Kings Island (KI) Discussion Thread

[coasterbill]

Didn't Banshee only bring about a 1% attendance increase to Kings Island? I don't know all of the factors that play into that and don't pretend to but since this park is basically on cruise control I wonder if they're in a big hurry to add a new coaster (especially one as expensive as a giga). I'm sure they'll add one in a few years but they're doing just fine. Then again I'm on the outside looking in and I acknowledge that I'm no expert in this area.

[drummermattk]

I don't think we will see cirque imagine return to ki next year. Carp winds just announced that it will be there.

[ImNotOneOfYou]

Didn't Banshee only bring about a 1% attendance increase to Kings Island? I don't know all of the factors that play into that and don't pretend to but since this park is basically on cruise control I wonder if they're in a big hurry to add a new coaster (especially one as expensive as a giga). I'm sure they'll add one in a few years but they're doing just fine. Then again I'm on the outside looking in and I acknowledge that I'm no expert in this area.

 

Spoiled Enthusiast Mode Activating

You don't understand. It's been a year since they added their last coaster. I don't want to ride the same rides over and over again.

[thewesker]

The impact of Banshee is far greater than what's listed on an IAAPA report. Just saying. Kings Island and Cedar Fair know. They've said nor implied nothing to make me think Banshee was anything but a big success. That same IAAPA report listed Cedar Point being down a significant amount. Perhaps that's something to ponder.

 

And Cirque Imagine was announced by KI as not returning next year before the final show.

[thewesker]

Don't expect a gate-coaster at Kings Island anytime soon: http://www.latimes.com/travel/themeparks/la-trb-cedar-fair-coasters-20150827-story.html

[WOFanatic]

Didn't Banshee only bring about a 1% attendance increase to Kings Island? I don't know all of the factors that play into that and don't pretend to but since this park is basically on cruise control I wonder if they're in a big hurry to add a new coaster (especially one as expensive as a giga). I'm sure they'll add one in a few years but they're doing just fine. Then again I'm on the outside looking in and I acknowledge that I'm no expert in this area.

 

Spoiled Enthusiast Mode Activating

You don't understand. It's been a year since they added their last coaster. I don't want to ride the same rides over and over again.

I feel like Kings Island will be similar to Six Flags Great Adventure where they have great attendance but they won't add new coasters that often because they don't get the return on investment that they want.

[thewesker]

As with most successful parks, they'll get one when they need one.

 

What a concept!

[Whodey]

I think the gaping hole in the coaster line up is coasters for 44-48 inch riders. Ever since they raised the limits on Adventure Express and Racer there has been a large group of people who are stuck riding Flying Ace Areial Chase. I think the park should go with a wild mouse with a 44 inch requirement or something like Steel Dragon at Waldameer that is 46 inch requirement. Both would be lower costs and would be aimed at a large amount of families. The one complaint I hear often is for families that have big and medium height kids. The 48 inchers have a lot of coaster and they don't want to stick around Planet Snoopy for their 47 inch siblings. A wild mouse or something with a lower height limit would really be a draw for larger families like mine.

[coasterbill]

Don't expect a gate-coaster at Kings Island anytime soon: http://www.latimes.com/travel/themeparks/la-trb-cedar-fair-coasters-20150827-story.html

 

Good... Kings Island and Kings Dominion need new entrance buildings but huge coasters would take away from the charm of the entrance plazas. Both parks have really nice main midway areas.

[DILinator]

What are crowds typically like Friday nights during Halloween Haunt? I really want to get some night rides in on Banshee, and figure that would be my best bet to do so! Also, do they take some rides and coasters out of commission those nights? Thanks!

[Geauga Dog]

^I did a Friday night at Haunt back in 2013 and it was busy but not anywhere near a Saturday type crowd. I remember Beast had a full queue and Diamondback had almost a 3/4 full queue. All coasters were running and majority of the flats. Despite the crowd it was one of the best park visits I've had in a looong time.

[Skramp]

When I've been to the Haunts it's been hit and miss. One time the rides were empty all night but the Haunt ques were over an hour wait. Other time rides were packed and Haunts were empty. Just keep an eye out as you walk around. Hit the rides you want first then go wait for the Haunts, then come back and get in line for the Beast night ride. IMO, the Haunts are only worth doing once each, nothing too spectacular.

