Is the crypt any better that it was last year?

[cfreak93]

im planning on going to ki in june and wanted to know if the crypt has gotten better or still the same as last year. when i rode it last year i wished i had never waited in line for (as many of you have said) a ferris wheel in the dark. i just wanted to know because before the website changed it said the crypt went upside down 4 times instead of 2.

[TombRaiderFTW]

Every time I saw The Crypt on opening day, it was closed. However, I was only at the park until 2. Anyone able to confirm the hours thereafter?

[bkroz]

I expected that The Crypt would take the longest time to come out of hibernation and into solid operation. I know it opened eventually on opening day, as there were comments made about it in trip reports. More trouble than its worth? I should say so, at this point.

As far as any differences, I've heard that there are none. It flipped two times for most of last year, and continues to do so this year. Don't expect them to ever change that ride cycle. It won't happen.

On the other side of the equation, many of us have suggested both on here and on the Kings Island Facebook simple, cheap (if not free) remedies for the ride's theme problem - utilizing different (and very much available) music, cleaning up the ride chamber, running a simple but effective pre-show... Thus far, these suggestions have not been utilized. Would it be fair to say, "Don't expect them to ever change that," as well...? Time will tell.

[KI Kevin]

Nope, the Crypt is exactly the same as last year.

[IndyGuy4KI]

Nope, the Crypt is exactly the same as last year.

I did not ride it, but Robbie did and he said it was the same as last year. We already knew that though, for that question was answered in the 5@5 a while back.

[chaddie]

Everyone hates on the crypt, but I still love it. You can catch me there every day I visit the park...

[bkroz]

Same here!

[TheSonofBeast]

I expected that The Crypt would take the longest time to come out of hibernation and into solid operation. I know it opened eventually on opening day, as there were comments made about it in trip reports. More trouble than its worth? I should say so, at this point.

As far as any differences, I've heard that there are none. It flipped two times for most of last year, and continues to do so this year. Don't expect them to ever change that ride cycle. It won't happen.

On the other side of the equation, many of us have suggested both on here and on the Kings Island Facebook simple, cheap (if not free) remedies for the ride's theme problem - utilizing different (and very much available) music, cleaning up the ride chamber, running a simple but effective pre-show... Thus far, these suggestions have not been utilized. Would it be fair to say, "Don't expect them to ever change that," as well...? Time will tell.

it was running before 2. we rode it with a 15 minute line around noon. it did make a grinding halt halfway through, though... and then it wouldnt line up to the walkways (took like 3 minutes of swaying and it got annoying...) but it was EXACTLY identical. that being said, although i dont ever think they will touch the ride cycle, id still hold out a LITTLE bit of hope. they changed the ride cycle last time not opening day but in may right before weekday operation... i rode it a few times before with the intense riding cycle only to take some friends raving about it then it was the new one and it was extremely disappointing...

[bkroz]

that being said, although i dont ever think they will touch the ride cycle, id still hold out a LITTLE bit of hope. they changed the ride cycle last time not opening day but in may right before weekday operation... i rode it a few times before with the intense riding cycle only to take some friends raving about it then it was the new one and it was extremely disappointing...

Recall that the ride changed from the nine-flip program to the two-flip program because it was allegedly "tearing itself apart." The ride was never made to do much more than be a moving theater capable of holding riders in "thrilling" positions. In 2003 when the ride starting flipping four times, it was doing more than it was designed to. Add that to the eventual removal of the front row (changing the ride's center of gravity) and the new owners attempt to make it "more thrilling."

The two flip program is extremely, extremely mild. There's a reason. If the ride was capable of having even one more flip, don't you think there would be?

It's no secret to CFHQ that The Crypt isn't doing well. Numerous first-day trip reports from first-time visitors show a picture of the cave entrance and say "I opted to skip this ride - friends told me it was far too short, whatever that means." The ride's ridership is up, thanks to severely decreased downtime (from the mild program), significantly shorter ride time (which means more riders go through in a day), and if you ask me, sheer interest: People want to know what all the fuss is about. That won't last long.

