What If? WinterFest 2013

[RailRider]

I love how Winterfest is remembered with such fondness. Yet at the time many were not too fond of this event and its less than stellar attractions for the price.

[Voicetek]

I'll be the first to admit that if Winterfest came back, I'd be thrilled! However, I understand that this is not happening and I'm ok with that.

Do I miss it? Of course I do, but there are plenty of other local Christmas activities to keep me busy through the Christmas season.

I think the reason people want Winterfest back so bad is mainly for nostalgic reasons. Who hasn't looked back and remembered things with great fondness regardless of what you thought about it at the time? These types of things have the ability to make you miss certain time periods in your life and sometimes you want to relive those experiences that you had when you were younger regardless of what they were. I think this is why there is such a longing to have Winterfest back. Don't get me wrong, I have plenty of great memories from going to Winterfest with my family and I'd love to experience that again, but that is not an option.

I'm not quite sure why there are some people who just won't quit asking if it's coming back, even when various sources, including Don himself, have stated very plainly otherwise. Yes, I understand how much you'd love to have it back, but there comes a time when you need to let things go and look ahead to the future and not the past. Find other types of Christmas activities that are still ongoing and create new memories with friends and family.

Perhaps we will see Winterfest again someday. I'll be the first one in line. But until then, let's remember it for what it was, a great time in our past, and now let's leave it at that, enjoy the present, and look forward to great things in the future.

[BB1]

why didn't they just spend the money to fix the Son of Beast instead of tearing it down

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Stop hitting my Second Battle Donkey !!!!!!!

Yes, I agree, it is nostalgic for many reasons, plus a tradition I want to spread.

[The Interpreter]

That's not a battle donkey.

That's a dead horse.

As is...

[BB1]

That's not a battle donkey.

That's a dead horse.

As is...

Shhh....The end of the battle donkey is near Terpy, don't let me keep it up!

[thedevariouseffect]

Dude...just stop...If you haven't seen no one is enjoying this...

If enough people keep saying to stop I'd best advise to listen.

[BB1]

Dude...just stop...If you haven't seen no one is enjoying this...

If enough people keep saying to stop I'd best advise to listen.

And as you can see, I am, I just see what I see. (Which I was laughing when I first saw the GIF,) If you have an issue, please go to a new forum, because it will end soon, you just have to wait.

[rcwizard13]

^ Really dude, how old are you? I remember first stumbling upon these forums and looking at you with a lot of respect for a long while, but with all this donkey crap lately I have a hard time believing you're any older than 12.

[BB1]

^ Really dude, how old are you? I remember first stumbling upon these forums and looking at you with a lot of respect for a long while, but with all this donkey crap lately I have a hard time believing you're any older than 12.

It is a joke, it was derived from an old idea that I had once ago, no I am not 12, far from that age now. If you really want to know, when BB1 took a "small" leave over the summer, he gained new interests. Over this time he gained one interest he has lost in the time, which is that animal which I will not share, hybrid of a zebra. Now, I want to share my enthusiasm of it, which I was going to complete with a PTR that will be posted on Sunday (Or week after) and not share again since it has a ran down feel from TPR. BB1 does not like the TPR enthusiasm of Donkeys that has put a bad name on it, to which if I have offended anyone from this, I am sorry. You know BB1, I do have a point and good ideas, but occasionally I leave easter eggs towards new things (See Leave), which this was the easter egg, donkey, what person rode a donkey? (Biblical texts do tell) Now I will say this, the donkey trend will end (Probably will pop up as a spot light if I ever see one) due to it's bad use among our "displeased of the TPR region", but at the same time, if I say it will be done soon, it will. (Also, if I get the post status that I had, I would be happy)

[The Interpreter]

You do an essay about staying on topic, then this?

Where did I put the Advil Brand pain reliever?

I see a pain.

[Titan]

I'm sorry, but that post did nothing to help your cause. I'm not trying to be rude, but nonsense rambling and irrelevant posts about Donkeys do nothing to "add" to a topic. It may have been funny a few months ago, but now it's getting old and annoying. I'm not saying that you can't make off-topic posts (Lord knows we all do). But when you constantly do it, it gets very irritating.

