Fast Lane

[Pagoda Gift Shop]

400 FastLane people? That's $20K! I would think the percentage would be a bit lower. I guess we will see by monitoring how many people we see running around with wristbands.

[standbyme]

And please please please consider: Disney's system is very nice, but it is not free. A one day ticket to a Disney park will cost you $85.00 plus tax, and if you think that the Fastpass system isn't folded into that, you're crazy.

Nothing in life IS free...but the Fast Pass cost is included in the ticket price...just as is the cost of the rides, the landscaping, the light bulbs on Main Street...

From the park's financial point of view, this system works. And while the image of two or three (or even ten) people cutting you in line feels very unfair (and in fact may be very unfair), the fact is that those three people will hardly make a difference in your real park experience, and at most you may be delayed one or two trains. Diamondback holds 32 riders. I doubt 32 people will even buy this pass on any given day (if they did, the park would make $1600, by the way), but if they did and all 32 of them cut you in line for Diamondback, you'd have to wait ONE additional train (which is, what one extra minute based on the dispatch rate?) Consider, if 40 people cut you for Drop Zone (which, again, I doubt 40 people will even have this pass on any given day, much less all be at Drop Zone at the same time) - you will wait one extra cycle. Just one. Would that really ruin your day?

My main complaint is the principle of the whole thing...not whether I will even notice...with that said, I have read your calculations...but you seem to be overlooking the obvious. If someone spends $50.00 for one of these passes you would assume they are going to want to get their moneys worth and keep riding and riding. How many times do you think someone could keep getting back in line over and over while someone is waiting 45 minutes for Diamondback? I would also assume that not too many people are going to travel a great distance by themselves and so that means they would each have one of these fast passes and be riding together...the numbers would add up faster than you think.

Like I have said, with me it is more of the principle of the whole thing.

[MarketingExpress]

My main complaint is the principle of the whole thing...not whether I will even notice...with that said, I have read your calculations...but you seem to be overlooking the obvious. If someone spends $50.00 for one of these passes you would assume they are going to want to get their moneys worth and keep riding and riding. How many times do you think someone could keep getting back in line over and over while someone is waiting 45 minutes for Diamondback? I would also assume that not too many people are going to travel a great distance by themselves and so that means they would each have one of these fast passes and be riding together...the numbers would add up faster than you think.

Like I have said, with me it is more of the principle of the whole thing.

I fail to see where the principle deserves a complaint...

Every guest that walks through the gate has the opportunity to purchase this perk, it's not limited to a certain group (as was attempted by Paramount for gold pass members only). I would imagine that most season pass holders will pass on the opportunity since they can visit the park just about whenever they want. This program seems to be aimed at the 1-2 visit/yr guest that wants to maximize the number of rides they can ride in a single day for an upcharge.

[standbyme]

I fail to see where the principle deserves a complaint...

Every guest that walks through the gate has the opportunity to purchase this perk, it's not limited to a certain group...

Using this logic buying a multi-million dollar mansion is not limited to just a certain group....affording good health care is not limited to a certain group...

How hard is it to understand the principle involved here is that it shouldn't be right that if someone gives the park some extra money they can step ahead of the majority of their customers who are waiting patiently for their turn in line.

What's that old saying...everything I needed to know I learned in kindergarten?

I have drug this quote out several times over the years whenever this subject comes up...so here it goes again:

Back in the day when one of the higher-ups in the Paramount Kings Island days was asked why the park did not have a system like this Fast Lane he replied something to the effect: "Because I would never want to put a parent in the position of explaining why some people have to wait in line and others don't".

The man was a God to me when I read that.

[The Interpreter]

And that man is now the Chief Operating Officer of Six Flags Theme Parks. Where they sell Flash Passes. In several different, progressively more expensive varieties.

[Justin_M17]

I'm glad the park is doing this because I have always felt sorry for the people who's time is too valuable to stand in line with everyone else.

Couldn't agree more. As I said in the other thread on this topic, I find that some of the best times to be had at KI are had while waiting in line and I wouldn't dream of using this, especially with that price tag

They used to have a "cutting in line" system for Gold Pass members too, and it all worked out. Also, wouldn't the people "cutting" be in line anyway? so it shouldn't really affect the time considerably.

$50= good price that will limit the number of people using system, so wait times for other guests aren't dramatically increased

<$50 means more people would be using it, and that would actually mean longer wait times.

The park offers a VIP tour, that has front of the line passes, and not many people on here seem to be blowing up about that.

