bkroz

Frontiertown and Frontier Trail are both themed areas of Cedar Point. Frontier Town has the more colonial Americana area with Skyhawk and the Antique Cars, but also has Maverick and Mean Streak's little frontier junction area. Frontier Trail is the actual shaded trail that connects the Millennium Plaza with Frontiertown, and has all the little shops, Panda Express (they have a knack for putting Asian food in just the wrong place, don't they?), the rapids ride, and now Shoot the Rapids. In other words, it's sort of like pre-2002 Rivertown - the water ride area that's themed to a specific time period and very shaded. They comprise the only themed region of Cedar Point!

I do not know how long it's been this way, but http://www.valleyfair.com/ is essentially a hybrid of the Paramount sites & Legacy sites. The bottom half is "Cedar Point" style adopted by Knotts & Worlds of Fun, while the navigation menu and header appear to be highly based on the Paramount style. I don't know if it's always been that way or if it's more recent... Notably, there is some sort of site unification going on, that much is clear. If it'll expand over the Paramount Parks we don't know, but really, I feel as if the Paramount sites are more in need of overhaul than the Legacy parks... It's just odd that they truly are redoing the sites, but not coming near the former Paramount sites with a ten foot pole, whereas in every other aspect they want them unified and seamlessly intertwined with the Legacy parks (see, Planet Snoopy, food prices, marketing strategies, etc). Still, good to know some sites are getting this much needed overhaul!

I'm a lot younger and less-experienced than you, but so far I've never been anywhere where everything is even. Or even remotely even. Trust me, we live in one of the fairest nations on Earth, but you'll never know how uneven things are until you're a minority, or even think like a minority. That's a bit philisophical for a Kings Island discussion, but ought to be noted. As Terpy said, It's $35 to get in, but if you want to really have fun, and have the full experience, it'll range anywhere from $20 - $50 extra regardless. Something to consider!

The thing is, nearly every major theme park operator besides Disney and Cedar Fair utilizes a front-of-the-line access system that costs money, and none of their parks are dealing with excruciatingly long lines and patrons who feel cheated and local news authority who believe that the parks are underhanded and catering to the wealthy... None of that happens at the parks in question. I've been at Universal, SeaWorld, and Busch Gardens, on both sides of the express lines, and have never encountered (or been) a person to demand a seat. Only two middle rows were roped off on Alpengeist, so even in the express lane, I had to wait three or four cycles. There were probably a half dozen people behind me who had to wait longer still, but the point all along seemed to be that waiting 15 minutes is an improvement over an hour. How is that any different than Fastpass? Busch Gardens: $60 admission + $15 QuickQueue Disney: $85 admission + $0 Fastpass. So in a sense, Fastpass is only for the wealthy, too, since Disney somewhat includes it in park admission (thereby making the whole park "only for the wealthy"). Certainly some of that $80 ($113 for a one-day with parkhopper) goes towards maintaining those distribution machines, hiring the extra employees to oversee the Fastpass entrance, etc. It's something to think about.

In the top right corner of the first post where there's a dropdown menu labled "Options" choose "Switch to: Standard" as your Display Mode. That ought to do it!

It's the answer to our prayers! From Kings Island's Twitter: Thought this definitely worth its own topic. Cedar Fair is reading what we have to say! Take pride! Of course, one can also say that partially solving a problem you created doesn't make you a hero. Perhaps they jacked up the prices just so we'd consider them saviors when they lowered them for passholders... Something to consider! But then again, I am a pessimist.

The system I originally brought up is not virtual queueing. You don't have to wait. It's a wristband / lanyard system, such as what is used at Universal or Busch Parks, and does not utilize any sort of mechanical thing, like a Q-bot or ticket distribution machine. And really, no matter what the system is (Fastpass, Q-Bot, or a wristband system), there will never be a day when the secondary queue is full and the standby line is zero. By their very nature, they balance eachother out, such that, in an instance where there were more people in the secondary queue, folks would just opt for the standby. If the Fastpass line was 2 hours and the standby line was 5 minutes, which do you think newly-arriving people would stand in? And besides, it would never get to that extreme since people will always opt for the shorter line, given the time and choice.

