PKI 2006

[Skywriter]

Well today I went to Pki opening weekend today here is my trip report.

So I steped out of my car you could notice that Drop Zone looked a little different. It had a new coat of paint.So as I headed to the entrance the line was not too long to get in and the park . I first went to the new Nick Universe. It was a waste of time if you asked me. I noticed some new signs yea there was more color to it but is was missing some rides. I went over to Avatar first to see how it was. It think it is good for kids not for teens or adults. Avatar was a okay ride but it just was missing something.It just short of felt like the Viking Ship. The kidee wip was right by Avatar as well as Some other Dora and Diego rides. I noticed something good was the kids where haveing a blast and the employees where more helpful.The theming at Nick Universe was very good but agian it was missing something. There was really nobody there at the time I was at Nick Universe. Next I wanted to ride Planktons Plunge. It was shut down and the employees where dumbfouned. So I rode The Danny Phantom Flyers it was a very good ride It was the best new ride they put in Nick Universe.I really liked it and you get some good ride time on it. I did not get to ride The Beastie it the paint was looking good on it. Well as soon as i turned around the Planktons Plunge was working. So I got in the line for it. It was a cool ride but then agian it was more for the kids. I give Nick Universe a 8 out of a 10. The kids really seemed to enjoy the new rides and the atmosphere.

Next I went over to RiverTown. The first Ride I rode was Tomb Raider. I walked on the ride with no wait time. Most of the effects where working on the ride. It gave me a pretty good ride on it this time around. I looked over to the trian and it had a sign that Said it will not be open till May 20.Next I rode The Beast in the back Seat it was the best ride I ever had and a very short wait time of 5 min. That was at the back seat.Some thing I notice at the La Rosa Locations they are now serving Sasuage and Peporoni pizza at 18.99 It think and the other pizzas at 17.99.Oh yea and the White Water Canyon Was working.

Next I went over to Coney Mall.There I noticed that the pop machines where now 3.25 for a 20oz bottle.The winter fest trees where still there and the smoothie sign was gone.The Italian Job had a long line so i skiped it later that day it broke down and did not open but the sound was working today.Vortex had a new sign and a short line but i did not want to ride it today.So I wanted to ride the Funtastic World of Hanna Barbera but it was not open. So I rode Spongebob. I asked the guy was the Funtastic world of Hana Barbera would open and he said 4:00 pm. So next I went toi go ride Flight of Fear I waited 30 min to ride. I noticed something different the show was not going on but the lights where all working and flashing and I heard parts of the show. The ride it shelf had new seat covers they where red and black.Still the same ride and speed and it was the good ride I get. Next was to the monster I had fun on that. I came across a pleasent suprise on The Racer it had new lap bars not the old falling aprt ones the where brand new.Iwas going to ride Adventure Xpress but it borke down I did get to ride it later in the day.

I had a snack. Then I rode Top Gun,The SOB will not be open till Late spring it had white tarp over some parts fo the track. The Lodge is almost done and it is big. Delrium was not open. I had fun and it was a godd day I even had Greaters Ice Cream. It was a perfect day. Pki is doing a great job and there employes are doing very good thanks for a greate day of fun.

[BoddaH1994]

Nice trip report, but please put future trip reports in the "Trip Report" forum, hence the name. They're much happier in there. Have a great day!

[Skywriter]

Nice trip report, but please put future trip reports in the "Trip Report" forum, hence the name. They're much happier in there. Have a great day!

Sorry I did not put my trip report in the Trip Report section. I'm going to make 2 or 3 more trip reports. One will be the Boomerang Bay Report in the May or June. I will also make a smuuer report In the month of Sept. and a fearfest one and possible more and the will go in the trip report section. I have a season pass. Tahnks for the advice.

[gburn07]

Srry man not trying to make fun and all but please try to fix your spelling... it was quite hard in some areas to follow what you said lol.

[Skywriter]

Srry man not trying to make fun and all but please try to fix your spelling... it was quite hard in some areas to follow what you said lol.

Sorry for all the typos I was in a hurry to type and i was tired.

[cincyboy0830]

ugh...PKI is going to set the record for most rides broken down, how lame!

[CoastersRZ]

Yes, several rides were having "issues" today. Face Off was having issues with the train not catching the lift at the end of the ride. Delrium is still being a little tempermental. Also, whan I was there today, IJST was having some sort of issues. And Plankton`s Plunge was also having some issues. Most of these are bugs from the rides reopening for the season, and will be (hopefully) ironed out in a couple of weeks.

[cincyboy0830]

The rides have spring allergies Wow that was the dumbest thing i've said

[Reclaimer]

...But it's true.

The first couple weeks are a great time to work out the little bugs in rides as they wake from their winter-long naps. Better to be broken for a bit now than in the peak season.

[PKIVortex]

As a x ride op, I complety understand the rides do often break down. What do you except this is the first time in over 6 month's that these rides has ran for a long period of time.

