malem Posted March 22, 2013 Share Posted March 22, 2013 Jr for Birdy, on 22 Mar 2013 - 13:13, said: this extra pay for 2 more rides comes across as greedy to me and I will not purchase FASTLANE at all this year! I would guess that most Fast Lane guests don't marathon rides, instead using the perk to avoid spending the day in queues. The park would prefer that guests be in shops, restaurants, and games. For these guests, the change means that they might have to wait in a maximum of two queues all day. The park might not mind losing those of us who use much more Fast Lane capacity than average. In fact, losing these type of customers might let them sell more passes without affecting anyone's experience. In short, I think a "plus" Fast Lane is a good idea, as anyone marathoning The Beast on a busy day should pay a lot. I don't really like the strategy of completely excluding the two rides from the regular Fast Lane pass. No matter how well they communicate the changes, there will be angry guests. Many people simply don't pay attention. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TTD-120-420 Posted March 22, 2013 Share Posted March 22, 2013 I have no problem with this or the original Fastlane. It makes the park(s) boat loads of money. No one is forcing you to buy it. The ones that do buy it will not affect your wait by a substantial amount. On the busy days that it does somewhat affect your wait then you should have picked a different day to visit. I bet you guys really hate airlines, concerts, sporting events, etc... for their first class ticket options. This tiered option is not just in amusement parks. You guys are just complaining about this because it's fresh in your minds. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Nemo Posted March 22, 2013 Share Posted March 22, 2013 Guys!!!! We're getting a nice sit down restaurant, shut up and be happy! 13 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jr for Birdy Posted March 23, 2013 Share Posted March 23, 2013 I will sit in the new restaurant and be happy! I wont buy fastlane,because now I fear what they will do in the future if I keep supporting it! I dont want to pay for every ride in 10 years,thats where this is headed. Im not a "Yes Sir" , I work for myself and I speak my mind about how I feel,I dont like this idea and if they read it then good ,if not,I still save money because im not going to support a system that is leading to a pay per ride conclusion in a few years. Im in Planet Snoopy 80% of the time anyways,so it is what it is. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BB1 Posted March 23, 2013 Share Posted March 23, 2013 I'll just keep to my ERT on The Beast.... 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Creed Bratton Posted March 23, 2013 Share Posted March 23, 2013 (edited) I still save money because im not going to support a system that is leading to a pay per ride conclusion in a few years. Im in Planet Snoopy 80% of the time anyways,so it is what it is. Is Disney headed to pay per ride? They've had a "fast pass" system for quite a while now, yet they haven't moved anywhere close to a pay per ride system. I think you are exagerating a bit about that, I mean, if you were to ride a metro system for one price one year, the next year the fee grows a bit or a second option comes along that gets you there just a little bit quicker, does that mean down the road the metro system will start charging per foot you pass over? No. I am pretty sure there are some parks out there that do have a entrance fee and then you have to pay per ride. If you are in Planet Snoopy 80% of the time, then why are you worrying about Fast Lane in a portion of the park you're in 20% of the time or 10% of the time assuming you visit Soak City while at the park. How many other parks have a Fast Pass system? How many of the parks have people constantly complaining about them? We're in an age of instant gratification and entitlement. If something doesn't happen right away, we're quick to shoot down the reason it didn't go the way we wanted it. If someone gets on a ride before we do because they purchased an upgrade to allow them to board before those who didn't purchase it, we all start with the "Oh my gosh, this was the worst decision ever that Cedar Fair could have made, I paid for a season pass to get into the park I shouldn't have to wait because someone purchased an upgrade. I waited in this line on a Saturday for 30 more minutes that I think I should have waited because someone bought a Fast Lane wristband." Edit: In General: To the things that I've seen on this board here on KIC, I say, be thankful that you have a park to go to, be thankful that you have the ability to even purchase a ticket/season pass to Kings Island, be thankful that you have the opportunity to go to the park as many times as you'd like (assuming you have a Season Pass) or be thankful that you are a part of the community that can guide you if you can only go for one visit to Kings Island to go on a fairly "slow" day that you won't have to deal with Fast Lane as much. Edited March 23, 2013 by chugh43 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheCrypt Posted March 23, 2013 Share Posted March 23, 2013 I forget who said it here, and I'm not going to sift through a sea of complaints, but it is possible to do a one-ride policy with Fast Lane. I believe Kings Dominion was the park who implemented this for Volcano. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vortex Posted March 23, 2013 Share Posted March 23, 2013 Funny when the park had no Fast Lane The Beast was a walk on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jr for Birdy Posted March 23, 2013 Share Posted March 23, 2013 Lets see? If im in Planet Snoopy 80% of the time,Im only riding coasters the other 20% of the time! Thats why I get fastlane, I thought it was pretty simple to figure out,I want to get some rides in when my wife and kids take a long lunch inside to cool off. I just like to keep things simple,im not a fan of adding more and more upgrades,thats all! Im aloud to voice my opinion and thats all it is,I still love Kings Island and im forever greatful every year my family can go! Alot of great memories with relatives and friends who have past,and my family and friends still today. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Creed Bratton Posted March 23, 2013 Share Posted March 23, 2013 I did not say that you couldn't voice your opinion. I'm merely trying to understand why you are so against Fast Lane if you're only going to ride the coasters 20% of the time.I do have a question, I'm asking in respect, the post above mine says you won't get a Fast Lane, but this recent one does. Are you against it or are you against the "upgraded" option?I've edited my post to show that I wasn't pointing you out specifically on the being grateful, etc, that was in general.A general question: Of those who buy a Fast Lane pass, are they more than likely to upgrade that pass to add two of the more popular rides to the package? To me, it's a marketing thing....if someone is already going to spend extra to experience something, why not give them an upgrade option for an increased price? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hank Posted March 23, 2013 Share Posted March 23, 2013 The 'add on" stuff has happened in all fields. Houses, cars, airlines, concert events, ballparks, etc. - and yes, even cell phones. Those cell phone companies are making money out the ass with everyone having to have "instant gratification" (as one poster has said) and all at your expense. So along comes amusement parks with this money making fast pass thing - at your expense. If you can't afford it, you lose. If you don't have the money, you live in a poor neighborhood, drive a puddle jumper car, sit in the bleachers (with Taylor Swift) and bring binoculars to a concert (if you even can go in the first place). Is it fair - if you have money, it doesn't seem to matter. I choose not to purchase a fast pass because I don't have the money and I fall into the bleacher section crowd. Is it fair - depends on the customer, just like all of the other things. And by the way, gang,....most amusement parks started out on a pay per ride basis - including Disney. So if it goes back to that, I believe they could make even more money, but it would cost them a bit more to add ticket sales booths, ticket takers, ticket printers, etc. - not to mention, it would slow things down when it came to ride boarding, park entrance, and all other facets of the park that were abandoned when the pay one price thing started. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PKIVortex Posted March 23, 2013 Share Posted March 23, 2013 I really don't know how I feel about this, but I have only had Fast Lane when I got the 50 percent off thru Funperks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jr for Birdy Posted March 23, 2013 Share Posted March 23, 2013 I was just speaking of my fastlane purchases from last season. Im just tired of upgrade after upgrade. I understand its happening everywhere. What can you do? Im beat up now,I give up on this topic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KI-ORIG-EMP Posted March 23, 2013 Share Posted March 23, 2013 Hank is correct. Parks like Coney Island, before they moved to Kings Mills, operated on a pay per ride basis. You bought a roll of ride tickets and gave the tickets to the attendant at each ride. Rides like the Shooting Star required more tickets than a ride like the Lost River. You also paid a low admission price and or a parking fee, depending on the park. I know lots of older guests have inquired about this as guests like my 90 year old father do not ride the rides but they take their grand kids to the park. In today's age of pay-per-view movies, premium content, closer to the event of a show, the higher the price. The higher the demand for products, the higher the price and so forth. Parks research all ways to increase revenues without raising the cost of admission beyond the point that guest stop paying. They look for a happy medium that satisfies everyone. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Department47 Posted March 23, 2013 Share Posted March 23, 2013 Funny when the park had no Fast Lane The Beast was a walk on.Oh really? I can recall many times I went prior to 2011 when The Beast had a near full, if not totally full, queue. The day you visit drastically affects the length of the line - sometimes it is indeed a walk-on, but many other times it'll be crowded, Fast Lane or not. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tanna Posted March 23, 2013 Share Posted March 23, 2013 I'm not a FastLane user, but I benefit by what I believe they call 'pulsing' the station. Since there's usually just two of us in our party, we get up front pretty quickly. I agree I can see Firehawk being a problem with Fastlane, as stated above by the slow loading time, but The Beast? Is it because the ride is relatively long? My problem with this is the family vacation crowd, the people that are only going to visit that one special day. Fastlane is mostly for that crowd, and to get an upcharge on top of that seems no good. If they are going to pay extra to get more bang for their vacation, why should they have to wait the long lines for a signature ride like The Beast? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DontWantToWait42mar0 Posted March 23, 2013 Share Posted March 23, 2013 Fast pass on the weekend? Yes. On a weekday? No. The Beast has much longer wait times on weekends, and Firehawk is just low capacity. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KIfan73 Posted March 23, 2013 Share Posted March 23, 2013 I don't have a problem with Fast Lane(s) itself. However, something I observed last summer did concern me. I visited in June during the week when normally the lines are pretty short, at least until early afternoon. On that trip, by 11AM, the lines were Saturday morning-esque. There were also a couple main rides down…I'm sure officially due to maintenance. I wonder, will the park purposefully create a demand for Fast Lane by manipulating ride operations to ensure long lines? This, I would have a problem with. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stashua123 Posted March 23, 2013 Share Posted March 23, 2013 Even though Fridays are not THAT busy. Ive experienced a 3 hour wait for Firehawk during a weekday so i think its a great idea. I might buy it on opening day because of the usually long lines. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vortex Posted March 23, 2013 Share Posted March 23, 2013 Funny when the park had no Fast Lane The Beast was a walk on.Oh really? I can recall many times I went prior to 2011 when The Beast had a near full, if not totally full, queue. The day you visit drastically affects the length of the line - sometimes it is indeed a walk-on, but many other times it'll be crowded, Fast Lane or not.Yes I understand that. I have been going to Kings Island for a long time. Just to show you old I am the line for The Beast started down by the lake way back when. For me anything starts at the The Beast entrance is a short line. Guess I have a different understanding of walk on than you.Man I am getting old. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rotag Posted March 23, 2013 Share Posted March 23, 2013 You'll love Camden Park. It's awesome. Enjoy a Pronto Pup. And know they don't sell Fast Lane! they'll love Indiana Beach as well. there you can get a Pronto Pup & a World Famous Taco. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Woody Posted March 23, 2013 Share Posted March 23, 2013 Here at my home park, Busch Gardens Tampa, we have something similar called "Quick Queue". There are two tiers. The lower tier, which cost half as much as the upper, allows you to skip the line ONCE at the major attractions. They give you a punchcard pass with a lanyard, which gets punched everytime you use it. You can use it for every ride, or to ride one over and over until your card is all punched out. Which is great because lets say one coaster is slammed,while the other has just a short wait. You get the idea. The upper tier is unlimited and cost twice as much. It was trial and error when BG started this a few years ago. People got ****ed when the operator would tell them to hold up while a QQ was sitted and they had to wait for the next train. So BG actually ROPED OFF a car just for QQ. They stayed roped off till a QQ came along...while everyone