gabelogan99

I just downloaded it and it looks pretty cool--great for a free app. It has a thing where you can keep a running tally of what rides you ride and it also has a thing that you can use to locate your vehicle at the end of the day. I think that partciular function would be usefuel pretty much anywhere where it's easy to forget where you parked...

I think the only people likely to partake in this would be people who are there by themselves and therefore it will truly only cost them $2. If you have other people in your party whose admission to the movie that you're responsible for, then that's where it really gets tricky. It'd be something I'd pay $2 extra for just to have the experience. However, I'm highly disappointed in the fact that the seats don't move. If dinosaurs were small animals that moved around gracefully, then it would make sense. But these are animals where most of them were bigger than any land animal that we have around today. If you want to put us in the middle of an area surrounded by dinosaurs and dinosaurs in action, let us feel it. If the seats weren't already there, that'd be one thing--but they're neglecting to use the seats that are already there and they're doing so quite deliberately. While I do like Dinosaurs and I will pay $7 one time to experience all of it, I'm just confused by some of the decisions. But keep this in mind: if 10,000 people see it for free, they'd make less money than 100 people paying $2 each. Although, as the argument has already been made, the movie could very easily be used to entice people to go to Dinosaurs Alive. So, in that respect, they could end up losing money. "I'm not paying $5 if the movie isn't free."

Some parts of the dinosaur are in different positions at different times. Is this the work of water elfs?

I liked this video. Not much commentary. Just reporting the facts. There's a difference between a reporter and being a commentator. Watch the other vid posted a couple days ago to see the difference. This was a real high quality video too. I thought the most interesting thing was the end. At the risk of sounding dumb, what kind of bird is that? Is it a stork?

That's exactly what I was wondering as well. Thanks so much for that information and for providing the proof. Although in all honesty I really wish you would have provided the long form parking receipt.

Regular parking is NOT up at Kings Island; on the contrary, it's still $10. Preferred parking, as pointed out above, did indeed go up to $20, though. I'm curious, though, whether you can in fact use a Gold or Platinum Pass to get preferred parking for the difference in cost; has anybody here tried that, and did they let you do that, or do you have to pay full price for preferred parking even with a Gold/Platinum Pass? Wow. Assuming that you can only get $10 off if you use your pass, that means preferred has gone up a whole $5 from last year. (For Gold Pass holders...and everyone for that matter.) Someone mentioned that KD went up from $10 to $12 for regular parking and that it would obviously be that way at Kings Island this year if they followed the same trend. I'm glad that didn't happen though. If I'm staying across the street at the Resort, I don't bother parking my car at KI even though I can do so for free with my Gold Pass.

Wow! It will be interesting to see if Preferred Parking still sells out some days. I guess that means if you have a Gold Pass the charge is $8.

For those who went yesterday, did you notice any increase in the price of preferred parking? I know regular parking is up $2 and just wondered if Preferred Parking was as well. Even if it is, it probably doesn't matter to me--assuming of course that your season pass will get you $12 off of the price of preferred parking..

I was wondering why the park was closed today and then I remembered that last year they had a company buyout on the Sunday following opening day so I figured that's what it was again. Although last year they clearly stated to the general public as to why they were going to be closed.

Well, I'll throw my two cents in here. I'm one of those people who's paranoid about losing stuff on rides. If I'm with someone else, I'm usually paranoid that they'll loose something which is why I'll offer to put it in my zipper pockts. I'll say that again. Zipper pockets. I do not feel good about velcro pockets. Not at all. Zipper pockets can only fail if you forget to zip them. That's it. Most velcro shorts leave to big of a hole and stuff can fly out. I wear glasses/sunglasses and I'm paranoid about losing them on the coasters. So I always secure them in a case in my zipper pockets as well. The trouble is that zipper pockets have gone out of style. I see them in thrift stores at times, but they're never my size. I currently have one pair and one pair only. However, I've done some digging and even though I haven't officially made the purchase yet I think I'm going to eventually buy the shorts featured on this page: http://www.amazon.com/Weekender-Marco-Polo-Short-Spruce/dp/B001QGERF6/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1304221258&sr=8-2 unless I can find something cheaper. The ones I have now have the zippers and compartments more on the side and these look more like the ones I used to have where the pockets are more towards the leg area. (As opposed to the thigh area.) I like the leg area pockets better. The trouble is I have absolutely no way of knowing just how big the zipper compartments are on the shorts on Amazon. But I figure I'll give them a try. Unless someone has a better suggestion...

Unless something has changed since last year, yes. Excellent! I'd really hate to pay for parking, even if I do get my money back later on. When I worked there they had a whole refund process for those coming into the park with their unprocessed parking pass for the first time--they had to pay! I commend Cedar Fair for making some great changes to the process. The pictures that were formerly printed on the passes were terrible, and the machines that did the printing were just as terrible and outdated. Not only do they have a better system now, but I'm sure they saved money--in spite of the fact that they bought brand new cameras for each picutre taking station. I think that the only thing that would give me any sort of concern is the fact that some people might be using the same pass this year that was issued in 2008. Those barcodes do become unreadable after a while, and after taking abuse. (And if you're currently abusing your barcode...STOP!)

Thanks for the info. I did kind of forget that I could use it for one entry. Now can I use it to park I wonder...It's not a big deal or anything. Everyone who bought their pass online last winter will I have to do the same thing, though.

