standbyme

Yeah...and none of this had anything to do with the fact that the park could just make the same generic items for all of the parks instead of having to make something unique for the former Paramount parks...and there is no nostalgia factor for anyone who hasn't ever been to Knott's Berry Farm's halloween event...which I would say is the majority of the people who come to Halloween Haunt. (There's something about discussing Halloween at Kings Island that brings out my worst side.)

At the old campground one of the best sounds in the morning was the horn that signaled that they were testing Topgun...it was always nice to hear that.

Gabe, Thanks once again for doing this. The aerial shots that you take are always some of my favorite Kings Island photos to look at. Your efforts are appreciated. As a side note...is it possible that the clearing behind SOB is (finally) the start of the long missed campground?! (I can only hope.) Thanks again, J.D.

Coudn't have said it better myself! (Maybe they should add a K-Mart Blue-Light Special attraction this year.)

The new look is an improvement...I think the color scheme could be a hair darker, but other than that I like it. As for the avatars being bigger...obviously I like that idea! I think people can be more creative. (Not that I have so far.) By the way, nice avatar Avatar...it's nice to put a face with a name. Also WooferBearATL if you really need help just PM and i'll help you out.

I meant that given the option of sitting through a show of cover-versions or just sitting by the fountain and relaxing I choose the fountain...plus the people walking by can be quite entertaining!

In my entire life of going to Kings Island...way more years than I care to remember, the shows have had only 2 purposes for me: #1. When I was a kid, the shows kept my Dad occupied while EVERYONE else in my family rode rides...even my Mom called him an "old man" because he only liked to sit and watch the shows. #2. If I were doing a park event scavenger hunt and it was required to watch a show in order to get an answer I would reluctantly sit through it. If it weren't for this site I would never know how many shows the park had going on during any given year...I would MUCH rather just sit on the midway and watch the fountain and the people going by than sit through one of the park shows. (Should I add a cough?)

Thanks to everyone for the teaser photos! I will not be able to make it to the park for a few weeks so these are great. It sounds odd, but the thing that impresses me the most is the new Guest Relations office...I always thought that the old one was a terrible way to conduct business. One question...and I think I know the answer, are all of the Forrest Gump photos gone in "Outer Hanks"?

PLEASE don't get my expectations too high...I hate being dissapointed!

I personally think it would be tough for the park to get an accurate statistic of this since the Backward Racer was closed SO very much. (During the weekdays it could have almost been re-named "The Coaster With A Garbage Can In Front Of It's Line"...can't you just picture merchandise with that name.) I know everyone is different, but like many others have stated, the majority of the people I go with prefer the backwards side...I personally don't care, I liked them both.

I have been trying to make sense of these 2 parts of the post: Then there is this near the bottom of the post: Are there 2 different Gold Pass parking lots this year...or is it that a Gold Pass gets you free parking but NOT in the Gold Pass parking area unless you pay extra? (I could not find were the asterisk was in the post.)

But, since the resort has a shuttle bus you don't really have to drive yourself...and where the bus drops you off is a lot shorter walk than from GWL.

The very first thing that popped in mind when I read the e-mail yesterday was: "Well, so much for Cedar Fair ACTUALLY caring about their customers". Whatever happened to "the park KNOWS the BIGGEST problem with Fearfest/Haunted Haunt is that it is too crowded"?! So THIS is their solution? Getting that e-mail was really a kick in the stomach...or maybe a little lower. And before anyone says something like "People complain if it's free or if it's an upcharge they can't win", you can check my posts back 2-3 years and I have always been in favor of an upcharge to keep the crowds at a reasonable level. The thing that irritates me is that the park went out of their way to say Halloween Haunt was not going to be included with season passes and now this...like WooferBearATL said, consistency is not anywhere to be found.

I haven't noticed it mentioned so far...and if so I am sorry...but I would like to know if these boring names will affect sales of souvenier items. A name may not change a ride's "fun quality" BUT I think a name does matter when it comes to deciding if someone wants to buy a t-shirt, who wants a shirt with a "boring" name/logo?

How do you have The Partridge Family episode on DVD...did you just record it yourself?

So, we know we can't discuss politics or religion...but judging by this and past threads the moderators might have to add Halloween to the list!