The ride is currently running the only cycle they have found that it's safe to run. That won't change unless the park orders a new Giant Top Spin (or a different kind of Top Spin). In other words, the only aspect of the ride that can change is the theme. The thrill is a constant. The theme is a variable. Let's hope they act on that variable.

[CoastersRZ]

The ride is currently running the only cycle they have found that it's safe to run. That won't change unless the park orders a new Giant Top Spin (or a different kind of Top Spin). In other words, the only aspect of the ride that can change is the theme. The thrill is a constant. The theme is a variable. Let's hope they act on that variable.

I wouldn`t go that far to say that the program they are running is the only one that is safe to run the ride. The other programs were safe too. Its just that the other programs resulted in a LOT of downtime. And I wouldn`t anticipate Cedar Fair or any other amusement park buying a Giant Top Spin in the near future. Some things just don`t work as good when they are built bigger. I`ve heard that Kings Dominion`s Top Spin, which is not a Giant version, has operated with minimal down time since it opened, and its running the more intense program that the Crypt briefly had. I also have heard that Kings Dominion`s ride still fetures its original music.

[bkroz]

The ride is currently running the only cycle they have found that it's safe to run. That won't change unless the park orders a new Giant Top Spin (or a different kind of Top Spin). In other words, the only aspect of the ride that can change is the theme. The thrill is a constant. The theme is a variable. Let's hope they act on that variable.

I wouldn`t go that far to say that the program they are running is the only one that is safe to run the ride. The other programs were safe too. Its just that the other programs resulted in a LOT of downtime. And I wouldn`t anticipate Cedar Fair or any other amusement park buying a Giant Top Spin in the near future. Some things just don`t work as good when they are built bigger. I`ve heard that Kings Dominion`s Top Spin, which is not a Giant version, has operated with minimal down time since it opened, and its running the more intense program that the Crypt briefly had. I also have heard that Kings Dominion`s ride still fetures its original music.

Absolutely true, I didn't mean "safe," and even thought of that when I typed it. I meant more to emphasize that if our ride were functionally able to have another flip, it would. But yes, HUSS' Giant models are, to say the least, plagued with downtime. Delirium? Crypt? Rides such as these have resulted in HUSS getting a bad name. Many of their newer rides are the same. But there was a time when HUSS (under a different owner) created really simple & effective rides.

Anyways, yes, The Crypt at Kings Dominion is in fine working order. I've never seen it have any significant downtime, and the ride is well-synchronized to its original Tomb Raider score. It's still flanked by the monkey-warrior statue movie props, still has fire & fountains, and still uses the head of Durga, the goddess who attacked you in Tomb Raider: The Ride. And it still features its original nine-flip program (which is actually the exact same program ours had for a while, it just felt much much more forceful on our giant model). It's so funny and unimaginable that a park out there has a ride called The Crypt that is in absolutely no way under consideration for removal and is truly one of the more popular and fun rides in the park. It's crazy.

In fact, nearly all of Cedar Fair's parks contain either a Top Spin 2 or a Suspended Top Spin - a majority of which are synchronized to water and/or fire effects, and two of which play the Tomb Raider: Firefall score from Kings Dominion... Notably, one of the top spins playing said music, the one at Great America, was not, is not, and likely will never be affiliated with or themed to a tomb or crypt in any way. But ours, which is still among the most tomb-related, does not get said music.

If I had my way, we'd get a Suspended Top Spin identical to Kings Dominions placed inside our building - their ride with our darkness would be incredible. Either that, or a Zamperla Windshear, which can perform the same motions as a Top Spin, and then surprisingly do... Well... Something unique.

[HTCO]

No.

[Fear the Four]

 

Something unique.

A ride with even more downtime... 

