Point Perks 2011

[PhantomTheater]

http://www.cedarpoint.com/public/admission/season_passes/point_perks.cfm

Now with early entry on WindSeeker (MF, ID, Planet Snoopy, Maverick and Raptor stay on as well).

All CF PP holders get point perks, assuming their card scans for entry.

[gigacoaster2k]

How did I just know that Cedar Point wouldn't pull something stupid like yanking ERT from some of the most popular coasters in the park?

I know where I'll be this season.

[bkroz]

Of course, Cedar Point also has an attendance that would seem to support having that many rides open early... Does Kings Island? On a Wednesday at 9 AM, would it be prudent for Kings Island to have three roller coasters and WindSeeker operating? Imagine the extra payroll needed to open Rivertown and Coney Mall early every single day, and the how the hours of ride inspectors would change... I don't know, but I would imagine that if Kings Island did have four rides open early, they would all be walk-ons... WindSeeker is an obvious choice, so why not chose a coaster near it so that you can open only one area of the park instead of requiring twice as much manpower and twice as much early prep?

Am I happy about it? Eh, not really. Do I understand why they might be doing it? Yep.

[74Gibson]

How did I just know that Cedar Point wouldn't pull something stupid like yanking ERT from some of the most popular coasters in the park?

I know where I'll be this season.

Well then, I'll look forward to seeing you at KD... and CP

EDIT: to add. I see wut your saying GYK. Having both areas open almost opens the whole park and would require a lot of supervision to make sure people don't run around in unopened areas. I'm hoping they go back to Rivertown for ERT next year... I was also hoping the same thing about Ride Warriors for this year...

[gigacoaster2k]

Of course, Cedar Point also has an attendance that would seem to support having that many rides open early... Does Kings Island? On a Wednesday at 9 AM, would it be prudent for Kings Island to have three roller coasters and WindSeeker operating? Imagine the extra payroll needed to open Rivertown and Coney Mall early every single day, and the how the hours of ride inspectors would change... I don't know, but I would imagine that if Kings Island did have four rides open early, they would all be walk-ons... WindSeeker is an obvious choice, so why not chose a coaster near it so that you can open only one area of the park instead of requiring twice as much manpower and twice as much early prep?

Am I happy about it? Eh, not really. Do I understand why they might be doing it? Yep.

I certainly understand that.

But from a guest's point of view:

It's frustrating to go to a park after dropping $165 on a platinum pass, and being allowed in early only to see that nearly everything I want to ride is closed. I don't live as close as many of you do.. I live 63 miles from KI. The first thing I want to do when I get to KI is hop on Diamondback, because that hour+ drive is all anticipation for me. So when I saw that ERT on my favorite coaster at KI was taken away this year, it really took the wind out of my sails.

I get a kick out of going to Cedar Point and seeing that rides like Millennium Force, Maverick, and Raptor are open and ready to go. The full hour of morning ERT every day of the season makes the 170 mile drive worth it, and it makes the amount I paid for my pass worth every penny.

[rotag]

Of course, Cedar Point also has an attendance that would seem to support having that many rides open early... Does Kings Island? On a Wednesday at 9 AM, would it be prudent for Kings Island to have three roller coasters and WindSeeker operating? Imagine the extra payroll needed to open Rivertown and Coney Mall early every single day, and the how the hours of ride inspectors would change... I don't know, but I would imagine that if Kings Island did have four rides open early, they would all be walk-ons... WindSeeker is an obvious choice, so why not chose a coaster near it so that you can open only one area of the park instead of requiring twice as much manpower and twice as much early prep?

Am I happy about it? Eh, not really. Do I understand why they might be doing it? Yep.

I certainly understand that.

But from a guest's point of view:

It's frustrating to go to a park after dropping $165 on a platinum pass, and being allowed in early only to see that nearly everything I want to ride is closed. I don't live as close as many of you do.. I live 63 miles from KI. The first thing I want to do when I get to KI is hop on Diamondback, because that hour+ drive is all anticipation for me. So when I saw that ERT on my favorite coaster at KI was taken away this year, it really took the wind out of my sails.