If you have the print out then you just have to go to the park and get it processed. Is that what you are talking about? Yes, that's what I mean. I just wish there was a way to put in your previous pass information and then put in the number on the barcode from the printout and be able to do it all online. I guess it's not a big deal, though. Hopefully I won't need one.

What nobody's mentioned yet is that there doesn't seem to be a way to renew your pass even if you paid the renewal price online in December and printed it out. This means that, as it stands right now, every person who went with the Buy Now, Pay Later option will have no other choice but to process their pass at the park.

Thank you so much for the picture! I've been searching high and low for pictures of the ducks or even videos on Youtube and this is the very first one I've found. If anyone can direct me to other pictures, please do so. Thanks! Good job KI and KI patrons!

Only the dead would be interested in Halloween, right? Well I'm not dead...just haven't been around in a while. It's been way too hot this summer and the three days I went were way too crowded--but it was Spirit Song and I got to at least spend a lot of time relaxing at the Kings Island Resort. I'm very much looking forward to the fall and hopefully some cooler temperatures. The Thursday experiment last year failed--quite miserably I might add (I mean seriously can anything fail worse?)--but in all fairness it was due to weather. I planned on going last year on a Thursday so hopefully I actually get to do it this year and enjoy the feast beforehand for the first time if they still do that this year. I would just think Thursdays would be less crowded and the major rides would still be open. Bring on the fall I say!!

I think that the single best piece of news in all of this is the fact that Scooby Doo will not be Peanuts themed. This is truly something to look forward to since I am a dark ride enthusiast and a Peanuts dark ride would have been the wrong direction to go. This opens up a ton of possibilities and I can't wait to see what they do.

I'm surprised that KI's lawyers don't make them change the language on the Season Passes, because it is something that you have to sign, so I would think that it would be a legal bearer type of document or whatever it's called. I've seen big fusses over language printed on coupons and such that the park issues, so I don't know why they don't change the language on the season passes. I guess it hasn't been an issue yet, so that's good. It makes absolutely no difference to me, and I actually praised the park last year for recycling the season passes from 2009 if you renewed in October for a pass in 2010. The only thing I didn't like about it was that they didn't give you a receipt unless you asked for one or if you paid with a credit card. I paid with cash and forgot to ask, but I don't anticipate any problems because of my knowledge about the system. I do remember the computer being used for the transaction, and I don't think that the system would allow for a transaction to take place and nothing to change with the pass. But, then again, stranger things have happened. In short, I'm glad I didn't have to get a new card, I'm just not comfortable with not getting any paperwork on it. Of course, it's nobody's fault but mine that I have my fears.

Somehow I knew you'd be the first one to correct me. But, I mean, come on...those of us who know the song always think "Hang on Snoopy" and whoever says different is a liar. Anyways...yes. It is of course "Sloopy" and anyone from Ohio should know that.

I have a feeling that the well-known piano version of the Peanuts song is going to be played heavily in Planet Snoopy this year. Either that song or "Hang on Snoopy" would be good.

I'm thinking about going to the job fair, but I don't know. I have my application in and it's for the smallest or maybe second smallest department in the park with little to no guest interaction.

Look, the point is that overall I've seen improvements and things in general have got so much better. I can give much more compliments than I can criticisms. Also understand that I'm former Admissions, so that's the department that I'm going to be the toughest on by default. By the way, the score wasn't much higher when Paramount was running things.

I've been wanting to say something about the employees for a while now. I know that everyone has different experiences, but from what I've experienced I actually think that the summer employees and fall employees have significantly improved since Cedar Fair took over. The only areas I would give low scores to are: Guest Relations--4/10 Security--5/10 and Admissions--2/10. The biggest thing I see with the improvements is the improvement in overall attitude. I just see more smiles and better guest-employee interactions. The rides department is the department I'd say has improved the most and food and beverage would be second. (Speaking of just the employees, not the food itself obviously. It hasn't changed.) Again, this is just what I've experienced and I know that some people have had different experiences. That being said, I still think the vast majority of those here would agree with me. For those of you who work at the park, keep up the great work where I noted and know that there is a ton of room for improvement in the low marks that I noted.

Sunday rules might be different*. However, you CAN NOT do what you just described on a Saturday. (This has been CONFIRMED by someone who has tried to do it.) If we need to make a new post just to announce that, I think that would be a good idea because there is tons of confusion on the topic. *Thanks, Terpy. I'm getting ahead of myslef I guess. No Sunday Haunt until this Sunday. Maybe we can clear the confusion up before then.

Here's a fun fact that I noticed while looking at the maps last Saturday: (don't know if anyone else has noticed this yet) The Howl-o-Fest map that lists all the stuff for kids has Son of Beast on it. The Halloween Haunt map does not have Son of Beast on it. HOWEVER: It's very important to note that just because the two events are billed as two separate events, and just because parents are encouraged to take their children home before enjoying Halloween Haunt, that does NOT mean that a parent can come back after taking their kids back home IF it is after 7 on the same ticket or even the same Gold/Platinum pass. Those are the Saturday rules, I'm not sure about Sunday. It was once reported that on Sundays, they actually close down the park and get everyone out and then do Halloween Haunt after 7 and the same ticket or season pass would be good for re-entry. What did they do this past Sunday? Did they really do that? I find it very interesting if they did in fact decide to do that, just because of confusion (not to mention the fact that it wastes time.) Anyways, on the topic of the maps, anyone who wanted to re-etner the park after 7 (who had NOT already been in after 7) on Saturday could make an argument with these short words: two maps.