disco2000

Even with a mostly new cast, I'm sure the show will have the same beat though...

Ironic that we are talking about a tree by the bat when perhaps they are also removing said tree now since the protected Indiana Bat species dictates when such trees can be removed and its removal would be prohibited during said construction of new attraction...or maybe it is simply a dead tree slated for removal...contgo there at this time, not going to fall for it...

OK that clears it up and sorry we jumped your case! Believe me it is not conspiracy theories but real cheating posted elsewhere on this forum. And in the past KI has voided pass holder entry into park based on statements posted. Posters here questioning your post are simply trying to ensure integrity and good relations with park. Now yes, cleared up and yes sometimes there are issues at food places. Your experience at closing time with the pizza was in all likelihood an employee not wanting to raise an issue and simply get off work lol. Again, park would like to know that so in totality I think your post is valid and relevant. We can carry on now.

Original poster said he found out today that passes are only valid if person has been scanned in park. It sounds like he tried to use a meal plan for a person not in park. Sounds like cheating to me and not coincidental that additional measures are being taken to ensure meal plan integrity due to recent "cheating" posts. Why should a meal plan assigned to a person be valid if said person isn't in park? Keeping posting your cheats people so Cedar Fair can continue to close them!!! And possibly void your pass in the process!!!

It is a shame that almost every additional restraint/security measure ever added to a ride is the result of rider error/stupidity and no fault of the park or rider manufacturer. In many instances, it results in a decrease in the ride experience. Most will say The Beast was better when it was just buzz bars than the current restraint/seat configuration. I have said this before, but we will probably see the time come when a coaster train is completely enclosed because of rider error where they stuck their hands out where they shouldn't have and lost a finger or hand. Imagine that ride experience where you cannot feel the wind on your face, the rain beating you down like bb's, bugs in your face, etc. Let's face it, a sign/spiel saying keep arms and hands inside the car at all times doesn't prevent someone from doing just that. In all honesty, I am surprised automobiles haven't been forced to not allow the car to start unless every seat belt is fastened, but then again we know stupidity would rule and people would simply fasten seat belt and then sit on top of it! Remember the attempt of manufactures having the seat belts attached to the door to automatically belt the driver and passenger in - too many people overrode that system, plus the unintended consequence was ejection if the door flew open in an accident. And adding seat belts to a water ride has the unintended consequence of guests being stuck and drowning should ride flip over.

We have tried to warn - they may find out soon enough when their pass shows up void when they try to enter lol! I am not saying that is the case here, but in the past that has happened when people have posted a "misuse". And that goes to Facebook posts too. Now if they would only do that to those that post illegal ride photos and videos, but that is another topic altogether lol.

And keep in mind that KI staff are members of this board and in the past at least one member had their season pass voided when posting about a "glitch" allowing them more drinks (but re-instituted after having a talk to by the park). Such plan now no longer exists. Variety of reasons why, but people posting work-arounds certainly had something to do it with its demise. This is a smaller social media site so the issue/concern isn't as widespread as on Facebook, but you can be sure one of the reasons the meal plan went from 2-hour intervals to 4-hour intervals were all the people commenting on Facebook how they shared the meal plan. And it will be the comments on Facebook that probably continue to be a more driving force in changing policies, especially if the posts are costing the park money. But yes, the park is trying to get better control on food costs. A big portion was wasted food at the end of the night - tossed out food was unbelievably high. Partly why you see food closing earlier and being limited on what is available right before close - to minimize food waste. Hopefully the quality and quantity of food doesn't continue to suffer as people have experienced between last year and this year.

Not picking on you, but it is posts like this why the food portions are smaller this year. KI knows people do it, just don't advertise it for others to follow suit...believe it or not but a lot of people are stupid enough not to think about sharing a meal plan until they hear/read that someone else did that and they think "hey that's a good idea". You would be amazed how many families of 4 have gone from 4 meal plans to 2 meal plans...and have subsequently added at least one back lol. Everything is tracked for trending purposes. Watch for smaller portions of fries coming to a Potato Works near you soon

Some guests were saying they liked Mystical Lumber when asked their fave ride lol

Actually that picture is at the bottom/beginning of the lift hill! You can see part of Surf Dog in the background which wouldn't be possible from the end of the ride - Surf Dog would be in front of you. Plus looking left from where the photo was taken (right side of this pic) you are looking at the employee back lot area - at the end of the ride you would be looking into the park not the employee back lot area. But this is just one example that happened to be the most recent. Other photos taken in violation of park policy have been retweeted or reposted on Facebook before... Taken to the extreme though, its all these types of little violations that will one day force parks to not allow people in line with anything in their pocket. Especially after a lawsuit with the flying phone...

