brenthodge

The food this festival has been GREAT - actually this whole seAson, but this time of year I love fall foods and eliminating the "tasting size" concept has I think allowed them to explore some better rounded options. That said - I think the whole food aspect needs to be played up even more. Create areas with more "elevated" seating like carnivale and create mini festival zones wherever there are a few food options together that can (no pun intended) feed off each other - like the area between Rivertown potato and funnel cakes should feel really special with decor and entertainment - NOT the witch show, but local Indi music acts almost all day. Many of the food options are hard to find on the menu after you walk past the sign in the midway. they have TV menus - why not create special graphics that highlight the limited time offerings with random regular things. I get that pulling out all the food booths isnt practical this time of year, but it seems like 1-2 would be feasible and allow them to bring more food options together into fewer, centralized locations (like the one mentioned above, or the beer garden patio etc. Food can be a HUGE driver if they play it up even more. even if they could pull in some local vendors for ingredients to give a "farm to table" feel I think it would really tie into what motivated diners these days

That whole area needs to be rethought. The “Christmas clearance of random reindeer” needs to be better executed if that’s what they are going with (like use commercial grade LED deer instead of the random style, scale, color Home Depot ones all scattered around.) Below are some ideas using existing assets I came up with a couple of years ago. Some things they already implemented (you're welcome) but most of these are just refocussing the things they have in a way that creates stronger stories. WINTERFEST ASSET REALLOCATION ENTRY - No major changes INTERNATIONAL STREET - No major changes - Every “area” gets a large 20’ tree like the one in Coney decorated and lit to match the theme of the area -like a “signpost” ARCTIC WAY (Walkway to Action Zone in front of theatre) CHARACTERS - Snowflake Fairy, Ice Queen and Prince All of the snowfall lights/ blue lights from the walkway between Rivertown and Coney move here. Blue/ white uplighting, Lots of character interaction Menorah and Dreidel stained glass decor Main theatre show becomes “White Christmas Dreams” a show with live orchestra, vocalists and dancers that tells the story of a family that experiences the magic of Christmas one winter’s eve. Arctic Way ties International Street into IceZone ICE ZONE(Action Zone) CHARACTER - Jack Frost Ice Zone gets silver trusses with uplighting - maybe lots of LED snowflakes - modern and bright - all the spiral trees form Coney move here Big signature tree is modern, silver, maybe only lights AREA - ENCHANTED ELF VILLAGE (Octoberfest lake) CHARACTERS All elves Brass band becomes Elf Brass band Tinkers remains in Festhaus All elf set pieces move to the areas around the lake with better lighting to really enhance signature tree is lit red/green/gold with large traditional decor and toy ornaments FLORAL CLOCK - acts as major entrance feature for new Candy Cane Lane/Drum Line area Gets great lighting package. AREA - DRUM LINE CHARACTERS Nutcracker Suite Move trumpeters to the walkway leading to drummers with the MERRY CHRISTMAS sign and large gifts, toys etc Four Drummer Drumming moves to stage on Skyline seating pavilion Add uplighting to trees and possible 2-3 footers for lighting rigs to better light the soldier statues Area brightly lit Signature tree in red/blue/white AREA - CANDY CANE LANE CHARACTERS Candy Cane, Candy Dandy, Cotton Candy Fairy Moves to the path to River Town past floral clock Add large LED tree in red/white with light show on the old base where tree was WF’17 Add paved paths in this area (in the grass) to tree and to paved area for candy castle - these could be seating areas and landscaping during normal season and paths through cemetery for Haunt Footings from Winterfest Way WF’17 hold candy cane scaffolding with red/white overhead string lights Line main path and new paths with candy cane markers Kona Ice drink place becomes hot chocolate/candy “gingerbread House” food location TUNNEL OF LIGHTS - From where path straightens out leads into… AREA - HOMESPUN HOLIDAYS (Rivertown) Move all of the crafter booths to this area to play up the “homespun” theme. Some along the path, some set up like a little village in The Beast plaza signature tree with lanterns, white lights, homespun ornaments in the middle of crafters village (beast plaza) Improve look of crafter barns to make look like different style buildings in Rivertown More rustic decor Remainder of Rivertown as previous years AREA - Coca-Cola POLAR BEAR WAY (Path along former Vortex site) Red and white string lights overhead Coca-Cola billboards line the path (like a road to Tinsel Town) Plaza at Backlot becomes the Polar Bear Dance Party Basketball 3 point game gets Coca-Cola Holiday enhancement-maybe “ornament toss” Transition area in to Tinsel Town brighter and bolder AREA - TINSEL TOWN (End of Coney Mall) No major changes - giant tinsel trees are signature tree better clustering of trim elements AREA - CONEY CARNIVAL CHRISTMAS (Coney Mall) No major changes - add overhead color change LED lights from HAUNT (did this 2020) Make even gaudier, bolder, brighter - move the giant light sculptures from the path to River Town here More Silver Tinsel - almost an extension of Tinsel Town AREA - CHARLIE BROWN’S CHRISTMASTOWN (Planet Snoopy) Move the live performance aspect out of the petting zoo - Keep “Sounds of the Nativity” with lighting and music, but maybe Peanuts Narration and songs from the Christmas special instead. “What the Dickens” moves out to new area (keeps the indoor area for inclement weather) International Showplace adds better roof - possible temporary back and sides and heaters “Charlie Browns Christmas Spectacular” moves here with minor modifications. The two side stages of this performance space already work for this show. This brings all of thePeanuts entertainment to one area to create stronger destination AREA - DICKENS SQUARE (where 4 drummer drumming was) CHARACTERS Scrooge, Marley, Ghosts Makes sense tying into International Street Use Scrooge’s house set from 05 WF as background for “What The Dickens” - Can move to Peanuts Showcase during inclement weather Use some graveyard items to make Scrooges cemetary Add some “Old England” set pieces Bring this “Christmas Carol” theme to Boo Blasters AREA - OH HOLY NIGHT (Tower Gardens) Live performers from “Sounds of Nativity” move here - create stage area where Ginger Bread castle went when this was Candy Cane Lane Use existing footers to add light trusses to provide projected “light through stained glass windows” All stained glass nativity pieces move here - maybe not all on one big area, but in smaller clusters that are dim, but light up brighter when songs related to those characters are sung (shepherds, angels, wisemen etc) Twinkling lights in the trees for “stars” - Large star above (Star in the East) Benches provide seating for contemplation

