Trip Report - Kings Island - Sunday, May 9th

[selective]

I got to the park at 10:00 am and it closes two hours early (at 8:00 PM) so I'm off to see how much I can do before the park closes! Kings Island promises you can do everything in one day or else they will stop selling one day tickets and include a second day with all ticket admissions!!! Really? Well, this is what KI has always claimed, but they do offer two day tickets now for the price of one day at all Kroger locations so if you don't have a season pass, know that one day is not enough and you'll be luck to ride half the rides in just one day so get the two day ticket for the same price!

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First rode Boo Blasters... for the most part, the front of the building stayed the same from the Scooby ride. The only part of the entrance I noticed changed was the name. Got in the building and was very disappointed with the stripped waiting lobby that used to be filled with animatronics. The hall you then go into from there was alright as it was very dark. Got on the ride AND IT WAS A COMPLETE AND TOTAL FAIL.

1. The targets were too small

2. I couldn't tell if I hit a target or not

3. The guns were too loud and I found the gun sounds extremely annoying

4. The art work was like looking at walls with graffiti, dull and lifeless

5. The robotics hardly moved at all.

6. Either not enough fluorescent paint was used or it wasn't done right because NOTHING WAS IN 3-D (and I paid $1.00 for the glasses)

The only good part about the whole ride was the hologram you move through. If they would have just done that effect for the entire ride, it would be worth riding.

Boo Blasters on Boo Hill

Game Play = 0

3-D = 0

Fun = 0

Over All Rating = 0

Will I ride it again? Not till it's demolished and made into something worth riding.

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Then rode The Crypt, and I had only rode it one time before in 2006 with it's original theming. I was expecting it to be different, NOT STIPPED BARE!!! WTF! It used to look like a real cave, had sound effects, lighting effects, water effects, and more. This time, I could see a grey concrete floor and the four walls of the empty ware house. it lifted us up, rolled us around a few times, only rolling us upside down for a few seconds twice, and it never held us face down or upside down like it used to.

The fear factor with this ride was being held face down or upside down, and with water shooting at you while not being able to tell where you are or how high. Since all this has been removed from the ride, it's now a children's ride with no fear factor at all.

The Crypt

Fun = 5

Fear = 1

Ride Time = 3

Over All Rating = 4

Will I ride it again? All the time, but it would be more fun if it could scare me like it did before it was stripped bare.

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Then rode Diamondback, and The Beast. These rides were great and the employees kept the lines moving while keeping excellent communication with park guests.

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Then rode Backlot Stunt Coaster, which looked very ugly without any of the car decals on the carts and with no doors, no side mirrors, and all same color matching cars on all three trains! The ride itself was fun and only missing the water effects.

Backlot Stunt Coaster

Fun = 10

Look and Feel of Cars = 0

Over All Rating = 6

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Then rode Action Theater, The Vortex, and The Racer. These rides were great and the employees kept the lines moving while keeping excellent communication with park guests.

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Then I got in line for Firehawk. The wait was about 90 minutes or more. As the line slowly crawled, I noticed after a train entered into the station, it would take about 15 minutes before the second train would leave. Once I got to the station, It became apparent they were not filling every seat.

Each train has 6 rows of seats, 4 seats in each row. This is 24 people per ride! Only they were letting trains out of the station with at least 6 empty seats every time and about half of the rides were as many as 10 empty seats per train.

The employees seemed very confused, as to telling people were to go (the waiting areas next to the trains in the station are not marked or numbered), and when they could have spoken up to ask the waiting crowd for single riders, pairs, and groups that could have filled those empty seats, they instead would look down or away from the crowd without talking to any park guests and appeared to never make eye contact. The employee seperating people for the trains never communicated with the employees placing people on the trains and vice versa. They should of had walkie talkies to keep constant comunication. If they did have them, they never used them!

