front of me to get the brunt. We just waited until the photographers got their shots, we suspected they were either news or PR . it didn't take away from the experience any.)

I like the thinking behind this but I think it makes it very tough ln the scare actors and could complicate things for people in mixed groups of pro-boo and no-boo. You can't please everybody, but I respect that they are trying.

It's still a shame all the parents who force their kids through the mazes. I saw a mother who was very forceful with her 3 young children last night pushing them through Madame Fatale's. We were right behind them and weren't being scared (rightfully so) because the "monstors" could hear the kids screaming that they wanted to go home and they tamed it down. These glow sticks would definitely assist in the problem, however getting their parents to purchase these is another story.

Not to mention, the measurements of time on those signs are incremental. There is no place to point the arrow for a 38 minute wait, so the most appropriate course of action that estimates the wait time while retaining the readability of the sign will often involve some degree of rounding. I've always interpreted the 15 minute mark, for example, as meaning more than zero but less than 30 more than interpreting it as truly meaning 15 minutes.

The better question is what parent in their right mind would leave an unattended minor at SFA, much less during Fright Fest? I know many adults who will not go there alone.

Disney has something like that they give you a red card and hold it while in line.

No, Vortex and Back Lot are in close proximity. I was referring to this thread bump as well as the one I mentioned on post #279 and #281. I'd actually forgotten about the Viking Fury bump. "HQIF."

That's what happens when you want to market all your parks as one brand rather than giving them each their own identity. The fact that there's another Six Flags park in Illinois with a very similar name certainly won't help things either.

I still didn't find any of them actually scary, but enjoy Slaughterhouse the most. One of the guys in there got real close to my face and sniffed me, which was certainly creepy. KillMart have stepped up their game some. There was an interesting extended zombie cat fight between two "employees" towards the end that was pretty funny.

Ah memories we shall enjoy them

Milky Way? Mars? Terp Snickers.

And, if you consider the grand scope of Earth or the Milky Way or the universe as a whole, Vortex and Viking Fury really are in pretty close proximity!

The wait time estimates seemed accurate enough after the park emptied out due to heavy rain. Displayed times were 4-5 minutes for Diamondback, Delirium, and The Beast. The length of one cycle seems like a reasonable lower bound. I do wonder how they're getting the data.

Maybe I'm naive but..... If you over state a wait time and it's less than that you have a very happy customer base, versus going the other way

Victim Out of Coma Vigil held Twitter Used To Call Event "Fight Fest" http://www.wjla.com/articles/2014/10/vigil-held-for-six-flags-america-assault-victim-now-out-of-a-coma-107778.html Separately, the park has moved the drop off area. Rumord abound parking fee will increase to cover "increased" parking lot security. Many claim there was virtually none before. And Fright Fest advertising in the DC Metro has largely, quietly disappeared.

There was a lot of security last night at KI, but then again, I think it was the regular amount of security, but without the massive crowds I'm used to at the end of the season. At first I wonder if it was due to this incident, but then my common sense took hold. This occurrence will have long lasting implications to many of the patrons that affected by this, and thus, the park. I'm one of those people that won't favor a restaurant anymore if the Hot and Sour Soup has changed to bad, and I'm one of a million. It takes very little for some people to chalk up a bad experience and move onto to somewhere else.

We left as the rain opened up right around 10. We went with a group through Corn Stalkers. The whole group entered and went right, which is not part of the haunt. We went left and had some of the truly best scares of the entire evening. Haunt is very well done. Great details great scarectors, everything.

Saw the Fireplace tonight at Slaughter House ... Looks to be in a bit of rough condition

Psychoscarapy at HHN did just that....there was a washroom scene with inmates, poo on the walls, a fake inmate in a stall, recorded "toilet and bowel sounds" and a nasty smell to go along with it. Totally disgusting but thats part of the fear of the unclean.....yuck. To me, the smell is important. If a Haunt smells like latex and paint, it makes it more fake to me. On another note, I don't think there could be ANYTHING worse to smell realistically than that gastrointestinal bleed toilet in Club Blood.

In case anyone hasn't seen it in the Random Photo of The Day thread, here is a picture of just how wonderful the new paint job is. The orange looks outstanding and even pops out at night. I caught myself staring at it for quite some time actually! Great job by the painters!

I imagine folks probably said such things about Great American Scream Machine, too. Rides have service lives, whether we want them to or not. Things can be done to extend or renew them, like rebuilding Florida's (Space Mountain?) with new track and supports, but truthfully, I think Disney's the only one who would ever spend that kind of money. For the rest of the world, which has far less iconic rides (would anyone in New York City know what Vortex is by name alone? How about Space Mountain?), it's just a better business decision to bring in a new ride. There isn't an ROI on a seasonal park replacing steel on their Arrow looper that's been around for 25 years. There is, however, an ROI on taking down the coaster and replacing it with something new that can be put on TV commercials and radio commercials and flyers and discount coupons at the local Wendy's. I wish it wasn't that way, because I know that, when Vortex goes, Adventure Express probably won't be far behind. But that's the nature of our hobby. Enjoy the rides you've got while you've got them.

From that first article: "These kids are acting upon each other with no apathy, no sympathy, no sensitivity. They've become desensitized." Well at least we've figured out how to make teens less apathetic...

Did anyone else notice the more-ambient International Street music? Makes me quite envious of 2003... Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

And no longer valid at Brand 6.

Well I guess southern would apply. My mom is from Somerset KY., and my dad is from Jackson. I myself was born in a tiny little place called Ary, Ky. Though I was only there for about 2 days, I guess I still qualify, lol. To clarify though, in this instance it does indeed mean " I don't wanna"

It is amazing how much you realize you grow over such a small period of time. When I saw my original posts in here I had to laugh at myself a little bit.