How is your cell phone coverage at KI?

[BoddaH1994]

Hey everyone -

I'm just wondering how your coverage is at Kings Island this year. I know it's kind of a strange question. I've been running on the Sprint network for over 10 years now and have been really happy with the service, but KI has always been an issue this year.

In years past, thing would only go awry on extremely busy days - like Saturdays during Haunt - but this year it's been really bad every day. Roaming constantly, horrible data speeds, unable to text, etc.

I know that they put a micro-cell in for AT&T, and that's worked out really well for those users. How are the other carriers? Are other Sprint users have issues too?

[The Interpreter]

Verizon coverage in the parking lot is spotty.

I don't carry a cellphone in the park.

At least not...yet.

Terp: Never say never.

[malem]

Somehow, I've used all 3 major carriers at the park this season. (I have multiple devices, and I switched carriers on one.)

Sprint has decent wimax speeds in some areas of the park, but it's hard to get a signal. Sprint CDMA service is rather terrible at KI, and LTE isn't rolled out there yet.

Verizon's coverage is great all-around. I've had no problems with their (LTE or CDMA) service anywhere in the park.

AT&T also has good LTE and GSM coverage at the park now, but it doesn't work at all inside Flight of Fear.

[dwitb]

I have AT&T. Last year, on the busier days like Haunt, I had 5 bars, but the data didn't quick work and I wasn't able to make calls or text. It has gotten better, but my battery only lasts about 3-4 hours. I image that it will only be worse during Haunt, again. Everyone else I go to KI with has Verizon. They never have connectivity issue. Not even during Haunt.

[dwitb]

Somehow, I've used all 3 major carriers at the park this season. (I have multiple devices, and I switched carriers on one.)

Sprint has decent wimax speeds in some areas of the park, but it's hard to get a signal. Sprint CDMA service is rather terrible at KI, and LTE isn't rolled out there yet.

Verizon's coverage is great all-around. I've had no problems with their (LTE or CDMA) service anywhere in the park.

AT&T also has good LTE and GSM coverage at the park now, but it doesn't work at all inside Flight of Fear.

Yes, I lose service in FoF. The LTE speed at KI is great. Definitely a battery zapper for me.

[Dieseltech20]

When I was on Tmobile it worked flawlessly. This year AT&T has worked great.

[jcgoble3]

My TracFone phone, running on the AT&T network, always had problems getting a signal on busy days, but that was more a case of having bars but no service, which I'm guessing is because AT&T had kicked me off the network so they could put their own customers first. However, this year it began experiencing those problems even on days with moderately light crowds, and I could not get service inside the Festhaus or Flight of Fear at all.

Having switched to Verizon early last month, I have had no problems with it, but I have yet to test it on a truly busy day. Service is fine in the Festhaus; I haven't tested it in Flight of Fear.

[malem]

Verizon's coverage works great inside Flight of Fear. Standing in line there, it's easy to tell who has which carrier.

[calakapepe]

I'm on Sprint as well and have noticed disappointment in service at Kings Island. So much so, that I don't count on texting people while at the park anymore.

Before I left for vacation in early July, my service was fine, and was as standard as it has always been for years. But, once I returned at the end of July until now, I've had very poor service (even if my phone says I have full bars) and 3G won't work very fast, if at all..

Frustrating, but good to see it's not my phone's issues.

[BoddaH1994]

Oddly enough, Sprint typically worked well inside FoF. Never even really had a signal issue anywhere inside the park until recently. Simply put - the network is clogged. They are in the process of upgrading it, but it's frustrating.

[CharleyTheDinosaur]

I have Sprint and while I have full or mostly full bars and 3G through most of the park, for some reason apps are basically useless there. I have lost all hope of winning a Tweetup prize.

[BoddaH1994]

^ For now. I assure you that their Network Vision upgrade will improve things ten fold. It's just a matter of when...

[milesharrison]

I have AT&T and ever since they installed the micro-cell, I've had full LTE coverage with 5 bars (or 5 dots when speaking of iOS7 ) and like others have said, only exception is on super busy days when the speed slightly decreases (even though I have full bars) and in FoF where I get nothin'. The one annoyance I've found is that if my phone tries to search for a network connection while in FoF (which it often does), it jams the connection and even when I'm out and about in the park again, I end up having to reboot my phone because it can't reconnect. That may just be an iPhone 5 issue though. I really don't know.

Hope that helps a little!

[calakapepe]

^ For now. I assure you that their Network Vision upgrade will improve things ten fold. It's just a matter of when...

Yeah, I've tweeted at Sprint before when I first became exposed to 4G speeds and I told them that I'd love to have this in Cincinnati. And they said "upgrades" haha

(paraphrasing)

I'd like these upgrades to show some progression soon!

[Oldiesmann]

My sister and I are also on Sprint, and have also experienced problems with Sprint all season. Data speeds are terrible, roaming or "1x" data for me (1X is slower than 3G - not sure what the official technical term is), random dropped connections (I'll have 3G then as soon as I try to use an app that requires a data connection, I suddenly don't have any data connection at all), etc.

Even on slower days it's been bad, but as soon as you get out of the park, it's not bad at all (I didn't have any trouble checking in on Foursquare at the BP on 741 just west of I-71).

[jcgoble3]

but as soon as you get out of the park, it's not bad at all (I didn't have any trouble checking in on Foursquare at the BP on 741 just west of I-71).