These seem like a waste there. Wish they Woolf move that whole concept to the path to river town and use the footers from the first year to put them along the path with red/white lights strung overhead to make the candy cane lane. That area has had less and less each year as things have broken and not been replaced.

Attended. Liked. Thought had potential. Looking back it was overall weak decor with just basic plastic balls in all the trees/wreaths etc, but overall more cohesively integrated event (the Jack Rouse Associates influence)better Toy Factory set and production. Weak parade, better train experience. Interesting tree lighting with Pyro. Wish some of that could be combined with what we have now. It was too “timid” of a re-entry into what by 2005 had become a more crowded market (Christmas events). Not sure if CF hadn’t pulled the plug the next year it could’ve found it’s footing still if they hadn’t gone much bigger the next year. Current offering is a bit like a clearance sale in the Christmas aisle in it’s scattered “throw everything Christmas at the wall and see what sticks” (like 90 mismatched light up deer of every style and type) but it definitely has the “go big or go home” mentality needed to grow an event.

It’s called sarcasm. Point being winning that award with what they threw out there proves there’s no real validity to the said award.

Now that Tricks and TREATS (wow-suprised that wasn’t edited for me) has started, are they offering these food options beyond 6 on Saturdays? I assume not on Fridays

Totally agree. Even the decor is so well done and detailed you miss a lot of it only seeing it at night. Like the fact that Skyline trim matches skyline, subway matches, racer is two colors etc. most of that doesn’t even show at night. A 12 or 1 open would seem much better to get additional revenue. Even if shows didn’t change you could do those easier in the evening if you weren’t also trying to slot in rides.

Is this being marketed? I love that it ends the night, but seems like there could be an alternative version like at 8:30, 10:30 then the finale at 12 to give an additional entertainment option.

I’d venture that all those you mentioned WITHOUT payroll of scare actors will STILL be a great add and not increase operating costs much beyond the initial investment and minimal time to switch out. Most are all lighting effects, or could literally be stored on site out of line of sight on the ride. Heck, even crazy demented carnival music and glitching lights in the brake tunnel of Racer would help.

Name only. Great poster design but did nothing beyond that. Could’ve been a whole story about how Santa partners with aliens to deliver all the presents in one night. Even do some silhouette projection in the queue of Santa loading gifts into crates with alien helpers. Do a crazy transsiberian orch soundtrack with lasers and lights in tyy by e spaghetti bowl. Have the final brake run be a projected blizzard as you return to earth.

Wholeheartedly. Honestly I have NO IDEA why they don’t do this. Especially for haunt. Could market as a event “add” with minimal operating outlay beyond the initial installation. Heck -Winterfest has shown they have no problem leaving unused lighting equipment in place year round, so just activate it at 6pm on haunt nights. Music. Lighting, propping could all be added to enhance. Imagine digital mapping in the tunnels of Adventure Express or glowing red lights in the woods along The Beast tracks.

