Something Else Old Becomes New Again: The Crypt, Robbie Knievel to Jump at Kings Island & More!

[beastfan11]

Nothing new? Cough six new shows cough...

[Jasper]

I am quite anxious to see and ride The Crypt with its new theming and ride program. Tomb Raider kind of got old because it was the same thing over and over so it will be exciting to get a new unique ride experience.

[Mr. Christopher]

Nothing new? Cough six new shows cough...

Three are new, two are returning.

[The Interpreter]

And, unlike in at least three parks in a certain other chain that numbers its flags, no part of any Cedar Fair park with rides or attractions has been closed for the season, nor are any of the shows DVD presentations. Nor are you required to rent a locker to stow loose articles before riding any major coaster in the park. Firehawk, yes....Racer, Beast, etc., no.

Did I mention that fantastic food can be found at relatively reasonable prices at Outer Hanks? And there is apparently something major happening in 09....I see no reason to fault Cedar Fair for almost skipping a year, given the major investment that is apparently being made for 09. Not to mention that the new program and modifications for what was Tomb Raider: The Ride cannot have been cheap. Theming is nice, but Cedar Fair has never pretended to be a theme park company....

[WooferBearATL]

And, unlike in at least thee parks in a certain other chain that numbers its flags, no part of any Cedar Fair park with rides or attractions has been closed for the season, nor are any of the shows DVD presentations. Nor are you required to rent a locker to stow loose articles before riding any major coaster in the park. Firehawk, yes....Racer, Beast, etc., no.

Did I mention that fantastic food can be found at relatively reasonable prices at Outer Hanks? And there is apparently something major happening in 09....I see no reason to fault Cedar Fair for almost skipping a year, given the major investment that is apparently being made for 09. Not to mention that the new program and modifications for what was Tomb Raider: The Ride cannot have been cheap. Theming is nice, but Cedar Fair has never pretended to be a theme park company....

I am gonna faint dead away!!!!

You did give CF a chance!

There Is A Santa Clause!!!

[kjkjkj]

Well, after riding The Crypt as my second ride of the day. which was like around 10:25 or so, we were I'm guessing about 1/3 of the program through, then all of the sudden all the lights turn on while we were at the top, then they announce that "The Crypt is having technical difficulties" so we had to get off! For all the people basing their opinions on the pictures on here, it looks 100 times better in person, everything is VERY dimly lit so you can't see anything your not supposed to in the line. However the ride is a different story, they just painted the shiva mural black so it "blends in" lol! I hope the ride chamber is a work in progress! If they just add some more theming to it then it will be awesome!

[LongliveKingsCobra]

A black Shivia? Hmmmm kinda a tacky no?

[The Interpreter]

A black Shivia? Hmmmm kinda a tacky no?

And you know this isn't an actually accurate depiction how exactly?

Perhaps Shiva WAS black!

[kjkjkj]

I wonder why they just didn't take off the mural, or something, instead of painting it! Maybe they will put something else over it, but this is a temporary fix! hopefully!

[catzdrummer09]

Has anyone seen "The Cave"? I really think that the person/s responsible for theme design should pop a squat and watch this movie. The Beast thing reminds me a lot of the things from that movie and I would like to see a HUGE version in the chamber as well as some rock walls with dead bodies embedded in them. That is sort of what I envision plus some more odds and ends in there.

Oh, and it really bothers me that they put techno music in the chamber. As I have not ridden it yet, I'm not going to criticize too much, BUT, I just hope it's not what I imagine in my head.

Rivertown+The Crypt+Techno=MAJOR THEMING CONFUSION!!!

[Raptor66]

You have to admit its pretty funny though. If only they had the demon bat dancing while twirling glow sticks!

[RingMaster]

^...makes me wonder if we can get them to do that for this year's Haunt as an inside joke.

No, wait, I wanna do that this Saturday when I go up there after work! I'm gonna get a couple glowsticks and start raving while the ride's in motion

[paramountfan]

Nothing new? Cough six new shows cough...

