Timchat2

The WinterFest guide has been posted on the official site: https://qr1.be/SX1M The map of locations for the interactive Nutcracker Bubble Wand and Ornament activation points has been posted as well: https://qr1.be/Q6T7 There are specific times for the Tower Gardens and Snow Moments near the front entrance. Will there be special light shows in those areas that interact with the ornament? Also, Songs of the Nativity has shifted its location closer to the entrance of Woodstock Express. The stage can be seen on the webcam:

The Tree Lighting Ceremony at Carowinds has new songs this year and the honorary family lights the tree by hanging a large ornament instead of the traditional big light switch. Will Kings Island see the same changes?

https://x.com/marcusleshock/status/1857073197713068387 Apparently Kingda Ka will be fully removed and not reimagined. A "completely new" roller coaster will take its place. (EDIT: Apologies for the duplicate link. The news is happening fast!)

It's a minor thing but the press release has the classic "King's" instead of "Kings" typo. I'm guessing this was written quickly.

A special event in the spring months (April and May) like the Peanuts Celebration or an expanded Food & Wine Festival would be a nice kickoff to the season before the summertime live entertainment lineup starts.

https://www.visitkingsisland.com/blog/2023/november/winterfest-2023-preview More details about this year's WinterFest (even though the URL says 2023) including renderings of Yuletide Follies and the new look for WinterFest Way along with a preview of the WinterFest food items and the new interactive wand and ornament.

While I appreciate the show having a more prominent location, all the light and sound from Joe Cool's Dodgem School operating nearby can be a distraction, especially during the quieter songs.

Any chance for Songs of the Nativity to move back under cover at Beagle Scout Acres? The site just lists the show as being in Charlie Brown's Christmas Town.

Yuletide Follies is replacing Cool Yule at the Bandstand.

Jingle Jazz is returning, which might be a trade-off for What the Dickens being cut.

If it hasn't been noted elsewhere, the official app is now listing The Racer and Snoopy's Soap Box Racers along with other WinterFest attractions like Flight of Cheer, Snow Flake Lake and Holly Jolly Trolley.

We really like the daytime music on Coney Mall during Tricks & Treats. Having that music during the regular season would be amazing!

At NyteWalkers tonight we had a toddler in the row behind us watching cartoons on a tablet at full volume throughout the entire show. Definitely a different crowd at Haunt nowadays.

https://www.silverdollarcity.com/resort Silver Dollar City is finally getting its own version of DreamMore.

We have done the Missouri "triangle" of flying into St. Louis for Six Flags, driving over to Branson for SDC, up to Kansas City for Worlds of Fun and then back to St. Louis to fly home.

Silver Dollar City is absolutely worth the trip. Easily one of the best regional theme parks in the country. The park's Christmas event is amazing.

The choreography is really impressive with some incredible energy and commitment from the performers. I always look forward to see what they come up with.

Since 2020 we've noticed more families with younger children at Dent despite its reputation as a more "intense" haunt than what Kings Island might offer.

We've regularly had the park hours and especially showtimes disappear from the app. Opening/closing the app doesn't always seem to help but the times resurface eventually.

The 2024 Tricks and Treats menu has been posted.

Nothing posted yet. It will be interesting to see whether this year's items are available on the Dining Plan with the move away from tasting cards at special events like Grand Carnivale and Food & Wine.

https://www.visitkingsisland.com/events/tricks-and-treats Tricks and Treats Fall Fest is seeing a few changes for 2024 with the addition of the Spectral Sisters and the Candy Horns, both staples of Tricks and Treats events at other legacy Cedar Fair parks. The Spectral Sisters perform on a balcony at California's Great America. Would that be possible on one of the International Street balconies? I'm not sure if any of them were built to support the weight of a person. Also it appears the costume contest will have a single host instead of the entire Costume Council like previous years.

There are poles and a couple of light towers set up in front of the Kings Island Theater and the sign for the theater has been covered up. It seems likely that Hooked will be in that space along the pathway between International Street and Action Zone.

French Corner is closed with a sign by the door saying that they are "brewing up something special" that will be "coming this fall". The partition in the dining area and the floor have been torn up inside, so it appears to be more than just a change in offerings.

Poles have been set out presumably for the scare zones in Rivertown and Coney Mall, along with whatever is happening in front of the Kings Island Theater. The lights and rigging in Area 72 have been set up as well: