Kings Island open year round

[csikoth]

I personally after seeing a Japan TPR video, seeing Robb Alvey riding coasters in the snow, I would love to have it open year round with no off season.

[BoddaH1994]

I mean, of course I'd go, but I wouldn't see it as being successful. You could do Haunt then have some sort of Thanksgiving thing and bring back Winterfest, but what about the rest of the year? The reason why the Florida parks can pull it off is because of all of the vacationers down there between January and June.

[csikoth]

If there was one how was the New Years party?

[PKIDelirium]

I don't think Maintenance would appreciate a year-round schedule very much.

[The Interpreter]

There are recommendations from manufacturers, which MUST be followed in Ohio, for minimum temperatures for the coasters. Back in the Paramount days, they seemed to vary year to year. Note, however, that the outside coasters did NOT operate during either incarnation of Winterfest. That all being said, I have more than once ridden Beast in the snow...I have ridden steel coasters in other states in sleet and/or snow (not fun, by the way). I cannot imagine most of the rides operating in winter...and I cannot imagine where the park would get sufficient people willing to work in such conditions at the pay available, nor even enough customers on a long term basis to make it worthwhile.

[Thrill_Biscuit]

Some places are better left closed during the cold months in Ohio. The hit-and-miss, often misforecast snow storms could make clearing the mile-wide (!) parking lot a headache, not to mention the pathways.

[Beast1979]

I would love it but I do not think it would be safe, easy, or cheap. Keep dreaming.

[flightoffear1996]

Yea it just wouldn't happen. I wouldn't mind seeing something at the park to in the off season to keep the mood going. Like a behind the sceanes day, or a charity event like polar pluge @ CP. Why not have a marathon in summer close in the empty white water area with the geysers getting the runners freezing wet.

[indianapolisman]

Really? I enjoy the off season. This always builds anticipation for the next year.

Plus, wouldn't the water from your eye's freeze before it reaches your ears? I

just couldn't see anyone there with no rides running. I guess you could heat

the Crypt and FoF. They could also turn WWC into a ski run, now I'm thinking

this isn't such a bad idea.

[gigacoaster2k]

I shiver when it's 60 degrees.

The wintry weather in Ohio is just too unpredictable to keep an amusement park open all year.

Besides, it hurts enough to ride coasters in the rain. I don't even want to know how snow or sleet would sting. That's an ouch factor I don't even want to think about.

When it's single-digit temps or a blizzard is brewing, I'd rather sit inside, wrapped in my favorite sweater, with a delicious cup of coffee and a good movie.

[Phantom Theater]

No.It'd be to cold.Just think if CP were open in winter,that woud be freezing becasue lake erie.I wonder what it'd feel like to ride top thril while its snowing.Your face would be like frozen with snow!

[Tomkatt7]

Yeah sure....

Put me in line to ride white water canyon around the middle of January!!!!

[Justin_M17]

I shiver when it's 60 degrees.

The wintry weather in Ohio is just too unpredictable to keep an amusement park open all year.

Besides, it hurts enough to ride coasters in the rain. I don't even want to know how snow or sleet would sting. That's an ouch factor I don't even want to think about.

When it's single-digit temps or a blizzard is brewing, I'd rather sit inside, wrapped in my favorite sweater, with a delicious cup of coffee and a good movie.

Couldn't agree with you more...unless you replaced the movie with my favorite PS3 game =O

[Beast1979]

This entire topic is a perfect example of why we should just lift up Kings Island and haul it to Florida in November!

[iChase]

As much as I love winter I don't think I could love it from a roller coaster. I'm cold enough during Haunt, let alone when we're 5" under. Brr. I would, however, love to see the park blanketed in snow and lit up with Christmas lights.

[Justin_M17]

As much as I love winter I don't think I could love it from a roller coaster. I'm cold enough during Haunt, let alone when we're 5" under. Brr. I would, however, love to see the park blanketed in snow and lit up with Christmas lights.

Oh yeah, it'd be a gorgeous sight without a doubt.

Can you even begin to imagine the view of KI covered in a sheet of unbroken snow as seen from the Eiffel Tower?

[csikoth]

How bout a New Years eve party? Lets say by then the construction of Diamondback is complete. Instead of watching the ball at New York fall we watch Diamonback come to life with its first run.

[sheikra_rocks]

There are LOTs they could do with the park... They can use the big Kerosene Heaters as they use in FLorida and California to prevent the cold snaps from ruining the orange groves. Just place them throughout the park so guests can warm up. Only having certain paths open. International Street to the path between BLSC and carousel into Coney Mall to FOF, around Juke Box Diner, to the Crypt and the train station.

They CAN indeed run FOF and Crypt, the carousel, ice skating on the fountain, revive the old slide that used to be in H-B and put it on the path between FOF and Vortex, COMPLETELY cover the tower with foliage and transform it into a giant Christmas tree!

Horse drawn sleigh rides can be given on the KIMVRR much like the horse drawn trolly at Magic Kingdom in Florida. Riding through those woods and have the old town transformed into something different for the occasion. I invision it being like riding through the Christmas display with all the houses that light up with all the figurines. Getting a complimentary hot chocolate as you board the sleigh.

