Kings Island's 5@5 Q&A Thread

[CincyMan98]

I already asked a question for tomorrow. I asked if they could move the Gold Pass ERT entrance somewhere else. Whenever I try and get through, people push and shove. They also give me dirty looks and kind of make comments about cutting. It gets on my nerves.....I think they should movie it so it goes straight into Action Zone, where people don't go to at 9:00 in the morning.

[Dbfan]

They still are ignoring all questions about action Theater. Perhaps it may join its friend SOB as SBNO?

[kjkjkj]

At Kings Dominion, when you buy a souvenir cup this year, it has an orange sticker that says 2011 refills put on the lid. No sticker, cannot buy the $1.99 refills. And I seriously doubt that sticker will last the season, either...

I would be pretty angry if Kings Island did this. I am glad to hear that they will be offering refills for past years Souvenir Cups.

[The Interpreter]

But the answerer did NOT say that....He said he didn't think they filled past years' cups, but how would they know, that he had asked the food and beverage director for a response, and that he would get back to us. Or did I miss something?

[CedarPointer]

Unless that is a new policy, I have personally seen a Flight of Fear souvenir cup filled during operating season, soooo...

[Coney Islander]

I got a Chuckie Cheese's free refill cup in the year 2001, and have been using it ever since. We've seriously saved AT LEAST 150 bucks on that thing!

[Reclaimer]

Holy ShamWow, batman. A very "un-Cedar Fair" move:

"Christine. Just got a text back from our F&B director confirming we do refill cups from last season for just $1.99. See you Saturday!" -Kings Island Facebook Page

[The Interpreter]

Huzzah! Something good!

[Guest IceCream329]

^ at KI there is a way to call security from any food stand, ride, restroom. These phones allow any employee to call for anyone who can take care of a situation

Yes, but only employees are allowed to use them!!

[kjkjkj]

Before last season I had been using a plastic souvenir Beast cup I bought at a shop in the park. They didn't even sell it at the stand, and they refilled it all the time, it was the same size as all the other souvenir cups. Last year I switched to the large Diamondback refill cup, because it's a better deal.

[buckeyemaniac]

I already asked a question for tomorrow. I asked if they could move the Gold Pass ERT entrance somewhere else. Whenever I try and get through, people push and shove. They also give me dirty looks and kind of make comments about cutting. It gets on my nerves.....I think they should movie it so it goes straight into Action Zone, where people don't go to at 9:00 in the morning.

Action Zone isn't open at 9 in the morning though.

[alluna]

Christine Salleng UmmKhaleel - Hello Again! I have a souvenir cup from last season. I was wondering if I bring this cup to the park on Saturday will I be able to get the refill discount on drinks or will it not be valid since its from last season? Its the medium souvenir cup that says fear the four and has The Beast, Vortex, Firehawk, and Son of Beast on the cup. Thanks for the help! I appreciate it!

Christine, I don’t think we refill previous years cups but I know we will have that cup again this season so how would we know? I just texted our F&B director to get you a straight answer since you’ve asked a couple of times and are coming on Saturday. I will post his answer below for you. I saw the new Snoopy cup and hear they are changing the Diamondback cup design a bit so you may want to pick up a new one anyway. I’m sure he’d appreciate me plugging the new ones! See you Saturday!

This is hands-down the best answer yet.

[CedarPointer]

^ at KI there is a way to call security from any food stand, ride, restroom. These phones allow any employee to call for anyone who can take care of a situation

Yes, but only employees are allowed to use them!!

Well, obviously. Wait, I bet guests actually try to use them. Ugh!

[XGatorHead 8904]

Lillian Schwartz - You had mentioned on another 5@5 that you will try to get gold pass holders in for early ride time by 9AM on Saturday. Have you ever considered letting your gold pass holders back to the Diamondback 15 minutes earlier before the early ride time starts. Just curious due to the fact that it can take anywhere from 5 to 10 minutes for some park guests... See more

Thanks for asking again. Hard to pick just 5 each day. Cutting out the Gator fans is an easy way for me to get the numbers down! Just kidding. There are very few days where this would be an issue. I fully expected that we would have to make adjustments like this last season with the great demand for Diamondback but we didn't. Early rides ran very smoothly last year and it will again. Also, a lot of times we cut the morning inspections pretty close to the early ride time. There is a lot of work to get the park and rides ready each morning and the earlier we/I make the opening, the harder the job for our ops friends.