[The Interpreter]

ugh...PKI is going to set the record for most rides broken down, how lame!

Don't worry. Paramount's Kings Dominion has that one, easily.

Opening day there this year made the old days at Six Flags Great Adventure look absolutely like operational successes. And heaven knows, that's hard to do!

All things considered, things went pretty well at Paramount's Kings Island opening day, ridewise. It was in the admissions and parking areas that the AVERAGE guest was absolutely infuriated.

Let's see...first you take ten dollars from the guest to park (and have only ONE set of toll booths operating, NO one in the parking lot to direct you to an empty space, NO trams operating), then the guest stands in front of a metal detector for up to an hour, with NO restrooms available other than in the secured area. (You could and many did BEG to go to the restroom and some of the security people let people go, others didn't). Worse, the first half hour, there was NO ONE to even see that people not enter the so-called secure area.

People who had tickets for Breakfast with the Characters were NOT nicely directed to the proper lines on Saturday, unless they had some idea what was going on. These are among the park's best customers.

Also, many of those guests waiting in front of the metal detectors did NOT have their tickets yet, thinking they would buy them from the old ticket booths just inside the detectors. Little did they know, (and there were no announcements that I heard), that those booths were no longer in use.

Then, at 10, they opened the metal detectors (shortly before 10 on Sunday). The line slowly proceeded into the park. Guest relations didn't open til 10, either. So, I guess if you have a season pass from another Paramount Park, you have to wait for guest relations to open, then go to the back of the now huge line to get into the park.

Compare the old days, when these same people would have been inside the park, on International Street, with restrooms and the possibility of spending money for that hour. An hour so profitable many parks call it the "Golden Hour."

Over at season pass processing, since no passes were processed during the winter, the line quickly built up to over two and a half hours. When the park closed on Saturday night, it appeared there was still at least an hour line waiting to get a pass processed.

Paramount used to have the very best season pass processing. What happened? Budget cuts. Cuts in departments that produce the money that runs the park. How stupid is that?

The area outside the gate was a total fiasco both days. I am surprised there wasn't more fighting and minor mayhem than there were. And there was some.

Oh, yeah. They did something else. Something right, but confusing. The re-entry line for people with handstamps is back.

And this is the way that CBS is treating its best customers at Paramount Parks this year. If they were going to do this anyway, I, for one, am glad that CBS is selling.

[WooferBearATL]

I suspect that the powers that be will quickly understand why the park has always opened at 9am and then rides and other areas at 10am. I can't believe they thought that the 10am opening would be successful.

[The Interpreter]

I suspect that the powers that be will quickly understand why the park has always opened at 9am and then rides and other areas at 10am.  I can't believe they thought that the 10am opening would be successful.

One would think. But this foolishness has been going on at Carowinds and Dominion this year since they opened.

Then again, PKI is much larger than either and has more season passholders percentagewise than any other North American park. I can't imagine that even season passholders are amused by this. There is no separate line for them.

And with the new biometric passes that PKI is now selling, confirmation of the pass at the gate will now take 10 seconds or more per pass, if the Carowinds experience is applicable, further lengthening those long lines to get into the park.

Mad customers at entry does not make for a happy day in the park, nor for repeat visits.

I actually worry more about the effects on the Paramount Parks NEXT year.

This year's passes have mostly been bought. This year's (in many case single) trip(s) to the park has already been planned.

Next year, there are other choices. Some people may go to Florida rather than put up with that hassle. Even if Paramount wises up and fixes it now, many people will never find that out...They will know how bad it was when THEY went in 2oo6. And remember. And the longer this goes on, the more people will have that sour taste in their mouth. People talk to each other. A lot. And that talk is far more powerful than any paid advertising.

I have never taken as long to get in Disney or Universal on the busiest of days than I did to get in Paramount's Kings Dominion on opening day this year. And many people waited a lot longer than I did.

What's worse is if you get tired of waiting, you can't even get your parking money back and leave without waiting in Guest Relations, which doesn't open til 10.

How nice.

[WooferBearATL]

It's very likely that Paramount does not care how this years actions affect next year as the parks will be under new ownership.

I don't think I'm going to get up to the park until May.

I'll be at Six Flags next weekend and then in May will be able to compare and contrast the two.

[Skywriter]

Yes, several rides were having "issues" today. Face Off was having issues with the train not catching the lift at the end of the ride. Delrium is still being a little tempermental. Also, whan I was there today, IJST was having some sort of issues. And Plankton`s Plunge was also having some issues. Most of these are bugs from the rides reopening for the season, and will be (hopefully) ironed out in a couple of weeks.

First off Top Gun worked all day,The Beast,Flight of Fear,Monster, Racer,Vortex, and many other rides the only rides that had problems were Italian Job,Face Off, that was about i tand BTW the Funtastic world of Hanna Barbera opened at 4:00 and Spongebob closed. So there where not many bugs.

[The Interpreter]

You say that as you did not pay more than forty dollars to get in (per person), plus ten dollars to park. Also, Racer did NOT operate all day. It was closed more than once during the day.

