Kings Island Haunt Friday

I'm going to be in Columbus tomorrow on business, and may head down to Kings Island afterwards. I'll be solo, so will probably pass on most of the mazes and haunts (I know, blasphemy around these parts) - but would be going mainly for some night rides.

My question: Is the KI Haunt similar to Friday night Halloweekends at CP?

I've looked all over, and can't find any info on rides. Are they limited like CP? If so, what's closed?

I also thought I read somewhere that unlike CP, Fridays can be crazy crowded there (but can't find it again). Is this true? Are the lines for the coasters huge, or thin because most people are there for the Haunts?

I'd take a Friday evening of rides over haunts any day!

Ya know, KI is promoting their "scream like a banshee" contest held on Friday nights. I think the grand prize is tickets to Banshee press day, and a trip to KBF for some kind of scream off. I'm sure that's bringing em in!

Actually, I think it'll be good. Cincinnati is a serious Football Friday Nights town, like most, and I'd bet the park won't be very busy. Certainly better than Saturday. I'm pretty sure most majors will be open for you, you might miss some flats.

When you're in Columbus be sure to stop at a Jeni's somewhere. Ask anyone where's the nearest. You'll thank me.

^Yeah, they'll be thanking you for taking the walk of shame. As an alternative, I hear there are some great carrot farms around Columbus... ;-)

JOz99, I've done the Friday Haunts for the last 5 years or so at KI. First off, I'd recommend getting there before the gates open. The wall of monsters is a fun experience to start the night. You're in luck, because this particular Friday is typically among the best of the Haunt season. The September Friday's have thinner crowds, but by mid October, they can get Saturday-like.

My experience on this particular Friday the last several years has been a moderate crowd that is mostly there for the Haunts. There will likely be lots of walk-on or low-wait coaster rides. A couple years the haunts even had low to no waits. People really thin out by 12AM, and from 12-1AM, it can be heavenly, so stick around.

All coasters will be open, and most rides are. Planet Snoopy is converted into a Scare Zone, so I don't remember much more than Boo Blasters being open back there. But, you probably weren't planning to marathon the Kite-Eating Tree ride anyway.

I love KI Haunt. That park is thoroughly transformed into Halloween and has an awesome atmosphere that is better than CP Halloweekends. They have 11 mazes vs CP's 4, and some tend to be a little more intense (Slaughter House, Urgent Scare) or humorously entertaining (Club Blood, Holiday Horror). If you're just there for the rides though, I think you should be golden. I'd be there tomorrow if my friends didn't hate me so much... ;-)

KI opens at 6:00... What time do they open the gates/wall of monsters?

Assuming they're still doing it like the past 5 years, right at 6PM, the gates will open up, and the park's scare actors will pour out and rush the crowd that had been waiting for the park to open.

Here's another helpful tip that I can't find anywhere on KI's website or their Haunt website: Even though they advertise 30 minutes of early entry every day of the season with Platinum Pass, it does not apply to KI Friday Haunt's. I'm assuming there is no ERT so that they can do the wall of monsters, which is oddly not even advertised. It's more of a tradition I guess?

Thanks for the help! The little info I've found elsewhere is sorely lacking, and contradictory.

The only mention I could find of Friday night rides on the KI Website or Facebook page is just a link back to the Haunt website*. This is exactly the same as the rides page on the CP Halloweekends website, which we know aren't all open on Friday nights. No mention of whether KI is similar with limited coasters. I've even read several posts that say Friday nights are Haunt only???

Oh well. If I can get a couple rides on Racer, back seat of Diamondback, and of course, night Beast rides, I'll be happy. Anything else is - as ACErs would say - gravy.

*BTW: Am I the only one who thinks the CF Halloween websites are terrible? Misinformation and no mention of key features??.

https://www.visitkingsisland.com/haunt/rides-attractions?ctg=Thrill-Rides

Is this what you're looking for?

I'm not sure I would characterize them as terrible, but definitely lacking.

^^No, you're not the only one that thinks they're terrible. I said something similar a couple weeks ago, and it was voted up 10 times.

So to be clear, all of the rides listed on the KI Haunt website should actually be open tonight. There is not limited ride availability beyond what is listed on Friday's like Cedar Point.

I can also see how Friday's at KI being Haunt-only could be confusing. It doesn't literally mean the haunts only. It means that it's only their event called Haunt, such that there is no Howl-O-Palooza (their family-friendly event) before 6PM.