Wait a minute... I have fans? And if I do, why are they unfairly being cut out? Looks like tomorrow I need to have a talk with Don or Matt, whoever wrote this. Vive le Gator!

[Beast Man]

Lillian Schwartz - You had mentioned on another 5@5 that you will try to get gold pass holders in for early ride time by 9AM on Saturday. Have you ever considered letting your gold pass holders back to the Diamondback 15 minutes earlier before the early ride time starts. Just curious due to the fact that it can take anywhere from 5 to 10 minutes for some park guests... See more

Thanks for asking again. Hard to pick just 5 each day. Cutting out the Gator fans is an easy way for me to get the numbers down! Just kidding. There are very few days where this would be an issue. I fully expected that we would have to make adjustments like this last season with the great demand for Diamondback but we didn't. Early rides ran very smoothly last year and it will again. Also, a lot of times we cut the morning inspections pretty close to the early ride time. There is a lot of work to get the park and rides ready each morning and the earlier we/I make the opening, the harder the job for our ops friends.

Wait a minute... I have fans? And if I do, why are they unfairly being cut out? Looks like tomorrow I need to have a talk with Don or Matt, whoever wrote this. Vive le Gator!

Aw,Heck.How do you know they're not talking about rotag?

[XGatorHead 8904]

^Come on. You know me, and you know rotag. Who's more likely to have fans?

Wait, I'm not sure I want to know the answer...

Just kidding, rotag!

[pat]

Another late night as we prepare for Opening Day tomorrow. Below are the questions selected for Friday's 5@5 mailbag:

Zach Clapper - When do fireworks start? Do they start in the summer or opening night? We are going next Saturday and my friends have never seen the cool fireworks.

Zach, fireworks are scheduled to take place every night the park closes at 10pm through Labor Day. They’ve been a tradition at closing since the Coney Island days. Where in the park do you like to watch the fireworks?

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Nicholas Himes – Will KI ever get a sit-down restaurant? That is one thing KI really needs.

Nicholas, a sit-down restaurant is something our guests have been asking for in recent years. As you said, it’s the one thing we need. It’s probably not as much a question of if we’ll ever get one, but rather when.

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Chris Regan – Why is the policie on Diamondback different than the other coaster when it comes to kids waiting of a parent riding the ride? On others like The Beast, Vortex and son on there is a spot for the kids or they can wait on the other side of the exit.

Chris, a lot of the new rides being built today do not have the kiddie corals in the station like you see in The Beast station and on some of the older coasters in the park. In fact, an increasing number of parks no longer allow guests that are not tall enough to ride to enter the line. In order to allow a child to stay in the station and wait for their parents, there has to be a secured area for them.

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Derek Branock – Will a performer of Kings Island’s Entertainment Department be singing the National Anthem right before 10 AM like they did almost every day last season? I thought this was one great thing the park did and I looked forward to it every morning and we would love for it to continue this season!

Derek, you will again see the live shows performers signing the National Anthem before the park opens. There will also be times we’ll have a special guest perform the anthem as we did on several occasions last year. We look forward to it every morning, too.

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Mike Dahlmer – The Way Too Much TV show seems like a neat idea. Is that a new show or has it been at other parks in the chain?

Way Too Much TV is a new show. It was written, directed and produced in-house. I’ve had a chance to see the show and it’s a wonderful trip down memory lane. The show engages you. It’s a lot of fun.

http://www.facebook.com/notes.php?id=155893938367

[KIfan1980]

Aw,Heck.How do you know they're not talking about rotag?

^Come on. You know me, and you know rotag. Who's more likely to have fans?

Your likely to have more fans. Rotag is likely to have more snaf.

[XGatorHead 8904]

^Good one! I wish I had thought of that...

