IndyGuy4KI Posted August 12, 2021 Author Share Posted August 12, 2021 Daily operations for the 2021 season wind down this coming weekend on Sunday, August 15th. Another summer season at Kings Island comes to a close and we get into weekends and the holiday season with Haunt and Winterfest. Halloween Haunt is running Sept. 24th through Oct. 30th this year. For more details click here: https://kicentral.com/ki-haunt/ After Haunt we get into the spirit of Winterfest which will return for the 2021 holiday season. Details have not been released at the time this article was written. Needless to say, there is still a lot of the 2021 season left to experience Kings Island not only on weekends, but during the holidays as well. For some passholders and KICentral members this is one of their favorite times of year to experience the park. For more details click here: https://kicentral.com/park/kiwinterfest/ All of that is mentioned because the 2022 season passes are now on sale. If you purchase a new season pass, it includes the rest of 2021 and all of 2022. If you buy your 2022 Season Pass by Aug. 15, you get one free Fast Lane Plus valid any one public operating day through Oct. 31, 2021. (Excludes Saturdays and Sunday, Sept. 5.) For more details on purchasing your Gold or Platinum pass for 2022 you can visit the Kings Island Website here: https://www.visitkingsisland.com/season-passes 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BoddaH1994 Posted August 12, 2021 Share Posted August 12, 2021 At least they learned their lesson from this year about deep discounts, monthly plans, and over crowding. Perhaps the live entertainment that was discussed in the press release will be in Coney Mall and the passenger pickup area. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
disco2000 Posted August 12, 2021 Share Posted August 12, 2021 And if there was ever a year they could justify why the price needed to increase...and instead they are basically holding them steady. Sell them cheap and make it up on quantity. Increased crowds every day here we come...no more slow weekdays... Entertainment in the passenger pickup areas will be an added benefit for after hours fun. An all new country music review Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coaster sally Posted August 12, 2021 Share Posted August 12, 2021 At least they learned their lesson and are not giving out a free flp at CP when the flp line is crowded as it is. If they are doing 11 monthly payments I would rather go with a 12 month membership IMO. SIX doesn't give out a free flash pass, CF is the new discount chain IMO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BoddaH1994 Posted August 12, 2021 Share Posted August 12, 2021 4 minutes ago, disco2000 said: And if there was ever a year they could justify why the price needed to increase...and instead they are basically holding them steady. Sell them cheap and make it up on quantity. Increased crowds every day here we come...no more slow weekdays... Not just steady, but broken down to the point where it’s about the cost of a Chipotle burrito (no guac- that’s extra). When you make it affordable for everyone it’s like panning for gold with a bulldozer. There may be some quality in there, but all you really have is a bucket full of dirt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FUN&ONLY! Posted August 12, 2021 Share Posted August 12, 2021 To be fair, attendance at Cedar Fair parks was lower in 2021 than 2019 even when you factor in delayed openings and reduced operations (according to their 2021 second quarter conference call). I still think the gold pass is too cheap, but it is still somehow more than Cedar Point’s which I think is way too cheap. Also, Cedar Fair has more outstanding season passes this year than ever before, but they had less season pass visitors this year than in 2019 (according to their 2021 second quarter conference call). Crowds at Kings Island also haven’t really been too bad this year on the average weekday. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KI Guy Posted August 12, 2021 Share Posted August 12, 2021 Couple thoughts: This probably confirms that no new attractions will be added in 2022 which is unfortunate, but at least it looks like no rides will be removed. I know the economic conditions have been the worst imaginable, but this will be 3 out of the last 5 years something new (other than general improvements) hasn't been added. In the same span 2 coasters have been removed. The question I suppose is with the reduced attendance from the pandemic "will Orion still be 'new' to people in its 3rd year?". If not, they'll probably lose some people. Remember if the new attractions didn't keep people coming through the gates they wouldn't add them. I'd think the free bring-a-friend ticket will significantly reduce daily ticket sales which will up attendance but drop revenue. I think Cedar Fair is definitely still in survival mode. I wonder when we'll know whether they will pull through, merge, or start having to sell off assets to pay their debts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beastfan11 Posted August 12, 2021 Share Posted August 12, 2021 Wouldn’t hurt to announce something to excite people about next season to buy season passes. An announcement about a 50th anniversary celebration without any major details probably won’t cut it for some. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brenthodge Posted August 12, 2021 Share Posted August 12, 2021 I for one have no desire to renew after two 1/2 seasons off of 2019 fall pass purchase when they aren’t even hyping a major push for the 50th. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Voicetek Posted August 12, 2021 Share Posted August 12, 2021 Around $100 for a Gold Pass that offers a whole season of entertainment AND free parking. Break it down with the monthly payment plan, and you get a whole month of activity for less than a combo meal at Wendy's. So why exactly is KI over crowded? Gee, I'm not sure! I've always thought the Gold Pass needed to be a premium offering. When everyone has one, then it's not special. Perks are not perks when everyone has access to them. Gold Pass needs a price increase, with no payment plan option. I also think raising prices across the board would eliminate some of the crowding issues and the problems that come with that. However, I think when you can buy a month of activity for $7-8, that's really the cause of the problem. So, I don't know. I do still think that they need a standard pass and a gold pass option, and let the gold pass be a premium offering. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malem Posted August 12, 2021 Share Posted August 12, 2021 I'm not surprised to see good renewal deals this year. After renewing everyone's passes and add-ons for free for 2021, they need all the paid pass sales they can get this fall. Cedar Fair passes still aren't as cheap as Six Flags, where season passes good for admission and parking at all parks have been selling for $50-$60 all summer. Their own 2022 Flash Sale is likely to be even better. Visiting a few of their parks this year has made me thankful for Cedar Fair's approach to pricing and operations. Revenue growth these days is coming from add-ons and in-park sales, which are much more impactful than an extra $10-$20 on the base season pass price, especially with the increased volume the deals bring in. I wouldn't be surprised to see more premium upgrade options in the future; one thing Six Flags has been very successful with is their tiered membership offering. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FUN&ONLY! Posted August 12, 2021 Share Posted August 12, 2021 58 minutes ago, brenthodge said: I for one have no desire to renew after two 1/2 seasons off of 2019 fall pass purchase when they aren’t even hyping a major push for the 50th. In 2019, Cedar Point gold passes went on sale before they announced their plans for their 150th anniversary. It wasn’t until December 11th when Cedar Point unveiled new restaurants, a new parade, and Snake River Expedition. Kings Island will probably make their 50th anniversary announcement later this year like the press release said. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DoomPlague Posted August 12, 2021 Share Posted August 12, 2021 I only went to CP once with my platinum, so I wasted money there. I knew the renewal was coming but thought they might only give one visit to KI in 2021 (especially considering last years renewals or lack thereof). Also...people think KI is overcrowded? Have you all been to CP? On my worst visit to KI this year, Orion was 30-35 minutes or so of a wait. This week it was 5-15 minutes once the initial crowd that rushed to it spread out to the park. A lot of my waits on the major coasters were less than 5 minutes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brenthodge Posted August 12, 2021 Share Posted August 12, 2021 19 minutes ago, FUN&ONLY! said: In 2019, Cedar Point gold passes went on sale before they announced their plans for their 150th anniversary. It wasn’t until December 11th when Cedar Point unveiled new restaurants, a new parade, and Snake River Expedition. Kings Island will probably make their 50th anniversary announcement later this year like the press release said. Great. And like I said, I’ll probably not renew unless I feel like I’m really getting something great. Based on what I saw at CP it should be strong, but I don’t want to make assumptions. We are kinda KI’d out right now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coaster sally Posted August 12, 2021 Share Posted August 12, 2021 1 hour ago, malem said: I'm not surprised to see good renewal deals this year. After renewing everyone's passes and add-ons for free for 2021, they need all the paid pass sales they can get this fall. Cedar Fair passes still aren't as cheap as Six Flags, where season passes good for admission and parking at all parks have been selling for $50-$60 all summer. Their own 2022 Flash Sale is likely to be even better. Visiting a few of their parks this year has made me thankful for Cedar Fair's approach to pricing and operations. Revenue growth these days is coming from add-ons and in-park sales, which are much more impactful than an extra $10-$20 on the base season pass price, especially with the increased volume the deals bring in. I wouldn't be surprised to see more premium upgrade options in the future; one thing Six Flags has been very successful with is their tiered membershisp Wish the CF platinum pass was comparable to a SIX diamond elite...... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimParker85 Posted August 13, 2021 Share Posted August 13, 2021 Absolutely. Our Diamond Elite VIP pass gets us free preferred parking, free drinks, FOUR free flash passes per visit, 50% off all food and merch at all SF parks. Add in their points system and other perks, it's a significantly better value than CF Platinum. $21 per month after tax, ($252 a year). I could also add their meal and flash pass options to that, which would bring it to about $550 a year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Voicetek Posted August 14, 2021 Share Posted August 14, 2021 Hey everyone, I've got a question. So my daughter is turning 3 in two months, which means she'll need a season pass for the first time next season. I'm on Kings Island's website now trying to renew our two Gold Passes, and purchase a new Gold Pass for our daughter. However, I'm running into a little problem. Since my daughter is still 2, the site won't let me purchase her season pass. I keep getting a message popping up saying, "Children Younger Than 3 Are Free". That's true for us right now, but I'm buying a pass for the 2022 season. She'll be 3 by then. Not sure how they let a glitch like this get past their programmers. Have any of you experienced this problem? What did you do about it? Is this one of those situations where I'm going to have to go all the way to the park in order to purchase her pass in person? Gosh I hope not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FUN&ONLY! Posted August 14, 2021 Share Posted August 14, 2021 38 minutes ago, Voicetek said: Hey everyone, I've got a question. So my daughter is turning 3 in two months, which means she'll need a season pass for the first time next season. I'm on Kings Island's website now trying to renew our two Gold Passes, and purchase a new Gold Pass for our daughter. However, I'm running into a little problem. Since my daughter is still 2, the site won't let me purchase her season pass. I keep getting a message popping up saying, "Children Younger Than 3 Are Free". That's true for us right now, but I'm buying a pass for the 2022 season. She'll be 3 by then. Not sure how they let a glitch like this get past their programmers. Have any of you experienced this problem? What did you do about it? Is this one of those situations where I'm going to have to go all the way to the park in order to purchase her pass in person? Gosh I hope not. My best advice would be calling Kings Island because they will probably be able to assist you remotely. I don’t think you should have to go to the park to address this problem. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Voicetek Posted August 14, 2021 Share Posted August 14, 2021 13 hours ago, FUN&ONLY! said: My best advice would be calling Kings Island because they will probably be able to assist you remotely. I don’t think you should have to go to the park to address this problem. Thanks for the advice. I did call the park and notified them of this issue. Their solution? To lie about my daughter's age on the order form and make her currently 3. This is ridiculous solution. Yeah it works for now, but it's not a long term fix. They really need to update the programing on their ordering page and add a simple "If/Then" statement in order to allow parents of 2 year olds to buy a pass for the next operating season in order to not have to lie about their kid's age. Oh well. I got the pass ordered, so I guess I'm good with that. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IndyGuy4KI Posted August 14, 2021 Author Share Posted August 14, 2021 Just spent a small fortune renewing season passes for the family. That may have hurt a little, but still a great value. With CF extending passes last year, I am fine with the investment for 2022. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeviousMrMatt Posted August 15, 2021 Share Posted August 15, 2021 We are buying Kings Island passes this year instead of Coney passes. More value for us and more stuff to do at a cheaper price. We went ahead and got Platinum passes so that we can make a few long weekend trips up to Cedar Point! One question, do I have to print out the passes for the first time to take to park, or can I bring up the qr code on my phone from the receipt they sent me to get in the park? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IndyGuy4KI Posted August 15, 2021 Author Share Posted August 15, 2021 6 minutes ago, DeviousMrMatt said: We are buying Kings Island passes this year instead of Coney passes. More value for us and more stuff to do at a cheaper price. We went ahead and got Platinum passes so that we can make a few long weekend trips up to Cedar Point! One question, do I have to print out the passes for the first time to take to park, or can I bring up the qr code on my phone from the receipt they sent me to get in the park? QR code on the phone will work. Lots of people add their pass to their phone in the app and scan that qr every time they are here 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Voicetek Posted August 19, 2021 Share Posted August 19, 2021 Does anyone know about the "Bring a Friend" vouchers we were supposed to receive when renewing our Gold Passes during the Flash Sale this past weekend? I renewed 2 passes during the Flash Sale and received the vouchers for the free Fast Lane, but haven't gotten anything for the Bring a Friend. Not sure if these were supposed to be vouchers (or tickets) like the Fast Lane, or if they're just loaded onto the renewed passes for redemption at the park. I received literally no information on how to redeem the Bring a Friend tickets. Does anyone have any information about this? Did anyone received those vouchers? Any information would be appreciated. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PKIVortex Posted August 19, 2021 Share Posted August 19, 2021 We go though this every year. It's attached to the pass, when your ready to use them they will scan your pass and issue u the ticket.Sent from my SM-G986U using Tapatalk 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IndyGuy4KI Posted August 20, 2021 Author Share Posted August 20, 2021 4 hours ago, Voicetek said: Does anyone know about the "Bring a Friend" vouchers we were supposed to receive when renewing our Gold Passes during the Flash Sale this past weekend? Any information would be appreciated. Thanks! Yes, they are just there on your pass. Nothing separate will be sent. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Voicetek Posted August 20, 2021 Share Posted August 20, 2021 15 hours ago, PKIVortex said: We go though this every year. It's attached to the pass, when your ready to use them they will scan your pass and issue u the ticket. Sent from my SM-G986U using Tapatalk Thank you. This is what I assumed, but there was no information regarding this so I thought I'd ask. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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