Kings Island Prestige Pass

[BoddaH1994]

Kind of proud of everyone with their reaction. Some have have bought it, some couldn’t justify it. No real “OMG ITS A RIPOFF” response. It’s for some people and not others. Nothing is being taken away from Gold or Platinum to make this happen, so it’s a good thing!

[Coasterteam]

2 minutes ago, BoddaH1994 said:

Kind of proud of everyone with their reaction. Some have have bought it, some couldn’t justify it. No real “OMG ITS A RIPOFF” response. It’s for some people and not others. Nothing is being taken away from Gold or Platinum to make this happen, so it’s a good thing!

Hard to say if Gold Pass is being reduced.

Rumored 2023 Gold Pass for Cedar Point lacks early entry perks while Platinum still gets early entry still. (I guess this is a good thing because a lot of people were complaining about CP giving Gold pass early entry)

[Orion742]

17 minutes ago, Coasterteam said:

Hard to say if Gold Pass is being reduced.

Rumored 2023 Gold Pass for Cedar Point lacks early entry perks while Platinum still gets early entry still. (I guess this is a good thing because a lot of people were complaining about CP giving Gold pass early entry)

I didn’t mind it at KI, didn’t seem like it was crowded that much when I did early entry. I hope it stays around at KI.

[terry wass]

I may or may not. The one perk that would appeal to me would be the one front of the line per visit for that very difficult to get night ride on The Beast.

[Ffej]

On 8/5/2022 at 6:31 PM, BoddaH1994 said:

Also, I can confirm that you get VIP Lounge access starting immediately. I already used it!

Do you get free bottled water and snacks using your Prestige+ pass in VIP? If so, what is available, and is there a limit on the number of snacks / drinks?

[terry wass]

5 hours ago, terry wass said:

I may or may not. The one perk that would appeal to me would be the one front of the line per visit for that very difficult to get night ride on The Beast.

oops scratch that. there are now some saying this would apply to Fast Lane and not Fast Lane plus. However not sure that has really been clearly defined yet. the website front of the line . Anyone have any clarity on this?

[Ffej]

On 8/5/2022 at 2:28 PM, NegativeGs said:

I upgraded by 2022 Platinum pass and my daughter's 2022 Gold pass to 2023 Prestige+ today. We are going to CP tomorrow. We will see what KI Prestige+ benefits work at CP. At the very least, I hope my daughter's upgraded pass gives her entrance to CP.

I'm really looking forward to your report, as I visit both these parks regularly.

[disco2000]

28 minutes ago, Ffej said:

Do you get free bottled water and snacks using your Prestige+ pass in VIP? If so, what is available, and is there a limit on the number of snacks / drinks?

As of right now, it is bottled water and bottled soft drinks, power-aid, etc.  Snacks are bags of chips/pretzels/etc.  At the moment no limit.

Of course, always subject to change...for example, I could see it switch to a fountain drink machine next year based on sales of the pass.

[BoddaH1994]

54 minutes ago, Ffej said:

Do you get free bottled water and snacks using your Prestige+ pass in VIP? If so, what is available, and is there a limit on the number of snacks / drinks?

You do. They had various chips as well as bottles of Coke, Diet Coke, bottled water, and PowerAide.

[super7]

Busch Gardens offers higher level memberships that include preferred parking and other perks.   The level with preferred parking was about $60 more annually.    With the way their parking is divided up and the regular parking requiring a tram ride or crossing the entrance road at Williamsburg. It’s a bit of a hassle to get to the regular lot so this was worthwhile.  
 

However at KI and most CF parks it’s just one big lot.   I don’t think preferred parking is worth saving a few minutes of walking.     Even Carowinds with its odd shaped lot has a second gate when the lot is full. 
 

The front of the line stuff, just like Fast Lane reduces general operations.   Cedar Fair is starting to get some negative operations feedback these days (KI does have decent operations) so this won’t help.  This is a very Six Flags thing to do to make a few dollars  

 

I also don’t see much benefit of the skip the line passes because while one gets to skip a line,  others are going to skip lines on other rides during the day the these pass members are waiting for when they aren’t skipping, increasing those waits 

If their is free bottled water involved in this there may be value in that since it’s not included on any drink plan  

Instead of a prestige entry gate wouldn’t it be much better operations to use those resources. to have No Bags entry gates?  

  
 

I just hope they don’t start reducing what you get with gold or platinum.  That’s a possibility and seems like the sneaky American way of increasing prices (less product fir same price).    I am OK however with the recent price increases on these as they were underpriced especially if one includes dining and drink.     
 

In their quarterly financials their biggest brag was that they are squeezing more out of each guest.  This is more of that.    While their overall EBITDA decreased about 7% since 2019 with inflation fractured in.   It seems like  their plan  to squeeze more out of each guest instead of improving operations, trying to attract new marker of guests with new kinds of non thrill attractions (dark rides, transport) and actual entertainment venues (KI does has more sit down venues than the other CF parks), etc.    They are missing most of the target market that allows Herschend to operate 5 days a week 10 months a year….

 

[funpark]

15 hours ago, terry wass said:

oops scratch that. there are now some saying this would apply to Fast Lane and not Fast Lane plus. However not sure that has really been clearly defined yet. the website front of the line . Anyone have any clarity on this?

I haven't used my skip the line pass yet but it says go to Fast Lane plus entrance on it. 

