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My primary role the last few years I was at Kings Island was managing all of the park’s social media channels, which included organic and paid content, writing and publishing blogs, and optimizing the key performance indicators. The park annually had industry-leading results the years I managed the digital content efforts. I made it a priority to try to at least “like” every comment so the person making the comment knew it was seen, but due time restraints I wasn’t able to always reply back with comments. I would have liked to have been a lot better in this area, but was still able to accrue industry-leading results for engagement. A lot of that high engagement was derived through storytelling. That’s what I enjoyed the most, both when I did PR and then social media, telling the park’s stories. I was hired in 2007 to do the PR for the park, and then took on social media as that was emerging in 2008 around the time construction on Diamondback began to take shape. By 2015, it had become two distinctive different jobs. In the summer of 2017, there was a marketing restructure and at the bigger parks in the chain, PR and social media (digital marketing) were split into two different jobs. I landed on the digital side, which allowed for me to expand my skill set. It was a great opportunity, which came at a time when traditional PR was changing and the printing press was no longer news outlets, but rather Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, blogs to share your news and stories, because that’s where the people you were trying to market to were. When I did PR, I was always looking to make noise to keep top of mind awareness for the park. During my years riding The Racer in the 1980’s, I was fortunate to be around and learn from three of the best to ever do it (PR) in the amusement and theme park industry in Bill Mefford, Ruth Voss and Carolyn Boos. They were the three most influential people in my career and the reason I was able to have a successful 27-year PR career, including 11 seasons doing PR at Kings Island. Way too much information, but this is what my role was during my years at Kings Island.

Mr. Helbig was my dad. I’m Don.

Word of mouth has been, is now, and will always be part of the fabric of a brands reputation.

From her FB today : Elizabeth Nadeau : Meet your new Manager of Digital Marketing at @KingsIslandPR![emoji567][emoji1892]

I had the opportunity to experience Hersheypark’s annual Christmas Candylane event. It was nothing short of magical! https://themeparksbydon.com/hersheyparks-christmas-candylane-a-cant-miss-celebration/

You know, the only thing that matters is the ending. It's the most important part of the story, the ending. And this one... is very good. (Smiles, closes laptop.)

I remember the original Winterfest vaguely and it was a really fun night in the cold winter of Ohio. Then it was gone. And now it's back and I get to ride some of my favorite rides and enjoy the lights and atmosphere of the park at this time of year again. I just enjoy the experience for the opportunity and knowledge that this event can go away just like that again. I won't get into the back and forth of what shows are there this year or not. I will find plenty to do at the park when I visit as always. Through it all, we are more than lucky to have such an amazing park to call our own.

When I did PR at Kings Island from 2007-2017, I made a minimum of two media trips a year to Columbus (and other key outer market cities) to visit the TV stations, which included in-studio morning and noon news show interviews. I'd go before Memorial Day to talk about what was new each year along with Soak City opening and being included with park admission, and again in the fall to talk about Halloween Haunt before the event opened. Long before I started working at the park, the PR folks like Ruth Voss would book me for interviews on the TV and radio stations in these markets to talk about my ride exploits on The Racer, The Beast, what was new, and how having a season pass made it affordable for me to spend as much time as I did at the park. When i was doing PR it was never difficult to get booked to do in-studio interviews to talk about the park. It was as simple as pitching here's what's new and why it mattered to their audience.

Friday turned out to be a very pleasant evening at the park despite the rainy misty start. The additional lights around the park look great. The new decor, along with a handful of changes like the unique music loop and repurposed Haunt props in Rivertown as well as new blocking and choreography at Mistletones and Cool Yule, makes this year's WinterFest feel freshened up despite the cuts. While the energy of Four Drummer Drumming, Jingle Jazz and Holly Jolly Trolley is certainly missed, we're still happy to have such a large holiday event so close to home.

My dad recently passed away and I have been digitizing his home movies and found some film footage from 1977 and VHS footage from 1991 that I wanted to share. YouTube won't allow chapters or comments because the video "features children," even though my siblings and I are now well into our 40s and 50s. (1977) 00:00 - Views from Eiffel Tower: Royal Fountains, Screamin' Demon, Bayern Kurve, Der Spinning Kegs, Inflatable Theater, Wild Animal Habitat Monorail, Kings Mills Log Flume, Kenton's Cove Keelboat Canal, Kings Island Campground, Monster 03:23 - POV Kings Island and Miami Valley Railroad 05:01 - Kenton's Cove Keelboat Canal 05:31 - Midway 06:15 - The Racer 06:24 - Views from Eiffel Tower: Coney Mall, Les Taxi 06:41 - Date Topiary, Inflatable Theater 07:12 - Royal Fountains 08:24 - Hanna-Barbera Land 09:00 - Skyline Picnic Grove (1991) 10:20 - Hanna-Barbera Land 16:44 - Views from Eiffel Tower: Viking Fury, The Racer, Enterprise, King Kobra, Parking Lot, Royal Fountain, Hanna-Barbera Land, Kings Mills Log Flume, Kenton's Cove Keelboat Canal, Vortex 18:53 - POV: Smurf's Enchanted Voyage 20:56 - Hanna-Barbera Land

Sitting on the brake run like

Story I published on my Theme Parks By Don blog about WinterFest. I think it captures the spirit of the thing. https://themeparksbydon.com/kings-islands-winterfest-promises-joy-festive-fun-for-all-ages/

As an old person who experienced Winterfest ‘05, I’d love to see something like the “Home For The Holidays” show. Doesn’t need to be a carbon copy, but something more show driven. Honestly, though. I’d be content with just new, fully functioning lights and displays accompanied by some popular Christmas songs. I really love the “12 Days” concept, but I just don’t think it’s easily executable in the right way.

Wrote a piece about the Tinker’s Toy Factory show. I think it captures the spirit of the thing. https://themeparksbydon.com/tinkers-toy-factory-cant-miss-show-at-kings-islands-winterfest/

Had a fantastic time this past Friday 12/1. The rain seemed to keep the crowds away and it was perfectly foggy the rest of the night. Mild temps and low crowds=perfection. My fiancé and I felt that they really improved with the whole vibe compared to last year. It just felt more alive, staff seemed more into the antics and the overall attention to detail was noticed. Had a great ride on Mystic and Sol Spin for some reason feels more intense in the cold ( in a good way, its hard to explain ). Other than those two rides, I was more focused the other aspects of the event. Looking forward to going back!

Dollywood has once again proven itself a beacon of exceptional customer service, earning a place in Forbes’ prestigious Best Customer Service list. https://themeparksbydon.com/forbes-recognizes-dollywood-in-top-1-for-customer-service/

Presumably Gravity Group is at it again! https://themeparksbydon.com/kings-islands-racer-undergoing-extensive-track-work/ Pic added by @IndyGuy4KI.

Surprised they paid homage to one of the early names of this food location. Kind of neat.

Here’s a funny anecdote. Last night, Don and I were planning for Tower Topics and he mentioned off hand that they’d use the "ONE. MORE. WEEK!” that he used at this point this time last year. …and Nailed it. As adorable as it is predictable.

Also seems like footer work may be about to begin. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think this truck I circled here is used to drill holes where the rebar for the footing will be placed in. I feel like I remember this truck being used for that during Orion construction.

This very KICentral thread makes the news in an article by John Matarese. https://www.wcpo.com/money/consumer/dont-waste-your-money/kings-island-trims-2024-hours-removes-one-week-of-operations

The Four Drummers Drumming show at WinterFest was a crowd-pleaser for guests of all ages. The social media buzz with photos and videos truly captured the essence of the experience. Those third-party impressions are priceless and will be missed!

