bkroz

Not an excuse. Just a reality. You can't expect everyone to pay $15 to $20 to hide their beach bag. And if everyone did, guess what? It would cost way more than $15 or $20.

So Holiday World might not be an asset, but signing on the dotted line must carry some weight of consequence or else it would be a formality and would already have happened...

Not a conspiracy theorist, but who here is monitoring those flashy video-screen menus? What's the price of a chilled Coca-Cola on a Saturday in July versus on a Sunday in October? (I really am not insinuating that Kings Island changes the prices, because I don't believe they do). But if that price were to jump a few nickels on a hot, crowded day, would that be smart? Certainly. Is that free enterprise and pursuit of profit? You betcha. But how do I feel as a visitor who becomes aware of that? Good will?

Which should say enough. "Each of these three curtains has a fully-furnished home behind it. Choose curtain one, two, or three, pay up, and then we'll lift the curtain and reveal which house you chose!" They would literally have them not see what they're buying into until they've already signed their assets away. How does that sound like a fair idea?

I get that. It's the same reason why a Cleveland parking deck is $35 for a month-long parking pass, but $20 for a single spot on the night of a concert. But it's still irritating. Or two different priced lockers in two different parts of the park. What if the price of a locker is 25 cents more near Millennium Force where people are forced to stow their belongings compared to a locker at the front of the park? Does it make sense from a business point of view? Sure. But it leaves the consumer feeling had.

It seems like the fair board is almost actively campaigning against a tenant. Doesn't it make sense that they're the ones with the decrepit amusement park that is very actively rotting away, creating a burden on the local economy by removing jobs from the market while also draining major dollars from the area? Instead, they've taken on the role of the finicky, uncooperative suitor where if I were in their position, I'd be willing to meet in the middle and then some. Beggars, it seems, can be choosers. If not the Koch's, then who do they expect to come out of the woodwork next? Especially since we now have a clear picture of the condition the rides are in and have heard that if work began immediately, we'd still be two years out from an opening. Now, who would want to pick that up?

This is true of Cedar Fair parks, too (though to a lesser degree, I think) and still doesn't sit right with me. At Geauga Lake's Wildwater Kingdom, parking was $5.00 through last season. At Kings Island, it was $12.00. What services did Kings Island's offer that Wildwater Kingdom's didn't? Pricing integrity? If a parking spot is worth x in Northeast Ohio, why is it worth y in Southwest? Supply and demand? Or is it just that the price-setting-powers knew $12.00 wouldn't fly at a tiny little water park where people might "expect" it at a full amusement park? I get that that's the nature of the business, but it's still a little irritating. As for lockers, I'd make the excuse that on some roller coasters like Millennium, the train returns in a different place than it departs from... But then, Volcano? There's always an attendant with a cart...

How many times now have the newspapers sold this as a "sure thing?" Even the various parties reaching for its re-opening provided clear messages that road bumps were present, but everything was wrapping up. Now we're on to 2014. Even the bright spin of Koch PR is becoming a little distressed and obviously fed-up with those "road bumps," and the park deteriorates farther... Third time's the charm?

For what it's worth, I've never felt more nickel-and-dimed than at a Six Flags park. It was a fantastic park, really, but there was no way I was going back for a second day with $20.00 general parking. It's a concept they didn't understand, I guess - that I would've come back, paid another day's admission, eaten two meals plus snacks, and probably purchased the Flash Pass except for how cheated I felt by parking, locker, and food prices... "They've gotta eat." "They've gotta keep loose articles somewhere." "They've gotta park." We'll see about that...

What moral culpability if any does the park have in charging $20 for a locker when something like this happens? In other words, is it the park's responsibility (whether de facto or de jure) to help keep its patrons' belongings safe by offering affordable or complimentary areas for safe keeping valuables? Maybe or maybe not. I'm really just asking. Family saves for a trip to their local amusement park, get inside, and finds a $20.00 locker as the only way to keep their bag from being left unattended. If they can't afford it, didn't plan for it, and can't use it, then what choice do they have besides asking a family member to stay behind to guard the bags? If the locker was say, $5.00 (which would still represent something near 100% income for the park, I'd wager), then maybe they would have had more options. And then there are Universal parks, for example, where lockers are free for the first hour as a courtesy, a way to keep loose items off rides, and a way to keep belongings safe.

