medford

Its easy to make work, it just depends upon your parameters. If you live "far away" (ie an hour + in my book) its tough to work a full day, scoot to the park for a few hours, drive back home, then go to work the next day. Certainly not impossible, but not something I'd be willing to do regularly. So in that case, its a matter of using vacation time at the park mid week or hitting it up on the weekends, which I'd suggest getting there early before the crowds hit. If you live close, its easy to make it over in the evening on a regular basis. I literally drive by KI every day after work, up 71N. My wife is a teacher, so she has the summers off. We'll usually meet up at the park once a week, mid week in the evening around 5:30. Having season passes, and going that often, there is never pressure to hit one ride or another, we can put off a long line today for something else, and try the other ride later. Its rarely all that crowded mid week in the evenings anyways to actual deter us from riding anything due to lines alone. We have young kids, a 7 year old who is officially too tall for many of the rides in Planet Snoopy, a 3 year old who just grew up to Woodstock express at the end of last season and a new born who won't ride anything but the Train and "parking lot experience" for the next year or two. With my wife off in the summer, the kids bedtime slips significantly later in the summer than during school. B/w the pool and KI, they're often not in bed until 10:00 or later in the summer; they get to sleep in as long as they like on the other end. Planet Snoopy is often "dead" in the last hour or so, many leave the park, some hang out front for fireworks, rarely is there much of a line. I feel like mid-week you could probably knock out 80% of Planet Snoopy in the last 2 hours most mid week nights (don't know about weekends), so if you find yourself in that stage with young kids, you can get plenty done in a short amount of time. Other areas of the park are fairly manageable as well. (all mid week-evenings) Adventure Express rarely has a wait, Racers wait is short, Banshee line goes quick, Beast is about 15-30 minutes until maybe it gets close to fireworks. Diamondback can be a bit longer, 30 minutes is typical. The 7 year old didn't hit 54" until late last season, so we didn't get to try Flight of Fear or Firehawk with him to know what to expect there. Stunt Track can be hit or miss on lines in the evening, sometimes 30 min+ sometimes, its 5 minutes. Don't know about Invertigo, the wait for The Bat is typically short, longer to walk back there than to sit in line most evenings. Most of the flats have short lines as well mid week-evenings. One thing to beware, is that many food stands start closing up early, so if you don't eat by 8, service becomes worse and food has sat out longer. It can take some time to exit the park if you wait for fireworks, either sit in the park and enjoy some ice cream, or leave a few minutes early or as the fireworks are going off to save a few minutes.

funny, I missed this bump when I was "per-occupied" while my wife was recovering from delivering our 3rd child (Ironically born exactly 3 minutes after the time stamp on your post). seeing Stand by me post for the first time in I don't know how long made me think of this thread, easily my favorite thread I've seen on this site and the reason I joined in. To no one's surprise, I've been out 'terped by Terp. Thanks for bumping it, I love going thru this thing.

11-22-63 was an awesome read, War & Peace I've never read, and this thread has had its "ups and downs" I'd go with the King novel for sure

^^^ If one assumes one may be admitted....

I once read that the reason the "little old red school house" and "old red barn" were always painted red was because Red colored paint was the cheapest available at the time.

scruffty1, there are people that would rather not have their picture, nor a picture of their family taken when they have no intention of purchasing those pictures. KI owns those the rights to those pictures up to and perhaps even after the point of sale. While I highly doubt KI would do anything with those pictures, other than destroy them at the end of the day, if you have no intention of buying the picture, why put yourself and/or your family at risk of a rouge employee doing something to the picture you'd rather not have done (I know its very small risk, but a risk non the less). 20 years ago, the front of the park picture made sense, most people didn't carry a camera into the park and getting a picture at the start of the day with your family or friends was desirable to a lot of people. Today, a sizable % of their patrons carry a decent to great camera around with them at all times, and they don't have to pay for the rights to that picture. Its obviously not the fault of the employees, but I think it remains a terrible PR decision. Rather than presenting their patrons with the majestic view that hits you as you pass under the main gate and into the ambiance of the tower and fountains, you are too often bombarded with someone you have never meet asking, if not demanding that they take a picture of you. Not only is it annoying, but it is no longer a needed service. The on ride photos are a bit different in that there is no way to capture that picture w/o the park doing so, but the group photo at the front of the park, yeah, I can get that on my own if I really needed one. I wonder how the park would feel if I went up to one of their photo takers and asked that they take my family photo with my phone instead? I'll guess they wouldn't support that very well.

thanks PKIVortex, I think we'll plan on using that.

