malem

Hope you & your family enjoy your visit! Looking forward to the trip report.

Most wait times in the dry park were minimal today, with the exception of 30-45 minute waits on MT. Soak City got very busy by mid-afternoon.

The 2016 report has been released. (KI+1.5%, CP+2.8%, CW+2.9%, IKBF+3.8%, SFGAm+5.6%, NJFTP+5.5%) As usual, it's best taken with a grain of salt. The link at the top of this thread still works.

If they can't have premium meats as a normal meal plan option, I'd really like to see it as an upcharge option. I'd gladly pay $5 or so, but spending the full ~$12+tax on every visit when I've already paid for a meal plan would be harder to justify.

^^ There's another way of dealing with line jumpers that Goble would probably love more.

It's probably for the best that there's no longer a hot tub at the bar. It's easy enough to get dehydrated on a hot day in a waterpark already. Not to mention the more frequent need for restroom visits when drinking alcohol, or the fact that some people don't bother to get out of the pool when they really should. No need to heat that water to 100°.

Perhaps they're testing it out, to see if more options can be included long-term. Making large quantities of fried chicken tenders is going to be easier than making large quantities of smoked wings.

For a single ticket, buying at Kroger is probably cheaper than buying online due to the online order processing fee. Prices at Kroger vary by area; call a store near you to see how much they cost. Bring-a-friend tickets are also sold at the front gate; just present your gold or platinum pass at the ticket windows.

Just a reminder that today is the official deadline* to purchase a Kings Island Gold Pass for the 2017 season. Gold Pass benefits include: Unlimited admission, including Haunt and Winterfest. (Regular passes expire after Labor Day) Free parking all season long Dinosaurs Alive Early ride time on Mystic Timbers and select other rides every day of the season, excluding Friday nights during Haunt. Early entry to Soak City 10% discount at most food & merchandise locations Exclusive gold pass events throughout the season Gold passes are available at https://www.visitkingsisland.com, at the park, or at select Cincinnati-area Kroger stores. *The park usually extends the sale for a few days, to help keep procrastinators from missing out. This is never guaranteed.

After last year's outbreak, public health officials would like to remind patrons to stay out of pools and waterparks if they're sick. http://www.dispatch.com/news/20170528/officials-ask-sick-people-to-stay-out-of-pools-water-parks-to-avoid-repeat-of-outbreak

^ That's the beef brisket. It wasn't listed on the menu board as of Saturday, so I can't be sure of the price. It's likely in the same price range as the other entrées: Smoked chicken wing basket: $12.49 Pulled pork basket: $13.29 Fried shrimp basket: $12.99 Hand-breaded chicken tender basket: $12.69 Each basket includes one side (fries, macaroni & cheese, baked beans or corn bread pudding). A combo with a drink is $3.99 more. Gold and platinum passholders save 10%, as usual. I haven't tried the smoked chicken wings or the brisket yet, but if they're even close to what Carowinds offers at Harmony Hall, we're in for a treat.

Kings Island is serving up slow-smoked barbecue all summer long at the all-new Island Smokehouse, now open in Soak City. A few KICentral members took the opportunity to try out the new restaurant during Soak City's opening weekend. Visitors can choose from signature meats including slow-smoked-on-site beef brisket, chicken wings, & pulled pork. Hand-breaded chicken tenders and fried shrimp are also freshly prepared. Combo prices vary, or those with dining plans can choose either the chicken tenders or shrimp with a side. A selection of grab-and-go salads and wraps is available a-la-carte for those seeking lighter fare. The only bad part about dining here is choosing what to try first. Though the slow-smoked meats were hard to pass up, I ended up ordering chicken tenders with smoked baked beans to make use of my season dining plan. I'm already looking forward to getting back to the park to try the other choices. The hand-breaded chicken tenders are easily the best in the park. The concept and marinade are very similar to Chicken Shack, though the breading seems to be a new recipe with a bit more kick to it. I hope to see these elsewhere in the park, as they are very good. For my side, I had the traditionally smoked baked beans. As a fan of smoked meat, I enjoyed the prouncouned smoke flavor and the mixed-in pork. My only (minor) complaint is that serving baked beans in a paper tub can make a bit of a mess! Fresh-made macaroni & cheese, corn bread pudding, and twist-shaped fries are also available as sides. Those who have dined at Kings Island's sister park Carowinds may recognize similar fries from Harmony Hall. Island Smokehouse is one of three venues at Kings Island with Coca-Cola Freestyle. An express beverage line is available for those just needing a drink. Also new in Soak City are Coca-Cola Refresh Stations conveniently located near both wave pools. Guests with all-season souvenir bottles or the new season pass drink program can enjoy unlimited beverages throughout the park all season. Island Smokehouse is now open during Soak City operating hours, daily through August 20 & weekends through Labor Day. The restaurant is located near Tidal Wave Bay and the Tropical Plunge water slide complex, which is now open for its second season.

