PKI/ACE walkback question
- More
- 1 of 2
- 2
Does this mean I (as an ACE member) can go walk the track, or does it mean I can just get to the ride before anyone else and ride?
I thought I read somewhere it was the former, but the information on PKI.com leads me to believe the latter.
Thanks in advance.
-----------------
D.o.t. Crew 2000
Flight of Fear/Wave Swinger crew 2001-2002
-------------
Is it the roar of Kumba or the kumba of Roar? Discuss!
Shaggy
-----------------
Shaggy
A.K.A. John K.
This is my recollection of the story, I think it was in the ACE quarterly mag...although I think the offer is now "your choice, Beast or SoB". I don't honestly think PKI will ever let anyone walk the tracks. Although we were hopeful at CoasterCamp, it didn't happen...we DID walk thru the employees entrance in the back, right near the brake run...got our hopes up.
Spacecase8310 said:
Oh how friggen privilaged. What a crock of....
First of all, I would make it duly noted that I am laughing heartily at this post.
Second, Mr. Gator, you are speaking of the legendary Ruth Voss. I would go into a nice little monologue about her, but i'm sure Shaggy will do it with much more knowledge, and more eloquently. I leave the stage open for his presence. :)
-----------------
If the shoe fits, find another one.
-----------------
Florida needs an Intamin and/or CCI soon...PLEASE!
Son of Drop Zone - PKI CoasterCamp I Champions!!!
Oh wait, we do nothing for them - yet they offer us walkbacks and lower admission.
Second post in a row that Spacecase has made me angry.
-----------------
You can't spell "dishonorable" without "honorable."
I appreciate the open stage Ravenguy98, I'll be glad to shed some light. But if you want to take the reigns I will not steal your thunder....
Shaggy
-----------------
Shaggy
A.K.A. John K.
*** This post was edited by Shaggy on 2/15/2002. ***
What year did Ruth die? Gosh, I can't even remember that much. Ruth Voss was the PR Dierctor of Kings Island and was well loved by the coaster community. She had arthritic hands, and she made it well known that she felt that a daily morning ride on the Beast helped her arthritis. ( I know what she means. While I don't have arthritis, I can't imagine having at least a bad day after riding pappa in the morning.) She then founded the ACE walkback, one of the great bastions of coaster-dom. On the last walk back I took, the guy that led us back told us that Acers are there every day, no matter what. Usually, any where from 5 to 15 is the norm. He also told us lots of other cool stuffs about the park, like the underground rooms and stuff like that. I never got a chance to meet Ruth, has anybody else?
-----------------
If the shoe fits, find another one.
-------------
Ride the New England Bush!
*** This post was edited by Spacecase8310 on 2/15/2002. ***
*** This post was edited by Spacecase8310 on 2/15/2002. ***
With Fastlane and others, you have a continuous line of people cutting in front of you.
Another difference is that PKI offers this because it appreciates ACE members; Fastlane is only to make money.
-----------------
You can't spell "dishonorable" without "honorable."
Spacecase8310 said:
What makes me upset is that I think the general consensus on this forum (thank goodness) is that things like fastlane are wrong because you buy your way in front of people. Then many of the same people that complain about this get on a ride before anyone else gets a chance simply because they paid 50 bucks to join a club. That just seems rather hypocritical to me. Now I know this is on a much smaller scale (Beast hardly has a line in the morning anyways since it's way in the back of the park (Hey, let's ride Face/Off first!) but this is more a matter of principal. Sorry if my first post was a little short and abrupt, but I had to run to class and learn about bugs.
-------------
Ride the New England Bush!
*** This post was edited by Spacecase8310 on 2/15/2002. ***
Whoa! This is nothing like Fastpass! Fastpass is a purchased thing, This is a thing of if you are a ACE member you recieve a perk and is not the only perk out there so saying paying $50 for a first ride is rediculous.
ACE Benifits? Half price admission to PKI, HW, Discounted admissions to many other parks, ACE events and magazines, Participation at Park held events.
IMHO it is post like that that put a bad light on enthusiast and if there is any retribution from parks it is because of that. Please don't take that as a flame. The benifit of being a club member is there and if you choose not to participate then that is your choice. Many of us like to be able to be first in line for Beast ect. and apreciate the benifit.
BTW, I have herd that 2002 walkbacks will be for either Beast or TR:TR every public operating day in 2002 when the park opens at 10am.
Chuck, see you at the walkback :), Nungester
-----------------
Charles Nungester
167 coasters asn hopes to be over 200 by the end of 2002
-----------------
Is it the roar of Kumba or the kumba of Roar? Discuss!
-----------------
If the shoe fits, find another one.
Den said:
"The difference is that with the walkback, no one is inconvenienced. By the time the GP gets back to the Beast, the ACErs are all done riding."
Well....I wouldnt say all that. Granted, the *MAJORITY* of park patrons are unaffected, but I'm sure there are a few. I'll speak from the example of the walkback to V:TBC / H:XLC @ PKD (whoa...alphabet soup...) the last weekend of the season. We were in line when the park "officially" opened. There was a nice little mob sprinting for V:TBC and I saw the looks on their faces when they saw a nice little crowd (about 2-3 trains worth) already up in line. Now their wait wasnt *that* much longer due to the walkback, but let's not overlook that their wait WAS lengthened.
jeremy
-----------------
You can't spell "dishonorable" without "honorable."
The ACE walkback basically developed as a "fluke." From what I understand, Ruth Voss, the late PR rep for King's Island, became good aquaintances with several people who routinely showed up at the park to ride the Beast. Many of those drove hundreds of miles just to be there. The immense popularity of Beast after it was opened drew a lot of coaster fans. ACE was in a very infantile stage back then, but the organization did exist and helped develop awareness of the ride. Because Ruth was a lady so many early enthusiasts got to know and love through those years, she became kind of a "best friend" to those folks. Many would show up at KI only to see her smiling face ready to greet them at the Guest Relations window.
Because of the dedication and love for the Beast and KI they showed, Ruth began inviting those early arrivals back to the Beast for the first rides. Ruth loved to ride the Beast, as others have mentioned, since it helped jump start her day and loosened up her authritic joints.
Everyone loved Ruth, thus a tradition was started. After Ruth retired, she was so sorrily missed that even KI took a car from one of the Beast trains, re-furbished it and gave it to her so she would alays have a part of the Beast nearby. I was told by one of the fellows that delivered it to her that she could hardly contain herself and all simply cried and cried.
Ruth Voss died a rather short time later.
In the intermediate years, the walkback continued "unofficially" in more or less a tribute to Ruth. There were often times when enthusiasts were not even officially escorted back but never-the-less they still came.
In more recent years, the walkback has become increasingly popular. PKI now embraces the history of the walkback and offers anyone who is a member of ACE a chance to take part, as well as bring a friend. The event is not highly publicized and PKI reps lead the groups back via a hidden access area as to not anger guests.
Now, is this walkback giving enthusiasts a special privelege? Yes. Is that wrong? Well I guess that is one's own opinion to form. But I definitely do not see it as something wrong.
Actually, I view the walkback as a tribute to those who love and support parks and as a tribute to Mrs. Voss. She probably loved King's Island more than any of us can ever imagine. When she retired, she wanted to make sure all of the wonderful friends she made in ACE still came and still got to ride her favorite ride. Although she new she could not ride Beast anymore herself, she wanted it's legend to live on. She also wanted the love and friendship she had for enthusiasts to continue to show in her absence.
To trivialize the walkback as something underhanded or unfair is to not understand the true origin of it. Those outside of ACE, or the enthusiast community often cannot understand the fascination we all feel for PKI or any other park. The walkback is a chance for PKI to welcome us, and recognize those of us that would rather be there than most any other place.
When Son of Beast was opened, the walkback was extended to include that ride. This year Sonny has been dropped from that choice and PKI will offer the option to either ride Beast or Tomb Raider for the walkback. Never-the-less PKI continues the walkback to Beast and it is an extremely generous gesture.
Now, I can see where you may be coming from when you site the fact that many enthusiasts are angered by the fastpass system, yet embrace the walkback. But there are two significant things to point out their differences.
First, PKI does not charge for the walkback. Fastpass in 90% of the parks that use it requires a fee. PKI limits the walkback only by requiring that those participating belong to ACE. PKI only officially recognizes ACE because it is the only established preservation group they have a history with. The ACE members were the ones that first endeared themselves to Ruth, and worked hard in those initial years to help endear the Beast to so many across the country.
Second, the walkback is a well thought out, and often small and insignificant ocurrance. It does not involve giving a large, yet limited, amount of folks exit ramp access to several attractions like fastpass. It is offered just one time each day and done so that others days are not interrupted. They do it before most guest's days at the park even begin.
The walkbacks I have always taken part in happen as follows: At around 9:30AM ACE members gather at the ACE plaque imbedded in International Street's Pavement. (This block is being moved this season by the way...) By 9:45 the ACE members are led back through a behind the scenes path to the Beast (or Sonny or soon TR:TR) They then wait at or near the rides entrance for the ride's morning testing to be complete and the ride opes to signal the o.k. ACE members then choose their seats accordingly and most of the time the GP is right behind them. Special trains are not run for just enthusiasts, although that IS what happened when the walkback first started. Those enthusiasts that wait for a front or back seat often ride with the rest of the train full of GP.
Bottom line?
This is not some outrageous special perk. The walkback offers ACE members a chance to see each other, to talk and meet those PKI reps that help make the park a great place. But most of all, the walkback continues in part to celebrate the wonderful memory of Ruth Voss, the true gem of KI's history.
Shaggy
-----------------
Shaggy
A.K.A. John K.
*** This post was edited by Shaggy on 2/15/2002. ***
- More
- 1 of 2
- 2
You must be logged in to post