2022 was my favorite season at KI and CF overall. They ran the parks so well. It felt like CF had everything figured out and they were adding a ton of things. All of a sudden this year it has felt to me that something is off. 2023 KI atmosphere was some of the saddest I’ve seen in years. It felt like Paramount days. CF continues to remove things and make budget cuts. It saddens me to see all of the budget cuts and low employee moral has become. I love Kings Island and I have been going for many many years and I know how good the park can be. I just hope Cedar Fair can figure some things out and maybe 2024 and 2025 will be better. I don’t want to hate on Cedar Fair because they really have taken our park to the next level I am just so passionate about KI I just don’t want it to be treated this way. Maybe this Six Flags merger will be a good thing if the parks as a whole make more money so less budget cuts are made.

And, as predicted, there are mindless park sycophants who will applaud the park for offering much less for the same or higher prices. The Soviets used to call them, “useful idiots.” I hope the taste of that sphincter is worth your integrity.

The merger hasnt even happened yet and we are already a six flags park.

If there is one thing I can say about CF’s merchandise is that for the price you are getting it is quality. This year I discovered the Homage brand from two purchases I made while visiting a CF park. I liked the fit and finish of them so much so, that I paid a visit to Homage’s online store and recently added some of their Bengals swag to my collection as well. The shirts are made in USA, and the company (Homage) is based out of Columbus, Ohio.

Thrill-seekers across North America are getting ready for an adrenaline-packed update. Cedar Point and Zamperla Rides are set to unveil the much-anticipated Top Thrill 2 roller coaster train at this year's IAAPA Expo in Orlando on Nov. 14. http://sanduskyregister.com/go/452f8302c0b3d

Here’s an article I wrote for the Sandusky Register on the construction milestone being achieved. https://sanduskyregister.com/news/493492/construction-milestone-achieved-at-cedar-point/

New in the Sweet Spot! Knott’s Boysenberry stuff!

I’m shocked that this hasn’t been made into a big deal. Kings Island is now selling an interactive “Wonder Wand” for Winterfest. This wand is almost like a mix of Magic Band + and the Harry Potter wands. When purchasing the wand for $29.99 (season pass discounts do apply), you are equipped with a map of various locations through the the park where the wand will interact. There are three types of interactions: 1. Unique Locations 2. Glow Zones 3. Show interactions The map also lists five “Snowman locations” as “coming soon.” No word on what these will be yet. Unique Locations These interact directly with the wand, similar to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter wands at Universal Studios. Some of these locations include: 1. Antique Autos - The light up plastic statues flicker on and off. It seems like it was supposed to play music but doesn’t. 2. Snoopy’s Dog House - Woodstock lights up and Christmas lights turn on and off while playing music. 3. Mystic Timbers - Truck lights up playing Jingle Bells on the horn. Glow Zones: This was similar to Magic Band +. The wand will light up in the colors of the area. For example, in the Ice Princess area (the old Vortex path), the wand lights up blue and white. Similarly, it turns red and white in Candy Cane Lane. Part of the pattern is the variation of the light colors as well as periodically shooting bubbles. IMG_8744.mov Show Interactions Another similarity to Magic Band + is that the wand will interact with certain shows. For both the Tree Lighting Ceremony and Cool Yule Christmas, the wand will periodically sync up with and match the lighting design language. This effect was particularly well-exhibited during the Tree Lighting countdown. IMG_8741.mov Additionally, I was told that it specifically interacts with the Jack Frost float in the Winterfest Wonderland Parade. While true, I believe that the point of having it interact with that particular float was because it is in approximately in the middle of the parade. For about 80% of the viewing time, the wand was synced with the lights in the floats. This includes pretty precise syncing as the floats changed color. IMG_8745.mov The wands are available for $29.99 at the hut under the Eiffel Tower and at the night vending carts. With this, you can enjoy Winterfest in a whole new way! Check it out for yourself!

