Gold Pass Parking/Reserved Parking

[cstrwomann]

I heard a rumor that Reserved parking and VIP parking is going away next year is this true?

[coastergirl]

I wouldn't be surprised if they got rid of it. The last time that we were there, there wasn't anyone checking passes so everyone was parking in the lot.

[Scooby_Doo]

Yeah I heard both of em will be gone come 2007 which I dont mind really I never could get decent spot anyway.

[cstrwomann]

Another perk gone this stinks. I'm sorry I don't like changes and all this at once is bothering me. The former Paramount parks we're one of my favorite chains. I have visited all the former Paramount parks except Great America and I liked all of them equally. All the parks had nice theming, scenery, and very good rides. I hope Cedar Fair doesn't destroy the parks by not keeping the Paramount rights and theming for rides. How many other people are upset about the changes that Cedar Fair has made already at the former Paramount parks? I know I can't do anything about it so I guess I will have to get used to new management and changes in store for Kings Island. From now on I will refer to PKI as KI because it's not Paramount anymore. I will miss Paramount owning the parks. I like theme parks better then amusement parks and this will never change.

[WooferBearATL]

Another perk gone this stinks. I'm sorry I don't like changes and all this at once is bothering me. The former Paramount parks we're one of my favorite chains. I have visited all the former Paramount parks except Great America and I liked all of them equally. All the parks had nice theming, scenery, and very good rides. I hope Cedar Fair doesn't destroy the parks by not keeping the Paramount rights and theming for rides. How many other people are upset about the changes that Cedar Fair has made already at the former Paramount parks? I know I can't do anything about it so I guess I will have to get used to new management and changes in store for Kings Island. From now on I will refer to PKI as KI because it's not Paramount anymore. I will miss Paramount owning the parks. I like theme parks better then amusement parks and this will never change.

Gold Pass Parking was another thing that should never have been brought to the park. Allow people to park in an orderly fashion and don't allow "perks" for a certain few.

Sounds like another Win Win situation for CF.

[cstrwomann]

I disagree with you on this issue. I thought season pass holders were special to the parks because they visit the parks frequently and spend money at the parks. This was a nice perk I thought to be able to park up front in a special lot.

[WooferBearATL]

I disagree with you on this issue. I thought season pass holders were special to the parks because they visit the parks frequently and spend money at the parks. This was a nice perk I thought to be able to park up front in a special lot.

And Screams to a "normal visitor" that they are not as "important" as people that can drive past them and park up front.

Let's face the facts, if ya "visit the park frequently" you can certainly walk from the parking lot.

[Captain Picard]

I get there before the park is open and never need a parking perk. If you get there at open it takes 1 hr to get from I71 to your parking spot. I think it's more important to have people working tolls than a parking perk. Walking to me would be better than sitting out in the road waiting for a hour.

[CoastersRZ]

Yeah, they should staff the tolls better on busy days. Besides, apparantely the preferred parking lot is going by the wayside as well, which means passholder might actually be able to park CLOSER to the front gate than the current gold pass lot, if they get to the park early enough, or are lucky enough to find a spot.

I visited the park too many times this year in the early aftenoon, only to find no one checking for gold pass cards at the entrance to the lot. While it was a nice perk, it forced the general public, especially on weeekends, to have to park miles out while the Gold Pass lot sat half filled because most pass holders wouldn`t visit the park on a weekend in the summer.

And, I don`t feel sorry for having to park a little farther away. At Coney, one of the employee lots is behind the picnic parking lot. Even if there was no picnic, we were not allowed to park in the closer spots, but had to walk an extra quarter of a mile.

[TheKlockster]

Fine with me - I usually go up with my grandma, and park in handicapped parking - since she has one of those electric mobility vehicles.

[standbyme]

I have been a Gold Pass member for the last 5 years...and I have no problem that some of the perks are going bye-bye...the price of the season pass alone was enough to make it a good value for the money. I did use the Gold Pass parking usually...but it wasn't that big of a deal to me. The only perk that I really thought was good was the food discounts. The only time I ever used the speed-lane pass perk was during Beastbuzz when I was doing the scavenger hunt...since time was an issue I didn't have time to wait in line for some things.