And that's what baffled me with my old TracFone service. I would have trouble getting service in the park and in the parking lot, but as soon as I left and went somewhere close by, I had no issues with it. I would assume that having only traveled a mile or so from the park, I would likely still be on the same tower(s), so what's going on?

[geebs11]

I have Verizon and an I-Phone..and the only place it doesn't really work.......is inside Flight of Fear queue

And........I'm usually always streaming a MLB game via audio on the MLB app while I'm in the park.....since the majority of my trips are by myself......I pop my headphones in during long waits

But, thats the only place around the park I've noticed a problem.

[dwitb]

Verizon's coverage works great inside Flight of Fear. Standing in line there, it's easy to tell who has which carrier.

On the announcement night I was standing in FoF line. I saw people tweeting and texting. I was standing there wanting to grab their phones and throw then in the ground because I couldn't do anything.

[dwitb]

I have AT&T and ever since they installed the micro-cell, I've had full LTE coverage with 5 bars (or 5 dots when speaking of iOS7 ) and like others have said, only exception is on super busy days when the speed slightly decreases (even though I have full bars) and in FoF where I get nothin'. The one annoyance I've found is that if my phone tries to search for a network connection while in FoF (which it often does), it jams the connection and even when I'm out and about in the park again, I end up having to reboot my phone because it can't reconnect. That may just be an iPhone 5 issue though. I really don't know. Hope that helps a little!

I think it's the iPhone 5. I too have a 5. It does the exact same thing after getting off FoF. But it also does it whenever I'm in a building without a signal for, I'd say, 1-2 hours. Has to be iPhone 5.

[dwitb]

I have AT&T and ever since they installed the micro-cell, I've had full LTE coverage with 5 bars (or 5 dots when speaking of iOS7 ) and like others have said, only exception is on super busy days when the speed slightly decreases (even though I have full bars) and in FoF where I get nothin'. The one annoyance I've found is that if my phone tries to search for a network connection while in FoF (which it often does), it jams the connection and even when I'm out and about in the park again, I end up having to reboot my phone because it can't reconnect. That may just be an iPhone 5 issue though. I really don't know. Hope that helps a little!

I think it's the iPhone 5. I too have a 5. It does the exact same thing after getting off FoF. But it also does it whenever I'm in a building without a signal for, I'd say, 1-2 hours. Has to be iPhone 5.

It could just be the iPhone 5 on the AT&T network. I'm actually ready to switch to Verizon.

[nhimes90]

I have Verizon and like what Boddah said I have never had a problem with cell service inside the park unless it was a busy day until this year. In fact I even called Verizon and told them how my phone doesnt work when I'm in the vicintity of the park. Verizon stated that I was not the first to call and complain and in fact they sent techs out to research the problem because Verizon (as of two years ago) just put a new LTE tower right by 71(by the BP station). The person I spoke with there said that it is actually KI's radio and communication systems that are interfering with the cell tower signals. So long story short....for some reason the short wave radio system KI uses messes with cell signals sometimes.

[Creed Bratton]

Earlier in the season I had Sprint and the coverage was absolutely terrible, to the point I couldn't even use my phone except for a watch.

Later on I switched to Verizon and had wonderful service in the park!

[spitfire]

I have Verizon and have never noticed any real issues with it inside the park. There are probably areas where I lose bars or it goes out for a moment, but I can't recall ever having a problem with it. Then again, I don't use my phone much in the park, usually just to check the time, take pictures, or answer any texts that may come in. The last time I visited, I had no trouble texting/calling from the parking lot or outside the gate.

[Hoeter]

I'm on Verizon and I've mostly had no issues so far this season with getting a signal for mobile data.

The only time I had a problem was last Thursday night for the ride announcement.

[JTW]

My wife and I use Sprint and my service has been frustrating at the park. There are times I go it alone and (try to) send her pictures and texts and it seems like it won't work at all.

[thedevariouseffect]

I have a sprint HTC One...spotty coverage or lack of data/voice coverage period

I have it set to be able to roam outside of domestic voice/data and sometimes piggybacks on another CDMA network, but this only happens from time to time.

Coverage in the park is ok out towards the parking lot/front area, however as soon as I start heading to back anywhere past Skyline on IS, my connection is terrible.

Sprint, the now network

[M & M Productions]

I was with Sprint for several years, I never had good reception at Kings Island. Data speeds........What data speeds? All I know is I would go to the park and within an hour my battery would be half gone. I would always just have to turn data off to conserve my battery and I always had issues with sending text messages. It would take 5 - 20 minutes just to send or receive one. I finally said enough is enough and made the switch to AT&T couldn't be happier. I have full bar reception at Kings Island and have 4GLTE data coverage.

[IndyGuy4KI]

I have had all three major carriers (Sprint, AT&T, and now Verizon) It would take a lot to make me want to change from Verizon. Most definitely the superior network.

I consider Sprint a Mickey Mouse company that wants to have cell service, for I spent more time out of service than having service.

For several seasons at haunt I helped Avatar with photo updates to KIC for his AT&T network would not allow him service to do so. Half the time we could only text people that were on AT&T for phone calls would not go through. I am guessing with the AT&T tower upgrades, this will help this haunt season!

[thedevariouseffect]

See I don't have coverage at KI which is ok, I only need it here and there in the park, however everywhere else, especially here in the hospital I have excellent coverage.

[Vortex]

I have t-Mobile I can get calls and text, but my data (net)never works at the park.