Shows are a nice addition (cough, cough)... but I, for one, would not base my decision to visit from far away just because Kings Island has new shows. If I wanted shows, I would travel elsewhere. Granted the shows are good for the non thrill seekers, but *most* people visit theme/amusement parks for more than shows. (cough)

[WooferBearATL]

Nothing new? Cough six new shows cough...

Shows are a nice addition (cough, cough)... but I, for one, would not base my decision to visit from far away just because Kings Island has new shows. If I wanted shows, I would travel elsewhere. Granted the shows are good for the non thrill seekers, but *most* people visit theme/amusement parks for more than shows. (cough)

It's called a balance. (cough, cough)

Please show your statistics that "most" people visit theme/amusement parks for thrill rides, alone. (cough)

[Ki Man]

The Crypt has no pay off as far as theming. It's just...a garage. But why don't they just turn out the lights? Add purple/red/blue/green lights?

No, they have bright spotlights pointing to the ground. For God sakes, turn 'em off.

[thatbandguy8807]

While I am excited about a new ride program for "The Crypt", I HATE the new themeing. Looks very amatuer, and I would expect more. For those of you that have worked designing a haunt attraction during Halloween, I am sure you can understand how crappy the demon statues look with a black tripod stuck up their butts? Then, get some cheap looking spiders and throw them around and you got it! Sad.. Then there are the ridiculous names for some of the attractions. I understand that it takes a lot to name the attractions because of possible conflicts with copyright issues, but still.. I think Cedar Fair could have spent some more time brainstorming.

Finally, I am a bit nettled that there is nothing new at Kings Island this year besides new paint, new signs, more trashcans, and cheap rubber spiders. I am pleased about the construction going on, however. Hopelly, next year will be cool. The only snaps I will give Cedar Fair is the park looks cleaner. I will say that so far, I am VERY disappointed. I do not think that Kings Island will be in my travel plans this year.

Wooo I wonder how many people I will made mad with this post?

lol i will agree somewhat...as for me, im going to keep going this year cause i wanna see the construction taking place and ride a few of the rides. plus not to mention that the times i will be at Kings Island are gonna be the only times i can escape from everything in my life lol but yea, i hate to say it but i actually got bored at Kings Island yesterday...and was there all day..wonder why..prolly cause i rode everything i like to ride about 4+ times lol

[Firehawk07]

In addition to the Swan Lake construction, there has also been tree removal behind The Crypt. You can see it from the White Water Canyon exit. I wonder if these two things are related?

[kjkjkj]

The Crypt has no pay off as far as theming. It's just...a garage. But why don't they just turn out the lights? Add purple/red/blue/green lights?

No, they have bright spotlights pointing to the ground. For God sakes, turn 'em off.

What day did you ride? When I went on it Sunday it was almost in complete darkness except for the color-changing lights on either side of the ride, except for when it broke down they turned all the lights back on.

[cholderfield]

In addition to the Swan Lake construction, there has also been tree removal behind The Crypt. You can see it from the White Water Canyon exit. I wonder if these two things are related?

speculation seems to say YES...if you look in the "trip report" forum at recent visits, many people have photos of that area and an overhead view...

[paramountfan]

Nothing new? Cough six new shows cough...

Shows are a nice addition (cough, cough)... but I, for one, would not base my decision to visit from far away just because Kings Island has new shows. If I wanted shows, I would travel elsewhere. Granted the shows are good for the non thrill seekers, but *most* people visit theme/amusement parks for more than shows. (cough)

It's called a balance. (cough, cough)

Please show your statistics that "most" people visit theme/amusement parks for thrill rides, alone. (cough)

I will gladly you show some statistics. According to the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions, the number one reason people visit and revisit amusement and theme parks is the rides. 49% of adult visitors come to the parks for the rides (granted not as high as I thought it would be), 15% come for the shows, 12% prefer the special events and festivals, 6% seek the characters, and 6% come for the midway games, (IAAPA, 2004). (Cough, cough, and yes I know these stats are from 2004)

2008 is the year to appease those 15%. With that said, I do think that the entertainment had suffered during the CBS years, and the live shows are a great place to relax. All I am saying, this is the first year in a long time that Kings Island has not had a new product. For those people that live far away, I am afraid that many will skip their visit this year and hold off until next season. Time will certainly tell.

