super7

Judging by the unethical way that Cedar Fair is known to do business quest, I just feel there’s something $neaky involved in the switch from Platinum to All Parks. Maybe I’m wrong, but I do not trust them.

I think age also makes in realize that most rides are boring and repetitive after a few times in a row and there are other things to do……

It’s such an eyesore at all of the parks. Good riddance anywhere that removes it. But it’s the worst eyesore at Carowinds in the center of the park. After paramount absolutely decimated the center of the park by removing the riverboat Cedar Fair came along and made it worse.

“Together We’re Better” is always the first song that comes to mind for KI because of that sequence of that show. I think this song pops in my head every time I go there.

Shade is what the park needs most. It’s miserable in the heat. They have cut down just about every tree that shades the midway. I don’t understand why they’re so cheap. They won’t build shaded structures over the flat ride queues (and parts of the coasters). it’s just that big of an investment that makes the customers day so much better.

When they built KD, international Street basically stuck out of the park on its own, and the park began at the Eiffel Tower. There were no pathways leading directly to themed areas halfway up the street like they did at Kings Island and Canada’s Wonderland The east side of international Street now leads to Dominator but not directly to a themed area. It was odd how they used all that space on the west side of international Street for the administration buildings That’s another reason the park is lopsided.

This is exactly why Cedar Fair and other chain parks are operated this way. They sell cheap season passes and meal plans and people buy them no matter what. In the long run people get what they pay for. i’m sure the company management has the attitude that people are going to buy the season passes no matter what they do because of the price. theme parks were much better when they were special events a few times a year that people actually paid for each visit instead of a cheap to frequent. They really do lose their special feeling when one goes too much.

In 21 they had an attendance increase because everyone had been shut in for a year. In early 22 they were still running the parks with the 21 mindset. it was mid 22 when Cedar Fair decided they wanted to chase off more customers budgets everywhere possible. And then 23 was nothing but that. The company is filled with executives that only care about filling their own pockets in the short run and will do anything to do that. They don’t care about increasing attendance in the long run. Matt Ouimet is gone. He was the reason Cedar Fair parks were run correct a few years

This merger will definitely not be improving any park, and it definitely will not uplift the Six Flags parks to Cedar Fair level. Cedar Fair Parks will end up in the same gutter as the Six Flags parks….. the worst run theme parks in the world. They have been using a Six Flags pricing strategy for years These cheap season passes and meal plans are just going to end up with wonderful theme parks absolutely gutted by budget cuts

Plus in recent years it’s just yet ANOTHER area with all white lights. That’s one major flaw about the lighting. Too many areas with all white (Tinseltown, Winterfest Way, Oktoberfest and Rivertown).

Matt Oiumet was the reason Cedar Fair started quality theming over the last several years. Before him were rather generic installations like Diamondback He is gone from Cedar Fair now. I fully expect tacky IP the did that will totally ruin the character of the park again

I just rode them last month. Carowinds has completely destroyed the experience. The range of the front fin on this ride at Carowinds has been restricted. And the cycle is VERY short. You might get two or three good dives at the most on a ride. It’s about the same experience now as the Larson replacement at Kings Island. But I rode the Flying Eagles at Kings Dominion last week and they are running perfectly. Full range of motion on the front fin and a good cycle length. You can get about 10 or so good dives on the cycle

Personally i have found KI food far inferior to that of Kings Dominion and Carowinds. Even when Major was there. I was surprised he was promoted given the low food quality. The Coney Barbeque has always been subpar. Coldish food, lackluster sides. Inferior meats (where’s the brisket) Oh and a dinky greasy huspuppie instead of corn bread or a biscuit. Plus that awful cold barbeque sauce from the pump. Grain and Grill at KD is excellent. This is coming along at KI, but it wasn’t installed under Major The food was not good there this summer, but it has greatly improved for Winterfest. The burrito place is among the worst of that genre that I have eaten. There is a far superior and less expensive Chipotle right outside the gate Maybe the Brewhouse had a better menu under him, but I don’t eat there much And finally that nasty looking and tasting LaRosas pizza. The chef doesn’t get the blame for that since it is a sponsorship deal. But it’s horrible advertisement for their restaurants. At least the hamburgers have been good. But fries only with them. At KD and Carowinds there is a choice of sides.

It all comes down to the fact that Cedar Fair does not want to pay competitive wage for the metro market or guarantee hours to the employees (ghost weather closures). Dollywood has the park fully staffed for daily fall and Christmas operations despite its lower populated area. EVERYTHING is open (except water rides). Including all shops and food locations. The “we can’t get employees” excuse is just an excuse.

KD also operates 3 coasters despite smaller attendance than KI. KD is the only park left with the synchronized light package. It must be problematic, but they are still trying to keep it going. They had it fixed the next day. also, their international street blows Kings Island away. It’s so more immersive. Mainly because Kings Island decimated all the large trees a few years ago. Kings Island Winterfest only has two advantages over the others. The train and one hour more of operation on weekends While I appreciate the Kings Island actually improved their lights this year, they are still pitiful compared to Carowinds. Carowinds puts 2 to 3 times more lights in each tree! Kings Island just doesn’t have the tree cover that the other two parks have to have the fantastic lights. A few pics of Carowinds below and one of KD

Kings Island doesn’t even have the best Winterfest. The lights are better at both Carowinds and Kings Dominion and Carowinds has a better ride lineup.