There are some very nice pictures displayed here. I especially like Gordon Bombay's. It looks almost too good to be "real"! (Not that I am doubting that it is.) That is one problem I have with the new computer/digital era...it kind of takes away from someone who actually has the ability to take a good photo instead of just "creating it" with special effects and airbrushing out any imperfections. Anyway, here is my favorite photo I took at the park...at least one that doesn't have a family member in it. I had my camera accidentally on a wrong setting...and I still don't know which one! I just like how the colors ended up...and it has not been "touched up" at all. And i'll hijack the thread a little. I visited California for the first time this year and one of the main things that I have wanted to see for years is "Ferris Bueller's" house. Even though the movie is set in the Chicago area and most of it was filmed there, his house is actually in Long Beach. The house still looked pretty much the same. There was a tire swing on a tree outside...so whoever lives there must have little kids. The house is not quite in the neighborhood you would expect...there is a pretty run-down house across the street. Merry Christmas!

Nice trip report and VERY nice pictures...some of the best I have ever seen of the fountain at night. I really was impressed with this one: http://fiveninety.dyndns.org/~thegreatzo/p...sIsland/166.jpg What kind of a setting were you using for the night-time ones?

So if you admit that they ARE going through "crap" why is it whining to point it out? Isn't that how things get changed? I think there must be some truth to what is being said by some of the employees, and here is why: I only get to the park for about 4-5 visits a season, but even then I do remember certain employees that I see year to year. This year I didn't see a certain employee and asked another employee where she was, here is what I was told: "Oh, she quit". The employee went on to say that "Cedar Fair has lost a lot of their good employees this year because of how they are treating us". (The employee didn't sound bitter, just sad.) The employee that I asked about was not a kid, and was so good at their job that even I, as an out-of-state 4-5 times a year visitor noticed her. Everytime I read on here that a former Paramount employee has quit I wonder why.

Nevermind

I have not commented or "complained" (as you put it) on the jacket situation...but I guess I will now. I don't think it's fair to criticize people because they are not happy with how the "free" jacket give-away has worked. The criticism should be directed more towards the park. I know things can go wrong, but even 2 of the employees that I talked to in Guest Relations were showing disbelief on how the promotion was being handled. (I was surprised that they would let me, a customer hear them talk amongst themselves on what they truly thought of the promotion.) The "free" jacket is not "free" if you have to spend time & gas money to make a special trip to pick it up...which is definitely the case now that the park is closed for the season. Also, if you are going to say that you can just pick it up in the spring...the same applies. The park has made it perfectly clear that the jackets are limited and are on a first come first serve basis, which means if you want a specific size you better get there as soon as you can...in my case it would be a ludicrous drive that would mean the "free" jacket would cost me over $60.00 in gas. (I usually don't make my first visit to the park until mid-May.) Fortunately for me I really do not want one, but I feel sorry for anyone who does and has to “work” to get it. I think when people are complaining on here it is more for what they perceive as bad customer service…not the actual jacket itself. As an example, when I was at the park I had a question about the program that nobody in customer service could answer, they were very nice and took my name & phone number and said they would have the person who DID know “get back to me”…after over 3 weeks and no call I finally contacted THEM. I find it VERY ironic that this jacket is for the people they consider V.I.P.‘s…God help the LOWLY customers! I will credit the park for a nice idea that they did not have to do. (I doubt that getting the “free” jacket really made many people get a season pass who wouldn’t have already been buying one anyway.) So once again it was a nice gesture…but in the end, I personally think that having a promotional program gone wrong is even worse than not having one in the first place.

XGatorHead...thanks for taking the time to post the pictures, being that I am in Illinois it is the only way I would ever get a chance to see it like this.

I also kind of like just the white lights at night if only because the tower is brighter. As for this year's red lights at Halloween Haunt... I prefer the purple ones at last year's FearFest The tower at least stood out a bit more instead of being so dark.