in the meantime watched this empty car make the line even longer. Now, a QQ gets to skip the major line, then "blends in" when they reach the front. Which kinda sucks, because the old way you went up the exit queue away from everyone else. Now it feels that you really are cutting in front of people...but usually its so busy, and everyone else is happy that they're at the front as well,so I really havent had a problem. I grew up near KI. I remember when The Beast served refreshments at the snack bar in line...sodas,nachos,pretzels etc. Problem was,as you're standing there waiting for your grub, the line was moving. Try to run and get your spot back..good luck. Even trying to just get back in line there at the snack bar sucked... you werent in front of that person before, but you bought an ICEE, so now you are...lol. Since I live here, I know when to go and when not to. The only time I get the unlimited upgrade is maybe for a bday present for my son, and we go marathon everything. Even with the QQ, the lines here run pretty quick. However, most of our coasters sit four wide. So thats something to consider. I can see where a pass would have a bigger effect on a park like KI with just 2 wide coasters. I dont blame tourists who get the QQ. Its the best way to experience our park in a day. BG has a great deal for locals. You pay the regular admission,which now is $90. Then you get to come back for the rest of the calendar year. Considering BG is open 365, pretty good deal. Point being,BG takes care of the locals, so I dont mind if the family from Toledo wants to shell out extra so they get to experience in a day what I get to do all year. The idea of fast pass does make me feel cheated in a way. Cheated in the sense that its been a long time coming. I wonder how many more times I couldve rode the King Cobra, or The Racers backwards, or The Beast just one more time on the 4th of July. I have great memories of KI, and all the fun I had on my favorite rides,some of the rides of which will forever be memories. I also remember waiting 2 hours in lines in the sweltering heat on a Saturday afternoon. Its nice to know I can go back and relive those memories,with the option of not reliving the long queues. I'm coming up there this summer with my son, and guess what? It's his birthday! 12 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Interpreter Posted March 23, 2013 Share Posted March 23, 2013 Welcome to KIC! Stick around, and have FUN! 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DontWantToWait42mar0 Posted March 23, 2013 Share Posted March 23, 2013 ^^I like the sound of Bush Gardens fast pass better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheBEASTunchained Posted March 24, 2013 Share Posted March 24, 2013 I don't know whether I do or don't like this idea of the "Plus" option yet or not, but either way its not worth complaining about guys. Change is and always has been inevitable at amusement parks and in life as a whole. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SonofBaconator Posted March 24, 2013 Share Posted March 24, 2013 How much money does Cedar Fair think they will make, honestly? I'm sorry but, no one is going to pay that much. I already get hacked off when I wait for an hour in line for Firehawk and I see other people just walk right towards the station. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdawg1998 Posted March 24, 2013 Share Posted March 24, 2013 How much money does Cedar Fair think they will make, honestly? I'm sorry but, no one is going to pay that much. I already get hacked off when I wait for an hour in line for Firehawk and I see other people just walk right towards the station. Well, I guess Cedar Fair thinks so. Why would they add it if they think it wouldn't work? (or maybe it's a test). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DontWantToWait42mar0 Posted March 24, 2013 Share Posted March 24, 2013 Maybe KI will build a new coaster for 2014, and then maybe that ride is also added to the "plus", thus pricing people in for more money... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheCrypt Posted March 24, 2013 Share Posted March 24, 2013 How much money does Cedar Fair think they will make, honestly? I'm sorry but, no one is going to pay that much. You'd be surprised to see how fast $10 adds up. Also, just because you won't pay an extra ten dollars doesn't mean other people won't. I'm thinking this will be a very popular item this summer due to the popularity of the two Plus attractions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PKIVortex Posted March 24, 2013 Share Posted March 24, 2013 I'm honestly just wondering how long this Fast Lane plus will last. I have a feeling if not many people go with the Plus choice that it may go away, only time will tell! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.