[NegativeGs]

I can confirm upgraded Prestige+ passes get entry into CP. I cannot comment on VIP lounge, because it was closed the two times I walked past it. I didn't ask about Front of Line passes.

[Tr0y]

Hopefully this is similar but not exactly like what is offered through Busch gardens and Seaworld. I have a platinum pass for Busch Gardens, and there is so much fine print involved that it takes away a lot of the perks. Most of the perks are only useable for the “Florida parks.” And not the rest of the properties owned by Seaworld and Busch gardens. 

[funpark]

We just used our skip the line pass on The Beast. So it is good even on Fast Lane plus.

[terry wass]

3 hours ago, funpark said:

We just used our skip the line pass on The Beast. So it is good even on Fast Lane plus.

good to know. thanks. sitting at camp cedar. Rain chased us out of Soak City. park was very crowded today.

[BoddaH1994]

Both the VIP Lounge and FORL tickets worked at CP today with my KI Prestige Pass. 

[chad_1138]

Looks like the 15% off isn’t triggering yet.  

[FUN&ONLY!]

14 minutes ago, BoddaH1994 said:

Both the VIP Lounge and FORL tickets worked at CP today with my KI Prestige Pass. 

Then why is the Carowinds Prestige+ Pass $75 cheaper than if you were to buy the same pass from Kings Island or Cedar Point? The benefits of a Carowinds Prestige+ Pass would also work at Kings Island if I understand this correctly.

[Stoan]

I also used my family's VIP and FoRP today. The only issue I ran into is that somehow my FunPix got kicked out? I had FunPix for my Gold 2022, and my Prestige 2023, but when I tried the Kiosk it told me my pass was invalid, and I had to get it re-re-added (twice this year now).

I highly underestimated how nice it is to just sit in the shade in the VIP area. They did have plain tater chips and nacho Doritos, water, powerade, Coke and Diet Coke in the VIP area.

But thus far, I can see me getting a lot of value out of this Prestige upgrade for the family.

[PKIVortex]

I used the lounge today for a bit. Got 2 bottles of water which would have cost at least $10 if I had to pay. The 15 percent off isn't working yet hopefully they get that working soon.

Sent from my SM-G986U using Tapatalk

[NegativeGs]

I wonder if the FOTL passes are transferable? As the passes are the same as a singe-use FL+, they are of no value if you have a season FL+. 

[PKIDelirium]

33 minutes ago, PKIVortex said:

I used the lounge today for a bit. Got 2 bottles of water which would have cost at least $10 if I had to pay. The 15 percent off isn't working yet hopefully they get that working soon.

Sent from my SM-G986U using Tapatalk
 

There are two things that I don't like about KI being a Coke park: Dasani and Powerade.

[super7]

I saw that the Carowinds Prestige passes are $74 cheaper, including the all park +

 

On 8/7/2022 at 12:37 PM, Tr0y said:

Hopefully this is similar but not exactly like what is offered through Busch gardens and Seaworld. I have a platinum pass for Busch Gardens, and there is so much fine print involved that it takes away a lot of the perks. Most of the perks are only useable for the “Florida parks.” And not the rest of the properties owned by Seaworld and Busch gardens. 

Busch makes you doo too many steps  for the perks    For example, for the skip the line pass for Pantheon you had to get a voucher from a self serve THEN take it to a shop to cash it in for the actual pass.    If one isn’t paying attention they can miss a step and miss out. 

[jimlaheyscar]

2 hours ago, NegativeGs said:

I wonder if the FOTL passes are transferable? As the passes are the same as a singe-use FL+, they are of no value if you have a season FL+. 

It's a piece of paper.  Hand it to anyone.

 

[Stoan]

3 hours ago, NegativeGs said:

I wonder if the FOTL passes are transferable? As the passes are the same as a singe-use FL+, they are of no value if you have a season FL+. 

They are just a paper with no scanning, no names, no IDs nothing. Just hand it off if you aren't going to use it.

 

The paper does say it is a Fast Lane Plus.

[FUN&ONLY!]

7 hours ago, super7 said:

I saw that the Carowinds Prestige passes are $74 cheaper, including the all park +

The FAQ section states that you need to purchase the Prestige Passes from your home park to get the benefits at your home park.

[disco2000]

3 hours ago, FUN&ONLY! said:

The FAQ section states that you need to purchase the Prestige Passes from your home park to get the benefits at your home park.

But then there is the * about contact a park you visit for their benefits and folks have already tested the Prestige pass at another park and the benefits worked (except for 15%), so either they got the benefit in error or they work elsewhere?

[flightoffear1996]

How are you upgrading already?  Only thing I see is the 2022 passes?

[disco2000]

3 minutes ago, flightoffear1996 said:

How are you upgrading already?  Only thing I see is the 2022 passes?

Either you got an email with a link...or use the link on the 1st post 

It is only the Prestige and Prestige + pass on sale at KI right now.

[FUN&ONLY!]

6 hours ago, disco2000 said:

But then there is the * about contact a park you visit for their benefits and folks have already tested the Prestige pass at another park and the benefits worked (except for 15%), so either they got the benefit in error or they work elsewhere?

That is what makes the price difference confusing. The FAQ page and price differences would suggest that you need to buy the Prestige+ Pass at your home park, but it sounds like benefits work at the other Prestige Pass parks.