Have a show in the festhaus, and have a completely different menu for the season. Like soups, chili (not that skyline crapola... REAL chili), and such.

Change the name of FOF for the event such as Busch Gardens in Tampa does durring Hawl-O-Scream.. for example, KUMBA = DOOMBA, MONTU= MONTOMB... I know, not much different but you'd be surprised at the people who think that it is a brand new ride with just those variations of the name!...LOL

Runaway Sleigh Ride for FOF With the house lights on.... OR will the lights off, but the walls completely covered in holiday lighting!

As for the Crypt, the first thing that comes to mind is "Santa's Drunk Again"

What do you guys think about THIS....

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Copyright pending!

[sheikra_rocks]

How bout a New Years eve party? Lets say by then the construction of Diamondback is complete. Instead of watching the ball at New York fall we watch Diamonback come to life with its first run.

OOOH... that is even better than watching Key West drop a drag queen in a giant high heel shoe!

5

4

3

2

1

SHHHHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Diamondbacks maiden voyage...... train 1 doesn't come back because it is too cold!

EDIT: It would be AWESOME to time it out 10 seconds from the point of the train dropping. That means however, that they would have to practice by RUNNING the coaster.

I think it would be HARD to miss them running THIS coaster.

[Beast1979]

I would, however, love to see the park blanketed in snow and lit up with Christmas lights.

See Winterfest 2005.

[hamoperator]

Maybe not as much as keep it open year round, but definitely extend the year, September is too short; Keep it open until Thanksgiving on the weekends and holidays. The cooler nights is another factor I think that makes HH so successful, People enjoy the cool nights at the park.

[The Interpreter]

I would, however, love to see the park blanketed in snow and lit up with Christmas lights.

See Winterfest 2005.

Yep....Winterfest 2005, a delightful but huge snow, and the park....did not open.

Staffing would have been nearly impossible, and virtually no one but a few coaster nuts would have come that night...and if someone had died in a car crash on their way there or home, some of the media would have had a field day.

[iChase]

As much as I love winter I don't think I could love it from a roller coaster. I'm cold enough during Haunt, let alone when we're 5" under. Brr. I would, however, love to see the park blanketed in snow and lit up with Christmas lights.

Oh yeah, it'd be a gorgeous sight without a doubt.

Can you even begin to imagine the view of KI covered in a sheet of unbroken snow as seen from the Eiffel Tower?

I imagine that would be one of the views you keep for the rest of your life.

I would, however, love to see the park blanketed in snow and lit up with Christmas lights.

See Winterfest 2005.

Yeah, I found out about Winterfest after the fact. 2005-6 were my KI "dead" years.

[CoastersRZ]

I think the first weekend of November is about as late as you will see KI staying open for the foreseeable future. I doubt WinterFest makes a return anytime soon. While the event was extremely fun (I went a total of four times), and well put together, it was a disaster from the financial and attendance standpoint.

However, I think that KI could extend the season slightly at the pre-season end of things. There are plenty of days in March when the weather is nice enough that they could have some good weekends in March. (Remember a few years back when the park would open for the second weekend in April? Lately they`ve been opening in Mid-April as opposed to early April). But that being said, March can still be a lion and you can get some downright cold and nasty days in March, days people won`t want to be outside, much less at an amusement park.

[touchdown62]

I would go at least once in the winter if it was open, just to say I did it. I would love to ride The Beast in the snow at least once. I have ridden it in icy cold rain and sleet. That hurt so good. It was a couple years ago when they did a passholder-only weekend. Saturday was cold and miserable, so much so they closed at noon. Low 40's, rain/sleet, 30 mph winds. We had just enough time to freeze our faces and numb our brains on The Beast. I could have done without sleet to the face at a combined 100 mph (70 mph out of the helix into a 30 mph headwind), but still loved every minute of it.

[Cormaster]

Imagine what its like riding in a convertible with the top down on a day thats 28 degrees and snowing out... A coaster would be even worse. My answer is no.

[The Interpreter]

What color is the car?

Terpy, with apologies to Click and Clack

[WooferBearATL]

There actually was a plan to operate at least a portion of the park year round.

The idea and plans were to make International Street a year round operation.

[The Interpreter]

And was abandoned as market studies showed it unlikely to succeed. Similar developments further south, such as in Nashville, did indeed fail. Smaller lifestyle centers, like Polaris in Columbus, are actually an outgrowth of earlier efforts.

[Cormaster]

What color is the car?

Terpy, with apologies to Click and Clack

I guess white is the color in my head since my wife used to have a white Cavalier Convertible, and a friend of mine has a white Suzuki Vitara convertible. Actually after he got it we went to Kings Island in October in the Vitara. The weather report initially showed it being 72 degrees out that day so we had the top down. It ended up being 20 degrees cooler. We didn't even make it half way to KI before we pulled over at a gas station and put the top back on (vitara's have manual tops). I still remember the stinging cold feeling that you couldn't get shelter from...