[TombRaiderFTW]

I went to both Hersheypark's and Kennywood's Christmas events this year. I never went to KI's Winterfest, but I have also been to both Dollywood's Christmas event (without having seen the shows) and WildLights at the Columbus Zoo.

Hersheypark's didn't do much for me; there was almost too much of the park open to walk through. They clearly wanted to take advantage of the valley/river area for lights--which looked very nice, I must say. However, besides the flat rides near Fahrenheit, there really wasn't much else offered inside the park that justified having the rides near the Kissing Tower open. The rides back there didn't have nearly as many lights as the front of the park, and it seemed lacking, despite that that is the area they had Santa in for the kids. In fact, almost the entire path from Great Bear to Skyrush was fairly bare and dark. It felt accidental that that path was open at all. Hershey's almost too big for that sort of thing, or at least the way they currently do it. the flat ride lineup didn't overly attract me, either; unless you are a kid, the only major attractions for you to potentially be interested in are their frisbee, the flying scooters, the swinging ship, the train and monorail, the dark ride, both gas-powered car tracks, and the Kissing Tower. For me, the only rides I liked enough to ride in the VERY chilly weather were the dark ride and the monorail. If Hersheypark were the only park I ever visited, I might be more interested, but otherwise I don't think I'll rush back specifically for that event anytime soon.

Kennywood's, on the other hand, works much better and feels very coherent throughout 98% of the park. The corner of the park near Noah's Ark is a little bare, but the rest of the park that is open to the public is covered from head to toe in lights. They don't have as many adult-oriented rides open, but the ones they've chosen stand out way more to me: the Turtle, the Kangaroo, Ghostwood Estate, the Paratrooper, the carousel, and the train (as well as the entire kids' area.) Kennywood's small enough that they really couldn't "unintentionally" have anyone walk through an empty area if they tried. Unlike at Hershey, Santa isn't stuffed somewhere in a darker corner of the park; he's front-and-center in The Racer station, which looks gorgeous. They also feature way more festive food choices than Hershey, and they even have several temporary areas where they've placed special Christmas activities (e.g. writing a letter to Santa). They whole thing is very well put together, and I'm halfway tempted to go back again sometime. I don't know that I'd make the four-hour drive specifically for Holiday Lights, but if I ever did something else within a two-hour drive of the event, I'd have to go back again. It's decently charming. (Plus, I finally got to ride both the Kangaroo and the Turtle! They're both way, way underrated and should not be judged from the midway. If what I've read is true, Turtle-type rides used to run much faster. I'd very much like to have experienced that, because it's a fun ride as it is.)

[thedevariouseffect]

Lots of donkey posts then TRFTW fixes things...thanks

Also terp..bottle of Watershed Bourbon...6th bottle...come over for a glass if you like I think this may be awhile

[TombRaiderFTW]

Lots of donkey posts then TRFTW fixes things...thanks

That's what I'm here for. I'd add to the griping, but you all are saying the things I've been thinking for a while. No point in beating the dead donkey any further.

Plus, Christmas events are a thing I've never really discussed before due to lack of experience. Now I've got ammo!

[thedevariouseffect]

Btw adding to the liquor brought up...had a bottle of Sam Adams winter lager...not bad..I prefer Great Lakes Christmas Ale, but not a bad lager

[malem]

That last post is really difficult to understand, BB1.

It is a joke, it was derived from an old idea that I had (...)

when BB1 took a "small" leave over the summer, he gained new interests. Over this time he gained one interest he has lost in the time (...) hybrid of a zebra.

Now, I want to share my enthusiasm of it, which I was going to complete with a PTR that will be posted on Sunday (Or week after) and not share again (...)

We'll look forward to that trip report, then.

to which if I have offended anyone from this, I am sorry.

