Balloondoggle

An article from MSNBC.com. There may be (and often is) more to the story, but I haven't gone hunting for it. http://overheadbin.m...er-coaster?lite I'm interested in the view of coaster enthusiasts on this one. I already know what KI would say. What do you think?

Yes, Parent Swap is still out there. I haven't witnessed its use, but have seen it in the park info for this year. I would say it depends on the kid, and how many of them there are. The larger the group, the bolder they get. My son is 10 and I would not let him go off on his own even if he wanted to. His best friend is 11 and much more dependable, and I would let the two of them go off for one or two rides at a time except that the friend's mother is not likely to approve - her kid, her rule. And in Soak City I grab a chair and let them run. It's just too tough to keep up with them there. Not sure why it seems different there than in the rest of the park, but there you go. Having had toddlers, you have to let them run off on their own a little. We would let them get some distance at a mall or someplace with fewer inherent dangers than KI, but you have to - again - know the kid. My son respected barriers at that age so I would not have had a problem with him in this situation. My daughter would not have willingly left my side at that age, so it never came up with her. As to the OP, if it had been me I MIGHT have checked the potential to get it myself, but no f'ing way would I ask my kid to get off the ride without me, much less make them reach under the wheels. We live near an active railroad and in 16 years there have been at least 3 pedestrian accidents at the two closest crossings, 2 of them fatal. I don't care if it's an amusement park ride or a full size freight train, you don't screw with trains.

Thanks again for doing this, everyone. GKTW is definitely worthwhile! I had hoped to get up there and cheer you on a little, but we felt like crap all day. GKTW runs on a skeleton crew where paid staff is concerned. Most of the routine day-to-day stuff is handled by volunteers. By doing this, they keep the overhead down and are able to commit more of the money you raised to the actual mission of the place. This has gotten them very good ratings by organizations that track these things. We were guests there in 2010 and were blown away by what they accomplish with charitable contributions and volunteers. They have several corporate partners that help out with food, admission to amusements, and on-site entertainment. Even if we had skipped the WDW. Seaworld and Universal Studios activities, the action at GKTW would have kept us busy and happy. And it's all possible because of you. Hit up http://balloondoggle.blogspot.com/2010/09/day-1.html for a trip report, if you like. And "thank you for your support"!

We were up there Friday night, and at 7:30 there was still a girl in the Fast Lame booth. I assume they did not sell out for the day, but can't imagine that anyone would be so dumb as to pay full price for the pass with less than 3 hours of operation left in the day. Then again, I have over-estimated the average consumer before....

Not that I'm endorsing you going into off-limits areas, but it's often easier to beg forgiveness than to ask permission. But you didn't get that from me.

Got a little distracted during the fireworks tonight.

If you've ever stood in front of the antenna on a microwave radio when someone keys the mic, you won't want to stand in front of it again. [ I think he thought it was an alarm bell; but well said of the ill effects of direct, near-transmitter microwave exposure. Fries, anyone? (Kidding. Something called a rectenna is supposed to remedy such danger). I'm not sure a rectenna make things any better - it sounds too much like a pain in the butt.

Finally saw the show tonight. Not bad, everything seemed to go as planned. There's some undefinable thing lacking that explains why he's playing KI instead of Vegas, but don't ask me what it is. As far as raunch, I guess that was a reference to the dancers. I don't think it qualifies as raunch when compared to the girl ahead of me on The Racer: Bikini under Daisy Dukes, but the shorts were open and folded back and the bikini was so small we could see razor burn. That is raunchy. Dancing girls, not so much. In all, it was a fairly simple show, but if you're doing it 5 times a day there won't be a lot of complicated stuff. He did a fine job and managed the hecklers effectively and my kids absolutely loved it. I don't know that we'll watch it again soon, but will probably take at least one break in there before the season is over.

Back on topic, glad to see the clock coming back to life. I wanted my kids to see it, but up to our last visit, there was nothing but the ring form.

I haven't figured out what the Starlite Spectacular is even supposed to be. Is it like walking through a Christmas light display? One night we went through there on our way out and saw employees standing around, but as far as I could tell, the music was the same as throughout the park during the rest of the day. Is there something that should be happening there? I just don't get it.

I want to thank you all again for doing this - it's a great cause and as alumni of the benefiting charity it means a lot to my family. We're in the final stages of a Make A Wish fundraiser, so I won't be sponsoring anyone on this one, but we hope to slide into The Racer area Sunday and cheer you on a little bit. $80k - great job everyone!

That could have been me on our first trip as a family last fall. I was surprised and a little disappointed. It really seems odd using one line to access both trains.

