electricsun

If you can avoid July fourth weekend - the days leading up and right after can be packed and not the best experience if you are wanting to make the most of your visit. A weekday visit has always been a safe bet for my visits. Avoid Saturdays. As for places to stay, I normally camp for my visits. I've camped at Camp Sandusky, Sandusky/Bayshore KOA (both tent and cabin), and East Harbor State Park. I can give more info if you'd like. Camp Sandusky is currently offering a special for CF pass holders. I've stayed at the Comfort Inn River's Edge in Huron and would stay there again but may be a bit more than you want to spend. If I remember right, Soak City is not included in your admission. I don't think it's worth paying extra to visit. As for food, if you are willing to pack a cooler, you could save a lot of money by packing lunch and such. There are tons of food options and stores in Sandusky. It's just a much longer hike back to your car than at KI. Have fun!

I'm likely in the minority. But for all my new park visits, I've looked to see what rides are open for ERT or if there are staggered start times for rides. I also try to visit on weekdays and avoid Saturdays. That's it to my planning. There are a few things I do that tend to make it easier for me. I hit most parks in a clockwise or counterclockwise fashion. I do my best to not backtrack as I waste more time that way. For some parks, it is helpful to plan when you hit each section based on any shows you want to see. That doesn't seem to be as big of a deal at KI and in late May/early June, there aren't typically as many shows. Have a great trip!

Carowinds has a standing coaster. There's still time.

Nice article bkroz. I distinctly remember the thought of "what did I get myself into?!" as I waited in line for TR:TR. The theming and design of the space built anticipatation while not giving away what was about to happen. Like you described, it was brilliant. I know I rode it at least once with all the theming. I think twice. It was quite an experience that reminded me of what I saw during my only trip to Universal Studios. When I returned several years later, it was named The Crypt. I had talked up the ride so much. I was a bit confused by the changes during the wait but chalked it up to not remembering things right. We sat down, the ride began and uh oh. Nope, not the same at all. Oh for the love of the never ending flipping...we were miserable. It is sad that such an experience became what it did. Hindsight is 20/20 so maybe in the initial scrapping of theming it made sense in some way? Maybe there was more to it than what is public knowledge in terms of the ride mechanics? I don't know. I've been thinking that it would be great to do something like a Wild Mouse in that building. Or something like Laff Trakk would be a blast. Just..that space deserves more than a Haunt attraction.

I think several names and descriptions changed for the same reason their labels no longer say "Disney Inspired" or "Disney Parks and Resorts Series". Etsy makes it really easy to contact the store owner with questions so you could likely contact them to find the one you are looking for.

A family has to live without two sons. Friends have to live with the fact that what sounded like a fun adventure ended tragically. It's a sad unnecessary situation. I doubt they seriously thought of what could go wrong. Take a ride down the bobsled track and head home...it'll be a great story to tell friends. People can pay to go down the runs when the park is open and maybe they thought that it wasn't as dangerous as it is? I don't know. I just know that there are families hurting and nothing can fix that.

... a Whip adults can ride, a Wild Mouse ride...

Diaclaimer - in no way is this stated with park hiring knowledge or any perspective for this situation; just my personal experience hiring in an unrelated field for general hiring.Every company is different in rehiring procedures. I've only rehired one person. Even though he was a great employee and I personally knew him and what he had been up to while he was gone (grad school and lots of volunteering), I had to interview him again per HR. When I worked seasonally during OU breaks, they had to redo the background checks every time as I had been gone too long. We have a few seasonal jobs here that my team will do in addition to their normal job, and the hiring supervisors always come over and asks - any reason not to hire them? They too have to go through the application process. If someone from another area applies for my job, I have to do the full interview process as I would an external candidate. While it seemed a bit excessive, in my situations I understood it as HR wanting to have the most current information that the hires were appropriate. Sometimes people get burned out and is reflected in their work the last season. Or there were disciplinary issues that led them to not be eligible for rehire. Maybe their skills that make them great in another area aren't the skills needed in a different position. But every company is different for rehiring. This is different from the federal laws of things that can and can't happen/be asked during interviews, what can and can't be considered, and accommodations that have to be made if needed.

Why not go? I went last year and while it certainly wasn't a favorite park or days spent in a park, I'm glad I went. In the very least, it was a new experience. I think those of us that have been to KK have a wide variety of thoughts and opinions based on our experience during our visit. I would reccommend managing expectations. Don't go in expecting a KI or CP park experience. It isn't a big park but lines for the roller coaster, especially T3, take longer than expected.Go and have fun with your friends. If you go on Friday/Saturday and don't spend the whole day there, you can extend your Louisville stay by heading to the Kentucky Science Center. They are open until 9p with discounted admission after 5p.

And stick me in lay-a-way! Like seriously! (I was absolutely sent back in time to elementary school when I read that!)

You can go online to change your credit card number. It's really easy. We had to do that last year when my sister's card changed. If they try to charge your card and it doesn't go through, you will get an email telling you how to correct the situation.

I agree with so much already written above. I would love for Kings Island to focus on their speed, consistency in service and food quality, and customer service within food service before attempting new things. Long lines with only one or two people assisting guests during their busiest times isn't acceptable. Many times that I grabbed food, or asked for water, there was no urgency or hustle to assist the guest. Seeing them walk around in slow motion to get something was really hard for me to watch. There is a way to provide solid high quality customer service in a speedy manner.

Okay I'll bite... What's the difference between elephant ears and funnel cakes?Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Elephant ears are flattened fried dough, typically topped with a cinnamon sugar mix. Funnel cakes are made with a batter poured through a funnel into oil until cooked - often topped with powdered sugar. Or more delicious goodies if you are at Hersheypark.

