Empty King's Island 5/22-23/13

Hi hello, sort of new, sorry if I'm doing trip report wrong. Haha. Also, posting from iPad. Sorry for any autocorrect, will try to get them.

Anywho, a great weekday trip to Kings Island Wed & Thurs (5/22&5/23). I'm from Cleveland, so we don't normally go to KI, maybe once to twice a year. Plat pass holder. I'm quite a youngster, lol, still in high school. I had an event in Columbus so it was an excuse to drive an hour more afterwards and stay the night at KI.

Drove down Wednesday, hung out in Columbus, got to KI at around 4:30-5ish. Wasn't raining yet. We got right on Diamondback, a couple train wait because my mom had never ridden front and the airtime is great, so we had to do it. It was running a little bumpy then, and it got better the next day.

After only one ride on Diamondback, we we to Beast. It was running great actually. A little weird going out of the station, the train jerked around, but even that entrance to the helix wasn't so bad. Almost rode twice because no line at all, but decided not to.

We went to Flight of Fear, which was actually really crappy today. When I first rode that, I honestly didn't know what it was going to do, but after we rode it was super fun, but riding it today it was just crappy. 6/10. Fire hawk had no line which was surprising, red train was not to bad, normally I hate that ride. Hard to breathe, ugh.

After that my mom and I were both sick sort of, so we hung around, people watched. It's a lot more fun to do that at cedar point, kings island just has a bunch of teenagers.

I tried to get some looks at the construction, but there was nothing new to see. When we went up in the tower the next day, there really isn't anything new. Maybe these two rectangular holes in the ground more near the fences, not sure what those are for.

Anyway, we didn't get any rain until we were leaving. Which was the strangest rain I have ever encountered. It just suddenly started pouring. Out of nowhere. You could not see ten feet in front of your car and people were obviously driving like idiots. It stopped by the time we got to the highway too. We're staying in one a few exits down this year, which is actually nicer.

But the next day we got there when the park opened, it was cold, I mean I had to wear to cardigan. Rode diamondback 3 times in ten minutes. Beast was still running great. Today was the first time I've ever ridden Racer, and I was pleasantly surprised. That's the oldest in the park right? It was very smooth (for a woodie) and quite a fun little coaster. Even got my mom to go on Boo Blasters. Haha.

It seems like no one down there knows what an elephant ear is???? We ordered one and the people in line behind us and behind them asked what it was. Huh.

Okay here's my main little thing that really got on my nerves. They got new souvenir cups this year right, you know Coke products. Anyway, they refuse to fill up any other cups. I brought our Windseeker cup from CP, and it really made me angry. Like???? Might as well throw them out. Is Cedar Point doing that too? I'm not gunna buy a new cup for $12.

I was there both days too. Today (May 23) was much busier than yesterday with all those school groups. It was still a great time to go though.

Yesterday evening, I was up in the Eiffel Tower when they went down for weather. I looked out in the distance and saw the rain coming. I sprinted to my car and sat there for a few minutes to wait and see what it was going to do. As soon as the first raindrops hit, I started up my car and headed for the hotel, right next door. It was raining cats and dogs by the time I got there.

Hi Daniella! It sounds like you had a great time...nice report! I went on the first Tuesday the park was open, and it was the same story...empty. The May weekdays @ KI are usually like this every year, and I love them. You can ride everything with ease multiple times and just enjoy the park in a much more relaxed setting.

I'm not sure if CP is accepting old souvenir cups, but I think this is something to do with the new Coke contract (all Cedar Fair parks switched to Coke). KI was filling old souvenir cups in previous seasons, but this is the first year that they're not as far as I know. You're not alone; I've seen many complaints about this on other forums.

Time for the TR curmudgeon to show up. :)

Seriously, I'm not trying to start anything here, but I've never heard of this in my life:

They got new souvenir cups this year right, you know Coke products. Anyway, they refuse to fill up any other cups. I brought our Windseeker cup from CP, and it really made me angry. Like???? Might as well throw them out. Is Cedar Point doing that too? I'm not gunna buy a new cup for $12.

People take cups from previous seasons to other parks in the chain and get refills? And we're complaining and surprised when they won't?