Then when I got to my seat, I found the seat next to me was broken and wraped in red saying something like (DO NOT USE)! To make things worse, I forgot to put my cell phone in my zip pockect so when the seat leaned me back it fell out of my pocket and I lost my cell phone. Then when I told one of the employees working on the ride at the station, I was handed a lost form to fill out. They then told me to be at the ride after 8pm and before 8:30pm, that they would look for it after the ride was closed and if they found it and I was not there to claim it, they would throw it away. So I showed up at 8pm, and when I got there, there was still a very long line of people that made it into line before 8pm, while there was a train full of people stuck on the ride for about 20 minutes while they waited for mechanics to come and fix it. The mechanics fixed it quick but there responce time was rediculis. They must have not been in the park or walked all the way there from who knows where. By the time they arrived, about 15 park managment people were already there on the scene. As I waited for all the riders to leave, the last riders got off the ride at about 8:45pm. At that time security came by and said everyone had to leave, so I went to Lost and Found at the front gate. They then told me it would be another hour or longer before they would hear anything from the Firehawk crew about my cell phone. So I filled out a second Lost form and left my email address.

Just now looking at Firehawk on the internet, I just noticed Firehawk was not new in 2007, but relocated in 2007 to Kings Island.

Firehawk

Fun = 10

Operators Safty Checks = 10

Communication With Park Guests = 0

Keeping The Line Moving = 2

Over All Rating = 4

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After that I rode Flight of Fear, Adventure Express, Drop Tower, and Flight Deck. The rides were great and the employees kept the lines moving while keeping excellent communication with park guests.

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Oh.... and there's construction going on in the middle of the park so no more cutting through from any one side to the other any more! It's all blocked off for something called "The Snoopy Spotlight Spectacular" which isn't built yet and looks like construction just started. Cedar Fair does know construction is supposed to be done in the off season, right? I hope this doesn't turn out being blocked off all summer. I'll be even more ****ed if it stays block off all summer and I don't see any progress being made.

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As the night came to an end, I realized all the rides I didn't have time to ride!

Race For Your Life Charlie Brown aka Log Flume

Flying Ace Aerial Chase

Miami Valley Railroad

White Water Canyon

Shake, Rattle, & Roll

Zephyr

Monster

Scabler

Dodgem

Grand Carousel

Viking Fury

Congo Falls

...........and others

not to mention I never got to see any shows, or to visit Boomerang Bay

but I have a season pass, so I'll be back.

[markr]

Enjoyed reading your trip report. I think you were very much on the mark on Crypt.

[Jasper]

Alright first off, Snoopy's Starlight Spectacular has been announced now for about 2 weeks so if you have been reading on here you should have noted that the construction was going on. the construction will not be going on all summer as the Spectacular opens up on the evening of May 29th. Second, I am quite happy you didn't try to make it to Boomerang Bay as you would have found an empty water park with a big sign out front that says Closed as it opens May 22nd. Third, as for the Crypt being a children's ride, I would have to disagree with you on that one. Though the Crypt is stripped and lacks theming it is still an intense ride when it flips you and it puts strenuous forces on your body, am I saying it is enjoyable and fun, no, but it still provides a thrill for only teenagers and adults.

[bkroz]

When I read this I was like "Wow this person is really just a downer..." Then I looked at who wrote it...

No offense.

I agree with much of what you say about The Crypt, but it is certainly still unique, fun, and forceful; Boo Blasters is the same as Scooby Doo (same target sizes, same sets, same robotics for the most part), but with better effects; it's not Firehawk's fault that you didn't zip up your phone. I hesitate to say more, because it's extraordinarily clear in only 50 some posts that you thrive on attention, which you receive primarily through negativity.

[selective]

I forgot Boomerang Bay isn't open yet. It wasn't that cold out really.

And I don't thrive on negativity, as I did state all the rides that ran good with great employee crews from my experience. Any employees reading this that work on the rides I gave positive feedback about should be proud. Also, giving positive feedback about 9 rides and negative feedback about 4 rides, how does this make me a negative person?

And that construction area says nothing about when it will be finished on the signs posted in the park, it just said coming soon. If it was listed here in the forums, sorry I missed it, but I hadn't been on this forum for a month and just found out at the park in a very rude (this area is blocked off) kind of way, and why is there no mention of it on visitkingsisland.com then under show listings? This was the first place I looked!