People have found the comments annoying, but not offensive.

occasionally I leave easter eggs towards new things

Making off-topic posts that don't advance the ongoing conversation can be considered noise. Randomly talking about donkeys in a thread about Winterfest adds nothing to that discussion.

There's nothing wrong with dropping a hint about what you're going to post next. However, if you want people to enjoy your next post, it's best not to annoy them beforehand.

[BB1]

Sometimes I wish I liked something everyone liked, for example D-back, but really, I don't.

1. Terp, you know me, I did go off topic as a side, but at the same time I kept with the topic as I always do with the subject (Line 2)

2. It was a joke, keep calm and carry on. No sense in starting flame wars just because I like a certain creature and you don't.

3. For the love of sanity, Devarious, you talk about me going on about donkeys, I have really been annoyed with the constant liquor posts. BB1, who dislikes greatly liquor.

(BTW, TRFTW, thanks for using the pun I was going for )

[TombRaiderFTW]

^ There's nothing wrong with not liking the popular things and liking the not-popular things. It's when it keeps showing up in all of your posts for well over a month like an inside joke that nobody's laughing at that it gets old.

And then, when asked to stop, you reply like these jokes are inevitable and can't be stopped right away. They aren't inevitable. You're in control of your posts. So please stop. I wasn't really using your joke so much as referencing the fact that the humor of the donkey references died a LONG time ago.

[thedevariouseffect]

Bb1...here's where I stop you in your place

You are the only one who has said anything about my liquor posts..which half of them were in preparation for my holiday party I threw for everyone. Or my occasional drink here and there.

When it comes to, and for lack of any better words, your ass were tired of hearing about it. If you noticed people comment against it, and people frequently like the posts telling you to stop

I can't force you to...but strongly suggest to...

Fyi this irritation was a big topic of discussion amongst us at the holiday party. If it reaches that level of complaint from about 20 or so people. Hopefully the light bulb illuminates

If not I'll continue to hit my head against the wall...hemorrhaging

[Voicetek]

Gosh I must have really missed something. Maybe it was the week or so I was off of here because of my wedding/honeymoon, but I am so lost as to what this whole "donkey" issue is. Maybe it's a good thing that I missed it? Who knows, but reading through this thread has left me just a tad bit confused. Oh well. Perhaps when I read BB1's upcoming post about it, I will be enlightened. Until then, I guess I'll just keep wondering.

[LoraX]

The topic of donkeys has become the Miley Cyrus of KIC. It's truly annoying, yet we keep talking about it.

Fyi this irritation was a big topic of discussion amongst us at the holiday party. If it reaches that level of complaint from about 20 or so people. Hopefully the light bulb illuminates

It was a topic of much annoyance. It was even annoying talking about it during our get together and the only negative thing that happened that weekend (and that includes our detour in a ditch).

It's not offensive necessarily, it is a little concerning to have such an infatuation towards such things. I get running jokes (i.e. teasing Lucas about JB/1D and being a weatherman). I know that I was told specifically if there is an abundance of complaints towards an individual, then they will get banned. (Maybe this was a warning for me and I did not pick up on the hint. I just know that is what I was told.)

[Outdoor Man]

Personally, I don't see why Kings Island/CF could not make a run at it. There are a number of parks that do Christmas/Winter events that are seasonal parks... and most have Halloween events. Some that are open year-round make the transition while the park is in full operation. Besides, not that I spent a lot of time looking at the webcams- but the Haunt props disappeared off the webcams FAST. Someone may correct me on this, but if not mistaken- during the first run of Winterfest they may not have had a "Haunt" event, but they didn't begin decorating for Winterfest until after the regular season ended.

There are a lot of places that do it and do it well. Kings Island did it well for 10 years... and arguably well in 2005.

Perhaps the best indicator would be to gauge the number of future attractions that can operate in diverse climates: dark rides and low "impact" rides. If Banshee is any indicator, I'd rule out a 2014 Winterfest event... and with that big of an addition, we can probably expect some paint and general bolt tightening for 2015 as new attractions.