I get a kick out of going to Cedar Point and seeing that rides like Millennium Force, Maverick, and Raptor are open and ready to go. The full hour of morning ERT every day of the season makes the 170 mile drive worth it, and it makes the amount I paid for my pass worth every penny.

I live almost 100 miles from KI & worked there for Halloween Haunt in 09. further to HW & IB...

...i forgot where i was going with this...

[bkroz]

Of course, Cedar Point also has an attendance that would seem to support having that many rides open early... Does Kings Island? On a Wednesday at 9 AM, would it be prudent for Kings Island to have three roller coasters and WindSeeker operating? Imagine the extra payroll needed to open Rivertown and Coney Mall early every single day, and the how the hours of ride inspectors would change... I don't know, but I would imagine that if Kings Island did have four rides open early, they would all be walk-ons... WindSeeker is an obvious choice, so why not chose a coaster near it so that you can open only one area of the park instead of requiring twice as much manpower and twice as much early prep?

Am I happy about it? Eh, not really. Do I understand why they might be doing it? Yep.

I certainly understand that.

But from a guest's point of view:

It's frustrating to go to a park after dropping $165 on a platinum pass, and being allowed in early only to see that nearly everything I want to ride is closed. I don't live as close as many of you do.. I live 63 miles from KI. The first thing I want to do when I get to KI is hop on Diamondback, because that hour+ drive is all anticipation for me. So when I saw that ERT on my favorite coaster at KI was taken away this year, it really took the wind out of my sails.

I get a kick out of going to Cedar Point and seeing that rides like Millennium Force, Maverick, and Raptor are open and ready to go. The full hour of morning ERT every day of the season makes the 170 mile drive worth it, and it makes the amount I paid for my pass worth every penny.

I understand that. I live four hours away (and comparatively, only 2 hours from Cedar Point and Kennywood - I still choose Kings Island). But to me, Diamondback's regular 5 - 15 minute line on any given weekday is just as conquerable as a 5 - 10 minute ERT wait.

This season, for better or worse, you'll have the opportunity to experience two great attractions at Kings Island before anyone else. Maybe you'll find that the daily ritual of riding those two is just as fun and worthwhile as you found Diamondback and The Beast to be last year. If not, then you can be the first in line for Diamondback when it does open and wait in the practically non-existent lines come early afternoon. Maybe next season the park will open Diamondback early. Maybe not. Maybe next year they'll choose to not open anything early... After all, we are essentially non-paying customers. By the second or third week of operation, most of us here will have had our passes pay for themselves. We're the ones who don't buy food (and even further, convince our friends to leave the park for lunch with us). We're the ones who complain and gripe and potentially harm the park with negative word of mouth (how much do I talk about The Crypt with friends before I go? A lot). They don't have to give us ANY ERT.

Just please don't let this get you down... Not just you, but anyone here. It's okay to feel an initial sense of disappointment. But ERT is not the primary purpose of a Gold or Platinum Pass. It's a perk. And if you want to enjoy the perks given to you, then you will. Simple as that.

[Snowman]

They don't have to give us ANY ERT.

Just please don't let this get you down... Not just you, but anyone here. It's okay to feel an initial sense of disappointment. But ERT is not the primary purpose of a Gold or Platinum Pass. It's a perk. And if you want to enjoy the perks given to you, then you will. Simple as that.

True GYK, but when I bought my pass at Haunt last year, they posted online and management said to my face that Beast and DB would be open for ERT in 2011. It is a big deal to honor what was offered. If you can only go on the weekends, I assure you DB and Beast are not 5 to 15 minute waits, and if the main reason you purchased passes was for Beast and DB ERT on weekends and it was offered, it should be honored. I have called the park and they won't issue refunds either. While I still intend to go (unlike Raptorguy) I don't agree with their policy.