I also agree with this. People seem to be blowing this whole thing way out of proportion and making it a much bigger deal than it really is.

[standbyme]

And that man is now the Chief Operating Officer of Six Flags Theme Parks. Where they sell Flash Passes. In several different, progressively more expensive varieties.

Do you also remember reading the quote...I have tried for years to find the person's name who said it. Can you give me his name?

Edit: I forgot who I was dealing with...let me rephrase my last question. WOULD you give me his name?!

[gad198]

I think there are several key points here:

(1) The pass is only good from 12-7. Isn't this time when most people are in the waterpark? Attendance on the dry side of the park is going to be down during these hours (especially with as warm as it has been), thus, there will be less people affected during this time.

(2) The pass only runs through Labor Day as it stands right now, and this coincides with the calendar for Boomerang Bay. See point #1.

(3) Kings Island has a rather large season pass base. Most people who have season passes (who live locally and who come regularly) won't pony up for this. MarketingExpress put it best in terms of who Kings Island is targeting with this promotion; people who are only coming for a day or two each year and are likely doing so on days when a lot of other people will be at the parks (i.e., weekends). This is also the time when a lot of people who have season passes are not at the park because of the larger crowds. I'd imagine that Saturdays at the park will be much more interesting now.

---------------------------------------------------------

I don't really care for the system, but I also realize that my perspective is a bit biased because I go to the park quite a bit and will likely see slightly longer wait times for everything, particularly when the crowd is moderate or higher. I'll just simply laugh at the people who get Fast Lane passes those last two weeks of weekday operation in August and Sundays in October.

I would give KI the following points of advice:

* Utilize merge points. Most of the ride lines are already equipped to do this, so I'm less concerned about this at KI than at parks like Busch that utilize the exit and rope off specific rows of seats just for the skip-the-line passers

* DO NOT USE THE EXIT RAMP TO LOAD Fast Lane GUESTS UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES. I've yet to see a circumstance at any park that does this where it doesn't negatively impact load times and capacity

* Keep operations running at maximum capacity to minimize impact (see note above)

* Don't sell too many of the passes

* Do not allow immediate re-rides. If you can't re-ride immediately on a (more expensive) VIP tour then you shouldn't be allowed to do it on a cheaper version either

I really don't think Fast Lane will be too big of an issue at KI on anything but the busiest of days. Having said that, if Cedar Point ever offers a version of this for anywhere near $50 I would absolutely stay away from that park on all but the lightest of light days. I'm actually more curious to see what they'll do at Cedar Point than at KI.

[AZ Kinda Guy]

I fail to see where the principle deserves a complaint...

Every guest that walks through the gate has the opportunity to purchase this perk, it's not limited to a certain group...

Using this logic buying a multi-million dollar mansion is not limited to just a certain group....affording good health care is not limited to a certain group...

How hard is it to understand the principle involved here is that it shouldn't be right that if someone gives the park some extra money they can step ahead of the majority of their customers who are waiting patiently for their turn in line.

What's that old saying...everything I needed to know I learned in kindergarten?

I have drug this quote out several times over the years whenever this subject comes up...so here it goes again:

Back in the day when one of the higher-ups in the Paramount Kings Island days was asked why the park did not have a system like this Fast Lane he replied something to the effect: "Because I would never want to put a parent in the position of explaining why some people have to wait in line and others don't".

The man was a God to me when I read that.

Life isn't fair. Either pony up the 50 dollars or shut up.

[standbyme]

Life isn't fair. Either pony up the 50 dollars or shut up.

Ironically "Life isn't fair" is pretty much my outlook on life...but it doesn't mean I have to accept it.

As for the $50 or shut up...how about since it is not that big of a deal you pay for me and my family to get these passes when we're at the park next time?

[TombRaiderFTW]

And that man is now the Chief Operating Officer of Six Flags Theme Parks. Where they sell Flash Passes. In several different, progressively more expensive varieties.

Do you also remember reading the quote...I have tried for years to find the person's name who said it. Can you give me his name?

Edit: I forgot who I was dealing with...let me rephrase my last question. WOULD you give me his name?!

Unless I'm mistaken, it's Al Weber.

[jcgoble3]

* Don't sell too many of the passes

The page on the official site say that there are a limited number of Fast Lane passes available each day. I just sent an email to the park through the "contact" link at the bottom of every page on the site to try to find out what that limit is.

