benny1388

I tried to catch up on this thread, really. But being away from home for 5 days and the activity in this thread...yeah, that just ain't happening. I know it's not as fun to think about, but some mention of trees being taken down in the area of the back side of Diamondback, unless it's a mass removal of trees (a handful, or selective cuts), it could just be a safety thing and/or done for the health of the surrounding trees (to prevent some sort of blight/fungus/etc from spreading among the rest of the wooded area). Not that I have any knowledge of that from looking at having to deal with some not-so-healthy mature sycamore trees on my own property. On the fun side of this topic, if someone were (or knew) a pilot and flew over the area with a camera and shared them here...would that be in violation of any KI or KIC rules/policies? I don't have a sectional chart in front of me, but know KI is skirting Class B air space, which means it's 'under' Class C air space, but I think it's legal to fly there under FAA rules (if maintaining proper altitude etc).

Man I hope the family and I can make it this year. Having my doubts as there are other expenses planned that hit about that same time, but keeping my fingered crossed.

When you vow to visit parks more often than you did last year (really, didn't make it as often as I wanted)

Just stop my leisure time for something I don't want to participate in? Sorry, no. My time is valuable to me and my leisure time exponentially more so. I understand they have a job that has crappy pressures to it, but that's not something I find a valuable use of my time, even if it is just 30sec. That's 30 seconds less fun I'm having in a place I drove 90min and paid good money to go have fun. Besides.... Why is the park in the business of employing people who are harassing guests the moment they enter the park? I shouldn't have to say no twice. Once should be enough. If you ask a guest who paid to be there if they'd like/do anything and they say no, that should be the end of it. Spreading them around the park won't change my answer. I simply do not like having my picture taken and even if I'm doing nothing but standing in line for a ride, I'd still say no (politely).

Because you'll be in too much pain to care. My fiancee and I rode last seat based on someone's suggestion we were chatting with in line...we both carried bruises for a few days (not exaggerating). I suspect that was not recently. Last year and this year, I would contend that the very back seat on The Beast has been smoother than any seat on The Racer. It was July of this year.

Because you'll be in too much pain to care. My fiancee and I rode last seat based on someone's suggestion we were chatting with in line...we both carried bruises for a few days (not exaggerating).

I've mentioned on these forums (maybe further back in this very thread?) that I'd like to see the fountains get a makeover. I'd love to see something Bellagio-esque happen where every 15 (or whatever) minutes the park-wide music on I-Street gets muted and the fountains/lights choreographed to special music (handful of 'shows' on rotation or just random). If the crowds in front of the Bellagio are any indication, it serves as an attraction unto itself. I could see making it a point to catch one show per visit, maybe even trying to catch it from different viewing spots. Then again, maybe I just want a taste of Vegas without it costing me what Vegas usually costs me...

My concern with the power hours isn't restricted to potential safety concerns (I'm not disregarding them, at all). To me, the way guests (key word right there) get treated during these power hours is like cattle. We get herded through the line as quickly and orderly as possible for the sake of turning around a train with the only consideration for the guests' happiness and enjoyment is that they get to ride the coaster they're in line for. Maybe that guest wants to sit up front and is willing to wait a few extra cycles, maybe they want to sit in the last row, maybe they have a newer rider with them who wants to sit in the middle of the train. I've seen all of these rider requests fall on deaf ears as the operators direct riders to specific stalls. My only guess is they can't be bothered to allow it because it will impact their numbers every so slightly. Frankly, if I thought they were doing it for nothing more than free pizza and Cokes, I'd pay to have some delivered to the station so we can avoid the power hour nonsense.

Why can't you call security? I'm assuming the video feed you see in the booth is recorded somewhere for security to review and there is a phone for operators to use. If you can't call because of the slowdown it would cause (lowering the throughput of your ride), then management is the problem because they're putting that throughput as a higher priority than rule enforcement (and therefore rider/guest safety). Management should encourage and empower employees to do their jobs and do them effectively. An alternative would be to have someone from security standing at each ride ready to call their colleagues to escort offenders from the park. Then, the ride operators could just say "the rider in 7-2 has their phone out", then that person handles it from there. Regardless of how the problem is solved, it needs to be solved. I assure you it won't take many instances for word to get around and people will start obeying rules. Even a public "shaming" of sorts would work, "Seven people were ejected from the park today for using a mobile device while on a ride in violation of Ohio law." There's really not much negative PR from saying you're enforcing/following state law.

Experienced this on DB a few weeks ago. The operators didn't try to stop the ride on the lift - they made an announcement over the PA (it wasn't prerecorded, I was watching the op in the booth speak into the mic), looked at each other and shrugged, then proceeded to bring the next train in to unload. I've wondered many times, sometimes on these forums, if the operators actually have the authority to stop the ride. I know they have the button there, but is there a culture in place that they would be threatening their own job if they were to enforce the cell phone rule?

I have recognized that when I enter the park they refer to me by name, but when I'm going through the toll booth they do not. Could be coincidence, could be they just get a go/no-go on the pass being good for parking. I'm guessing it means they do not have the visual that the folks at the main gate get when they scan the pass.

