standbyme

Sounds like a memorable trip...especially the rest stops. So do you also post on a rest stop forum? 6 Rest Stops in 6 Days Friday,Oct.14,drove (with a friend in his car) down to a rest stop outside of Cincinnati, it was a nice rest stop with clean restrooms and plenty of well lit parking. We went to an amusement park the next day. Left the amusement park and drove to a really nice rest stop in Georgia...

I have mixed emotions about 2011. The year started out promising...the new pavers in Coney Mall are excellent. (I still think that the addition of these to the park may come to be known as the best thing ever CF ever did for the park.) WindSeeker, for me was a slight dissapointment...it is a GREAT addition to the park's skyline...but all in all it isn't much of a "must do" ride...no one in my family ever even rode it more than twice. Dinosaurs Alive was a nice addition...the kids seem to love it, and that's what matters in the end. But I am guessing that the attendance isn't what the park was hoping for...hence the EMBARRASSING "Up the numbers/grab a few more bucks" Halloween version. What kind of a move was it for the park to move trick-or-treating and the pumpkin decorating into a paid attraction?! If I don't miss my guess, the park already pays little or no money for the candy given out.. (It seems like it would be about a trade off for the advertising the candy companies get.) Now...if someone is going to say "Well, it just got too crowded for the park to do it."...I say, well why add bring a friend day every Sunday in October if the crowds are already too bad! There used to be a time when a company would "give back" to it's customers at some point in the year as a sort of thank you/good will gesture to it's customers...the trick-or-treating used to fall in that catagory for me. The Halloween Haunt park decorations were nice this year...I especially liked the way that the (former) International Restaurant was decorated with all of the orange & green leaves! (I will say that the some of the Coney Mall playground figures should have been covered during the daytime though.) I will save my (usual) long rant and simply say that the whole Fast Lane situation will be something that taints my opinion of the park for years to come.

Amen! This would make the event fun again.

I question if you really mean a lot of the things you post.

As much as I love Kings Island at Halloween time they would lose me & my whole family if they would even charge $5.00 per Haunt. I don't care what "other" places charge for their haunted houses....there are NO Haunts at Kings Island that I felt are worth $5.00 to experience, none.

Yes...when I broke down and purchased the Fright Lane passes I found this out...but at that point I already felt like I was being screwed so what was $5.00 more between friends?

And you just helped! (And so did I.)

There has also been quite a few times in the past where they have held a deal over for a few extra weeks. (Probably when sales weren't as good as expected.)

^Then I apologize for my suspicious nature.

I can't help but wonder if the HPB's already knew this was against the law and just used the whole thing for publicity knowing it would be "cancelled"?

^And at one point there might have been a farmer who thought "You know the Enchanted Voyage is nice...but I liked it better when it was a corn field". (And I won't even go for a Native American joke!)

Wow! That's a lot of effort you put into this report! Thank you for sharing.

A most excellent trip report! You have sold me on the event...I am really going to try hard and make it to it next year. Thank you SO much for sharing this!

Speaking of high stepping for the nearest exit...as (in my opinion) proof that Saturday night Haunts are way over-crowded, on the 24th I was staying at the Kings Island Resort. At around 9:00 I had to go back to the resort to get some stuff. (I had an extra ticket to get back in.) The bus was pretty much full...and here it was only 9 o'clock. On the way over to the resort the bus driver asked why so many people were leaving, if it was because the park was too crowded...there were quite a few people who yelled yes. Figuring that MOST people who are paying for a hotel room are from quite a distance away...what does it say when after only 2 hours these people would rather go back to their hotel than stand in line. I would guess that some of these people don't forget this and choose not to bother coming back to The Haunt...which if the opinions of many here are correct, these are the park's desired guests. (Out of town families.) I guess my ramblings are meant to sum up my frustration with the park's idea that the more the merrier if there's a chance they can squeeze even a little money out of each person through the door. It should be quality not quantity.

If the park wouldn't have dumped Scooby they could have based one on the Johnny Bravo "Ghostly Gardener" episode..."Jinkies, jinkies...isn't that a breakfast cereal? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cYOjYb834n0&feature=related

God knows...and so does AZ, that I certainly call him out when I disagree with him...which seems to be about 80% of the time...so it's only fair to stand up for him when I do agree with him. I don't get the whole chainsaw thing either. I'm sorry, but it makes about as much sense as being scared of someone running around with a leaf blower reving it up. Anyone with a smidgen of intelligence knows that it has to be harmless...especially in this lawsuit happy world of ours...how anyone is SCARED I have no idea...I can understand startled, but NOT scared.

Shaggy, I just wanted to say thanks again for sharing your pictures!

There are quite a few people out there doing things for a living that I have LESS than no repect for...so I don't think that is a good argument...but I will give you that I admire that they found a way to make it in this tough world...even if I don't approve.

I knew the photos would make me sad...but I still REALLY appreciate that you took the time to take & post them!

^As always you took some great pictures...thanks!

^Not buying The Bat head still haunts me!

Note to self: If you can't say anything nice...

Are you saying that you actually remembered me? If so I am impressed...especially since we have only met once...plus the thousands of people coming through each night. When I came into your room on Saturday night I figured that you were either on break or off that night...I give you credit...I NEVER would have guessed your hiding place...or how you came out of it! (I don't wanna give anything away. ) (By the way, do you guys even get breaks?)

Just some random person...they were hyping it that it would be good for things like hay rides or something to that effect. I think starting bid was around $500.00.

^But on the plus side this year's Haunt did not look like a "spooky" rummage sale...I have to give them props for that! P.S. One of the tram's cars was up for sale on eBay a few months back...it didn't sell.