For the first time since our 7 year old's football season started in mid August, we made it to KI on Sunday. We were there with some friends, so we only got to take advantage of our fast pass (or is it Fast Lane?) deal once. He was a shade or two shy of 54" back in August, he easily cleared it yesterday, so we left the group and hit Diamondback, he claims its his new favorite, topping Banshee. Some other observations, staffing appeared to be too light for the crowd; don't know how tough it is to get people to work the fall season, but it was clear in several spots that they needed a few more hands. The pizza we had for lunch was the best pizza I think I've ever had at KI. I'm not normally a huge fan for LaRosas, and typically think KI's version is a notch or two above edible, but yesterday's pizza appeared to match a standard out of park LaRosa's pizza in both taste and look. Perhaps it was because we ate on a sunday around 1:00 rather than our typical mid week, somewhere around 7 or 8 in the evening meal time. Diamondback crew appeared to hustling and stacking was minimal to non existent any time I looked over or when we rode it. I wish they'd offer a lights on, sunday haunt walk thru, I've yet to be able to make it for an evening Haunt, but I'd love to see what they look like on the inside. The front gate looked awesome. I've said for several seasons that they need a front gate overall, more accessibility to the restaurant upstairs and a new, modern look. More electronic kiosks, informational centers, etc... After seeing what they did with the haunt motif, if the elevator solves the accessibility issue (a full blown restaurant would need a more inviting entrance I would think, otherwise it would be very easy to miss), in my mind the changes become far easier. I still love the pass thru aspect where the combination of the tower and fountains hit you all at once. Just add some fronting to the main entrance, extend it high enough so that the exhaust fans are hidden as you walk up to the park. Tear down the ticket window booths on the right hand side, and replace that with more electronic kiosks, keep the one on the left attached to the season pass processing center for those that prefer human to human transactions and you can get an updated look for significantly cheaper than I would have thought 2 months ago. Heck, build something into the front motif so that the park can easily transition from one front gate motif to another. Rode 7-2 on Vortex so that my son's friend and his mother could ride 7-1 and got beat up so bad, I was a little worried about what my back would feel like when we got of The Beast (next ride) however, in the second to last row, (not over the wheel) had one of the smoothest Beast rides I can ever remember. It was my son's friend's first trip to KI above 48", he said he liked The Beast better than Vortex or The Bat (the other two 48" coasters that he rode Sunday) I always love the look and feel of the park in the Fall. We are planning on going this Saturday as well, hit the park when it first opens for a few hours, then get back home for trick or treat. a week out, it appears the weather will be great on saturday, so I'd expect the park to be fully packed that evening, any clues to what to expect saturday firs thing? My mother in law wants to ride both Diamondback and Banshee with our son, and I wouldn't mind taking him on Flight of Fear. Is Diamondback still offered for early entry gold passes? May plan to get there early for that, to knock that out of the way once or twice, then move back to Flight of Fear early on and get on Banshee before we leave.

I thought someone on here, I thought at the start of last season compared a POV that the park released of The Beast while they were updating POVs for many rides with the opening of Banshee to a POV from The Beast's early life, I want to say the 2nd season maybe. Comparing the 2 showed that The Beast pretty much runs the same time intervals today, as it did back when it was new, or relatively new.

as a bonus, that junior pass traditionally stopped working on or around labor day, the gold pass continued thru the hall-o-ween season. I've found sundays in the fall to be a relaxing way to spend time with the kids. The hall-o-ween transition for kids over in the water park is well done, plus all of Planet Snoopy is open as well. If you are getting a pass for your child, best bet is to go with the gold pass now at its lowest cost.

I'm guessing a large % of those attending Cedar Point next season will have no idea that any other B&M dive coaster exists, let alone who B&M is. I suppose the roller coaster world is smaller today than ever with youtube POVs available for just about every major ride in the country, however, the average guest will just be happy that a new, shiny ride will most likely be open when they attend next season, reliability is a great thing to have when you travel 250+ miles for your 1 trip a season to an amusement park.

May I ask, what are the other 2? I agree, I enjoyed Renegade more than The Beast, but I'm not sure how much of that is b/c I've ridden The Beast 100+ times (I don't count, but certainly at least that many over the last 30 years) while I've only ridden Renegade 1x. Its definitely a much different experience. The Beast is unique to so many coasters with the double lift hill, using the natural terrain, multiple tunnels, speeding thru the woods and under the Tree Canopy, etc... There is nothing that can replace that experience and the thrills that it offers, any modern woodie would be a unique, separate experience.