[The Interpreter]

The COO of Six Flags Theme Parks is Al Weber, Jr. Shortly after he said what he did, virtual queuing was tested at Kings Dominion. And what were the gold pass walkons if not a form of some people having to wait while others did not?

[DaveStroem]

* Don't sell too many of the passes

The page on the official site say that there are a limited number of Fast Lane passes available each day. I just sent an email to the park through the "contact" link at the bottom of every page on the site to try to find out what that limit is.

I also asked this question to a real person that is in the know, and the reply was they are limited. So my guess is they don't really want to give out this information.

[Tanna]

My honest thoughts are, "Let some elitist clunk pick up the redecorating costs of The Crypt." After seeing what the ride used to look like, it does need an overhaul.

There's line-jumping in the park already, so really, what's the difference, except that the new system relies on money, the system in place now relies on bullying tactics, intimidation, and the size of the jumper group?

[Truth Seeker]

And that man is now the Chief Operating Officer of Six Flags Theme Parks. Where they sell Flash Passes. In several different, progressively more expensive varieties.

I think he and Mr. Kinzel got a little more than a taste of the nickels.

[Hank]

I also thought of this.....I already paid my entrance fee to get into the park. Thousands of others will have too - and now we have to wait while others who paid more get to cut in front of us? We'll just got to a different park next time and spend our money there. Like I said before - when will it end? (or should I say WHERE will it end) It's also reminding me of Dr. Seuss' Sneetches - some have starz on tharz!

[Avatar]

Just to be clear about Disney World Fast Pass and how it works. Yes it is free to anyone who has a paid park admission for that park for that day. The fast pass machine gives only so many tickets for each hour for that day. You can get a fast pass say at 1PM for a return time of 5PM with the current wait of 45 minutes. Same goes new and top guest pick rides, the fast pass distribution goes quick and is often out before 11AM for the rest of that day. Many locals in the area and park hopping folks complain about the fast pass because tit does not help them. Basically it helps the out of town and once in a while visitors get a chance to make sure they get a ride on their favorite attraction. If the locals plan to stay in the same park all day and not leave after a few hours then yes fast pass works for them as well.

Reading some of the post in this thread makes me wonder if some of you really think that if someone buys the Speed Lane Pass at Kings Island that that makes them an elitist.

[kingsrattler]

The Fast Lane is not meant to be something that's "affordable" for every trip to Kings Island. That's what general admission is. I live 5 minutes away from the park. There is no way I'm going to pay 50 bucks for the Fast Lane. But when I lived 2 hours away from the park a few years ago; and came to Kings Island 1, maybe 2 times a year, I definitely would have. It's not about have and have-nots. It's about King's Island creating revenue. If you are a Kings Island fan, why would you complain about the park being able to create more revenue? You have to have money to build the roller coasters we all love.

Just my two cents, or maybe three.

[standbyme]

TombRaiderFTW & Interpreter...thank you for answering my question. It is disheartening to know that he did not stick to his philosophy he had at that time...but I am still sticking to it.

[CoastersNSich]

Reading some of the post in this thread makes me wonder if some of you really think that if someone buys the Speed Lane Pass at Kings Island that that makes them an elitist.

Anyone with the money and desire to get the Fast Lane pass can. There are those working middle class folks who travel the distance who've saved up for a one-day vacation to Kings Island who wouldn't mind putting down $50 to essentially "extend" their park trip by simply cutting out waiting on many of the rides. Not any different from someone related to a P&G executive, or someone who plays for the Reds, Bengals, Blue Jackets, who clearly has more spending money laying around.

It's not about have and have-nots. It's about King's Island creating revenue. If you are a Kings Island fan, why would you complain about the park being able to create more revenue? You have to have money to build the roller coasters we all love.

I may never use Fast Lane in the near future, but odds are I'll enjoy some of the "benefits" from the revenue from it. I'm cool with that.

[coasterville]

Interestingly, I am a gold pass holder, and I am thinking of springing for this once.

Reason: I like Firehawk, I hate the agonizingly slow queue the ride builds that seems to be 60-90 minutes even on a slow day. $50 for some quality time on Firehawk, FoF, and Diamondback with a few other rides thrown in sounds like a deal.

I think none of the rides except maybe WindSeeker and FoF are merging througj exit, which will help mitigate the power rider a bit

Just don't hate me when I'm on my ninth Firehawk ride as you are just getting your one.

