KI-ORIG-EMP

This is why I am in favor of teachers being permitted to have a conceal carry permit with extensive training by police in the use of the firearm. As it is now, it might have signs stating that it is a "no firearm" facility, it only means the intruder has a clear access to do harm until the time police do arrive, which would be too late for the ones shot and or killed. It is not like you go into a firearm store and buy a handgun and put it on your person and then think it will be ok. You have to have the approved training in its use and continued practice at the weapon range. I still refuse to call a weapon as a "gun" ever since I took my combat basic training at Fort Jackson and our DI would get in our face if we ever called it a "gun." As for Kings Island, we do have our own police that are armed and they are stationed at the front gate entrance and other places in the park, along with assistance from Mason PD on crowded days. I know some people would be up in arms over having teachers armed but it is better than having students hauled out in body bags.

I do not feel that a new front gate is needed. At the time being, it serves its function quite well, even if it might be dated as some might feel. Just because it is dated does not mean it is does not serve its function. A person might drive a 20 year old car that is in very good shape does not mean he should buy a new one with all the fancy options. It might be remodeled down the road but that would be all it would need. Maybe sometime in the future, a new sales/season pass processing center complex might be considered with efficient line queues. It could include restrooms, sales windows including group and will call areas and even a shops and a drink stand for added sales when guests leave and enter the park. With this complex, maybe even a new and improved Pet Daycare Center that is not hidden from view for guests trying to locate it for their pets.

If Cedar Fair was to do this, it should conduct extensive surveys at all of the parks and employ an outside marketing firm to conduct surveys and focus groups to gage the reaction. All current season pass holders should be contacted and ask their input into this possible up charge. Another thing to consider is how it would effect current season pass sales and would people attend the Haunt events more than one day or pay for several Haunt weekends. If you have people that do not renew or buy season passes due to this, it will mean less sales while inside the park, which is where parks make their money. Finally if they do this, it should be WELL advertised a year in advance in all media avenues and on displays at the park to ensure there is no confusion when people would state they were under the impression their season pass included the Haunt. It is just like there are still some pass holders that believed their regular season passes were good for the entire season, including Haunt even though they expired on Labor Day. Personally, I feel the Haunt should not be a separate up charge but included in the cost of the season pass. But on another thought, it might just mean the price of the season pass is priced too low. Just a thought to ponder.

What is wrong with the current front gate? it serve the function it was designed for. A few years ago the guest services location was rehabbed and expanded to better serve the needs of the park's guests. Besides functioning as an entrance for guests to enter the park via the turnstiles, it has gift shops, locker rentals, rentals for baby strollers and wheelchairs, rest rooms, mechanical rooms and on the second floor, the International Restaurant that serves guests for group outings, and as a commissary for the park. As the saying goes, if it isn't broke, why fix it?

Are we going to turn this into another SOB thread with all of this nonsense? Do we start to discuss this for any ride that is closed due to a malfunction? If that is the case, we will be overloaded with topics like that. Wait until the final report.

You will be surprised by the way people dress when the weather is cold and or raining. While I wear my shirt,long sleeve sweatshirt,jacket,gloves and pants, I see young teens wearing shorts, a light shirt or sweater and open sandals. If I happen to mention it, they say they can take or are used to it. Dress for the weather is a wise choice. If you want to freeze, then so be it. But if it is raining, I will wear my issued rain jacket and hood along with layered, warm clothing.

We all know there is a problem with the thing a ma jig that is attached to a right handed threaded bolt using a left handed nut to secure it. On top of that, it was performed on a Friday when they were all looking towards getting seriously drunk from all the subpar work they did.

The problem with all the Wind Seekers is they are using cheap sprockets that were not made to the correct specs. If they had used sprockets from Spacely Sprockets, they would not have the problem. Spacely's best employee, George Jetson would had made sure it would had been made to the correct specifications.

Only Frosty the Snowman and his winter friends would be brave enough to ride a roller coaster in the freezing cold! This is of course if the ride manufacturers would permit it.