We'll use this as the 2023 Winterfest reviews thread. A look at one of the decorations on snow flake lake.

I will say that they seemed to have more trees wrapped with lights. Especially right outside the Festhaus as you navigate towards Adventure Port. Park looks fantastic.

See the KIC 2023 photo gallery with over 240 pictures and the KIC YouTube video on our Winterfest page on the main site. https://kicentral.com/park/kiwinterfest/

Those are probably caisson tubes for the footers, not pipes.

I also took some pics tonight. With so much progress over the last few weeks it will be nice to watch the progress throughout Winterfest.

So you can n get Mac n cheese over way and Mexican the other. The line for Mexican. The line for Mac n cheese and goes out to the midway.

Fifty years ago, on Nov. 23, 1973, The Brady Bunch episode filmed at Kings Island made its debut on ABC-TV. Episode No. 106, titled “The Cincinnati Kids,” was captured over five days in August 1973. https://themeparksbydon.com/50th-anniversary-the-brady-bunch-episode-at-kings-island/

“One little spark… of inspiration… is at the heart… of all creation.”

If I were the park I wouldn’t want anyone filming Boo Blasters either. Pretty embarrassing.

Considering it has been sinking since the late 80's, it has to be pretty far down there!

I am quite sad to see the four drummers being dropped. They were always so entertaining to watch.

Dollywood added 23 operating days for 2024. https://themeparksbydon.com/dollywoods-2024-a-year-of-extraordinary-adventures-and-experiences/

https://hfe.widen.net/s/hm2pjhbzhb/24dw_opcal_festivals Dollywood has posted their 2024 schedule. They are operating almost daily except for five day weeks in April and August. There are only 21 days that they are closed next year between March 8 and New Year’s. And 3 of those are Thanksgiving/Christmas. Their shortest operating day is nine hours long now This is an expansion over the 2023 schedule where they were operating at least five days a week and the shortest day was it eight hours it sounds like they’re doing something absolutely right to grow their schedule while these other mismanaged theme parks are cutting their schedules. They run their business with ethics towards the customers and employees.

Thanks for sharing. On the contrary, I don't think it is way too much information, and certainly brings up some more rambling thoughts and questions, but we can save that for a future podcast

I've been a Gold Pass buyer for 20+ years and always been happy with the value of my purchase. But I do feel bad for the people who bought Prestige and felt jilted by the park. I came close to buying Prestige but decided against and glad I did not purchase it. My biggest complaint for the past several years is more open daily dates in August. Most of the other parks in the chain are open daily in August to Labor Day. I know students are back in school. But it still is summertime!! I want to go over and ride The Beast at lunch time before summer is over. It is sad to see those close dates in the calendar.

Honestly, the KI&MVRR is the most underutilized aspect of the whole event, when it could easily be one of the “E-Ticket” Winterfest attractions. I hope it gets sone attention. I mean, what’s better than Christmas and Trains? (Answer: legitimate Prestige Pass perks)

He has walked back a lot of what he has said, but hopefully that’s still his plan. He wanted to go from Wal-Mart guests to Target guests. Probably not the best way to put it, but it’s something that needs to be done. Remember, pre-Disneyland amusement parks were places to be avoided because they were seen as seedy and unclean. Let’s not let that happen again.

Perhaps one day your curiosity will be a topic on a future episode of Tower Topics. With blogs, from 2017 to 2022, more than 1,000 stories were published on the KI Blog, including 245 in 2019. Why the significant decrease in frequency? Time restraints? Corporate restraints? Laziness? Out of content ideas? Certainly, this being a topic for a Tower Topics episode would address a lot of the questions that you and some others have on this forum, but I believe the podcast audience would rather hear about the latest news, events, park history with their time.

Okay, now do cutting Winterfest shows but still charging the same admission price. I’ll go first! ”OmG would U rAthEr THey havE showZ wiT pREformers Wit frOggy thrOTES.”

Meanwhile management: