bkroz

Do you think Cedar Point's food quality tops Red Lobster's? Do you think that your meal is made fresh in that building, or is it re-heated in a back corner room after having been brought over from the Midway Market? I maintain my point that I can go to Red Lobster and get some popcorn shrimp with biscuits, two sides, and unlimited refillable beverages plus tip for around $15.00. And honestly, that's plenty. But if someone out there truly feels the need to pay $70 PLUS ADMISSION TO THE PARK to have crab legs before a haunted house, I suppose that's their choice. I'd be more than happy to partake in the $25.00, regular-ole-buffet plus early access and front of the line passes at Busch Gardens. It's about perceived value. I was trying to prove that $70 is a ridiculous amount to pay for one meal PER PERSON at a theme park. I guess you disagree? But I maintain my stance! Haha.

That includes tax and tip, so it would be like having about $11.50 per meal at Red Lobster, which is doable... Still, let's just say I can get FIVE Red Lobster dinners for the price of one Cedar Point one, or FOUR Red Lobster dinners for the price of one Cedar Point one... I'm afraid I've forgotten your point haha. My point was that an arguably better Halloween event has an arguably better dinner package for nearly one third the price, and theirs includes early access to houses, a front of the line pass, and exclusive seating at a show... Who wants creamy seafood Alfredo before running through a scare zone anyway?! Haha.

I just looked up their "eat in the haunted house" gimmick, where you get served food in the "dining room" of the Eerie Estate house. Granted, the website does say it's "fine dining," with: So basically, a "nice" entree, a baked potato, a salad, rolls, and a glass of wine or beer. The cost? WOOF. Don't places like Busch Gardens and Universal offer a comparable "haunted dining" experience that also includes being the first in a number of houses, etc. that still doesn't cost that much? I'd forego the fancy food and settle for hamburgers if it cost me $25 or so... Geez! I can get SIX of that exact, described meal at Red Lobster for that price! EDIT: My first search revealed that Busch Gardens Tampa has their "Fright Feast" which includes: all-you-can-eat-buffet an exclusive showing of their new stage show early access to houses front-of-the-line pass for houses good until 8:30 Their cost? ... $25.00. No lobster at this one, but let's be honest... Which is the better deal?

The website is now live. It's a vast improvement over the old Haunt sites, too! I hope ours resembles it! Mazes (Scare Zones) Blood on the Bayou (NEW) Maniacal Mechanical Screamworks (NEW) Carnevil Cornstalkers Fear Faire Terror Island Haunted Houses Club Blood Eternity Infirmary Eerie Estate Happy Jack's Toy Factory EDIT: I've also got to believe they made a mistake on their hours calendar... If it's to be believed, the park closes at 9 PM on Saturdays, but is open till midnight on Sundays... Hmm.

Seems pretty fair to me. They originally banned him for the remainder of the season and asked him to leave the property. So what did he do, tried to re-enter despite the orders he was just given. Another example of someone who is trying to place blame elsewhere despite their own actions causing their misfortune. Right, but I'm asking for more information on his return. Was it a few months later, and did he pay for parking that time and follow all other rules? Perhaps I'm a fool, but I wouldn't take a slip of paper from a security guard at a theme park all that seriously, either. "You are hereby banned for _______________" with him having written in "the rest of the season" or whatever? Yeah, I'd probably be upset and then come back a few months later too, especially if I intended to follow all the rules this time.

I believe that in the past, it's been haunt.visitkingsisland.com. That being said, last spring they kept saying the park map would be released "in a matter of days..." Three weeks later... (Though in their defense, three weeks is a matter of [21] days!)

That would be sick! NEW FAVORITE THING. Can we rally for this?

Perhaps Backlot Stunt Coaster will have little Honda Civics chasing around the course. Or maybe one sedan, one SUV, and one minivan on each train!

Your dreams may come at least 50% true! I love the Hulk's concept, but I feel that track has a few issues... Looking ahead of you, it's almost like looking at an Arrow mega-looper. Odd transitions with sharply angled turns (see below), a convoluted layout, and more inversions (7) that you'd care to experience on a coaster that fast! Rather like a B&M stand-up without the standing if you ask me... The cobra roll is beautiful, of course, but after that comes that angry back-part that's hidden from pedestrian view... Odd loops, turns, corkscrews, rolls, and brakes with strange pacing and Arrow-esque transitions and very, very hard shoulder-restraints... Gah!

The U.K. Human Rights Act affords freedom of expression in the U.K. too, and their speech laws are basically like the U.S.'s from what I have learned. And since his "punishment" was handed down by a government he isn't a citizen of, it makes little difference. The article mentioned that the email contained notes of a "threatening" nature. And it's not as though it was discovered by some Patriot-Act-esque search or anything - he sent an email, white intoxicated, to the White House. I would think that the government takes "threatening" messages directed at the president very seriously regardless of where the perpetrator lives, be it Ohio or the Congo. In a sense, you can say whatever you like, but there are consequences (and those consequences may remove you from a situation or place where you can say whatever you like). I suppose things like that can't necessarily be handled on a case-by-case basis though (since doing so might reveal that he's probably not a very dangerous young man).

Not quite. If you read the end of the second page of the first article linked in the OP, that incident only got him banned for the rest of the season. It was trying to re-enter in violation of that ban that got him banned for life (as well as arrested for trespassing). Ah, I see... The whole "news article on two pages" thing infuriates me like no other... It's a way to increase ad-space and nothing more. Still, it seems an extreme punishment. When he tried to re-enter, was he paying for parking and following all other rules and regulations? I've never seen a park come down so hard. Are folks ever banned from Kings Island for a season, or for life? As for tracing the violators, Islander, there must be a way if he was caught returning, and in the second article, it notes that one woman returned three times despite a lifetime ban by using fake names. When I went to Six Flags Great America this summer, each ticket required a first and last name to be inputted online, though no one checked any ID's or anything to verify. It seems very strange to me, but given the area Great America is in, perhaps it's a necessary evil. Still I think the process is being abused when not paying for parking gets you banned. Fined? Sure. But banned from the park? I don't think that's fair.

But yet a one day ticket at Cedar Point is 40 bucks and a one day at Kings Dominion is 52.99............. If you buy a ticket to Kings Dominion through their website and at least three days in advance, it costs $39.99. If not two days in advance, it's $48.99. A two-day ticket is $61.99, which is about $31 a day. Comparably, if you pick-the-date of your ticket when you purchase an online ticket for Cedar Point, it's $37.99. Regular one day admission is $49.99. And a two-day ticket is $69.99, or about $35 per day. Kings Island, meanwhile is $35.99 for one day if purchased online, $52.99 for regular one day admission, and $52.99 for two-day admission (or about $27 per day) KD : CP : KI Advance:/.$39.99 : $37.99 : $35.99 Regular: ..$48.99 : $49.99 : $52.99 2-Day: .....$61.99 : $69.99 : $52.99

Wait... So, he entered without paying for parking, and thus is not welcome to ever return, ever? Am I misunderstanding?

If it's unclean and not well run or maintained, then I don't feel I've missed out on this particular park. Perhaps in the past it was a nice place, but if it's as the consumer reports say, then I'd rather not visit at all than remember it poorly to gain a few rides for a coaster count. But that's just me.

On my drive to Chicago, I considered stopping by Indiana Beach for a few unique coasters and flat rides. I had assumed that, being a smaller, more boardwalk-style park, individual tickets could be purchased (like, 4 tickets for this coaster, 5 for that coaster, with tickets being $.75 a piece or whatever). When I looked on line and saw that it was $30 for a ride pass, I decided not to visit. It's a tiny little family park. A two-day ticket to Kings Island works out to about $30 per day, so no way was I about to spend that much to ride a coaster or two on the way to Chicago. Apparently, I'm lucky I avoided it.

Historically, I've always chosen the Platinum Pass, so it may sound unfair of me to say I wish Boomerang Bay - now Soak City - was separately gated. Wildwater Kingdom is a fairly small park - there's only one slide complex and then a funnel slide. But my friends and I made it a point to visit two or three times a year. There's an abundance of shade, a nice, lake-side, half-shaded area to set up in that is never even at a quarter capacity, free wifi so you can bring your smart phone, and a very nice restaurant that offers 25% off to season passholders. When that same exact water park was attached to Geauga Lake, it was overrun with people. No place to sit, no place to lie down, long waits on hot stairs for short slides. It wasn't worth it. The same can be said of Cedar Point's Soak City. I have never, ever, ever seen a crowd there. More often than not, it takes a few looks to decide if it's even open. Granted, that can't be a great sign from a business point of view, but it offers a worthwhile experience for those who choose to pay more (which has sort of been the theme of Kings Island's 2011 season, hasn't it? Premium price affords premium experience). As Avatar said, I don't go to Boomerang Bay. Towels and blankets and piles of clothes and bags set up on hillsides and 25 minute waits for 10 second water-slides... It doesn't interest me. If it were a separate gate, I believe it would provide a more "VIP, premium" experience. Like Geauga Lake or Soak City, the lines for slides may be 5 minutes or less, which is actually appropriate for the end experience. There would be plenty of places to rest and "set up shop" for the day, and it truly could be an all-day, relaxing experience. Basically, I do not believe Kings Island is in the same financial situation as Michigan's Adventure or Worlds of Fun where the water park represents a majority of its attraction factor. At the old Geauga Lake (and at present day Michigan's Adventure, etc) you'll find most of the theme park rides a walk on by 1 PM on any given summer day while the water park is brimming with people. I think Kings Island has enough to offer in and of itself that it would not be unrealistic to separate the waterpark. Would it be well-received? God no. But as someone mentioned, maybe Gold Passes provide access to Soak City Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, and Platinum Passes are seven days a week. That also allows a pricing structure like Cedar Point - "Ride & Slide tickets;" "add our premier waterpark for $15 more per person," etc. But especially after having been assaulted by up-charges this season (one for an attraction that used to be free), I think there would be a full-on revolt. But if it's ever going to be upgraded to a separate park, now would be the time to do it. If they wait even until 2013, it'll be "but the new Soak City was free in 2012..." At least this year, they have an excuse to make it an up-charge.

Yep! I was surprised when my friend said her Cedar Point pass didn't get her free parking, but its because they only have two options - the bare bones pass that just includes admission, or the Platinum Pass. And since Cedar Point is the "crown jewel" of the parks, getting into little dinky parks like Michigan's Adventure and Kings Island doesn't come across as as much of a benefit, so they push the Platinum Pass there for the ERT, parking, discounts, Soak City, etc. more than anything else. It essentially is their gold pass, just more expensive and if you want to visit their other parks, you can.

For what it's worth, the Action River at Geauga Lake (which would probably be comparable to the one at Kings Island based on what they say) is still very much a lazy river. You can just sit back and float. About halfway through the course is a tiny little wave generator that just keeps it cranked up a few degrees above "lazy," and at one point in the course there's a series of little tipping buckets you have to navigate (the red setup in the photo below). It's mostly just fake waterfalls along the side which (obviously) you can avoid. Otherwise, Geauga Lake's just has two buckets that can be dumped from above by folks on a bridge (which can be avoided by staying to the left) There are also two spots where a big "fart" bubbles up from under the water once a minute or so, and one area where a long line of arched fountains sprays out. You can go under them through the "tunnel" they create or around them. It's not like it's white water rapids. It's still a slow moving river, just with a few added effects and interactive elements. If you don't want to get too wet, you don't get too wet. The only thing you have to consciously work to avoid is the little tipping buckets. Everything else has a very clear "dry" path, and it's still relaxing and slow.

