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The Kings Island website has been updated with a fresh new look. It’s easier to navigate and find exactly what you’re looking for. https://www.sixflags.com/kingsisland

https://www.sixflags.com/kingsisland/shows The redesigned website is listing WinterFest shows including a new show called Tinker's Jingle Bell Ball.

Tinker's Jingle Bell Ball at Kings Island has the same description but presumably it will be a different show despite the plot sounding very similar to the original Tinker's.

Apparently it is pick your pricing LOL

Looks like they're sticking to the 90ish minute sessions. Pricing seems to be included as well. I would advise from fully purchasing any skating tickets quite yet, as it still says coming soon and that portion of the site doesn't seem 100% finished.

Ok. So to preface, after having experienced CP in the fall for the first time ever last year, my fiancé and I decided then that we would find ourselves there only during the fall season as the cooler air/light crowds ( on non weekend/Hallo days ) are lighter and the overall vibes are just preferred as a whole. I think at this point if we were to find ourselves inside the park in the summer months it would be because A) we lived in the area or B ) Special event such as Sandusky Pride. Otherwise, we prefer a fall visit. We had been planning out our trip for awhile and it so happened to work out that it fell on Halloween weekend. At first I was slightly nervous that the crowds would be overwhelming on Halloween night so we bought our FL+ wristbands just in case. Ended up not being crowded at all actually. So while it felt silly spending the money on the wristbands, they did come in handing for making re-rides easier on TT2 and SC. Everything else was quite literally no more than a 15 minute wait. The longest wait of the night for me was Millie because I wanted the front seat as always. But even then, with them only having the red and blue rain operating, that two-train dispatching was much more fluid than when they have three on the track. While we ended up having dinner and riding other favorites, my main focus will be on TT2 and SC, so here goes. Top Thrill 2. I had a lot of complicated emotions around this one and I think there might be those of you who would agree with that. As a long time fan of the original hydraulic launch, I wasn't really sure how to feel about a swing launch. I had both the feelings of being glad they kept the ride at all, but simultaneously I felt the swing launch would be a cheesy replacement for the in your face original hydraulic launch. I realized when walking up to it and seeing it operate with my own two eyes that I was actually growing more excited to experience it. My fiancé was incredibly nervous as she never got to ride the original and this would be her first time ever going this high and this fast. The station op was chill about my request for the front seat as I wanted to see if it all reminded me of the original as the front seat was my favorite spot. We got on really quickly and I was met with seats that felt comfortable, but honestly it felt strange not being able to place my feet firmly on the floor. I'm not very tall but I'm not super short either, so I was able to sort of place the balls of my feel on the floor, but then I sort of realized it was neat to be able to swing my legs a little. It was dark outside which added to the excitement and I realized as we were lined up for the first launch "wow, its been a long time old friend". I wasn't sure what to expect, but I was keeping an open mind. I wasn't at all scared, but more nervous that I would be disappointed. Boy was I wrong. The first launch was nice since it was just fast enough that it felt exciting, but slow enough that for the first time my brain could process what was actually happening and I could sort of take in the scenery and admire the structure. That changed very quickly when going backwards. Holy WOW. I was absolutely NOT expecting those LSMs to have so much pull and bite to them. That backwards launch....you could really feel the train being pulled with some seriously force in a way I was not expecting. It was amazing. And the view from the front row on the spike was absolutely incredible. That hang time feeling didn't last long before absolutely blasting through the LSMs again and again WOW...I never thought any launch could feel more forceful than the hydraulic launch system that the original Dragster had...but it actually RIPPED through and up the top hat with such a force that I quite literally couldn't help but giggle and smile. It felt similar in some ways and yet so different, but I was actually very pleased with the outcome. Albeit always holding a candle for the original Dragster, I am incredibly happy with this new version and I am really thankful that it not only lives on, but absolutely carries the torch. And watching them dispatch the trains Saturday night was a thing of beauty. Well oiled machine that night. So big kudos to the ones operating it. Also, good job CP with making sure Republica's "Ready To Go" was playing outside of the ride. Really added to the nostalgia for those of us who grew up with the original. I managed to get 2 rides in and was about to get a third, but sadly it broke down and I chose to divert my attention to Siren's Curse. TT2 now sits solidly in my top 5 for sure though because it's truly just