malem

There are many ways to measure how "big" a park is. Acreage, attendance, capacity, revenue, or even number of rides.

This area of the park really looks tired, so it's great to see a refresh. From the rendering, it looks like there might be a new restaurant in the building by Monster that currently houses a gift shop. Now, since roller coaster count used to be a primary marketing message at the Point, the big debate will probably be whether Pipe Scream counts as CP's 17th roller coaster.

How were winners notified last year? I assume winners had to be in the park to get the prize?

Personally, I'd keep the acting in common areas and leave "scary" props and treats in (participating) rooms. I'd love to see what kind of Haunt tie-ins FUN could think up for Breakers. That hotel seems perfect for something like this. As for bedbugs, I always take off the sheets and check the bed with a flashlight and a black light when checking into a hotel. Luckily, I have yet to encounter those beasts.

Of the wooden coasters I've actually ridden, I think I enjoyed The Raven most. Short and sweet. As for steel, I'm going to say that it's a tie (for enjoyment) between Maverick (any row), Rock 'n Roller Coaster, Vortex, Flight of Fear, and Millennium Force (but only at night, ideally in front).

KI's Haunt website is live: https://www.visitkingsisland.com/haunt Interestingly, the last two weekends are called "premium" weekends and priced accordingly. I suppose they want to spread the crowds out better. Ed Alonzo showtimes are 7:30pm, 9:00pm, 11:00pm Fridays; 7:00pm, 9:00pm, 10:00pm Saturdays. EDIT: Just went back to the site, and the information on "premium" weekends is gone. It seems that the site is still undergoing changes.

^ OSU is on semesters now, as are most other Ohio schools that were previously on quarters. Classes have already started.

It looks like the waterpark is closed Friday, so that could be a factor in dry park crowds. Oddly enough, The Beach is open daily this week.

^ Good catch; it's certainly not the first time the wrong park's details were put on the website. Luckily, they got it fixed relatively quickly. Posting website errata in this thread seems to do the trick.

The goal for 2014 was apparently to create a spectacular inverted coaster at KI, and $24M is what it took. Comparing dollar figures between different projects at different parks isn't very useful. EDIT: Beat by Terp. (That's what I get for loading up a bunch of stuff to read at once.)

^ The calendar for Haunt is new for KI, but the differential pricing on Saturdays vs. Fridays isn't new. It seems less confusing this way than the way it was last year, with 3 separate ticket options for Fridays only, Saturdays only, and 9/22/12 only.

Sorry.. double post... but 2013 holiday lights?! This seems to be boilerplate text, so don't get excited about Winterfest, dozens of Bring-A-Friend FREE days, or overly generous discounts. \

As of a few minutes ago, trying to find General Admission tickets instead gives you information on 2014 season passes: Someone made an error when taking down the Pink Days tickets. And evidently, FUN is taking a cue from SIX.

KI set a rather high bar for teaser creativity. Hopefully other CF parks will learn from their example. CP's 2014 investment is likely to be considerably smaller than its 2013 investment. It's probably a balancing act of getting people excited without getting them so excited that the announcement is a let-down.

The 2013 platinum pass is valid through December 31, though Knott's is the only place it's useful after October 27. In previous years, some people have reported that their season passes stopped working for the current year after renewing for the next year. If you renew at KI, I'd recommend using it for re-entry that day just to be sure. (Getting a handstamp too, just in case!)

Couldn't agree more...I think the cars were and restraints were designed by a short woman...(no offense to short women). How tall are you? I'm 6', and the Premier trains don't bother me at all. (Sitting down into them is slightly awkward, but they're fine once I'm in.) If you have that problem, get your legs used to running. A few G's from Mantis is nothing compared to the forces from that.

^ What is it for you? (Head banging, knee discomfort, or the guy problem?)

If it's like years past, the lowest prices will be offered from Labor Day weekend until the end of Haunt. Supposedly, renewing over Labor Day weekend enters you to win prizes during Dollar Days, provided you're in the park when you "win". (How did that work last year?) Prices for 2012 (in fall 2011) were $70 for gold and $150 for platinum. Prices for 2013 (in fall 2012) were $80 for gold and $164 for platinum.

Free drinks, sunscreen, and parking are a major part of the park's marketing. It would be extremely difficult to eliminate them, no matter how much management wants to pinch pennies.

^ There was a threat of storms yesterday, though apparently none hit Sandusky. On my previous trip in July, they were transferring off trains well in advance of the storms. On Wednesday, everything at CP except Gemini had all the trains running. Unfortunately, they chained off cars 3 and 4 of Corkscrew around 5:00pm.

I overheard several complaints about Mean Streak around the park yesterday, so I rode it to see if they were justified. It was definitely a lot rougher than it was in May; it almost seemed like it was trimmed less. I didn't experience any pain or discomfort, but I also didn't want to re-ride.

Actually, I'm sure the park is hoping that guests buy plenty of soft drinks, breadsticks, fries, and other non-discounted items to go along with their $1 loss leaders. How long were the food lines last year for the dollar deals, by the way?

Depending on the odds, that could be a lot of front-of-the-line passes. Making it $1 breaks a psychological price barrier, especially when $1 food deals leave people with extra cash to spend.

^^ Dollywood probably learned a lot from their brief relationship with Gaylord. The Gatlinburg area lacks a hotel with this project's scope.

^ Backlot has a 48" height requirement and launches into an intense helix. KI even rates it as "5 - aggressive thrill". Probably not a "family coaster" by many definitions. (Not Dollywood's apparently.)