Saturday 5-3-08

[Kawana]

Hi all. Here goes.

Got to the Island at about 10:00 and started off with a second train ride on Invertigo.

Next up was SoB in the rain in the front seat. [it hurts]

After venturing towards AE, and reaching the station, we were told that the coaster would be switching to one train operation. Since it was raining gangbusters, I decided to stick it out in the station. After about an hour and a test run, I was on. I even got a "re-ride" so I guess my diligence paid off.

Vortex was next and it didn't disappoint. That 3 point shootout game that is right there is an absolute gold mine. I watched for probably 10 minutes and nobody scored more than 3 points. Next was BLSC which is a fun ride, and today was a short wait.

Since I hadn't ridden it before, I decided to take on The Crypt. That is one intense ride. I couldn't tell which way was up for a while and the only way I could figure it out was by seeing the light coming through the vent on the top of the building. The tunnel leading into the room was pitch black and I couldn't see anything for close to 15 minutes, I'm just glad I didn't run anyone over.

I had to chill for a while after The Crypt (which is rare for me) so I decided to check out the Avatar ride. Surprisingly, it's not too bad.

After a quick construction check and a Viking Fury ride, I was off to Firehawk. When I arrived, I was met with an associate giving the CF standby that Firehawk was experiencing a minor delay. I could see that testing would start very soon, so I waited. All in all it took about 25 minutes from downtime to my ridetime.

I hit up Vortex again, and got a "meal" from the Juke Box. I won't be eating in the park again unless I hit the lottery.

I was refueled so it was on to BLSC, and The Beast. Friendly staff again at The Beast and a great ride as always.

After a bit of aimlessly wandering, I was feeling a bit nostalgic so I rode the Monster. What a fun ride (if your pod spins). I run into Uncle Henry on the Monster and we have a nice chat. Uncle Henry is a pro at spinning the Monster pods.

We exit the ride and graciously, Uncle Henry lets me tag along for the remainder of his trip. After another trip on AE, we head over to SoB. Line is about to the ramps, and we're on after about 20 minutes or so. Sonny is pretty rough after the sun goes down, but I still enjoyed the ride. Uncle Henry, it was a pleasure talking to you, thanks for riding with me, and good luck with everything. What a class act. Next up is a walk on ride to Delirium which is pretty fun at night.

Here's where things get a little, well, fun for me. I make the long trek back to Flight Deck. There is absolutely no line. I ask the checker if we can stay in our seat if no one is waiting, and she says yes. After my first ride, I move up a car, and ride in the same seat 3 more times. I could barely walk straight after that.

At this time it's about 9:35 so I decide to end my day with Invertigo. I was thinking I would only get one ride in, but there's no line whatsoever. Again I ask about staying in the seat and this time, I'm told no. No biggie. I walk around two more times and ask the supervisor at Invertigo why FD let us continue to ride, but Invertigo wouldn't. He said it's park policy, but it's not widely enforced. After 3 rides on Invertigo I still have 10 or so minutes until the park closes, but I've had enough.

Fireworks at the gate, and I'm outta there. Probably my most active trip to KI ever. 24 rides in about 12 hours. I'm beat.

Sorry about the length.

[The Interpreter]

...Since I hadn't ridden it before, I decided to take on The Crypt. That is one intense ride. I couldn't tell which way was up for a while and the only way I could figure it out was by seeing the light coming through the vent on the top of the building. The tunnel leading into the room was pitch black and I couldn't see anything for close to 15 minutes, I'm just glad I didn't run anyone over....

And this from the same company that lit up the Flight of Fear queue. Not only is this a safety issue, it is a potential guest misbehavior issue. What will it take for them to realize this MUST be changed before someone gets seriously hurt of assaulted in ways not appropriate in a family park or runs into two young lovers doing things they shouldn't be?

...I hit up Vortex again, and got a "meal" from the Juke Box. I won't be eating in the park again unless I hit the lottery.....

I continue to believe that Cedar Fair has so drastically overcharged food, beverages and merchandise that not only per caps but future attendance is going to be affected.

Great trip report! Thanks for sharing!

