Does anyone know if Winterfest is just coming back for the 2017 Christmas season or will it be held every year after?

It seems like they are marketing Winterfest to the season pass holders. And right now a Gold Pass renewal (just renewed mine!!![emoji1]) is $99 dollars until Oct 30! Good for all next season! What a deal!!!! Soooo if you want Winterfest to be a success support the event and renew now!

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Maybe they will have this on the fountain!

http://giphy.com/gifs/YTY11wSN4Onvi?ref=fbt

Ho ho ho!

 

My life's dream has finally come true! (Other than Boomerang Bay returning, which would be slim chances but hey who knows.) I am very impressed with the line up and just what Kings Island will have to offer in terms of entertainment and a Christmas experience in whole. Definitely took some old pages from the original event, adding in new for the new generations to come. However I wish that Flight of Fear would be open, just due to the fact that if they really wanted to go all out, they could incorporate a Santa Claus adventure into the ride experience. But hey, it's Winterfest, I got it back, and I'm happy. I know there are nay-sayers who state that it will be hard, however I know exactly how this event will succeed: by us attending! I plan on making Winterfest an annual experience and something that I do every Christmas season, and possibly finally letting the KIC folk go to Kings Island for their Holiday party? (Maybe I'll tag along, who knows, I've been so busy that I rarely have time to even do this!)

How much "doe" will the reindeer petting zoo cost?  Hopefully, it will only be a few "bucks."   

I really hope they will have at least Boo Blasters open as well in addition to the carousel and train. Have as many rides as possible going for it, and could be fun if they put up some Christmas decorations around the attractions too. sounds like it should be a fun event. Curious to see some more details to come about what all will be included.

So is Winterfest coming at the end of this season or next?

Next season.

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I think with Winter fest 17 it's huge for the park to become more year round maybe with a ferris wheel added year round operations shops and such more like Knotts.

Yes the Winter fest is a great announcement.

I think with Winter fest 17 it's huge for the park to become more year round maybe with a ferris wheel added year round operations shops and such more like Knotts.

Yes the Winter fest is a great announcement.

I wish Kings Island would surprise us and tell us they are bringing a Winterfest Preview this winter by having only International Street open for ice skating on the fountain, lighted tree on the Eiffel Tower, light displays with shops and food offerings for the holiday season.  A multi-media presentation in the Festhaus showing what's in store for Winterfest 2017!  A mini-holiday show or even have some school choirs perform.  It could be open only on the weekends and during the winter break when kids are off school.  I think this would be a great marketing tool to keep the excitement up and a great opportunity to make some money and sell additional season passes.  Admission should be free for season pass holders and would be an additional benefit to renew this fall.  Charge a small admission price for non-pass holders but give them the opportunity to use what they paid to get in toward a season pass next year. 

.What you described is what Winterfest is all about.  Look for it to come in November 2017.

I wish Kings Island would surprise us and tell us they are bringing a Winterfest Preview this winter by having only International Street open for ice skating on the fountain, lighted tree on the Eiffel Tower, light displays with shops and food offerings for the holiday season.  A multi-media presentation in the Festhaus showing what's in store for Winterfest 2017!  A mini-holiday show or even have some school choirs perform.  It could be open only on the weekends and during the winter break when kids are off school.  I think this would be a great marketing tool to keep the excitement up and a great opportunity to make some money and sell additional season passes.  Admission should be free for season pass holders and would be an additional benefit to renew this fall.  Charge a small admission price for non-pass holders but give them the opportunity to use what they paid to get in toward a season pass next year. 

 

that sounds good on paper... but even as a preview marketing tool- what you're proposing would be a major money loser.

It was announced this season as a boost to sell season passes.

I think it would be hard for them to plan and staff it for this winter at this point of the year. 

Big events take a lot of planning, a lot of work behind the scenes before the ground work you even see when setting up and then implementing. See Haunt meetings starting in June/July. 

I'm wondering now, how will Season Pass Sales for the 2018 season go with Winterfest starting in 2017....will the major sales be during the same time it is now, before the end of October or will they be before the end of the calendar year? 

For consideration of people's wallets and having them want to have time to consider if they can get another pass next year, I'd hope they still offer passes as they have been doing. Only difference being you'll be able to buy at the park for longer.

I'm very curious to see if they're only going to be open during the night, or if they will have a daytime event as well. 