I don't know that winds is the case for it being idle today, but I can assure you I've seen the ride shut down many times due to wind

Cedar Point have the platinum passes on sale right now. If you buy a new platinum you get free admission for one day in 2015. If you are a renewal you get a free fast pass valid any 2015 day (except Saturday). They seem the same price wise as last year.Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Info on KI's 2016 passes are on the main KI site now. We have 4 Gold passes, currently. I want to upgrade to Platinum. Does anybody know if that is considered a 'new' pass or a 'renewal'? Do you think it would be best to handle that transaction at the park (aka dealing with a human being)?

Really? You'd rather them just bring in the demo crew without telling the public before hand?

I agree with those who don't think relocation/renovation of the toll booths is worth a press conference. And while it's not a trivial task, painting a ride is just something that happens from time to time in its lifespan - it's maintenance. Bat got a new paint job recently and it wasn't publicized ahead of time (was there a pre-announcement for Flight Deck getting renamed?). I feel very similar to a light package. I think anything that's not a new attraction, or major change of an existing one, is not worth the buzz they're trying to generate.

CP is offering an unlimited free refill cup for 2016 for $22.99 - but you have to carry around the cup. I think many would probably purchase the BoddaH1994 idea of put $30 on season pass and debit off .99 cent drinks in cup to avoid having to carry around a cup. Regarding cutting in line to bypass the food and get to drink station - several places have a queue line - Chicken Shack, Skyline and LaRosa's on IS, FestHaus, etc., and informal lines form at many of the others (pretzel place, etc.) and I see EVERY time I get food someone (usually more than one), come through exit and form another line just for drinks. Last I checked, you can't skip people in line at a drive-through cause you are just getting a drink, or go inside a fastfood place and jump past the line in there just cause you want a drink only, yet it is an everyday occurrence at KI. Watch at FestHaus and you will see groups simply walk in between the two sets of cash registers on either side and form a line of just people getting drinks, yet their is a queue line with people coming through - if this isn't line cutting, then who gets priority at the drink station when someone with food and someone that entered through the exit reach the drink station at the same time? My solution is to simply quit getting a drink and when the cashier asks me if I would like to buy a souvenir cup, I point to the long line of people that just walked past him/her through the exit and said until that problem is fixed I will not be getting a drink. I waited long enough for the food, not going to wait double to get a drink on top of it. I wouldn't want a debit system - I'd rather just pay for the drinks with a discount than give someone money to hold for me so I can use it elsewhere. Also, the park may not want to get into the debit business. That, in a way, makes them a bank and could lead to an entirely different set of laws and regulations to deal with, which raises operating cost, which raises our cost. I'd want something more like the meal plan - I pay a flat fee and get free (or very deeply discounted) drinks whenever I want. Of course, there would need to be a wait time between drinks etc or it wouldn't be economical for the park to offer this, but that's beyond me to figure out.

Reason #1 I've never bought one of those.

My family has visited the park a handful of times this year, maybe 2 or 3 more times before the end of the year. We don't have the plan because it seemed too expensive for no more than we were going to be in the park. If we could get free drinks or 99 cent drinks, I'd buy the pass without a second thought. Not sure why that makes it so much more appealing to me, but it does.

Yeah...Firehawk is another way to say phoenix. A phoenix rises anew from its ashes... I think this supports Racer getting a refurb. Of course, I don't know squat and I just really like speculating on these things until we find out tomorrow.

All things considered, they could be reading this and trolling us hard lol

^ see my perenthetical edit

Considering the photo they used, Don's mentioning of all his rides on The Racer, and the 'rumblings' of 'two things' (not attractions) that have been there since opening and experienced by so many... There are two trains on Racer (edit: if you just consider Red and Blue). Both would need removed (replaced) if it gets RMC'ed...

Yeah, I remember the rides before those dividers and with the old school bars they used to have. What made me suspect possible satire is the mention of the lines and the people. I've not stood in lines as long as he mentions since The Beast line went almost to the Tower. And the people aren't exclusive to a park, I brace myself for those folks every time I leave my home.

Idunno, the whole thing seems like the author no longer fits on rides because he gained some weight and wishes rides were built to accommodate his grown/growing girth and he has a forum to express his woes... As someone who's experienced the same 'shrinking' of rides (I've put on close to 100lbs since I was a teen), I don't get it. I don't expect the world to provide things that fit my current body type. If I want to experience those things that I can't because of my dietary and activity choices, then I need to make different choices. Of course, it's possible the article as a whole is a bad satire...

I was going to say that the other options nearer the park are probably why Waffle House is not seeing the rush they used to see. The meal plan probably is a factor as well, but I'm guessing mainly from the pass holders, not the folks buying single day tickets (do have any idea what that ratio is on a typical day?). As far as leaving the park to eat, we do. A single meal in the park costs us about $80 after drinks for my my family of four (two of which are teen boys), where Wendy's is $30 or less. I'll find a new parking spot for those savings. We packed a picnic lunch last time and went to the car for lunch. Next year, we may do the meal plan. We're undecided, really. We have a 90min drive to the park, so we don't get to go as often as someone living in the area. It would save us money, but whether it saves us enough to be 'worth it' is still something we're deciding on.