Ride Warriors Coaster Weekend

I had quite an issue with the Diamondback auction on opening day. I won't get into the long story, but the organization of that auction was incredibly poor. However I got in touch with them and they straightened everything out. And no offense, but wouldn't it have been easier to just register before the last day, rather than run the risk of missing the deadline?

Collin Aynes said:
Thank-You redman822 for someone finally showing some sympathy for me! I understand deadlines for events and things but I, too, wasn't expecting them to just shut down the registration before end of day on May 6th!

Heh, it does suck that they didn't put a specific time. They must have meant May 5th by 11:59!

Actually, I think they meant by close of business on May 6th. I'm guessing the people who missed the opportunity to register made their attempts after the offices closed which is why they didn't call guest relations as soon as they had the trouble.

Would it have been clearer for KI to post the exact time that they intended to take down the registration? Sure. Are the folks who missed out still accountable for inaccurately assuming what time registration would close given an exact time was not provided? Absolutely.

The site said registration ends on May 6th. It didn't say registration ends at the end of the day on May 6th. You took a gamble and you lost.

My sympathy would not change any of that.

I registered me and my family either the first or second day it was available. After hearing about the registration time problem yesterday, I got to wondering about the fact that I didn't get a confirmation page to print or anything else for that matter from KI. Needless to say, I won't be none to happy IF we get there and are denied because they don't have our registration.

Here's the email sent Thursday afternoon:

Thank you for your interest and participation in our inaugural Ride Warriors Coaster Weekend at Kings Island! The schedule for the two-day event is listed below:

SATURDAY’S SCHEDULE

6:00 am – 12:00 pm Check-in at Front Gate

7:00 am – 9:00 am ERT on the Beast

8:00 am – 10:00 am ERT on Backlot Stunt Coaster & Vortex

11:00 am Beast Tour

6:00 pm Guest Speakers Kings Island Theater

8:00 pm Beast Birthday Party in Picnic Grove

10:00 pm Fireworks Show

10:30 pm – 1:00 am ERT on Diamondback

SUNDAY’S SCHEDULE

7:30 am – 10:00 am Check-in at Front Gate

8:00 am – 10:00 am ERT on Racer, Firehawk & Flight of Fear

11:00 am. Racer Tour

3:00 pm Son of Beast Tour

8:00 pm Last rides on Diamondback

CHECK-IN

Check-in will begin each morning at the front gate. Please remember to bring proof of membership to the roller coaster club and/or enthusiast organization you registered under and present it along with your e-ticket or season pass at the check-in table. If you registered a guest that is not a member of one of the Kings Island-approved roller coaster clubs and/or enthusiast organizations, they must present a Two-Day e-ticket at check-in to participate in the Ride Warriors events. Season passes are not valid for entry into the event by non-coaster club and enthusiast organization members.

Should you arrive at the park later than the listed check-in times, please go to Guest Relations located at the Front Gate. A marketing representative will assist you.

PHOTO CONTEST

Submit a photo from Ride Warriors Weekend via e-mail to kingsislandgr@visitkingsisland.com by May 17, 2009. The winning entry will receive a Kings Island gift pack and have their photo featured on the Kings Island Insider Blog all season. Limit one entry per person.

Please contact us at kingsislandgr@visitkingsisland.com should you have any questions or be in need of any additional information.

We look forward to seeing you this weekend at Kings Island!

Everyone I've checked with didnt recieve their email till yesterday, thursday. I'm not a very good email citizen, so it's a good thing i checked when i did. Now at least I know I'm in.

40% chance thundestorms on Saturday, clear by night (woo hoo!) and nice on Sunday.

ToledoDan said:
Thx....but I already know that one....over on KICentral, the're talking about an email going out that has more detail...something like you have to be at the gate at 6:50am for a walkback....anyone have that e-mail?

That information was given in a stickeyed topic about the event on KI Central. I wasn't too happy about having to arrive that early so I emailed the park using the link given in the confirmation email.

Don Helbig himself responded to my email and said that the above information about no late entry to the morning ERT is FALSE. He said we can check in and join the morning ERT anytime before 10AM. However, they will be escorting people from the front gate to the ERT area. He indicated it might take 5-10 minutes for a park representative to arrive to escort you back if you arrive after the frist inital walk back.

My question is, why isn't all of the relevant information posted on the KI site? I've had a half-dozen e-mail messages in the last day from people asking about the event, and I don't have anything to tell them other than ask the park.

This park/event seems very unorganized. I don't know all the details, and I'm not going, but judging by everyones posts, it's a big question as to whether everyone is registered or not. I'm sure once you get there and your not registered if you tell the park they will let you into the event anyway.