Just trying to make sure I'm following correctly, because if I am, this blows my f'n mind on a level so far beyond volleying with a ride op that it will take 1000 years for the light from there to reach me.

Amusement parks need to start posting "no enthusiasts" signs. As a group we are the cheapest most demanding leeches to walk through their gates.

Ehhh. Nevermind. Just want to make sure I'm following correctly.

This has been quite an eye-opening year for me. :)

Tyler meet Daniella. Daniella meet Tyler. :-)

Haha I knew that you were going to comment on that, Gonch. If you think that's mind-blowing, apparently KI has had reusable buckets for popcorn and cotton candy that people have been allowed to reuse for years also.

Me personally, I can't stand carrying around stuff at a park, but kudos to those that have taken advantage of these perks. Oh, and if you're upset with the change, Daniella, it never hurts to contact the park directly with your feedback.

LostKause said:

I sprinted to my car

Somewhere, Tyler Boes is smiling.

:-D

Ha, well last year they filled up my previous years Cedar Point cup. I guess I don't really mind that much. I'm sure ill end up forking out $12 for a cup this year anyway. I mean I've already invested so much money on plat passes for four years now, might as well. Headed there now actually, hitting two parks in a day. A first for me, hahah.

I honestly thought they only filled the souvenir cups from the current year and park on the cup, so I'm surprised Cedar Fair actually EVER let people bring in souvenir cups from different parks and years.

Maybe I'm a weird enthusiast (okay, there's not a whole lot of maybe in there), but I just don't pinch pennies that much at a park. I drink only water at the park, so I have absolutely no use for the souvenir cups, no space for them in my cabinets at home, and therefore almost never buy one. I don't bargain hunt or even use many of the Platinum Pass perks (other than picture discounts). With the amount of times I go to Dorney (for instance) and the little bit of money I spend, I've already gotten a great deal and just don't worry about it all that much.

KD is this weekend though, I will be riding I-305 for the first time, and we'll be there all day. Perhaps I will use perks a bit more in this case.

Welcome to CoasterBuzz, Daniella!

Welcome. It's nice to get some more teens on coasterbuzz.

Haha thanks for the welcomes. I prefer the company of adults anyway. It's hard finding actual teen enthusiasts at parks, they all *think* they know about how maverick is the fastest in the park. *overheard line conversations* those are always the best.

Yeah, it's annoying when my friends say about how Top Thrill Dragster is the tallest ride in the park, but Millennium is faster. Then, they also don't understand the concept of sprinting to a ride.

Daniella said:

I'm sure ill end up forking out $12 for a cup this year anyway. I mean I've already invested so much money on plat passes for four years now, might as well.

If you have a Platinum pass the cup should only be $9.99.

Jeph said:

Haha I knew that you were going to comment on that, Gonch. If you think that's mind-blowing, apparently KI has had reusable buckets for popcorn and cotton candy that people have been allowed to reuse for years also.

We'll it's not the refillables that gets me. It's the two levels of cheapness and expectations.

1. I can't imagine taking one park's cup to another park and expecting them to fill it.

2. I can't imagine taking last year's cup to a park and expecting them to fill it.

3. I'm flabbergasted that people do both 1 & 2 at the same time.

Customer expectations are so far skewed that there's no way I could possibly have a job in the service industry. I'd snap.

Yes, but if KI permitted its guests to do that in the past, how is it her fault for suspecting they'd do it again? Am I cheap if I had a Six Flags America souvenir cup from 2005 that I was permitted to use every season, or am I just a smart consumer? And without express notification to the contrary, how would I have any way of knowing that the rules had changed?

It'd be one thing if KI expressly stated that it wasn't their policy to permit said action or if Daniella had tried it in the past with no success and was insistent upon trying every year in hopes the park would exercise some inconsistency. I don't get that in this case.

Is it something I would try to do? No, but I'm nearly five years out of college with a massive theme park background. If I were in Daniella's shoes, maybe I would at least try. It's the same chain and the same season.

Again, we're adults with real-world experience, so we know better. I can't say if Daniella should know better too. I will say that getting upset over it is a bit much, so on that we agree, but I think coming down on her as the cheapskate enthusiast is a bit over the top. The cheapskate enthusiast is the guy who asks for a cup of water and steals Coke. ;)

My son and I stopped by King's Island on Wednesday evening for the sole purposing of upgrading his Gold pass to a Plat pass (we were going to CP on Thursday and could not upgrade his KI pass at CP according to customer service). It had just stopped raining (est. around 6:15 or 6:30) so we decided to go into the park just to see if Diamondback was running. We got to it just as they re-opened the line. Got in 4 rides in about 20 mins. As we came into the station on the last ride, they were closing it down again so headed out. First time I have ever ridden a coaster (or visited an amusement park) in my business clothes! Came straight from work.

As to the cups, I was always under the impression in past years that Cedar Fair's policy was to allow old cups/other park cups to be refilled. It wasn't my expectation, but was what I was told and experienced in practice. Actually did not know they had changed the policy this year (I bought a new cup at CP this year). I would note that our group had an old KI Diamondback cup at CP on Monday and got it filled at least once and maybe twice with no argument. Doesn't bother me if they say previous year cups can't be used. I do think you should be able to bring the same years cup from other Cedar Fair parks, but even here, I wouldn't complain if they said no. I can definitely understand the whole old cups thing especially since the new cups are smaller than previous years (although refills are back to $0.99 rather then the $1.99 they were last year).

I would note that fountain soda, even at $0.99/refill, is extremely profitable for Cedar Fair (or maybe Coke depending on the contract structure). This from my brother who used to run restaurants explaining why they would offer free refills. This is why it I never gave a thought to their policy in the past of allowing older/other CF park cups but not going to complain about them changing it.

One further aside, was up at CP yesterday (Thursday). My son and I had left the park for a bit and were coming back in carrying our cup. A kid was leaving with a cup and tried to offer me his day-of-purchase band for free refills which I declined. Wasn't right. I had already used that perk for my cup on Monday. IMHO, taking his band would have been stealing and would not have set the right example for my 12 year old son.

sirloindude said:

Yes, but if KI permitted its guests to do that in the past, how is it her fault for suspecting they'd do it again? Am I cheap if I had a Six Flags America souvenir cup from 2005 that I was permitted to use every season, or am I just a smart consumer? And without express notification to the contrary, how would I have any way of knowing that the rules had changed?

I wouldn't try it in the first place. My assumption would be that you can't use cups year-to-year or in different parks.

I don't think there are posted rules because it's just understood. It's something that never even crossed my mind. That's why I'm flabbergasted. I'm amazed that people think this way.

How does it make sense to think a single $10 purchase gets you 99-cent refills for life? And why in the hell were the parks humoring this to any degree?

It's a fail on all levels.

Unfortunately, playing the system equates to 'smart consumer' anymore. I don't necessarily see it that way. I see it as almost a 'lower class' thing to do. At some point, trying to get something for nothing is just kind of 'eww' to me. But that's beside the point. I'm just taken by the idea that anyone would try this in the first place.

I wouldn't have tried to do it with a six flags cup at a cedar fair park, but KI and CP have the exact same cups, just different labels. It's just a waste of money buying a bottle out of a machine for $5 when you can get a whole 12 pack and more for that price.

I honestly don't even care that much, hell ill mostly drink water anyway but we wanted coke for our lunch and sort of surprised they wouldn't fill it. I mean, I know why they're doing it and I'm not gonna complain to them or keep bugging the employees about it.

I noticed a couple of years ago at Idlewild that they went as far as putting on their menu boards that refills were 99c, previous year refills were $1.89. I hadn't even considered it before that, and haven't heard of it since until now.

Daniella said:

I wouldn't have tried to do it with a six flags cup at a cedar fair park, but KI and CP have the exact same cups, just different labels.

Nothing against you. You're obviously not the only one who thought of, tried or did this. Again, I'm more surprised by the idea that this idea even exists.

kpjb said:

I noticed a couple of years ago at Idlewild that they went as far as putting on their menu boards that refills were 99c, previous year refills were $1.89. I hadn't even considered it before that, and haven't heard of it since until now.

I want to add more, but I'm at a rare loss for words. I do not live in the same world as the amusement park crowd.