I had the exact same experience years ago, it just about jumped as we rolled by (i believe he was on my left). Definitely an interesting experience Terp! During one of our visits this year, we came around that curve (where the fencing was put up) and I saw a deer on the right side - I pointed to my nephew for him to look. He still talks about that. Not something you get to experience every day (thankfully!). As for my best rides this season, one of the top ones is the first time that the youngest niece and nephew rode The Beast. They were a bit nervous and I watched the niece's face while trying to keep an eye on the youngest nephew. It was hard to tell what the niece was thinking until we got through the helix and she was grinning. They both love the end "twisty" part. They were so excited when they got off! I splurged and bought the ride photo. Such a happy memory! I know I say this a lot but I have a lot of fun with them as they experience new rides. Encouraging them to try something new and sharing that with them - it brings the rides to life for me in a very different way. One of my favorite rides as a child was riding The Beastie. I remember my sheer glee when I was on that ride.

And "divided among no fewer than five other Kentucky Kingdom staff members". Yikes! That also makes me wonder about consistency of messaging between the different platforms.

First, congrats Miythandria and MDMC01 on the full time jobs! I have a salaried (not hourly) full time job and have am lucky to have some flexibility in my schedule. There are a few days each season where I will decide to make an evening trip to KI. I'll come in a bit early (or work later on another day) and leave between 3-4. It is about 1.5 hour drive from my work to KI and an hour and fifteen minutes between my home and KI. For me, a 4-5 hour visit is worth that drive. If I want a full weekday at the park with friends/family, I can take a vacation day. Oddly enough, I do enjoy weekday evening trips quite a bit. The majority of the guests seem to be more relaxed, I get to see the park at night, and the lines aren't as long. Barring that, Sunday's are a gem. They are typically not as busy as Saturday's and can provide a good number of rides. I've learned to manage my expectations. When I visit on a weekday evening after work, I have a specific goal in mind and have a few "must rides". I make that a priority and anything else is a bonus. I feel as though I have that luxury with KI since I can visit as often as I do.

Maybe? I would really like that.

My mindset is that I will ride any ride at least once, likely twice, so I can form a personal opinion. I've learned that watching a ride can be very different from the ride experience. (Mean Streak and Magnum, I'm looking at you two without a smile on my face.) That being said, I'm not Firehawk's biggest fan. I really dislike the sensation of resting on the chest restraints. I logically know that the restraints won't fail but it still terrifies me. I've learned to breathe in, adjust my upper body a bit, while pushing the chest restraint as close to my chest as possible - doing this before they lock the train makes me feel more secure. Again, it's all in my head but it gets me through my handful of rides each season. I second Magenta Lizard about resting on your shins - that is one of my friend's biggest complaints. My oldest nephew finally rode it during Coasterstock and loved it. We rode together twice in a row and he then rode it a third time while I took a spin on Flight of Fear. He loves the flying sensation and laughs at my reaction. This really is a ride that you are going to have to ride for yourself. Give it a chance and it could become your favorite!

Drove all the way to Sandusky to drop things off for work and then turned around to head home. If it was a week day 5 months earlier...or 4.5 months later, I could stay and play. Whomp whomp. Feel the same way when I'm in Cinci for overnight work trips.

Kings Island will likely be the park I visit the most. The other parks I know I'm visiting would be Cedar Point, Carowinds, and Busch Gardens Tampa. I haven't decided yet if I'm heading east or west for my June trip. I have a CF Platinum Pass, Six Flags pass, and ASTC membership. Those passes, along with campground locations, will guide where I visit.

Bkroz, I forgot to add something about capacity. The biggest challenge I forsee will be the guests themselves. I think the station design/row staging, assigned seating, and loose articles will play a bigger part in capacity than 6 seats.

SheiKra at BGT has 3 rows of 8 seats. I would imagine that the seat number/width of the train would impact space needed for elements while working with the limitations of the space available.

I really enjoyed my visit to Hersheypark in June and would recommend it. Laff Trakk and Lightening Racer were favorites of mine. A neat aspect of their ticketing system is that you can get into the park for a few hours the night before your visit. It's a great way to get in some extra night rides. If you stay on property (including their campgrounds) you can get into the park an extra hour the night before and the morning of your visit. I did the Dorney Park, Hersheypark, Kings Dominion, and Busch Gardens Williamsburg circuit. If you want to do something other than explore parks, BGW is a great option as Williamsburg has tons of options for historical experiences as well as more touristy type things. Check the Williamsburg visitor site for ticket packages as several include BGW. If you camp, the KOA is nice and they have discounted tickets too. Edited to add - if you want something closer to home, you could visit Michigan's Adventure for a long weekend trip. While the park isn't the biggest, they have tons of flats (if you like that), a clever caraousel, and swan boats that depending on how quiet the park is, you can stay out on the water as long as you want. It is also close to Muskegon State Park (as well as several other state parks) - which during my quick stop my only regret was that I couldn't stay longer.

I didn't know that about the passes. I went more than 20 years without a season pass (and only 3 visits during that time) so that was never on my radar. There are decisions that leave lasting ripples for customers. Both good and bad. Yet, those bad decisions can make a customer refuse to come back. Some will be give the company a second or third chance while others will spend their money elsewhere. Seems like this is a lesson that should be learned by several companies recently.

Ahhh. Okay. That leads me down a rabbit hole that likely isn't the right place for here. But, I'll ask anyway. Would moving from competition to "sister parks" (but, much quieter, indirect competition) play in part in that? For example, I'm thinking adjustment in ticket prices for areas where the markets overlapped - such as Central Ohio.