Guess we'll find out.. 

I wonder if set up will be kind of like 2005 where they turn off and drain the Royal Fountain in October and begin building the ice rink.

While this isn't Kings Island, this will give you some ideas of things to come in 2017: 
 

WinterFest Debuts At California's Great America November 25

I'm excited for Winterfest.  Even if there are no attractions available, it will be nice to see the park in a different month and with a different focus.  I'm hoping that given the lead time, they will consider having The Beast open as well as some Snoopy attractions.

I doubt you see The Beast open.  But you very well could see some Snoopy attractions.  Particularly Boo Blasters, and potentially The Great Pumpkin Coaster and the Carousel in Planet Snoopy.  Also, the Grand Carousel and Kings Island Miami Valley Railroad will likely be open.  These were open for the 2005 version of Winterfest, and the original incarnation of Winterfest.

Gut the ride for a holiday with the peanut gang...would rock... or so.e type of christmas ride

I rode Boo Blasters today, and it seemed sad.  Sounded like half of the soundtrack wasn`t working.  There were areas where you only heard one sound effect going.  It was really sad.  I think a ride themed to the Peanuts would be a big hit.  Especially if they were able to add a Christmas overlay to it for Winterfest.

I'm not so sure I'd expect Boo Blasters to be around in Summer 2018. Which is why I wouldn't bet on Boo Blasters being open for Winterfest in December 2017.

Hope Ki brings back dark rides where it would be great to peanuts where they could do some changes to peanuts a few times a year summer Halloween n chrisyltmas..

Then add a shoot em up ride elsewhere..

Bkroz,  why do you think Boo Blaster`s won`t be around in 2018?  If they do anything to the ride, I would imagine it would be some kind of retheme, but keeping the ride conveyance system.

Bkroz,  why do you think Boo Blaster`s won`t be around in 2018?  If they do anything to the ride, I would imagine it would be some kind of retheme, but keeping the ride conveyance system.

 

 

I rode Boo Blasters today, and it seemed sad.  Sounded like half of the soundtrack wasn`t working.  There were areas where you only heard one sound effect going.  It was really sad.  I think a ride themed to the Peanuts would be a big hit. 

 

You hit the nail on the head!

 

 

There's too much unpredictability but Boo Blasters has a lot rallying against it. I'd bet money that the ride will re-open next season in exactly as bad a shape as it's in at the end of this season. There's been no noticeable attempt since its opening to repair the broken guns, unresponsive targets, faltering music, or key special effects. The upkeep (or lack thereof!) tells me a lot about its priority in the park's lineup. 

 

No one would be happier than me to see Kings Island have a really good dark ride. Boo Blasters – even if it were radically repaired to optimal conditions this winter – would not be a really good dark ride. 

 

Given the new push for 21st century dark rides at the parks, Boo Blasters is liable to get left behind. A thoughtful, gun-free transformation into a Peanuts dark ride through the seasons would be the simplest scenario. It's what I'm rooting for, too!

When I rode today, my gun worked just fine.  (And I was able to get to 1,200 points).  When was the last TrioTech dark ride installed at a Cedar Fair park?  I believe it was Voyage to the Iron Reef at Knott`s in 2015.  And it looks like there are no new dark ride additions to any Cedar Fair park for next season either.  

 

There is also a reason that they made these rides interactive.  It deters the guests, especially those unsupervised guests, typically, although not always, of the teenage variety, from defacing/destroying park property.

I've ended up riding Boo Blasters a lot this season, and my gun has worked every time. There are reportedly broken guns, but finding one isn't as common as some might suggest.

I've ended up riding Boo Blasters a lot this season, and my gun has worked every time. There are reportedly broken guns, but finding one isn't as common as some might suggest.

 

Then I must have the luckiest unlucky spree on Boo Blasters. Every time I rode it this year the blasters did not work. In fact, that's a main reason why I steer clear of the attraction, is due to the faulty equipment. Now, I have to mention that I have only ridden it maybe 4 times this year, and that's it, so if in the four times I went, I had faulty blasters. I have reason to believe however that Boo Blasters might be on the way out in 2018 if we don't get a Mass Effect/Plants Vs Zombies attraction. Which would explain why you don't see one of the few indoor attractions which resides in an area more than likely to be used in WinterFest on the attraction line up, but of course probably is subject to change.

^ 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.