What building are you talking about because I know Disaster Transport's building was never a Casino? I'm not sure if this is what he's talking about, but I know in the beginning what is now the arcade was one the grand ballroom. It's kind of a shame - it was hardwood floors, really high class dances, etc. and now it's covered in bird poop (which it might've been back in the day, anyway...) and is full of games. Very strange! I'm not sure if the second floor retains its original appearance or not.

I can't even respond to that. ^ Hahahaa. I think if you went to Universal for only one day, you'd invest in the Express Pass. If you have only one day, why wouldn't you? If that makes you have a superiority complex (or an inferiority one if you've not purchased it), that's a personal problem. Also, Disney's Fastpass is irrefutably the best system working right now - the thing is, though, it costs a LOT. People in this thread have argued that Kings Island can't afford a "QuickQueue" service because we would need to print off wristbands... With a Fastpass system, you need seperate machines, computer programming, paper, and unified tickets to scan. I can't help but think that this "free" service is why Disney charges $80+ for a one-day ticket, $113 for a one day with parkhopper. And no, that's not comparable to Universal, which is 7 days for $99.00. Buy an Express Pass for two or three of them and you're still $100 less than 7 days at Disney. I just feel like Kings Island doesn't actually cater to that many people per day. So charging $10 - $15 for a front-of-the-line wristband would be totally acceptable, only a small portion would actually be interested (again, those who have to make a significant drive, those on vacation, etc.) so it wouldn't be overcrowded. Not to mention, when you start having features like that in the park, you can make adjustments to packaging. For example, Universal's most expensive pass (comparable to the Platinum Pass) can be flashed at their Express Lanes to get you front of the line access after 4:00pm. It's a brand new incentive for buying a pass. And of course, you can have a "package" day that includes, say, a one day ticket, one meal at the buffet, and Gold Lane. It practically sells itself to out-of-state vacationers, and it wouldn't take many people at all for the marketing of such a deal to pay for itself.

Out of curiosity, do you think Kings Island ought to do some sort of Universal Express / Quick Queue service? They're so incredibly easy to set up. For example, Busch Parks & Universal just have you pay like, an extra $25 to get a wristband, walk up the ride's exit, and get on the ride. It honestly costs nothing for the park but to set up the cheap signs with arrows pointing at the exit that say "Gold Lane" or whatever they'd chose to call it. It isn't even an issue with normal line passengers getting testy and being cut or anything - the Busch parks that have it have like, two rows at the middle of the train roped off in the station so normal queueing visitors can't stand in those lines, then let 4 / 8 people at a time from the Gold Lane line into the two designated rows. There's never a backup, it costs nothing for the park, and they can get $15+ for each Gold Lane wristband. Kings Island is a destination park for families who only come once every year or less, and I imagine they'd definitely invest in such a system. When I visited Kings Dominion, I would've paid top dollar for such a system, like neighboring Busch Gardens had. None of the lines were especially long (like at Kings Island, 15 - 20 minutes), but it really was just nice to know I had a day with no waiting ahead of me. And it's not like it's some huge investment that might not pay off... Every single dollar made from it is straight income. I can see how it's not necessary at many parks, but Cedar Point, the King parks, and Knott's would HUGELY benefit from such a system. I know Paramount had the Gold Lane for Gold Pass people, but this is different. It's also nothing like the Point's failed stamp system... It's just a wristband. At Busch Gardens it was like, $20 for one front-of-the-line per ride, $40 for unlimited all day. How could that not pay for itself in a matter of days when the only expense is the directional signs?

To kind of get back on topic, I would truly sacrifice 2010's trashcan budget towards installing & maintaining fifteen - no, ten - fog machines in pivotal places in the park: 2 on Adventure Express, 3 in Top Gun's valley, 1 on Italian Job and 4 on The Crypt. Truly, these would be less than five thousand dollars to install and maintain through the season, and would speak volumes to both enthusiasts and casual park-goers about Cedar Fair's commitment to the park / commitment to theme. Whether first-time visitors realized it or not, having fog (in Adventure Express' volcanic tunnel and final lift) just adds some really interesting, fun, interactive level to the ride. Riders would just sense something more fun, adventurous, and mysterious about it. Not to mention how The Crypt would honestly be ten times better with some disorienting fog, eerily pulsing red and blue thanks to the already-functioning lights... Imagine it! Ahhh...

I love doing that - the 200's are Canada's Wonderland. 204 is Sledge Hammer - if only we'd have that in Action Zone on the site of a particular go-kart ride!