Thanks PhantomTheater for starting this thread so I can beat this horse some more.

[gigacoaster2k]

After all, we are essentially non-paying customers. By the second or third week of operation, most of us here will have had our passes pay for themselves. We're the ones who don't buy food (and even further, convince our friends to leave the park for lunch with us). We're the ones who complain and gripe and potentially harm the park with negative word of mouth (how much do I talk about The Crypt with friends before I go? A lot). They don't have to give us ANY ERT.

Excuse me?

At Carowinds this past weekend, I not only ate in the park, but I purchased a shirt from the gift shop.

At Kings Dominion, I ate in the park, and blew about $60 in the gift shops. I was walking around with a KD bag on my back and a $4 bottle of water in my hand.

I still eat in the park and buy souvenirs at both KI and CP.

Once again, my point was completely overlooked and yet another judgment was made about me and others.

I am sick and tired of explaining that not all thrillseekers refuse to spend money in the park. This generalization, whether directed at me or not, is unnecessary and irrelevant, and it's really starting to tick me off. Comments like that are hurtful. I did not ask to be judged, but I guess that comes along with being a member of KICentral.

I'm going back under again for a while. I'm sorry I started posting here again. I forgot that respect for others is not part of the agreement in the TOS.

[IndyGuy4KI]

After all, we are essentially non-paying customers. By the second or third week of operation, most of us here will have had our passes pay for themselves. We're the ones who don't buy food (and even further, convince our friends to leave the park for lunch with us). We're the ones who complain and gripe and potentially harm the park with negative word of mouth (how much do I talk about The Crypt with friends before I go? A lot). They don't have to give us ANY ERT.

Excuse me?

At Carowinds this past weekend, I not only ate in the park, but I purchased a shirt from the gift shop.

At Kings Dominion, I ate in the park, and blew about $60 in the gift shops. I was walking around with a KD bag on my back and a $4 bottle of water in my hand.

I still eat in the park and buy souvenirs at both KI and CP.

Once again, my point was completely overlooked and yet another judgment was made about me and others.

I am sick and tired of explaining that not all thrillseekers refuse to spend money in the park. This generalization, whether directed at me or not, is unnecessary and irrelevant, and it's really starting to tick me off. Comments like that are hurtful. I did not ask to be judged, but I guess that comes along with being a member of KICentral.

I'm going back under again for a while. I'm sorry I started posting here again. I forgot that respect for others is not part of the agreement in the TOS.

I have to agree with Angie. I almost always eat in the park, buy a few Cokes during the day, and always create a meetup thread on here. I end up usually meeting up with a few other people that may or many not have went otherwise on that day. They too usual eat lunch or buy a Coke or two. So yes, even us dire hard KI fans (even the ones that don't live within a 10 mile radius) spend our money in the park.

As far as the ERT goes, I understand it is a privilege and I do not expect it, but for me and several others here and non KIC members, I do feel it brought pass holders into the park and money was spent. With KI possibly changing DB and Beast ERT I will probably not be as motivated to make the 2 hr, 140 mile drive over to KI as much this season. Will I enjoy ERT on WS and Vortex? Of course! Will it make me return to the park as much as it has the last 2 years and spend my nickels as Terpy would say? I hope so, but I am not sure you can beat 6 or 7 rides on DB and Beast during ERT in the morning after a 2 hr drive. I am afraid others will feel the same way and am sad KI might miss out on extra business because of that decision. That ERT was a major factor in which park I decided to head to on my day off. I really enjoyed it and made me not care that I spent a few more dollars in the park than I really should have or wanted too!

[Erosarrow05]

Once again, my point was completely overlooked and yet another judgment was made about me and others.

I am sick and tired of explaining that not all thrillseekers refuse to spend money in the park. This generalization, whether directed at me or not, is unnecessary and irrelevant, and it's really starting to tick me off. Comments like that are hurtful. I did not ask to be judged, but I guess that comes along with being a member of KICentral.