Not sure Gonch ... Are all those rides open on Fridays?

Here's the same rides page from the CP Halloeewkends site:
https://www.cedarpoint.com/haunt/rides-attractions?ctg=Thrill-Rides-9-8-12-40

However, we know that not all of those rides listed are open tonight. That's part of the reason I mentioned the CF Halloween sites are confusing.

*edit to add: From those links - yes, I would assume all rides shown are open (which again, we know isn't true of CP)

Honestly, I think you're overthinking it.

It's Haunt. There's no more reason to expect anything that's listed as open to not be open than there is any other time of the year.

I had it confirmed from an inside source that Banshee won't be open tonight.

^^Well great, Gonch. I can't wait to ride Mine Ride, Gemini, Corkscrew, Mantis, and Wicked Twister at Cedar Point tonight, because they are all advertised as being open.

Oh wait, but they're not actually open. It was a fair question. Cedar Fair is not making this information clear, and I'd wonder if there is limited Friday ride availability at other Cedar Fair parks I've never been to as well.

Except that we're not talking about Cedar Point. The title of the thread is Kings Island Haunt. The only reason there is any question is because of reading into it based on the Cedar Point site.

Classic overthinking.

Obviously, the biggest attractions will be open. You said it yourself in an earlier post:

"All coasters will be open, and most rides are. Planet Snoopy is converted into a Scare Zone, so I don't remember much more than Boo Blasters being open back there. But, you probably weren't planning to marathon the Kite-Eating Tree ride anyway."

So what are we still discussing? JOz99 will definitely be able to score a plethora of night rides at Kings Island during Haunt on a Friday.

Does anyone just do anything anymore? I've jammed my entire family into my not-good-for-traveling car and done a week on the road with less consideration than this.

Well, I was trying to figure out the point of your 12:24PM post. I had already answered everything clearly. Were you posting that to say that JOz's question was silly? I thought it was perfectly valid.

When things are done a certain way at one of a chain's parks, is it overthinking and unreasonable to think that it might be done the same way at another of the chain's parks? I personally don't think so.

Edit: Actually, I'm very curious now. I only know about CP & KI. Is there limited Friday ride availability at any other Cedar Fair park other than Cedar Point?

Edit 2: I want to vote that up for the car meme joke, but disagree with the overthinking part. Hmmm...

Dorney has almost everything open Friday nights. The only rides closed are Thunderhawk (since a Haunt attraction uses the queue), Cedar Creek Cannonball and all of Planet Snoopy.

YoshiFan - I've heard a strong rumor (credible source) that Dorney will keep T-Hawk open this year...finally. Haven't ridden it in about a decade, since it's always been closed for Haunt.

As for KI's Haunt - if I'm going, Raptor had BETTER be open! ;~P

Jeph said:

Well, I was trying to figure out the point of your 12:24PM post. I had already answered everything clearly.

Exactly my point.

You answered his question, Jeph. The website gives no indication that the rides listed won't be open and the only piece that even remotely points to that not being the case is a website for another park entirely - and only when you compare the totally ambiguous (unlike my comment) website to outside knowledge, yet JOz99 was still mulling over questions.

Seemed like he was overthinking it at that point. Rides will be open. Going for some solo night rides will totally be do-able.

Get in the car, JOz99. Go! See what you find. Stuff...anything...something will be open. Go! Go! Go! Get out there and get those rides in that you're after. There's nothing more to consider. Rides will be open - Jeph has gone for the last 5 years and has told you directly that the rides will be open. Who cares what Cedar Point is doing on Fridays? Go enjoy Kings Island. Don't overthink it.

rollergator said:

As for KI's Haunt - if I'm going, Raptor had BETTER be open! ;~P

Nice.

Gator, Thunderhawk has been open for weekend Haunt the last few year, IIRC, but closed at 5-ish. I can't remember the last time I rode at night.

I don't have a pass, so I have no definite plans to hit Dorney this October. But I just picked up some coupons at Wendy's that'll make it easier if the occasion should arise. It's my favorite park Haunt (small sample size, but, well...)

Well, see, that's an issue for me, since I don't leave Knoebels until they kick us out. Typically get to DP around 6:30-7:00 Sunday night...

Dorney's Haunted hotel is freakin' AWESOME....I'll miss Camp C U Die (camp cootie?) - but in general I think they do really well.