[alluna]

From Day One of 5@5:

Q: Chris Hughes wants to know that aside from Planet Snoopy what will be the biggest change guests see at the park.

A: There's a new Pretzel shop on International Street that we're very excited about. The Outside of Outer Hanks will have a new face. There's new countertops in Skyline Chili on International Street. New menu items at some of the food locations. We'll also have four all-new live stage shows.

Well? Did anyone get a photo of those gleaming new countertops in Skyline??

[CoastersRZ]

We didn`t eat at the Skyline on International Street. We ate at the one in Coney Mall. One other change that was noticed in Coney Mall is that the Eurobungy is gone, replaced by a EuroBobble. Not sure what a EuroBobble is? (I would link to the Eurobungy site, but it appears to be down at the moment). Imagine a pool of shallow water. On top of said pool, imagine giant bubbles that people get inside of. They can run around in it, and not move very far, kind of like a hamster ball. Here is a link to a YouTube video showcasing the EuroBobble:

[Sergeant Pepper]

We didn`t eat at the Skyline on International Street. We ate at the one in Coney Mall. One other change that was noticed in Coney Mall is that the Eurobungy is gone, replaced by a EuroBobble. Not sure what a EuroBobble is? (I would link to the Eurobungy site, but it appears to be down at the moment). Imagine a pool of shallow water. On top of said pool, imagine giant bubbles that people get inside of. They can run around in it, and not move very far, kind of like a hamster ball. Here is a link to a YouTube video showcasing the EuroBobble:

Somebody posted a picture here: http://www.KICentral.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=21229&pid=373360&st=0entry373360 Post #2

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I had some computer issues last night so I apologize for the delay but here they are, the questions and answers for Saturday's 5@5 mailbag:

Joshua Young - Do the ride mechanics walk the track on the coasters every morning or is it just on the wood coasters?

Joshua, the maintenance workers on the wood and steel coasters will thoroughly inspect the track on every coaster in the park every day before the ride opens. On the wood coasters, they’ll walk the track. On steel coasters there are parts of the track they will walk. They will also listen for sound during test runs.

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Brett BeFair Fehr – How did Opening Day go?

Brett, it went well. The temperatures were on the cool side, but overall it was a beautiful day weather wise. Planet Snoopy was a hit with children and families. Boo Blasters on Boo Hill received rave reviews. Guests enjoyed our new live shows, Charlie Brown’s Hoedown and Way Too Much TV. It’s always great to see the park come alive after a long winter.

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Brian Krosnick – Now that the park is open, are you hoping to put photos of all of the Planet Snoopy rides on the official site, instead of just the logos?

Brian, we will be spending the next couple weekends taking photos of the rides in Planet Snoopy and all the other rides in the park for the new website. Each ride will have its own photo gallery like we have with the information about Diamondback.

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Chris Hughes – Today was a great day at the park!!!! My question is that I noticed Christmas lights around Backlot, Tower Gardens and the Eiffel Tower….what are they for?

Chris, I’m glad you had a great day at the park. The lights on the trees are for a new night time show that will be unlike any other light show you’ve seen before. We’re excited about it. Full details including the dates and show times will be announced soon. The light show followed by the fireworks will be a great way to cap off a memorable day at the park.

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Zach Branstetter – What roller coaster model is in the window for display at Thrill Seekers? Is this an idea for a future design?

Zach, the model on display is of an existing coaster. It’s not an idea for a future design. We have a couple of different coaster models at the park. I will find out which one we currently have on display.

[Oldiesmann]

The coaster model question has been answered here before: http://www.KICentral.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=14507&view=findpost&p=243257

[chaddie]

I love that Scorpion Model. It definitely grabs people's attention as they walk by!

[coaster_junky]

^^read the answer given,

Zach, the model on display is of an existing coaster. It's not an idea for a future design. We have a couple of different coaster models at the park.

the post you put a link to was about the scorpion model, which is a made up coaster, so it couldn't be existing.

unless the man behind the curtain is really confused it couldn't be the scorpion model.

