malem

For those whose gluten sensitivity is caused by Coeliac disease, avoiding it entirely (as far as possible) is important to prevent damage from the autoimmune response. There are easy substitutions, so it's very possible to eliminate it completely when making your own food. Great to see the updated dietary information on the Winterfest site.

They did go up this year. For platinum dining, the price increase from fall to spring was around $20. Gold dining went up as well, but I'm not sure of the exact dollar amount. With all passes and pass add-ons, earlier is better as far as getting the best price.

I'm glad they tried to get Mystic Timbers started tonight, even though the combination of cold temperatures, snow on the track, and gusty winds was apparently too much. Hopefully they'll have better luck tomorrow!

@exscream team and I can attest that The Beast is excellent at 27°, as experienced the day before closing day back in 2014. Glad to hear MT is running great at that temperature, @JubJester! I'll need to make it there on a cold night this season when it's running.

Seeing that the low is 18° tomorrow night, I'd probably be wearing a coat. I've had an odd disliking of coats going back to when I was a kid, so I've slowly acclimated myself to stay warm in cold conditions. I wouldn't advise anyone to wear shorts & a t-shirt in 30° weather; hypothermia isn't something to mess around with.

I am very tempted to come down tomorrow to see the park in the snow.

Another coaster or two would be nice, but there's already a lot to do. Four visits in, and I still have yet to see two shows (Tinker's Toy Factory and Plight Before Christmas) in their entirety.

It has been great to see the park step up their game in other areas - especially food & live entertainment. Rides aren't the focus of the event, but they help round out the experience. Since the two major rides are in Rivertown (KI&MVRR and Mystic Timbers), something else in that department might help distribute crowds on busy days. I agree that The Racer would be the ideal choice if the coaster line-up ever expanded. Ohio winter weather would be the major challenge - both during Winterfest and during an abbreviated off-season maintenance window.

Ice skating in shorts and a t-shirt is ill-advised.

One thing is certain, Holiday World became more budget conscious after Dan lost control. The legal fight between the two sides of the family wasn't cheap. Timberliners weren't working, so the project was abandoned. One of the stated reasons for using Timberliners was to keep The Voyage from tearing itself apart. Now, the coaster is trimmed (except during HoliWood Nights ERT).

Georgia Scorcher and Green Lantern (Chang) are excellent, as was the first half of Mantis. High drops and oversized loops are fun in the standing position. On the other hand, Apocalypse: The Last Stand is one of the worst head bangers I've ridden. In my opinion, the biggest downfall of B&M standups is that they require some technique to ride comfortably. Hitting your head on the restraint and/or having a high seat staple isn't fun at all. I preferred the TOGO stand-ups as well. The restraints were more comfortable, if slightly awkward to get in and out of.

Here's a webcam picture of the crane they had out this morning. It wasn't there long. Image: Kings Island webcam: https://www.visitkingsisland.com/explore/live-video

They were estimating a 90 minute wait at the entrance, but actual wait times maxed out around 45 minutes, decreasing later into the night. The crew kept the line moving well, and the lack of Fast Lane helps. The queue did fill up quickly after the park opened, so I'd recommend going there first at rope drop if you plan to ride early in the evening.

Welcome to KIC! In past seasons, the payment plan has been available until about July. As the season gets closer, the price of the pass will be split into fewer payments to ensure that it's paid off by the end of the season. It's good to renew early, as the price of the pass and of add-ons like the Dining Plan go up more the longer you wait.

The ERT sessions are long enough that you should have no problem getting as many rides on Raven/Legend/Voyage/Thunderbird/Wildebeest/Mammoth as you want. This event is one of very few times per year that Voyage has operated without trims, which is an experience that shouldn't be missed. Do pay close attention to ERT times on smaller rides (i.e. flat rides & The Howler junior coaster), as crews rotate between these rides during ERT. Also, bring an appetite to the scheduled meals/snacks - the food is plentiful and very good. A marathon multi-day coaster event like this or Coasterstock can itself be a very good workout. Keeping active over the off-season is good advice, lest you become worn out before the event is over.

Mystic Timbers is arguably more of a family coaster than anything else outside Planet Snoopy. I have never in my life gone ice skating, so that could be me as well. I'll probably need a coat and long pants for safety's sake.

I don't own a sweater either, so I guess I lose as well.

^^ Legend was my least-favorite (of 3 very good woodies), but it's now my second-favorite after its reworking in 2016 by GCI. When Voyage's trims are on, Legend is my favorite coaster in the park.

Fountain Square is $10 if you include skate rental, so the price difference is a bit less than it seems.

^ Long lines have been an issue with dining plans, but there was a marked improvement this season. That food revenue grew year-over-year is a good sign. I was pleased with the food quality at Carowinds, Kings Island and Dorney Park this season; Cedar Point and Kings Dominion could still use some help.

I ended the regular season with the final walk-through of Dinosaurs Alive, then ended ERT with the very cold (37°) last ride of the season on The Beast.

Dinosaurs Alive is now extinct at KI. A large group showed up for the final walk-through at 7pm, and we were treated to a very nice tour from the area supervisors. It was hard to see much without proper lighting, but I did get a video of the tour which I'll share later today.

^^ At KI, the major coasters continue to operate in a moderate rain - so you could ride all night if you so desired.

^ Saturday night/Sunday morning, I think you mean. If it looks like flurries before close on Saturday, I would be tempted to drive down early for an attempt at a Beast snow ride. Here's the latest NWS forecast as of 8pm this evening:

^ I took the event shirt out to my car after check-in, so it was just the one. I did get cold that day, for the record. For the charity auction later in the evening, I wore that event shirt over my other shirt.