This is exactly the thing I'm talking about. All questions of the quality of the music aside, the volume is too high in too many places.

Yeah, the photo people are a little pushy, but I don't notice the barkers so much. They're just part of the experience for me.

If you've ever stood in front of the antenna on a microwave radio when someone keys the mic, you won't want to stand in front of it again. That sounds like something I'd tell my kids. Usually followed with "Daa--aaaddd..... " I told my youngest that the flashing lights on The Racer's climb hill make it work better and go faster after dark. Her BS detector is getting pretty good.

I don't think there is a good reason for drowning out the sounds of people enjoying themselves. And it defeats the game barkers, who can't be heard over the music promoting the games. In that regard, the overly loud music is costing them some money. Last night we walked past a trio of apparent management-types and my wife had to stop me from asking them to follow me to spot in front of a speaker and then inviting them to try and continue their conversation. If it really is that common an issue with the public, maybe we should make more noise about it at the park. There's a few other niggling little things I'd like to see fixed, but this is by far the easiest fix with the most impact.

Is it just me, or is the background music just too loud? I can't have a normal conversation in Action Zone, Coney Mall, or International Street because the speakers are blasting so loud. My sister says "If it's too loud, you're too old!" but she's my baby sister so I would expect that from her. It seems to me that the ambient sounds at an amusement park should be the ratchets and chains on the coasters, followed by the screams of the riders. Those sounds are most clearly heard from the parking lot right now, and once you're in the gate it's like attending Lollapaloosa (or Woodstock, if it's raining). The selection is fine, but it really shouldn't be so intrusive. At the end of a visit, my throat is sore not from screaming on a ride, but from trying to negotiate the next ride with the kids over the music.

I was thinking the same thing about the train tour. I doubt I can print out a certificate and just present myself at the station. Hopefully, it comes with instructions! I wonder if it gets a family in, or just the individual?

I'm looking forward to it. The clips on his site look pretty good, and ice shows bore me.

Visit number 8 tonight, and $30-some in LaRosa's. By 11:00 it's noted on FunPerks and I have leveled up to 3 stars. $5 in Beagle Bucks, a $5 merch voucher, free preferred parking or a behind-the-scenes tour of the train. It looks like some goodies were added to level 2 as well, with a $10 discount on next year's Gold Pass adn a 30% discount on a food purchase leading the pack.

Someone must have gone back through the data and updated things. I now show 7 visits for me, and 6 for the rest of the family. This includes a few visits pre-registration. It has not, however, changed any star-levels or rewards. I am still 2nd tier and the family is still 1st tier. Since it is usually my pass that gets scanned at the POS, this leads me to assume that the # of visits is irrelevant and all that matters is the money you spend in the park. Again, the frustration that the rewards only accrue to an account instead of individuals within the same account. We can all share the free popcorn, etc. but how do you share a Bring a Friend discount fairly? The free Thunder Ally ride and similar rides are equally worthless to us because I am the sort of person who will not pay to get in and then pay more for additional rides. I'm a cheap bastige that way. If Kroger can tell me how many fuel points I have earned, why can't KI share that same info? Knowing how much I'll save on gas is one thing that keeps me going back to that gas station. If I know that I only need 20 more points to earn a second discounted guest ticket, I'll be more likely to buy a burger and fries in order to earn that.

Unless something changed, which is quite possible, there is no need to have separate accounts. On the other hand, they may get their own rewards if they do. Some straight answers from KI would be most helpful.

That's great, guys! GKTW is a really deserving charity and it's great that Cedar Fair is participating in this. That you all for supporting one of my favorite things!

We have been on Friday nights and Sunday mornings and not had any trouble at all with lines. The only time we spent more than 20 minutes in a line was when we got stuck just before boarding The Beast when they shut it down for the fireworks. I don't know if we just hit it at a good time, crowds are spread across multiple attractions, it's still early in the season, or KI is failing altogether, but crowds have not been an issue for us. Yesterday we got there about 10:30, left around 3:00. We spent about 15 minutes in line for Vortex and maybe 20-25 at Whitewater Canyon.

Our account shows that the kids have been there 3 times, but my wife and I have been 4. Haven't had a date night at KI in decades, so I don't know how this happened. Yesterday I leveled up to 2-star and got an instant reward of a free cotton candy - $7 value, coupon good for a month. We have spent maybe $100 in food over multiple trips. I have 3 rewards available. I can choose two level 1 rewards and a level 2 reward from a total of 11 available. Since the rewards are only accruing to the primary card on the account, I have to wonder what use is a 50% discount on a Fast Lame ticket for a family of 4? Why aren't the rest of the family getting any credit for showing up?