See also this postcard, purchased at the park in 1993.

I got at least 6 night rides during Coasterstock, and I'd rank it on the level of Banshee & Beast. Try it again when it's completely dark, ideally with fog (natural or fog effects) in the area. I'd say it was a combination of few busses in the bus lot, Soak City drawing crowds away, and full staffing levels. It was a pretty good day to visit; I definitely expected longer waits on a holiday weekend. I've heard of cross-threading, but cross-foruming? (It was plenty warm at KI, even for non-polar-bears.)

Soak City is open. I just rode Tropical Plunge and ate at Island Smokehouse.

I'm excited to be attending my first HoliWood Nights next weekend. I haven't been to Holiday World since May 2013, so I'm very much overdue for a visit. Just a reminder that the online registration deadline for HoliWood Nights is tomorrow, Saturday, May 27. A few CoasterMania tickets are still available as well. I'd be there if not for wanting to finally attend HWN. From the looks of things in Frontier Town, next year is a lock for CoasterMania. Club events are great for running into enthusiast friends (or making new ones), and night ERT is relatively rare. Then there's the CoasterMania Cruise, Q&A sessions, event merchandise, and more. It's a pretty good value, even at ~$40.

Welcome; hope you enjoy your time here! Most people who use Tapatalk use the free version. There is a pro version that hides some ads, but I believe they're otherwise identical. (The forum also works great in any mobile browser, without a dedicated app. You could try both ways to see which you prefer.)

^ After Gold goes away, Regular and Platinum are the two options at KI. Regular passes do not include parking, ERT, most special events, food/merchandise discounts, or Dinosaurs Alive. Most importantly, they expire after Labor Day, so they're not valid for fall operating days or for Winterfest.

In previous seasons, they could be redeemed (as gold passes) at any point in the season, as long as they were purchased by the Memorial Day deadline. I can't confirm this for the current season. Your best bet is to call the park for a definitive answer. Be sure to post what you hear, in case someone else has the same question. 513-754-5700

^ I believe they were testing discounts at various times in 2016, but nothing was advertised. At least early in the season, I recall that no discounts of any kind were available. (PointBuzz has reports from Cedar Point visitors last year: https://pointbuzz.com/Forums/Topic/2016-platinum-passholder-benefits/3#557849)

This Cedar Point promotion wasn't available in 2016, but it's back this year. Platinum passholders can buy Fast Lane at the park and get an upgrade to Fast Lane Plus. https://www.cedarpoint.com/tickets-passes/passholder-benefits

(They need to avoid damaging the new bridges, constructed right next to the one that's coming down.)

Five blasts & counting, and part of the old bridge still stands. http://www.wcpo.com/traffic/odot-may-look-to-other-options-for-felling-section-of-old-jeremiah-morrow-bridge

If anyone is experiencing an issue with Tapatalk where photos on the forum appear locked (as small thumbnails with a lock icon), try updating to the latest version of Tapatalk. If it continues with the latest version, let me know. A few people have reported it, but I haven't been able to reproduce the problem.

You can go to season pass processing to do that, yes. Just bring your pass and a photo ID, telling them that you need to take a new picture. Pass photos can't be changed online, except when renewing your pass.