[Oldiesmann]

Sorry about that. I should have paid more attention to that thread. I do know it's been answered here before and will look again to find the right thread later

[Coney Islander]

It kind of looks like Batman: The Ride, at a few Six Flags Parks.

Similar, but a little different.

[Oldiesmann]

Below are the questions selected for Sunday’s 5@5 mailbag:

David McPeak - Last year, I got my on ride photo on Diamondback and I also got the picture sent to my email address. Will that still be an option this year? Also, do the other coasters have that option?

David, you still have the option of having your on-ride photo on Diamondback e-mailed to you. This option is also available on Boo Blasters on Boo Hill.

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Aaron Daniel Bort – Is the 3rd Vortex train going to be used this year? Only two trains were on the track yesterday.

Aaron, the ride will still operate with three trains this season.

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Nick Mahoney – How often are the tires replaced on Viking Fury?

Great question, Nick! The tires are replaced as needed and after showing wear and tear or slipping. The tires are checked every day, along with tire pressure.

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Dusty Countryman – If you walk the entire outer path (loop) of the park how many miles is it? Thru Planet Snoopy, Rivertown, down Coney, Action Zone, back to International Street?

Dusty, it’s a distance of about 3.8 miles to walk the entire outer path of the park if you include Boomerang Bay. The courses for the annual 5k walks we host for JDRF and A Kid Again take walkers around the outer loop of most of the park and offer a great behind the scenes view of rides like Flight Deck, Firehawk, Racer, Beast and Diamondback.

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Kevin DeVaux – What ever happened to the top portion of the Eiffel Tower’s antenna where the red flashing beacon light used to exist?

Kevin, there is still a flashing light at the top of the Eiffel Tower. There is also one on Drop Tower.

[Fear the Four]

 Hey they answered my question about Viking fury! 

[Oldiesmann]

Below are the questions selected for Monday’s 5@5 mailbag:

Laura Shutts Luke - Is there a way to commend an employee for a job well done?

Laura, if you would like to commend an associate there are several ways you can do so. If you are in the park, you can stop by Guest Services located at the front gate. You can also let us know by e-mail through the contact section of our website at www.visitkingsisland.com or by phone by calling (513) 754-5700.

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Tyler Nusky – How are you still showing SpongeBob 3D?

The same way we always have, Tyler, with a projector and a big screen. We are able to continue to show SpongeBob 3D in Action Theater through a licensing agreement that is separate from what we had with the rides and attractions.

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Nick Mahoney – What “restaurant” offers the best deal in the park?

We have a number of meal deals with many of them new this year including after 5pm meal deals that families can take advantage of at Stunt Crew Grill, Outer Hanks, Juke Box Diner and Planet Snoopy Grill. Each of these after 5pm offers is a great deal if you’re at the park with three or four other people. But for my money it’s tough to beat the value of the Backyard BBQ. It’s all you can eat for just $12.99 for adults and $6.99 for juniors. If you have a Gold season pass, it’s just $9.99.

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Ryan Suhr – Under Kings Island’s web site’s events section Rock Band is listed. Will you give us more details about this event? Will it be a concert? A Rock Band video game tournament? A live show? Where in the park will it be located?.

Glad you asked, Ryan. Rock Band will be an interactive experience for our guests. It’s a high-energy, concert-like stage show that will take place in our International Showplace Theatre. It will feature talented singers from across North America. Prior to each show, guests will have the unique opportunity to engage and play the Rock Band video game and compete against their “band mates.” You will compete playing the guitar, bass and drums gaming accessories. The rockers with the top score will be invited on stage during the live show to play Rock Band songs along with the live singers. It’s going to be a really cool event. Be ready to rock June 3-13 at Kings Island!

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Michael Eshom – Why were locker prices raised from $0.75 to $2 this season? This is a rather sharp increase, and seems a bit ridiculous to me.

Michael, at $2 our locker prices are still much lower than what you’ll find at most other major amusement/theme parks in North America. The price to rent a locker ranges from $5 to $8 at quite a few parks.

They didn't exactly answer my question, but I tried.