so much fun. Now onto the absolute highlight of the trip for me and my fiancé'. I am going to start with the fact that I have ALWAYS been a major fan of Vekoma. Despite their flaws with their earlier designs with shaky-rough tracking coasters, I always believed in their vision. They were always kind of the budget and space friendly coaster manufacture, but I always admired their unique take on coasters while also providing big thrills. They always just came in at a different angle than others and I have always rooted for the underdog. In a world where B&M and Intamin reigned as kings, Vekoma was always in the shadows making their moves and providing thrills where the kings could not fit for one reason or another. But could they survive with their rough reputation? Vekoma has done something incredible in my eyes. Guys they really have absolutely showed up and shown out. When KI got SSBR, I knew even for that being a small family coaster that they found their groove. Even for such a small coaster, it packs a punch and guess what? Its SMOOTH. I knew when CP was getting Siren's Curse I not only wanted to experience it for a new coaster experience, but also to experience a grown-up Vekoma installation and I was absolutely BLOWN away as was my fiancé'. Let me break down why. And pardon me, I am going to Vekoma fanboi hard here so let me have my moment of pride for them. Heck one of my online screen names in high school lovingly showcased my support for them. For one, the trains. My goodness how absolutely insanely comfortable they are. If KI gets a new grown-up Vekoma looper we are in for a real treat because hands down this has to be one of the most comfortable trains I have ever sat in personally. Secondly, the lighting on the trains themselves is gorgeous. I love how the lighting matches the storyline perfectly and the fog/light changing and all the little nuance along the way. Just brilliant. Oh, and the actual metallic shift in the paint is something to behold. All of the details in this thing just took me aback in a way I did not expect. And of course, for those of you who have ridden it, you already know how absolutely great the onboard audio is. It really does add something special to the ride. From start to finish the audio matches the entire ride experience perfectly. I won't spoil any of it for those of you who haven't taken the journey yet, but its just special. Truly. Now the ride experience itself. I was actually more excited to experience SC than TT2. I realize they are two very different kinds of coaster, and albeit loving TT2 now, SC really stole the show for me. This thing is absolutely 110% infinitely re-rideable. Its insanely smooth, glossy transitions and just so much fun. This ride is just absolutely a blast. From the appearance, audio, comfortable trains...goodness I am obsessed you could say. I will also add this. For those who may be scared of being tilted forward and hanging in the restraint, if you ever rode Firehawk or any Vekoma Flying Dutchman and felt fine, the best way I can compare the hangtime is to that of the Flying Dutchman...but actually more comfortable. I can't really explain it any other way, but the audio might also be soothing too while you're tilting and then the hang time isn't very long and it's comfortable. I know most of us here do not fear coasters as a whole, but for anyone second guessing themselves over a tilt coaster, this one is not one to miss. Seriously. This is now our favorite roller coaster. I had high expectations for this ride since reading about it and my expectations were far exceeded. I am so incredibly proud of Vekoma. Also, side note. After riding many of the coasters that day, it was easy to tell that a lot of them were on their final set of wheels for the year and were riding as such. You could easily tell SC was also towards the end of that set of wheels and it STILL rode like silk. I can only imagine what a fresh set of wheels would feel like. There is my long review of the two new coasters and my personal take on them. I am already looking forward to going back next year and taking a few more rides on TT2 but definitely lapping SC as many times as I can. As for the rest of the time we were there, Saturday was spent doing SC for early entry, having lunch, looking around at the stores and then coming back later that night for some shows since it was the last night of Halloweekends. Our main focus wasn't coasters on Saturday as it was Friday night and it was far busier as to be expected. Sunday I literally popped in to grab a couple of surprises and leave, but I got to observe the sheer amount of people coming in for the last day of the season. I was glad I got in early because holy wow....no thank you! To anyone reading this, thanks for taking time to do so.

At Kings Island the apparently new shows are Tinker's Jingle Bell Ball and It's Christmas, Charlie Brown! (in place of A Peanuts Guide to Christmas). Blizten's Brass Band isn't listed on the site but I believe the group wasn't listed last year but still appeared in the park. Songs of the Nativity mentions "a stable of live animals", which it didn't have in its new Planet Snoopy location last year. The WinterFest event page touches on cookie decorating, Sally's Christmas Crafts, and ice skating, so most of the major activities seem to be intact. The ice carvers in Action Ice Zone are returning, so it's possible the sledding will return as well.

The monster is still listed on the new website which is a good sign. They did remove the message that they were waiting to install a part. Was this ride open for WInterFest last year? If so I really hope that we see its return for Winterfest. If not things still look very promising that this is not the end for the ride.

It's very nice. Web cam views are much larger.

Also I appreciate that they now have not only Military discount tickets, but they also include first responders now. And although I am an annual pass holder, as a first responder I am grateful for this!

During Paramount’s attempt there was a soldier that came back to their loved one.

A lot of things on the new websites are incorrect/outdated. It would've been nice to have a complete list of correct information with these new websites, but it seems Six Flags' historic [lack of] quality control has been retained by the merged company.

CW's website also has a dedicated Winterfest tab, while the Kings Island and Carowinds websites don't. You'd think the extra 3-4 months they had to work on these websites (considering they were originally slated to be published in July) would've allowed them to fix these mistakes. Has anyone had the chance to go through and see what might be new and what looks like it isn't returning to Winterfest this year?

I thought those were the sponsors, although it's odd that they don't have Sharefax (the credit union/bank sponsor) on there. That's where the sponsor bar was on the other website. I've had a much worse experience using the Six Flags app, but if it works and feels like the new Carowinds app then it should be fine. The legacy SF app has issues with pulling up passes, takes too many clicks to switch between parks, and has a number of "buttons" that look like they should work but don't let you click them. That new Carowinds app also appears to have a mobile ordering feature, though. I may be in the minority on this, but I prefer having separate apps for the different parks/resorts. Cramming them all into one app feels like it will either decrease the amount of in-app features per park (favoring app size over functionality) or make the app a puppet of the website (meaning more in-park Wi-Fi usage through an already strained system). I feel like having all of my different park passes together in my phone wallet makes it easier to switch between them and negates any issues with having separate mobile apps. A majority of passholders might not even need more than one app if they only ever go to their home park/resort. I'd love to see the other parks get separate apps. So far whenever I try to use the new websites it gives me a 403 error and says there's either too much traffic or a configuration error. Hopefully this issue gets resolved quickly, because a company this large should be able to handle website traffic like this. FYI to get to the Six Flags America website you'll need to type out the link in the address bar since it is not listed with the other parks. www.sixflags.com/america

12th now! I did vote for KI, but I have to say Dollywood's Christmas event is really fun! One of my favorites, if not my #1 favorite Christmas event at a theme park!

Glad to see we're getting a new show. Also... USA Today Best Holiday Theme Park Event Poll is out, hoping my vote helps even a little. We're currently 15th https://10best.usatoday.com/awards/best-theme-park-holiday-event/?fbclid=IwZnRzaAN2OZ9leHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHrrH9asmi9Kvp4REyV8mf7ddqj56Qxk7G8WN1m0kfbEgdKcHjVYNuz9PF3gD_aem_21OFL-KIiu2KHlT69yR_rQ#nveyus18c4q33dzplilqonterkatvrtd

That would be nice. I don't like having to download separate apps for both Kings Island and Cedar Point. Having all the parks in one app would be far more convenient.

Tinker’s Toy Factory has been relocated to Six Flags Over Texas.

DJSkyFoxx...I cannot agree more on your take on both coasters. That backward launch on TT2 caught me totally by surprise on how forceful it is. Just could not believe it. I loved the original version, and the updated version is just the best. And Siren's Curse is just a flat-out amazing coaster in every aspect. The hangtime waiting to be let go is so much fun and it is one snappy coaster through the rest of the course! So much detail in that coaster! My only hope is KI gets something on that par and even better for the old Vortex spot.

One thing we have learned is that things are subject to change with or without notice. Wonderland has already changed theirs to 30min sessions.

Thanks for the clarification I could not remember so hopefully it will be back for next year. Especially since they painted the platform. But the chain has done crazier things than painting something and removing it right after.

Monster has never been part of Winterfest.

