This was discussed back in April in a previous thread, but was never fully answered. Is there a specific time the gates open before the stated opening time on the calendar?

In years past it was an hour or half hour and International street would be open until the rides opened at the stated operating time on the calendar.

I am planning an early visit Wednesday with friends and would like to get there earlier than 10 if they open the gates to International street.

Does anyone know how Cedar Fair is doing it this year? I could not find any information on the website of course.

** side note: I really hope they update their website better with lots of useful information like Cedar Point's **

The Parking lot opens at 9:30 along with a few areas you can walk to.

From another thread...

...anyways the parking lot opens at 9 and the gates open at 9:30, and the park opens at 10:00...

Gates being open gets you into International Street where you can stand at ropes and wait to go to other areas and all rides at ten.

In addition to this, Nick Universe opens at 9:30 on Mondays, Action Zone opens at 9:30 on Thursdays, and Coney Mall opens at 9:30 on Fridays (but only for Gold Pass holders).

Thanks welchce

So the parking lot opens at 9 and the gates including international street at 930? So the shops are open on international street as well at 930?

Usually, you are held at the head of International Street, with access to, at most, three of the shops (the ones on either side of the gate and the one just inward of the Men's Restroom) until the park opens at 10. (Gold pass early entry not included...)

I've noticed that this year they do not let you go down International Street as far as years in the past.

Speaking of things the park really ought to revisit...

Guests held at the front gate can't spend money...at, say, Starbucks...

Speaking of things the park really ought to revisit...

Guests held at the front gate can't spend money...at, say, Starbucks...

Yes, they can. The Gold Pass entrance is positioned between Starbucks and the artist station.

No, they can't.

The gate itself doesn't open until much later than pre-CBS.

Guests lined up to present passes and tickets are not allowed to spend money in the park during that time.

Even once let in, guests with gold passes will instead do ERT.

You missed the point.

At Cedar Point, they like to let all guests in before open (probably right around 9AM at the front gate).  They'll let you walk all the way down past Starbucks.  Which is open.  Ready to take your money and let you buy yourself a treat to start your day, before the mad dash to your first ride.

 

KI does not seem to do so..

And they used to.

The fact is CBS stopped this.

Dumb then.

Dumb now.

BGW makes you lineup and wait to enter the park and they dont even have bathrooms near the entrance (on the outside)

Originally, CBS had the outside entrance to the front gate restrooms in the cordoned off area. And would not let even the desperate use them before park opening. After a few parents assisted their tots in relieving themselves in public, sans poo bag, they quietly but surrestiously allowed access to those who pled their cases dramatically, urgently, or nicely.

As a public-facing business, is Kings Island even legally allowed to deny customers (guests) a bathroom after inviting them onto the property?  Seems that would be against some health code or another.

DC Metro.

Public restrooms?

MARTA stations in Atlanta.

Public restrooms?

No. And no.

Do the stations often reek of urine and doo-doo?

Yes and yes.

And thus one would think that health and safety codes would dictate their availability, since they dictate their size and capacity.

 

Your examples are of governmental agencies, however, and different rules sometimes apply to them.  They should all have restrooms available..

And how do you keep the homeless and transients from taking up residence therein? (The reason given for their absence).

So instead we deny the homeless and transients access to bathrooms?  Seems legit.

 

Also, the solution would be to have some sort of an attendant who would be the one cleaning the bathroom.  That said, I do believe the stations are currently unattended except for train staffing, so surely they wouldn't want the expense.

Welcome to life in big cities.

Speaking of things the park really ought to revisit...

Guests held at the front gate can't spend money...at, say, Starbucks...

Just a note: parking gates are no longer opening at 8 on 10:00 opening. Dunno if they're going to make us wait all the way to 8:30 because security just drove over.

Edit: yeah, promptly at 8:30 KI time (8:28 to the rest of us this year)

Yep. Painted sign at the gate says parking lot opens 90 minutes before park opening.

Yeah, but last year they were opening 90 min before ERT. I had assumed 8:30, and it wasn't until halfway through the season I got here earlier and saw it was open. Then someone else said it opened at 8, so I came early enough to check.

It's not really a big deal unless one gets here at 8 expecting to get through, so I wanted to make sure people knew it changed. An hour before ERT is plenty to get parked and organized.

Also note: one may use the "All Parking" lanes to scan a gold card just as easily as any of the others. No sense not to when there are more lanes open than cars approaching.