I had already told everyone!!! Action Zone renovation and a world breaking coaster!!! I will be right!! I want you to know, I have saved what you have said above, and will post it as my signature when the new additions for 2013 are announced whether you were right or wrong. It will either be a joyous moment in which you can prove you were right, or a tremendous reminder of how wrong you were, but either way, PizzaBaby, it will happen.

Don't worry, guys, we'll probably end up getting Geauga Lake's single slide complex when they end up closing...

Don't laugh! At Six Flags, it will.

I am happy about the additions and the care given to the park, but disappointed with the renaming. It's yet another instance of DE-themeing for no apparent reason. There were PLENTY of ways to re-market the new Boomerang Bay. Changing the name to emulate Cedar Point's water park and billing it as an attraction for the park's 40th anniversary is low. I think it was (yet again) the mis-represented build-up that has harmed the park's reputation in the public's eye. Take a look at the Facebook page. And with that, I am truly leaning towards trading in my Platinum Pass for my first ever Six Flags Pass come next season. Cedar Fair's marketing and investment departments have really dug a hole here. New for 2012 across their portfolio will be still more dinosaur exhibits (and at the expense of some beloved family favorites), more WindSeekers, and now this. Again, it's absolutely an improvement. But are they so blind that this many years later, they still haven't recognized that what is really is does not matter half as much as what it's perceived as? And thus far, the perception was that a "new attraction for 2012" was instead a re-named water park and a removal of the unique themeing it contained. Will Soak City be better than Boomerang Bay? Undoubtedly. But Kings Island is not Cedar Point. Kings Island visitors expect a different level of themeing, and some squirting dijeridoos, kangaroo statues, whimsical paintings, and themed restaurants really did make a difference. Again, I think it'll be a nice change. But why get rid of the themeing? Why not build on it instead? So now, I think I will spend next summer visiting the U.S.'s first wing coaster and embarking on great adventures rather than riding still more WindSeekers and seeing these parks treated as if they ought to be twins. Cedar Point South.

I do not live in Southwest Ohio, so I was taking a stab in the dark haha. And Pagoda, they won't remove the box from the The Crypt if they intend for it to stay open - it's not able to operate outdoors. It requires a climate controlled, dry environment. Also, if they removed it from the box it still wouldn't be a "spectacle" like Kings Dominion's since it's so far removed from the path, plus it's not a very thrilling ride so people won't be drawn to it.

What I don't understand is why Kings Island's Facebook page even displays guest comments. All of the Six Flags parks I've encountered have their Facebook pages set up to display only official status updates from the park by default. You can write on their wall all you wish, but you must manually click "Everyone" from the wall options to see what guests are saying. http://www.facebook....America?sk=wall http://www.facebook.com/sixflagsgreatadventure?sk=wall http://www.facebook.com/SixFlagsMagicMountain?sk=wall Since Kings Island allegedly blocks people left and right after leaving disparaging comments, one must wonder why they don't just re-route the public wall feature entirely as Six Flags has... You just cannot deny that about 70% of the comments on that site are overwhelmingly negative, and the other 30% is primarily 13 - 17 year olds propagating rumors, slinging insults, and answering each-other's questions incorrectly.

How many years has it been since you've ridden Top Thrill Dragster? I haven't waited two hours in... ever... It's been 20 - 30 minutes every time I've been! Still, I think pretty much every ride has a "worth it" time. Call me crazy (some will!) but Backlot Stunt Coaster is my second favorite roller coaster at Kings Island... if the wait is less than 10 minutes. It's a fun, twisty, well-done ride, but if I were to wait more than 10 minutes, I feel let down (which is why I think it was so poorly received by many during its first few seasons, when waits exceeded an hour). For Dragster, I wouldn't wait more than 30. As long as the wait's under 30, I find it to be a very incredible, breathtaking ride.