Does a retweet by Kings Island of a selfie post on a coaster that someone posted imply that KI is okay with cameras out on the ride despite the announcement and postings? I am sure an attorney would make good use of that argument when a suit is filed at some point for a flying camera disfiguring someone. Otherwise why have the rule if it isn't enforced? Another question - should KI ban people that post these pics? It would put a stop to it or at least make people think twice about posting pics taken in violation of park policy. And let's face it, it would be easy for the park to know if he is a passholder (name is given lol).

^Cut through Planet Snoopy since many of those rides take part in ERT.

Go to OvO and you may see a familiar face...just Imagine who it could be

The sad thing is because of the lawsuit crazy society we live in are the reasons all the additional "safety things" happen. It should be the rider's responsibility to know the rules and guidelines of the ride and obey them. I know the lapbar came down the required amount and that my seatbelt is secure and having a speed check by an employee doesn't make me feel any safer. But again, I am not the individual that is done for. I witness on almost every trip a rider that thought the seatbelt was optional on one of the rides I am in line with. And then when we get the individual with a pre-existing condition (bad back, obese, etc.) and either gets denied the ride or worse like injury or death, we then see additional measures put in place, even on rides nothing like the one where an incident took place. I this for a fact and I am sure there are exceptions with older rides and different parks, but a lot of the rides cannot dispatch if the lap bar/restraint is not secured, so the employee speed check is more for liability reasons and redundancy than anything else. Now I do realize that none of the seatbelts have this feature, so they are checking that. But let's face it, even if they check every seatbelt and restraint and someone flies out (even if self inflicted like the individual unbuckles going up the lift hill), the park will still be liable even with all the checking, so they could eliminate that step as restraint check is just as much for rider perception that they will not fly out as it is liability. State law does not require manually pulling of a restraint and some parks don't even do a test pull on the strap and assume the ride computer has done its job and confirmed all restraints were locked. I get into my vehicle and strap my seatbelt on and never has anyone done a pull on it to insure that I secured it properly, yet statistically, one is more likely to be injured or die in an automobile accident than an amusement park ride accident. Let's face it, at the end of the day, KI is a business. A business sets benchmarks to be met. When you go through a McDonalds drive-thru, they have a benchmark time frame they are supposed to meet. You probably stand a better chance of getting undercooked food at a drive-thru than you do not having your coaster restraint locked properly and leaving the station. Don't believe me, watch Diamondback enough where you will see them do a manual check and thumbs up and then have dispatch say something like Seat 7-2 and they have to check and give another push on the restraint for that particular seat because the computerized system was doing its job. I personally have never felt like they were rushing too fast to get patrons on and off a ride, even during power hour.

Fries at skyline look like they were made in oil used from last year Haven't got a decent batch this year. 2nd weekend they were having trouble keeping up with the kiosks. Put in order and it is number 98 and then hear them call around the corner order 41 is ready - that is a pretty large stockpile of placed and not filled orders for something that should be quick!

So when KI tears out the red side for park expansion and keeps the blue side, does The Racer then become 0.5 credit? So if a ride at different parks is identical, that only counts as 1 total credit? So Flight of Fear is only 1 coaster credit for someone that has rode every clone of it? So if the red side was on one side of Coney Mall and the blue side was on the other side of Coney Mall and they raced via a timer display you would see when entering the station, that would be one credit? Does a ride changing restraints count as more than one credit. The Beast restraints have changed over the years - one credit or multiple?

