2011 Platinum Passes

Back to $165.00 at midnight.

I renewed (via Kings Island's site) a couple of nights ago and my platinum pass was $145. Since I paid $160 last year it was actually nice to save nearly 10% for next season.

Plus it seemed almost too easy. I entered my payment and bam, it said I'm all set for the 2011 season and that "no further action is necessary".

Its funny reading my post above now. I tried to renew my wifes platinum pass through kings island a little after that, in January, only to find out that KI was only offering online renewals for platinum pass through calendar year 2010. So even though cedar point was, I couldnt renew her platinum pass through kings island. So now I have a kings island platinum pass and my wife has a voucher to get hers through cedar point because I talked to a guy at KI for about an hour on the phone about it who suggested we just switch to cedar point as the home park to avoid this next year. (since cedar point can renew online "anytime" throughout the year.) Now im hearing horror stories about people using the KI PPs at some southern parks and not getting in without a hassle. I think im just gonna switch mine in two weeks to cedar point even though, ironically, we are going to Ki first. What a crock...

My GF has a voucher for a Platinum Pass as well, and although we will be at Kings Dominion before CP opens for the season, we are making a special trip to CP just to get the pass redeemed before we go down. I really don't want a KD pass, especially with the possible renewal problems and the fact that I would have to drive all the way to KD to get a replacement pass if I lose it.

I renewed my KI pass and my girlfriend's CP pass online at the end of last year and have my fingers crossed that they'll both work at KI in a couple of weeks. I don't really have high hopes of it being successful. Definitely taking the confirmation print outs just in case, although I doubt they would do much good if there was an issue.

Anyone else use an online renewed pass at one of the parks that's already open?

Just a FYE, but you no longer have to go into park operations at Michigans adventure to flash your platinum pass to get tickets. It seems that they have updated there system(at last). You can go right to the turnstyle.

This is what I experienced in 2011:

Bought Platinum Passes on-line in the fall of 2010 (not renewals)

Went to Michigan's Adventure opening weeked and stopped in the guest services office just to the right of the ticket booths. Got our pictures taken and handed our passes on which we had to write our names. I was told that we could use those passes at any of the Cedar Fair parks by handing it to the ticket taker who would scan it and verify the picture that came up on the screen. Sounds good.

Went to King's Island over Memorial Day weekend and the parking attendant had some trouble scanning the pass, but she waived us through. Walked up to ticket taker and they scanned my pass and a big X showed up on the screen where my picture should be. Ticket taker waived me through. Two of my kids behind me had the same thing happen - X and waive through. Huh?

My wife and daughter were in another line and the ticket taker would not let them in. They had to go to guest services, get paper tickets and get them scanned by the ticket taker.

The next day, the parking attendant made us pay and said to go to guest services to get a parking refund. Before we did that, I tried to access the park and the X came up and we were told to go to guest services. I asked guest services if this was just a KI or MA problem or if it was systemwide and she had no clue.

Perhaps it was still early in the season and they have the bugs worked out. We'll find out this weekend at Canada's Wonderland and in late July at CP.

This sounds very similar to the problems my daughter and I experienced at KI last year. I suspect it's not merely a beginning-of-the-season problem.

I had this issue at knots berry over new years but since returning to cp I've had no issue. I can also say that a person in my party has a pass issued from worlds of fun, had a problem at knots but no problem at cp. In any case the people at knots were able to verify the info and let us in with paper tickets.

Quick update on our trip to Canada's Wonderland:

No issues with Platinum Pass at parking booth, although there is no VIP parking at CW.

Arrived at front gate expecting to be told to go to guest services which had a long line. Our pictures came up and they waved us through. It works!

As of last I heard (and was told as a guest at both Kings Island and Kings Dominion in 2009 and 2010 respectively), the season pass systems are not tied together to act as one system, but rather synced with each other periodically so that each system has a copy of each record. This will periodically lead to passes not functioning properly at parks other than the passes' home parks, especially with recently processed passes.

I bet if you got your pass pulled at any of the parks it'd get updated a lot faster in said database than if you just got a new one processed. :)

I got my Platinum Pass processed at CP on opening weekend. I used it 2 weeks later at CW with no problems.

HTH :)

Random question, but can you use the VIP parking at KI with your platinum pass?

No

Darn. Ok thanks!

They do have a special section of the lot fenced off for passholders though.

Cedar Point doesn't offer anything new or a retaining quality anymore, it's not worth the price, for the value they offer.

Then of course you should not purchase one. The problem is, you state your opinion as if it were a fact. Duh.

Aaronosmer said:
Random question, but can you use the VIP parking at KI with your platinum pass?

Yes, you can. Platinum Pass holders get the same perks as the Gold Passholders. I used my platinum pass in 2009 to get into the VIP Parking. It helps alot. For more info, look here: http://www.visitkingsisland.com/public/admission/passes/platinum_pass_perks.cfm

VIP parking is different from Gold pass parking. VIP parking is a special lot close to the front gate. You have to pay extra to park there. Gold pass parking is a special lot in the middle of the parking lot which is for gold pass holders (and platinum pass holders).