standbyme

^I have already been missing Shaggy from the Meet & Greet area from about 5 years ago...he was a nice addition to the photo op...now Velma on the other hand seemed to be hit & miss...it was as if it wasn't really her all the time and someone was filling in for her sometimes.

I will get a little philosophical with my answer…”I will miss my previous belief that the Cedar Fair always strived to improve the park”.

A poll by the Interpreter....THAT'S something I never thought I would see! (And if I decide to be a "poll snob" I can always hold that over him..."Oh yeah, well at least I'VE never started a poll before!") Anyway, on to answering the question...since I am not an amusement park world traveler...and since the most I have ever visited another park besides Kings Island is twice, my most ridden coaster HAS to be at Kings Island...and even though I like The Beast more, my most ridden coaster is The Racer...it is also my FIRST major coaster I rode. I am not a big fan of waiting in line...so if it's a choice of riding The Beast once in an hour or The Racer five times in an hour I always opt for The Racer!

Not that I usually consider myself that memorable…but I am guessing that when Ryan was putting up this poll he knew that I would have to add my usual 2 cents on this subject…just as I always do when he asks for what new service we think should be added…so as not to disappoint…I will now start beating that dead horse again! Why is it that so many people/companies are not happy sticking with what they do best? HBO was not happy just showing movies…they started doing TV shows, MTV MUSIC Television isn’t even hardly music anymore, actors want to be singers, singers want to be actors, Cartoon Network shows non-cartoon shows…Nick At Night shows not only movies but new reality shows, CNN has “fluff” shows that have NOTHING to do with news…eBay the greatest idea in years isn’t happy with being an auction site, they want to be Amazon Pt.2...sigh…I guess the grass is always greener on the other side. I would just like to keep 100% of the mods effort put towards this site and forum. A little brutal honesty…I personally think this site has become a little stagnant…I am still waiting for the monthly newsletter idea that was praised by so many to take off…why move on to new territory when there is still things that can be done here for improvement. I have said it several times before, I do not want to deal with going to other places to get all of the Kings Island information…or being contacted different ways…I have always found that the site’s PMs & e-mails were just fine. I would just like to know that everything that is newsworthy that the mods know about the park is either posted immediately in the forum or on the site’s news page. If it ain’t broke… I did answer all 3 of your questions…but I wish there was another choice for the first 2 questions…the “I have no opinion/I don't know” is not really accurate…I DO (obviously) have an opinion…and I do know…at least what I think….since that option was not available I chose “I have no opinion/I don't know” for the first 2. Of the extensions of the KIC Universe, which do you think is the one we should use more often? As stated, I wish that all attention be focused on this site before branching out. If KIC were to sponsor social gatherings outside of Kings Island, what would your thoughts be? My choice here was “Maybe - Depends on what we're doing.” I am sorry if any of this offends anyone…that is not my goal…I hope this is taken as constructive criticism. And before anyone beats me to it…yes I know I can be grumpy…and since both Jack Lemon and Walter Matthau have passed, I feel like I am a shoe-in if Hollywood decides to remake “Grumpy Old Men”!

Oh sure, we're losing Spongebob & Scooby and now you want them to pull Jeff's voice...where will the madness stop! I can not say it is my favorite part of The Beast...but I certainly would miss it if they replaced it.

I keep waiting to see some of those new camera angles that they were testing out that one day.

Nice trip report...congrats on getting 15 rides in! (By the way, I can never see Muncie without thinking of David Letterman when he was back on NBC..."And now from the home office in Muncie Indiana".)

I am aware of this…I am just pointing out what I see as the hypocrisy of the park. I see their “Halloween Haunt includes graphic scenes, suggestive themes and intense imagery and is intended for mature audiences; not recommended for children. No one and nothing is off limits!” warning as one of two things…either they don’t believe it is actually that bad and they are simply attempting to make Halloween Haunt appear scarier by adding the disclaimer…OR they sincerely do believe it is too scary for children…BUT they are willing to accept the $225.00 and look the other way. Here is the difference that I see in the “regular” Halloween Haunt experience and the VIP tour…we take my Nephew to the Haunt…he has grown up on Halloween decorations around the house year round and loves to see the fog and the roamers in the park…he stays less than an hour…and we would NEVER take him into one of the actual Haunts until he is old enough…but I think it is a pretty safe bet that if someone pays $225.00 for their child to do the VIP tour they plan on taking them into the Haunts…no matter how young they are…and the park knows this…so if they do believe their own warning why do they still allow children to do the VIP tour…even if they were as young as 3-4 years old? (My answer is “For the money!”) In their press release announcing the arrival of The Peanuts it included this line: “Cedar Fair are synonymous with good, wholesome family fun”…how can a company that believes that allow a child to do this tour? (My answer is still “For the money”.)