That’s truly all I’m saying. If people take it as criticism of them or their team personally it isn’t. It’s more of a comment on the amount of funding and resources the park and corporate are giving to these type of events. It’s simply not enough, and my point is they are pushing these as the “new drivers” for attendance and pr cap spending, yet not properly funding them in a way that makes set up and transitions effective

Why do I keep reading reviews and comments that say "this isn't quite done" or "you can tell they still have a few things to finish" or "there are more elements coming" THE EVENT STARTED SEPT 23. We rail on people who complain "the park was closed during the day on Saturday" and tell them to check the calendar - well - the same holds for the park. The event opens when it opens - check the calendar. I'm disappointed seeing so many comments of incomplete things or "hope they will address this as the run continues. Yes - there will always be things tweaked, tightened and enhanced - like the really unnecessary extra lasers that were added halfway through the run of FFF, but it sounds like key elements or things that actually impact the experience just aren't there. I don't work at the park and I don't know how seasonal transitions are carried out, but it seems like if they want to continue down the "festival and event" model to drive attendance and in-park revenue boosts they need to get these events on point from the first night to the last. I remember with CARNIVALE last year they added all the metallic garlands that were color coordinated to each country they represented, they even when to the effort and expense of buying lit garlands with color coordinated lights, then most of them weren't even plugged in, and they never got to it "later in the run". It often times doesn't happen, it just stays undone.

I want to like their cupcakes but they are always dry -sometimes to the point of being like hard cornbread. Been disappointed every time this year.

That’s not an excuse. It wasn’t MY homecoming. Why should I expect a sub-par experience that I pay the same for as someone next weekend? It opens when it opens. If you can’t staff appropriately, don’t open that weekend.

The fog machines were very sparse. I don't know if this is intentional (maybe for security) or they just have not gotten more out yet? if that’s the case it’s not an excuse. The event starts the night it starts. It’s not a “tech preview “ and they’ve had weeks to get this set at this point now.

It just feel like there are some reallocation of existing assets that would accomplish that though. There are some clear narratives that could be stronger using existing infrastructure, buildings, theming, and ride experiences. I don’t think it needs a “radical reinventing, just a tightening up and leaning into sone of what is already there. Even adding effects and lighting to existing “daytime” attractions like Adventure Express or TheBat would be a way of enhancing the experience without the expense of scareActors. I just don’t feel the park is being very creative or resourceful with this event.

In a competition that means nothing based on who won honestly.

That’s what I fear. I almost feel like they are setting this up to go out with a whimper by having a lackluster year, getting poor reviews and ho hum attendance so they can “try a new type of event” next season and not outright cancel it, but blame it on an “overall lackluster reviews last year despite being voted the best event by USA Today”.

In a rigged sham of a “competition” but yeah… it’s THE BEST!!

haven't been yet this year, so I'm just going on pics and reviews, but it seems MUCH less focussed this year. I was impressed that in 2019 we started seeing some "overall thematic integration" with International street being Dia de los Muerta decor with Drums of the Dead set tying into that. It felt like when they launched trick and treats the next year they missed the opportunity to integrate it even more with things like moving "Shipwrcked" by Viking Fury and having the pirate themed trick or treat station there along with the pirate "game show" to develop a whole integrated pirate area. Pumpkin eater flowed great into RiverTown Reaping which really seemed like the start of developing a whole story arc for that area. Then that theme was abandoned the next year (maybe because of pandemic overtones, but I don't think many people even understood what the masked guys were supposed to be other than scary) The zombie scare zone outside of KillMart made sense as it was "world building" that brought an indoor maze to life in a bigger way. It seemed like they could've even brought that out into the Antique Autos with zombies along the path at night. With the exception of the alien scare zone outside of CHAOS this year, it seems like they've abandoned all of the strides they were making to have wholly themed and integrated areas that used the rides, buildings and existing area theme to tell a great story indoors and outdoors. They had the potential to tell that story during the day in a less scary way, then transition to a more intense version of the story as the day unfolds in each themed area. This year it just seems all over the place and random. Maybe theres an operational reason I'm not seeing having not been, but it seems way less impressive this time around. I'd honestly rather they go back to charging a separate admission for HAUNT - have Tricks and Treats be the "included" option - and give us a great experience like Knotts instead of the continually lessening experience KI seems to get. Wonder why they don't "rotate" some of Knotts HAUNT attractions as they retire them to other parks. https://www.micechat.com/327156-knotts-scary-farm-2022-guide/

Sign says it OPEN till 8 or that you can get the "Enhanced food options" till 8. Confused what they are selling when and where. Have dining plan and would like to use to try out some of this new items, but it is SUPER unclear if you can get on HAUNT nights or just Sat and Sunday 11-6

He was looking ROUGH last year - maybe he finally met his maker.

Are all food items available on haunt night or just during tricks and treats? And no “tasting card” this year? Seems like better food but less thought out operations.

I think the park tried to “improve” that area but blew it with the Halloween express cowboy figures. They tell the wrong story, have already been “enhanced” by employees with KI accessories, and really don’t add much. The whole area would’ve looked better with just the physical enhancements and the animals, but no people.