I'm going back under again for a while. I'm sorry I started posting here again. I forgot that respect for others is not part of the agreement in the TOS.

No one is asking you to explain or defend anyone. Part of going through life, is being judged by other people, it happens. Part of being an adult however, is knowing how to respond to, what you deem, "judgemental comments". I can't even count how many times I've seen you get upset by another users post because you assume they were judging you and being disrespectful. You are obviously extremely passionate about amusement parks, which is your choice and wonderful for you. However, in that same breath you often become very defensive when someone is critical of you or one of your friends. If you feel so abused by the users, why is it you continually come back. Your post almost reminds me of the threads that would be titled "goodbye", where a person would be announcing their departure from a website because they were picked on, judged, disrespected - when the truth is, they were just unable to discuss their side of an argument. Then to add insult to injury, the users see the 'goodbye' thread from this person. To me, those posts announcing your departure, were nothing more than a pity seeking venture - maybe hoping a few users would beg that person to stay.

You might think I'm picking on you, but its actually quite the opposite. While I don't really know you, I like you because I think some of the arguments you make here are worth discussion, and in truth, there are probably quite a few people who agree with what you are saying that choose to remain silent. I just wish, rather than getting upset and acting like you are being picked on, you would discuss your point of view further and argue for your opinion. Every persons opinion is valuable, and you are an asset to the discussions that go on here. Just because everyone doesn't agree with you, doesn't mean your opinion is negated.

I, personally, love debates. I have, and will, stand 100% behind anything I've discussed. I don't always subscribe to jumping on the bandwagon style thinking. I can tell you first hand, I know I have said things people don't agree with and maybe even get annoyed with to the point they don't 'like' me. I've been called names, accused of this and that - I even consider disagreeing with the "almighty interpreter" a blessing. Im sure he'd be the first to admit he isn't infallible, as i do as well, and welcomes the discussion. I know I've gone head to head with him several times because I didn't agree with him and we had a healthy discussion and I respect him as I know he respects me. With all the disagreements I've had with people here, I've never accused anyone of judging me or exhibited any pity-seeking behaviors, I do try to encourage discussion though - for those that may have my same opinion but are afraid to be the first one to speak, and to try to set an example for the younger users.

Should you choose to not post for a while that is your choice, I think you should reconsider your stance though...

Value your opinion. I do.

:-)

[bkroz]

Right. I hardly meant to offend anyone, much less scare someone off the site... My goodness. I know that I'm one of those "leave for lunch" passholders, so the last thing I was trying to do was to offend you.

[The Interpreter]

Mr. Kinzel would prefer we all have a group hug and make up...at KI over Skyline hot dogs and large beverages....or at Pink's at CP....

And I, for one, being far, far from infallible or almighty, will humbly gladly eat a hot dog...or two...for old time's sake...

Terp, ever sentimental (and very respectful of virtually every poster here...we can certainly disagree without being disagreeable!) (and in some ways I have often wondered if WindSeeker was named for me!...My father often referred to my incessant blabbering, noting "I've heard the wind blow before!")

[CoastersRZ]

Very nice post, once again Interpreter.

Since you brought it up, I`ve been to two Reds games so far this season. Guess how much a cheese coney from the Skyline`s cost? $4.75. For ONE cheese coney. A regular Coke? That`ll be $5. And yet the longest lines I saw on Wednesday night was for the $1 hot dog and drink stand... Both of the two $1 stands had lines, while most of the other stands were nearly empty. (On Saturday, when there was close to a sell out, every food stand had lines, and there were even lines for the mens restrooms!

[The Interpreter]

The day comes for us all that as a regular...we are gone with the wind...

Terp...who points out the day also comes when we remember..."Do not ask for whom the bell tolls...it tolls for thee."

[House]

After all, we are essentially non-paying customers. By the second or third week of operation, most of us here will have had our passes pay for themselves. We're the ones who don't buy food (and even further, convince our friends to leave the park for lunch with us). We're the ones who complain and gripe and potentially harm the park with negative word of mouth (how much do I talk about The Crypt with friends before I go? A lot). They don't have to give us ANY ERT.

Excuse me?

At Carowinds this past weekend, I not only ate in the park, but I purchased a shirt from the gift shop.

At Kings Dominion, I ate in the park, and blew about $60 in the gift shops. I was walking around with a KD bag on my back and a $4 bottle of water in my hand.

I still eat in the park and buy souvenirs at both KI and CP.

Once again, my point was completely overlooked and yet another judgment was made about me and others.

I am sick and tired of explaining that not all thrillseekers refuse to spend money in the park. This generalization, whether directed at me or not, is unnecessary and irrelevant, and it's really starting to tick me off. Comments like that are hurtful. I did not ask to be judged, but I guess that comes along with being a member of KICentral.

I'm going back under again for a while. I'm sorry I started posting here again. I forgot that respect for others is not part of the agreement in the TOS.

I haven't posted much in the past couple of years, but I always look forward to reading your posts Giga. With that said I don't think you should take any personal offense to what he said. He never singled you out, so I'm not sure why you are taking his comments so personal. I will admit that I leave KI for most meals, but I took no offense to it. It's my choice to stay or leave to eat. I live in Indianapolis so i can only make it there to KI about once a month during the summer, but still I choose to leave the park to eat. I think that maybe you should realize that there are a lot of people that are on this site ,and that anything negative is not directed personally towards you. Just my two cents worth. Personally I think that people are a lot more easy going on this site than they were when I first joined a few years ago.

[The Interpreter]

It should also be noted that the park is a business. The passes are priced on an economic model. Just as the park owes its passholders no ERT, its customers CHOOSE to do business with it (or not), to eat in the park (or in their cars or outside the park's boundaries, or to wait until going home), to buy stuff in the park (or not), whether to go to the park (or not) and whether to renew (or not). The park gets to choose the terms. The customers get to choose whether and how and how many of their own nickels they spend.

As a very wise sage once said, "It is not always wise to love something that can't love you back." Many of us, from you to me to even Mr. Kinzel sometimes are guilty of just that. And when your emotions are on your sleeve, it is easy to think someone is tarring your pot when they are either tarring someone else's...or perhaps merely stating a fact...and one (or more) thinks, rightly or not, that the shoe fits...and thus the one(s) with the fitted foot shouts ouch, self righteously crying out in wounded pride. And the caller looks around and says..."What'd I do? I was merely stating fact as I see it...why are you so offended?" It is hard not to wonder whether the reason was in fact that the shoe fit...all too well.

[KIfan1980]

Of course, Cedar Point also has an attendance that would seem to support having that many rides open early... Does Kings Island? On a Wednesday at 9 AM, would it be prudent for Kings Island to have three roller coasters and WindSeeker operating? Imagine the extra payroll needed to open Rivertown and Coney Mall early every single day, and the how the hours of ride inspectors would change... I don't know, but I would imagine that if Kings Island did have four rides open early, they would all be walk-ons... WindSeeker is an obvious choice, so why not chose a coaster near it so that you can open only one area of the park instead of requiring twice as much manpower and twice as much early prep?

Am I happy about it? Eh, not really. Do I understand why they might be doing it? Yep.

I completely agree with the limitations of ERT on every operating day, but I would like to see the park recognize that it is different on weekends, especially during the busiest months. My proposal to the park would be to offer WS/Vortex every operating day and pick selected days (or even just Saturdays) to offer DB/Beast in addition.

Since you brought it up, I`ve been to two Reds games so far this season. Guess how much a cheese coney from the Skyline`s cost? $4.75. For ONE cheese coney. A regular Coke? That`ll be $5.

A big difference between GABP and KI is that at the ballpark, you can bring in a soft sided cooler with your own food and drinks inside (at least you could last year). Provides a reasonably priced alternative for the meal, thus enabling me to shell out the money for a special treat (ice cream sundae, souvenir, etc..)