Being that I live in Illinois and there is a lot of driving time involved, I figured that the trip report I posted for my Halloween Haunt opening weekend would be about my last trek to Kings Island this year…but luckily I was wrong! Now anyone who has read my thoughts about HH this year know that I have been a little critical of it. (Nothing more than Fearfest with a new name and a LITTLE more “mature audience” stuff.) I think that Cedar Fair and Paramount are both equally as good at getting your hopes up that you are going to see something really amazing…only to be let down. (I.E. Boomerang Bay, IJST…and Halloween Haunt.) Maybe if I didn’t fall for the hype I would be happier…but I AM learning to not get my expectations too high. Anyway, with that said, what got me to drive all the way back to the park this year…Fright Feast did! I saw a picture posted of the food being served out of a casket and figured that looked too cool to pass up…I didn’t want to miss the chance to experience that. (Especially if the park doesn’t do it next year.) Usually when my family goes to the park we make the drive “worth the while” and stay two days…this was only going to be for about a half a day visit to the park! (We did not plan on staying for Haloween Haunt…especially with the way the crowds have been…and I knew that the last Saturday of HH was going to be packed.) We left our town at about 7:00 A.M. and arrived at the park at about 12:15. I won’t bore any of the younger people in here with how we spent the day in Nickelodeon Universe with the little ones…but that is always a great time. It really is weird how even when you love riding coasters and all the other adult rides, you don’t mind giving them all up for the day because it’s JUST as much fun watching your kid “light up” when they are riding their rides. (And THAT is what Kings Island is about to me…family time and great memories down the road.) We spent the whole day up until 5:00 in Nickelodeon Universe. The only comment about Nick-Or-Treat that I will comment on is…What is the park thinking having Spongebob’s foam maze running on a “cold” day. We were not “stupid” enough to go into it, but tons of kids were. It also appeared that their were several sorry people who didn’t quite comprehend how wet their kids would be when they came out. It just seemed cruel to even put the temptation in front of the kids. The only thing that I did that was outside NU was fill up one of those “$10.00 all of the Paramount stuff you can fit in a bag” specials early in the morning. It was around 12:45 when I did this. I was just walking by the shop when an employee outside “lured” me in! I took a bag from her and went inside to see what might be left…and it wasn’t much…but they did have something I wanted badly…30th Anniversary maps! A long time ago I started a project where I needed LOTS of maps. I contacted the park about buying some in bulk but they said they thought they were all gone…so I was surprised to see a stack sitting on the table. The employee was standing near me and so I asked her how it worked again…she said “Whatever you put in the bag it’s $10.00”. So I said…“So I could put that WHOLE stack of maps in my sack and that would be ok?” She said yes…and so I reached over and took them all…when she saw me do it she smiled and said “That’ll work!” (They obviously wanted everything gone a.s.a.p.) There was not too much left to choose from, some Top Gun pins, season pass holder/wallets, kids hats, Boomerang Bay sandals, Scooby Doo sandals, season pass refillable cups and a couple of cheap kids toys. T-Shirts were a dollar a piece…but pretty much all that was left were the polo type shirts. I put a few other things in my sack and left VERY happy. Yes I felt a little bad taking all of the maps…but I guess NOT that bad! When I stopped by the shop later in the evening, the sack deal was over and everything appeared to be $1.00 each…and it was pretty much just shirts and season pass cups and sandals. So, on with the purpose of this trip report…Fright Feast. I don’t know if it was because I tried to keep my hopes down or what…but I thought Fright Feast was incredibly well done. The park put a lot of effort in the whole “funeral home” theme. As you walked up the steps you were greeted with this sign: It was all of the little touches that made it so special, for example, as you reached the top of the steps you were greeted with a guest sign-in book just like at a real funeral. We arrived just a little after 5:00 and was greeted with a fairly long waiting line to get our food…but the line moved pretty fast. The set-up was different from the last time I was up in the (former) International Restaurant this time the food was all in the left-side room above the steps. There was mystery involved, as you are standing in line you couldn’t see what was in the “food room” because of a set of curtains. When I finally made it through the curtains it was even better than I could have expected. Four caskets lined the walls, 1 with drinks & the other 3 for food. In the food caskets the food was sitting on a glass panel and if you looked underneath that you would see a skeleton looking up at you. Off to the side there was a complete mock funeral set up complete with chairs, couches & (of course) a casket with a body. One of the little touches I liked was dead flower arrangements spread around the room. In the bar area there was another casket with a skeleton that had a nametag that read “Craig Ross”. As for the food itself…it was the same variety that you would expect to find at the picnic grove…nothing to write home about, but not awful either. (How’s that for praise!) I am not that picky with food as long as it is not over-priced…and I think for the effort put into this event I certainly got my moneys worth. The ONLY thing that disappointed me was that it did not turn really dark before we had to leave the restaurant…I would have liked to have seen the view of the fountain & the tower lit up from up there. We had a nice leisurely dinner and when they started to line people up for “Club Blood” we decided it was time to leave…it was around 6:30. (Like I said earlier, we did not want to deal with the Saturday HH crowds.) All in all we had VERY good day at the park…and even though our travel time was longer than the time we spent in the park it was well worth the trip. Here are some more pictures of the event: http://www.putfile.com/standbyme/images/156598 So, let me say to any of the park staff that might be reading this, you did a VERY nice job & I hope you have this again next year. Thanks!!!

Not that I will be doing it anyway...but i'm just curious, has the "put The Beast to sleep last ride of the year" tradition also been put to sleep this year? I haven't heard anyone talking about it.