These parks have a horrible pricing structure. if one buys a season, pass and dining plan with drinks and uses it a lot, it’s cheap entertainment But if one goes a single time, it’s ridiculously expensive. I think they gouged the people that go one time to make up for the small profits on all these season passes. it would be much better just to have decent pricing on everything and not give away the house with these season passes And i’m on a season pass. I spend as little over that as possible at Cedar Fair Parks, because of the way they treat their customers and their employees. I don’t think the merger is going to fix anything. Out of the two companies Cedar Fair (as bad as they are) is actually the better one and has nothing to gain from being involved with Six Flags. Cedar Fair is all about cutting cost now and will probably just continue to degrade the customer experience until it’s like a Six Flags experience.

The seats are the most uncomfortable that I have ever experienced on a flat ride. The hard plastic digs into my hip bones as soon as I sit down and the entire ride. I am 34 waist size so not unusually wide or large. It’s very painful. I’ve tried the ride twice and given up on it. I am 6 ft 3 and have to contort to get under the restraints since they only rise up even with the top of the seats. Chalk it up to poorly designed Zamperka junk. They couldn’t even get this thing ride to tilt full 90 degrees.

Previously, the large trees in front of Festus were just up, lit. It was such a waste of large trees that could have spectacular lighting. This year they actually lighted them! The other area I noticed more lights is the walkway between international Street and Planet Snoopy, between the enchanted voyage, building and the first aid building. They all those trees are wrapped in blue and red lights, and I think previously they were just mostly up lit.

Carowinds is enforcing their chaperone policy for Winterfest. ID required to get in there.

Staffing issues = we won’t pay enough to attract workers. Back to Dollywood again! I went on WEEKDAYS in Sept and now there this week on weekdays Fully staffed. ALL rides open except seasonal water rides and of course Lightning Rod is down. Huge live entertainment lineup. But get this. ALL restaurants, food stands and shops are open All rides fully staffed. Running trams. But cost cutting Cedar Fair can’t “find” workers in a huge metro area.

That price is dishonest. Another Cedar Fair trick. I know they aren’t the only one but it’s still not the real price. They add a “processing” fee for doing absolutely nothing for a self serve online purchase.

It was also out of the control of the customers. It wasn’t their fault. I personally was happy with the extended 2021 pass as many people were, but there were people that could not use a pass in 2021 and they deserved a refund if the pass was unused It’s just not high ethics to keep someone’s money without providing a service or good.

Btw. An ethical business offers refunds (even prorated is ethical). Keeping people’s money when they don’t get what they expected is NEVER good business in the long run. just like 2020. They did not give refunds when they could not provide what was expected. They carried it over to 2021 and some people may not have been able to attend that year

It's also worth mentioning that Dollywood is operating DAILY Jan 1 to Jan 7 2024 for the end of their Christmas event. I saw some posts online about how much people thought a CF/SF all park pass should be? They were giving prices like $250, which is only slightly more than a Dollywood, Hershey, etc one park pass. The customers that CF and SF have decided to cater to with their virtually all-thrill-and-kiddie lineup of attractions is bringing the kind of customer that wants everything for nothing...... I have a 2024 CF all park pass with meals and drinks that i paid appx $375 for through Canada's Wonderland. I don't attend these parks as much as i used to, but i will get my money's worth out of it with at least 10 visits. However, that is ALL that i will spend at a Cedar Fair park in 24 because of the unethical way they do business (namely ghost weather closures for low attendance) and because of their current philosophy to cut cut cut. I am in driving distance of Dollywood and will probably spend $1,000 plus there next year. $234 for the gold pass, eating every time i go, even merchandise (i found a great wallet there last visit). They don't mysteriously close due to low attendance and blame the weather, so i know i will get to do what I am planning when i go there. I will gladly spend money there because they provide a great product. Their employees are VERY friendly. When a park can provide a full working schedule 10 months of the year and treats their employees right (back to the ghost weather closures which cut employee hours), they can retain good employees and enough of them to keep everything open. I visited in Sept on weekdays and the ONLY thing closed in the ENTIRE park was ONE restaurant ONE day. It's also wonderful to be able to visit a park on Spring, Fall and Winter weekdays. I find that Dollywood attracts a diverse crowd that comes for the shows as well as the rides. On these off season weekdays, half the crowd is there for the shows and there are no lines for the rides. Quality experience because they are smart enough to appeal to a more varied, higher spending crowd. They have obviously figured out how to use their facility 10 months of the year while Cedar Fair and these other chains leave them sit empty the majority of the year. I think CF, SF, and SEAS are very BAD investments right now if one if playing the stock market, because they have NO long term growth plan. Only milking what they can out of current customers through cost cutting to meet their short term profit goals. Cedar Fair was initially a great thing for the Taft parks but the wrong people have moved up the ranks and have no idea how to grow a business. This merge is a desperate last attempt at cost cutting (it will eliminate jobs so it is also pure greed at the expense of the employees). CF is not a well managed OR ethical business.