[Kawana]

If the "meal" at least came with a drink, I might be able to justify, but with no drink, it's insane.

I know it takes a while for your eyes to adjust when going from sun to dark, but this was scary. Being my first time on the ride, I didn't know what was going to happen, people were throwing coins, and I felt very uncomfortable in that area of the queue. It didn't occur to me to say anything to Guest Relations until today. Oh, well. I'll say something next trip.

[UncleHenry]

That seriously was the best spin cycle I've ever had on Monster. I had a blast on it. It seriously is right up there with Eagles in terms of best ride you can control.

And it was nice meeting you. I'll let you know how my job search goes when I finally figure out where the hell I'll be. Hope to see you around the park sometime again.

[Jasper]

i never knew you could spin the monser pods. Maybe its time to take a ride on that bad boy.

[BoddaH1994]

I've said it before and I'll say it again... you haven't ridden The Crypt unless you've ridden it in the back row. FAR more intense than the front.. I have no idea why.

Jukebox Cafe was an improvement over last year. Not as good as the first year, but an improvement over last year.

[UncleHenry]

Here's a video of me spinning Holiday World's version of Monster. It happens 4 minutes into the video.

NOTE: The first song in this clip has mature language. If you do not want to hear the language, just fast forward to 4 minutes in.

[Kawana]

I've said it before and I'll say it again... you haven't ridden The Crypt unless you've ridden it in the back row. FAR more intense than the front.. I have no idea why.

I'll second and third that. I'm very impressed with that ride. Far better than what I was expecting. Now that I know what's up, I'll be able to appreciate the ride a little more. I don't know about everyone else, but that first ride is always a weird experience not knowing what to expect.

[Steve]

...Since I hadn't ridden it before, I decided to take on The Crypt. That is one intense ride. I couldn't tell which way was up for a while and the only way I could figure it out was by seeing the light coming through the vent on the top of the building. The tunnel leading into the room was pitch black and I couldn't see anything for close to 15 minutes, I'm just glad I didn't run anyone over....

And this from the same company that lit up the Flight of Fear queue. Not only is this a safety issue, it is a potential guest misbehavior issue. What will it take for them to realize this MUST be changed before someone gets seriously hurt of assaulted in ways not appropriate in a family park or runs into two young lovers doing things they shouldn't be?

...I hit up Vortex again, and got a "meal" from the Juke Box. I won't be eating in the park again unless I hit the lottery.....

Lets here about the jukebox prices. How much did the meal cost??

Great trip report! Thanks for sharing!

[Kawana]

The "meal" was just under 9 dollars for a bacon cheeseburger and fries. No drink.

[The Interpreter]

...which would have added, with tax, nearly four dollars...to be just under thirteen dollars...and people wonder why I think the park has priced itself out of higher per caps and repeat visits...

[Kawana]

KI/CF keeps saying they're trying to bring the nostalgia back, how about some nostalgic food prices?

Seriously though, how does the park expect Joe Average and his family to afford to eat at the park. They're losing money via people leaving the park to eat. I know food prices are up, but give us a break, eh?

[lilbubba]

It's always fascinated me about the pricing scheme an amusement park must employ in order to be successful. Same for all other entertainment entities. Food doesn't compete with local restaurants such as a local subway, but rather the entertainment locations such as Reds/Bengals game and movie theaters. Sadly, Kings Island is cheaper than eating at a Bengals game. I always wondered if people would be happier with much higher admission prices than food prices? Also, many people would complain about the long lines waiting for food if it was reduced because it would reduce the incentive in leaving to go outside the park to eat. Saturday for Food stands are often stretched to the max, sometimes with lines "out the door" with all registers open. Especially at places like Jukebox and Subway where EVERY order is made to order, there isn't much that can be done to improve line speed sometimes.

[The Interpreter]

To me the main issues with food at Kings Island do NOT involve speed of service or price. They involve lack of selection, lousy quality and particularly limited offerings for those on special diets that do not involve ingestion of huge quantities of food or of grease, fat and heaven knows what else. Disney and Universal have proven that decent comestibles can be prepared and served in parks. Taft proved it, too. Why must we not only overpay and wait too long, but also endure relative slop?