A mod didn't removie it, I took it down until it becomes "official." Though who knows when that might be, considering I haven't the slightest clue where they plan to link it from the main site. And knowing our dear owner, they probably haven't the slightest clue, either.

Absolutely wrong. Universal Orlando has a 7-Day Parkhopper ticket for $99.00. That's less than a 1-day Parkhopper at Disney World. A 7-Day Parkhopper ticket at Disney is $286.00. Universal is a third the price, besides having better food (in my opinion) & more thrilling attractions, and it's sort of all-inclusive. Two parks connected by a really fun downtown area, which includes theaters, Blue Man Group, restaurants, clubs... It requires a lot less travel than Disney, and you don't have to stay in an overpriced on-site hotel to get free transportation. Obviously doing both would be ideal, but just know that Universal runs some great deals that Disney just doesn't, because they don't have to.

I HIGHLY disagree with that. If a ride is just plain bad and not much fun with bad reviews its safe to say the ride is the fail. If one visitor who might not otherwise visit comes to the park for a new coaster, it hasn't failed from a marketing standpoint. If one visitor enjoys the ride more than he or she anticipated, it's not a failure from every visitors standpoint (even if it is in the eyes of 99% of people - it is still a success). Firehawk123 was correct, in my opinion: To fail is to not try. And remember, people who enjoy rides that are admittedly viewed as busts by some guests (see, Son of Beast, Adventure Express, Vortex - myself included in that group) ought not throw stones.

If this were Facebook, I'd "like" your comment! It's so very true. I'm visiting the Disney parks, Universal Orlando parks, and SeaWorld (for the first time in five years), and Busch Gardens for the first time ever, and I'm definitely looking forward to Rip Ride Rockit as one of the highlights of my trip - I'm really anticipating it, regardless of others comments. I mean, I think BLSC is one of the best coasters at Kings Island. Truly. Hahha. This isn't the thread to talk about it, but it's a perfect example of how others opinions (even the overwhelming majority opinion) isn't always the best for an individual person.

Happy shopping! As of now, most of the merchandise is Diamondback related, and there are few items to chose from. I'm sure the inventory will improve soon enough. Also, the store uses the same header as the homepage, so it appears wie will not be getting the Cedar Point site overlay.

I have not ridden it, of course, but I hardly think it 'failed.' And how it could be an eyesore, I'm not sure. The theme of Universal Studios is big soundstages, some of which have facades of famous cities. It's not as if there's a "skyline" proper to interfere with. I believe they got into a classic situation where they simply added a unique, but admittedly average roller coaster, and when it wasn't quite ready on time, they were forced to hype it up with "No, trust me, it's GREAT. Once you ride it, you'll see that this delay with worth it." Factor in about five months of that, then consider that it's STILL not fully functioning, but at this point, what are they supposed to say? They can't keep running it for half-days at half-capacity for the next year and then have its Grand Opening... In many ways, this ride is a victim of over-hyping and insufficient quality to meet the hype. If a ride of this caliber came to Cedar Point, it would be considered a tremendous success, I'm sure. But with Manta, Kumba, Montu, ShieKra, Hulk, and the Dragons all within an hour drive, marketing it as the newest, baddest coaster to hit Central Florida wasn't the way to go... And yet, it was sort of the only option after all the delays. And looking at the layout, I think they overdid it. To me, it's a bit over the top to have such a long ride, most of which ends up just slaloming along the ground at medium speed. The layout could be better, yes. And some of the elements could be better. I can't say anything to the ride's smoothness, but I'll known soon enough. Perhaps the Central Florida parks should've seen their first Intamin instead? Something tells me Intamin could've tackled this project and made a beast of a ride! When the USF coaster rumors first started, people were anticipating a clone of Hollywood Dream: The Ride at Universal Japan. Really, I think both companies could've done great (B&M & Intamin), but what we ended up with is certainly going to be a milestone ride that will be considered the origin of many great rides we'll see in the future! P.S. Look at this turnaround - I'm drooling!