If the park is not going to have a dry run day, and guests are to expect issues, then the park needs to reduce the price of early season admissions. Guests who pay full freight have a right to expect a full performance. And that includes shows, properly operating food stands (the Skyline on International Street had the slowest operation of any food service stand in any park I have EVER visited. When I was there Friday, they didn't even have basic condiments in stock, such as sugar, cutlery and napkins. Yes, napkins. And the employees had a "just accept it" attitude. I'm sorry, but for sixteen dollars for a lunch, I expect both a napkin and something to eat the food with. I'm funny that way). I wish I could say Saturday was better at that stand. It was not.

The lack of a dry run day has really hurt that place. Still, I suspect major staff cuts have hurt more.

If Paramount doesn't think the guests notice, they are wrong.

If they don't care, that's even worse.

[Reclaimer]

Skyline in Coney wasn't in too good of shape on Saturday.

No lines at all for the stand, but I still waited 30 minutes for a $15 lunch...and the servers were actually quite rude.

[coasterville]

$15-$16 for Skyline??????

The in-park SKyline used to be one of the best deals in the park because outside of beverages they ran the exact same prices as ither Skyline franchises outside the park.

I think you could get a 5 way, 2 cheese coneys, and a drink at a normal Skyline for about $10. Then $12 for a burger basket at Happy Days????

I guess it will be another season of leaving the park to eat, just a few short blocks from the park are a vareity of fast food outlets and casual dining options, including a Skyline.

$3.25 for a SMALL (or bottled) soft drink?? Time to pack the cooler!

Sounds like the park may have just encouraged tailgating in the parking lot!

[The Interpreter]

They no longer have five ways. A large four way is $6.49, if memory serves. A cheese coney is $1.89. Small drinks (20 oz) are $3.29. A large (32 oz.) is $3.49.

So: A large four way: $6.49. Two cheese coneys: $3.78. A drink (small to be fair): $3.29. Tax: about 95 cents. Total: $14.51. Embarassed by that? The park must be. You do NOT get an itemized receipt. Wonder why?

And for all this, they didn't even have ANY napkins! Can you imagine? I asked for sugar or artificial sweetener. They didn't have any. The crowning glory was they had NO forks or spoons. Sigh. (I walked to LaRosa's and got my own...something none of the workers seem to have enough gumption to do...or more likely, they weren't allowed to leave the stand).

You haven't mentioned where they really seem to hit you hard. Salads and desserts. They apparently are somewhere between 2.99 and 4.99. I don't know. Nowhere is the price listed. For all I know, the employee misrang every single thing I got. You can't see the prices as they are rung up.

And ANY Skyline outside the park that was as slow as Skyline was Friday or Saturday would have given me the food and apologized for the lousy service.

[WooferBearATL]

As a former food service supervisor that is very embarassing.

[The Interpreter]

To be fair, PKD is even worse.

A double slice of pizza at PKI is $5.49. A single slice at PKD (and that slice is about HALF the size of the single slices at PKI) is $3.99. A double slice would be double that: $7.98...making Six Flags' Papa Johns at $6.99 a slice for pan pizza--the only kind offered at the parks--look a little less ludicrous...Not much, but a little.

And the pizza at PKD is, without exception, burned, based on my experience. PKD is also a park where a person on a low carb diet will have a very difficult time finding ANYTHING to eat. ANYTHING at all. I have pointed this out to that park many times. No response.

At least at PKI, there are many food choices. The new side salads at the International Street restaurants (both LaRosa's and Skyline) are a welcome addition.

[Delirium_Guy]

The lack of a dry run day has really hurt that place. Still, I suspect major staff cuts have hurt more.

If Paramount doesn't think the guests notice, they are wrong.

If they don't care, that's even worse.

You are definitely right about that! A very very close friend manage's a location on International Street. I've been hearing all weekend what a NIGHTMARE the place was. I hear the crowds were heavier than expected, especially on Friday. I'm sorry, not having a Dry Run for employees to really get a grasp on things, thats a horrible mistake. Sadly, like you said earlier, its all budget cuts. 2005 was such a TERRIBLE year for the Park, and believe me, it WAS a BAD year for them, they've done all they can to cut back. Rumor has it that if 2006 follows a similiar trend to 2005, there will be cuts in upper level management next season as well. Things may look nice on the outside kids, but it really isn't that glorious of a time at PKI right now.

Guess I'll give it a run tomorrow and see whats up.

Oh, anyone ride Italian Job? Theming and effects not working? Speakers on the car working this year? Just curious, I have my hunches on the answers to those questions.

[The Interpreter]

Heavier than expected crowds? Puh-leeze. The marketing department didn't know it had given out tons and tons of free tickets for prize winners at radio stations? And the crowd Friday was NOT that heavy.

As for Italian Job, no, no new effects. And no, the speakers didn't work. And, oh, yeah. Two trains. Count them. Two.