[PKI Jizzman]

If you do any Haunt attraction, do Madam Fatale's Cavern of Terror. It's the best effort King Island has put forward to offer. It's very well themed, a bit short...but it's well done. And it's inside the Crypt. Friday nights are usually very manageable. I'd pick two haunts for sure (one inside, one outside since they open at different times) and just wait 10 minutes before they open and it's a short wait.

 

OH! The Kill-Mart attraction that was new last year was great! So was Board To Death. It was fun. Coming from a former Haunt actor, those are worth your time.

[anonymouscactus]

I don't think anyone mentioned the haunt site went live, but, it did! http://www.visitkingsisland.com/haunt

[DILinator]

Thanks for the tips, guys! I am definitely thinking that hitting up KI for some night rides on Banshee, The Beast, and Diamondback, is a stellar idea! I don't typically do haunts, but I just may check out that Madame Fatele one, upon your recommendation!

[drummermattk]

I was informed yesterday, that the train for Tombstone Territory will no longer be running. Tombstone will still be operating, just without the train.

[robbalvey]

^ Bummer.

[DILinator]

Am I correct in assuming that the closer you get to Halloween, the busier the weekend on the whole (including Fridays) becomes?

[drummermattk]

Am I correct in assuming that the closer you get to Halloween, the busier the weekend on the whole (including Fridays) becomes?

 

 

Yes, you are correct, last year at least every roller coaster had at least 2-5 rows left until a full queve. Haunt lines get long to. Everyone loves this time of the year for things to go bump in the night (cough cough a VALRAVEN..... cough cough).

[thewesker]

Fall Sundays however, are amazing for lines.

[xVicesAndVirtues]

I was at the park on Sunday and they're definitely doing a lot of work to get ready for Haunt with little teasers everywhere. Whatever they do with Son of Beast's station looked like it would be pretty cool.

 

On another note, what's with the weird, inconsistent policies at this park? Fluffy bunnies were mandatory on Banshee and Firehawk but nowhere else, not even Diamondback. Worse, they don't even allow you to migrate one fluffy bunny from one attraction to another like the SF parks do and they have a minimum $2 charge. Worse still, the Banshee front entrance employee immediately informed us of the policy, then the Firehawk front entrance employee told me my small cinch-bag had to go into one, while another guest with a huge rucksack that looked like he was moving was allowed through, then allowed to leave it on the side of the station! The fluffy bunny station was also right beside Flight of Fear and I asked their front entrance employee before riding and he shrugged and said, "you can get a l*cker if you want to...or just hold on to it". I totally understand when parks have a blanket policy like most SF parks do now, but to have this random, inconsistent policy that even the employees didn't seem to have a consistent understanding of, was completely unacceptable.

 

Another thing that was strange was the Diamondback policy for wearing flip-flops. I've been allowed to go barefoot on every other B&M hyper in the Cedar Fair chain but was told by the station employee at Diamondback that I had to wear them, despite having a few inches of floor clearance below my feet that could potentially allow them to get blown-off.

 

Finally, the park shut all major coasters and flats down from 5PM-7PM for weather. There was a bit of time from 5-5:30 where there were looming storm clouds, then it blew over. They randomly opened Vortex and kept everything else down from about 5:30-6:00. Then they kept everything closed for another hour despite it being sunny again and the only clouds being very distant, the Weather Channel radar map on their app showing a small storm cell well south of Cincinnati with nothing behind it. Even more strange, it then rained on and off from 7PM-8PM and they didn't close anything down.

 

Normally I'm one to make the best of situations and I completely understand when parks close everything for rain or thunderstorms, but this was really weird.

 

Other than that, I really liked this park a lot. They have a really solid coaster collection and Banshee was awesome. The Bat was also a cool novelty, as the Arrow suspended coasters become increasingly rare.