It is one thing to see site prep for a ride, or the future of a ride like the Crypt that goes idle and trucks or ride pieces being taken out to guess that something is going on. Or if a ride op happens to be in the office or conference room with the GM/VP as a very important meeting or conference call is being discusses about WS and its future due to the recent mechanical issues. It is one thing to be told it will not operate until further notice and another thing to be told it is being removed due to its current problem. Ride ops, ride supervisors, and other seasonal workers are not in the food chain as to details of a ride's future plans. They are only told what they need to know regarding the ride's daily operation and not if it is being removed. These same ride operators were not told about the plan to dismantle SOB until it was announced. But it is not hard to guess the future of a ride that has gone idle for several years. I have been in the ops building several times and if my manager has very important work going on or if his PC monitor has data not meant for my eyes, he will close it and not discuss anything that I might hear that I do not need to know. The ride ops for WS have been told just it is not being operating until further notice and told what has been released to the general public. They have been told to not say anything else that has not been released and to not even speculate with guests as to its future. I doubt that the ride manager has confided with his supervisors as to its future and the op manager will not reveal anything like this to people not authorized to know. So until anything is announced, it is pure speculation on any employee's part and a rumor that is just that, a rumor.

There is a menu that pops up after each register's transaction that ask the sales person to scan the card or hit cancel to complete the transaction. But keep the receipt if you question if any fun perks were not applied or applied correctly.

It is like someone trading in their car because of a minor mechanical problem. Look how they tried to fix SOB several times before finally making the decision to tear it down. The people that work on the rides are young and i am sure they talk among themselves about problems each ride might have. I am sure they might even talk to their school friends about things they might "hear" about rides. Next thing it goes around with a different story from what might had been first said. But you do not tear something down because of some unknown issue. Like all things mechanical, some things do and will wear out due to usage and break down through its life.

How many times have it been said that seasonal employees, especially ride ops, are not in the decision making process nor are they informed of plans such as it is being rumored here. Something like this would only be made at the very top of Cedar Fair and the park's GM/VP and through consultations with the ride manufacturer. Future plans, rides being torn down and future expansion are only made by top management and all seasonal employees and full time employees that are not in the upper levels of the chain's management team are not part of the decision making plans. Unless you hear of any plans like this or other plans are only released by the park's public relation department, it is not true.

With that in mind, always purchase your tickets at the park, at their web site or official resellers like Kroger. Always beware of buying tickets from people at the park that claim they do not need it. You do not know if the ticket they printed online has been used, or is a fake. During the recent park sell out days like P&G, the company has set up a process for them to exchange or sale their tickets. It is not like it was in the old days before tickets were scanned at the park as to their validity. So is is buyer beware.

While he requested this topic be closed, he opened a new thread on the very same topic. I know I replied to his question, as did others.

I remember Ed and he was good to work for. It is a honor well earned.

But rather than call the park, I would go to the park and inquire there. You used to work in Admissions and know how they run things. You can either go to the sales window where they can look it up and tell you your options. A supervisor is there if you need to check with that person. Also, like the poster stated above, you started this same thread and had several replies, including one from me.

If you were to hike in the area that the mono-rail ran, you can see the footers still in place that the rails were attached on. There is no need to remove footers if it does not interfere with the construction of a ride or building. After SOB is completely removed and surveyors plot the land for future use for any planned ride, they would most likely keep footers that are not interfering with any new construction. Just like there are still footers still for The Bat, King Kobra, and other still in place. I know from the construction of the footers for the mono-rail track, those are on average 4 to 5 feet deep by 3 to 4 feet wide. It just would not be cost effective to remove any that are not in the way.

When they remove and clean up all the wood and not a day sooner.

I don't put it past YouTube for pulling it for the music soundtrack copyright issue. You can use it as long as you pay tribute to the copyright holder.

Yes Lance, your 2012 pass is good for the rest of the 2012 season and good for the 2013 season. If you lost it, it is a $15 replacement fee. But as usual, check with the Ticket Services at the park. Are you still going to try to apply for next season?

Is the glass half full or half empty Is SOB half demolished or half constructed? Like a kid in the back seat of the family car, "are we there yet?" as they just pulled out of the drive way.

When a builder builds a house, do they just construct the house without there being a master plan for that area? No. They plot out a housing plan with streets, landscaping, lighting, club house, pool, roads, sidewalks, then they build the houses. It might be just this way with any new roller coaster they might build. Prepare a plan on where future buildings and rides would be built, then decide where to build that roller coaster. It was this way when Kings Island was first thought of before they built the buildings and rides.

Have you ever heard about the old expression, "if it's not broken, don't fix it?" As long as the current front entrance is serving its purpose, why replace it? Several years ago they rehabbed the current Guest Services office rather than have just window for people to inquire from.

The best time to come where it is not as crowded would be on Sunday. But if you wanted the Haunt experience, then come Friday or Saturday, but expect heavy crowds on Saturday.