KImom

Exciting!!! Anyone go to the Gold Pass Preview day last year? I didn't but I heard that it was total insanity...like lines for food as long as you'd expect for a big coaster. lol Any thoughts? Or was the person I talked to just exaggerating?

This was a really cool article - thanks for sharing! I've always been a bit curious as to the history of that ride, especially when they renamed the old Top Gun ride in homage to the original Bat. I've always been interested in the old Tomb Raider ride as well - I never had a chance to ride it, but always wondered why it failed. I read an article that told some of the story but I feel like it is missing some important details. And why don't they do something with it other than for the haunt? Surely the inside of it is in decent shape...

Holy crap, that makes me feel really old!!!!!!

Agree- racers should be open! They were lit up, my 8 year old flipped out thinking they were running. It's his favorite ride...

I actually love this idea! With all the things they do for the haunt, what about a walk-through Christmas Carol...kid friendly...but almost like a play of a Christmas Carol except you walk through it. Anything extra they could add for indoor entertainment would be a plus!

I totally agree with the not worrying part! Part of the reason I started this thread was due to all my research on our Disney trips and being able to find so much information on family trips. Not so much with KI. I regret not getting the meal passes last year. I did get one drink pass but that wasn't enough and by the time we realized we needed a second one, I wasn't up for it. This time, I'm all in! I really feel like KI is making improvements year over year, very pleased. Although I miss the Paramount days as an 80s child, the movie themed rides, music, and characters are still nostalgic to me. I love that they play the old Paramount music around the fountains!

Also- another food tip for a big group- La Rosas will sell a whole pie for $30, which is really not bad at all!

The day passes are great for days when the park isn't crazy busy, but on days when it is...I felt like I spent all day waiting in food lines. lol Good point on having the four passes and staggering them so two meals available every two hours!

This is true...but Disney transforms from Halloween to Christmas literally overnight...lol Surely they could do it in a couple of weeks There's probably a lot of decorations that could be put out that wouldn't be noticed as long as they weren't turned on. I did notice the lights in the trees in Planet Snoopy but I thought they were cute - actually, should be left up all year considering how dark it is at night over there. Maybe it was just unfortunate this year that we went from our normal Winter weather at the end of Nov. and early Dec. to straight up February crap during the last couple of weeks of Winterfest.

@Cmhornblessed - The day pass is just a one-day dining pass that allows you to get one meal (no drink) every 90 minutes at select restaurants around the park (honestly, it's pretty much all of them) and only certain menu items (but plenty of options). The season meal pass is good all year and allows each passholder to get 2 meals each visit (no drink) as long as they are 4 hours apart - same restaurants and menu as the daily plan. The daily one is $29.99 each or you can buy a 2-day pass for $49.99 and you can use them then any two days or consecutive days. The daily pass also requires you to wear a wrist band so the person who gets the pass HAS to stand in line for the food...which sucked. The season dining plan is just tied to the passholder's card so they can get their own. Each meal is about a $15 value - example would be La Rosa's - Two slices of pizza and two breadsticks is one meal, Tom+Chee BBQ Chicken Grilled Cheese, chips and a pickle is one meal.

I only made it out once for Winterfest and my main two pieces of advice would be to open a little earlier - maybe 3:30 or 4, and maybe consider opening prior to Thanksgiving. I know I would have loved to have gone the weekend before Thanksgiving...plus the weather is a bit warmer. Heck, the radio stations start playing Christmas music the day after Halloween, it wouldn't be a stretch to see them open it up sooner. With the frigid cold we've had, I can imagine many folks were disappointed that they couldn't get out and go due to the temps. Overall though, I'd say they did an amazing job and I really hope they bring it back next year.

@medford I've never used the ride share but plan to this year! I am a roller coaster junkie and my oldest isn't quite tall enough for the larger thrill rides...I also used the heck out of the kinzel cups - so handy! I did come across them out of order several times but would just wait until I came across the next one. We also like the refillable drink cup plan. One thing I've been trying to nail down is the food situation. This past year, I would just buy the 2-day dining plans here and there and use them for all of us. Yes, I was trying to slide on the cheap with this but in theory, it sounded like a genius plan. The 2-day dining is $50 to be used on ANY two days and you can get a meal every 90 minutes, which is plenty of food for 2 adults and 2.5 children. However...the food lines were always so long that I spent half of the day standing in line for food. Then, we didn't really get to sit down and actually eat...we all just nibbled on the food I got every couple hours and my boys just whined half the day that they were hungry, which meant I'd end up buying extra food. This year, I'm opting for the dining plan for all of us except the baby, of course. I did the math on this...last year, we went about 10 times so I spent $250 on the 2-day plans. We also stopped and ate before we went in and grabbed a bite on the way home so add in another $40 per visit so around $400, depending on where we ate. This might seem crazy but we live in Lexington KY so it's a decent drive...even if we ate before we left our house, we'd be hungry by the time we got there. Anyway - add all that up and I actually spent more on food than if I'd just forked over the $378 for a meal plan for each pass...not to mention I won't be wasting time in lines all day - we can just pick a place to eat, get what we want, and sit down...then go on about the rest of our day. I wish I had done this last year...although you may see me on here a year from now with regrets. LOL Our family has done Disney a few times and we really enjoy eating at theme parks - that's part of the fun, right?? This just seems like a better decision for us.

I'll start...We are a family of 5 with children ages 8, 5, and 1. Our saving grace has been the Family Center in Planet Snoopy across from Chick-Fil-A. I've come across a lot of moms who were totally unaware of this or passed by without realizing what it was. It's for families only, is immaculately clean, and has a wonderful staff that is very helpful. Inside, you'll find a private family restroom, several stocked changing areas (wipes are complimentary), breastfeeding/pumping area, feeding area that includes high chairs, dining table, microwave, and sink, as well as a small play area. When I'm there alone with my kids, we all go in there to use the restroom - the kids can play while I go - and to escape the heat for a bit.

I wanted to start this thread for parents who visit with small children - a place to share tips, ways to save, etc.

I'd definitely like to see some fresh paint on The Racers! I also agree with some other comments about lighting on some of the rides as well as carnival-style overhead lighting. This area of the park can get very dark at night (as well as other areas but I digress). For the area under construction, I would really like to see a new, large sit down restaurant...maybe it would help dilute the long lines at everything on that side of the park on busier days...Although I would also like to see a dark ride here as well.