Official: WinterFest 2017

[IndyGuy4KI]

^ I have seen enthusiasts assume a gun is faulty after a few failed hits, only to try it myself and find that it works. Some of them seem more sensitive than others.

Or needs calibrated/adjusted. That is the first thing I do with a blaster, try and see if I need to shoot a little above/below or to the side of the target for a hit. Being used all day every day they are bound to be off a little.

[BB1]

 

^ I have seen enthusiasts assume a gun is faulty after a few failed hits, only to try it myself and find that it works. Some of them seem more sensitive than others.

Or needs calibrated/adjusted. That is the first thing I do with a blaster, try and see if I need to shoot a little above/below or to the side of the target for a hit. Being used all day every day they are bound to be off a little.

 

 

Well I did, I have tried throughout the whole ride. I believe only once or twice did the blaster actually hit, but it was a few and far between.

[jcgoble3]

I, too, have virtually never gotten a broken gun over the past several years. I think sometimes, when claims are made of guns being broken, the cause can be traced back to simply incredibly poor aim on the part of the rider. If you can't aim the gun properly, you won't hit any targets, and if you don't hit any targets, you'll tend to think that the gun is broken when it's not. Pro tip: don't try to shoot one-handed. Use both hands in a proper handgun grip for maximum accuracy.

[MantisMan]

I think sometimes, when claims are made of guns being broken, the cause can be traced back to simply incredibly poor aim on the part of the rider. If you can't aim the gun properly, you won't hit any targets, and if you don't hit any targets, you'll tend to think that the gun is broken when it's not. Pro tip: don't try to shoot one-handed. Use both hands in a proper handgun grip for maximum accuracy.

 

This perfectly describes my wife.

 

I rarely have trouble with mine but hers is always broke.....what are the odds?

A 50/50 chance each time we ride and she gets a non-working gun, lol.

[rcwizard13]

For those curious of what may be coming, California's Great America has put full details for this year's event online:

https://www.cagreatamerica.com/winterfest

A few things that are of note to me:

-Open 5PM-10PM* weekends 11/25-12/18 and daily from 12/19-12/23 and 12/26-12/30

-Closed New Years Eve and Day (which fall on a Saturday and a Sunday this year)

-All season meal plan is valid, as usual, for two meals four hours apart

-7 shows excluding the tree lighting

-7 other family activities (3 of which require an extra fee)

-$25 general admission and $20 jr/sr, each a $5 savings from gate price

*Doesn't open until 7 on 12/11 due to a 49ers home game

[King Ding Dong]

Tamales. Can we get tamales anywhere at our parks?

[SonofBaconator]

I hope they don't hold back with the lights. Take a couple of notes from the zoo!

[Winterfestguy]

Does anyone know which engineering/decorating firm KI will be using to decorate the park?  Hopefully, these guys will take some lessons from Dollywood of how to properly light up an amusement park for the holidays with not only lights, but festive trees, garlands, and displays    (and let's hope the I street buildings get their roof-top/outline lights repaired and all back in working order, the last time the building outline lights were all repaired was for the last Winterfest 12 years ago).

[Rivertown Rider]

I hope that Kings Island decorates everything that will be accessible during Winterfest.  I too hope they take a page from Dollywood and the Zoo.  If they don't go all out, I think it will really hurt their chances of continuing the event.

[Creed Bratton]

Don't forget, we're not the only park getting Winterfest this year. California's Great America already started Winterfest and I've yet to hear anything negative about how the park was decorated.

I'd bet that they're going to go all out for it.   

[Imperial79]

Looks like something new came in the mail today at Kings Island for WinterFest 2017.  Photo from ki_entertainment on Instagram.

Can't wait to see what they have in store!

 

[SonofBaconator]

Hmmm, it must be Italian.

[calakapepe]

Looks like something new came in the mail today at Kings Island for WinterFest 2017.  Photo from ki_entertainment on Instagram.

Can't wait to see what they have in store!

 

Train decoration? it looks like to me

1pc. 48inch by 20 by 20 ish

[Winterfestguy]

Looks like the wire frame displays are starting to arrive - wire frames typically have to be ordered a year in advance from the factory.

Let's hope they fix all the building lights on international street so that they can be used during summer nights this year - the last time they were repaired and all working on the international street buildings was for the 2005 Winterfest.

[Imperial79]

Yeah, this just shows how much preparation has to go into a big event like this! 

[upstop]

http://www.markramseymedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/picture-of-seinfeld-group-jumping-at-the-door-gif.gif

I'm....so.....excited!!!

[Imperial79]

Hours have just been added to WinterFest 2017.

https://www.visitkingsisland.com/hours-directions/winterfest

[Winterfestguy]

Same Winterfest hours that CA Great America had this past season, but kind of sad that they are not opening up early afternoon on Saturday and Sunday at 2PM as did the 2005 or the Original Winterfest.  It was nice to ice skate, have a snack, eat the Turkey Dinner in the Festhaus, and then see the lights come on, and leave before the huge crowds arrived (well, no crowd in 2005!).  If Santa's Toy Factory returns to the Kings Island Theater, I wonder if Snoopy on Ice will return to the Festhaus (The Festhaus has had ice shows years ago)

[CoastersRZ]

But back then, the stage was a lot further out in the Festhaus seating area.  I wonder if they still have the ice making equipment (chiller, etc) at the Festhaus.  I believe that the equipment is still there at the Kings Island Theater.  I personally am hoping that Santa`s Toy Factory returns to the Kings Island Theater.  That show was held at the original Winterfest, the re-instated on in 2005, and I believe that they had a very similar show (although with a different name) at California`s Great America for Winterfest this past year.

[Outdoor Man]

kind of surprised that they wouldn't be open during the day some of December to get school groups.  

[purdude86]

Schools are probably more likely to do the Math and Science Days (if they still do them) as can get more educational value out of it. Whereas Winterfest is much more limited on offerings and what they could give the schools. Plus smaller space to spread out large groups of students. Could get a bit crowded on Math and Science Days with the whole park open.

[calakapepe]

Also, most schools are about to or are closed during the time of winterfest.

And also, not as much of an excuse to go when most of the coasters, or all, arent operating

(Edit- most, if not all education day field trips are physics classes)

[KIfan73]

 

#HomefortheHolidays is taking shape.

A post shared by KIEntertain (@ki_entertainment) on Apr 16, 2017 at 1:49pm PDT

[flightoffear1996]

I am a listener to CoasterRadio and from an interview I heard that there will be 5 million lights and Mystic Timbers will be open during Winter Fest.

http://www.coasterradio.com/index.php

 

Edited April 17, 2017 by CoastersRZ
Added link

[CoastersRZ]

To clarify, the above information came from the interview of the park`s new general manager in the podcast.  

[Outdoor Man]

Replying to my reply from a reply over 2 months ago.

The educational climate has changed quite a bit, but I remember a number of years growing up in the magical decade of the 80's- classes would take "field trips" to WinterFest.  1985, 1989, & 1991 stick out in my head.

[Outdoor Man]

I have another Winterfest question.  In all other installments of Winterfest only an arc of the front of the tower had lights.  If you look at the image online there are lights shadowed into the background.  Almost as if the lights will be hung 360 degrees around the tower.  Did I miss something or has this already been a thing?

[rcwizard13]

1 hour ago, flightoffear1996 said:

I am a listener to CoasterRadio and from an interview I heard that there will be 5 million lights and Mystic Timbers will be open during Winter Fest.

http://www.coasterradio.com/index.php

 

Hearing Mystic will be open doesn't surprise me one bit. I've been suspecting it for a while. I have the same feeling about The Beast possibly being open and to a slightly lesser degree for Racer.

[silver2005]

Beast being open for Winterfest would help fulfill one of my lifetime goals on Beast- a snow ride.

[MDMC01]

I'm curious what they'll do with MT's shed come Winterfest (or Haunt, even)...