[Creed Bratton]

Anyone remember Mathew Ouimet talking about adding fast lanes to reduce ticket prices. I can't believe it, already a week or so into the business, ONLY AS PRESIDENT, and look at what we got. Fast lanes, at a crazy price. sigh, extended hours at BB and KI now is on KICentral.....WOW

Just remember Ouimet is not the person who implemented the Fast Lane. In his interviews he was just suggesting that they may be happening in the future, none of us could imagine it would be this quick. This decision wasn't made over night and I don't believe Ouimet even was a part of the decision making.

[KIfan1980]

I would guess that this decision was at least reviewed and signed off on by Mr Oiumet - if not an option developed in response to a request for "how quickly could we test this at one of our parks"

[Avatar]

^^ How do you know this?

Kings Island may have wanted the Speed Lane for a long time but due to the then president they could not. So maybe the idea was discussed when Mr. Ouimet came to visit Kings Island and so the now president said yeah lets do it. Then almost overnight Kings Island had a Speed Lane. Maybe it happened like that maybe it did not happen like that. Just curious how you are so confident it did not.

[The Interpreter]

Consider, if you will, Diamondback's queue was constructed to make this transition easy.

Why yes , Mr. Kinzel, that's the. . . single rider lane. Yep, that's it. (whew!)

[McSalsa]

My Two Cents:

I did some math, and realized that for most rides, if 100 Fast Lane people showed up AT ONCE, which is unlikely, most of the rides would get through them in under 5-10 minutes and would then serve the "normal" customers. Not too bad. The only problems I could see would be for low-capacity rides (Firehawk and BLSC come to mind) and Beast when it rains (ONE TRAIN. WORLD'S LONGEST WOODIE. ALREADY SUPER-LONG WAIT WITHOUT Fast Lane. OUCH.) Goodyellowcorn made a good point.

I would expect on crowded days, the park may sell roughly 500-1,000 of these. (I may be understating though, we will have to wait and see how popular these become) Thats $25,000 to $50,000 in extra profits, with only a few minutes added to the wait times. However, on weekdays, only fools would buy them since KI isn't crowded at all on those days either. The park could make some serious dough on weekends, which could either be used to reduce food prices (or increase food quality) or help pay for new rides or park upgrades- although using money from this alone, it will be a few decades before we can build another Diamondback.

One last point, but it has already been made: WHY ARE BOO BLASTERS AND RACE FOR YOUR LIFE CHARLIE BROWN ON THIS!?!? Ugh...and Invertigo, a ride that usually gets 30+ minute waits, is not...(I can understand why Flight Deck, Racer, and Adventure Express aren't on here though- they already have short lines! Same thing with Vortex when it opens back up, I've never waited more than 20 minutes for it, even during haunt!)

[LongliveKingsCobra]

haha Terpy once you pointed that out it makes sense and really funny as well!

[RaptorGuy]

I'm sure this is no surprise to anyone. I'm against fast passes and always have been. It's wrong on many levels. Everyone should have to wait the same amount of time to ride the rides. It's a totally unfair system and another way to try and rip people off. All this is doing Is encouraging me to not buy ANYTHING in the park. If this at all interrupts my day at all, I will be writing Ouimet a long letter, even if he wasn't the one who put this in motion. We did get ERT back on Beast and DB doing that, after all. Maybe, we can get this taken back, too!

[bkroz]

I'm sure this is no surprise to anyone. I'm against fast passes and always have been. It's wrong on many levels. Everyone should have to wait the same amount of time to ride the rides. It's a totally unfair system and another way to try and rip people off. All this is doing Is encouraging me to not buy ANYTHING in the park. If this at all interrupts my day at all, I will be writing Ouimet a long letter, even if he wasn't the one who put this in motion. We did get ERT back on Beast and DB doing that, after all. Maybe, we can get this taken back, too!

Why would we want it taken back? I can assure you (again), beyond the annoyance and aggravation of physically seeing someone "cut" in front of you, this system will hardly be noticeable to the everyday visitors. So I beg of you... At least visit the park one ONE DAY with this system in place before you write a letter about it (that's fair, right?) and if you do write the letter, sign only your name. Some of us here can conceptualize the real, true impact of this system and are not worried or scared at all, but excited about the massive amount of income this has the potential to generate.

GYK, thinking this topic should really be locked until we have experienced even one full Saturday with the system in place. As it is, no one here has any idea what role this thing will ACTUALLY play, and we're all just grasping at straws and masquerading our moral questions as care for the consumer.