[thedevariouseffect]

The reason CF will not do it is simple: It doesn't bring the park money it wants as an outcome from doing such event. Yes they could do it, IF they get the staffing and the backing to do it. However, the company needs to be paid off making a profit it desires as the outcome.

For instance open in November as brought up awhile ago after Halloween & whatnot was done in the past, but it's low attendance and figures prompted that to not happen again. A business will be open if people come in to make it successful. With that not being the case they're not going to do it. There's too many problems and not enough money to do it.

Honestly being closed is a good thing. It gives ride much needed maint. It gives time off for people to work regular hours. Full timers worked 80+ hour workweeks during the summer and only a tad less on Halloweekends. Plus this lets the park do new and exciting things. Take this summer for instance we all watched the constuction area like hawks during the season. With no peering eyes everyday, they can be sneaky and bring exciting things to us in the next season.

Also in regards to the Haunt stuff, they were taking that down & getting ready to remove it the last weekend of the season, and on the last day were actively doing it. If you looked back in the theater up by Action Zone they had it opened and clear ready to put the haunt stuff in there. They probably acted quick on that like other things as well, it's well orchestrated. I stayed @ CP for two weeks post operations to do cleanup & stuff. The day after just about every coaster car was taken off of the transfer table and ready for off season maint & NDT. They move freaking quick haha

[beastfan11]

Bb1...here's where I stop you in your place

You are the only one who has said anything about my liquor posts..which half of them were in preparation for my holiday party I threw for everyone. Or my occasional drink here and there.

When it comes to, and for lack of any better words, your ass were tired of hearing about it. If you noticed people comment against it, and people frequently like the posts telling you to stop

I can't force you to...but strongly suggest to...

Fyi this irritation was a big topic of discussion amongst us at the holiday party. If it reaches that level of complaint from about 20 or so people. Hopefully the light bulb illuminates

If not I'll continue to hit my head against the wall...hemorrhaging

I personally enjoy your liquor posts. You have a lovely taste in beverage.

As far as Winterfest goes...

I'd love to see it again, sure. But if they don't think it's going to bring in cash/people, there's no reason for them to do it. In a perfect world, it would be a huge money maker. There are just too many factors that play into an event like this. Look at The Beach.

[Outdoor Man]

The reason CF will not do it is simple: It doesn't bring the park money it wants as an outcome from doing such event. Yes they could do it, IF they get the staffing and the backing to do it. However, the company needs to be paid off making a profit it desires as the outcome.

For instance open in November as brought up awhile ago after Halloween & whatnot was done in the past, but it's low attendance and figures prompted that to not happen again. A business will be open if people come in to make it successful. With that not being the case they're not going to do it. There's too many problems and not enough money to do it.

Honestly being closed is a good thing. It gives ride much needed maint. It gives time off for people to work regular hours. Full timers worked 80+ hour workweeks during the summer and only a tad less on Halloweekends. Plus this lets the park do new and exciting things. Take this summer for instance we all watched the constuction area like hawks during the season. With no peering eyes everyday, they can be sneaky and bring exciting things to us in the next season.

Also in regards to the Haunt stuff, they were taking that down & getting ready to remove it the last weekend of the season, and on the last day were actively doing it. If you looked back in the theater up by Action Zone they had it opened and clear ready to put the haunt stuff in there. They probably acted quick on that like other things as well, it's well orchestrated. I stayed @ CP for two weeks post operations to do cleanup & stuff. The day after just about every coaster car was taken off of the transfer table and ready for off season maint & NDT. They move freaking quick haha

agree with your point about profit. and they are a "for profit" entity. But to my point, there are a lot of parks that do Christmas/December events that are profitable... otherwise they wouldn't do it either. Someone can correct me, but I believe it was profitable in the first run. I don't believe it to have been profitable in 2005- because it was, effectively a startup (most startups don't profit the first time around), and the price-points were ill-conceived. I think Paramount believed they could make it profitable in 2006 or they wouldn't have planned a year #2. When CF bought it- I'm sure it was an easy decision, as outside of Knotts, I don't think any CF park had a December event going.