[BoddaH1994]

Nothing new? Cough six new shows cough...

Shows are a nice addition (cough, cough)... but I, for one, would not base my decision to visit from far away just because Kings Island has new shows. If I wanted shows, I would travel elsewhere. Granted the shows are good for the non thrill seekers, but *most* people visit theme/amusement parks for more than shows. (cough)

It's called a balance. (cough, cough)

Please show your statistics that "most" people visit theme/amusement parks for thrill rides, alone. (cough)

I will gladly you show some statistics. According to the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions, the number one reason people visit and revisit amusement and theme parks is the rides. 49% of adult visitors come to the parks for the rides (granted not as high as I thought it would be), 15% come for the shows, 12% prefer the special events and festivals, 6% seek the characters, and 6% come for the midway games, (IAAPA, 2004). (Cough, cough, and yes I know these stats are from 2004)

2008 is the year to appease those 15%. With that said, I do think that the entertainment had suffered during the CBS years, and the live shows are a great place to relax. All I am saying, this is the first year in a long time that Kings Island has not had a new product. For those people that live far away, I am afraid that many will skip their visit this year and hold off until next season. Time will certainly tell.

Those statistics seem pretty accurate, but I think the error is in the cross tabulation. While 49% of the people surveyed primarily go for the rides, it doesn't necessarily mean that 49% of park partrons go primiarly for the rides. More less, you make not mention of whether the survey is a accurate representation of the population. Additionally, it doesn't reflect those who primarily go for the rides, but shows are a close second. Also, what about those who go to amusement parks for the overall environment? Certainly there are people who like rides exactly as much as those who like shows, games, etc. Plus, the question must arise as to who IAAPA surveyed. Things such as the Gold Ticket Awards panel are made up of experienced park goers, as well as a high representation of groups such as the American Coaster Enthusiasts, who would certainly prefer rides over anything else.

[Gordon Bombay]

I think those statistics are a pretty fair general assessment but it all depends on the specific groups that visit a park from an area. Parks like Disney and Universal depend on tourism and travelers while parks like Kings Island and Kentucky Kingdom depend on regional visitors. For years Cedar Point catered specifically to thrill seekers and adults while KI had a little more focus towards the family, different trends for different parks.

Boddah, I wouldn't call 15% compared to 49% a close second.

[RingMaster]

[...]do think that the entertainment had suffered during the CBS years[...]

Don't you mean the CBS five-and-a-half months? Or were you actually referring to the Paramount years?

[BoddaH1994]

I think those statistics are a pretty fair general assessment but it all depends on the specific groups that visit a park from an area. Parks like Disney and Universal depend on tourism and travelers while parks like Kings Island and Kentucky Kingdom depend on regional visitors. For years Cedar Point catered specifically to thrill seekers and adults while KI had a little more focus towards the family, different trends for different parks.

Boddah, I wouldn't call 15% compared to 49% a close second.

I refuse to believe that those statistics state why each category ONLY goes to parks. More than likely the question was, what was the PRIMARY reason why people visit parks. At least, that's how most would interpret it. I mean, can you honestly say that 9% of people go to parks, play the midway games and then leave? I bet there are a few, but 9% is a BIG number for that. So in saying that, I'm referring to people who, for example, go for both the rides and the shows. Let's say that 51% of their reasoning for going to a park is for the rides and 49% is for the shows. Then technically they should have answered "rides" but clearly the shows would have a big influence on whether or not to go to a park. Just the simple fact that we can have this argument goes to show that the data given isn't sufficient to answer the questions at hand.