I remember years ago reading an article about the (then) new practice at some amusement parks that had ways that some people could skip to the head of the line. A "higher up" at the Paramount Parks (I don't remember who.) Was quoted as saying that as long as he had a say about it Paramount Parks would not have such a system. I have always remembered what he said...and agreed with it completely. He said that he never wanted to put a parent in the position of explaining to their child why some people did, and some people didn't have to stand in line.

I was disappointed when Paramount did introduce the Speed Pass system.

[WooferBearATL]

Exactly Standbyme.

The whole idea behind the speed pass system is poor at best.

I'd not be unhappy to see it go at every park.

[TheKlockster]

Yeah I agree. Even when I am capable of using my gold pass to cut in line - I do not. I think it is rude. I think if they are going to do it - they should do it for everyone - like Disney - where you get a reservation ticket - since lines would reach 5+ hours without them. But giving one group of people an advantage is wrong. Getting unlimited admission to the park for the cost of visiting the park twice paying door admission I think is a good enough perk for the pass. They don't need the other stuff.

Now the c0ckroach thing at Six Flags - I think that is kind of funny. If I was waiting in line, and someone cut in front of me - I would think - theres another idiot who ate a hissing c0ckroach - they deserve to cut in line. Believe me - alot of people say they will do it - but they'll change their minds when they get there.

[WooferBearATL]

Yeah I agree. Even when I am capable of using my gold pass to cut in line - I do not. I think it is rude. I think if they are going to do it - they should do it for everyone - like Disney - where you get a reservation ticket - since lines would reach 5+ hours without them. But giving one group of people an advantage is wrong. Getting unlimited admission to the park for the cost of visiting the park twice paying door admission I think is a good enough perk for the pass. They don't need the other stuff.

Now the c0ckroach thing at Six Flags - I think that is kind of funny. If I was waiting in line, and someone cut in front of me - I would think - theres another idiot who ate a hissing c0ckroach - they deserve to cut in line. Believe me - alot of people say they will do it - but they'll change their minds when they get there.

I'll keep ya posted.

I'm not sure if I'll eat one or not.

LOL, I kinda think it's one of those things where ya can say "I had a ****roach" rather than getting to cut in line.

[KI-ORIG-EMP]

I work in admissions and can almost say that the special parking area for Gold Pass holders will be eliminated, especially now that there is only three tiers of passes: Kings Island, Max and Max Plus. I won't be surprised if CF brings back guides to direct people on where to park their cars like KI had when I first started working for the park in 1972. I also agree that we need to open up more tolls for cars to drive through. Now, we only open up the north tolls when the park expects large crowds and then not for the entire day.

Mike

[italianchef]

It makes perfect sense to me. Now that there are no longer "Gold Passes", how can there possibly be a Gold Pass parking area??

And I do hope that the Paramount theming goes away and we see some exciting changes in the park.

Merry BELATED Christmas!

Italian Chef

[The Interpreter]

Hmmm. Exciting changes? How about a decal on the outside of your windshield for a parking pass?

[WooferBearATL]

I work in admissions and can almost say that the special parking area for Gold Pass holders will be eliminated, especially now that there is only three tiers of passes: Kings Island, Max and Max Plus. I won't be surprised if CF brings back guides to direct people on where to park their cars like KI had when I first started working for the park in 1972. I also agree that we need to open up more tolls for cars to drive through. Now, we only open up the north tolls when the park expects large crowds and then not for the entire day.

Mike

Well, the Paramount Parks did so many things wrong that it's going to take some time to make all of the corrections. But yes, I agree that the Gold Pass Parking, Toll Booths and Parking Personnel are things that will be easy for them to correct.