BTW, next time I ride Firehawk, it'll be the first ride early in the morning when I can ride it with no waiting, because there's no way I'm going to stand in a line all day for Firehawk when it's employee crew doesn't know how to communicate with the park guests to fill every seat and get the people through the lines quicker. However, the extremely long delays to get the trains on the track, the broken seat I sat next to during my ride, and the people that got stuck on the ride for 20 minutes, all make me question just how safe this ride really is. Then again, perhaps it was never a mechanical error. Perhaps it was just new employees. I don't know. I'll just end this post by saying I'll keep looking for more topics about Firehawk to see if it gets better or worse.

I know it was my fault I lost my cell phone, but my review of this ride is not based on this at all. It was based on everything else. In a way, if I didn't lose my cell phone, I wouldn't have went back to find people had been stuck on the ride for about 20 minutes, so in a way it helped me give a better review of the ride.

[tycoonrebel7188]

The mention of Snoopy's Starlight Spectacular as of right now is the first thing you see when you bring up Kings Island's homepage.

Also, I tried looking for the Starlight Spectacular in the Shows section too, but it is not list in that section. Snoopy's Starlight Spectacular is, at the moment, listed on the Upcoming Events page.

http://www.visitkingsisland.com/public/visit/events/index.cfm?id=187

On a side note in regards to your experience at Firehawk, asking the people in the station for single riders is time consuming and can often lead to longer load times. That 20 seconds spent yelling to the crowd trying to find a single rider could instead be spent checking restraints, in the end allowing the train to dispatch much quicker.

[markr]

I feel that most of Selective's trip report was very upbeat( Look at how positive he was about his experiences on DB, Beast, Racer, Drop Tower, especially his praise of the ride crews.)

I really enjoy your posts, Selective. Hope I get to meet up with you soon at the park.

[tycoonrebel7188]

I really appreciate that he found The Beast Crew to be doing their jobs well, and I'm sure the other crew you complemented are proud too. May I suggest making a stop at Guest Services on your way out of the park on your next visit? The crews love getting complemented and the park loves to hear that its employees are doing a great job.

[frisbeefan]

BTW, next time I ride Firehawk, it'll be the first ride early in the morning when I can ride it with no waiting, because there's no way I'm going to stand in a line all day for Firehawk when it's employee crew doesn't know how to communicate with the park guests to fill every seat and get the people through the lines quicker. However, the extremely long delays to get the trains on the track, the broken seat I sat next to during my ride, and the people that got stuck on the ride for 20 minutes, all make me question just how safe this ride really is.

First of all, do you think the reason they didn't have full capacity on each train was becasue something wasn't working correcty with those particular seats?? Having worked at the park, and I would think not much has changed, one of the last things the park wants is for capacity to be low. I don't think the crew were leaving seats open for the fun of it, becasue the less people that are able to ride equates to longer lines, which adds to poor guest satisfaction and complaints, and also the time they have to be there to close. There are many thoughts on the complexity of the ride and other factors which could lead to Firehawk's lengthy line, which is located in the thread here.

As for your comment about the safety of Firehawk. Unfortunately downtime is part of any amusement ride, especially one as complex as Firehawk. You may not think the "reliability" of the ride is good, but I would bet that the ride is extremely safe. I find amusment park attractions, especially attractions at a park such as Kings Island are extremely safe. The countless number of inspections, sensors, and computer systems which monitor each ride to ensure safety are enormous.

EDIT: I do apoligize if my comments came off to be demeaning, but I do respect his opinions, I just disagree whole heartidly that because a ride has some downtime and a few seats were not in use that a ride is not safe.

[markr]

The mention of Snoopy's Starlight Spectacular as of right now is the first thing you see when you bring up Kings Island's homepage.

Also, I tried looking for the Starlight Spectacular in the Shows section too, but it is not list in that section. Snoopy's Starlight Spectacular is, at the moment, listed on the Upcoming Events page.

http://www.visitkingsisland.com/public/visit/events/index.cfm?id=187

On a side note in regards to your experience at Firehawk, asking the people in the station for single riders is time consuming and can often lead to longer load times. That 20 seconds spent yelling to the crowd trying to find a single rider could instead be spent checking restraints, in the end allowing the train to dispatch much quicker.

