2023 General Kings Island Discussion

[brenthodge]

12 hours ago, FUN&ONLY! said:

I’m not sure about the black light, but some effects are definitely broken in the shed. Most of the swinging lights are dark and barely swing (if at all). The lockers also no longer bang during the shed sequence. On top of that, the audio loop on the stairs has been out for a least a year (the one that goes “There’s an old truck in the lumber mill. You got to jump start it. Get out of here! Right now!”). In addition, one of the TV’s is dark in the queue that is supposed to show the video footage and one of the speakers that plays the soundtrack is out near the Fast Lane line. I hope Kings Island fixes these things some day.

personally I wish they would just get rid of the "Security footage" TVs. That whole part of the story line was convoluted and didn't really make sense... it's abandoned... but it's not...so there is security... in present day? or the past? It was just a layer that was too complicated to make sense in a queue with no real narrative or explanation. I think most people just assume it's a live feed of the ride thats visible in the queue for some reason. The whole "urban explorers" storyline just has too many details. I'd say "Its an abandoned lumber mill... something happened years ago... it makes an old truck come to life... you get in for some stupid reason... you find out the evil is "in the shed" you barely make it back (would've been SUPER COOL to have a separate unload so the cars came back empty - THAT would've been a way to create a story. 

[Taylor.B03]

Never had this happen before on any ride. Just rode The Beast and when we got to the end of the ride it was clear that we were stacked. So then it takes a minute then they send out an empty train so I then know that either it's a puke train or the ride went down. We waited for a long while sitting there so I then know that the ride is down. I then see a trickle of people leaving the ride. They send out the train in the station, when we get there they said "welcome back, please wait for an attendant to assist you to exit". Then I hear the saddest sounding lapbar buzz. Turns out the auto lapbar mechanism wasn't working, so they had to use screwdrivers to manually unlock each lapbar.

[KI Fan75]

I wonder if the lift hill music on Banshee will ever return. I haven’t heard it play for years now. 

[CoasterJack]

19 minutes ago, KI Fan75 said:

I wonder if the lift hill music on Banshee will ever return. I haven’t heard it play for years now. 

 

It was actually playing this past Saturday on the climb. I could hear it from the first row at least

[Taylor.B03]

24 minutes ago, KI Fan75 said:

I wonder if the lift hill music on Banshee will ever return. I haven’t heard it play for years now. 

I've heard it the past few years. I think it just needs to be bumped up a few ticks

[Orion742]

25 minutes ago, CoasterJack said:

It was actually playing this past Saturday on the climb. I could hear it from the first row at least

Are you talking about the Banshee scream at the top of the lift? I don’t remember hearing music on any of my rides before.

[brenthodge]

15 minutes ago, Orion742 said:

Are you talking about the Banshee scream at the top of the lift? I don’t remember hearing music on any of my rides before.

Agree. I was like “Music?” 

[Benjamin22]

21 minutes ago, Orion742 said:

Are you talking about the Banshee scream at the top of the lift? I don’t remember hearing music on any of my rides before.

There has been a song playing on Banshees lift since the ride opened, often very quiet though and can be hard to hear.

[SonofBaconator]

It’s very similar to what you hear ascending Beast’s lift hill

[BeeastFarmer]

6 minutes ago, SonofBaconator said:

It’s very similar to what you hear ascending Beast’s lift hill

The song I remember on Banshee was kind of like a strings arrangement that goes faster with a slight drum back beat. I don't ride Banshee much but I don't remember hearing it last year when I rode it.

[Orion-XL200]

I don't remember hearing any music on Banshee's lift. 

[DJSkyFoxx]

Silly quick question, does the park still give you a voucher for a free ice cream on your birthday? Thanks ya'll

[IndyGuy4KI]

2 hours ago, DJSkyFoxx said:

Silly quick question, does the park still give you a voucher for a free ice cream on your birthday? Thanks ya'll

Yep sure do!

[DJSkyFoxx]

26 minutes ago, IndyGuy4KI said:

Yep sure do!

Thank you kindly for the confirmation! 

[Orion-XL200]

I'm not sure what it is, but this season, I've really felt like the park is lackluster and not really feeling like visiting much. I've been going to CP way more often. Saturday I have the choice of going to KI or CP, but chose CP again. Just not feeling KI. 

[BeeastFarmer]

1 hour ago, Orion-XL200 said:

I'm not sure what it is, but this season, I've really felt like the park is lackluster and not really feeling like visiting much. I've been going to CP way more often. Saturday I have the choice of going to KI or CP, but chose CP again. Just not feeling KI. 

For me, it started out strong at Coasterstock.  Then we went to Canada's Wonderland and Cedar Point and I was reminded why Kings Island is the superior park out of the three.  I had a couple of more KI visits in June.