If you take Cedar Point out ot the equation, you'll notice that a lot of successful parks rotate between different aspect in order to build their brand. Kings Island is a perfect example. Let's walk back in time through the past few years: 08 - New shows, family orientation, 07 Firehawk - Thrill, 06 - Nick U, Family, 05 - Italian Job, upper-tier family, 04 - Boomerang Bay, mix of family and thrill, 03 - Delirium/Scooby, thrill/family, 02 - Tomb Raider - Thrill, 01 - Nickelodeon Central, Family. The list goes on and on like that, at least under the Paramount moniker. Say what you want about Paramount, but they ran a VERY profitable park under their formula.

Shows play a more important role than most people may think. One of the key components of companies, especially ones that are publicly held, is that they grow their business organically. Organic growth is, by the most simplified definition, making a business more profitable without expanding. Cedar Fair measures their organic growth in terms of per capita spending, or how much on average a person spends in their parks. For the past fiscal year, it was $40.70, for those of you keeping track at home. Paramount did things a little differently. Their gauge was how long people spent in the park. The last time it was publicly reported, the average person spent 6 hours in the park and they had set a goal of 8 hours.

Where do shows tie in to all of this? They actually fit very well into both formulas. Obviously a patron is far more likely to spend more money in the park if they spend more time in the park. What's the most profitable unit to come into the park? The family unit. So, let's say the good 'ol American family comes to the park with their 2.2 kids. What happens around 1:00? The kids start getting hungry.. and vocal about it, at that. Now, they have a few options: they can eat at the park, leave the park entirely, or eat outside of the park. Oh wait... the kids want to see Dora's Sing-Along at 1:00. Looks like they'll be eating inside the park today. Same goes for the dinner rush between 5:00 and 7:00. You'll notice that a lot of the shows are clustered around the lunch and dinner hours for that reason. It is a good assumption that after watching a show, especially the ones in the air conditioning, the family unit would be rejuvinated and ready to spend a more lengthy time in the park. Cedar Fair actually got smart and pushed back a lot of the shows to later hours. This would attract people to stay in the park until later in the evening. Call it tradition, history, nastalgia or whatever, but that's the same reason they do the fireworks too... in the hopes that you stick around for just a few more hours to see them.

I'm done rambling...

[WooferBearATL]

I think those statistics are a pretty fair general assessment but it all depends on the specific groups that visit a park from an area. Parks like Disney and Universal depend on tourism and travelers while parks like Kings Island and Kentucky Kingdom depend on regional visitors. For years Cedar Point catered specifically to thrill seekers and adults while KI had a little more focus towards the family, different trends for different parks.

Boddah, I wouldn't call 15% compared to 49% a close second.

I refuse to believe that those statistics state why each category ONLY goes to parks. More than likely the question was, what was the PRIMARY reason why people visit parks. At least, that's how most would interpret it. I mean, can you honestly say that 9% of people go to parks, play the midway games and then leave? I bet there are a few, but 9% is a BIG number for that. So in saying that, I'm referring to people who, for example, go for both the rides and the shows. Let's say that 51% of their reasoning for going to a park is for the rides and 49% is for the shows. Then technically they should have answered "rides" but clearly the shows would have a big influence on whether or not to go to a park. Just the simple fact that we can have this argument goes to show that the data given isn't sufficient to answer the questions at hand.

If you take Cedar Point out ot the equation, you'll notice that a lot of successful parks rotate between different aspect in order to build their brand. Kings Island is a perfect example. Let's walk back in time through the past few years: 08 - New shows, family orientation, 07 Firehawk - Thrill, 06 - Nick U, Family, 05 - Italian Job, upper-tier family, 04 - Boomerang Bay, mix of family and thrill, 03 - Delirium/Scooby, thrill/family, 02 - Tomb Raider - Thrill, 01 - Nickelodeon Central, Family. The list goes on and on like that, at least under the Paramount moniker. Say what you want about Paramount, but they ran a VERY profitable park under their formula.