You say people only go to X-Base to ride FoF & Firehawk, is there anything else to do back there? My son isn't quite up to 54", hopefully by the time we make our next visit in the fall, so I haven't been back there for either ride in several years, but I don't recall anything else. X-Base is considered part of Coney, which sees lots of visitors and has all the amenities (though a bathroom, which would sit nicely situated in the middle of Coney would be a nice addition) I agree, a Giga seems inevitable, I'd place my bet on 2017 for that addition. How many wooden coasters has Cedar Fair built in the last 10 years? Gold Striker (2013?), Prowler (08) & Renegade (07) are the 3 I could find at CF parks in the last 10 years. All 3 are GCI coasters, all 3 are at one of their smaller parks, all 3 were planed (I assume) prior to the current leadership (Perhaps current management had a hand in Gold Striker, I'm assuming plans were set down prior to Matt Oiumet taking over). That trend doesn't scream to KI, CP, CW, etc.. getting a modern woodie in the near future. I haven't ridden Gold Striker or Prowler, but was up at Valley Fair this summer and rode Renegade. I didn't do much research on the park b/c after thinking about attending, we decided on different plans until we found out at the last minute that my wife's cousin was going to be there one of the 2 days we had already planned to be in Minny. I got on with my son, not expecting a ton (you don't see much of the layout from the que line) and was completely blown away. The first drop is awesome, the ride itself doesn't let up until the end. My son and I both loved it, with we had ridden it earlier in the day and could get back on, but we were planning to leave shortly afterwords. At any rate, its the only modern woodie I've been on, well unless you include Son of Beast and Mean Streak, and there is no doubt in my mind it would be well received at KI. Could it take over the legend of The Beast? No, that ride has too much tradition and history, but its a completely different experience and would stand well on its own. I think all Cedar Fair parks could use a ride similar, if not better to Renegade. I know El Toro has an awesome reputation (CF-Intamin issues aside, something like that would be well received as well)

If you scroll around on the POV above your post, it shows 3 rows of seats.

So does ummm... other stuff.

If Lake Erie were not so highly elevated, Niagara Falls may not be so exquisite.

correct me if I'm wrong, but I got the impression from last season's numbers that 600,000 would have been well short of last season's marks and still significantly lower than fair attendance at its peak. I'm sure expectations were set lower this season than last, but 600,00 feels low from what I remember. could be remembering wrong, and don't feel like taking the time to dig back thru this thread where it was discussed.

Fish Sandwich and 7 minute fries are a staple of Lent. The one near my offices gets slammed on Friday's during Lent. Love the "crunchy" ice, wish they had Coke back. Hot fudge cake is great as well. Used to love the wrap things they came out with a while back, but then they changed something in how they made them and they're not quite as good. other than that, I agree that the cost is a shade too high and most of the other offerings are pretty bland. Its biggest problem is that its a bit too pricey and slow to compete on the fast food side of things, and its not good enough quality across the board to compete as a traditional "sit down" restaurant. In the end, that leaves customers choosing the cheaper, quicker alternatives for fast food, or the better, more consistent alternatives for a sit down dinner. Its very difficult to be all things to all people, its why McDonald's could never get the pizza to work at their main stores and ended up selling Donato's back to the guy they purchased it from. Seems they learned their lesson when they took interest in Chipotle and allowed it to focus on a simple, core menu separate from the McDonald's stores before spinning the company back off.

There is no such thing as a stupid 14 year old's dream, only unrealized potential; may you live long enough to see your pigs fly.

You're comparing apples to oranges by thinking in terms of today's dollars. Add inflation in to that. As the pass prices go up, so too does the cost of everything else in life, and hopefully wages also. Seven years from now, $124 might be cheaper than $94 is today. "Always in motion, the future is." Not really comparing anything, but speaking as a father and a husband. $500 for anything is a steep price for a family. Just making a comment, not really looking at it more than face value. But if you want to look at it, you are looking at a 30% raise in price over a 7 year time frame. Its good for the park and it may push some people (good or bad) out of the park.... COMPARISON: A Zoo pass is around $100 for the family... I say this, and will most likely keep a pass for the family as the water park and dry side allows for many mini-trips for the family. Obviously the equation varies for each family, but personally speaking, as a family of 4 (soon to be 5) and looking at potentially having season passes in 2022 for 5 people, at the $124 listed above would cost us $620 a season. Who knows how things will change, my son will be 14 by then, our daughter 10 and the one due in December will be 7. We are typically a mid-week, once a week in the evenings family. During the haunt we'll go on Sunday afternoons a couple of times, probably make about 12-15 visits a season. Pick somewhere in the middle, and that would be roughly $50 a visit for all 5, or $10 a person, which is roughly equivalent to a single movie ticket today. In other words, its a steal of a deal if it remains on that track for my family. Some get more use out of their season pass, some less, I have no idea where we fall on the spectrum of season pass users, but on a rough cost per person, the only entertainment we get better value on is the pool membership for the pool we can walk to.