[chknwing]

 

On another note, what's with the weird, inconsistent policies at this park? Fluffy bunnies were mandatory on Banshee and Firehawk but nowhere else, not even Diamondback. Worse, they don't even allow you to migrate one fluffy bunny from one attraction to another like the SF parks do and they have a minimum $2 charge. Worse still, the Banshee front entrance employee immediately informed us of the policy, then the Firehawk front entrance employee told me my small cinch-bag had to go into one, while another guest with a huge rucksack that looked like he was moving was allowed through, then allowed to leave it on the side of the station! The fluffy bunny station was also right beside Flight of Fear and I asked their front entrance employee before riding and he shrugged and said, "you can get a l*cker if you want to...or just hold on to it". I totally understand when parks have a blanket policy like most SF parks do now, but to have this random, inconsistent policy that even the employees didn't seem to have a consistent understanding of, was completely unacceptable.

 

whatever you are smoking, its some good stuff. make sure you share some with the fluffy bunny.

[xVicesAndVirtues]

^I don't understand which part of my quoted post you're referring to, as you quoted a large paragraph with quite a lot of content.

 

My best guess is that you do not understand what "fluffy bunnies" refers to. Please use the search function, then sentence context.

 

If it's not that, then maybe you have certain feelings toward the park or disagree with the fact that I found their policies inconsistent. If that is the case, I'm not trashing the park, I'm just reporting on what happened and my direct observations that I made while I was there.

[DBru]

On another note, what's with the weird, inconsistent policies at this park? Fluffy bunnies were mandatory on Banshee and Firehawk but nowhere else, not even Diamondback. Worse, they don't even allow you to migrate one fluffy bunny from one attraction to another like the SF parks do and they have a minimum $2 charge. Worse still, the Banshee front entrance employee immediately informed us of the policy, then the Firehawk front entrance employee told me my small cinch-bag had to go into one, while another guest with a huge rucksack that looked like he was moving was allowed through, then allowed to leave it on the side of the station! The fluffy bunny station was also right beside Flight of Fear and I asked their front entrance employee before riding and he shrugged and said, "you can get a l*cker if you want to...or just hold on to it". I totally understand when parks have a blanket policy like most SF parks do now, but to have this random, inconsistent policy that even the employees didn't seem to have a consistent understanding of, was completely unacceptable.

 

While Diamondback and Flight of Fear have bins on the platform to leave your belongings in, Banshee and Firehawk do not. None of the new Cedar Fair coasters are being introduced with bins in the station, probably because of the very quick interval and the need to move riders through as quickly as possible to keep guests from waiting in slow-moving lines. Firehawk already has a lengthy loading process, so not allowing loose articles helps that process move much more quickly.

 

As far as your problem with the inconsistency at Firehawk, please keep in mind that ride hosts on major coasters at major parks usually encounter 10,000-15,000 guests per day. Inevitably, they aren't going to catch every bag that comes through the line, because everyone is susceptible to human error. Honestly, it discourages me to come on here and see that people in OUR community (i.e. roller coaster and amusement park enthusiasts) share no understanding or empathy for that.

[coolhandluke]

While Diamondback and Flight of Fear have bins on the platform to leave your belongings in, Banshee and Firehawk do not.

Flight of Fear loads and unloads at different stations, so I don't think you meant what you typed...but yeah, I agree with everything else.

 

I've seen people at Firehawk stash bags on the platform that should have gone into lockerss, but that's certainly the exception more than the rule. Typically it seems like it's just a guest that got by the line attendant unnoticed, and by the time they make it to the station it's way tougher PR-wise to send them all the way back out, so they acquiesce. Flight of Fear seems to let some smaller bags/purses in, but I've always seen them taken on the ride, set in the bottom of the car. Maybe the shin bars on the restraints make them feel more okay about allowing that, but (from what I've seen) usually anything around those drawstring bags or larger get stopped at the entrance and lockered.

 

ETA: Regarding the new slides and entrance, I'm way more excited for the new tolls than the slides (which are a fine addition!). I come from the north on my visits, and anytime the north entrance is closed off can be a small nightmare. There's no dedicated left turn lane from that direction at the entrances, you're at the mercy of oncoming cars letting you into "your" toll lane, and traffic from either direction clogs onto the main road since the current booths are entirely too close to the road. I'm really happy about this change, even if I'd prefer resurfacing the parking lot a little more.

Bleh