I know there's differing opinions on whether or not there'll even BE an Action Theater come 2010, but if there were, which film would you like to see? Here's a link to the Iwerks film library for their 3-D films to browse through, just to get ideas. Of course, depending on the status with Hannah-Barbera, there's always "Yogi's Wild Ride" (didn't the Action Theater have that at one point, before it went to Universal?) but I'd be happy with a return to "7th Portal", too... There should be action in the Action Theater! There's also plenty of 2D movies that would be fun, like "Smash Factory," and I know "Dino Island II" was a hit at Geauga Lake (and clearly not hard to install if they brought it to Geauga Lake). I know others may disagree, but I feel like the Action Theater is one of the few true family attractions, is easy to renovate, and counts as a marketable "new ride." They can plaster the new movie's logo over every brochure and say "NEW FOR 2010," and that's something they need! And it's easy enough to do, so...

It's gotten some odd reviews, actually. It was supposed to be the next big thing, a great indescribable coaster. But from what I've researched on it (in anticipation of my trip in 35 days!) it's pretty much getting bipolar reviews - half the people rate it an 8/10, half rate it a 3/10. Granted, it's [obviously] been plagued by downtime, opening what, five months after its scheduled debut? And even now that it's "working" it's valleyed twice (while testing) and its much anticipated "moving loading pathway" hasn't actually worked yet, and might not ever. Not to mention, it can run six trains (I believe) but only has three, still waiting for the rest to arrive. I'm not sure about those numbers, but it's something like that. Besides that, there are folks who believe that the radical difference in reviews can be aligned to the fact that one (or two) of the trains are not contacting the track in the right way - as if they have "flat tires." That WOULD explain why some people are calling it the worst, most turbulent coaster they've ever experienced while still others say it's fantastic. (Of course, that sort of thing can also be accounted for by being a destination park - a good number of visitors have probably experienced coasters from their home state(s) AND Florida, and can compare. Meanwhile, Floridians may only be exposed to the "best of the best" and find HRRR is in the bottom tier.) Screamscape had posted a video that showed each train passing through the same element, and two of them did make an odd sound that just didn't sound right on the track, which he proposed may be the reason behind the reviews. It's possible! I'm sure someone one here can enlighten us. But I will be there in a month. Also, I must say, the non-inverting loop looks AMAZING. Just watching the POV videos of it truly I can't wait to feel whatever riders feel at the top of that loop.

universalskingsisland.com FINGERS CROSSED. Hahah. :]

We're also not certain to see Diamondback next season. GoodYellowKorn, just sayin'. Hahha. I feel like Terpy's little brother.

Happy shopping![/b] As of now, most of the merchandise is Diamondback related, and there are few items to chose from. I'm sure the inventory will improve soon enough. Also, the store uses the same header as the homepage, so it appears wie will not be getting the Cedar Point site overlay.

I have to say, I haven't been to Aquatica (I'm headed there in January) but from what I've seen, I feel it exudes "class." Like, Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach are obviously incredible places, but to me Aquatica has something they don't. It doesn't necessarily have HUGE slides or some tremendous overall theme that blows Disney out of the water, but I didn't expect it to. From what I've heard (and going a bit on assumption, too), the "Dolphin Plunge" isn't necessarily all it's cracked up to be since you can't really see much at that speed, but it stands to reason that Aquatica really is a park that only SeaWorld could create - the lazy river passing under the "Shark Encounter"-esque glass tunnel full of fish, the overall sort of theme, the animal exhibits scattered throughout - I think it's, in a way, marketing to a different group than either the Disney parks or Wet 'n' Wild (which is Universal's). It just seems like an incredible place, and definitely a "future of water parks" for more upscale resorts. Of course, with a very tight schedule on my Florida trip (Universal, Busch Gardens, Disney, SeaWorld, Aquatica, and Discovery Cove), I had no choice but to place Aquatica after Discovery Cove... The day after to be specific, so it may seem a bit lackluster in comparison.

Money is saved for guest and employees claims that are not covered by expenses? Yeah, sure sounds like they're not self-insured. It says right there that they keep a certain amount of money handy just in case of a guest claim... Plus Terpy gave a freakin' dollar amount! Hahaa. I said in an earlier post that quite simply, none of us (to my knowledge) are on the inner-workings of Cedar Fair and thus none of us know for sure what is happening right this second unless they chose to make their status with insurance, Son of Beast, etc. public. There's either an answer or there isn't. Apparently, we don't know either way except for Terpy's very specific and researched dollar amount vs. your constant insistence that they're not self-insured... One of which is clearly the answer, but I'll leave that up to you to decide which one I'm leaning towards. Also, for a veteran, you should know better than to double post immediately after your first!