I then visited BGW and KD.  I was highly impressed with BGW.  

However, my visits in June and July have felt lackluster.  In reading all of the posts and other internet chatter about Don leaving, it puts a mistrust in the corporate structure.  Likewise, reading about and then seeing these budget cuts because of low attendance also sours the soul.  

When we went this week, the very thing that made KI the best in the chain, and arguably, in the industry, ride operations.  They had no sorter at WWC.  The last operator on the platform before the boat leaves was not only checking his boats, but calling out for people to fill boats.  I see a huge safety risk there.  Also, this lead to empty boats going out, or boats that only had two people in it.  It also lead to much slower deboarding as boats were stacking before the final hill back to the platform.  It was also a problem for the people with green sheets because nobody was there to sign them.  

At The Beast, they eliminated 2 station positions.  So two people are now on bars for the entire train.  Again, this means the green sheets stack up.  I saw them send an entire train, half full, of green sheets because there were so many.  

This is not to say that those people who are working the rides are lackluster--they were truly doing an amazing job.  

My friend bought some merch in the Snoopy place in the planet.  Tag said $29.99.  She wanted to put it in the car, so as we were near LaRosa's, she noticed she had been overcharged by $5.  We stopped by Guest Services, thinking they can take care of it, but they said we had to go back to Snoopy and get reimbursed there.  It wasn't worth the time for $5.  Because we knew when we walked over there and showed the reciept and item, the cashier would have to authority and would either tell us to go to Guest Services, or call a Cedar Fair SUPERVISOR, who we would wait 30 minutes for (after waiting 10 minutes to speak to the lone cashier because of the line) who would send us to Guest Services,  Why can't GS send an email to correct the price and give us $5 Beagle Bucks?

By this point, our plan to watch the parade on Coney Mall was derailed, so we wached it across from Graeters.  Fantastic parade...until it wasn't.  I guess its now normal for this stop to literally end the parade.  The performers completed the show stop, laid down beads on the ground and literally jogged up to the end of the route.  Why in the world, besides budget cuts, or poor planning, would they not complete the parade with the performers?  It's literally 5-7 minutes tops.  There were many, many disappointed people on the south side of I-Street.  Also, with the parade being at 7pm, there was a mass exodus of people leaving the park and not spending money.  

 

Ive read here that weeds are rampant and midways are not being washed.  I did notice a few weeds,  but not more than I usually see at this time of year.  Midways did seem grimier, but I didn't see much trash although I only saw one litter gitter the entire day.  

Food portions were same as usual.  No cuts there.  The "grilled" chicken at Jukebox was tasty, but it seems like it's more boiled or baked--no grill marks.  

The performers are the literal stars here.  We recognized several of the people from daytime shows in the parade and evening shows.  To pull this double duty is a credit to their dedication.

The Beast rides I did get were superb.  I dont know what it is, but it almost felt like the entire ride had been retracked by the gravity group.

 

I think, after what I call the best season of my life for 2022, any downturn is going to be viewed as bigger than it normally would.  It's kind of like when Kentucky wins the NCAA tournament....the next year is usually a rebuild..The KI foundation is strong, but Cedar Fair is trying to mitigate things and making very short term decisions that will do the opposite of what the intention is.

[Tr0y]

1 hour ago, Orion-XL200 said:

I'm not sure what it is, but this season, I've really felt like the park is lackluster and not really feeling like visiting much. I've been going to CP way more often. Saturday I have the choice of going to KI or CP, but chose CP again. Just not feeling KI. 

I agree, but I also don’t have any guilt either therefor I still visit the park weekly as usual.

[kirbias1]

1 hour ago, Orion-XL200 said:

I'm not sure what it is, but this season, I've really felt like the park is lackluster and not really feeling like visiting much. I've been going to CP way more often. Saturday I have the choice of going to KI or CP, but chose CP again. Just not feeling KI. 

Is it just me, or does this feel like an intentional move by CF? Maybe they're tired of KI beating CP in the best park category the last few years. Seems like they are egregiously neglecting KI this year. Port Adventure is not good. Theming is ok but rides are horrible. Park doesn't look as clean. Baynum just stopped painting DB in middle of job only to leave and go up to CP to paint Dragster. CF issues chaperone policy for KI but not for CP even though they have had similar issues. Budget cuts to ride operations and Don leaving. Doesn't look good. 

[Orion-XL200]

In any given year, I visit the park about 15-20 times, I don't live close enough to go often and my work schedule doesn't allow more. CP is just a better experience for me this year, has since they opened for the season. Coasterstock for me was good, but I didn't feel much joy from it like I have in the past.

