Was Fearfest ever promised free?

[standbyme]

First off, I probably should have just added this to one of the other Fearfest related topics…but I didn’t want it to get buried. (a little Fearfest pun) and I also wanted to make sure that everyone would notice it and possibly give me a chance to be proven wrong.

I have noticed in a couple of the other threads that season pass holders are upset that Cedar Fair is (probably) going to be charging to go to the “Halloween Haunt” this year. They are stating that the park advertised that Fearfest was free with a season pass. Being the pack-rat that I am with Kings Island memorabilia I decided to see if I could find it actually in print anywhere.

*I went back to every e-mail that I have received from the park starting with August 2006. In NONE of those e-mails all the way up until now does ANY of them even mention Fearfest.

*I have had 2 Season Pass brochures mailed to me trying to sell me a season pass (even though I had already renewed) one of them was sent during the winter…I believe before Christmas, and the other one in the spring. Once again NEITHER of them even mention Fearfest.

I know that in the past there have been signs up at the park saying something like buy your pass today and start enjoying the park this year, including Fearfest…but those signs as far as I can remember were always up late in the year, not spring. So saying something like that is not actually promising Fearfest the following year but the one that is coming up…it was just a way to get some early season pass sales. (Personally, I have always thought that letting people start using their following year’s pass early was very generous of the park to do…for the people who did buy a season pass in October it was like you were getting an extra month free. )

So, from what I have found, Kings Island has never actually claimed that this year’s Halloween event would be free to season pass holders…it could be that we have just been spoiled for so long, and assumed too much. (And you know what they say about assuming!)

Can anyone come up with anything in print that says the park advertised/promised Fearfest to season pass holders for 2007? If not, I don’t think it’s fair to bash the park for something it never even claimed to offer.

[BoddaH1994]

Up until just a few days ago, on the calendar on PKI.com, if you clicked on the operating days for October, it would say Fearfest. Under the Fearfest info on the site, it would report that it was free with park admission.

Of course, that was Fearfest, this is Halloween Haunt which is a far far more evil event...

[standbyme]

Well, I think it took me about 10 times longer to "hunt n' peck" my original post out than it did for you to come up with somewhere which had written proof! I am sorry that proof actually existed.

I was hoping that the park had already planned on charging for "Fearfest" and had covered themselves by not advertising it would be free...that's why I went to the trouble to research the stuff I had in order to "help them out".

I must say that since you have come up with this "proof" I begrudgingly fall into the crowd of it is not right to charge for something that you originally advertised for free...just renaming it doesn't count, otherewise every year that Fearfest improved they could have changed the name and charged extra.

The irony is that I am THRILLED that they are (probably) charging extra! I have hated the large crowds the last couple of years.

[BoddaH1994]

Well, I think it took me about 10 times longer to "hunt n' peck" my original post out than it did for you to come up with somewhere which had written proof! I am sorry that proof actually existed.

I was hoping that the park had already planned on charging for "Fearfest" and had covered themselves by not advertising it would be free...that's why I went to the trouble to research the stuff I had in order to "help them out".

I must say that since you have come up with this "proof" I begrudgingly fall into the crowd of it is not right to charge for something that you originally advertised for free...just renaming it doesn't count, otherewise every year that Fearfest improved they could have changed the name and charged extra.

The irony is that I am THRILLED that they are (probably) charging extra! I have hated the large crowds the last couple of years.

Again, it has NOT been announced that it was going to be an upcharge. Any official word will come likely after Labor Day.

But you're right -- for a few bucks, I'd be very willing to get a better event with smaller crowds.

[KIfan73]

The back of my Gold Pass says its good "on any regularly scheduled scheduled operating day of the season". No definition of "season" is given. I'm going to be a little upset if they decide to toy with that definition.

[Raptor66]

http://www1.cedarfair.com/KingsIsland/spec...aunt/index.html There is a page for tickets.

"Tickets: Coming Soon"

I guess that confirms it.

[CoastersRZ]

But, take note that the back of the pass also states "This Pass also does not include admission to park areas not open to the general public or special park areas and events across all Cedar Fair, L.P. parks that require a separate admission fee including but not limited to Knott`s Halloween Haunt, Carowinds` Scarowinds, and Canada`s Wonderland FearFest."

So while it doesn`t specifically mention Kings Island`s October event, the above definition gives the park the ability to charge pass holders for the event and not have it be included in the season pass program.

[KIfan73]

^That is "toying" with the definition of "regular season" since a Gold Pass was good during Fearfest last year and the previous year. I don't know about years before.

[markr]

I don't like when the term "free" is used. As far as I am concerned we have already paid for our season pass which entitles us to admission the entire season, including the Holoween festivities. To say that we are getting "free admission" for a service which we have paid for is wrong.

[coastergirl]

I know that is not in stone, but when we called today, the guest relations person at KI said that season passes will get you into Halloween Haunt for free as in every other year. I guess that they could change it at any time, but right now they are still saying it is free for pass holders.