[Pagoda Gift Shop]

Tomb Raider was and is likely the only Huss Giant Top Spin to ever get built. I can't imagine the relationship between Huss and Paramount to have been that great considering the problems it had. I would have to imagine that it was Huss and not Paramount/Cedar Fair that suggested removing an entire row of seats to improve the up-time. That can't have been a pleasant conversation to say the least. It really makes you wonder what kind of warranty some of these rides come with. I remember that Vortex was said to have been a fraction of the normal cost due to the failures of The Bat. Since Delirium came only one year after Tomb Raider, it was probably already planned when TR went in. I would think that if Huss were to make good on their failures they would have already offered KI a replacement of some kind, but we will probably never know that.

As for making use of the building for another ride, that generally isn't the Cedar Fair Way™ of doing things. It's much more likely to be used for storage and Haunt usage. If you'd like some examples, see The Pirate Ride, Frontier Carousel, and Disaster Transport queue at CP as historical examples.

Overall, my prediction is +/- 3 years on its life. Ridership will decrease from here on out, especially considering Boo Blasters is now more intense than The Crypt.

[bkroz]

I would guess you're right in saying it was HUSS' idea to remove the front row. Why? Because soon after, on their official website, the "tech specs" of a Giant Top Spin changed from "77 Theater Seats" to "56 Theater Seats." In effect, they had inadvertantly proven that they'd "failed" to make the 77-seat Top Spin work. If (by some hand of God event) someplace were to buy a Giant Top Spin, 56 seats is the largest they could get.

Still, you must look at the picture they've posted and really feel a sense of awe:

While it's certainly exaggerated, there's no denying that our Top Spin is really impressive to look at. It's the only one I'd been on for years, but now that I've experience a Top Spin 2 and a Suspended Top Spin, it's really very intimidating how physically large ours is, and how high it lifts you up. Our center bar is only a little lower that most Top Spin's full height.

It's hard to say the relationship between Huss & Paramount - there were a lot of issues from the beginning. For example, the ride is supposedly unable to be exposed to the elements, but all three concept drawings of the Giant Top Spin (see the first, above) show it diving face first into water, and placed outdoors. Did Paramount get the downgraded one that can't do those things? And if so, why is that even an option?! On the other side of the equation, Huss suggested pneumatic breaks - Paramount opted for the cheaper friction breaks (or is the other way around?). Either way, we simply don't know how well the ride might've worked if it had the recommended breaks installed.

After all, most of its breakdowns appear to simply stem from the tough time it has during the homing period, where it returns to its load / unload position. Like many of Disney's newer dark rides (the first that comes to mind is Winnie the Pooh...), if the computer senses that the car is even an inch ahead of where it should be, or that the breaks are being strained, it E-stops. More than once, I'd been on Tomb Raider (typically right before the lava) and it would happen, and literally the ride would just swing back and forth like a pendulum for 4 to 5 minutes until gravity brought it to a stop. At first it was huge swoops the size of the room, and minutes later, it was literally just an inch forward, and inch back... Until finally it came to a compete stop due to gravity. Thrilling, eh?

That's just some of the things I've heard from various sources. Take them for a grain of salt.

[coaster_junky]

i think since the program has changed, the main reason i ride is just so i can hear the drive motors running, it's just some crazy echo-ie goodness that i can't get enough of.

[DBru]

I've heard the music in the queue has changed recently...is this true? (I actually liked the spooky, Victorian-thriller-style music last year. Even if it didn't quite fit the theme. )

[irishfirefighter]

i loved it when it was called tomb raider that was the best ride ever i road that the day after i got married. i wished they would bring it back

[Coney_man]

i loved it when it was called tomb raider that was the best ride ever i road that the day after i got married. i wished they would bring it back

Sorry man, different company, different ride (as in the programming) and ride theming. Cedar Fair cannot use paramount trademarked movie names for the rides or the theming.

[The Interpreter]

Can't use the theming? Please explain why the theming was retained on The Crypt at Kings Dominion, as was the music....

[Coney_man]

Can't use the theming? Please explain why the theming was retained on The Crypt at Kings Dominion, as was the music....