Is this the same park that is selling Halloween Haunt VIP tours that are also available to young children...no age restriction?

I am seriously thinking of turning you in to The Department of Children and Family Services.

^Yes, yes they are.

^So not only does Snoopy and the gang enjoy a good game of baseball, they play hardball as well.

^Yes I like it, just for the reason you stated, it's available to everyone...everyone can stand in line and get one if they choose...the system is not based on either your financial situation...or if you happen to "know somebody". I have repeated it on this board several times over the years...so here goes one more time...long ago a former Paramamount exec was asked about how he felt about some parks having a system where a person could pay more to not wait in line...I have never forgotten his great answer. He said something to the affect "I never want to put a parent in a position where they have to explain to their child why some people do and some people don't have to stand in line". I couldn't have summed up my feelings any better.

And I believe that in our capitalist society that they have the financial numbers to back it up...otherwise they wouldn't spend the money. Now to answer YOUR question: To say I was EXPECTING something other than The Peanuts may be pushing it…but I will admit that I still had hopes that it would be SOMETHING other than them…even a “generic” theme would have been better in my opinion. AND, if you are wondering how I could have been so naïve / optimistic I blame The Interpreter! He has been hinting that The Peanuts license may not cost “peanuts” and so it may not have been a sure thing…and I CHOSE to hope that the license was too expensive…at least it kept me happy a little longer! I have never considered this a "war"...I am having a good time debating this subject...I think 95% of everyone's comments have been very mature...I certainly hope I am not offending anyone, I just feel strongly about this subject. I swear, everytime I post about it I think "Well, there's no more to say"...then just like in The Godfather someone says something "That drags me back in again"! I do not think anyone will "proove" their side of this debate until a few years down the road when some financial numbers slip out.

You answer my question and i'll answer yours!

GREAT line! It made me smile for the first time today. (And not that you care, but I would just like to mention that I resigned myself long ago that this WAS Nick's last year...it was just the recent double whammy of losing Scooby and finding out that The Peanuts were the replacement that has depressed/angered me.)

Why almost? It is exactly what it is. And in the past, Cedar Fair expressed great contempt for the Flash Pass as it is implemented at the Six Flags parks... I'm glad you weighed in on this subject...I wondered where you stood...the same place as I! I hate to see a "class system" in an amusement park. (I wish the whole world worked like it did when I was in grade school...EVERYONE waits in line for their turn.) (And by the price they are charging, they sure do not have my family in mind!)

^I don't think most parents would make it an all or nothing question...I think the question would become "Kids, WHERE would you rather go?"

I am not sure if this was directed at me...but it appears so, so I will answer your question WITH a question. Do YOU seriously think that it doesn't...and if so, could you explain why theme parks for DECADES have been going to the trouble and expense of licensing these characters if it doesn't? Obviously it must make a difference. (My family is already planning 1 EXTRA trip to the park this year JUST to see Scooby & Spongebob before they go...and we are in Illinois.)

Maybe they all had a suicide pact if they were wrong...which WOULD explain their silence. Hmmmm...I wonder if we will be hearing from YOU in the future when this (in my opinion) turns out to not be quite accurate?!

Now that it appears to be official that Scooby is leaving, I have a favor to ask of KIC...please PLEASE try and arrange a special tour of The Haunted Castle for KIC members before it is dismantled. I would like to take as many photos of the interior as possible...something I never do while I am on the ride. A walk through would be my ideal, but I could also live with just riding through it a few times with permission to take photos. I hope that you might be able to pull this off...it would mean a lot to me...and I am guessing I would not be alone. Here's to hoping...

That's when you look at their feedback. I have purchased both tickets and even Season Passes on ebay without every getting burned. (Knock on wood.)

^If you back up a page and look at the screen shot of the website that was discovered you will see the line "Planet Snoopy and the Peanuts Gang will replace Nickelodeon Universe and Scooby-Doo."

Unless it was during Halloween Haunt, why.....wait for it........because as we know, during that time period NOTHING is off limits!

It is amazing to me how you mixed your loss into a fun trip report and it came out perfect...I agree with Scooby_Doo, it really is one of the best reports I have read on here in a long time. Sorry for your loss.