My major problem with this is, last year there were a few haunts that when we went through the maze or house, there were no scareactors to be seen at all. We actually walked through the entire house and nobody was to be seen at all. That's not very scary. If I have to pay extra for "Halloween Haunt", I hope that someone will at least attempt to scare me.

Isn't Halloweekends at CP is free with park admission? I guess if we end up having to pay extra at KI we could always go up to CP instead.

[neo8820]

http://www1.cedarfair.com/KingsIsland/spec...aunt/index.html There is a page for tickets.

"Tickets: Coming Soon"

I guess that confirms it.

Not really because a ticket could just be a regular park admission ticket that season pass holders wouldn't need.

[markr]

I know that is not in stone, but when we called today, the guest relations person at KI said that season passes will get you into Halloween Haunt for free as in every other year. I guess that they could change it at any time, but right now they are still saying it is free for pass holders.

My major problem with this is, last year there were a few haunts that when we went through the maze or house, there were no scareactors to be seen at all. We actually walked through the entire house and nobody was to be seen at all. That's not very scary. If I have to pay extra for "Halloween Haunt", I hope that someone will at least attempt to scare me.

Isn't Halloweekends at CP is free with park admission? I guess if we end up having to pay extra at KI we could always go up to CP instead.

Holloweekends at CP are included with park admission or your season pass. Therefore I don't see why it should be different for the other parks including KI>

[ZosoBeast]

Plus, could there be a chance of your season pass getting you into the park as always, but if you wanna do the haunts, you need to buy a wrist band or something?

[neo8820]

Plus, could there be a chance of your season pass getting you into the park as always, but if you wanna do the haunts, you need to buy a wrist band or something?

I think I would be fine with that. The main reason I got to the Halloween events in Oct is to get a few rides at night in the cold air before the season ends.

[Browntggrr]

Holloweekends at CP are included with park admission or your season pass. Therefore I don't see why it should be different for the other parks including KI>

Location, location, location.

KI is a regional park. CP is a destination park. KI has Cincinnati and Dayton, close and KI's biggest draw. CP has Sandusky and Huron, not exactly bustling metropolises. Both Cleveland & Detroit are 1+ hour drives, meaning there is much more planning for a family.

If the weather is great, you can expect a large crowd at KI. If the weather is 50-50, people will shy away from CP.

Even though some may not want to believe it, CP is a fantastic park for capacity. Whereas when KI gets busy, it can be rather hectic.

IF the decision is made to have an extra charge, it is actually a good thing. Less people in the park means you enjoy more things. Sure, CF could make the Season Pass Holders happy and not charge an extra fee, but now you can just so 3 things all night due to 45,000 people being in the park.

The rest of your time will be spent waiting in line.

[markr]

Plus, could there be a chance of your season pass getting you into the park as always, but if you wanna do the haunts, you need to buy a wrist band or something?

I would be fine with that too. I don't really do the haunted attractions but I just love the atmosphere of the park at night during the Holloween season.

[BoddaH1994]

Plus, could there be a chance of your season pass getting you into the park as always, but if you wanna do the haunts, you need to buy a wrist band or something?

I would be fine with that too. I don't really do the haunted attractions but I just love the atmosphere of the park at night during the Holloween season.

Again, the possibilities are endless....

[Mighty Mouse]

Plus, could there be a chance of your season pass getting you into the park as always, but if you wanna do the haunts, you need to buy a wrist band or something?

I would be fine with that too. I don't really do the haunted attractions but I just love the atmosphere of the park at night during the Holloween season.

I'm the same way. I loved the Christmas display they had in Coney Island for Fearfest last year. My son doesn't like the haunts yet but we like one last chance to ride the rides before the season ends.

[Browntggrr]

^ Well along those lines...

If the park is cleared before HH starts, that means you can still ride during the day, using your season pass, yet the extra charge kicks in after the park has been cleared and reopens for HH.

[cstrwomann]

Fear Fest has always been free to season pass holders. Cedar Point doesn't charge for there Halloween event. Why should you have to pay extra for KI Fear Fest? They should have stated this at the beginning of the season or last season when you bought season passes. It's not fair to start charging extra for something that has always been free.

[PKIVortex]

But FearFest wasn't always free. 2000 and 2001 were both upcharge year for FearFest. I also as an employee of KI in 2000 had to pay to enjoy FearFest.

[RingMaster]

Fear Fest has always been free to season pass holders. Cedar Point doesn't charge for there Halloween event. Why should you have to pay extra for KI Fear Fest? They should have stated this at the beginning of the season or last season when you bought season passes. It's not fair to start charging extra for something that has always been free.

....that has resulted in extremely long lines for every haunted attraction in the park, continuous lines running inside the mazes themselves therefore ruining the scare experience, numerous complaints from parents over their children being scared too much...