There are parks like Busch Gardens Williamsburg where preferred parking saves you a lengthy tram ride from auxiliary lots all over the property. Depending on your park of choice at Disney World, all that preferred parking would do is get you closer to a bus, monorail, and ship you'd need to take, anyway.

It's advised that doing one park per day at Disneyland Resort amounts to 7 - 9 miles of walking. If one park hops, it can be as high as 15. Keep in mind, those parks are around 60 acres each.

I think preferred parking in almost entirely psychological. You will walk literally miles during the course of the day, so what's an extra thirty yards in the parking lot, especially if you're only gonna make a trip or two out to the car.

In that both Flight Deck and Son of Beast abide by the laws of physics, they're comparable. The problem is claiming that both deform during the brake run, and thus both are safe or enjoyable for human riders... All tigers are animals; not all animals are tigers.

It's not an awful ride at all. It's just an awkward experience and very, very dated. It's quite a testament to the old Cedar Fair's battle against themeing and embarrassingly short after the built up experience, but it's not a bad ride.

Kings Island plays the greatest hits of today (and mostly of 2 or 3 years ago, not to mention a show centered around basically every decade you can imagine). Islands of Adventure plays a custom-made orchestral arrangement that is specific to each island, setting the tone perfectly and creating an emotional compass toward what you should be feeling (awe, tension, mystery, grandeur, etc) not unlike a film score. In other words, pumping Rihanna's "Umbrella" through Oktoberfest at a 9 / 10 is different than hearing the Jurassic Park score at the same level when you're walking through Jurassic Park.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AgkQu_IFI1I Then you look at these new Kings Island commercials showing a family hoarse from screaming in the days following their bonding trip to Kings Island... Maybe none of them even rode the rides - maybe they're voices are gone from shouting over the music!

Totally agree with the severity of the issue. I was just pointing out that it's not unusual for employees to feel out of the loop.

One of the infamous things about Cedar Fair parks (and really, perhaps all parks) is that new systems are implemented without letting any seasonal employees know. In other words, people come to the food location looking for the much-advertised gluten-free pizza or a special coupon or a FunPerks certificate and no one is quite sure how to process the order or if it's even available. It causes a lot of confusion from what I've seen in the past, and it really is from a lack of communication between parties. So while the park's Twitter account trumpets new gluten-free options, Guest Relations hasn't heard a word about it, and if they don't even know what gluten is, you're in for a real treat. Then to have outdated information from an old website? If everyone could just stop for a second and get on the same page and have the answers ready it would be ideal, but that's basically impossible with so many hundreds of seasonal employees and so many fluctuating offers. See FunPerks or Fast Lane, both of which debuted with employees even more confused than guests at the sometimes-nonsensical system and odd ins-and-outs that had to be learned.

Hey, if a sound-bite / pull quote can pay the bills, more power to him!

And whaddaya know, Paul Ruben has nothing but praise for Herschend! Perhaps he most appreciates their deep pockets (which, based on his quote in the first article you linked to, may not be quite as deep as Disney's)...

CERTAINLY not the only park to lose attendance, even if it's the only one in the top 20 to do so. Epcot and SeaWorld Texas had no change at all according to these estimates. Keep in mind that Busch Gardens Williamsburg was severely impacted by Hurricane Irene, which devastated the Chesapeake Bay area and saw water levels rise 8 - 9 feet. Virginia, Maryland, and D.C. were all separately declared in a state of emergency. I believe it closed both parks (Busch Gardens and Water Country, U.S.A.) for a full week during the end of August, and even when it re-opened, many citizens were still evacuated. Also remember that Busch Gardens Williamsburg had made clear fairly early on that a new roller coaster would make its way to the park in 2012, and announcements or construction early on in the season can sometimes make people decide to delay their trip. By the way, Verbolten is easily my new number one roller coaster that I've ridden. Easily.

From the article linked to in the first post: Personally I don't think it's acceptable... At least do the favor of tearing it up and planting grass.

Top Spill Dragster. That's all I'm sayin'.

The question would be: would this Wing Rider use themed set pieces and perhaps the new entrance to have famous "near misses?" Maybe travel through a "keyhole" right in the center of the entrane turnstiles? One can dream. Hahha