Original Posted July 11, 2012 Share Posted July 11, 2012 I don't know if he was purchasing something or not, but the employee asked him if he knew where his parents were. His response? "Oh, they didn't come." When the wide-eyed employee questioned that, he added, "They dropped me off." That's the first and only time I've ever witnessed proof of people treating the park like a day-care center, and I was floored. People realize bad things can happen at parks, right?! Being a parent of kids near the same age, and knowing how my kids will answer a direct question without being 100% clear, the child may have been with another adult that was not his parent.One can only hope that was the case here. No matter how the prices increase, I dont think it will ever stop.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
muppetfan1999 Posted July 11, 2012 Share Posted July 11, 2012 I'd like to imagine pass pricing would help weed this trend out significantly, but it almost feels like there should be a minimum age for passholders to enter alone. For instance, if a 9 year-old walks up to the gate alone, could it be required that an accompanying adult vouch for the child until he reaches a certain age (like 13 or so?) Yes, but then you have kids like me, who can easily be mistaken for someone a few years older then they really are. You'd be surprised at how many people think that I'm 15 or 16 when they first meet me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TombRaiderFTW Posted July 11, 2012 Share Posted July 11, 2012 I'd like to imagine pass pricing would help weed this trend out significantly, but it almost feels like there should be a minimum age for passholders to enter alone. For instance, if a 9 year-old walks up to the gate alone, could it be required that an accompanying adult vouch for the child until he reaches a certain age (like 13 or so?) Yes, but then you have kids like me, who can easily be mistaken for someone a few years older then they really are. You'd be surprised at how many people think that I'm 15 or 16 when they first meet me. Sure, but that could easily be fixed by adding age info to the season pass data system. They're already non-transferable, so if someone under the age limit tries to use their pass, there could be a prompt on the screen to the effect of "Is this person accompanied by an adult?" An adult, of course, would be someone who appears to be above the age limit. You may appear to be 15 or 16, but if you're 13, which I'm assuming from your username, that might still be close enough to the age limit that it would be okay. In general, you're probably not going to find many kids significantly under, say, 13 who look like they're well above it, though I'm sure there are exceptions. I keep also thinking there could be a prompt, once the young guest's pass is scanned, for an adult's pass to be scanned. It'd be easier than having to guess if the person accompanying the child is within an age bracket. But then I keep thinking that maybe there are kids out there who have passes but whose parents/guardians do not... Maybe there could be a combination of the two ideas? Or maybe I'm seriously overestimating how much the admissions folks would want or care to repeat this process on a regular basis. It would probably slow the flow of people through the front gates noticeably. I'm pretty much just thinking out loud here. I don't know if he was purchasing something or not, but the employee asked him if he knew where his parents were. His response? "Oh, they didn't come." When the wide-eyed employee questioned that, he added, "They dropped me off." That's the first and only time I've ever witnessed proof of people treating the park like a day-care center, and I was floored. People realize bad things can happen at parks, right?! Being a parent of kids near the same age, and knowing how my kids will answer a direct question without being 100% clear, the child may have been with another adult that was not his parent.One can only hope that was the case here. I really, really hope you're right. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
calakapepe Posted July 11, 2012 Share Posted July 11, 2012 Maybe I'm a little biased, but I honestly can't believe there are so many people willing to pay more money just to hopefully salvage a park atmosphere they used to know, and that teenage kids are being blamed. I find it, quite frankly, immature to generalize that all the young teens are being a nuisance. Yes, there are more likely to be kids to misbehave/ annoy than adults, but to hate on an entire group? Raising prices, isn't going to get the park environment that you long for. If you are still able to get passes, as adults, so are the teens.. they aren't actually paying for a pass themselves. Even so, raising prices would lessen the attendance as a whole, which includes some of the desirable crowds too. Society is changing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TombRaiderFTW Posted July 11, 2012 Share Posted July 11, 2012 ^ Maybe I've missed something, but I don't really see anywhere in this thread where people are blaming a loss of park atmosphere on teens. I've arguably raised one of the biggest stinks about the age of passholders (at least in this thread), but mine's moreso directed towards the fact that kids younger than the teenage years are apparently being dropped off without adult supervision (should I have understood the situation I witnessed accurately--and Browntggrr presented a good possibility of the opposite.) That's not an effort to reclaim lost atmosphere; it's about safety. (Plus, it's kind of hard to hate on the teen crowd when almost all of my KI experiences took place when I was part of that group. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sonofbeast2.0 Posted July 11, 2012 Share Posted July 11, 2012 Just wondering how bad are other CF parks on the amount of teens thier? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bkroz Posted July 11, 2012 Share Posted July 11, 2012 Depends on the park and the time of year. There are days when you wouldn't want to be in the same county as Kings Dominion and for years, safety was the paramount of paramount concerns. Their metal detectors are ALWAYS on, and ALWAYS very strictly enforced. It draws from inner city Richmond and D.C. which is much different than Louisville or Cincinnati (which is a "better" group to share a park with is very conditional! I can only take so many "SW OH / NE KY kids shouting "Penis" on a roller coaster before I've had enough). Canadian youth, as a whole, is different whether you want to believe it or not. Again, depends on the individuals and area of origin, but it's different. You'll probably find different kinds of teens at Carowinds than you would at Michigan's Adventures or Knott's Berry Farm, and any and all of those fluctuate day in and day out. Amount isn't the issue, even. It's the quality of the youth at any given day that makes a difference. A day for teens with developmental disabilities or the religious festival will probably be a lot quieter than a day with lots of local high school groups. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CedarPointer Posted July 11, 2012 Share Posted July 11, 2012 Sure, but that could easily be fixed by adding age info to the season pass data system. They're already non-transferable, so if someone under the age limit tries to use their pass, there could be a prompt on the screen to the effect of "Is this person accompanied by an adult?" An adult, of course, would be someone who appears to be above the age limit. You may appear to be 15 or 16, but if you're 13, which I'm assuming from your username, that might still be close enough to the age limit that it would be okay. In general, you're probably not going to find many kids significantly under, say, 13 who look like they're well above it, though I'm sure there are exceptions. Age data is already in the season pass system, it's just not used for anything, as far as I can tell. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joncars05 Posted July 12, 2012 Author Share Posted July 12, 2012 Overall It seems the forum is pretty split between raising prices and keeping the price the same. I'm glad so many of you folks have voted (43 total votes as of this post) AND expressed their opinions. I really think that this has been a pretty good discussion that hasn't led to someone completely bashing another person's opinion. Thanks for keeping it civil! Keep the good conversations coming! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coasterfanatic83 Posted July 13, 2012 Share Posted July 13, 2012 I said no because college is expensive, and I need to scrap a dime wherever I can get one. That being said, I would love to see an increase in prices. I believe that they would make more money (obviously) and thin out the crowd. I find, like many have said, that there are too many 12 year olds running around and acting like fools, and if prices are increased, I believe that parents would be a lot less likely to buy their beloved little delinquent a pass. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joncars05 Posted September 2, 2012 Author Share Posted September 2, 2012 It looks like KI has increased the fall price on gold passes for 2013 to $79.99. I believe Terpy mentioned that the the overall plan is to increase the price gradually. I would have to agree with that plan. The GP are an absolute steal with the value they bring. Especially when compared to other parks in the nation. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KI FANATIC 37 Posted September 2, 2012 Share Posted September 2, 2012 I buy a Platnuim Pass every year. I think $179 is pretty cheap for infinite visits all year. I think $200 would be fair. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KI FANATIC 37 Posted September 2, 2012 Share Posted September 2, 2012 Just wondering how bad are other CF parks on the amount of teens thier? Sorry for double posting. They're a lot of teens in CF parks. I don't think its a bad thing, Whats bad is how the majority of them act. I know when I go with my friends we do not bother a soul and do not randomly shout profanities and giggle like a bunch of tools. Thats the one word I would use to describe some of the teens (and 12 year olds) in the park, "tools". They walk around thinking they are the King of the World and making the average guests day less enjoyable. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joncars05 Posted September 2, 2012 Author Share Posted September 2, 2012 Just wondering how bad are other CF parks on the amount of teens thier? Sorry for double posting. They're a lot of teens in CF parks. I don't think its a bad thing, Whats bad is how the majority of them act. I know when I go with my friends we do not bother a soul and do not randomly shout profanities and giggle like a bunch of tools. Thats the one word I would use to describe some of the teens (and 12 year olds) in the park, "tools". They walk around thinking they are the King of the World and making the average guests day less enjoyable. I think you are exactly right. It's not the amount of kids in the park. It is the way some of them act. I just would like to see the rules enforced throughout the park, especially when it comes to behavior from individuals (no matter their age). I also agree that even at $200 free parking and admission, ERT, HH admission, water park admission, and discounts for food and merchandise for 11 parks is a pretty awesome deal! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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