[BoddaH1994]

14 minutes ago, kirbias1 said:

Is it just me, or does this feel like an intentional move by CF? Maybe they're tired of KI beating CP in the best park category the last few years. Seems like they are egregiously neglecting KI this year. Port Adventure is not good. Theming is ok but rides are horrible. Park doesn't look as clean. Baynum just stopped painting DB in middle of job only to leave and go up to CP to paint Dragster. CF issues chaperone policy for KI but not for CP even though they have had similar issues. Budget cuts to ride operations and Don leaving. Doesn't look good. 

If they’re doing what you are proposing then that would only be done with unprecedented arrogance. 

[BeeastFarmer]

9 minutes ago, kirbias1 said:

Is it just me, or does this feel like an intentional move by CF? Maybe they're tired of KI beating CP in the best park category the last few years. Seems like they are egregiously neglecting KI this year. Port Adventure is not good. Theming is ok but rides are horrible. Park doesn't look as clean. Baynum just stopped painting DB in middle of job only to leave and go up to CP to paint Dragster. CF issues chaperone policy for KI but not for CP even though they have had similar issues. Budget cuts to ride operations and Don leaving. Doesn't look good. 

Had the continued to paint D-back, it would have been closed in May.  I'd rather take a ride that is not finished with paint being open  on busy weekends that having a capacity machine down during those weekends.  TTD is a different story.  It is closed and fenced off.  No ride closure needed.

[Tr0y]

Seaworld Orlando completely re painted Mako, a B&M hyper coaster that’s an airtime machine like Diamondback in 6 weeks. CP was the only park that got a Zamperla installation completed and opened on time.

It makes you wonder..

[BeeastFarmer]

7 minutes ago, Tr0y said:

Seaworld Orlando completely re painted Mako, a B&M hyper coaster that’s an airtime machine like Diamondback in 6 weeks. CP was the only park that got a Zamperla installation completed and opened on time.

It makes you wonder..

Mako is in Florida.  Diamondback is in Ohio. February and March are not prime weather months for painting a steel coaster in Ohio. 

[IndyGuy4KI]

5 minutes ago, BeeastFarmer said:

Mako is in Florida.  Diamondback is in Ohio. February and March are not prime weather months for painting a steel coaster in Ohio. 

Yep, Baynum does not paint steel below a certain temperature. Not sure what the cutoff is for them.

 

[jsus]

6 minutes ago, BeeastFarmer said:

Mako is in Florida.  Diamondback is in Ohio. February and March are not prime weather months for painting a steel coaster in Ohio. 

Yep.  Ohio winters see many days near or below freezing (32ºF), which is far from ideal for a successful, lasting paint job.  Add on top of that needing to have your painters at least on a boom lift if not climbing/rappelling on the structure, and you might want to be conservative with the working temperature range.

Quote

ASTM D3276, “Standard Guide for Painting Inspectors (Metal Substrates),”1 states that the minimum surface temperature for coating application is usually 40ºF (5ºC). It may be as low as 0ºF (–18ºC) for “cold-curing” one or two-component systems or 50ºF (10ºC) for conventional two-component systems. Paint specifications may further state that painting should not be undertaken when the temperature is dropping and within 5ºF (3ºC) of the lower limit.

https://www.defelsko.com/resources/measuring-environmental-conditions 

[KIBeast]

2 hours ago, IndyGuy4KI said:

Yep sure do!

I was just there on my birthday and did not know this crucial info. I had blue ice cream for the first time too. 

On another note, it seems The Bat is no longer on the Fast Lane list. On July 16th of this year, it was a 45 minute wait and we just didn't feel it was worth it.

[disco2000]

1 minute ago, KIBeast said:

I was just there on my birthday and did not know this crucial info. I had blue ice cream for the first time too. 

On another note, it seems The Bat is no longer on the Fast Lane list. On July 16th of this year, it was a 45 minute wait and we just didn't feel it was worth it.

Bat hasn't been on the FL for many years, if it ever had it.  I don't recall it being on FL.

[KIBeast]

It used to be that the halfway point where you could chicken out and exit, you could also enter for FL through the exit, I think. 

[disco2000]

I think that has always just been another entrance.  I do not think it ever had Fast Lane.

If it did, it hasn't since 2017, but I am sure we can find an older post.

https://KICentral.com/forums/index.php?/topic/33235-fast-lane-question/&do=findComment&comment=777526

[PKIVortex]

I think that has always just been another entrance.  I do not think it ever had Fast Lane.
If it did, it hasn't since 2017, but I am sure we can find an older post.
https://KICentral.com/forums/index.php?/topic/33235-fast-lane-question/&do=findComment&comment=777526

Your correct The Bat never had Fast Lane and neither did Flight Deck.

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