The Season Pass Poll

[McSalsa]

Well, it's McSalsa poll time. And this one's a simple one: do you have a KI season pass, and what type of season pass is it (an option is also there for other Cedar Fair park platinum passes that would get you into KI). This one's really easy...

Enjoy the easy poll. If you dislike for some reason, you may click back. Or, if you dislike and refuse to click back, you will be forced to ride the 300-foot tall wooden coaster I built out of toothpicks and glue. Not super glue, just plain ol' glue. And I only spent 45 minutes building it and have yet to test it. After riding this, you will beg for Son of Beast.

[The Interpreter]

After weeks and weeks of TRYING to give Cedar Fair money to renew my KD Platinum Pass, I am just about to give up. I do not have Flash and can't renew because of it? Utter stupidity. Purely.

[kblanken]

I have a Platinum pass from Cedar Point.

To start the season in 2010, I was saddened by the removal of Scooby Doo from Kings Island, and decided to head north to Cedar Point. I figured I would still be visiting Kings Island throughout the year, so it would be the first time I upgraded to Platinum.

I still visit Kings Island way more times than CP each year, but somehow it has been easier for me to renew a CP pass online.

[Oldiesmann]

I've got a gold pass, as it's cheaper than platinum and I don't plan on visiting any other CF parks in the near future due to lack of funds to do so.

[jcgoble3]

KI Platinum Pass. I first upgraded last year about a month before my five-day trip to Cedar Point. I debated last fall over whether to renew it or downgrade to Gold for this year, and opted to stick with Platinum to cover CoasterMania. Fast forward six months, and CoasterMania is no longer in my plans for this year, nor is any trip to CP or any other CF park, so I should have saved $80 by going with Gold instead. Hindsight is 20/20...

[The Interpreter]

And yet your plans may change...you have options!

[gad198]

My situation isn't as interesting as the one The Interpreter is currently going through but I thought I'd bring this up for the sake of completeness.

I renewed my Platinum Pass back in September. I went out to Knott's a few weeks ago, and the pass did not scan for either parking or at the gate. I went out to Knott's at almost the same time last year and it worked for both parking and at the gate on two separate visits. The only difference between this year and last is that I got a new pass in 2010 (for 2011) where I simply renewed in 2011 (for 2012).

Long story short, Cedar Fair still seems to be working out the kinks of their pass systems. They've had over four years to smooth out the technology and the guest experience and they are still struggling with all of the implementation details. Platinum passholders are paying a lot of money for their passes each year. I would hope that Cedar Fair is cognizant of the fact that stopping at Guest Relations for admission, having parking refunded, not being able to renew online, etc. is leaving a bad taste in people's mouths. I realize that Platinum passholders make up a very small minority of the chain's overall customer base but that's still no excuse to provide a (sometimes) less than desirable customer experience.

[upstop]

Didn't get a pass this year. The gas prices are getting outrageous. May have to select one destination to visit this year and since this years line up of attractions at Cedarfair parks don't particularly interest me I'll probably head west or south or no where at all.

[CoasterGeek101]

Platinum KI Pass due to CP.

[jdawg1998]

I have a Gold pass and have for about three years. I always ask my family if we can get Platinum, but the family wants to spend that money on vacations each year. Also, whenever I say, "Well, platinum passes would let us go to any Cedar Fair amusement park!" and the same response is, "We have Kings Island down the street from us...why would we need to go to other amusement parks?" Oh well. Maybe someday I will get them.

[malem]

After weeks and weeks of TRYING to give Cedar Fair money to renew my KD Platinum Pass, I am just about to give up. I do not have Flash and can't renew because of it? Utter stupidity. Purely.

Even if you have Flash, the store will sometimes inexplicitly fail to load with a numerical error code. (I get "Error #2046", which I haven't got around to troubleshooting yet. I'm guessing it's an SSL connection error.) Not to mention the accessibility, international input, disability access, and security issues created by having the store use Flash. Since the page hosting the Flash store isn't on a secure server, the store is vulnerable to man-in-the-middle hijacking. People using screen readers to browse the web would find the Flash overlay impossible to use.

Hopefully Cedar Fair will get Accesso to fix the issues and offer a non-Flash store. I can't imagine that Cedar Fair would accept blocking all iPads and iPhones from the store, as well as people in corporate settings where Flash is banned. Or having a website that isn't accessible to people with disabilities.

I would encourage anyone having problems with the store to e-mail Kings Island PR, so they can get forwarded to Cedar Fair's web team and their vendors.

[OldieButGoodie]

Interesting to read other folks' experiences. I have a Platinum pass along with my boys, we're fans of hitting the other parks if we can. Last year we did Carowinds and CP, this year it'll be KD and CP. During the transition I had the experience from H377. We renewed on the last opening day in October. They took our plastic cards (never did that before?) and when I inquired how we'd get into the park, they gave us a paper 'Temporary Pass'. We received no correspondence at all during the winter, but we rolled down during pass processing on opening day. They were able to find my sons and my (then) wife, but could not find me in the system, and we didn't have the paper 'Temporary Pass' nor did I carry my credit card receipt so I was SOL unless I wanted to pay $20 for a 'lost pass'. I explained that I would not pay for a pass I'd never received (and therefore could not have 'lost'), but got no where. When I trundled up to Guest Relations to find an adult to speak to, I was headed off at the pass by the kid who was 'in charge', and I could see KI security circling. I explained that if we resolved the matter without the 40 mi trip home, I'd spend at least $100 in the park. If I had to drive home to get my cc receipt I'd be sharing my experience and might very well not purchase one next year. The kid told me 'there will be someone right behind you to buy one'. I found my CC reciept but not the 'Temporary Pass', and they would not make my pass without charging me $20, so I did not go to KI until July. I put the CC receipt, my $20 and admitted defeat, I wanted my pass (half the season was over). They could not find me in the system but saw that I'd paid, so they gave me a ticket, asked me to go thru season pass processing, and returned my $20. Why couldn't we have done so in April?!?!?!!? Next time down, I was ready with my CC receipt, sure that there was no parking pass on my newly minted season pass. They scanned and let me in - wow - couldn't believe it. The very next week, you guess it, scanned, no parking, gotta pay $10 and go to pass processing where they can refund it. (grrrrrrrr). "Can I help you sir?" "I seriously doubt it, but I'll give it a shot." I explained the whole thing, and I'd like to have parking put on my pass, and that I did NOT have my CC receipt. They took care of me and sent me on my way, as well as refunded my $10. It only took till July that year.

This year was utterly pain-free. I renewed our Platinum passes last year, and didn't have to do a THING to use them. We went down during early processing to be sure, and they took new pics for us, but we needn't have done so. Hurray Cedar Fair!