I'm amazed how, when we walk by that, and there are kids playing around or on top of that thing. I'm more amazed, that when my son asks if he can get on the dino too, and I tell him no, its for decoration, on a mulched area and you are not suppose to be playing on it (in a loud enough voice that the kids who are playing on it can either here more, or if not, definitely their parents) yet no body backs away from the dino. I'm most amazed when at the same time I see a security officer walking by and he has said even less than I on the subject. I get why kids want to play on it, and would if given the opportunity, I can't understand why parents would allow their child to climb on the dinos.

Well hopefully that means a Water Coaster, though I'm not a water park guy, that has felt like a huge gap in their lineup since I started frequenting this site. IIRC, the 2 water coasters at Holiday World cost something in the neighborhood of 10 mil & 8 mil. Don't know what the top water coaster would be, but perhaps they could get something on that level for around $12 mil?

that stage was there for the food truck festival, it has since been removed.

So original things to KI, that still exist... Racers Eiffel Tower Dodge 'ems Woodstock Express Monster Scrambler International Street Bandstand International Street Theater Grand Carousel Beetle Bugs Peanuts Off road Rally Race for your life Charlie Brown Railroad List via a combination of my memory and Wiki (I know) filling in the blanks. Since BoodaH mentioned "two things" and not just attractions, the list could be expanded to include things like the Tower Fountains, Entry Plaza, various floral arrangements (has the clock always been there?), etc... things we take for granted seeing every season at KI, but don't fully appreciate. They could get rid of Linus' Beetle Bugs and replace it with a larger version that adults could ride, and I'd rejoice, remove it all together with no version of the "whip it" and I'd be dissappointed. If they got rid of the Train, I'd shrug, but mostly only because it feels like they do minimum maintenance to the areas that the train passes thru. I'd rejoice if they could turn it back into a "mini-show" like they used to have. The Tower and fountain are not going to be removed, though an update could work. There is only 1 log flume in the park, can't be that, can it? Racers? Better not. Woodstock Express? Better not. Scrambler and Monster, though I don't ride them, focus in on the nostalgia that Cedar Fair is targeting to bring back. Same could be said for the Dodge 'ems, though I enjoy those greatly. Which leads me to the International Theater and Band stand, combined with the written about search for classic rides coming back to Cedar Fair parks, the combination of removing both of those would make sense, though I'm not exactly sure how you'd put anything else in the space of the bandstand w/o messing up the view of the tower. Then there is the picture of the survey sticks over by Tower Gardens, perhaps some classic flats to take the place of the Tower Gardens, floral Clock and International Show Stage, tied in with the Grand Carousel, as nostalgia corner, that would work for me.

We go to Kings Island often, about once a week, middle of the week for a few hours of family fun in the evening. Grab some dinner, hit some rides, maybe catch a show.. When I was a kid, I remember once riding King Cobra on a very uncrowded day, 11 times in a row. It gave me a little headache, but nothing too terrible, before moving on to something else. I used to ride Vortex 3-4 times in a day, if possible. I couldn't imagine doing either ride more than once (assuming of course that King Cobra was still around), but that doesn't mean I enjoy my time any less. I've cherished every new ride my now 7 year old son has ridden with me. From Woodstock Express as a 2 year old, to FAAC, White Water Canyon, and Congo falls around his 4th, The Beat, Vortex, Racers, etc.. when he turned 5 a couple of years ago and Banshee at the start of this season. We are both eagerly looking forward to that extra inch he needs to get on Diamondback. Even better, I get to repeat the cycle again with my daughter, not yet tall enough for Woodstock Express, but hands up all the way around on The Great Pumpkin Coaster and learning to laugh when we yell "Bad Dog Snoopy" when he sprays at the end of Log Flume. I pray and hope that our child due later this year will enjoy the same experiences in due time. While aging has certainly taken its tole on my ability to ride rides, I've found that proper pacing works charms, combine the season pass and close proximity and there is no feel to rush anything. We made a rare Sunday visit to KI yesterday, and despite surprisingly short lines, I left perfectly content having limited myself to the Log Flume, Boo Blasters, standing in the longest line of the day trying to get water, The Beast and Adventure Express. The enjoyment is far less about the thrills that the rides offer me, its much more about taking in the magic and enjoyment I feel thru my children's eyes. I'd be hard pressed to decide which I enjoy more, two laps on The Great Pumpkin Coaster with my daughter, or a lap on Banshee with my son (we are often joined by his 70+ year old grandmother, to add to the story). Heck, as much as I hate getting soaking wet at KI, I'll subject myself to White Water Canyon a handful of times a year since my son adores it so much. Its the memories we have created that make the day, far better than any individual ride and a million times better than the pizza.