malem

They were checking bags more thoroughly than before Haunt at Kings Island. Even my tiny camera bag was thoroughly searched upon re-entry. At times, there was a sizeable line at the bag check tables. If these measures were necessary to prevent safety threats, it would indeed be commendable. Somehow, though, I get the impression it's control freak management instead of expert security consultants. As a guest, I certainly don't want to look at several bins full of wasted food/drinks when entering the park, nor do I want to wait in a security line that's longer than it needs to be. Customer service needs to be a top priority, even for security.

The extreme gate security seemed very odd, especially for a park voted the friendliest. By midday, they had several bins full of confiscated food and beverages - on a day with very light crowds. If you're planning to sneak food in this season, think again! I'd prefer that amusement parks not remind me of airports. At least there were no blue gloves.

Neither Pat nor her voice were at the park. The re-recorded announcements didn't feature Lori. (Didn't see her there, either.) In general, there seemed to be less management walking around the park. I only interacted with one director all day. This can't be a good sign, at all.

All loudspeaker announcements featuring Pat's voice were re-recorded. They also added an extremely strict bag search policy, and Mammoth's queue was slightly reconfigured such that there's now an extra, unused queue. (Future virtual queuing?)

^ It's hosting the majority of websites and powering the vast majority of smartphones worldwide. The only place it's still obscure is on desktop computers. If embarrassing moments at Cedar Point count, I managed to capsize in a lazy river inner tube, directly in front of a lifeguard. He was holding everyone back during a guard change at the next post, so I got to watch him laugh for the next couple minutes. Speaking of that story, a lifeguard told me to put down an unoccupied inner tube I was holding at Kings Island on last year's Soak City preview day. I picked it up intending to block a bucket of water that a certain grinning KICentral member was getting ready to dump on my head. Of course, as soon as I complied, I got nailed. I'm sure that guard was laughing too. (I had no idea it was a KICentral member doing this until months later.)

New this year in the Columbus market, Kroger stores have a combo ticket that includes 1 admission to Kings Island and 1 admission to Cedar Point for $54.99. This is a great deal if you're planning to visit each park once. Going north through Columbus on I-71, the easiest Kroger to access is probably the one on Polaris Pkwy (exit 121).

Thanks for the info. I had never been there and ended up going twice last season. Wildebeest was closed the first time, so I had to return. Both days were rainy and cool, so crowds were light. I checked the webcam a few times today. It looked like extremely small crowds in the waterpark, and Voyage was running but had no queue coming out of the station. Granted, it only got up to 66° - the rest of the week looks like 80s. If I end up going this week or next, I'll report back with how the crowds were. I'm wanting to get back there at some point, and HoliWood Nights isn't going to work for my schedule. ^ How were crowds that weekend in 2011, with upper 90s?

I forgot how the seatbelt attaches to the restraint on Flight of Fear. Meanwhile another boarding guest noticed my "KICentral" shirt and had started asking me questions about the park's rides. Then I couldn't even get on the darn thing properly.

Are you letting another forum member post from your account?

How do May crowds compare to those in early June? Are school groups a big factor on weekdays? I thought about going today, but then I read this: Not brave enough for 70°F water with ~60°F air temperatures.

Magnum's comfort depends on your seat and the lapbar's position. If the restraints are painful, try bracing yourself against the lapbar with your hands.

I blame the phone. Even the best smartphone cameras are at most lackluster. Great report, thanks for posting! You've made me wish I had driven up there Thursday. Taking your first rides at night couldn't have helped the situation. I'm sure he's grateful you shared that with the world. A few times, I've felt slightly off after partaking in an amusement ride. Granted, I didn't immediately get back on 3 more times to see what would happen, and it was probably my fault for not having my head positioned as intended.

Prob tomorrow - not looking good for today tho. I will prob hold out till tomorrow morning unless it dries up around 7 like my boy Frank Marzullo is saying its going to. The rain stopped 20 minutes ago, and there are no lines anywhere but Flight of Fear. Just rerode the front seat of beast twice.EDIT: Flight of Fear is also a walk-on.

My first time up there in 16 years.

Hard at work before the storms hit. (If anyone else is here and sees me, say hi.)

^ I'll likely be going during the week of May 20, after Math & Science Days but before schools get out. Had I known that Media Day would start at 4am and include other rides, I probably would have made plans to go this morning.

So, how's the ride? Any early reviews?

If you have a AAA membership, you can buy tickets at your AAA office as well. In some areas, their price is cheaper than Kroger's. The cheapest ticket price I've seen at a Kroger was in Carrollton, Kentucky, on the way back from Holiday World. The park also puts out gate coupons from time-to-time with varying discounts. The coupon in the Entertainment book makes the gate price about the same as the online price, and I've seen much larger discounts on coupons with targeted distribution. During Haunt, there are widely available admission coupons. If you're looking to visit twice before the season is over, the $55 two-day ticket at the gate could be your best value, with no coupon needed.

No one needs 32oz of soda at once, and studies have shown that large portions cause people to consume more than they otherwise would. The soft drink industry is trending toward smaller sizes in response to government and public pressure.

^ She was at the gate last August, on a day when the park opened with thunderstorms, downpouring rain, and about a dozen guests.

The best way to avoid season pass drama is probably to renew at Guest Relations at a park where it's staffed well. At least at Kings Island, there are people there who know the ins-and-outs of the Paramount Parks/Cedar Fair gate software well. They assured me that my pass was "ready to go", and indeed it was. When you renew some other way, no one is checking the status of your pass as you wait, and people are still having problems in 2013. (My educated guess is that you're relying on either a batch process or an employee hired for data entry.)

Very sad indeed. Regardless of who current leadership is, vengefully erasing history is completely uncalled for.

All the way to the entrance, near the restrooms? That would be an extremely long wait.

^ It was annexed to Mason, leaving Deerfield Twp, in 1997 and 1999. The mailing address was never changed to Mason, however.

If that's the guess, if and when you do find out, don't ruin the fun for the rest of us! Seconded. If you happen to hear advance, non-public information, please don't be that person who leaks it on the Internet. Just quietly relish the fact that you know something the public doesn't. If your uncle would hear something about this project that's not in a public record, he almost certainly has a professional (if not legal) obligation to keep it in confidence.