KD's Version of the Crypt is way different than the one at KI. The pros and cons of the KI Crypt and the KD Version

1.the crypt at KD is unique (since the same theming is used on the ride and the music) and KI's version has been stripped of the original theming

2.the ride program @ KD has not changed, @ KI the program was reduced from intense (When it was TR:TR)to mild then to wimpy (despite the ride model difference)

Finally there is a distinct difference in both of the rides, one has it's original theming when CF came in, and one has none of its in ride theming just whisles and howling and a really crappy program

[The Interpreter]

Indeed. My point is that if Cedar Fair WISHED to use the previous theming on KI's version of The Crypt, it obviously could have done so...since the company DID in fact do so at KD. It may have cost money, it may have required certain agreements, but it could have been done. It was apparently decided not to do so.

[coaster_junky]

so i just found this video of the crypt from when it had it's most amazing program ever:

compare it to now, it's not as intense, but i'll still go out of my way to ride it:

[bkroz]

In turn, try this one on for size:

Notice the screams of delight, the cheers... Even in the ride's "on-its-last-leg" form in 2005, it was a marvel for many.

[Delirium13]

Oh, I miss that so much! Seeing that video just shows how much potential is going to waste with that ride right now.

I rode the Crypt when it had it's "amazing" ride cycle, and while it was fun, I enjoyed TR:TR, so much more. I haven't ridden since it got it's new, tame cycle but I think, after all I've heard, I only will if I don't see a line. Just a shame to see the ride in its current state. The immersive experience is gone, in exchange for a ride that is tame and just a shell of its former self.

I try not to be negative about things, but I always had a soft spot for Tomb Raider: The Ride, because it was hands down, the best themed ride in the park, and now it is just a ride in a dark garage. As has been stated before, Kings Dominion's got to keep its theming, why didn't we?

Edit - Question: I thought I had read once on here that some of the screams on Tomb Raider were actually part of the rides soundtrack, can anybody confirm if this is true or not?

[bkroz]

Edit - Question: I thought I had read once on here that some of the screams on Tomb Raider were actually part of the rides soundtrack, can anybody confirm if this is true or not?

Yes! The soundtrack does have screams built in. In the video I provided, the screams heard at 1:21, just as you're released from the "hangtime" is built into the soundtrack. It's a trick that's age old - The Revenge of the Mummy at Universal Studios uses the same ideas during the scarab scene. If you hear a scream, you're more likely to scream. If people are laughing, you'll laugh along. No one wants to be the first, but once it's started, everyone joins in. Many rides with pre-recorded soundtracks have screams built in. But the one around 1:20 is the only one that's pre-recorded. The rest of the screams, giggles, laughter, and "Oh my God!"s are all real.

I personally love how the lava just bubbles until the music queue, then it starts shooting completely synchronized to the soundtrack. Those are the little things that matter so much. As someone who is staying at Universal Orlando right now, I can assure you that those "small things" are not overlooked here, and that's why the parks are so successful. Even today, 11 years after opening, mist gently floats out of the forests of Jurassic Park... Something that wouldn't have lasted at Kings Island for a week is still delighting visitors 11 years later at Islands of Adventure.

[Delirium13]

Oh cool, thank you! Thinking back, I think I can remember hearing that every time I'd ride, always seemed to stand out. Seeing that video brings back memories...

[RingMaster]

I try not to be negative about things, but I always had a soft spot for Tomb Raider: The Ride, because it was hands down, the best themed ride in the park, and now it is just a ride in a dark garage. As has been stated before, Kings Dominion's got to keep its theming, why didn't we?

From what was proposed in another thread, it may have been the individual park's decision to remove the theming and not the company itself. If it was the company's decision, then KD's Firefall would more resemble what Great America's Firefall looks like now:

[sheikra_rocks]

I say let's do this and break the record, and set a new one at 110.

[Coney Islander]

^

I wonder how most of those people felt after the ride...