Also, the statement about counting heads for the buffet doesn't seem to make sense. I would assume they always overestimate for those kind of things anyway, not by a lot of people I'm sure, but enough for those who trickle in past the deadline.

Deadlines are still important though. I'm just saying....

I agree with Kyle...it does seem unorganized...but also understand this is a first for KI...there's bound to be hickups.

The big question will be if KI realizes there were issues with the whole pre-event planning/registration and makes up for it with excellent customer service once everyone is on site.

You would think that it wouldn't be Kings Island as a park but Cedar Fair as an organization. Couldn't they bring in people from Cedar point or places like this.....even one person with some experience?

If you have a whole corporation dedicated to amusement parks than this is just another responsibility of the corporation right?

Maybe it doesn't work like that? I don't really know.

Don't you think it's worth waiting until the event actually begins to start calling the park/event unorganized? The pre-registration has been challenged, but that doesn't mean the event itself is going to be problematic.

Yes, but as soon as the event begins, go ahead and start tweeting away on your phones about how bad it sucks. ;)

JK I agree with Carrie.

^LOL, Josh!

I don't see what the problem is. You either register on time or you don't. Anyway, I hope everyone has fun! Give lots of extra love to Diamondback for me! :)

-Tina

Collin Aynes said:
I'm sure I am not the only one who wasn't able to register for whatever reason. Also, I could care less about more food, and more goodie bags. All I want to do is just do the ERT and I would be willing to pay more to do so. I am pretty sure if someone else were in my position they would be pretty upset about it as well.

I ran into the same problem and called KI as well. Same reaction, they showed no empathy, and had no solution. I got to spend the weekend working in my yard instead.

So a birthday party for The Beast is followed by night ERT on... Diamondback? Ohhh k.

Acoustic Viscosity said:
So a birthday party for The Beast is followed by night ERT on... Diamondback? Ohhh k.

They had a drawing for prizes at the Beast party and gave away poster boards with before and after aerial photos of Diamondback and KI tote bags with DB first rider T-shirts and DB shot glasses (at least that was what was in the two I saw).

There should have been ERT for DB Sat. morning. Then Sat. night have the Beast 10:30-12 and DB 11-1am. Just my 2 cents.

My guess on the no Beast Night ERT has to do with the fact that it takes that line over an hour to empty once it resumes operations at 10:20ish post firework show.

Sure it sucks, but I get why they didnt do it, however that was the deal breaker for me. I needed to pick up one more weekend of work this month and with CP's opening day being next week, Memorial Day Weekend the week after, and my birthday the week after that it made my decision pretty quickly. With Diamondback's SR line Ive already gotten plenty of rides on it, and I know Ill get plenty more this summer and it while this event looked great it wasnt worth the drive (3 hours) or hotel room without a Beast night ERT.

WOW this thread has allot of complaining before the event even happened and for most of us it is free event. People need to chill out.

We got to KI Friday night and from Friday evening to Sunday it was a fantastic weekend. The event was very organized, well paced, and ERT Saturday night on Diamondback with a bright moon and crisp night air was surreal.

The event was great and I hope they make this a tradition every year!

Still never got an email, but our names were on the list.

I don't know what the big deal was about being registered by a certain date because there was no meal involoved. The only food involved was the birthday cake for Beast.

I don't know if I'd actually say the event was unorganized, but it was organized weird. Check-in Saturday morning consisted of 2 people. One checking to see if your name was on the list and the other giving you your laynard and free drink wristband. Now with around 800 people registered (we asked) for the event, I think more than 2 people should've been doing this process. You also had to check back in on Sunday morning to get your free drink wristband. Considering the wristbands were exactly the same both days and they don't have to be scanned or anything like that when you get a drink, they could've just gave one out and said it was good for both days, don't remove it. They wouldn't have been the first park to do this.

The other weird thing they were doing for morning ERT on Saturday (didn't make Sunday morning ERT) was taking groups of people back. I didn't realize they were doing this cause we were in the first group, but apparently they'd only let so many in and then stopped people. They had to wait for the escort to walk all those people back to Beast and then walk back to the front of the park to take the next group back so some people didn't get back to Beast till 8 even though they were check-in by 7.

Plus the whole making a guest pay even if they have a season pass is wrong. And CBuzz members weren't allowed guests but every other club was. That really doesn't make an sense. Make it consistant across all clubs, either allow guests or don't. It's not cool to single out one club like that.

I don't know, being a sister park of CP, I just found it very weird how they ran the event. Hopefully they learned a few things and will tweak it if they decide to continue holding the event. Now if only CP would learn KI's re-ride policy. ;)

I will give props to all the ride-ops and servers at food stands. They knew what the wristbands meant, never once questioned them and gave us quick and friendly service. DBack ride-ops were great and cranked out those trains.