[CoastersRZ]

But from what I`ve heard, Kings Island pass holders are going to be in for a very rude awakening, when they get ONE decal applied to ONE car for their parking pass instead of the pass being applied to an actual pass holders pass. I for one am not necessarily looking forward to this change. That is one area where Parmount did so well, with their parking passes and pass processing.

I am, however, hopeful that they do remove the preferred and gold pass lots. The Gold pass lot was supposed to be staffed until like 5 in the afternoon, but often times, it went vacant by around three in the afternoon, leavinng a full lot when I arrive at the park. But, I think that parking attendants directing cars to parking spots will be a welcome addition, and harckon back to the day when the park used to do that. Needless to say, there will be many many changes at the park, both in parking and in the park itself.

[PKIVortex]

Yes they should direct you to a parking spot in the early morning hours, at least until noon. And also they should use both parking tolls everyday. It's so much easier if your coming in from the North to use the North Lot etc... I always hated turning on KI drive and having to drive all the way to the South Lot. It was so hard to make a right turn into the South lot. Hopefully that will change. But CBS made alot of cuts it seemed, maybe Cedar Fair will not have cut backs like CBS this year.

[ragerunner]

I think this is a great example were Paramount did something well (this is how Disney, Universal, Sea World and Busch Gardens does their passholder parking) and CF is still in the stone age. I am not trying to say that Paramount did everything right and CF does everything wrong, but I do think it shows that CF has its shortcoming in many areas that may turn out not to be as exciting as some people think.

[PKIVortex]

Correct me if i'm wrong, wasn't Cedar Fair parking passes in the past, on the pass? I can already see they will be alot of complaints with the stickers this year. You never know when you have to drive another car to the park.

[CoastersNSich]

You would be right. On the PointBuzz forums, a lot of people were upset with this change, that some claimed that they wouldn't even buy a CP pass because the parking stickers would be a hassle.

[fan of beast]

without gold pass perks, i for one will spend a lot less time spending my money at the park.

[PKIVortex]

You know the Gold Pass Perks don't even bother me that much. I hardly ever took advange of them. I did walk on weekends once this year, that was it. I was at the park 11 times in 2006. If only they would come up with some perks though for all pass holders, that we could actually use. Like food discounts.

[Snake Attack!]

I didn't like the gold pass perks because it hurt the employees, I was up there with a bunch of buddies the first night IJ opened and nearly didn't get to ride it,cause I didn't have a gold pass, now my friend knew Jeff Seibert who was passing the tickets out so he took care of me that night, but all those other times when my friends got fastpasses to ride and I couldn't annoyed me and I think I had to sit out cause the real line was like an hour.

[Avatar]

I agree, it was supper annoying when we didn’t have fast passes during the “05†season. So we still went our usual 2+ trips to Kings Island, being all annoyed. Then I suggested that we should buy a season pass so that we would be able to enjoy the great perks too. During the “06†season went over 20 times and I spent on an average of $100.00 per trip. It was the perks that got me to buy the KI season passes then in return KI got over $2,000.00 from me when they would have only gotten around $200.00-$300.00 from me. So yeah please take away the perks that temp me to buy season passes so that I can spend my money going to other places maybe even buy a few new items for my sailboat.

[The Interpreter]

The one perk that I DO hope they are smart enough to do away with is Paramount's ridiculous "Bring A Friend Free" days...for all passholders on the SAME day. Well, that and virtually giving away the gate on closing weekend (which didn't happen under Cedar Fair this weekend, but then again, that particular weekend when Paramount always did that--the park was closed!) ...

[Snake Attack!]

^I had a theory about why they did that day see if you guys think it is true;

Might they try to get all those people in the park that day to get rid of unused food that might go stale in the offseason, obviously in games our plush doesn't go stale and same with merch but I would think that it would be a huge help to food to get rid of all that food for full price.

[westcoaster]

WILL THEY STILL KEEP THE entrance to BOOMERANG BAY?? I WOULD THINKSO:

Also see ya to the detectors at the front gate hopefully:

and thats fine the gold lot is gone.

Hopefully early ride times stay's???