Two years ago, I remember going into the Skyline restaurant on Int. Street towards the end of a FF night for some chili cheese fries, when suddenly a monster came in on the same occasion. Now, this was one of the cornSTALKER monsters, which, as you all well know, is well down the road all the way by Rivertown, and this was still back when only the Creepers (knee-sliders) were allowed to roam, so I have no idea how he managed to get all the way up near the Front Gate without getting caught.

Anyway, what ended up happening was that a mother's two kids started freaking out and began crying. Mom begins yelling at everyone else who was on the floor laughing so hard (me, other guests, the Skyline workers), about how it wasn't funny, and it wasn't fair that the monsters can scare them while indoors, and stuff like that. Just to add more fuel to the fire, this was also the same family that I had seen while traversing the Gauntlet area by the Sling Shot, also complaining about the monsters scaring her kids too much.

Now, I know part of the blame should go to the cornSTALKER monster for bing in there in the first place, but the other 95% goes to that mother for ignoring the warning labels that come with the package. Meaning, if it says 'Event May Be Too Intense For Children,' then, darn it, LISTEN TO WHAT IT SAYS!

This is why the event needs to go back to charging people, so that these incidents will diminish and, hopefully, be extinguished.

Either that, or the managers should let us kick these people out of the park without a refund (like Karen said in another topic).

[Browntggrr]

^^ And, IF there will be an upcharge, the park actually did let you know.

I would certainly classify HH as a special event.

And now that I actually thought about it:

Assuming that most here bought the Maxx Pass, and also assuming that since you bought the Maxx pass you went to both KI as well as CP (at least once) why would you complain about an upcharge for HH?

Now I am just going to throw out some figures, but please tell me if you did go to either park more than I listed (and I'm sure MANY did):

MaxPaxx= $125

Went to KI x 5 & CP once =$20/ visit

Now full price for both park would have been about $270. Look at your savings. Sure you can throw in discount coupons, or buying online, but the point is, you already saved a good chunk of change by getting a season pass.

Now look at it from this angle. HH is only offered late in the season. The park goes to great lengths to make it a special event. Meaning that this is an added expense that the park has undertaken. And so far, I have not heard one person complain that a prior event sucked, EXCEPT for waiting in abnoxious lines and that there were too many people that took away from the haunts.

Look at things from the half full side.

[BoddaH1994]

On that same note, I doubt people's speculation that MaxxPass holders will be getting in free is true at all. That would accomplish... nothing....

[Gordon Bombay]

While I have no problem paying alittle extra for a great event and seeing the entertainment dept. being able to do more with it, I do wish CF wouldve have decided to make these supposed upcharge changes earlier in the year. Changing it now is very underhanded and sneaky especially when having it as free to passholders the past few years and even now we dont have an answer. Im willing to bet there are going to be many upset passholders massing at the front gates the first night of Haloween Haunt. Sure upcharging and doing more for the event to make it better is great, but they shouldve announced these changes at the start of the season or when passes went on sale and if they hadn't decided by now, they should've waited till next year.

[Browntggrr]

^ Sure, more information would have made things smoother.

But perhaps there are things that were decided to be added for HH after the announcement of the season passes (not that we have already dealt with that! ).

Up until last week, it was still FearFest.

Not to mention, who would not purchase a season pass just because they had prior knowledge that HH was going to be an upcharge evet?(IF it is even going to be an upcharge)

[BoddaH1994]

It's funny... I remember WAY back in the PKIG days when everyone was so upset that they made Fearfest free because they didn't like dealing with the crowds...

[Gordon Bombay]

Well I agree on that point, I would still buy my pass regardless, as I would imagine a great majority of the passholders but when you market the event as included with park admission on your website and in your park all season then all the sudden you may change it (and it could still be either way, we still dont know for sure) then its very dishonest to your patrons. Im glad some things are going to be added to HH that may make it worth up charing for, excellent, I love the event, but I think its way too late to be marketing that especially when youve proclaimed it for free with park admission all year. Granted folks like us Brown wouldnt be too anoyed IF it happens, but the grand majority of the general season passholders do not read this site and may not be made aware of the changes or new event this year IF certain changes happen. All I'm saying is, for the park to possibly make this decision this late, they better do a good job of making the changes and prices known.

[Browntggrr]

It's funny... I remember WAY back in the PKIG days when everyone was so upset that they made Fearfest free because they didn't like dealing with the crowds...

Which has to be one driving forces IF it is going to be an upcharge.

The other being a non-child event that was mentioned earlier. And what I mean by that is; family comes to the park, sees that there is a Halloween event going on, kids get excited, stay till dark, only to get the bejesus scared out of them because the kids are 10.

And in the parent's defense, it's a tough call. The park is geared to families with kids in many ways, so why would a Halloween event be any different? (at least that is their thinking)

Since my kids are young (6 and almost 5) there is no way I could bring them. Even Halloweekends at CP is iffy for us.

[standbyme]

I can tell Ryan is getting frustrated NOT being able to tell us what the park has planned in order to calm us down...I bet he's just counting down the minutes until the KI makes their official announcement.