Absolutely! They really have two great additions on their hands. Well, an addition and a half technically. But either or, they are both serious heavy hitters and they both offer something really special. Really thankful they saved Dragster and gave it a new lease on life and that its truly as fun as it is and even more grateful that SC came to Ohio! If I lived closer I would have put some serious laps on that thing, but until that day comes I will ride as many times as I can in a visit My CP top 5 : 1) Siren's Curse 2) SteVe 3) Millie 4) TT2 5) Maverick

I agree it would be very difficult to take away the meal plans in anyway. But the meal plans should’ve never been part of Winterfest. That was a huge business error. In fact, implementing the meal plans at all was a huge business error. The whole point of the season passes is to get people to come back and spend money. This defeats that. I know there will be the people that say they spend money on something else since they don’t have to pay for the meals, but they’re still getting nonprofitable meals, and I would guess the majority of the people on the meal plan. Don’t feel obligated to spend anything when they come back. The holiday events that seem to be the most successful, Dollywood and Busch Gardens. Do not include any form of a meal plan. They also include higher quality, entertainment, and experiences such as the train that everyone can do together. I also don’t feel these events, push up charge attractions such as ice-skating and cooking decorating etc. these events are profitable through admissions and selling food. Both of which Six Flags/Cedar Fair has given away at the gate. One other note about these events is that they are an excellent opportunity for these companies to bring in new customers that have absolutely no interest in amusement rides. Because the park is now this magical Christmas village. The rides are secondary. Carowinds has chosen to totally abandon this aspect of the event and just provide more ride operating days by closing at 7 PM. Which is just going to attract the same people that come for the rides in the summertime and most likely have season passes a meal plans and won’t spend any money

I'd be shocked if the Winterfest dinner in the International Restaurant doesn't at least make its money back. That feels like the sort of thing that is priced to make a profit. It's also the one thing I feel like I can definitively say: if it doesn't make a profit, someone is grossly mismanaging something. A train is indeed a very important part for any holiday event. I think if Kings Dominion had more experiences for their guests overall, corporate might've deemed it worthy to keep (although that idea of someone wanting to do away with these events is lingering in my head). You are correct in saying that Winterfest should be an ad for the season pass. I'll have to find the GreenTagged video that said it, but basically guests should enjoy the park(s) during the summer and then be enticed to come back for "free" to the Fall and Winter events. Removing the meal plan from Winterfest would probably not go well. They could reduce the regular menus to add new options, but removing it entirely would give guests a reason to spend less time in the park overall. They should want guests to stay in the park instead of arriving late or leaving early to go to dinner. Mismanagement is the word of the day every day at the Six Flags Entertainment Corporation. They do some stuff right, but for management to be this faulty so often feels like something is seriously off. Dollywood and Busch Gardens Williamsburg also almost definitely pay enough in wages for adults to come work during the week in December. Dollywood's food and beverage appears to start at $16.50/hour, which is a lot better than the $11-$15/hour for the same position at Carowinds. If the challenge is that a sizeable chunk of your workforce is made up of students who can't work during the week then perhaps the solution would be to find out how you can hire more adults.

I think having attractions like the train that the entire family can ride together are key to this event. Kings Dominion Winterfest failed competing against Busch Gardens, which has multiple family attractions to enjoy the lights. Carowinds Winterfest has also been drastically changed and it lacks a great family attraction as well. It appears that these events just regurgitate season passholders, and then Six Flags small cost cutting minds they don’t make any money because the season pass holders aren’t paying to get in the gate and the season meal plan holders aren’t buying any food. The season meal plans are a terrible business decision that has affected these events negatively. But cutting out these events, just reduces the value of the season pass. I know myself if they discontinue Winterfest in Kings Island I will no longer buy a season pass regardless of the price. it also speaks of the gross mismanagement of Cedar Fair that they could pull crowds at these events like they did not make them profitable. From the beginning, Winterfest should’ve been some kind of ad on the season pass and the season meal plan should’ve never been included with the event. also, they are so terrible at running theme parks. They cannot figure out how to run these events more than just the weekends except for the school break weeks. So the limited number of operating days makes it hard to justify the labor involved in the lights, etc. Dollywood runs their event daily, and even Busch Gardens runs their event daily in December. Their assets aren’t sitting dormant like six flags assets are during this event

Loved hearing your thoughts on your trip and these two amazing new rides! I love both of them but I think I like SC better. My CP rankings are: 1. SteVe 2. Maverick 3. Siren's Curse 4. TT2 5. Milie or Valravn

The park didn't waste anytime starting work on the ice skating rink transformation. I always forget how much goes into the process of converting the fountain ever year.