CoastersRZ Posted April 4, 2016 Share Posted April 4, 2016 Yes, please use the report button to notify us of a specific post or user that needs to be addressed. The user in question has been addressed appropriately. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoeter Posted April 4, 2016 Share Posted April 4, 2016 Per Greg Scheid's Twitter account, @KIGMGREG. Looking good! Less than two weeks now until the second most important Opening Day in Cincinnati! Has it been announced how many passholder lanes there will be and if these (I would think) would be automated? 16 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IBEW_Sparky Posted April 4, 2016 Share Posted April 4, 2016 OK, this is one area where I have to say NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO to automation. First, look at how many people cant seem to grasp the "Insert card magnetic strip down" instructions on an ATM machine. Second, that is the absolute last place we would want one of the automated machines to malfunction/fail. Can you imagine the congestion/road rage/disaster that could result from that?? I am a big, big proponent of self-checkout lanes at stores, but a busy parking lot toll gate..... no. 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ohioparksrock Posted April 4, 2016 Share Posted April 4, 2016 I'm thinking more about the people seeing a shorter line and getting into the passholder Lane and not being a passholder. Leaving Chicago last weekend, the EZ pass tolls had zero line but the cash one was 8-10 cars deep. Soooo many non EZ pass people were screwing things up not being in the right lane! 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
calakapepe Posted April 4, 2016 Share Posted April 4, 2016 Let alone, if you don't know what EZ Pass is.. My first time coming up to one, I almost went to the clear lane and.. idk what kind of ticket I would have received And I'm almost positive that the parking toll plaza will not be automated at all.. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dragsterguy21 Posted April 4, 2016 Share Posted April 4, 2016 That would require a RFID chip and those aren't the cheapest things to put into a season pass. Plus everybody would need pass reprints. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aandjgoods Posted April 4, 2016 Share Posted April 4, 2016 I feel like there are going to be more cars at any given moment with a pass versus paying with money for parking, which makes me wonder, will pass holders only be allowed to go in their respective designated lanes? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
calakapepe Posted April 4, 2016 Share Posted April 4, 2016 That would require a RFID chip and those aren't the cheapest things to put into a season pass. Plus everybody would need pass reprints. Also, if it were automated, people could give their friend, who bought a ticket, their season pass (maybe they're working that day) and essentially letting the one-day ticket holder steal in order to get free parking. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CoastersRZ Posted April 4, 2016 Share Posted April 4, 2016 I am sure that they have a system in place to prevent such things from happening. It could be that they have a couple lanes dedicated to strictly passholders but still staffed with employees. Since they do not have to do deal with handling cash, it should speed up the entry process. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Creed Bratton Posted April 4, 2016 Share Posted April 4, 2016 Per Greg Scheid's Twitter account, @KIGMGREG. Looking good! Less than two weeks now until the second most important Opening Day in Cincinnati! Has it been announced how many passholder lanes there will be and if these (I would think) would be automated? Just had a thought..... I'm wondering if the island (where the tree and bushes have been planted) will feature The Peanuts Gang in shrubbery form. That'd be a great touch! 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KIfan73 Posted April 4, 2016 Share Posted April 4, 2016 Finishing that toll building on time must have been one of the more stressful projects...you're throwing a huge party with thousands of people coming, and they all have to pass through that gate to get in! 13 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
calakapepe Posted April 4, 2016 Share Posted April 4, 2016 It could be that they have a couple lanes dedicated to strictly passholders but still staffed with employees. They will have lanes dedicated for pass holders, that has been announced. And having the employees makes it not an automated process haha which is what I was criticising and saying that it isn't probable due to (see my last post) 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CoastersRZ Posted April 4, 2016 Share Posted April 4, 2016 They could always go the route that Disney has and tie biometric data to passes. When using Disney multi-day tickets, which are non-transferable, it is linked to a finger print scan. That being said, I don`t see Kings Island doing this. It will be interesting to see exactly how these lanes work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
calakapepe Posted April 4, 2016 Share Posted April 4, 2016 I personally hope they don't start doing the finger print scanning... 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bkroz Posted April 4, 2016 Share Posted April 4, 2016 While the flashy technological wonder of an automated passholder lane is interesting, there's something to be said for being greeted*, even if it is at a toll plaza. For me, my first encounter with Busch Gardens Williamsburg is at the toll plaza. I would prefer if I weren't forking over $15 each time, but I greatly appreciate the bright enthusiasm and welcome I recieve every single time. It seems to me (in my experience) that the parking plaza is often staffed with wonderful older adults who are genuinely pleasant and informative. "Welcome to Busch Gardens! Be sure to check out our new show in Festhaus this year – that'll be up the hill in Oktoberfest. We're open till 10 tonight, so enjoy the fireworks at 9:30, alright? Here's a map. Stay to the right ahead and have a great day! See you soon!" They don't race through each transaction (which some might complain about) but I actually feel like they care how my day will be. Pulling up to a gate and scanning a pass or credit card wouldn't be the same. It's the little things, like positioning greeters* at the toll plaza and trams whisking you to the gates. * Greeting chosen specifically; not to be confused with swiping a credit card or scanning a pass and saying "Hello. It's $15 please." 11 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
calakapepe Posted April 4, 2016 Share Posted April 4, 2016 Yeah. A human touch is a nice thing to have.. even in 2016 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TombRaiderFTW Posted April 4, 2016 Share Posted April 4, 2016 Ugh. Please, no fingerprint scanners anywhere near here. It takes AGES to get into Six Flags Fiesta Texas and Six Flags St. Louis because of the things. (That's one of the few things I dislike about either place!) 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Interpreter Posted April 4, 2016 Share Posted April 4, 2016 See also Busch Gardens/SeaWorld. SFA doesn't fingerprint... 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeeastFarmer Posted April 4, 2016 Share Posted April 4, 2016 I was interested to see how the toll plaza at Carowinds worked. KI's version seems to be the same, except larger. Carowinds toll plaza was not automated in any lane. And for some reason, they give a reciept, even if you are a pass holder. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Interpreter Posted April 4, 2016 Share Posted April 4, 2016 Re-entry. I'm told your pass gets you ONE parking lot entry a day down there. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeeastFarmer Posted April 4, 2016 Share Posted April 4, 2016 That didn't happen with me. I left the park mid afternoon to go do some homework at the hotel, re-entered with my pass and got another receipt. I even got a "wow, a platinum pass holder, thank you and enjoy Carowinds" at almost every point of contact when my pass was used. Talk about human touch! 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bkroz Posted April 4, 2016 Share Posted April 4, 2016 Ugh. Please, no fingerprint scanners anywhere near here. It takes AGES to get into Six Flags Fiesta Texas and Six Flags St. Louis because of the things. (That's one of the few things I dislike about either place!) It has occurred to me that my home park – in my case, I consider that Kings Island – is subject to greater scrutiny in things like this. I first recognized this phenomenon when I first encountered Busch Gardens' restaurant menus on flatscreen televisions, complete with animation and photographs and videos. At the time, I'd never seen anything like it and thought it was brilliant and classy and yet another example of the park's commitment to quality. When Kings Island got the same thing, I thought it was a sneaky, dastardly way to raise prices (and dining plan options for that matter) whenever they saw fit since it could be done electronically. Similarly, when I go to Busch Gardens Williamsburg, the fingerprint scanner is an "oooh ahhh" moment for my friends and I. Technology for the sake of technology? Maybe. It probably even takes longer than any other system might. But like the greeters or the tram, it's evidence that this park is different from the ones "back home." If Kings Island got fingerprint scanners, I'd probably be bothered and think it was a real hold-up in line and an unnecessary gimmick. See also Quick Queue. "What a convenience! How smart to employ such a simple system!" Then, Fast Lane? A money grab. An annoyance. A gimmick. Cheap. Why would I feel that way though? It's illogical, right? What's the difference? I don't know... 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Interpreter Posted April 4, 2016 Share Posted April 4, 2016 "Familiarity breeds contempt." 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bkroz Posted April 4, 2016 Share Posted April 4, 2016 No kidding – ask my wife! Bkroz, not married. 10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TombRaiderFTW Posted April 5, 2016 Share Posted April 5, 2016 That makes sense to me, anyway. If you already have a positive opinion of something, then (in my opinion, anyway) you're more likely to like anything that comes from it or forgive something you may dislike. If you already have a negative opinion of something or if you feel disenchanted, then you're less likely to see the good in something it does. That's why enthusiasts can, in one breath, condemn Six Flags in-park advertising and praise things like FunTV and Epcot. Or that's why some Disney Parks fans can look down on Universal parks (and vice versa), or why some Android fans cringe at the idea of using Apple technology (and vice versa)... The list goes on and on. You've indicated here several times how much you like BGW, so it makes sense to me that you'd be more accepting of Quick Queue and anything else they do over the Kings Island equivalent. Heck, I'm right there with you--I've purchased QQ before, but not Fast Lane. And I've been in crowds at both SeaWorld Parks and Resorts parks and Cedar Fair parks that warranted a front-of-the-line pass to ensure that everything got done that day. In the case of fingerprint scanners, the current technology does not seem terribly efficient. At the Six Flagses I mentioned, the plazas in front of the entry gates are SWAMPED with people waiting in line to enter the park. And the lines are incredibly slow, whether from fingers requiring rescanning or people not understanding what they're supposed to do or from the slow machines themselves. The BG and SW scanners are faster and simpler but still not as fast as what Kings Island does. The Universal and Disney parks handle it well, but should we consider them outliers because of the budget that went into them working as well as they do? I don't know. My hesitation (hopefully) isn't due to home park bias--just hesitation from what I've noticed at other seasonal parks. To be honest, I'm not sure I understand myself why fingerprint technology is becoming popular--is it a re-entry thing? What is being improved or prevented by scanning fingers? I feel like I'm missing something. Kings Island is my home park too, and if they can improve on the technology as it exists for seasonal parks, then I'd love for them to get it. Right now, it's mostly a bother. Not one that ruins my day or anything, but it's a little annoying. Again, I'm not sure I understand the benefits to know if they outweigh the inconveniences. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bkroz Posted April 5, 2016 Share Posted April 5, 2016 I think fingerprint scanners catch on because they're reliably able to ensure that the same guest is using the entry method each time, particularly for parks where multiple entries with one ticket are likely. At destination parks, it's pretty unlikely that someone is visiting for one day, one time the entire year. They probably have a pass or multi-day tickets. There are a few ways to make sure that the same person is using the same ticket each day: photographs and fingerprints come to mind. At Walt Disney World, you buy a five-day Park Hopper ticket, let's say. There is no "pass processing" center where you have to go activate it, so rather than taking your photograph, they rely on your fingerprint. Same at Busch Gardens or SeaWorld: for the price of a day, come back all summer with a Fun Card. A little ticket machine pops it out. Your photograph isn't taken, so how can they be sure that the same person is using the ticket each time? Fingerprints! At Kings Island, your photograph is associated with your pass if you have one. If you don't, at the very most you can get a two-day ticket. Last time I did that, their "fraud protection" was that you signed the back of the ticket on day #1 and again on day #2. They then carefully, forensically analyze your signatures to ensure that they match. Basically, parks just have to choose 1) if they care about making sure the same person is using the ticket each day (most do) and 2) how to go about policing that. Photographs make sense when you've got a captive audience (i.e. season passholders who have to process their passes in a pass processing building set up for photographs) but collecting the photo of every Walt Disney World guest using anything but a one-day one-park ticket is a big endeavor. Plus, one employee can monitor a bank of fingerprint entries, whereas it's one employee per portal for the photograph kind. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TombRaiderFTW Posted April 5, 2016 Share Posted April 5, 2016 That makes sense. I don't know why I didn't notice that the fingerprint parks don't take pictures... and I've been a Six Flags passholder for the last couple years (except for the year I got my pass at Six Flags America, where they don't have fingerprint scanners, so the passes have pictures. They also use the low-tech waterpark/wristband version of the Flash Pass technology for all applicable rides instead of the handheld device. I feel like there are reasons for these things.) I feel a little silly! In that case, I understand why parks use fingerprint scanners. I would just hope that Kings Island would aim more for the Busch Gardens-quality scanners instead of the Six Flags-quality ones. The time spent in line at the pass processing building would likely be replaced by time spent trying to get in the park, in that case. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Creed Bratton Posted April 5, 2016 Share Posted April 5, 2016 Don't forget, Six Flags generally have metal detectors before you get to the finger print scanners....those also allow for backups trying to get into the park. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shark6495 Posted April 5, 2016 Share Posted April 5, 2016 The only negative to the finger print scanners at Disney (linked to the magic bands as well FYI) was they had to be linked at the parks gate versus at the hotel. It slows down a bit because you just want to get in and they want to get a few finger prints. Would be nice to register them at the hotel and not at the gate Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
calakapepe Posted April 5, 2016 Share Posted April 5, 2016 Id rather they allow you to upload your picture to be printed on a pass and then mailed in (KK does it and I really really appreciate it).. just make sure your system tells you if it's going to print a 1x1 ratio or not.. skewed ratios look silly. Even if you print at home.. you can print your photo onto a ticket.. or it could be on your phone.. i just feel like fingerprint is unneccessary and I dont wanna touch that thing.. i know thats a ridiculous complaint.. but it's more at the front of my mind than restraints and whatnot. *shrug* Someone make a fingerprint scanner that requires no contact 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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