Shows play a more important role than most people may think. One of the key components of companies, especially ones that are publicly held, is that they grow their business organically. Organic growth is, by the most simplified definition, making a business more profitable without expanding. Cedar Fair measures their organic growth in terms of per capita spending, or how much on average a person spends in their parks. For the past fiscal year, it was $40.70, for those of you keeping track at home. Paramount did things a little differently. Their gauge was how long people spent in the park. The last time it was publicly reported, the average person spent 6 hours in the park and they had set a goal of 8 hours.

Where do shows tie in to all of this? They actually fit very well into both formulas. Obviously a patron is far more likely to spend more money in the park if they spend more time in the park. What's the most profitable unit to come into the park? The family unit. So, let's say the good 'ol American family comes to the park with their 2.2 kids. What happens around 1:00? The kids start getting hungry.. and vocal about it, at that. Now, they have a few options: they can eat at the park, leave the park entirely, or eat outside of the park. Oh wait... the kids want to see Dora's Sing-Along at 1:00. Looks like they'll be eating inside the park today. Same goes for the dinner rush between 5:00 and 7:00. You'll notice that a lot of the shows are clustered around the lunch and dinner hours for that reason. It is a good assumption that after watching a show, especially the ones in the air conditioning, the family unit would be rejuvinated and ready to spend a more lengthy time in the park. Cedar Fair actually got smart and pushed back a lot of the shows to later hours. This would attract people to stay in the park until later in the evening. Call it tradition, history, nastalgia or whatever, but that's the same reason they do the fireworks too... in the hopes that you stick around for just a few more hours to see them.

I'm done rambling...

But what a great ramble it was.

I agree with you 100% and it's nice to see that CF is recognizing some of this.

[standbyme]

In my entire life of going to Kings Island...way more years than I care to remember, the shows have had only 2 purposes for me:

#1. When I was a kid, the shows kept my Dad occupied while EVERYONE else in my family rode rides...even my Mom called him an "old man" because he only liked to sit and watch the shows.

#2. If I were doing a park event scavenger hunt and it was required to watch a show in order to get an answer I would reluctantly sit through it.

If it weren't for this site I would never know how many shows the park had going on during any given year...I would MUCH rather just sit on the midway and watch the fountain and the people going by than sit through one of the park shows.

(Should I add a cough?)

[WooferBearATL]

In my entire life of going to Kings Island...way more years than I care to remember, the shows have had only 2 purposes for me:

#1. When I was a kid, the shows kept my Dad occupied while EVERYONE else in my family rode rides...even my Mom called him an "old man" because he only liked to sit and watch the shows.

#2. If I were doing a park event scavenger hunt and it was required to watch a show in order to get an answer I would reluctantly sit through it.

If it weren't for this site I would never know how many shows the park had going on during any given year...I would MUCH rather just sit on the midway and watch the fountain and the people going by than sit through one of the park shows.

(Should I add a cough?)

You mean you actually like to just sit there on the midway and watch fountains and people? <G>

As you can probably see, it's a balance.

Shows, Landscaping, Rides, Shops, Food, Games.....

It all makes up a successful amusement/theme park.

If any one area suffers, the park/parks suffer as a whole.

[The Interpreter]

As a certain company that numbers its flags and has replaced almost, but not all, of their live entertainment with DVD presentations is about to find out. Top management, in my opinion wrongly, believes people only go to shows to sit down and get out of the heat, and DVD's are as good an entertainment as any, or at least good enough.

[BoddaH1994]

As a certain company that numbers its flags and has replaced almost, but not all, of their live entertainment with DVD presentations is about to find out. Top management, in my opinion wrongly, believes people only go to shows to sit down and get out of the heat, and DVD's are as good an entertainment as any, or at least good enough.

I think that's one of those "kinda true" things. Having unattractive shows will allow people to get out of the heat, but they won't extend a patron's day at the park.

[hauntguy]

I haven't been to the park yet but by the pictures... The Crypt is anything BUT original. The animations are from a company called "unit 70" and are not custom, simply stock animations that will be found is HUNDREDS of haunts across the US. I agree with the suggestion that someone needs to watch the movie, "The Cave", and try to double check the crypt. Hopefully, the ride will be midly enjoyable when I go. -Hauntguy