Firehawk by its nature is a low capacity ride. All the more reason to be vigilent in maximizing the train capacity. I agree with Selective-6-10 empty seats is unacceptable especially on a busy weekend. The solution is simple-have more riders available on the platforms leading to the stations-then you have a ready reserve of riders needed to fill a train, ie singles, doubles, etc.

[KI Kevin]

Really positive trip report...not.

I don't feel like taking the time to comment on the whole thing, but I really don't see your opinion on Boo Blasters.

1. The targets were too small

They're the exact same as on Scooby

2. I couldn't tell if I hit a target or not

Uh the light on the target turns off and you earn points what did you have in mind?

3. The guns were too loud and I found the gun sounds extremely annoying

True but I don't see how that could ruin the ride

4. The art work was like looking at walls with graffiti, dull and lifeless

Exactly how much artwork was on the ride? I feel like most of it is actual 3 dimensional props.

5. The robotics hardly moved at all.

Good point, you should visit Guest Relations if you would like to suggest that the Boocifer playing organ should stand up and grab objects and hurl them at you

6. Either not enough fluorescent paint was used or it wasn't done right because NOTHING WAS IN 3-D (and I paid $1.00 for the glasses

If you've been through CarnEVIL at HH, it's the same type of thing. I rode it with the glasses and it makes the paint and lights more interactive.

Sigh, I agree with goodyellowkorn.

[Dbfan]

I have ridden Firehawk once in my 8 visits to the park since it debuted. Its a fun ride, but I agree with you its not worth the wait for 60 seconds of flight.

[BavarianBeatle]

1. The targets were too small

2. I couldn't tell if I hit a target or not

6. Either not enough fluorescent paint was used or it wasn't done right because NOTHING WAS IN 3-D (and I paid $1.00 for the glasses)

You wear glasses, don't you? I would almost bet that you either tried to wear the 3D glasses with spectacles or took your glasses off and tried the 3D glasses without them.

--Beatle, who prefers contact lenses

[XGatorHead 8904]

I got to the park at 10:00 am and it closes two hours early (at 8:00 PM) so I'm off to see how much I can do before the park closes! Kings Island promises you can do everything in one day or else they will stop selling one day tickets and include a second day with all ticket admissions!!! Really? Well, this is what KI has always claimed, but they do offer two day tickets now for the price of one day at all Kroger locations so if you don't have a season pass, know that one day is not enough and you'll be luck to ride half the rides in just one day so get the two day ticket for the same price!

First the "Paramount conspiracy", now free tickets just because the park is busy... I really wonder where you get some of your information. I worked in Admissions for 10 years, 9 of those in management. In that time, King Island NEVER claimed that if you didn't do everything in one day they would stop selling one day tickets and automatically give you a second day free, and to the best of my knowledge they have not claimed this before or since my time in the department. What a preposterous idea. Sure, some days are busier than others, but that's the chance you take when going to an amusement park.

There have been, on very rare occasions, times where the park has given out tickets to return another day. But those were under extreme circumstances. Just because a park is busy is no reason to expect to come back for free.

Yes, you did make plenty of positive comments in your TR, but you wonder why people are saying it's negative in tone? I think you need look no further than the subtitle you selected for your topic: "BBOBH + BLSC + Crypt + Firehawk + Construction = Huge Disapointment". This predisposes the reader into thinking "negative" from the start.

Other people have commented on other items I take issue with in your TR, so I'll leave those be.

[shark6495]

well he was positive about a few rides by not actually rating them but just saying "These rides were great and the employees kept the lines moving while keeping excellent communication with park guests" for a the rides. I cant tell if Selective is a troll (when the paramount killing people thing came about I assumed he was) or just not a good social typer... either way.... nice trip report, but again sometimes your facts are not facts....

[markr]

Just a helpful suggestion to you Selective. I feel your overall trip report was positive. I think XGatorhead8904 made a good suggestion that if you have positive things to say, highlight them in the title of your post instead of just the negative. Otherwise, I really enjoy your posts.