I have said this before in the forum, but probably worth repeating for newer members. I have believed for many years that KI hoped the meal plan would go bust and tried to help that cause by not upgrading to accommodate the demand it would create. Other CF parks don't seem to have the same problem, plus they have better food variety. I have called out many of the issues and potential solutions. It wasn't until last year that we started to see these changes - adding a queue line to International Street LaRosa's and increasing number of cash registers; adding more drink only stations, etc. I would like to think that part of the solutions were a direct result of comments on this forum. Plus I think CF also said meal plans are not going away so address it. As others have said, don't formulate your opinion based on a few opening operating weekends. Last year was the first time with the meal plan that I think after June they had enough infrastructure and personnel in place to accommodate the meal plan. Fingers crossed that we see it improve as the weeks go on.

But what about on one day they only run the red side and then another day only the blue side? If they were not mirrored would it make a difference? Doesn't need to be plural to be considered two? Does your toothbrush only brush one tooth? When you get a haircut was only one strand of hair cut? It is two separate tracks and trains and operating sides that share a station. Whether it is a mirror or not shouldn't make a difference. If a mirror copy means it is one credit - so does every mirror coaster scattered throughout the country only count as one credit? As jcgoble I think best addresses - it is what you decide and there isn't a prize. Some may consider Top Gun, Flight Deck, and The Bat as 3 credits cause the name and theming changed. Some consider surf dog a coaster. Some consider Firehawk as two credits - there is a portion of the track that isn't the same depending on which color train you get - so they have a credit for each side. Some consider a ride moved as another credit. Even more may consider a credit for every clone of a coaster even though they only rode one of them (that would be a stretch but some that look to boost their credit count do that). And on another similar topic, those that count ride counts will count rides on media days, photo shoots, etc. in their count total. In reality, to be "accepted" by a records book, it has to be rides during normal operating hours, need to have got out of your seat and gone back through the line, etc... and to those trying to get in record books, that can be a big deal... I say just go to the park and have fun and not worry about credits and ride counts!

^Or Fazoli's or McCalister's or Tom+Chee or...

Enjoy the ride while we still have it...

^This is a pay version to verify height and not have to get a wristband - just show that and they will not measure at ride. Works well for the kid that is right at the height where they get it one day and not the next.

^Exactly!!! The pass is a worthwhile investment and people need to think before complaining lol! Wait until the end of August when you have people on Facebook complaining that they have a pass and planned on using it the last weeks of August and now found out the park is closed during the weekdays! I read one last year where they said they couldn't make it all summer and planned on using the pass the last two weekdays of August to find out they are closed and ranted about it. As far as perks (or anything for that matter) - the surest way to get a perk removed is to go on Facebook or a forum and say "hey I got an old gold pass laying around and it gets me into ERT". Park employees read this forum. Park employees can figure out who you are and revoke your pass, or let you spend some time with security. A poster within this thread has that experience sharing a "loophole" he found and having his pass entry denied when trying to get into the park until security had a talk with him. If you find a loophole, fine keep it to yourself or inform the park so they can close it. Sharing loopholes on social media will most likely not only close that loophole but maybe even eliminate the perk or make significant changes to it. Imagine how slow ERT line would be if they scanned your pass for example. There is a reason the meal plan went from 2 hour to 4 hours. There is a reason for everything and a good portion can be attributed to comments made on social media.

As my friend found out (and discussed in another thread) - the voucher that clearly stated to keep your old cards as they are now updated is boilerplate email and voucher language on a renewal - depending on the situation, one may actually have to go to processing to get a new pass despite the language on the voucher.

I know that they have the 4-hour window for a reason to cut down on abuse, and I was always curious if they are able to keep track of how many meals are "wasted" due to someone getting a meal before the 4 hour window was up and having the food consequently tossed due to customer not wanting to pay. I see that they found a solution - they just put the food back in line to be served/purchased. I witnessed 3 times at LaRosa's and once at Skyline where the food simply was returned to the area to pick food up. One went back with less pepperoni as the customer had picked some off waiting to get to cashier. I am sure that is against health code and I mentioned to the cashier that they cannot have the customer return the food to the serving area and response was "we were barely trained on how to use this machine so I don't know what to do in that situation". Also, I noticed that many food places do not have the ability to get water (and thus no small Kinzel cups lol) - probably to entice people with a meal plan to purchase a drink lol. It was noted earlier, but yes a lot of food portions are a lot smaller this year.

That problem has existed many years. I know people that used the gold pass discount at a store for merchandise and then couldn't get food because it was used at said time of merchandise purchase. Or someone bought a drink and they scanned that first and then invalidated the meal.