Ride maintenance wouldn't be affected since a very small percentage of rides would be open (no coasters or thrill rides)- and those maintenance workers would be mostly unaffected.

My only point (with several sub points)- yes, they wouldn't do a program if unprofitable... however, there are a lot of park organizations that do- and they're profitable. They did it once- I'm sure they could do it again.

to name a few:

- Busch Gardens, williamsburg

- Dollywood

- Kennywood

- Columbus Zoo

- Cincinnati Zoo

Now, that all said- I'm a bit surprised that a park named: Holiday World... in a place called: Santa Claus, IN- doesn't.

[The Interpreter]

A. At the time Paramount Communications acquired Kings Island, prior management had already decided to end Winterfest.

B. CBS never planned a year 2 Winterfest 2.0. Winterfest 2.0 was a staging event to sell the parks and to interest entities like Busch, Disney, Universal, etc. At that point, CBS couldn't care less what happened in Winter 2006. They just wanted to dress up the parks for sale--to interest more bidders and get as high a price as possible. From that standpoint, Winterfest 2005 was a HUGE success.

[XGatorHead 8904]

I have also been to both Dollywood's Christmas event (without having seen the shows)

BLASPHEMY! One could argue (and I would) that if you went to Dollywood's Smoky Mountain Christmas without seeing any shows, then you haven't truly been to Dollywood's Smoky Mountain Christmas. For the Gator family, the shows are the main draw during the event, and the rides are a bonus... the rest of the year, the two are even (ok, maybe a slight edge to the rides).

(Plus, I finally got to ride both the Kangaroo and the Turtle! They're both way, way underrated and should not be judged from the midway. If what I've read is true, Turtle-type rides used to run much faster. I'd very much like to have experienced that, because it's a fun ride as it is.)

I completely agree with you. Those are both classic rides that one should not miss. When I rode Turtle though, I couldn't help thinking that KI's Tumble Bug was faster. I just wrote that off as me being a kid at the time and it just seeming faster to a much smaller me.

[TombRaiderFTW]

I have also been to both Dollywood's Christmas event (without having seen the shows)

BLASPHEMY! One could argue (and I would) that if you went to Dollywood's Smoky Mountain Christmas without seeing any shows, then you haven't truly been to Dollywood's Smoky Mountain Christmas. For the Gator family, the shows are the main draw during the event, and the rides are a bonus... the rest of the year, the two are even (ok, maybe a slight edge to the rides).

I know! I've committed a sin in enthusiastdom! I'm sorry! I know it's above and beyond typical theme park fare; I've seen the lines those shows get. I love the fact that Dollywood goes above in beyond in that way (among many others), but I'm just not into live entertainment/plays/musicals as a whole. I'm way more interested in Dollywood's atmosphere and seasonal events. (I'd love for Kings Island to have its own similarly immersive atmosphere and multi-week events beyond Haunt.) But, who knows? I'm passing judgment on a thing I've never actually tried at Dollywood. It could be great. If I end up down there around Christmas time again, I might have to try it out.

(Plus, I finally got to ride both the Kangaroo and the Turtle! They're both way, way underrated and should not be judged from the midway. If what I've read is true, Turtle-type rides used to run much faster. I'd very much like to have experienced that, because it's a fun ride as it is.)

I completely agree with you. Those are both classic rides that one should not miss. When I rode Turtle though, I couldn't help thinking that KI's Tumble Bug was faster. I just wrote that off as me being a kid at the time and it just seeming faster to a much smaller me.

Yeah, it never really registered to me until I rode the Turtle that Kings Island used to have one of those. I feel like I've genuinely missed out on something in passing up Conneaut Lake's, even though popular opinion is that it's not as good as Kennywood's. I do wonder why both the Flying Coaster and Tumble Bug rides fell out of style, because they're both really good.

[The Interpreter]

Conneaut's used to run insanely fast, back in the mid-nineties.

[XGatorHead 8904]

I rode Conneaut's this past August. I liked Kennywood's better, mainly because of the better view.